How you calm yourself before giving a speech? Both modern research and centuries of experience from experienced（有经验的）public speakers suggest some practical（实用的）advice.

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Know to whom you'll be speaking, and learn as much about your audience（听众） as you can. The more you can expect the kind of reaction your listeners will have to your speech, the more comfortable you'll be in delivering your message. Be audience-centered rather than speaker-centered.

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    You will feel less nervous if you talk about something you are familiar with or have some personal experience of. Your comfort with the subject of the speech will be reflected in your delivery.

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    The better prepared you are, the less anxiety（焦虑）you will experience. Being prepared means that you have researched your topic and practiced your speech several times before you deliver it.

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    You are likely to feel the most nervous during the opening moments of your speech. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a clear plan for how you will start your speech. Being familiar with your introduction（介绍）will help you feel more comfortable about the entire speech. If you know how you will end your speech, you will have a safe harbor in case you lose your place. If you need to end your speech ahead of time, a well-delivered conclusion can permit you to make a graceful exit.

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    One of the symptoms(症状) of nervousness is a change in your breathing and heart rates. Nervous speakers tend to take short, shallow breaths. To help break the anxiety—reduce breathing pattern, consider taking a few slow deep breaths before you rise to speak.

A. Know your introduction and your conclusion(总结).

B. Channel（引导） your nervous energy.

C. Know your audience.

D. Use deep-breathing techniques.

E. Be prepared.

F. Select（选择）an suitable topic.

G. To talk with your friends before giving a speech.

    You often find somebody who works around you complaining(抱怨) all the time, don't you?{#blank#}1{#/blank#} About 70% of Americans say being around nonstop complainers sometimes has a bad influence on them. Luckily, here are 4 tips to help form positive patterns.

    ⒈Self­awareness

    When a negative(消极的) thought pops into your mind, immediately correct it. Instead of telling yourself “That's a nice shirt, but I can't afford it，” change the message to “That will look great with my black pants when I can afford it.”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Of course everyone complains  sometimes. But the less frequently you complain, the better you will feel.

    ⒉Distance yourself

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Excuse yourself and go somewhere quiet, somewhere outdoors in the fresh air. Think of something pleasant before returning. You have to take this seriously because negative people can and will pull you into the quicksand.

    ⒊Don't try to change complainers

    If you find yourself trapped in a group of complainers in a meeting or at a social event, simply choose silence. Let their words bounce off you while you think of something else. Attempting to stop the complaining can make you a target.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If someone says, “I hate Mondays; weekends are too short，” try to think, “I'm glad I rested up over the weekend, so I'm ready to make some improvement on that big project.”

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    When someone is shouting at you angrily, throw the responsibility back at them by asking, “So what do you intend to do about it？” In most cases, complainers don't really want a solution(解决方法). They just want to speak them out. If you make them aware that they themselves have to find the solutions, they will leave you alone and find someone else to complain to. If so, you will be happy.

A．Find solutions

B．Change responsibility

C．You have got a lot of company.

D．By doing this, it will lead to positive behaviors.

E．But you can redirect the discussion in your own mind.

F．Whenever possible, escape from negative conversations.

G．You will never know what they are going to talk about.

New Lives for Old Phones

    When a new mobile phone starts to be sold in stores, many people rush out to buy one. We all want the newest, latest thing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Mike Townsend works at Total Recall, a mobile phone recycling company. "Don't throw your old phone away. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If you throw it away, it goes with other rubbish to become landfill. In other words, it is put in a big hole in the ground-and it becomes a big problem," he says.

    Mobile phones contain some poisonous materials. If your phone goes to a landfill, these poisonous materials can get out and get into the water under the ground. That's the water we need to drink or water goes into rivers or the ocean. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} That's a lot of landfill and a lot of poisonous materials.

    "At Total Recall, we separate the old phones into pieces. Most of the materials in the mobile phones can be recycled and used again.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, phone batteries contain nickel and cadmium. The nickel is used to make steel, and the cadmium can be used to make new batteries," explains Mike.

    "{#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can usually just take it into a mobile phone shop and they will send it to us," says Mike.

    So before you throw that old mobile phone away, use it one last time: search for a recycler near you and give them a call.

A. Send it to us and we'll recycle it.

B. Recycling your old phone is easy.

C. How much is your old mobile phone worth?

D. But what should we do with our old mobile phones?

E. Millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year.

F. We take apart the old phones and they are used to make new products.

G. Recycling materials helps keep the environment greener and cleaner.

Winning an Oscar isn't all about acting ability

    While the awards claim they recognize the top performances from around the world, a new study has found that you're more likely to win an Oscar if you're an American acting in a film that portrays American culture.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}British actors are more likely to take home an award.

    Researchers say the trend suggests viewers are more likely to perceive a performance as "truly brilliant" if they are members of the same social group as the actor. It can be seen, perhaps most famously, in the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won a long-awaited Oscar in the 88th Academy Awards for his role in The Revenant, which follows the story of an American frontiersman.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}In 2014, Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, and Jennifer Lawrence took an award home in 2013 for Silver Linings Playbook{#blank#}3{#/blank#}The findings come from a new study published in the British Journal of Psychology. The team investigated a total of 908 merit prize winners: 97 winners and 383 nominees for the Oscars, and 97 winners and 331 nominees for the BAFTAs. Overall, they found that US actors dominated the awards, claiming over 50 percent of the prizes across the Oscars and BAFTAs.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}When the performer and judge shared membership within a particular social group-for example, being American-the actor was more likely to win. As a result, American actors were found to win 52 percent of all BAFTAs, and 69 percent of all Oscars. While British actors won just 18 percent of all Oscars, and 34 percent of BAFTAs.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In the Oscars, Americans who performed in films about non-US culture accounted for just 26 percent of the award winners. But, those who performed in films about American culture made up 88 percent of the winners.

A. In recent years, many actors have cast themselves as frontiersmen.

B. Subject matter played a role, too, according to the researchers.

C. And, the same applies to London's BAFTAs.

D. But they also noted a trend within social groups.

E. But the trend also stretches back throughout the years.

F. Things are different in Britain.

G. Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar in 2008 for his role in There Will be Blood.

    HSC, mid-terms, finals, no matter how you describe them, exams have something in common—including how to study well. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Plan a study timetable

    Make sure you will cover your material in time with a realistic study timetable. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. With a plan in place, you'll be less likely to put off your work as knowing how you will use your time will also mean you make best use of it.

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    Give yourself the best environment by choosing somewhere with enough light, a comfortable chair, and little to no distractions. Sit down with all that you need — and only the things you'll need — like any books, notes or pens, as well as some water and healthy snacks on hand. Also ask what you don't need. A rule of thumb is if it doesn't help you study, it shouldn't be on your desk. It may look so simple but is really effective to help you focus on your study.

    Keep healthy: sleep, eat and move

    When exams come around somehow there never seems enough time for the basic things like sleep and exercise. Taking care of your health and wellbeing will really help you study at your best by improving your memory, mood and energy levels, and keeping those stress levels down. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Eating three meals and sticking to healthy snacks throughout the day will give you the energy you need to focus. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} A good aim is 20-30 minutes of exercise but even a walk nearby during study breaks will do you good!

    Every one complains. Even if you argue that you are the happiest person in the world you still complain sometimes. Sometimes you complain without even realizing it, but rarely is it ever helpful. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some tips to stop complaining and give up the negative thoughts:

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    When you find yourself thinking or saying a negative comment about something or someone, stop and force yourself to say something positive instead. Seek the help of a cheerful friend to change you when you complain and help you to see the positive in the situation.

    Make a list of things we are grateful for.

    We often complain about the things we don't have without noticing those things we already have. Be grateful for what we have in our life because we are lucky simply for being ourselves.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Learn to adapt to the changes.

    There are many things we can't change. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Always find the positive side of each situation regardless of however difficult the situation is. With parents' and friends' support we can survive any life changes.

    Allow yourself to vent(发泄)your feelings every once in a while.

    Constantly ignored negative thoughts could add up If you are really going through a rough time, don't be afraid to share your feelings with a close friend or family member or see a therapist.

    Find what makes you happy.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Maybe it is time to make the hard decision to move on to another job or career. Uncover what your biggest complaints are about and see if you can change the situation to make you happy.

    Choose happiness focus on the positive and be kind always!

A. Change the way you think

B. Make friends with positive people

C. The best and only thing we can do is to accept them

D. Are you constantly complaining about your present job?

E. Sometimes this list can be easy, full of hobbies you enjoy.

F. So how can you manage to force yourselves to end complaining?

G. Set down things we are thankful for and we'll see that we don't have any reason to complain.