2.2 Why do we have eyebrows?Those tiny, little hairs above our eyes that many women either pluck, paint, pierce or tattoo play a very important role in keeping moisture out of our eyes.Just like an umbrella keeps our bodies dry from the rain, our hairy eyebrows keep our eyes dry from rain or sweat.When it's pouring rain outside or when sweat drips down from our foreheads, our eyebrows divert the flow of water or sweat away from our eyes.Our arch-shaped eyebrows angle the rain or sweat around to the side of our faces--leaving our eyes fairly dry. By catching the water or sweat, our eyebrows not only allow us to see more clearly, but also keep salty sweat from burning or irritating our eyes.Eyebrows have other roles also. As one of our most expressive facial features, eyebrows help us determine how people are feeling without ever really asking them.If a person's eyebrows are frowning, chances are they are mad or upset. In addition, eyebrows have an increasing impact on our beauty or fashion culture over the years.Thick, hairy and big eyebrows tend to be characterized as unattractive while thin and plucked eyebrows are said to be more attractive.3.1Hotels in ChinaHotels in China are classified into first class, second class and third class based on their star-rating. Five-star and most four-star hotels are in the first class. Guest rooms in first class hotels all have fully-fitted bathrooms, refrigerators, telephones and satellite TV. They have fully adjustable climate control through central air-conditioning facilities. Other ancillary facilities provided by these hotels include such things as business centres, conference facilities, beauty parlours, saunas, foreign exchange, bowling centers, disco-ballrooms, swimming pools, gymnasiums, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers and bars which are open 24 hours a day. The second class generally includes three-star hotels and some two-star ones. Guest room facilities and services are not up to the standard of those in first class hotels. Tour groups normally prefer to stay in second class hotels. Third class hotels are much like motels in Western counties in terms of facilities and services. Hardware facilities in such hotels are of course inferior to those provided by second class hotels, but they offer prices 50% or more below those of second class hotels. As a result, they are popular with many tourists.5.1 What makes a good conversation?Recently, a friend phoned me. She’s one of those people who could talk under wet cement. I've discovered that I can even put the phone down and attend to something in another room while she's talking and she doesn’t even notice. A second friend phoned me that night. I was very tired, but I soon forgot my weariness as we animatedly shared our opinions, beliefs and personal experiences. Time flew, and as I went to bed very late that night, I thought, “Now, that was a really good conversation!”It occurred to me that it might be an interesting topic to research for my speech tonight. So I asked some of my friends what they thought made a good conversation. They had different suggestions, but all agreed on three main points: mutual interest, give and take, trust.Let's look at the first one: mutual interest. A conversation has to be of interest to all concerned. As one friend suggested, a good conversation is when two or more people voluntarily explore the topic. But how can we be sure that we are not boring others? We need to be sensitive to the cuesour listener gives us. Someone suggested if he is pulling away from your grip, or standing on tiptoe making desperate signals to someone else, he probably wants out!All my friends agreed that a conversation thrives on a balance of giving and taking. Conversations are the building blocks of a relationship, one told me. If conversations lean too far in one direction, the relationship will topple. We agreed that giving and taking can be done both through speaking and listening. Through talking we can entertain, inform, advise, and share personal experiences. We fulf ill our listener’s emotional needs when we sympathize, praise or reassure him. By listening attentively we can make the other person feel good about himself. We give him an outlet for his pent-up feelings, and a sounding board for his ideas. Since most people would rather talk than listen this means we sometimes have to give up our own desire to speak in favour of the other person’s need to talk. Someone mentioned active listening. We can respond non-verbally with our eyes and body language to draw out the speaker. It's important to ask questions to show interest. Open-ended questions, like How, What, Where, When, Why encourage the speaker to continue. Then there's trust. A relationship requires mutual trust. It's like a series of circles, someone said. The outer ring is for acquaintances. We usually exchange small talk with acquaintances. Small talk is a necessary medium for finding a mutual interest. It's a way of testing the water before plunging in. The next circle is for people we feel comfortable with. We know them well, we mix with them socially, and might even have serious conversations with them, but we don't have a close relationship. We don't let many into our smaller inner circle. That is for those we feel safe with, with whom we can be open and honest. I was wondering how to sum this all up when my ten-year-old neighbor called in. I asked her if she had a good friend that she enjoyed talking to. “Oh yes,” she said. “I tell my friend Emily everything.” “And who does the most talking?” I asked.“Both of us,” she said. “We’re interested in the same things. I’ve known her for years.” There we have it: mutual interests, a balance of talking and listening and a good relationship. I think she summed it up well. But what do you think? I'll leave it to you to decide what you think makes a good conversation.Why are girls not as good at maths and science?Girls don't do as well at maths and science as boys. There are several reasons for this. The first and most important reason is that they aren't encouraged to play with toys that build up interest in maths and science problems and that build skills for problem solving or understanding how things work. Girls are encouraged to play with toys that foster language and human relations skills. As a result, they can grow up not knowing how an engine works or how to build a model from directions. Second, studies have shown that teachers don't expect girls to be good at maths. Even female maths and science teachers pay more attention to boys in class and call on boys more often. Because teachers don't expect girls to excel, they don't try very hard, and soon girls are far behind boys in these studies.Finally, girls don't have many role models to look up to. Not very many maths and science teachers are women, especially in the later grades. When the media picture mathematicians and scientists, they usually picture men. As a result, girls aren't inspired to choose these fields as careers. In summary, several factors work together in the home, in schools, and in society at large to send a subtle message to girls. Girls almost always get the message; as a result, few girls excel at maths and science.1.4 Speech by Wang Guangya at Princeton UniversityLadies and Gentlemen,Good evening.I am honored to be invited to your seminar tonight. For me, for my colleagues and for many otherChinese, Princeton has long been a familiar name. With a history longer than the country, it has produced many outstanding people, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US president, Albert Einstein, the great scientist, and T. S. Eliot, the famous poet, to name but a few. As former president Bill Clinton said in 1996 at the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Princeton, “At every pivotal moment in American history, Princeton, its leadership, faculty and its students have played a crucial role.”I am more pleased to learn that all of you have a keen interest in China. Though our two countries are geographically far apart, we have a great deal in common in the everyday life. While many Chinese enjoy Hollywood movies and McDonald’s fast food, many Americans find that their clothes and daily necessities are made in China. I hope that today’s seminar will help you gain a better understanding of China and its foreign policy, thus deepening further our friendship and cooperation.3.4 Introduction to an arts and crafts companyDistinguished guests, dear friends:I feel honored to have this opportunity to introduce our company to you through the platform provided by this conference.Founded 15 years ago, we are a company specializing in the design, manufacture and sales of handicrafts. Fifteen years ago our staff numbered 50; now the figure is 1,700. Fifteen years ago we rented a facility covering a floor space of 4,500 square meters; now our own facility covers a floor space of 24,000 square meters. These figures speak loudly and clearly of our success.Our leading products are various architectural models, including exotic European cathedrals, the Empire State Building, the White House, and the Pentagon in the U.S., along with cartoon animal toys and Christmas gifts with a variety of designs. Our designs have become trend setters in the industry.Today, our products are sold worldwide in more than twenty countries including Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America, the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany. They are well received by both local importers and customers. For fifteen years, our output value has maintained an annual growth rate of 30%.青少年心理健康面临新问题。