There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.

When my friend Lily from London used the word "larder", I didn't know what it meant. Realizing I didn't follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food.

The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She jotted down the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.

Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like those. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a woman who was pissed. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.

Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store（食品杂货店）recently. She asked the young man if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn't follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.

In order to communicate well with the British, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English.

   There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned（禁止）in schools in most countries, and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use physical punishment to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages.

It's easy to find reasons to allow physical punishment. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to give up physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this is the way they were brought up and that it didn't do any harm to them. They believe that they have the right to punish the child in any way they consider fit, including using physical punishment. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket.

However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don't have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is the use of seat belts -now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits.

In conclusion, parents have to change some of their beliefs and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force, and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society.

Once a traveler came into a village, 【小题1】（hunger）. The villagers tried to stop the traveler from staying, 【小题2】（fear）he wanted them to give him food. They told him that there's no food anywhere 【小题3】（find）. The traveler gave an 【小题4】（explain）that he didn't need any food and that, 【小题5】 fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watched 【小题6】（strange）as he built a fire and filled a large pot with water. Then he pulled a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot. He tasted the soup and said 【小题7】delicious the stone soup was. As the villagers began to show interest, he said how good the soup 【小题8】（be）with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brought out a cabbage to share. This event repeated 【小题9】（it）until the soup had cabbage, carrots and onions-indeed, a large soup that fed everyone in the village.

Are you like one of the villagers, holding back？If you come forward and share your gifts, you will encourage others to do the same. The reward is 【小题10】 gift that can benefit（使受益）many.

Signs of Healthy Friendships

Once in a while it's helpful to see if your friendship is as healthy as it can be. You might get used to a friendship over time to the point where you don't see the room for improvement. And since great friendships are priceless, you should always surround yourself with the kind of people who will lift your spirits, make you laugh, and remind（提醒）you that you are loved. 【小题1】 Here are characteristics that strong friendships share.

【小题2】

Friends make you feel comfortable with yourself, so you don't need to act like someone you're not. Your friends know your shortcomings and love you anyway. You are perhaps the "best version" of yourself when you're with your friends.

A healthy friendship includes plenty of gentle honesty. True friends won't pretend（假装）just to avoid an argument. 【小题3】As a result, you'll know where you stand with your friends and won't be afraid to share your true opinions.

They argue in a healthy way.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about good friends is that they never fight. But let's face it：everyone fights. 【小题4】 In fact, voicing your opinions freely will cause you to disagree from time to time and that's okay.

Healthy friendships mean you can be friends with someone else, too.

【小题5】 That's why great friends will improve your relationship yet still encourage you to meet people and try new things without them. A healthy friendship means that sometimes the two of you spend time apart, and that's okay.

I'm very sorry to hear what is happening to you_________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

I was so sad that __________________________________________________________________________

Looking forward to your early reply.

Your friend,

Li Hua