Public Speaking Training

·Get a coach

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}，so get help. Since there are about a billion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that's right for you.

·Focus on positives

    Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well. Nothing can hurt confidence more than being told that you aren't doing well. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, so good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn't do.

·{#blank#}3{#/blank#}    If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it's going to give you lots of dos and don'ts, walk away! Your brain is so full of what you're going to be talking about.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} As far as we're concerned, there are basically no hard and fast rules about public speaking. Your audience can be your friends.

·You are a special person not a clone

    Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a special one, with your own personal habits. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Your training course should help you bring out your personality, not try to turn you into someone you're not.

A. You aren't like anybody else

B. You already do lots of things well

C. Turn your back on too many rules

D. Check the rules about dos and don'ts

E. Whatever the presentation, public speaking is tough

F.The one thing you don't want is for them to fall asleep

G. So trying to force a whole set of rules into it will just make things worse

The Farmers' Fresh Market

    This morning，I went to the Farmers Market in Burlington ，Vermont. I didn't know what the Farmers Market is or how to get there.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First ，I had to decide how to go there，and I chose both to walk and to take a bus. When I went，I would walk and when I came back，I would take a bus.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Walking to the market in this city，I was surprised because every house was beautiful，and they were all arranged in good order. In Korea's cities，most houses are not like that，and many apartments are like boxes which often screen off beautiful views like hills and mountains. Also，every road is not straight and narrow.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It was a very small market，but a very interesting one. I don't know why farmers go there to sell vegetables or why people go there to buy them because there are many more products in large supermarkets.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Also ，all the things sold there were very novel. In addition to fresh food，there was homemade food and many other things such as woolen blankets，quilts ，and wooden products.

    I wanted to buy some of them，but I didn't need them，so I just looked at them. It was a very exciting experience.

A. I visited a flower stand at the market.

B. Anyway，I was able to find the Farmers' Market.

C. So, to me, this American town was very impressive.

D. I decided to go early because the market is held in the morning.

E. I knew that it would take a long time to walk，but I wanted to see an American town.

F. I was attracted by the comfortable houses where they lived and the cars that they drove.

G. I think the reason is that the ones sold in the Farmers' Market are fresher and cheaper.

If you have a dream

    What do you dream about? There have been so many times when I've come back to Thomas Edison's wise words: “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven't.”

    If there is a dream in your heart, you should dig it and shine a little light on the vision（视野）. This time, instead of looking at it as impossible, start thinking freely:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}?

    If you have a dream…

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Seeing it on paper will help you see the possibility. It will be a daily reminder to work on your dream.

    Tell someone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Later on, you'll need someone to poke holes（指出漏洞）in your dream and help you make it into something that makes sense in the real world. But right now, you just need someone who will give you a big hug and tell you not to stop believing.

    Do one thing that will bring you closer to your dream. Read a book about the subject of your dream. Email someone who is living your dream and ask him or her what's the one thing someone just starting out can do to move forward. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Your dream might sound crazy or impossible, and that's OK. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. 5 or 10 years may sound like forever, but if you were directing some of your resources（资源）towards your dream each day, wouldn't those years be more enjoyable?

A. Ask for help

B. Write it down

C. Start now by doing one thing

D. Can you work hard to make your dream come true

E. The right someone is a loving, kind person you trust

F. It may take some time to make your dream come true

G. What changes could you make in your life to give your dream a chance

    Q & A

    Question：I have recently got a senior position within my company. One of my new tasks is to make monthly progress reports on my department in front of other senior officials. During my first meeting，I presented and then opened the floor to questions. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} My first reaction was to answer defensively. Later I realized that I shouldn't have felt that way. But how can I keep cool and effectively answer questions in this type of settings?

    Answer：Congratulations on your new position！Presenting in front of your peers(同事) is a hard task in itself，and it becomes much more difficult when a question and answer period is required. Question -and-answer periods are a great way to clarify the message and strengthen key points. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} 

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    When a person is asking a question，show interest and a desire to understand the question by listening and asking for clarification.

    Buy time.

    When facing a hard question，most people can't give an answer immediately. Buy time by repeating the question in your own words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}These techniques allow you to quickly organize your thoughts as well as to make sure you will be correctly answering the question.

    Suggest a private meeting.

    A one-on-one meeting is a calmer setting than speaking in front of your peers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Show your true interest.

B. Restate the question with respect.

C. Some ideas can be quite concrete.

D. There were many difficult questions.

E. It can also be more effective in exchanging ideas.

F. You may also ask for clarification(澄清、说明) on the question.

G. Here are some ideas that can help you prepare for your next meeting.

    Are you suffering from FOMO—that is, Fear of Missing Out? Research shows that a growing number of young people are with worrying reasons for their sleep and schoolwork.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}You aren't able to do your best unless you sleep well. Most experts agree that the optimum（最适宜）number of hours is eight, and this has been accepted as common sense for as long as I can remember. However, I was young once and know most of you get much less sleep than that.

    I read an interesting article in a teachers' magazine recently.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Worryingly, the results showed that teenagers are facing a new problem. They may go to bed and get up at appropriate times, but a growing number are waking up in the middle of the night, not to use the bathroom or have a snack, but because of FOMO.

    According to the article, the number of students waking up during the night to check social media is growing. Afraid of missing a comment or opportunity to take part in a chat, teenagers are waking at all times of the night, going online and getting involved. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Experts are worried about this growing trend and the report reveals some worrying statistics: 23% of 12 to 15-year-olds wake up nearly every night to use social media. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} One in third of the students are constantly tired and unable to function to their full capacity.

    So I'd like to ask you to be responsible when it comes to social media. Switch off your devices at night. The world won't end and your social media will be waiting to greet you in the morning! {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But things are getting out of hand.

B. I give you my word that you won't have missed anything important.

C. Another 15% wake up at night once a week for the same reason.

D. They did a study of 848 students in Wales.

E. FOMO is the fear that everyone else is having more fun and more excitement than you.

F. All happens when they should be sound asleep.

G. Everybody knows how important it is for students to get a good night's sleep every night.

    When big news breaks, it's easy to get caught up in following the story online. The Internet can be a place to find useful information. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Helping kids understand the news and how to separate fact from fiction is an important job for parents and educators.

    Here's some advice that parents can offer kids to help them be quicker to judge as they consume news online.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} In the rush to cover stories, reporters make mistakes, officials don't always have correct information and tidbits (八卦新闻) that sound reasonable often get passed around before anyone has checked them for accuracy.

    Use social media wisely. Some say Twitter is a great source of news in the first few minutes of a tragedy. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} On the other hand, Facebook can be a great way to connect with friends affected by events in the news and to spread personal news within a more limited circle.

    Be skeptical. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} After the Boston Marathon bombing, NBC Sports reported that some runners kept running all the way to the hospital to donate blood for the victims. Not true. There are plenty of websites devoted to exposing false news stories. The Washington Post also has a Fact Checker column that delivers claims made by public officials and politicians. Visit them to find out if a story is true.

    Keep it age-appropriate. Kids aren't always ready to digest big, tragic news - especially if the news is about kids, such as school shootings or abuses. The constant repetition of information can be confusing for younger kids, and at the beginning of a news event, parents might not be able to offer any correct answers. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Remember, breaking news is often wrong.

B. It also can be the source of misinformation.

C. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

D. Make sure you and your kids aren't falling victim to false news.

E. However, after that it just becomes messy and largely inaccurate.

F. With social media at your fingertips, it's convenient to express your opinion.

G. Kids who are eager to learn more about certain events can check kid-guided news sources.