Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} .

    Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly.

    First of all, good talkers ask questions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . One well-known businesswoman says, “At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question，but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} . Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers .This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} . If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject.

    Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you're saying goodbye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I've really enjoyed meeting you.” {#blank#}5{#/blank#} . Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life.

A. Real listening at least means some things.

B. You can become a popular person.

C. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question.

D. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

E. If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret.

F. It's polite to listen to others with a smile.

G. These people have something in common.

House Sitting

    In many countries of the world people do what is called house sitting. It means that if owners of the house are going away, they want someone to come into their home and look after the house and maybe pets while they are away.

    In Australia, many people travel. After people retire, they might buy a van and travel all over the country. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    So if someone wants to travel or go away for some reason, they might want someone in their home to care for it and keep the gardens tidy. House sitters might have to care for pets. Also, quite a few people have swimming pools in their back yard and they need cleaning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I feel it is a great way of seeing the country, because you go and stay in a new city, get to meet new people, and have time to go sightseeing in a new area.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} There are websites where you find the advertisements by people who want to travel, and by replying to the advertisement, you can make arrangements to go and look after their home.

    There are some requirements to be a house sitter. You must be a trusted person, so that the home owner knows you will not steal anything. You must be able to go when the house owner wants you to go, so you need lots of free time. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} You need to be good with pets, able to care for cats and dogs, or other pets they may have.

    Some house sitting jobs are just for a few days or a couple of weeks while the house owners have a short holiday. Sometimes it is for much longer. We have had one house sit for six months, while the home owner travelled to Europe.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Then you can travel to many different countries and stay there. One of  the important things to get is references from the home owners where you have stayed. A reference is a written letter to say that you are trustworthy and have looked after their home well. You can show these letters to possible house sitting jobs and they know you will do a good job.

A. I have done house sitting many times.

B. Thousands of people do this all the time.

C. It is also possible to do house sitting in other countries.

D. Generally you have many opportunities to get a house sitting job.

E. You must take a little care over what your description says about you.

F. This is an international house sitting service for all city and country areas.

G. You must have a good car, so you can travel to different parts of the country.

Hampton Court Motor Cruiser

16 Hampton Court Road        TEL:208-977-1728

    Hampton Court Motor Cruiser is a boat docked on the River Thames. Facilities(设施) include heating, Smart TV and Wi-Fi. The price per stay also includes the free use of a 4-seat electric boat and barbecue facilities. There is no staff at all on board during your stay.

Hilton London Green Park

4-6 Half Moon Street        TEL:207-629-7522

    Hilton London Green Park stays in the heart of London. It features modern rooms with air conditioning. Wi-Fi is available in public areas and is free of charge. There is also a cocktail bar on site. All children are welcome.

Arbor City

12 Osborn Street            TEL:207-247-3313

    Arbor City Hotel is just next to the Whitechapel Art Gallery. It offers free Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service. Air-conditioned rooms feature a TV, a safe and a shower. Parking is available on site and costs GBP 24 per day. For an additional charge, the hotel offers various breakfast options: English breakfast, Continental breakfast, Vegan and Dairy-free breakfast. The hotel is 10 minutes' tube ride from the West End.

Abercorn House Hostel

28-0 Bute Gardens            TEL:203-696-0215

    Abercorn House Hostel is located just a 3-minute walk from Hammersmith Underground Station, with a 24-hour front desk. Guests can stay in rooms or dormitories fitted with a wardrobe. Some come with a shower, while others offer access to a shared bathroom. They can also use a shared kitchen to prepare their meals. Wi-Fi is available and costs GBP 1 per hour. Non-smoking throughout.

    Summer School for Effective Leadership 2014

    The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups （HKFYG） partners with 2 world-class universities, The University of Hong Kong （HKU） and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology （HKUST） to offer you the best international summer schools in town! This year the Summer School for Effective Leadership （SSEL） is divided into the HKU Chapter—An Overture to Global Leadership, and HKUST Chapter—The Art of Public Speaking. Please find out more from the introduction below:

    HKU Chapter—An Overture to Global Leadership

    An Overture to Global Leadership, now in its seventh year, is cooperation between the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and the University of Hong Kong with the aims:

    1 To nurture youth leaders with solid fundamental knowledge and intensive leadership skills;

    2 To strengthen their critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills and problem solving abilities;

    3 To reinforce their willingness to serve the community;

    4 To further develop global perspective and promote intercultural awareness amongst participants.

    Date

    Between 18 July 2014 （Friday） and 26 July 2014 （Saturday）.

    Full attendance is mandatory for the 9-day-8-night programme. Shared-room accommodation in the University dormitory is required.

    Application Deadline

    Non-residents of Hong Kong: 6:00 p.m., Friday, 16 May 2014 （Hong Kong Time）

    Non-residents of Hong Kong may need to apply for a student visa, please visit the website: http://121.hkfyg.org.hk/ssel/hku/overview.html for further details.

    For application, please visit: http://121.hkfyg.org.hk/ssel/hku/application.php

    HKUST Chapter—The Art of Public Speaking

    The Art of Public Speaking is a new collaboration between the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with the aims:

    1 To enhance the leadership skills and public speaking skills of participants;

    2 To allow youth leaders and speakers to learn from one another, and encourage cultural exchanges;

    3 To demonstrate how public speaking skills can be used by leaders to communicate to the public;

    4 To allow outstanding student leaders to serve and understand the local community.

    Date

    Between 14 July 2014 （Monday） and 19 July 2014 （Saturday）

    Full attendance is mandatory for the 6-day-5-night programme. Shared-room accommodation in the University dormitory is required.

    Application Deadline

    Non-residents of Hong Kong: 6:00p.m., Friday, 9 May 2014 （Hong Kong Time）.

    Non-residents of Hong Kong may need to apply for a student visa, please visit the website: http://l21.hkfyg.org.hk/ssel/hkust/overview.html for further details.

    For application, please visit: http://l21.hkfyg.org.hk/ssel/hkust/application.php

    Teachers love to put students into teams.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Why? Because they know the responsible team members will come through for a good grade.

If you are teamed up with a student who is lazy, the worst thing you can do is let it get you down.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} and it might create a positive change in your partner!

    Try these tips for working with a slacker(懒虫).

    Be excited and provide a good example. Your slacker may be a good person who has developed bad work habits. You may be able to teach your partner some valuable skills for a successful future.

    Think rewards!{#blank#}3{#/blank#} For instance, you could promise to make cupcakes for the next work meeting and encourage your partner to bring a good snack.

    Make some time to sit with your partner and establish a set of work rules and deadlines. Don't quarrel, though. Make it clear that you would like to establish rules to keep you both on track.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Keep a record of your rules, your initial meetings, and your work. When it becomes obvious in the records that you're doing all the work, talk with the slacker.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Don't let the anger and pain defeat you.

B. Come up with a great reward for meeting some goal.

C. Instead, take some steps to encourage your partner to work.

D. Unavoidably one or more members will try to do nothing.

E. Start out by giving your partner a clear task with a deadline.

F. Show him/her the evidence and suggest he or she pick up the pace.

G. Think about the future and the fact that you are going to be rewarded.

    No one can deny that buttons are an important clothing device. But, can they rise to the level of art? Organizers of an exhibit in New York City think so.

    Peter Souleo Wright organized “The Button Show” at Rush Arts Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Eleven artists used the small, ordinary objects to create sculptures, portraits and wearable art. Some of the works are political, some are personal and others are just fun.

    Wright said each artist reimagines and repurposes the buttons to make art. “What I tried to do with this show,” he said, “was to look at artists who were promoting that level of craft.”

    He said he wanted the button art to be comparable to a painting “because of the amount of detail and precision in the work.”

    Artist Beau McCall produced “A Harlem Hangover”. It looks like a wine bottle that fell over on a table. A stream of connected red buttons hand over the side, like wine flowing down. Similar red button form a small pool on the floor.

    McCall layers buttons of different shapes and sizes to create the bottle. The stitching that holds them together is also part of the artistic design.

    For San Francisco-based artist Lisa Kokin, buttons are highly personal. After her father died in 2001, she created a portrait of him using only buttons. That memorial to her father led to other button portraits, including those of activists Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez.

    Others use buttons for details. Artist Amalia Amaki of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, placed them on and around old photographs. Los Angeles artist Camilla Taylor attached buttons to three large sculptures that look like headless animals with long, narrow legs.

    “The Button Show” ends at March 12. The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation paid for the exhibition. The foundation was created in 1995 by the Simmons brothers: artist Danny, hip-hop producer Russell and rapper Rev. Run. The foundation seeks to bring the arts to urban youth and to provide support for new artists.