How to communicate effectively

    Effective communication is a must for everyone who hopes to be successful. It helps express your thoughts and improves your career prospects (前景) as well as strengthens relationships. Therefore, it's necessary to work hard to improve your communication skills.

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    Before you are ready to talk to a group of people, you should think about what you are going to talk about. Although a printed copy of a speech may not be always necessary, highlighting a few important issues in your mind is a must. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it reduces the possibilities of getting away from the main issues.

Choose your words

    Choice of words is the most important part of any communication. Simple, clear words are appropriate for the issue you are discussing. Needless to say, words that could make your audience unpleasant are best kept out of the communication. Most people tend to be careful about their language while at work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This may hurt your loved ones beyond your imagination.

Body language

    Many people use body language by mistake and end up making a fool of themselves. Body language means keeping eye contact and using hand gestures only wherever required. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This will make your talk more of a stage performance and defeat its purpose.

Listen and concentrate

    Communication is an exchange of ideas. Once you are done with your part, listen carefully to what other people plan to say. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Get rid of all distractions (分散注意力的事物) such as a phone before you begin communication. A distraction not only disturbs your focus, but it also causes your audience's attention to wander.

    After entering high school, you must wonder how to study well. Here are some good skills for you.

Go to class.

    If you want to do well at school, going to class is the first step in studying well. If you miss classes, you will miss what the teacher thinks is important; as a result, you'll miss what is the most likely to end up on the test.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Take good notes.

    Try not to write down everything.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Write down unfamiliar terms. After class, review your notes as soon as possible. You can fill in details that you missed and review the material while it is still fresh on your mind.

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    If you are struggling in class, talk to your teacher. He or she may be able to give you more help or tutor you before or after class. Most teachers have little sympathy(同情) for students who just become worried about failing during the last few weeks of the grading period.

Take part in class discussions.

    In order to learn more in class, it is helpful to take part i n class discussions. Asking questions and having eye contact with your teachers and classmates can increase your participation(参与) and your focus during the class discussion.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} This helps you make your point clear in class.

Form study groups.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Make sure that everyone is familiar with the material because you do not want to spend time re-teaching material to people who do not understand it. Be careful! Sometimes group sessions can become chatting sessions.

A. Don't be late for your class.

B. Talk to your teacher if you need help.

C. You should write down all the new terms.

D. So if you want to study well, go to every class.

E. Get students together who want to do well in class.

F. All you need is to put the main points in your own words.

G. If the material is difficult, you'd better read it before class.

    Reasons why you should travel while you're young

    I have been very lucky to travel around the world while still young. According to my experiences, I advise every young person to get out of his hometown and see what's out there. Here are three ways that traveling has changed me forever.

    Traveling changes the way you connect with the world

    I grew up in a small town.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. When you travel to other countries and see the amazing beauty of sunsets over seas, monkeys swinging through rainforests, you realize the world is-full of more beauty than you are able to see in a lifetime. But, you still want to try.

    Traveling changes the way you connect with others

    Everyone in my hometown looked and acted basically the same.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}. I realized that my life could be enriched by developing friendships with people who didn't look or act like me. Far from my hometown, I developed friendships with people who were nothing like me, but were exactly what I needed.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Traveling helps develop your interest in education

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Just reading the stories in books seemed so boring to me. However, when I visited the Palace of Versailles in France and walked in the halls of the Louvre. I couldn't help but have interest in history.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

A. Traveling taught me, not to fear.

B. Traveling makes history come alive.

C. Sadly, I never liked history in school.

D. When I traveled, I learned a lot about other cultures.

E. It also taught me the importance of communication skills.

F. The older I become, the more 1 realize I actually know very little about life.

G. If I hadn't the chance to travel, I would have a different time imagining much else outside my hometown.

    US City Bans Texting while Walking

    Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely, by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cell phones?

    The city of Honolulu, Hawaii wants everyone to learn that lesson{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Beginning on October 24, you could be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U. S. city to ban what is called "distracted (分散注意) walking. " It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says; “No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device. "{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    The law's creators hope it will lower the number of people hit and killed by cars in the city. Mayor Kirk Caldwell told Reuters news agency, "We hold the unfortunate distinction (区别) of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our elders, than almost any other city in the country. "

    The law includes all electronic devices with screens: cell phones, tables, gaming devices, digital cameras and laptop computers{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Pedestrians may use such devices in the street to call emergency services and rescue workers, such as firefighters and police officers.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}The Governors Highway Safety Association, or GHSA, says pedestrian deaths in the United States increase 25 percent between 2010 and 2015. That trend continued in 2016 with the number of pedestrian deaths rising to almost 6000, 11% higher than in 2015.

    If you still want to text while walking, you could avoid being fined in Honolulu (and be safer, in general) by using a voice-controlled digital(数字的) assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. The law does permit an exception.

B. Or you could just wait until you are again, safely, off the street.

C. You will be sentenced to prison while using cell phones in the street.

D. Pedestrian deaths have been increasing as the use of cell phones rises.

E. Texting while crossing the street will soon be banned in the city.

F. The law permits people to watch TV while crossing the street.

G. In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street or you could be fined.

    Snowblind—it's a frightening word. Thankfully, it's a condition that is totally preventable.

    Snow blindness is a painful, temporary loss of vision due to overexposure to the sun's UV rays. Essentially, snow blindness is caused by a sunburned eye.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Though it is commonly called snow blindness, the condition can (and often does) occur in the absence of snow.

    The terms “snowblind” and “snow blindness” have become popular because snow is highly reflective of ultraviolet radiation.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Also, skiing, mountain climbing and snowboarding usually take place at relatively high altitudes, where the sun's UV rays are stronger. Combined, these factors can double your risk of getting sunburned eyes, compared with being outdoors at lower altitudes in the summertime.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Television journalist Anderson Cooper experienced snow-free snow blindness first-hand a few years ago when he spent a couple hours on a boat in Portugal without sunglasses and ended up “blind for 36 hours,” according to his report of the incident.

    Not only can you become snowblind without snow—it can happen without sunlight, too!{#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, sun lamps can cause temporary “snow” blindness if proper eye protection is not used.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} To relieve pain or discomfort from snow blindness, stay indoors and wear sunglasses. Keep your eyes well-moistened with artificial tears. For additional relief, use over-the-counter pain relievers. Be sure to use only pain relievers you know you can take without worry of an allergic reaction. You also may find that placing a cool, dampened washcloth over your closed eyelids is comforting.

A. You don't need snow to become snowblind.

B. It will likely affect those traveling in snowy conditions.

C. To prevent snow blindness on the slopes, wear sunglasses.

D. Sometimes it occurs from mail-made sources of ultraviolet radiation

E. In fact, snow can reflect over 80 percent of the UV rays that fall upon it.

F. Snow blindness is scary, but usually it's temporary, and there are ways to relieve the discomfort.

G. But water and white sand also are highly reflective of the sun's UV rays, thus increasing the risk.

Simple ways to improve your written English

    Many people think it is really difficult to improve (提高) their writing in English. Don't worry, though. Here are some simple steps that you can take to improve your written English.

    Increase your vocabulary.

    To express yourself clearly, you need a good active vocabulary. That's not just being able to know lots of words — it means actually being able to use them correctly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Tip: When you learn a new word, try to learn all the forms of that word.

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    People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different styles of writing and see how to use words properly.

    Tip: {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Learning shouldn't be boring. Read each text several times to make sure you understand how to use new words and expressions in the text.

    Improve your grammar.

    Grammar is very important because it improves the quality (质量) of your writing.

    Tip: {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The first time, look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the grammar point you are studying at the moment.

    Just do it!

    The best way to improve your writing is to get a pen and paper and write. Be prepared to write several versions (版本) of each text.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Know your readers.

B. Read widely and often.

C. Always check your writing twice.

D. Remember, practice makes perfect!

E. Choose books or articles that interest you.

F. Use simpler language and shorter sentences to show your ideas.

G. Do this by learning new words with example sentences, not just word lists.