Speaking to Develop Self-confidence

Overcoming stage fright

    Most people are nervous about public speaking. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} If you know that your topic is interesting, and that your material is well organized, you have already reduced a major worry.

Facial expressions

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} During your speech try to change your facial expressions to convey the emotions that you feel. Throughout your speech you need to use expressive facial expressions.

Eye contact

    When you speak, you should look your audience straight in the eye. The idea is to give the impression that you are talking to each individual in your audience. If you have a large audience, try to look at people in the middle of the room, then slowly look to the right side of the room, then to the left side, then back to the center of the room. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This will give the audience the idea that you are not interested in your topic or in them.

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    Enthusiasm is being lively and showing your own personal concern for your subject and your audience. If you are truly interested in your topic, your delivery is certain to be enthusiastic and lively.

Varying speaking rate

    Your words should not be too fast or too slow. If you speak too slowly you will bore your audience. If you speak too rapidly you will be difficult to understand. Adapt your rate to the content of your speech. For example, if you are explaining complex information, slow down. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. If you are nervous , take a few steps to your right or left while speaking.

B. Smiling before you start your speech shows that you are not nervous.

C. The best way to cope with nervousness is to be really well prepared.

D. If you are happy or enthusiastic, you should speed up.

E. Don't look at the floor, the ceiling or out the window.

F. Speaking with enthusiasm

G. Inspiring your audience

    You don't need to travel far away to write a travel diary.Your writing can start with a family vacation or a weekend get away.All you need is a destination or a place of departure（出发）!

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Your trip journal can begin before your trip has started.Use your journal to start planning the things you want to do.It can be a cool restaurant where you want to eat,a hike you want to go on or different sights you want to see.

    Write about what you imagine it will be.Sometimes when you travel,your destination is wildly different from what you expected.Maybe you expected the local food to be bad and it turned out to be delicious.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Maybe you thought you would not be comfortable with the climate while you adapted to it.Whatever,tr)r to write it down before you arrive.It will be interesting to compare these predictions to what you have actually experienced.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.It is always easier to remember things when they are fresh in your brain,but it may be diluted（淡化）with time going by.So try to write as much as you can during traveling every day if you can.Your journals don't have to be long,but letting them express your feelings is the most important or exciting.

    Add pictures to your journal.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Combining pictures with your first-hand accounts of what they represent,or what happened when they were taken,will make for（有助于）a better travel journal.

    Write about your trip after you leave.It is important to reflect on your travels,so you can have a new understanding.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Ask a parent for help.

B.Use your journal to plan your trip.

C.Get prepared for your travel journal.

D.Write as much as you can during your trip.

E.Maybe you imagined the town to be smaller than it actually is.

F.This is also a great way to learn about yourself and other people you have travelled with.

G Even though your journal is meant for writing,pictures are still worth a thousand words.

    Have you ever had the following experience? You have been given the task of organizing a conference, which includes a must-do list about a mile long. There is the conference site, the guest list, the materials, the technology and even the food and drink to think about and plan. If you are beginning to feel the stress, slow down and take a breath.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Write down your goals. You will need to clearly define what you hope to accomplish with this conference because this will shape the rest of your decisions.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Develop your budget. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Then break that budget into different parts such as conference site, materials and speakers' fees. Stick to your budget, and make sure your assistants are keeping their monetary limits as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. When searching for locations, keep in mind the number of participants, the convenience of the location, parking and closeness to public transportation, airports and hotels. Your goal in finding a place to hold the conference should be making it as easy as possible for participants to attend.

    Seek help from the staff of the conference site. If you have chosen a site that is known for holding conferences, you can seek help from the staff there as organizing meeting is what they do every day. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. They should be able to answer any questions or concern and provide advice when needed.

    Of course, full preparations also include a walk-through. Go to the site and meet with the staff the day before to be certain that everything is in place and to take care of any small details.

A. Decide on a schedule for the meeting

B. Choose your conference site

C. Read the following skills to figure out how to organize a conference

D. Knowing what you want to achieve eases the stress of moving forward

E. Make full use of this important resource

F. You can do nothing without knowing how much money you have to spend

G. Seek help from your colleagues to support every aspect of the meeting

Ways to Save Money While Traveling

    Who doesn't like to save money when possible? Traveling can be expensive, but with the right strategy you can bring down the cost. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Look for free activities. If you do a little research, you'll see there are often lots of free activities in the area. Look at community calendars to see what is going on in town while you are there. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Museums often have a "pay what you can" day once a week and sometimes have discounted admission after a certain time of the day.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Although some people might not like to cook while on vacation. I don't mind making breakfast in my room. I love having a cup of coffee, but room service can be very expensive. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}A microwave and fridge will also be helpful for reheating leftovers.

    Shop at farmers' markets and local stores. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Also, shopping at local stores allows you to taste the local cuisine without having to pay the price of a restaurant.

    Buy some local fish and cook it up at your condo(公寓).

    What are your tips for saving money while traveling？

A. Rent an apartment instead of having to get two rooms.

B. Book a room with a refrigerator, microwave or kitchen area.

C. Try these tips on your next vacation and your wallet will thank you.

D. I try to never eat at attractions because they tend to raise the price.

E. Do a self-guided walking tour to make yourself familiar with your destination.

F. I'd rather eat in the room for breakfast and lunch and then splurge (挥霍) on a delicious dinner.

G. Farmers' markets often lower the price of their food towards the end of the day.

    Where you choose to stay can make or break your vacation experience. But even the most experienced travelers may not know the difference between the two main types of homes-away-from-home—hotels and motels. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} The answer isn't as simple as you'd think.

    These two types of lodging(住宿)have the same basic purpose—a place for travelers to sleep.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} For instance, they came to be for different reasons, and at very different times.

    The word “hotel” dates back to the 1600s and comes from a French word, hôtel. That word, just like the English one, referred to a place that provides lodging, meals, entertainment, and other services to travelers. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This word dates back to the 1920s and combines the words “hotel” and “motor.” As America's major highway system developed, so did motels, filling the need for roadside stops for motorists traveling cross-country.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Hotels tend to be built for longer stays, while motels are intended more for one-or two-night stops along a journey. Because of this, hotels are much more likely to have offerings like lounges, gyms, and entertainment.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Want the place you stay to be just as much a part of your travel experience as anything else? Choose a hotel, Just need a place to pop in and out of to shower and sleep? A motel might be the better choice.

A. There are many secrets that hotels won't tell you.

B. But there are plenty of features that set them apart.

C. Have you ever stayed in a motel on your vacation?

D. Motels, on the other hand, are a much more recent lodging option.

E. Besides their first letters, is there any real difference between them?

F. So, in the end, it comes down to what you want from your trip and from your lodging.

G. There are also other differences that can help you figure out which type of place you're in.

    How do you relax after a stressful day in the office? There are many ways to help you relax. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It takes a little effort to get there but the benefits are great for our stressed-out lives. I am talking about the activity of forest bathing.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It was introduced as a national health programme by the country's government. Stressed Japanese workers are today still relaxing and reconnecting with nature. The Forest Therapy Society has certified 62 forest therapy sites in the country and the forest bathing movement is also booming in other parts of the world. It says, "Just as bathing in a hot spring helps to soak your cares away, going for a walk in the woods is said to have a comforting effect."

    Forest bathing is about taking time to wander through woodland with no fixed plan or route and just expose yourself to the forest atmosphere. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}That's particularly good for people with mental health issues. A study conducted in 24 forests across Japan found that walking among trees lowered blood pressure, the pulse rate, thus improving our immune systems.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another study carried out a few years ago by Stanford University in the US, found similar benefits. Brain scans showed reduced activity in an area of the brain linked to the risk of mental illness in participants who took a 90-minute walk among oaks, birds and squirrels. One of the researchers, Gregory Bratman, said, "There's an increasing body of evidence showing that natural areas benefit us at least emotionally with our mood and our physical development too." The evidence seems clear that forest bathing is a shot in the arm for stressed-out workers. So now is the time to get out and lose yourself in the natural environment, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But the best way lies in the great outdoors.

B. Connecting with nature has never been more urgent.

C. Forest bathing is rising in popularity around the world.

D. Having this exposure to nature seems to promote well-being.

E. You could even hug a tree as it could be your new best friend!

F. The Japanese concept of forest bathing dates back to the 1980s.

G. It also found forest bathing can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.