Every day, millions of shoppers hit the stores in full force—both online and on foot— searching for the perfect gift. Aside from purchasing holiday gifts, most people regularly buy presents for other occasions throughout the year, including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and baby showers. This frequent experience of gift-giving can cause ambivalent feelings in gift-givers. Many enjoy the opportunity to buy presents because gift-giving offers a powerful means to build stronger bonds with one’s closest persons. At the same time, many fear the thought of buying gifts; they worry that their purchases will disappoint rather than delight the intended receivers.

What is surprising is that gift-givers have considerable experience acting as both gift-givers and gift-recipients, but nevertheless tend to overspend each time they set out to purchase a meaningful gift. In the present research, we propose a unique psychological explanation for this overspending problem — i.e., that gift-givers equate how much they spend with how much receivers will appreciate the gift (the more expensive the gift, the stronger a gift-recipient’s feelings of appreciation). Although a link between gift price and feelings of appreciation might seem intuitive (凭直觉得到的) to gift-givers, such an assumption may be unfounded. Indeed, we propose that gift- receivers will seldom tend to base their feelings of appreciation on the significance weight of a gift than givers assume.

Why do gift-givers assume that gift price is closely linked to gift-recipients’ feelings of appreciation? Perhaps givers believe that bigger (i.e., more expensive) gifts convey stronger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration. According to Camerer (1988) and others, gift-giving represents a symbolic ritual(礼节), by which gift-givers attempt to signal their positive attitudes toward the intended receiver and their willingness to invest resources in a future relationship. In this sense, gift-givers may be motivated to spend more money on a gift in order to send a “stronger signal” to their intended receiver. As for gift-receivers, they may not consider smaller and larger gifts as representing smaller and larger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration.

In practical terms, people spend hundreds of dollars each year on gifts, but somehow never learn to measure their gift expenses according to personal insight.

Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music．

Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity(男子气概)，the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to be consistent to a stereotype(传统观念)，a US study says．

Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their abilities to express their emotions，rather than feeling they had to obey the“boy code”of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”．

The findings of the study are against the received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls．

Tony Little，headmaster of Eton，warned that boys were being ignored by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls．He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls．

The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills．

But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys’ learning style，letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom，wrote the study’s author, Abigail James of the University of Virginia．

Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them．Because boys generally have sharper vision，learn best through touch, and are physically more active，they need to be given “hands-on”lessons where they are allowed to walk around．“ Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine(女性的)and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes.” James wrote．

Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to give in to a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships．“ In mixed schools boys feel pressed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means.” the study reported.

Many foreign students report feeling lonely or unwelcome in Australia. Those feelings are among the reasons why Australia is taking a close look at its international education industry. But wherever international students go，making friends may not always be easy. Elisabeth Gareis of Baruch College in New York surveyed 454 international students. They were attending four－year colleges and graduate schools in the American South and Northeast.

Students from English－speaking countries and from northern and central Europe were more likely to be happy with their friendships. But 38% of the international students said they had no close friends in the United States. And half of the students from East Asia said they were unhappy with the number of American friends they had. Thirty percent said they wished their friendships could be deeper and more meaningful.

Professor Gareis says，“Students from East Asia have cultures that are different on many levels from the culture in the United States. There are also language problems，and maybe some social skills，such as small talks，which are possibly not as important in their native countries，where it’s not as important to start friendships with small talks. Many East Asian students blamed themselves for their limited friendships with Americans，for not speaking the language well enough and for not knowing the culture well enough.”

VOA’s Students Union blogger Jessica Stahl did her own survey to find out how American students and foreign students relate to each other. More than 100 students，about half of them American，answered her online questions. Half of the international students and 60% of the Americans said they related as well or better to the other group than to their own group.

Professor Gareis says，“International students who make friends with host nationals are，overall，more satisfied with their stay in the host country. They have better language skills，better academic performance and better attitudes toward the host country.”

 Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.

●Recite and repeat in conversation.

   When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.

●Ask the other person to recite and repeat.

  You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.

●Admit you don’t know.

  Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”

●Use associations.

   Link each person you meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng－tall, black hair.” To reinforceyour associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.

●Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.

   When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning first names. Last names can come later.

●Go early.

Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometime just a few people show up on time. There’re fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others --- an automatic review for you.

     D

We have a crisis on our hands. You mean global warming? The world economy? No, the decline of reading. People are just not doing it anymore, especially the young. Who's responsible? Actually, it's more like, What is responsible? The Internet, of course, and everything that comes with it ─Facebook, Twitter. You can write your own list.

There's been a warning about the imminent death of literate civilization for a long time. In the 20th century, first it was the movies, then radio, then television that seemed to spell doom for the written world. None did. Reading survived; in fact it not only survived, it has flourished. The world is more literate than ever before ─ there are more and more readers, and more and more books.

The fact that we often get our reading material online today is not something we should worry over. The electronic and digital revolution of the last two decades has arguably shown the way forward for reading and for writing. Take the arrival of e-book readers as an example. Devices like Kindle make reading more convenient and are a lot more environmentally friendly than the traditional paper book.

As technology makes new ways of writing possible, new ways of reading are possible. Interconnectivity allows for the possibility of a reading experience that was barely imaginable before. Where traditional books had to make do with photographs and illustrations, an e-book can provide readers with an unlimited number of links: to texts, pictures, and videos. In the future, the way people write novels, history, and philosophy will resemble nothing seen in the past.

On the other hand, there is the danger of trivialization. One Twitter group is offering its followers single-sentence-long “digests” of the great novels. War and Peace in a sentence? You must be joking. We should fear the fragmentation of reading. There is the danger that the high-speed connectivity of the Internet will reduce our attention span ─ that we will be incapable of reading anything of length or which requires deep concentration.

In such a fast-changing world, in which reality seems to be remade each day, we need the ability to focus and understand what is happening to us. This has always been the function of literature and we should be careful not to let it disappear. Our society needs to be able to imagine the possibility of someone utterly in tune with modern technology but also able to make sense of a dynamic, confusing world.

In the 15th century, Johannes Guttenberg's invention of the printing press in Europe had a huge impact on civilization. Once upon a time the physical book was a challenging thing. We should remember this before we assume that technology is out to destroy traditional culture.

                                                                                          C

    If you’re t ired of the Mediterranean and don’t want to head to Disney again, perhaps it’s time for a summer holiday in space. Russia has declared plans for its first floating hotel, 217 miles above earth, and it is something of an offering with good service.

    Hosting just seven guests in a four cabins, the accommodation will boast huge windows with views back to earth and tasty microwave meals will be served instead of the ones often used by astronauts. 

    Just getting there will be an adventure in itself—it will take two days aboard a Soyuz rocket—and it won’t exactly be a budget holiday: A five-day stay will cost you￡100, 000 to￡500, 000 for your journey. The hotel is due to open by 2016 and, according to those behind it,  will be far more comfortable than the International Space Station (ISS) used by astronauts and cosmonauts.         

    In the weightlessness of space, visitors can choose to have beds that are either vertical(垂直的) or horizontal. Tourists, who will be accompanied by experienced crew, will dine on food prepared on Earth and sent up on the rocket, to be reheated in microwave ovens. Many kinds of delicacies will be available.

    Iced tea, mineral water and fruit juices will be available, but alcohol will be strictly prohibited. Toilets will use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system. Waste water will be recycled.         

    Sergei Kostenko, chief executive of Orbital Technologies which will construct the hotel,  said: “Our planned module inside will not remind you of the International Space Station. A hotel should be comfortable inside, and it will be possible to look at the Earth. The hotel will be aimed at wealthy individuals and people working for private companies who want to do research in space.” The hotel can also be used as an emergency bolthole (避难处) for astronauts aboard the International Space Station if there is a crisis. 

The United States is already one year into a depression. That was the news this week from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The downturn is the longest since a depression that began in 1981 and lasted sixteen months.

Economists generally wait for production to shrink for six months in a row before they declare a recession. But the bureau, a private group, uses a wider set of information to measure the economy. The news only confirmed what many people already knew: that the world’s largest economy is weak and may not recover soon.

Worsening conditions have led to a big drop in spending, especially on costly products like new cars. Even Japanese automaker Toyota saw its sales fall thirty-four percent in the United States in November from a year ago.

The heads of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors returned to Congress this week to again ask for federal aid. Congressional leaders blamed them two weeks ago after they came in private jets with no clear plans for saving their industry. This time, the chiefs drove to Washington in fuel-saving vehicles. And their companies presented detailed restructuring plans. The request for aid has risen from twenty-five billion dollars two weeks ago to thirty-four billion in loans and credit lines.

GM wants almost half of that, and says it needs four billion dollars this month. It warned that without support it cannot continue to operate. Ford is in a better position. But the sharing of suppliers means it could be affected if GM or Chrysler fails. Ford is asking for a nine billion dollar credit line in case it needs it. Chrysler is the smallest and most troubled of America’s Big Three. It says it needs a seven billion dollar loan by the end of the month.

Two days of congressional hearings began on Thursday. The chairman, Democrat Chris Dodd, said he would support helping the automakers for the good of the economy. But the committee’s top Republican, Richard Shelby, continued to express opposition to financial aid.

A main root of the world financial crisis is the weak housing market in the United States. The Treasury Department has been under pressure to help troubled homeowners. Now comes news that the department is developing a plan aimed at reducing interest rates on mortgage loans (按揭贷款) for some buyers of homes. That could be good for homeowners trying to sell. That could be good for homeowners trying to sell.

  It's that time of year when both high school and college graduates are looking forward to putting constant exams behind them and moving on to a more exciting stage of their lives. But in the digital age, not everything is so easily left behind. Ever since they were young, they have created a digital footprint that's often not easy to change or cover up.

       However, there are various actions that they can take to make that online presence more appealing. Here are a few suggestions that you might want to pass on:

      1 Clean up your Facebook account

      Clean up your Facebook page and get rid of anything that could he considered offensive or held against you. Remember, the test is no longer "Would you want grandma to see it? "but" Would you want a future employer to see it?"

      2 Use a professional looking photo

      A picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure that first impression(印象) is a good one. Again, what worked at school is unlikely to impress the employers. Also, he consistent(一致的)and use the same photo on all your online platforms. Make it easy for people to recognize you and start to build your brand.

      3 Grow your network

       While it's important to make the transition(转变) from school to the workplace, you don't want to leave everything behind. Make a point of keeping in touch with your school friends, teachers, professors, councilors, camp friends, sports coaches, anyone who could be helpful to you as you establish a career. The best way to land a job is still by word of mouth.

      4 Be yourself

       Nobody can be more like you than you. Make sure your online presence is representative of who you really are. Turn your social networking pages into your own personal web site, and start marketing your own individual brand!

D

    When Carson Palmer，hurt his elbow a few years ago，he took a week off from throwing the football．But in his head，Palmer practiced every day．“You stand right behind the center，and you see the coverage unfold as you would if you had the ball in your bands，”he told ESPN．The following weekend，Palmer had the best game of his career．

    For more than a century，scientists have been trying to understand how this mental training works．In the 1930s，researchers demonstrated that when you’re imagining an action，your brain sends signals to your muscles that are too weak  to make the muscles move but might help train the body to perform．Alternatively，mental practice might create a blueprint in your head，like an inner how-to guide for a particular skill．

    Sports psychologists have conducted hundreds of studies comparing imagined and physical practice for actions such as tap dancing．Overall，the research shows that mental training works．A study，for example，compared 32 amateur golfers who tried to hit golf balls into holes with another 32 who just held a golf club in their hands and visualize their swings．Under the same training，both groups improved by getting the ball about 10cm closer to the hole．

    Visualization has advantages over the real thing：You can do it anywhere，even when injured．It’s safe—a major advantage for high-stakes performers such as surgeons．That’s not to say it’s easy．“We’ve had Olympic—level athletes sitting in our lab，visualizing for two hours．”says Tadhg MacIntye，a sports psychologist．“When we’re done，they’re absolutely exhausted．”

    It doesn’t work for everyone，though．“If，you’re not experienced in the activity，the impact can be negative，”warns MacIntyre．“If you’re trying to visualize a free throw，and you don’t

even know the proper way to hold the ball and move，then you’re probably going to mentally rehearse the wrong skill，and you won’t get better．”