For the British, the home is a private place in which he or she goes to hide away from the troubles of life. It is very seldom that one would be invited to a British person’s home. It is rude to knock on a person’s door if you into. Never ask how much the house or any of the items in it costs.

To the American, most of them want their home to be a place where they can entertain and share their lives with their friends. They may be glad to show you around their houses. They may also be pleased when you show your interest and pleasure in their houses.

Both British and American people will engage in (参与) quite a bit of chat and a drink or two before the meal is served. After the first mouthful, you should say how delicious the food is and ask something about it. Remember, never eat with your mouth open and make very little noise while eating. It would be nice of you to help your host in any way. Maybe offer to pour some drinks or clear up after the meal.

You may have done something wrong, but now you're willing to make things right. 【小题1】 If you want to make sure that your apology is effective and doesn’t cause even more hurt, follow the advice below to write a fantastic apology.

State what your letter is about. It’s a good idea to begin by letting them know that this letter is an apology. If you don’t want them to be confused about why you’re writing or what you’re going to say, say something like: “【小题2】”.

State your mistake. Now that you’re apologizing, say what you’re apologizing for and why it was incorrect. 【小题3】. By fully putting it out there in the open, the person that you’re apologizing to will know that you do really understand what you did.

【小题4】 This is one of the most important parts of an apology but can be the hardest to say. What you do need to do is admit your responsibility for your mistake openly and without reservation(保留). You might have had good reasons for doing what you did but that shouldn’t keep you from saying that your actions caused someone to get hurt.

Offer a solution that will lead to change. Just saying that you’re sorry isn’t really enough. What really gives an apology some power is finding a way to solve the problem in the future. 【小题5】. When you offer a plan for change and how you’re going to go about it, this shows the person that you’re really serious about making the situation better.

The American book Who Moved My Cheese   has been a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The book tells us that when facing change in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don’t be afraid. Instead, use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students.

Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs and tells a story about two mice, two “little people” and some cheese.                                               

The four are in a maze looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can’t change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people, however, can’t do this. They are afraid of change so they find no cheese.                                        

After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move in a new direction quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself.