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　　Do you know how to prepare for and survive a major earthquake? According to Department of Conservation scientists, it is important to have the right answer to that question．

　　Electricity, water, gas and telephones may not be working after an earthquake．The police and fire departments are likely to be tied up．You should be prepared to fend for yourself for at least three days, preferably for a week．You’ll need food, water and so on．It’s also a good idea to decide ahead of time how and where your family will reunite if separated during a quake．You might choose an out-of-the-area friend or relative that family members can call to check on you．

　　If you’re indoors, stay there．Get under a desk or table．The kitchen is a particularly dangerous spot．If you’re in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator．If you’re outside, get into the open．Stay clear of buildings, power lines or anything else that could fall on you．If you’re driving, move the car out of traffic and stop．Avoid parking under or on bridges or overpasses．

　　Check for fire．If you smell gas, shut off the main gas valve(阀)．If there’s sign of damage to electrical wiring, shut off the power at the control box．If the phone is working, only use it in case of emergency．Avoid driving if possible to keep the streets clear for emergency vehicles．Be careful that things may fall out of cupboards when the door is opened, and also that chimneys can be weakened and fall with just a touch．Listen to the radio for important information and instructions．Remember that aftershocks, sometimes large enough to cause damage in their own right, generally follow large quakes．If you leave home, leave a message telling your friends and family your location．

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　　We like to keep our distance from others and there are very specific social rules about how close we can go to others in particular situations．The social distances here are approximate, of course and will vary with people．But they are still a good general rule．Hall identified four zones that are common for Americans：

　　Public Zone：12 feet．The public zone is generally over 12 feet．That is, when we’re walking around town, we’ll try to keep at least 12 feet between us and other people．Of course there’re many times when we cannot do this．We’ll start to notice other people who are with in this distance．The closer they get, the more we become aware．

　　Social Zone：4-12 feet．Within the social zone, we start to feel a connection with other people．When they’re closer, then we can talk with them without having to shout, but still keep them at a safe distance．This is a comfortable distance for people who are standing in a group but maybe not talking directly with one another．

　　Personal Zone：1.5-4feet．In the personal zone, the conversation gets more direct, and this is a good distance for two people who are talking seriously about something．

　　Intimate(亲密的)Zone：＜1.5 feet．When a person is within arm’s reach or closer, then we can touch them in intimate ways．Romance of all kinds happens in this space．Entering intimate zone of somebody else can be very threatening．

　　The rules about social distances vary with different groups of people．People who live in towns spend more time close to one another．In a large and crowded city, the distances will be less than in a small town．Different countries also have different rules about social distances．Watch a Japanese person talking at a party with a person from a Western country．The Japanese will step in and the Westerner will step back．Speeded up, it’s like a dance around the room．

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　　The National Trust has many campsites(野营地)in scenic locations all over the UK．Make the most of the last days of summer by living outdoors and taking in these beautiful landscapes．Here are some of the most popular places to go．

　　Low Wray, Cumbria

　　Low Wray is a lovely campsite situated on the western shore Windermere in the Lake District．There are magnificent views across the water to Wansfell Pike and the Fairfield Horseshow and the site is an ideal base for water sports with on-site access for launching．

　　Phone 05139463862 or book online．

　　Houghton Mill, Cambridgeshire

　　This site is situated on the banks of the Great Ouse with spectacular views across the river to the Trust's Houghton Mill, the last working mill on this river．Mill demonstrations are held every Sunday during the season and the site is situated near the picturesque village of Houghton．There are plenty of footpaths for walkers, horse riders and cyclists along the waterways．

　　Check availability or phone 01480466716．

　　Wasdale Head, Cumbria

　　Wasdale is a great base for climbers of all abilities．The site is nestled under the Scafell mountain range at the head of beautiful Wastwater, the deepest lake in England．Canoeing(划独木舟运动)is possible on Wastwater although limited to no more than 15 on the lake at a time．

　　Phone 01212765416 or book online．

　　Highertown Farm, Cornwall

　　A small, basic campsite situated in the quiet hamlet of Lansallos with fine views of the south-east Cornwall coast and not far from a secluded beach．Bookings may be necessary at peak time．

　　Email or phone 01208265211

　　Lundy, Bristol Channel

　　Lundy Island is an unspoilt(未遭破坏的)island, home to a fascinating array of wildlife amidst dramatic scenery．There are passages from Bideford and Ilfracombe according to the tides, 1 April-31Oct and a winter helicopter service 1 Nov-31 March．

　　Email or phone 01271863636 for more information．

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　　Job sharing refers to the situation in which two people divide the responsibility of one full-time job．The people willingly act as part-time workers, enough hours between them to fulfill the duties of a full-time worker．If they each work half the job, for example, they each receive 50 percent of the job's wages, its holidays and its other benefits．

　　Job sharing differs from conventional(常规的)part-time work in that it occurs mainly in the more highly skilled and professional areas, which require higher levels of responsibility and employee commitment．

　　Job sharing should not be confused with the term work sharing, which refers to increasing the number of jobs by reducing the number of hours of each existing job, thus offering more positions to the growing number of unemployed people．Job sharing by contrast, is not designed to address the growing number of unemployed people．Job sharing, by contrast, is not designed to address unemployment problems; its focus, rather is to provide well-paid work for skilled workers and professionals who want more free time for other activities．

　　As would be expected, most job sharers are women．A survey carried out in 1988 by Britain's Equal Opportunities Commission showed that 78 per cent of sharers were female, the majority of whom were between 20 and 40 years of age．Subsequent studies have come up with similar results．Many of these women were re-entering the job market after having had children, but they chose not to seek part-time work because it would have meant lower status．Job sharing also offered an acceptable shift back into full-time work after a long absence．

　　The necessity of close cooperation when sharing a job with another person makes the actual work quite different from conventional one-position jobs．However, to ensure a greater chance that the partnership will succeed, each person needs to know the strengths, weaknesses and preferences of his or her partner before applying for a position．Moreover, there must be a fair division of both routine tasks and interesting ones．In sum, for a position to be job-shared well, the two individuals must be well matched and must treat each other as equals．

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　　Wind, water, fire and ice-these powerful natural forces have shaped the land of America in the past．They are still changing it today．

　　The Colorado River slowly cut down through stone to make the Grand Canyon(大峡谷)．

　　Long ago, ice sheets cut Yosemite Valley and the Great Lakes, and glaciers(冰川)are still on the move in Alaska．

　　Wind and rain storm hit the land from time to time．Fires sometimes burn down forests and destroy the homes of wild animals．This happened in Yellowstone Park in 1988．

　　Dead volcanic mountains such as Haleakala on Maui and Carter Lakein Oregon are beautiful to look at．But there are several active volcanoes in the US, especially along the Pacific Coast．There are also many earthquakes in this area．Scientists can do nothing to control earthquakes or volcanoes．This was shown clearly on May 18, 1980．At 8∶32 that morning, Mount St Helens in Washington state broke out．The top of the mountain was blown off．

　　Over 60 people-campers, scientists, journalists, forest workers－were killed．Hundreds of square miles of forests were knocked down．In towns over 100 miles away, day suddenly became night．An ash cloud hid the sun for many hours．Towns and fields in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho were covered with dirty gray ash．

　　Scientists knew that Mt St Helens might erupt(爆发)soon．But no one could say when．And no one expected the terrible strength of the eruption．Many people were surprised and unready．Harry R．Truman, 84, owned a small hotel in Mt St Helens．Scientists had asked people to move away because the volcano was becoming dangerous．

　　But Harry Truman would not leave his home．Now it is covered with many feet of dirty ash．A small cross stands above the place where Harry probably died．Perhaps it is better that he did not see the destruction of Mt St Helens, the once beautiful lake, and the forests．

　　But slowly, life is returning to the dead area around the mountain．Grass and small plants are beginning to grow again．Deer and birds have been seen．The land will never be the same as it once was．Perhaps Mt St Helens will erupt again．But this is all part of nature's pattern of change, and man has little power to control it．

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　　What can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough．A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you'll earn later．

　　The idea that popularity could have a serious impact on one's earning potential shouldn't come as too much of a surprise．The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work．

　　“If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations,” said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding．“Also, friends always help each other．They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you occasionally feel depressed,” said Xu．She believed that all this helps you “earn a higher salary”．

　　Maybe that's why some people think the younger generations are in the age of Friendalholism(交友狂症)．A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook's 5,000-friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts．

　　But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency?

　　“Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing．It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition of ‘friend',” said Meghan Daum, who works with the Los Angeles Times in the US．

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　　In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animal．This sometimes happens with humans also．But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people．I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat．And I have discovered that it makes them happy．

　　From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, bur sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily．They don't get to see this soft side of others often; we try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending．But only when we stop pretending we're brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that's in them．

　　Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual．People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning(按喇叭)or even shouting at me．At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty four years of driving．I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed．

　　No more angry shouts and no more horns!

　　When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here．I am weak and doing the best I can．” And everyone understood．Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass．They couldn't get around me because of the stream of passing traffic．But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak．

　　Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don't feel that way．But those are and far between．More often, it would be better if we don't pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared．

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　　Homestay provides English language students with the opportunity to speak English outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home．

　　What to Expect

　　The host will provide accommodation and meals．Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week．You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health．

　　Accommodation Zones

　　Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones2,3 and of the transport system．Most hosts do not live in the town centre as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的)．Zones3 and 4often offer larger accommodation in a less crowned area．It is very convenient to travel in London by Underground．

　　Meal Plans Available

　　◇Continental Breakfast

　　◇Breakfast and Dinner

　　◇Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner

　　It's important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast．Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal(谷物类食品), bread and tea or coffee．Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally

　　part of a Continental Breakfast in England．Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee．

　　Friends

　　If you wish to invite a friend over to visit．you must first ask your host's permission．You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy．

　　Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes

　　Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room．This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student．However,it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much．

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　　It was Thanksgiving morning and in the crowded kitchen of my small home I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang．I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together inside the storm door on the top step．

　　“Any old papers, lady?”asked one of them．

　　I was busy．I wanted to say “no”until looked down at their feet．They were wearing thin little sandals, wet with heavy snow．

　　“Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa．”

　　They walked over and sat down at the table．Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor．I served them cocoa and bread with jam to fight against the cold outside．Then I went back to the kitchen and started again on my household budget．

　　The silence in the front room struck me．I looked in．The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it．The boy asked in a flat voice, “Lady, are you rich?”

　　I looked at my shabby slipcovers．The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully and said, “Your cups match your saucers．” Her voice was hungry with a need that no amount of food could supply．They left after that, holding their bundles of papers against the wind．They hadn't said “Thank you．” They didn't need to．They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful．Plain blue china cups and saucers were only worth five pence．But they matched．

　　I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup．Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job－these matched, too．

　　I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room．The muddy prints of small sandals were still wet upon my floor．Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am．

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sir,

　　Your shipment of twelve thousand ‘Smart' watches was received by our company this morning．However, we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our specific instructions with regard to this order．

　　It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks from the first order, in order to meet our own customers' requirements．While we understand that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable，we must point out that the major reason why the order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you of its speed of delivery, and that your existing stocks(存货)were sufficiently high to ensure immediate shipment．Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers，and is bound to have a negative effect on the potential future orders．

　　The second complaint concerns the difference in colour between the watches we ordered and those delivered．It was stated clearly in the original order that watches in combinations of green/purple and orange/purple only were required．However, only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours specified．Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions precisely, since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours at the present time．Any watches that are not of the specified colours will，of course，be returned to you．

　　We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received，since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been manufactured to a lower standard than those in the sample．We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning．Whether the latter problem is due to poor manufacture，damage during transportation or bad batteries is not yet clear, but we should like to point out that we feel this matter to be only your responsibility．

　　As a result of the above problems，therefore，we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory, and to subtract(扣除)any resulting costs from our final settlement．We shall also, of course, be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company．

　　We look forward to your prompt reply．

Yours sincerely,

John Smith