Everyone can benefit from better communication. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Of course, we know that isn't true, but this shouldn't stop you improving your communication skills. Here are a few tips to help you become a better communicator.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Verbal (口头的) language is only one part of the communication — body language is another. If you ever wanted to know how to tell if someone is lying, body language is the answer. Your body language tells other people what you aren't verbally saying, such as if you are anxious, confident, confused, angry or any other type of emotion or state of mind. If you become great at reading body language, it will help you become a better communicator.

    Listen to others

    Before you ever begin to speak, take a minute to see if anyone else has something to say. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Listening to others has many benefits, such as allowing you to learn new things or get information that you may later need.

    Think before you speak

    Your parents probably told you this as a child, but many people still do not take a moment to think about the words they are about to say. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} There is a time and place for all words and tones of voice.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will have to practice your communication skills before you can ever become an excellent communicator.

A. To become a better communicator is not an overnight thing.

B. Singing a song for them is good.

C. Become fluent in body language.

D. Don't try to make the conversation go your way.

E. You should decide what you want to get in a conversation before you choose your words.

F. If you are too anxious, you can't look for the right body language to use in communication.

G. In fact, if everybody were excellent communicators, the world would be a much better place.

Forgiveness

    To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try the following steps:

    Calm yourself. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

    Don't wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

    Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender's point of view.

    Don't forget to forgive yourself. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don't do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. How should you start to forgive?

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D. Try to see things from your offender's angle.

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

    Make A Difference Day is the largest national day of community service in the USA, which takes place on the fourth Saturday of October.

    Who takes part in Make A Difference Day?

    Anyone! Young and old, individuals and groups, anyone can carry out a volunteer project that helps others. It might be as ambitious as collecting truckloads of clothing for the homeless, or as personal as spending an afternoon helping an elderly neighbor or relative. USA WEEKEND covers volunteers and their projects in articles and photos.

    How do I get started?

    Look around your community. Are people hungry, homeless or ill? Are parks or schools dirty or neglected? No matter where you live, there's a need nearby. And on Make A Difference Day, millions of Americans are expected to roll up their sleeves to help others. You can act alone or enlist your friends, family and co-workers. You can also call the Make A Difference Day Hot Line, 1-800-416-3824, for information. Or use the ideas on this website for inspiration.

    What do I do after I've selected a project?

    Tell others what you're doing and enlist help. Several weeks before the day, tell us about your plans in the Make A Difference DAYtaBANK, a national listing of local projects that will be viewed by interested volunteers, other people looking for good project ideas and news media looking for good stories to tell. It will only take a few minutes to post your plans in the DAYtaBANK hosted by HandsOn Network.

    Do it!

    Carry out your plans to help others on Make A Difference Day. Be sure to take lots of pictures and share them on the Make A Difference Day Photo Album.

    A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology finds that older and younger people have a varying preference for what they would want a personal robot to look like. And they change their minds based on what the robot is supposed to do.

    Participants were shown a series of photos, either robotic, human or mixed human-robot faces, and were asked to select the one that they would prefer for their robot's appearance. Most college-aged adults in the study preferred a robotic appearance, although the others were also generally open to them. However, nearly 60 percent of older adults said they would want a robot with a human face, and only 6 percent of them chose one with a mixed human-robot appearance.

    "We found that participants, both younger and older, will assign emotional traits to a robot based on its face, which will determine what they are most comfortably interacting with," Akanksha Prakash, a psychology graduate student at Georgia Tech who led the study, said in a statement. So when participants were told the robot was helping with personal care, chores, social interaction or helping to make decisions, something interesting happened.

    Preference was less strong for helping with chores, although the majority of older and younger participants chose a robot with a robotic face. But for decision-making tasks, such as getting advice on where to invest money, younger participants tended to select a mixed human-robot appearance. A robotic face was their least favored choice for this task. Older adults generally preferred a human face. Personal care tasks such as bathing caused the most divisive preferences within both age groups. Those who chose a human face did so because they associated the robot with human-like care capabilities — such as nursing — and trustworthy traits. Many others didn't want anything looking like a human to bathe them due to the private nature of the task.

    Based on this early research, the researcher says that if a robot is designed to help only with a specific task, its appearance should fit in with the task. For instance, if the robot is designed to specifically assist the user with critical decisions, the robot should be given an intelligent look instead of a funny one. However, if the robot is tasked with a variety of jobs in the home, allowing for appearance customizability(可定制性) might be the best option.

    The researcher next plans to expand the study to other age groups and people with more diverse educational backgrounds.

    International Robotics Forum（论坛）

    Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan, December 4-5

    The Robotics Society of Japan ( RSJ) , to provide opportunities for young robot lovers to learn more about industrial and service robots, is going to hold the International Robotics Forum that will cooperate with this year's International Robot Exhibition.

    The lectures and explanations throughout the Conference will be given in Japanese but will be interpreted into English at the same time. The Conference will offer a great opportunity for senior high school students from all around the world to communicate with each other through robots. Therefore, we look forward to your active participation.

    The event will take place two days. On the morning of Day One, Prof. Shin' ichi Yuta of the Shibaura Institute of Technology will give a lecture on basic mobile robotics and learning through robots.  This will be followed by a talk by Mr.  Kazuhiko Yokoyama of Yasukawa Electric Corporation who will explain the mechanism and control of robots and also point out the highlights(最精彩的部分）of the International Robot Exhibition.

    We will prepare a challenge for all the participants.  We will send you themes for robot research. You will study them in advance, and on the afternoon of Day One, you wi11 visit the Tokyo International Exhibition Center and investigate (详细研究）real robot . You will be able to experience fun and excitement of advanced robot technologies.  On the morning of Day Two, you will present your study and investigation results.

    On the afternoon of Day Two，as the final event, awards will be given by the RSJ to groups that have given outstanding presentations.

We hope that many future robot researchers and engineers will be born today.

    Living abroad to study can certainly be an interesting experience but is that alone a good enough reason for spending years far away from home? To make the experience truly worthwhile, there has to be a goal behind the decision to study abroad. This may be a wish to perfect language skills in a foreign language environment, or a clever move in your career development. You must also consider the costs, not just of living and studying abroad, but of applying. Most universities now charge application fees for international students.

    If after considering these points you are sure that you want to apply to study abroad, your next step is to choose the right programme of studies. Research your choices and select carefully. You must do your homework well. Most universities have information online but you can also email and ask them to send you more details. You can find a lot of information on school ranking from education websites. But read carefully. Different universities emphasize different strengths. Don't just think about the university's reputation; look for the most suitable for your goals.

    Next, you must deal with a large pile of paperwork. This involves filling in application forms, preparing your school records, and getting reference letters. Reading the instructions and requirements of the universities carefully is of great importance. Sadly, many fine applicants get kicked out in the first round, simply because they don't follow the application procedure properly.

    Money is another important consideration. Some scholarships are provided by governments, others by schools and colleges. This information, again, can be found on the Internet. If you find a scholarship that is suitable for you, follow the application procedure carefully; the earlier you apply, the better your chance of getting it.