Maybe you have heard the expression “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws．

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language．

    The first thing that you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meetings with friends, kissing is common．

    Use first names only after being invited to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name．

    Dress well. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish.  Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make-up is practiced widely by business women．

    The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours． {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do not begin eating until the host says, “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays．

A． The French draw information about people based on their appearance．

B． This is a time for relationship building．

C． Remember to be as polite as possible．

D．Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France．

E． Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food．

F．Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname．

G．Make an appointment with your business partner in advance．

    Shaking hands, American style

    People often shake hands in the United States. American men shake hands with other men. American women often shake hands with men, and sometimes they shake hands with other women. Adults shake hands with children. And some people even teach their dogs to shake hands! {#blank#}1{#/blank#} How do they shake hands just long enough? Just hard enough? Here are four little rules to remember.

    ⒈Use your right hand.

    ⒉Use good eye contact(眼神交流). Look at the person in the eye while you are shaking hands.

    ⒊Don't shake too long. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then let go and pull your hand back toward you.

    ⒋{#blank#}3{#/blank#} When a handshake is weak, Americans think the person may not be a hard worker or a good leader. When a handshake is too strong, Americans think the person is too rough(粗鲁) or has bad manners.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They shake hands when they meet for the first time. They shake hands to say congratulations. They shake hands when they meet after not seeing each other for a while. And they often shake hands when they say good-bye. In business, shaking hands shows agreement and honesty.

    Handshakes are good everywhere. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} So make sure to shake plenty of hands.

A. Offer you hand first.

B. Shake for no more than three seconds.

C. How do people shake hands correctly?

D. Don't shake too strongly or too weakly.

E. It is not polite to refuse a person's hand.

F. When do people in the United States shake hands?

G. Make sure your hands aren't sweaty when you do this.

    People have always wanted to know what the future will look like. Then, how can we? {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The world has changed a lot in the last 150 years, but we humans are driven by the same basic needs as we were 150 years ago, such as food, sleep, the feeling of being appreciated and loved. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} No. In addition, generally speaking, the inventions for the last 150 years have been a human effort for freedom and communication, to be able to get in control of the time and world. Since there is still much to do in this area, this will be the focus at least for the next 150 years.

    But why do we need to predict the future? Predicting the future is important for two reasons: First, we need to start to think about what kind of future we would like for ourselves and to pass on to the next generation. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    How about the virtual worlds? It might be in the future to experience the sand between your toes, and hear the waves, just lying in your bed at home. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So, even if a great invention is there for an affordable price, it'll never take the place of the common experience if it is not real.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} What we'll see in the next 50 years is the transition (过渡) from an oil-dependent society to a new society. Here there'll be new medicine, continued exploration of space, challenges in the climate change, and new inventions that make life a little easier.

A. So what will the future look like then?

B. Will this change in the next 150 years?

C. Predicting the future can help us in many ways.

D. However, you'll never get the feeling of being there.

E. Well, to understand the future, you must know the past.

F. However, no matter how real the experience will feel, it doesn't happen for real.

G. Then we need to know what decisions we need to make today that will give the best result in the future.

A Few Active Listening Guidelines

    Listening is arguably the most important element of interpersonal communication. Our ability to listen well impacts the quality of all of our relationships, and not just at home with our family and friends—it can also affect our relationships and interactions on the job, as well as the effectiveness and quality of our work.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead, it is a skill that must be cultivated and practiced. Active listening means the difference between simply hearing, and listening with the intent to truly understand. It is a subtle but important distinction.

    ①Give focused attention

    Try to minimize external (外部的) distractions. Turn down the noise, and put down or step away from what you're doing if possible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't watch the clock, fidget (坐立不安) or go over your to-do list for later.

    ②{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Direct eye contact shows your attention and intention to listen. This doesn't mean stare, though. Be reasonable, but try not to let your eyes wander to whatever is going on around you.

    ③Reflect back

    Restate, but don't repeat verbatim. Paraphrase what you think the other party is saying with responses such as: "What I'm hearing is…" or "Let me see if I'm following you…"{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ④Respond appropriately

    Be open and honest in your responses. Share your thoughts, insights and feelings in a clear, but respectful and considerate manner if you disagree.

    Active listening is a model for good communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It takes practice to develop active listening skills, and it's a habit that has to be reinforced (加强). Remind yourself that the goal of conversation is not merely to trade words, but to truly understand what the other party is saying and to be understood in turn.

    Self-esteem(自尊) plays a role in almost everything you do. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} They can have better relationships with peers(同龄人) and adults, feel happier, find it easier to deal with mistakes, disappointments and failures, and are more likely to stick with something until they succeed.

    If you want to improve your self-esteem, here are some useful tips.

    Try to stop having negative thoughts about yourself. If you're used to focusing on your shortcomings, start thinking about positive aspects of yourself. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    View mistakes as learning opportunities. Accept that you will make mistakes because everyone does. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remind yourself that a person's talents are constantly developing, and everyone does well in different things.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you realize that you're unhappy with something that you can change, then start today. If it's something you can't change(like your height), then start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.

    Make a contribution. Help a classmate who's having trouble, offer to clean up your neighborhood or volunteer your time in some other way. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Have fun. Enjoy spending time with the people you care about and doing the things you love. Relax and have a good time — and avoid putting your life on hold.

It takes some work to develop good self-esteem, but once you do it's a skill you'll have for life.

A. Mistakes are part of learning.

B. Recognize what you can change and what you can't.

C. Low self-esteem is a negative evaluation(评价) of oneself.

D. Feeling like you are making a difference and that your help is valued can do wonders to improve self-esteem.

E. Each day, write down three things about yourself that make you happy.

F. People with high self-esteem do better in school and find it easier to make friends.

G. Experience is the great thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

Tips for Procrastinators (拖延者)

    You manage to finish and hand the project in on time, but you feel exhausted. Then, your teacher says, "Get ready. We will start the test in 5 minutes." {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many of us are guilty of delaying doing what we should do. At the same time, we might risk missing a deadline and not getting a good mark. It is also very stressful. Here are some tips for procrastinators on how to get your work done ahead of time.

    Create a to-do list. Creating a list will help organize your work and ideas while keeping you on track. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Keep it up to date by checking off completed tasks as you go along. This will keep you focused and orderly.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Chances are, you won't be able to get a lot of work done when you're tired. Finding a time of day when you are full of energy will get you to be more productive.

    Choose reliable study partners. Working with study partners will encourage you to complete the task at hand and ensure that you remain focused. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Divide the work into smaller parts. Procrastination is often a reaction to feeling overwhelmed (无法对付的). Dividing work into smaller parts will make it easy to handle. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will find your ability and be more likely to finish what you need to do.

    Hopefully these tips will help you do away with the stressful, last-minute efforts of a procrastinator.

A. Work when you're feeling energetic.

B. Remind yourself to turn off all the devices.

C. You forgot that there's also an examination today.

D. Try to encourage yourself to stick to your work plan.

E. Deal with your tasks a bit at a time instead of wasting time wondering where to start.

F. Put the tasks that you feel less confident about or are likely to avoid on the top of the list.

G. You know that others are relying on you and they think that you deserve trust and are responsible.