Determined to keep my private life from the census taker（人口普查员），I locked the front door. After several more days of _________to answer the door，one afternoon I _________ to my car. The census taker，who had been _________all week to catch me，spotted me and ran up to _________.I told the man firmly I would not answer his questions. He glared at me and _________ walked away.

A week went by. All my neighbours had _________their census questions，and the census taker _________. Then one afternoon there came a knock at the door. I answered the door and found a middle-aged lady. Suddenly，I realized my _________."I'm Carla with the US Census Bureau，"she said，_________herself the way the former one had. Only there was something __________：she was smiling.

So I let her in, offered her a bottle of water, and waited for the __________. But first, she asked about my family. __________she told me about her own family and something else. I __________ a lot about Carla, as she was in no hurry to get to the __________. She was pleasant and relaxed. And so was I. After about an hour, she put away her _________ and thanked me for the water, __________as she got into her car. I realized I didn't __________her visit at all.

Carla would call every few months, asking if our __________had changed. We always talked about our families and lives __________we were friends.

   Nowadays it is necessary to be reasonable and flexible enough to avoid conflicts as much as possible and live in peace with others. 【小题1】 If you have done all your best to avoid conflicts but you are still arguing, then read these effective tips on how to avoid conflicts.

1. Don’t get in the center of the conflict.

Sometimes people can get in the center of conflicts because they want to help. Frankly speaking, it is very risky, because it can make you the main figure of the conflict. 【小题2】 You should focus on your own life issues.

2. Be kind.

【小题3】 Life is full of conflicts and disagreements, and that’s why you should find more conservative ways of dealing with them. For example, kindness can lessen the conflict.

3. Try to be a peacekeeper.

Peacekeepers tend to cooperate with people without bad emotions which usually lead to arguments and even conflicts. “【小题4】” This saying is the life motto of a natural born peacekeeper. Don’t worry if you are not a natural born peacekeeper. You can gain this skill during life.

4. Walk off.

When the conflict is gathering pace and you can’t manage to keep yourself, you should choose to handle the situation in another way. By all means, try to keep yourself away from stress. 【小题5】 You should get away from the situation for a while.

   Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited（小气的）at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are. 【小题1】

Tell them you love them every morning. A gentle "good morning" and "I love you" will warm the coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world.

Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for the day when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend. 【小题2】

Obey their requests. It will make you have a better attitude and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you are not recognized. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's raining or snowing. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes. 【小题3】 Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents？

【小题4】 Do things with your parents like watching TV, or going somewhere with them. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can. Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another.

Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. 【小题5】 Seek help if you are being abused（虐待）in any way. Parents do not have a right to harm you.

   When my son Rob came home from school in tears，he told us two older kids had beaten him up. Rob wanted to stay home from school so he wouldn't have to meet the boys in the future.

We called the school. “We'll be happy to call the boys' parents,”we were told.“And you should call the police.”

The next day was Saturday. Rob happened to look out the window and said in alarm,“There are the boys who beat me up!”Two older boys were standing in front of our house, as if they were waiting for Rob to step outside.

I immediately began to think of what I wanted to say to them, but my wife Bev acted first. She opened the door and said with a smile,“Hi, guys. Would you like some ice cream?”

They looked at each other in puzzlement. But they were children, after all, so they shrugged their shoulders and one of them said,“Sure. Why not?”

They followed her indoors and Bev introduced herself, Rob's younger brother Tony and me. She even introduced the dog Rusty. “And I think you already know Rob,”she said, pointing to our son. Her idea was to help them to see that Rob was a person, not a target. He had a family, he lived in a neighborhood and he even owned a friendly dog.

Bev drew the boys into a conversation while we ate ice cream. She said,“I know there's been some trouble. I think there may be a misunderstanding.”They nodded.

“Rob wants to be your friend,”she continued.“Maybe we can talk about the misunderstanding so you can all be friends.”

They nodded their heads in agreement and we talked. Eventually the boys apologized and said there would be no more trouble.

The headmaster of the school called back the following week and asked about the fighting. “Did you call the police?”he asked.

“No, but we've taken care of it,”I said.

“What did you do?”he wondered.

“We fed them ice cream.”