You might think that native English speakers are the best at speaking the English language. But some experts believe that when it comes to successfully communicating in English, non-native English speakers are actually better at it.

    "Often you have a room full of people from different countries communicating in English and all understanding each other. And then suddenly the American or British person walks into the room and nobody can understand them," Chia Suan Chong, a UK-based communications culture expert, told the BBC.

    Chong said that happens because non-native speakers communicate more carefully. "English speakers, on the other hand, often talk too fast, use jokes, slang (俚语) and make references (引用材料) to their country that others might not understand," Chong said.

    It is something that I keep in mind when talking to my Chinese friends. I am careful to speak slowly and use words I know they will understand. Sometimes we confuse each other though. Once I told my friend "no dramas", which means "no problem". She thought I was calling her a drama queen, though, and got upset!

    But don't worry. Experts say that it is the native speaker's fault if they can't understand you, not yours! "English speakers with no other language often don't know how to speak English internationally," said English language teacher Dale.

    The best way to avoid any trouble might be to ask for some patience. If you find it difficult to understand an English speaker, don't be afraid to ask them to slow down and speak clearly.

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Future astronauts could travel with emotional support robots

    To help astronauts of the future survive (幸免于) the mental (精神的) challenges that come with staying in space for quite a long time, space travelers‟ tasks could soon be accompanied(陪伴) by AI-powered, empathetic (有同理心的, 同感的) robotic helpers.

    Not only does space travel present astronauts with lots of physical stresses, spending months or years in such a physically demanding (要求高的) place with limited space and the same people can also raise many mental tests as well. According to MIT Technology Review, scientists are working to alleviate astronauts from some of the latter challenges by creating "an AI assistant that's able to feel human emotion and respond (做出反应) with empathy."

    While such a technology would prove itself useful by being able to predict the needs of the

crew members in space and "intervene (干预) if their mental health is in danger," it has the potential to be life-saving when humans choose to explore beyond Earth's gravitational field (引力场) and towards deep space.

    Though astronauts currently on the International Space Station have an intelligent robot to interact with called CIMON, it is short of proper emotional intelligence according to NASA CTO Tom Soderstrom. As a result, a team at the organization's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is working on a more complex (复杂的) emotional support companion that can control a spacecraft's functioning in addition to tracking the crew members‟ behaviours.

    Right now in the lab, an AI-equipped robot called Henry the Helper can be found walking around the grounds assisting visitors who appear confused or lost based on their facial expression. Two more emotionally intelligent robots are expected to be introduced later this year, one of which is said to be able to take part in conversations more complex than giving navigation(导航) assistance.

    The team's final goal is to make a companion named Fiona the Future a reality, an emotionally intelligent cross-platform system. Fiona, if all goes according to the JPL's plans, will help keep astronauts of the future stay mentally fit as they start their journeys to deep space.

If you're going to a formal （正式的） Western dinner party for the first time, you'd better {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (know) about Western table manners. It's polite to follow them. When you sit down at the table, take your napkin and put it {#blank#}2{#/blank#} your lap （大腿）. The dinner always {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (start) with a small dish. 

When you start eating you should keep the fork in {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (you) left hand. It's polite to finish {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (eat) everything on your plate. Don't take {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (much) food than you need. Maybe you don't know whether it's polite or not to speak loudly at the table. The answer is that you should speak {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (quiet) and smile a lot. When you drink to (anybody)， you'd better raise your glass and take only a sip （抿一口）. Remember not {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (drink) too much. If you can't remember these {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (rule), just do as other people do. 

If you get really nervous when you have to perform in front of many people, you're not {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. It's a very common fear. Even some very experienced actors and musicians get very stressed before performing. Some people say that {#blank#}2{#/blank#} makes them give a better performance, but other people can feel so nervous that they can't perform at all. This is a very {#blank#}3{#/blank#} problem because it influences their confidence and even career. 

The most useful thing to do if you worry about a performance is to try to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Don't think about all the things that could go wrong. Instead, keep calm and think of a good result. Before the performance, imagine people cheering. Think about how good you will feel after a successful performance. And remember, if you make a few small mistakes, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} people won't even notice. 

要求：1. 结合实际，用适当的词补全标题；2. 内容必须包含所给要点，可适当增加细节。

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