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.

    Nothing succeeding lacks(缺乏) confidence. When you are truly confident, it attracts success to you. It's important to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it under any circumstance(情况), because if you believe you can, then you really will. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Some people say confidence is just an attitude. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It comes from knowing exactly where you are going and exactly how you are going to get there. It comes from acting with confidence. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It comes from a strong commitment(承诺) to take responsibility, rather than just letting life happen.

    One way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and to get a record of successful experiences behind you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Confidence is knowing you can do it. Know that you are able to accomplish(完成) anything you want, and live your life with confidence.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If your life is not what you want it to be, you have the power to change it, and you must make the changes on a moment by moment basis. Live with your goals and your plans of action. Act with your own purposes, and you will have the life you want.

A. Actually, it is more than an attitude.

B. It comes from a strong sense of purpose.

C. Confidence is not just believing you can do it.

D. The belief keeps you searching for answers.

E. Confidence is understanding and comes from strength.

F. Live each moment with your plans in mind.

G. Anything can be achieved through self-confidence.

    Stress occurs when you feel that demands placed on you — such as work, school or relationships — are beyond your ability. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However, untreated long-term stress can result in serious health conditions including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Everyone is different, and so are the ways they choose to manage their stress. Some people prefer pursuing hobbies such as gardening, playing music and creating art, while others find relief in more solitary (独自的) activities: meditation, yoga and walking. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Do some exercise. The research keeps growing — exercise benefits your mind just as well as your body. We keep hearing about the long-term benefits of a regular exercise routine. But even a 20-minute walk, run, swim or dance session in the midst of a stressful time can give an immediate effect that can last for several hours.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} It may seem difficult to get away from a big work project, a crying baby or a growing credit card bill. But when you give yourself permission to step away from it, you let yourself have time to do something else, which can help you have a new perspective or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed. It's important not to avoid your stress (those bills have to be paid sometime), but even just 20 minutes to take care of yourself is helpful.

    Smile and laugh. Our brains are interconnected with our emotions and facial expressions. When people are stressed, they often hold a lot of the stress in their face. So laughs or smiles can help relieve some of that tension and improve the situation.

    Try meditation. Meditation and mindful prayer help the mind and body to relax and focus. Mindfulness can help people see new perspectives, develop self-compassion and forgiveness. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Much like exercise, research has shown that even meditating briefly can bring immediate benefits.

A. Take a break from the stressor.

B. Get some social support from whatever sources you can access.

C. Too much stress can affect body systems and cause mental problems.

D. Here are four healthy techniques that may help reduce stress in the short- and long-term.

E. But by finding positive, healthy ways, many of these negative health consequences can be reduced.

F. When practicing mindfulness, people can release emotions contributing to the body physical stress.

G. Some stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that helps people get through tough situations.

How to persuade people

    Convincing people that your way is the best way is often very difficult —especially when you're not quite sure why they're saying no. The trick is to get them wondering why they're saying no.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Understand how timing is everything. Knowing how to persuade people isn't just in words and body language — it's also in knowing the right time to talk to them.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}, you will most likely achieve faster, better results.

    Get to know them. A large part of whether or not persuasion is effective is based on the general relationship between you and your client/son/friend/employee. If you don't know the person well, it's vital to start building this relationship immediately — find common ground as soon as possible. Humans, in general, are more fond of people that are similar to them.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. People are more persuaded by a fast, confident talker than accuracy. The faster you talk, the less time your listener has to process what you've said and question it. You may create the feeling that you truly grasp the subject by running through the facts at warp speed, confident of them all.

    Create urgency. In order to get people to act in the moment, you have to be able to create a sense of urgency.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, it's unlikely they'll change their minds in the future. You must persuade people in the present; it's all that matters.

A. Talk fast

B. Communicate with others

C. If someone is aware of this

D. And with the right tricks, you can do it

E. So find parallels and make them known

F. If they're not motivated enough to want whatever you have right now

G. If you approach people when they are more relaxed and open to discussion

    Now let's discuss something about people's habits.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Some of them are good ones, but some of them may be bad ones. Can you remember any of the bad habits you used to have when you were very young? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Of course, you do not do that anymore, but you can surely remember your mother's efforts to train you. The good habits you now have in such matters as personal cleanliness were part of this early training.

    We may not suck our thumbs any more, but as we get older we get other bad habits. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Anyone who has tried to give up smoking knows this very well! {#blank#}4{#/blank#} In babyhood, it's thumbsucking, In childhood, it's nail-biting. In our teens, it's smoking, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} And if anyone tells you that he has no bad habits, you can be sure that he must have the worst habit of all. Isn't that true?

A. We can't give them up easily, either.

B Each period brings its own problems.

C. Generally speaking, a boy likes biting nails.

D. Everyone has his or her own habits.

E. We benefit from our friends, kind help.

F. In middle-age, it's over-eating, and so on.

G. Perhaps, as a baby, you used to suck your thumb (拇指).

A Few Active Listening Guidelines

    Listening is arguably the most important element of interpersonal communication. Our ability to listen well impacts the quality of all of our relationships, and not just at home with our family and friends—it can also affect our relationships and interactions on the job, as well as the effectiveness and quality of our work.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead, it is a skill that must be cultivated and practiced. Active listening means the difference between simply hearing, and listening with the intent to truly understand. It is a subtle but important distinction.

    ⒈Give focused attention.

    Try to minimize external (外部的) distractions. Turn down the noise, and put down or step away from what you're doing if possible. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't watch the clock, fidget (坐立不安) or go over your to-do list for later.

    ⒉{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Direct eye contact shows your attention and intention to listen. This doesn't mean stare, though. Be reasonable, but try not to let your eyes wander to whatever is going on around you.

    ⒊Reflect back.

    Restate, but don't repeat word for word. Paraphrase what you think the other part is saying with responses such as: "What I'm hearing is…" or "Let me see if I'm following you... "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    ⒋Respond appropriately.

    Be open and honest in your responses. Share your thoughts, insights and feelings in a clear, but respectful and considerate manner even if you disagree.

    Active listening is a model for good communication. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} It takes practice to develop active listening skills, and it's a habit that has to be reinforced(加强). Remind yourself that the goal of conversation is not merely to trade words, but to truly understand what the other party is saying and to be understood in turn.

A. Maintain eye contact.

B. Instead, focus on what is being said.

C. You do not have to agree on everything.

D. Also, set aside other internal thinking and dialogue.

E. Listening is not something that comes naturally or easily for most of us.

F. Reflecting what you've heard signals that you're attempting to understand fully.

G. Remember that listening is not just to gather information and share ideas, but also to gain perspective and understanding.