Put a group of strangers in a room together, and they'll probably start a conversation. "Hot today, isn't it?"one might say. "You said it." another replies.

       Why do we talk so much about the weather? When we meet new people, we don't begin by telling them our life story. We start with small talk, a polite conversation about something like traffic or weather.

       Research suggests that small talk can build new friendships. When we begin conversations with new people, we want to feel comfortable, and so do they. We use small talk to find common interests. Once we have a common interest, a friendship can begin.

Small talk even helps people get hired. In order to impress at a job interview, you need to bond with the interviewer right away. Proper small talk can make that first impression get you the job.

        So, how can you make small talk lead to a new friendship or job? First off, find common ground. Select something around you that you share with the other person.

        Next, keep the conversation going. Compliment (赞美) the other person to make himor her feel comfortable, and ask questions to show interest.

        Third, keep eye contact (接触). When you look people in the eye, they feel you appreciate what they are saying. It makes you appear honest and builds trust.

         Naturally, shy people might not have enough confidence to start up conversations with strangers. Talking to someone you don't know is not the easiest thing to do! Some experts say with more practice, small talk does get easier.

         Some people avoid small talk because they dislike discussing things like traffic or weather. For them, they are just too small. However, when you think about it, small talk is anything but small. In fact, it is actually a very big deal!

    Trust has been regarded as the basis of any relationship, including friendship. No relationship can last long with a lack of trust. Not many of your friends will have real faith in you as you would like to believe. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sometimes, it takes years, even a complete lifetime, to trust someone. However, how do we know if our friends have faith in us?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}With whom will you share things that you don't want everyone to know? It would be with a close friend, whom you trust as much as you trust yourself. While a few of your friend may be fiercely protective of their privacy and may not tell their secrets to anyone, those who do, surely find you trustworthy and reliable.

    Whom do you look up to for advice when you need it the most? It has to be either your parents or your friends. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is a shining example of trust. You only seek advice from people you hold in high regard and find dependable. The friends who trust you will never forget to include you in the important decisions of their life.

    Arguments and heated discussions are a part of every relationship, and this is also true for friendship. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} While some people find it difficult to forgive and forget, your friends will never have problems moving on. It is because they trust you and believe that you will never cause any pain to them on purpose.

    There are times in life when you find yourself a lonely soldier. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your friends will never let you down and will strongly stand for you when you need encouragement. You can determine that they trust you and believe in your beliefs, if they side with you when you need them the most.

    Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly confident, it radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet(磁铁){#blank#}1{#/blank#} And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.

    So how can we build a sense of self-confidence and prepare ourselves on the way to success? First, do what you believe to be right, even if others laugh at you for it{#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you believe you can, then you really will. The belief keeps you searching for answers, which means that pretty soon you will get them.

    Second, govern your behavior based on what other people think. What's more important, be willing to take risks and go the extra miles to achieve better results, in which case mistakes can not be avoided{#blank#}3{#/blank#}  Next, work hard to settle the problems in order to cover up your mistakes before anyone notices. Building self-confidence is readily achievable, as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through.

    With your determination and improvement, you are getting closer to success. At this stage, wait for others to congratulate you on your accomplishments. “Thanks, I really worked hard on the road to success. I'm pleased you recognize my efforts.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and it is no wonder that so many people struggle to find it{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Besides, whether you're working on your own self-confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it's well worth the effort!

A. Believe in yourself and believe that you can do it under any circumstances.

B. Highly self-confidence person can achieve great results in every field he enters.

C. Besides, those who are self-confident can in turn inspire confidence in others.

D. The congratulations from others will promote you to gain further success.

E. Self-confidence really can be learned and built on.

F. Don't hesitate to admit your mistakes, and learn from them.

G. A lack of confidence can lead to a lot of sufferings.

How to Overcome Depression

    Suffering from depression means more than just dealing with a bad week or even a bad month. Depression is a weakening condition that can make it impossible for you to enjoy your daily existence. To overcome your depression, you have to first determine if what you're feeling are the symptoms of depression.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}While medications can help relieve symptoms, it is still important for depressed persons to understand the disorder and develop healthier strategies for coping with it.

    Keep yourself busy. Fill your schedule with events and activities you love. Keeping a busy schedule will force you to stay active, focused, and thinking about the next thing on your plate. You can draw up a schedule for each day at the start of the week, or simply plan out each day the night before.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Improve your diet{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Even if you're losing your appetite, you need to be determined to eat three meals a day. You don't need to try to lose weight or be incredibly healthy-conscious when you're dealing with your depression, but eating healthier food regularly will improve your mental and physical state.

    Think positively. Being a more positive thinker will help you look at your life and world in a way that fills you with hope instead of despair. To think more positively, you should learn how to recognize your negative thoughts and to fight them with stronger positive thoughts whenever you can. For a jump start, find at least five things to be grateful for{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Neglecting personal hygiene (卫生) is a common side effect of depression. While you will not beat your depression by transforming your looks, if you take time to maintain your appearance and hygiene every day, you will feel better about yourself. Shower daily, brush your teeth and wash your hair.

A. Control your emotions.

B. Improve your appearance.

C Most importantly be happy about every single day.

D. Whichever method you choose, make a goal of sticking to it.

E. However, not everyone knows depression has a positive side.

F. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can also help you beat depression.

G. If you are feeling sad, lonely, or worthless, you may be suffering from depression.

Discovering the Lost City

Sixty miles south, in Cusco, Hiram Bingham gazed thoughtfully at the old Incan stone wall. He had come to this place in search of Vilcapampa, the lost city of the Inca. But right here was the most beautiful stonework he had ever seen-huge stones cut so perfectly that not even a razor blade could be slipped between them.

The Inca had no iron tools to carve them, no wheel or animals to move them. The wall had endured time and earthquakes.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

It was a mystery.

He walked through the cobbled streets of the old capital, Cusco. The Spanish had come to this city, conquered the Inca, taken their gold, and built churches over their temples. Suddenly, he stopped. Before him was the famous Temple of the Sun. He placed his hands on the sun-warmed stones so beautifully carved, as if they had grown together.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Would it hold gold and riches like the Spanish had found in Cusco? More than ever he was determined to find that city.

The next day Bingham began his search. He would look for ruins-that might be the key. He and his party, accompanied by the military man Sergeant Carrasco, left for the holy valley of the Urubamba River. They came to the sleepy old village in the valley, long ago an important city.

"Are there any ruins nearby?" Bingham asked. "Do you know of the lost city of Vilcapampa?" No one knew of it. Traveling north, the adventurers came upon a remote and wild canyon. In the distance were snowcapped mountains over three miles high.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Bingham's determination to find the lost city grew with each turn of the increasingly wild path.

Far below in the valley, Bingham's party camped on a sandy beach alongside the thundering rapids of the Urubamba River. Days had gone by. No one knew of any ruins.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

This time, through the interpreter, the farmer said, "Yes. There are very good ruins on top of the mountain called Machu Picchu." The farmer pointed straight up.

"Can you take us there?" Bingham asked.

...

A. Hidden in the mountains, the lost city would be built of stones like these.

B. What could he be thinking!

C. But now the adventurers aroused the curiosity of a local farmer named Arteaga.

D. How had they built them!

E. Cliffs rose thousands of feet above the roaring rapids of the Urubamba River.

F. Suddenly, the clouds drifted away and there it was.

When I was at school, our teacher used to tell the class: "You are what you eat." Actually, he was trying to show us the importance of eating the right food to stay healthy. And there are clear proofs that you become what you eat.

Japanese people are considered to be the healthiest in the world because of the food they eat. Most of them eat rice and fish and vegetables every day. They drink green tea or water when they're thirsty, and snack on dried fish, fruit or ginkgo nuts. This tradition diet helps them live a longer and healthier life.

Food has great effect on our physical and emotional health. Have you ever heard any of the following advice?

·Lettuce(生菜)or milk can make you sleepy.

·To stop feeling sleepy, you should eat dried fish.

·To keep your teeth clean, you should eat apples often.

·Garlic helps you not to catch cold.

But some advice may be contradictory to each other. While some people say "eating chocolate makes you fat and gives you spots", some others say “chocolate contains the essential minerals like iron and magnesium(镁)." In this case, what you need to do is to figure out what type of chocolate and how much of it to eat.

Some restaurants have already had their menus list the nutritional content and the benefits of their dishes and drinks. Let's take the restaurant "Winners" as an example. Its dishes are specifically designed to help people win sports competitions. There is a typical Night before dish, a vegetable lasagne(宽面条)with rich tomato sauce full of vitamin and soft, easy-to-digest vegetables, which is lopped with a little fresh cheese—just enough to help you get a good night's sleep. Or you can choose the Go-faster salad, which is a large bowl of mixed raw vegetables in a light salad dressing. The vegetables are carefully chosen to include plenty of natural vitamins and minerals. It gives you energy without making you gain weight.

The concept of eating food only because it's tasty is going out of fashion. And food producers are changing. Cola companies are making sugar-free and caffeine-free drinks. Food companies are making cookies with dried fruit because it is healthier. So in the future you might be able to eat your way to your idea of perfection.