How to Make Small Talk

    There's nothing small about small talk. Many great friendships and relationships have started with small talk. Small talk helps you build a meaningful relationship with a person.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you want to know how to master small talk, just follow these steps.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you want to make a person feel comfortable, the best thing to do is to have an ＂open attitude＂ and to direct your body toward that person without being too forceful. Just make eye contact, don't cross your arms, and face your shoulders toward that person. This will make the person feel like you're giving him all of your attention.

    Put away your phone. There's nothing more annoying than talking to a person who is constantly checking his cellphone.

    Though you should look eager to talk to the person, don't look too eager. Don't lean(倚靠) so close that you scare him away.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Give a friendly greeting. If you're seeing someone you already know, just say hello and greet her by her name, ＂Hi, Jen, it's good to see you.＂{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you don't know the person, introduce yourself first so you feel more confident and in control of the conversation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Just a simple ＂I love your shoes — where did you get them?＂ can get you into a fun conversation about shoe shopping. Even if the praise(称赞) doesn't lead anywhere, it will still make the person feel more appreciated before you start discussing other subjects.

A. Have friendly body language.

B. Start with a small compliment.

C. Focus your attention on their shoes.

D. Many people are turned off by a close-talker.

E. It also benefits you in the professional world.

F. You will feel uncomfortable when close to others.

G. This is simple and direct and lets the person know you're excited to talk.

What is bitcoin?

    Bitcoin is a kind of digital currency, which means it doesn't exist as banknotes. At first, bitcoins were only made for collectors. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} You can store it in an online “wallet”. And with that wallet, you can spend bitcoin online and in the physical world for goods and services. More and more businesses, restaurants and universities included, accept payments in bitcoins. And, of course, bitcoin has a valuation, which you may have heard about because bitcoin's price has fluctuated up and down.

    What's different about bitcoin?

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} That card is connected to information about you, such as your name and billing address. You can use bitcoin the same way, but unlike with a credit card, the trades you make with the currency are completely anonymous（匿名的）. They can't be used to identify you personally. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Is that why the WannaCry attackers picked it as a form of payment?

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    The bitcoin currency is unique—no authority can change the value. It's quick and easy to set up a bitcoin account. It's fast—it only takes a few minutes to transfer your payments. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Possibly, Bitcoin has certainly gained fame in the news media as a technology that can result in crime. But even though the identities of people in a bitcoin trade may be hidden, the public ledger has increasingly helped law trace the movement of bitcoins from place to place.

A. What makes the bitcoin currency unique?

B. Another way of exchanging g bitcoins is at ATMs.

C. So you can use bitcoin to protect your privacy.

D. It's cheap—trade fees are usually zero, or less than 1 US cent.

E. Usually, if you pay for something on the Internet, you use a credit or debit card.

F. However, you can buy it with dollars or euros,, just like you can trade any other currency.

G. The bitcoin was introduced on the internet in 2008 by a software developer called Satoshi Nakamoto.

Ways to say “Happy birthday to me”

    Tomorrow is my birthday, and I'm at an age when not everyone looks forward to cakes and presents.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It always makes me feel excited to be alive and grateful for my life and my family. So I think even if your birthday is a regular old day at work or home, there are some easy ways to raise it to the special occasion.

    Give a gift to someone else.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} While everyone loves to open a birthday present, there is a lot of joy and goodness to be gained from being generous with others. Making a birthday donation (捐赠) to a charity that means something to you.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Try something new. Today is new to us. Why not enjoy the newness of the moment? Dip your tones into some new waters, sign up for an adult education class, go for a new-to-you park or plan a new trip. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Whether or not you have the opportunity to share a meal, outing or party with friends and family, please take time on your birthday to connect with people who are important to your life, if you use social media like phones, you are likely filled with well—wishes from loved ones. Use these as a. jumping off point to start new conversations and reconnect with people who lift your spirits and support in your journey towards being your best self.

A.I love my birthday, though.

B. It's better to give than to receive.

C. Connect with people who matter to you.

D. This year my birthday is on a Saturday.

E. Freshen up yourself with countless opportunities.

F. One choice is to donate a dollar amount to match your age.

G. Download an app to learn a new language is also a good choice.

    I've been keeping an English blog for many years. These practical tips have helped me over the course of my blogging.

    ●Read quality books, blogs, journals, etc. which are written in English. Blogging is not always about writing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Reading also improves your English comprehension, grammar, spelling, vocabulary and writing.

    ●Practice helps, so continue writing. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Trying to make a perfect post (帖子) free from grammar and spelling mistakes is good but you're not making use of your time efficiently (有效地).

    ●{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think about the main points you want to raise. I prepare an outline of my post and a list of the points I want to talk about. Doing this has helped me stay on track and focus on my main points. The outline and the list of points I want to write about serve as my guidelines when I'm writing.

    ●When writing, use simple words and sentences. Using simple sentences makes your job as a blogger easier. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Always remember this: The aim of your writing is to get your message across and the only way to become an effective writer is successfully conveying your message to your readers.

    ●Write your posts ahead of time. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To free yourself from the pressure of making a post on daily basis, which might affect your writing, consider making your posts ahead of time.

    Confidence is a skill that many folks want to master, but have a hard time acquiring. Have you ever wondered why? Possibly you were born confident. You were talked to negatively as a child or maybe you were rejected many times. Whatever the case is, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    But how to boost your confidence?

    Act as if .Begin to act as if you are confident. Act as the person you would want to be like. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Surround yourself with people who you think are confident and have high value. You will learn so much from observing other confident folks.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. One of the most areas that you need to pay attention to is your self-talk. Your thoughts about your capabilities and self-worth need to be positive and encouraging. Whenever you notice you think negatively, pause and take a moment, and shift your focus to something that can help you feel better about yourself.

    Go after your goals. If you are really serious about building self-confidence, you need to identify your goals and go after then. The more you add to your accomplishments, the more confident you will feel about your abilities and skills. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    By using these steps to boost your confidence, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Always stay positive

B. Improve your positive self-talk

C. Begin to think and behave like them

D. This requires you to know what a confident person looks like

E. you will be on the path to improving your self-esteem and self-worth

F. You'll begin to trust your inner self more and appreciate yourself more

G. you should know you can improve your self-esteem and build confidence

    How to Overcome Shyness Have you ever found it embarrassing to talk in front of the public? In fact, a great number of people are struggling with shyness. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ● Act confidently.

    Confidence comes through action, learning, practice, and mastery. Remember when you learned how to ride a bike? It was terrifying at first, but after you just went for it and tried it, you got it, and felt confident. Social confidence works the same way. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Remove avoidance and you will overcome your anxiety.

    ● Engage yourself

    This means participating in small talk in the checkout line and talking to strangers at bars, stores, sporting events, and the gym. Additionally, approach the individuals by whom you are attracted romantically. Talk to them. Ask them to dance. Ask them out on dates.

    Life is short. Who cares if you get rejected? There are seven billion people on this planet. You're not expected to like or be liked by all of them. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

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    Join a club, a sports team or an outdoor activity. Pick up a new project or learn a new skill. Do something to get out of your comfort zone. Part of overcoming shyness is about developing confidence in several areas of your life and not letting anxiety, fear of failure, fear of rejection, or fear of humiliation get in your way. By practicing new activities, you are confronting your fear of the unknown and learning to handle that anxiety more effectively.

    ● Talk it out.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Be more talkative and expressive in all areas of your life. Whether you're at work, with friends, with strangers, or walking down the street, you can practice talking more openly. Let your voice and your ideas be heard.

A. Get out more often.

B. Try new things.

C. Shyness can be a characteristic of people who have low self-esteem.

D. Fortunately, there are some effective strategies to overcome shyness.

E. Start practicing giving speeches and telling stories at every opportunity.

F. Take some chances and put yourself out there to meet new people.

G. Feeling anxious is not the problem; avoiding social interactions is the problem.