British people don’t like to say “no”, because they think it is rude. But this can be a problem for people from other countries. When you learn English, you learn to say things like “Yes, please.” and “No, thank you.” when somebody asks you if you want something. But real life is not always so easy.

When you give something to British people, they often say, “I’m all right, thanks.” When they say this, they mean that they already have everything they need, so it is a way to say no. Unluckily, saying “all right” is also a way to say yes. The same phrase (短语) can be used in different ways to mean both yes and no!

Manjit works in a tourist shop. “British people are difficult customers (顾客),” he said. “If you give something to them, they say, ‘Maybe later’ even when they plan never to buy it.”

Saying yes is not much better, said Manjit. “When they want to buy something, they sometimes don’t say yes. They say, ‘Sure!’ or ‘Why not?’ It’s so confusing (令人困惑的)!”

We all have the experience—looking at a book, hoping that what we study will come to our mind itself. Many of us have probably wondered, “Are there any ways to improve memory (记忆)?” So, why don’t we look at what memory experts say about this?

Every student knows that it’s helpful to review (复习) what they studied the last day. Experts tell us we can learn things better if we wait for some time before trying to study them again. They say that trying to find something from your memory after you have some time to forget it will make it easier to remember in the future. It is not clear why this happens. But some think the relationship between long-term and short-term memory makes a difference.

Another study tip is to change between different subjects as you study. This can help you make connections (关联) between different ideas. One of the world memory champions (记忆冠军) Jonathan Hancock once says connecting ideas with each other is a good way to remember some things.

There are also more things that we can do to improve our memory. Hancock says that being well-organized makes things easier for your brain (大脑). That’s to say, if you put things in a certain order in your brain, you can remember them in a shorter time.

Many other experts also advise that we should take enough rest and do more exercise. In this way, our mind can be clearer to take in things.

So, the good news to take from this is that although it needs lots of practice and takes time to make it, there is something we can do to improve our memory.

All English learners want to improve their English, but as you know, it can be difficult! To learn English well, you need to work on many areas. Reading is one of them.

Reading English is something you can do to help you learn on your own. When reading, take a dictionary with you to look up new words and then write them down in a notebook.①试着在对话中使用这些新单词。It’s a great way to learn. Newspapers are good for higher level students. But for lower level students, try reading children’s stories or books written in easy English.②You won’t learn much if you choose a book that is too difficult or too easy. You should find something that will be challenging and interesting. How can you find something wonderful to read? The Internet is full of what you can read.

When reading, don’t try to understand every word, and don’t keep reaching for the dictionary! Instead, try to understand the meaning of the text first and then read it again for more details. For words you don’t understand, try learning how to guess the meaning from the context(上下文).