Criticism (批评) is everywhere in life. It is up to you to decide how to react to it. Learn how to deal with criticism and lead a happier and more relaxing life.

Ask yourself how the criticism will affect you. Will you lose your job because of the criticism? Will you lose what is important to you because you are criticized? Will life stop existing if your opinions are not accepted? Surely not! So, don’t worry about it. Instead, remember that some criticism actually helps you make some improvements.

You absolutely cannot stop what people say. What you can do, however, is to change the way you react to criticism. If you let it upset you, then the blame is on you. You have the right to decide what to do with the criticism you receive.

Don’t be afraid to accept criticism. No one likes to be told that he is wrong. Yet, every single person has, at one time or another, been blamed for something. Realize that it’s normal. You may have received some strong criticism, but it doesn’t mean that you are foolish, or that you don’t have the ability to do something properly. If you are afraid to put your work out for others to see, you’ll  never know if you are a capable person. Try not to think of it in that way and don’t take it seriously. If you can learn to be optimistic, you will remove some stress and nervousness about what people think, thus becoming happier.

Consider where the criticism comes from. It may help you step back and examine what causes the criticism. Is the critic just trying to offer constructive criticism? It is much easier to accept correction or guidance from someone that has good intentions. This type of criticism is known as valid criticism, because there is a valid point or reason to it. On the other hand, there are critics that offer their advice just to be negative. This is commonly referred to as invalid criticism because it is often not of any use at all.

Do your best. And if someone doesn’t like what you’ve done, so what? It’s either valid criticism or invalid criticism. But you have the power to decide how you will allow it to affect you.

Title: How to deal with criticism

As we all know, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of the Independence. He wrote it in two weeks, and after a few changes, it was accepted by the Congress. As a result, he became famous.

Born in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, a brilliant student at school and almost talented lawyer later, was much interested in politics.

Jefferson was elected Governor of Virginia in 1779, and he was sent to France as the representative of the American government in 1784. Sixteen years later, at the age of 57, he was elected president after Washington and Adams.

Far from a handsome man, he was tall with long arms and big hands. Jefferson, who was an amusing talker in conversation but a poor speaker, was generally good-natured.

Jefferson was regarded as a defender of freedom on America. As a president, he protected the right of free speech. Interestingly enough, in his eight years as President, Jefferson never vetoed a bill which Congress had passed. He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American Independence.

1.

From the passage we can infer that America won its independence in ___.

A. 1786      B. 1776    C. 1842   D. 1800

2.

How old was Thomas Jefferson when he became Governor of Virginia?

A. He was 26.       B. He was in his forties.

C. He was 36.       D. We don’t know.

3.

Which of the following statements is true?

A. Jefferson was not only very talented but also very handsome.

B. Jefferson was not an easy person to get along with.

C. Jefferson was an amusing talker, but not good at speaking in public.

D. Not being politically-minded, Jefferson never vetoed a bill passed by the Congress.

4.

 Jefferson’s greatest contribution in American history should be that ___.

A. he did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia

B. he was strongly against the slavery

C. he was for the right of free speech

D. he wrote the Declaration of Independence

All it took was a slice of Xinjiang cake to spark heated debates online over China's policy on ethnic（民族的）minorities .

Since Monday, qiegao (cut cake) has been a trending topic on Sina Weibo, China’s main Twitter-like microblogging service.

The cake was a reference to Xinjiang’s famed nut cake, sometimes known by its old Turkic name baklava, a popular pastry across Central Asia and the Middle East. In Xinjiang, they are sold by Uygur vendors（小贩）on tricycles who are known to charge dubious prices depending on the time and season.

The ethnic flare-up started after the Yueyang police from Hunan province posted a message on their official Weibo account. It reported a dispute in Pingjiang county over an overpriced piece of nut cake between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a villager named "Ling".

Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding. The verbal dispute eventually escalated into a fight and then a mass fight. As a result, two people were injured and Xinjiang nut cakes worth about 160,000 yuan (US$25,000) were destroyed. The total damage was worth 200,000 yuan which included a broken motorcycle and injuries to people. Local police have detained（扣留） Ling. The 16 Uygur sellers were dully compensated and sent back to Xinjiang.

"Yueyang police incident" quickly became one of the most popular topics on Weibo. Yueyang police removed the post shortly after. As of Tuesday night, the topic was still amassing more than 66,000 hits.

The incident is just one of many similar cases of ethnic tensions across China, notably in Xinjiang province, where deeply entrenched social and racial frictions between the dominant ethnic Han Chinese and minority Uygur Muslims occasionally spark violence. Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists.

1.Which of the following is true?

A．The dispute is between a Xinjiang Uygur vendor and a policeman.

B．Nut cake is a popular pastry across East Asia and the Middle East.

C．The prices of Baklava will change according to the time and season.

D．The demand of the 16 Uygur sellers were refused and they were sent back to Xinjiang.

2.How much did the broken motorcycle cost？

A．160,000 yuan                          B．200,000 yuan

C．40，000yuan                          D．We don’t know

3. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．World's most expensive baklava.

B．Ethnic tensions across China.

C．Pay attention to the Uygurs

D．Misunderstanding caused by a fight

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Yueyang police are afraid of the Xinjiang Uygur vendor

B．It’s not the only ethnic tension across China,

C．Many Uygurs living in major Chinese cities are viewed by locals as thieves, crooks and even terrorists.

D．Villager Ling got into a fight with a Uygur due to a misunderstanding.

5. Where is this passage probably from?

A．Microblogging.                         B．Textbook.

C．Newspaper.                            D．Article.

How do you address(称呼) people in English when you want to talk to them? The following may be some simple rules the beginners should follow.

1. When talking to strangers there is often no special form of address in English. Usually, if you want to catch the attention of a stranger it is necessary to use such phrases as “Excuse me”.

2. In British English “Sir” and “Madam” are considered to be too formal for most situations. They are used mostly to customers in shops or restaurants. While in American English “Sir” and “Madam” are not so formal and are commonly used between strangers, especially with old people whose names you don’t know.

3. When you talk to some people you know, you can use their names. If you are friends, use their first names; if your relationship is more formal, use “Mr., “Mrs.”, “Ms”, etc, before their family names.

4. There are many other forms of address which can be used between friends and strangers. However, many of these are limited in use. For example, “pal” and “mate” can be used between strangers, but are usually only used by men talking to other men.

According to the passage, “Excuse me” is mainly used to _____.

   A. address a person you don’t know     B. apologize to others

   C. catch the attention of a stranger       D. suggest good manners

If John Smith is your best friend, according to the passage you should often call him _____.

   A. John        B. Smith         C. Mr. John       D. Mr. Smith

Which of the following is NOT true?

   A. “Sir” and “Madam” are used more often in America than in England.

   B. People often use “Mr.”, “Mrs.” or “Ms.” before the first names of those people who they don’t know very well.

   C. “Pal” and “mate” are usually only used among men.

   D. While addressing friends, people just use their first names.

The passage is mostly likely taken from an English _____.

   A. textbook        B. card         C. storybook        D. grammar book

It’s not too late!

CLEARING VACANCIES AT

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OF HULL

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l   Recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in teaching and research

l   Equal 4th in the UK for graduate to find jobs

l   Study on an attractive campus only 15 minutes from the City centre

l   Wide variety of accommodation to choose from

l   Excellent sporting and social facilities

l   Friendly and supportive environment

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l   ENGINEERING

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Email admissions @ admin, hull. ac. uk www. hull. ac.uk

1. The advertisement on the left is about _______.

A. offering chances to study at the university

B. graduation from the university

C. looking for jobs for students from the university

D. the history of the university

2. In which country is the university?

A. The USA     B. Britain  C. Hull         D. We don’t know

3. If you want to study history, you should call______  .

A. 01482-466103    B. 01482-466104  C. 01482-466105   D. any of the above numbers

4. How many different ways are there in which you can get in touch with the university if you want to enter?_________.

A. One     B. Two    C. Three    D. Four