The loss of handwriting in our high-tech world saddens me. People of all ages openly admit their handwriting is becoming worse as keyboards replace pen and paper. Increasingly, schoolchildren deal with assignments on computer and struggle to write, having had little practice. I am of the generation that learnt to write with a dip pen in kindergarten and a fountain pen in high school; by the time I reached university, like everyone else, I used a functional ballpoint. Handwriting has filled every aspect of my life since I was first taught to shape letters on the lined pages of my exercise books.

    From the age of 12, I have kept a handwritten journal, recording my thoughts and feelings regarding both the significant and boring aspects of my life. Through this daily practice I connected with myself, explored experiences and found a way to interpret and make sense of my relationships. Although I rarely reread my written material, the process of writing has remained with me as a means of processing my feelings and filtering（过滤)）my experiences.

    Yet today, handwritten letters are as rare as a red panda. Few of us write letters any longer, even to those to whom we are close. We communicate differently when we e-mail or text, both methods characterised by speed and informality. The deep thinking, which accompanied a handwritten letter, is almost entirely absent. We may be communicating more frequently and with more people, but the depth and quality of our communication has reduced.

    Sadly, modern technology tends to be temporary. Few of us keep old e-mails or even print them out, so a sense of history and memory is lost. Archivists（档案管理者）report that more information has been lost in the past decade than in the previous 150 years. It is too easy to press the delete button.

    In many other areas of records, material is now in the digital format. Yet saving material in a digital format only is extremely unstable. How it will survive the future remains a problem.

    In this digital world of text, e-mails and instant messaging, the perceived value of writing is no longer obvious and the case for retaining the practice of writing needs to be made. Should we save the humble pen and paper when laptops and mobiles are functional, universal and unstoppable? Should children continue to be taught to write with a pen and paper?

    With its passing, a good mode of self-expression is being lost. I invite readers to engage with handwriting and become aware of this special skill that has created civilization for centuries.

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The current{#blank#}1{#/blank#} of handwriting   

▲    Students {#blank#}2{#/blank#} to computers to complete their homework.

▲    With little practice, students have{#blank#}3{#/blank#} writing.

▲    We seldom write letters even to people we are close to.

The author's link with handwriting

▲    The author{#blank#}4{#/blank#} himself to handwriting from kindergarten to university.

▲    The author kept {#blank#}5{#/blank#} of his thoughts and feelings by keeping writing journals.

▲    The author also takes {#blank#}6{#/blank#} of writing to process his feelings and filtering his experiences. The {#blank#}7{#/blank#} with modern communication methods

▲    There is an{#blank#}8{#/blank#} of depth and quality in e-mails and texts.

▲    The temporariness of modern technology tends to give {#blank#}9{#/blank#} to the loss of some history and memory.

▲    Saving materials only in a digital format is not very stable.

▲    A style of self-expression is being lost.

The author's {#blank#}10{#/blank#} to people for handwriting  

Write as much as possible and realize the importance of this special art.

    Put a group of strangers in a room together, and they'll probably start a conversation. “Hot today, isn't it?” one might say. “You said it,” another replies.

    Why do we talk so much about the weather? When we meet new people, we don't begin by telling them our life story. We start with small talk, a polite conversation about something like traffic or weather.

    Research suggests that small talk can build new friendships. When we begin conversations with new people, we want to feel comfortable, and so do they. We use small talk to find common interests. Once we have a common interest, a friendship can begin.

    Small talk even helps people get a job. In order to impress at a job interview, you need to bond with the interviewer right away. Proper sma ll talk can make that first impression get you the job.

    So, how can you make small talk lead to a new friendship or job? First off, find common ground. Select something around you that you share with the other person.

    Next, keep the conversation going. Compliment (赞美) the other person to make him or her feel comfortable, and ask questions to show interest.

    Third, keep eye contact. When you loop people in the eye, they feel you appreciate what they are saying. It makes you appear honest and build trust.

Naturally, shy people might not have enough confidence to start up conversations with strangers. Talking to someone you don't know is not the easiest thing to do! Some experts say with more practice, small take does get easier.

    Some people avoid small talk because they dislike discussing things like traffic or weather. For them, they are just too small. However, when you think about it, small talk is anything but small. In fact, it is actually a very big deal!

    Have you ever lost your temper? Did you yell or scream at those around you, even people you like or love? Did you want to break something or hit someone?

    Everyone gets angry. We have lots of emotions. At different times, we may be happy, sad or jealous{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

It's perfectly okay to be angry at times— in fact, it's important to get angry sometimes. Anger can even be a good thing. When we are treated unfairly, anger can help us stand up for ourselves.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Some people keep their anger buried deep inside. If you do this, you might get a headache or your stomach might start to hurt. You may just feel crummy (糟糕的) about yourself or start to cry. It's not good to hide your anger, so you should find a way to let it out without hurting yourself or others.

    When you start to feel angry, you can count to 10, draw a picture of anger, play a video game, run as fast as you can or do something active. An effective way is to talk to a friend you can trust.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Instead, admit to yourself that you are angry and try to figure out why you are angry and what you can do to keep the situation from happening again.

    Never getting angry is impossible. But, you should always remember that how you act when you're angry can make the situation better or worse.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Take charge of it!

A. Taking it out on others never solves anything.

B. Once you talk about anger, those bad feelings usually start to go away.

C. Here is an important way to deal with anger.

D. Anger is just another way we feel.

E. But anger must be released in the right way.

F. Don't let anger be the boss of you.

G. Every coin has two sides.

    Nobody likes to think they are “that guy” at work.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. So, what are some of the rudest things that people do at work — and why shouldn't you do them?

    Behaving in an unacceptable way

    The most common form of this is eating smelly foods at lunchtime. Other things alike include body smell and its opposite, the wearing of strong perfume, messy desks, or bad breath.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Checking email on your phone when you're talking to other people

    A recent survey shows that 49 percent of people said their bosses checked their phones while talking with them.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}. If you've ever wondered why your team members are unmotivated, this may be why. In fact, when you're talking to someone at work, you should reject any non-important calls.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Do you like the sound of your own voice? Great. Perhaps it's time you learned to like the sound of other people's voices too. If you interrupt others when they speak, they'll dislike you and discount whatever you're saying. And if you routinely take up three quarters of the meeting with your monologues（独角戏）, people will turn off and, quite rightly, start checking email on their phones. However, if you listen to what others say and show interest by asking intelligent questions, they'll love you and be likely to give you their support when you speak.

    Showing off how much you earn

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. If you show off your income to someone and then discover you get less than them, you'll look like a fool. If you earn more, they'll feel tired of you. So keep them guessing and hide your earning power in quiet ways — like always paying for the team coffees.

A. Talking all the time

B. Being a good listener

C. Team-working can never be ignored

D. All these things will become part of your personal brand

E. It's better to be modest when you talk about your incomes

F. Bad behavior at work is common — and often we do it without thinking

G. An interesting email is more valuable than the person you are actually talking to

注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

    Every January for the past 20 years, I have taken a few moments to consider the answer to the big question, “What is the meaning of life?” The reason I ask this question year after year is that my answer changes over time, which I find interesting and insightful. There is no objectively correct answer, I believe—only answers that are right for you at any given time. This question is so important—philosophically and practically in terms of how we live our lives— yet we are unable to really think about the answer.

    Doing this simple exercise might even help you live longer. According to two separate studies —one with 9,000 participants around age 65 and another with 6,000 people between 20 and 75—those who could explain the meaning and purpose of their lives died later than those who saw their lives as aimless. It didn't seem to matter what meaning participants ascribed to their lives, whether it was personal (such as happiness), or creative (such as making art). It was having an answer to the question that mattered. The connection to longevity（长寿）could be causal—having purpose may help one manage daily stress, as other research has shown. But it could also be that those who think about life's meaning are more likely to do other activities that promote good health.

    Great thinkers have given the question thought. Leo Tolstoy wrote, “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” Albert Einstein said: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” My favorite answer, though, is “The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

    Some have concluded that life's meaning is subjective. “There is not one standard meaning for all,” author Anaïs Nin once said. “There is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” I agree, which is why I recommend formulating（构想）your own answer. Taking a few moments to record your response to the question “What is the meaning of life?” is the kind of simple exercise that effectively adds meaning to your life.

    And then I suggest answering it every year. Looking back at how your thinking has evolved and been influenced by experience tells you something more about yourself. Then, it gets you closer to a deeper self-understanding.

    If you do the annual “meaning” exercise, I suggest not looking at past answers before answering anew. I write them down on the same now-yellowing piece of paper and keep it someplace safe.

    The last suggestion is to turn your answer into action. If you conclude, as Tolstoy and Einstein did, that the meaning of life is helping others, that should help motivate you to do more of it.

    This is not a theoretical exercise. Whatever small step you take toward finding the meaning of life is a step toward a more meaningful, and longer life. Why not do this simple annual “meaning” exercise from now on?

Is Cash Becoming Outdated?

    When he rolls into a gas station to fill his tank, Barkhad Dahir doesn't get out of his car. He pushes a few buttons on his cellphone and within seconds he has paid for the fuel. With the same quick pushes on his phone, he pays for virtually everything he needs: groceries at the supermarket, a few oranges from a market stall, or a cup of sweet milky tea from a café. Mr. Dahir boasts, "Even lying in bed, you can be paying your bills."

    Electronic payments offer consumers convenience, provide revenue for banks, credit card companies and payment processors, and offer merchants improved cash flow and convenience. "I don't even carry money any more," says Adan Abokor, a democracy activist. "I haven't seen cash for a long time. Almost every merchant, even hawker (小贩) on the street, accepts payment by cellphone. There's no waiting for it and no counting of cash."

    The system is impressively simple and secure. Purchases are made by dialing a three-digit number, entering a four-digit PIN, and then entering the retailer's payment number and the amount of money. Both customers and merchants receive text messages to confirm the payment.

    Clearing up cash payments has several advantages as well. The printing and handling of money is expensive. Cash payments can be anonymous and hard to track criminal activities to be conducted in secret. Many governments favor reducing cash dealings in order to better monitor and understand the activities of their citizens. The Swedish government has been discussing the removing of cash since 2010.

    However, some people doubt what members of a cashless society do when the power goes off. Do they choose to barter (物物交换) and rob? Do they sit at home and wait? What happens to people who rely on their cellphones to process money dealings when cell service and the Internet are interrupted? A world affected by terrorism and increasingly violent weather may not yet be ready to abandon currency. "Ironically, the day after the largest bank in Norway, DNB, proposed ending all cash dealings, I went to my local grocery store and when I tried to pay by phone, I was told that I needed to go to the ATM to get cash because the system was broken." said an interviewee.

    Other people fear that electronic payments may create security and fraud risks and enable dealings to be tracked and reported. Privacy, security and convenience are all important factors in the adoption of electronic payment technology. New technologies which balance and address these factors may enable people to remove cash.