You may feel comfortable with some people. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half a life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.

    How is it done?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}If you follow the skills, you'll make friends with people 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 some other questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your question 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.

    Real listening at least means some things.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}If someone sticks to one topic, it means he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones (语气) of voice. If the voice sounds boring, then, it's time for you to change the subject.

    Finally, good talkers know well when to say good-bye. Remember to give him a 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．Almost anyone will answer a question.

B．Here are several skills that good talkers have.

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

D．First, it means not to change the subject of the conversation.

E．Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers.

    We often dine out with others, but do you know some basic etiquette (礼节)? If you behave well at the table, it will make your partners happy. But if you don't know how to behave yourself, you will feel embarrassed. Here are some tips for the table etiquette.

    When helping a woman pull her chair to the table, hold it and guide it. Don t shove(碰撞)it against the back of her legs.
     If you're seated at a table with eight or fewer guests, wait for everyone to be served and for the hostess(女主人) to begin eating before you dig in. At a long banquet table, it's OK to start when several people are seated and served.

    If you prefer not to have wine while dining out, don't turn your glass upside down, and don t make a big deal of saying you don't drink. Simply place your fingertips on the rim(边缘) of the glass and say" Not today, thanks."

    When you excuse yourself to go to the restroom, just say" Please excuse me."

    When out with friends or family—even at a fancy restaurant –it's OK to ask for your leftovers(吃剩的饭菜) to be wrapped. But don't do it at a business lunch or dinner.

Information Card

Have you ever been to Holland（荷兰）? If you live in Japan and you have never been to Holland, you should go to Huis Ten Bosch（豪斯登堡）. Huis Ten Bosch is an amusement park near Nagasaki（长崎）in Japan. All the houses there look like the houses in Holland. All the restaurants have famous food from Holland, such as cheese.

Huis Ten Bosch is really big. There are five large hotels there. The park has an old-fashioned train, many buses and taxis, and several boats for people to travel around. Most of the buses and taxis are more than 80 years old. For people who like shopping, there are many stores where you can buy the souvenirs from Holland. For people who like movies, there are many movie theaters. One of them shows cartoons all day. Athletic visitors can enjoy ice skating, tennis and swimming. For people who are interested in animals, there's wonderful zoo. The zoo has many animals from South America, especially Peru（秘鲁）. If you want to visit the amusement park, you have to take a boat. There are many boat rides for visitors to Huis Ten Bosch.

    In Japan, the latest time—saving invention is a dog-washing machine. Dog owners can buy one for their dogs. They can save time by putting their dogs in the machine and then 33 minutes later, a clean, fresh-smelling dog comes out.

    The machine becomes more and more popular. The sales of the dog-washer are increasing. The machines save a lot of money for pet owners. However, it's bad news for pet hospitals because they are losing many customers.

    The washing machine has many advantages. First, the whole cleaning process includes a shampoo（洗发）, rinse（冲洗） and blow-dry. Second, tests showed that dogs enjoyed the wash and were very happy when the blow-dryer started working. Third, the most important is that the makers of the machine say it's very safe and does not harm dogs in any way.

    One dog-owner, Michiko Kobayashi, loves her new machine. She said her dog was happy, too. Michiko explained to the reporters, "Before I bought my washer, I only took my dog to the pet hospital a few times a year. Now, I wash her every week and she looks great. I also save a lot of money. "

    It is welcomed by most people who raise dogs. And it takes over the market quickly. What a beautiful invention!

    We are living in a colourful world with green trees, red flowers and the blue sky. Everything has its colour. Our moods also have different colours. I am a middle school student. Yesterday, I didn't want to get up early for school, but I was woken up by mum at 6:00 a.m. At that time my mood was like grey fog. I felt tired and sleepy.

    At noon, I helped a blind man cross the road on my way home. The blind man thanked me a lot. I felt very happy and the mood was like the red sun. It made me warm and sweet.

    In the maths class, my red mood changed to black, because I failed the exam. When I got the exam paper, I couldn't stop crying. But Mr Li told me to keep on studying hard.

    After school, I walked home and thought about Mr Li's words. I felt comfortable and energetic.

    The mood was like the blue sky, sunny and peaceful.