We all believe we listen well and yet many times we feel others are not listening to us. However, listening goes in both directions—you may believe you are listening well, but how often have you completely forgotten what was said to you? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Make eye contact.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} when People talk, they put out visual clues that add to the conversation and meaning of their words.

Stop talking.

    You can't listen, talk and at the same time completely receive the meaning of the other person's words. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

React without words.

    Let the other person know you are listening through physical reactions, such as head nods, smiles, frowns and eye movement.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Concentrate.

    Concentrate on what the other person is saying. Clear your mind of other thoughts and emotions and focus on the conversation at hand. Be in the moment of that conversation, and don't think about what you want to say back.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Behave as an effective listener. The more you continue to behave as a listener, the more you will be an effective listener.

Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself

    In all one's life time it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate(高估) yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to stay away from the outer world. Actually, to get a thorough understanding of oneself, you may as well keep the following tips in mind.

    Gain a correct view of oneself. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Self-appreciate. Whether you compare yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature.  {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you earnestly admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In time of anger, do yourself a favor by releasing it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a bad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep.

    Get a full control of one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor.

A. But it is precisely oneself that one has the least understanding of.

B. So long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself, there won't be difficulties you can't overcome.

C. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself for your own incompetence.

D. It has its own value.

E. Especially if it is well within your reach, you are just too blind to see it.

F. Do oneself a favor when it's needed.

G. Do yourself a favor when you resist the attack of illness.

    Last week the electricity in my flat went out. I had just got home from work and was happily making my tea, when all a sudden I was surrounded by complete darkness. I tried to fix it but failed. I had to wait for an electrician to come in the morning{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I sat down to eat my half-cooked dinner. And then I wasn't really sure what to do. My typical evening is spent watching the TV and looking through social media{#blank#}2{#/blank#} So for me it was an early night. And I couldn't help but think, do we rely too much on electricity? That night, losing our electricity felt like losing a basic necessity. As basic as running water{#blank#}3{#/blank#}I use electricity all the time, even when it's not really necessary.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}It contributes to global warming. It is harming our environment and we need to do what we can to stop it. Not only that, but if we continue to use the same large amount of energy we will soon run out.

    So, shouldn't we start preparing for it now? Cutting back on our use of electricity would make losing it easier, and also save energy resources so that they could last for longer{#blank#}5{#/blank#} And if everyone does the same, we can make a big difference.

A. Tonight this wasn't possible.

B. Obviously, we can't survive without it.

C. Our over-use of electricity is a big problem.

D. This left me a whole night without any electricity.

E. Electricity brings us convenience and trouble.

F. But really, we've grown to take electricity for granted.

G. I know for sure that I could cut down on my use of electricity.

Test-taking tips

    Do you sweat, check your pencil, and feel butterflies in your stomach as your teacher hands out the test paper? A lot of people feel anxious when it is time to take a test. Here are some tips for taking tests:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Your memory recall will be much better if you have had enough rest. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.

    Read the test through first. Once you have the test paper in front of you, read over the entire test, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.If something seems unclear before you start, do not worry: ask the teacher.

    Focus on addressing each question individually. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it after you have answered other questions.

    Relax. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Of course you cannot get up and move around in the middle of a test, but you can wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths. As we all know, it can be easy to forget things we know well. During a test, if you forget something and start to get nervous, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember.

    Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand your test paper in early, it is usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the bell rings and you are still writing, end up whatever you are working on without panic.

A. This will allow you to decide how much time you have for each section

B. Be sure you have studied properly

C. Get enough sleep the night before the test

D. As the teacher hands out the test paper, be sure you know what is expected of you

E. As you take the test, if you do not know an answer, do not worry about it

F. You can also add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for

G. If you are so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break

    What is style? Style is the special visual paradigm centering on the visual symbol system. It is contained in the materialized products of daily life such as fashion, borne, architecture, horticulture; and environment. It is reflected in the creation of cultural products including literature, films and music. It is still a way of behavior and life that expresses specific customs. To sum up, style is not only the core of cultural products with visual, melodic, literal and abstract symbols, but also a way of life.

    The style of China means the expression of Chinese elements. Chinese elements are the inheritance(传承)of cultural genes. The style of China relies on thousands of years of cultural accumulation(积累). It should not be limited to objects. It is supposed to express the Chinese cultural concept of Confucianism and Taoism. It must reflect the specific views of man and nature, man and objects as well as man and social relations.

    The style of China ought to be oriented towards the world. It did influence the world. Silk and ceramics were the main products traded along the Silk Road. They contained rich Chinese culture. The thousand-year-old Silk Road spread the style of China to the West. And the craze for Chinoiserie(中国艺术品)was a popular fashion in European society at that time.

    The style of China is the reproduction and variation of cultural genes. It is the inheritance along with innovation.

    The style of China is duty-bound to select as always silk, bamboo, wood, stone clay, glass and porcelain. Meanwhile, the materials in modern industrial era like meats, glass and cement should be fully used. Besides, it is necessary to continue the concept of interactive space planning between man and nature and between man and man. It also needs to explore such new spaces as digitization, the Internet, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

    The style of China must show the transformation and promotion from Chinese manufacturing to Chinese creation. It relies on the manufacturing power and the industrial strength. The style of China presents to the world the image of a large industrial producer and a birthplace of global creativity.

    The style of China represents not only the reconstruction of objects, but also the renewal of Chinese value system.

    The style of China ought to rely on rich historical heritage(遗产), draw on strengths of others and keep up with the times. It should focus on the life of the general public, the world and the future.

It is William Shakespeare, the great coiner, who is given credit for the word. Coriolanus, one of his characters, compares going into exile (流放) to a "lonely dragon" retiring to his cave. He was talking about a physical state: someone who was lonely was simply alone. Then, thanks to the Romantic poets, the word took on emotional meanings. Loneliness became a condition of the soul. For William Wordsworth, who famously "wandered lonely as a cloud", the natural world offered an escape from negative feelings of loneliness—a host of flowers could provide "cheerful company". Today, loneliness is often seen as a serious public-health problem, creating the feeling of disconnection.

In his book Solitude, Netta Weinstein, a psychology professor wonders the rewards of time spent alone. He begins with an account of stories of solitude created by figures such as Michel Montaigne, a writer, and Edward Hopper, a painter. Netta then draw on laboratory work, interviews and surveys to clarify how being alone really affects the human mind.

It is common to treat loneliness and solitude as synonyms (同义词) but they are not. The author suggests that what is negatively described as one state can be positively expressed as the other. Loneliness, often perceived as negative, can potentially be transformed into a positive experience of solitude. To this end he emphasizes how being alone can help restore people and offers practical advice. In a noisy world, he argues, people should make time to be alone, away from attention-grabbing motives.

The book's interviewees mostly regard a lack of company as a contributor to autonomy. But this depends on whether solitude is desirable or not. Enforced solitude, such as that experienced by prisoners, typically leads to nothing but suffering. Elective solitude, by contrast, affords space for self-reflection. It can open the door to "peak experiences" such as wonder, harmony, and happiness. In a highly-connected digital age, however, many readers do not fancy their chances of ever taking a long enough break to have such experiences.