Thomas Edison was one of the most successful inventors the world has ever seen.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    But people found that although Edison was good at inventing new things, he was a poor fisherman. He used to spend an hour almost every day sitting at the side of a river and fish. He always fished all alone by himself.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

People asked Edison, “Why are you so crazy about fishing when you are so bad at it?” His answer was, “I really never caught ant fish because I have never used any bait (诱饵).” Another question followed, “Why would you fish without bait?” Edison answered, “Because when you fish without bait, people don't disturb you and neither do the fish{#blank#}3{#/blank#}”

    Sometimes the world's best inventor was the world's worst fisherman. In fact, because Edison was the world's worst fisherman, he could become the world's greatest inventor.

    Are you setting aside some time for yourself to think?{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Here are some ideas for you:

    Slowing down and taking long showers is a good idea.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Long walks are good too.

    Afternoon naps have been proved to improve creativity.

A. But he never caught any fish.

B. It provides me my best time to think.

C. So is listening to some soft classical music.

D. In all, Edison has thousands of inventions.

E. He was asked the reason behind him being a fisherman.

F. To make your brain work better, you need to take a rest.

G. Set aside 15-20 minutes per day so that you can do nothing.

Problem-solving skills

    We face problems in our everyday life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Don't worry. The following tips may help you to solve problems.

    ⒈Know the problem

    First of all, it is important to know and understand the problem clearly.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Following questions like why, what, how, when, where and who will take you to the root cause of the problem.

    ⒉Analyze the problem

    Analyzing the problem will give you time to think of a proper solution. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It can be a diagram, a flow chart or a list, etc.

    ⒊Plan a strategy(策略)

    Planning a strategy will help you waste less energy and time in trying all the solutions. This step includes knowing the advantages and disadvantages of a solution. In this way you can rule out the strategy that you don't find worthy to apply.

    ⒋{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Leave out the information that is not required for the solving of the problem. You need to be accurate with the details. Keeping the irrelevant(不相关的) information usually won't simplify the problem as we tend to overlook the relevant information.

    ⒌Carry out the solution

    Carrying out the solution in a correct way to get the expected result is important while solving a problem. You need to be creative while carrying out a solution just in case some other problem arises while applying the solution.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Solving a problem is easy if you understand the problem in the first place. By analyzing the problem, planning a strategy, using the best solution, and carrying out the solution in the best method, you will solve your problem smoothly.

A. Make a wise decision.

B. Delete irrelevant information

C. You can use various tools to analyze the problem.

D. Knowing the problem means solving half the problem itself.

E. It can be social problems, relationship problems, or problems at work.

F. Sometimes we can take wrong decisions for solving the problems in haste.

G. Being ready with other choices is also important in case a solution works only half way.

    A conflict at work is common.If you can avoid conflict,it means you will win what you want regardless of what the other person wants.Since the potential problem has not been removed,it will simply reappear later.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Be aware of the fact that some conflicts are unavoidable at work.On many occasions（场合）,conflict and disagreement are likely to happen.But when a conflict happens it is not the end of the world.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Conflicts mean that people care enough to disagree strongly.The trick is not to allow the conflict to go on forever.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Solve a conflict when it starts,as it only gets worse with time going by.Everyone is waiting for the other to admit he or she is wrong and gets more unpleasant after the conflict has lasted a while.It is necessary to interrupt the "waiting game" before it gets to that point.

    Ask nicely.If somebody has done something that makes you angry,or if you don't understand their viewpoints or actions,simply asking nicely about them can make a world of difference.Never assume that people do what they do to annoy or hurt you.Sometimes there is a good reason why that person does what he or she does,and a potential conflict disappears right there.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Appreciate.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Tell them why it is worth it to you to solve the conflict.This can be difficult as few people find it easy to appreciate a person they disagree strongly with,but it is a great way to move forward.

A. raise the other part in the conflict

B. Deal with conflicts sooner rather than later.

C. Invite the other person to talk about the situation.

D. Do remember to make an enquiry,not an accusation of any sort.

E. Here are the necessary steps to effectively get rid of conflicts at work

F. On the contrary,it can be the beginning of an interesting learning process.

G. Clear thinking is unlikely to happen while an argument continues to boil over.

    According to a study conducted in 2010, about 39 % companies had blocked employee access to Facebook. They think some employees spend their entire day sitting glued to Facebook, updating and commenting, which has a negative effect on their work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some reasons are listed why employees should be allowed access to Facebook.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Employees may be working hard to find a particular solution, but cannot come up with anything. Browsing through Facebook can help them gel inspired to find solutions in a different way and be successful at it.

    Blocking access to Facebook means that the employer doesn't trust the employees. People are dissatisfied with the company if they're not allowed access to Facebook. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Therefore, allowing access to Facebook means that the employees are given a certain amount of freedom.

    Today many companies have pages on Facebook which they use for spreading news and something about products. If Facebook pages arc blocked in an office, how will employees like or share something from the company page? Employees can also interact with each other through Facebook. It creates a sense of bonding and they get along well with each other. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many talented professionals don't like to join places where Facebook is blocked, and thus companies may lose talented employees.

    As far as I'm concerned, whether an organization should ban Facebook depends largely on factors like its culture, type of work, Internet policy, business goals, etc. As far as the employees are concerned, most of them will be in support of allowing access to Facebook. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. However, their banning isn't widely accepted.

B. People hold different attitudes towards Facebook now.

C. People who have special skills are interested in Facebook.

D. Keeping in touch through it helps in improving their relations.

E. So the company should take the employees, interest into account.

F. In order to keep people active, essential that they are kept happy.

G. Firm, they think it's necessary to take a break after working for hours.

    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.

    With modern technology, much written communication tends to focus on the keyboard, but handwriting is still a necessary and important skill.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some tips for you to improve your handwriting.

    Examine Your Handwriting

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Look through your writing to decide what makes it difficult to read or what makes it unattractive. Perhaps you write your letters too small. Check on spacing of letters and words, and proper formation of letters. If your letters are small, put more effort into writing larger letters. If certain letters trip you up, practice those letters separately and within words.

    Write Correctly

    Positioning and technique play a role in how your handwriting looks. Hold the pen between your thumb and first two fingers so that it rests against your fingers. Hold it firmly enough to control the tip but not so hard that it hurts your fingers. Lighter pressure on the paper helps you create smooth lines and focus on your letter formation.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Letters are formed from several basic strokes(笔划). Practice those strokes separately to get your hand used to forming them. Strokes found in letters include vertical lines, horizontal lines, and circles. Build on those to practice specific letters.

Write for a Purpose

    Teach young children handwriting in meaningful contexts. Use that same idea by picking up a pen to write lists and notes by hand instead of typing. Keep a journal daily with slow, correct strokes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}These true and sincere writing opportunities make the practice meaningful.

A. Build on Basics.

B. Practice makes perfect

C. Focus on improving your correctness instead of speed

D. Writing at a slower speed also helps you focus on letter formation

E. Put a handwritten letter in the mail to surprise a friend or a relative

F. Handwriting requires your brain, eyes and hands to work together to form letters.

G. Before you can improve your handwriting, you need to know where you're falling apart.