We were going to play against a team from a country school. They didn't come until the game time arrived. They looked1than we had thought. They were wearing dirty blue jeans(牛仔裤)and looked like farm boys. We even thought that they had never seen a basketball before.

    We all sat down. We felt we didn't 2any practice against a team like that.

    It was already so late that no3could be given to them for a warm-up(热身，准备活动). The game began.

    One of our boys 4the ball and he shot a long pass to our forward. From out of nowhere a boy in a dirty T-shirt5the pass and with a beautiful form(姿势)he shot and got two points.

    They6us. Then they got another7of points in a minute.

    Soon it was all over. The country team8us. We certainly learned that even though a team is good, there is usually another9a little better. But the important lesson learned was: One can't tell a man, or a team, by the10.

    Most American children eat potatoes. But many children don't know what of the potato is the best food. Take a knife and cut from the middle of the potato a piece as thin as paper. I hold the piece between your eyes and light. You will see that the potato has skin(皮), an outside rim(边缘)and an inside part. The outside rim which is right under the skin of the potato, is the most valuable part of all. But this is often thrown away with the skin. Even the skin itself is better for food than the inside. When eating a cooked potato, if you choose the inside and leave the outside, you are throwing the best part of it. If you can't cat the whole potato, eat the outside rim first and leave the inside part.

    Once upon a time, two young men were spending some time in the country. One day, while taking a walk together, they crossed a large field.

    "Look out!" one of the young men shouted, because a bull(公牛)suddenly appeared(出现)and began to chase(追赶)them. They were very frightened. They ran as fast as they could, but the bull kept chasing them.

    Finally, one of the men climbed up a tree. The other one jumped into a hole, but soon he came out of it. Immediately the bull chased him back into the hole.

    "Stay there!" his friend shouted, but soon the man came out again, and again the bull chased him right back. This went on five or six more times.

    At last, the man in the tree got angry and shouted to his friend in the hole, "You fool! Stay in that hole for a while; otherwise, this bull will keep us here all day! "

    "I want to, "the man shouted back, "but there's a bear in it!"

    How to be the world's best guest？

    Do you want to be a popular guest who gets invited back？Read our five top tips（建议）for being a good guest.

⑴If you are in a formal（正式的）situation, dress smartly: a suit and a tie for men, a long dress for women.

⑵If you are going to stay in someone's house, don't arrive empty-handed. Bring a small present if you are staying for a short time, a bigger one for longer periods. Expensive chocolate works in most situations.

⑶To shake hands or to kiss? Wait to see what your host does.

⑷Always accept it when offered, whether it looks terrible or delicious. Try to cat all of it and say it tastes good. Most people are proud of their cooking even if they shouldn't be. Don't hurt their feelings.

⑸The most important tip for being a good guest is to know when to say goodbye. The secret is to leave while the host is still enjoying your company and wants you to stay longer.

    Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now, scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.

    Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.

    Family size might cause people to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. The scientists said that these children were often bullied(欺负)by their older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.

    You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries, they found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions of failure. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame(责备)themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.

    For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversations. And don't forget-if you are shy, you are not the only one.