Common public speaking problems

    The use of "I feel", "I think" and "maybe"

    In the question-and-answer session of the speaking competition, many contestants began their answers with uncertain expressions like "I feel", "I guess", "I hear", "maybe" and "perhaps".

    These words show that the person is only speaking from his or her point of view. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} 

    Work on keeping your answers brief and to the point, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} . Instead of the empty-sounding "I guess", using facts, together with a clear conclusion based on those facts, is far more likely to be popular with an audience.

    Using only one speaking style

    Don't stick to the same tone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    For example, when they spoke about their dreams, some sounded romantic. Others used humor. Very few used several different styles together. Try mixing more than one style, rather than just sticking with the same one.

    Irresponsible answers

    Public speaking is different from personal conversations. You're responsible for your words. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So you should think twice before you talk. Don't be like the student who, when asked about his opinion on book piracy（盗版）, started by saying he supported it.

    Talking around the topic rather than directly answering it

    You should focus on one point and give a clear solution. The key is to work out what question is being asked. Is it asking you to discuss a certain topic or to present your own point of view?

    Use one or two arguments together and give a strong conclusion. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

A. It can be boring. Try to mix it up.

B. Even though you want to answer quickly, you don't want to sound foolish.

C. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

D. Deliberate gestures and affected（做作的）expressions of feelings are improper in a successful speech.

E. Remember that judges are not judging you on whether they agree, but on your ability to say what you think clearly.

F. This lacks the support of facts and seems not to be reliable for the judges and audience.

G. Confidence is extremely important in public speaking as it lets a speaker sound more convincing.

How to Protect Your Ears

    You and your friends are leaving a concert on a Friday night. When you get outside, your ears are ringing. You have to shout to be heard. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So no harm done…right?

    Not quite. Temporary buzzing may be easy to ignore, but repeated exposure to loud noise will eventually cause serious— and irreversible(无法治愈的)—hearing loss. A new study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston shows that one in five people between the ages of 12 and 19 are experiencing slight hearing loss, and one in 20 have mild hearing loss. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    But the good news is that there plenty of ways you can protect your ears from further damage — and still listen to the music you love:

    Ask around. Put your earbuds in or your headphones on, and then ask a friend next to you whether or not he or she can hear what you're listening to. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Turn it down.

    Buy noise-canceling headphones. A pair of earbuds or headphones that fits comfortably will limit outside noise so that you can hear your music better at lower volumes.

    Take breaks. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} So when listening to music, take your headphones off for 15 or 20 minutes and let your ears enjoy the quiet.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You can buy a cheap pair at any drugstore as an easy way to lower volume at concerts — or while playing or practicing your own music — without changing the quality of the sound.

A. Use earplugs.

B. Keep the volume below 70 percent.

C. If the answer is yes, your music is too loud.

D. Like every other part of your body, your ears need rest.

E. But by morning, your hearing is totally back to normal.

F. Unfortunately, there's no way to get back hearing you've already lost.

G. The exposure to noise is louder and longer than in any previous generation.

    Some people lie all the time. However, it can be difficult to determine when they are lying to you.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Make false eye contact

    A person who is lying to you won't make eye contact with you or they make too much eye contact. If a person is lying he may feel you are watching him and he will look down at the floor or away from your eyes. Some people try to stare at you in the face in a deliberate way.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}.

    Avoid using contractions (缩略语)

    The liars will say “I did NOT notice your money”, instead of “I didn't notice your money”. This is an attempt by the liars to be absolutely clear what they mean.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Liars often feel uneasy, turn away from the person to whom they are speaking, blink rapidly, smile less and have pitch changes in their tone of voice. They may cross their arms which is a sign of being “closed” or trying not to reveal too much information. They could touch parts of their face, an ear or a nose or play with keys or another item that they have in their hand.

    Provide additional information without being asked for it

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. The result is the more complicated the story is, the less believable it will be. You will have the feeling that nothing could be further from the truth.

A. Usually, it ends up making the story a lot less believable.

B. Luckily there are always some indications that can help you recognize liars.

C. Use unusual body language.

D. Behave abruptly.

E. Liars seem to think that by telling their story in detail, you will find it more believable.

F. Liars try to talk the story with their own words using imagination.

G. In this way, they feel like making eye contact will make what they are saying more believable.

Some Steps for Breaking Through Your Comfort Zone

    A comfort zone is a self-­imposed boundary where a person will refuse to push past. Doing so usually fills him or her with nervousness and anxiety. So let's talk about breaking out of this comfort zone.

    Get information. To break through your comfort zone you need to first educate yourself. Your goal here is to find out about whatever skill you're pursuing. You'll talk to people who have done the same thing.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} And you'll check out articles on the Internet about this subject.

    Have a plan. After educating yourself it's important to create a plan of action. With this step you're going to write down a step ­by­ step blueprint for how you're going to break through your comfort zone.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Then you create a plan to get to each level. In this plan you need to create benchmarks. These are mini ­goals that put you one step close to pushing past your comfort zone.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This is an important step because the people in your life will keep you on track. You want them to give you that "push" as you're pushing your boundaries. They will make it hard for you to quit because you know you'll look foolish if you did.

    Remain positive. There will be times when you experience a negative outcome, something that shakes your confidence and makes you feel scared. The trick is to not let anything prevent you from blasting past the point of comfort. Recognize that you will have negative outcomes.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Keep expanding your comfort zone{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Find stuff that you never imagined you would do. Like teaching a class on the subject that once filled you with fear. Or you could work on a related skill.

A. Look for new challenges.

B. You can't become an overnight success.

C. Have people around you know of your plan.

D. You start with the easiest thing to do.

E. It's a natural part of the process.

F. You won't have time to think about your fear.

G. You'll read books on the subject.

Plan your answers beforehand

    The holiday season is a favorite for many. There are always parties with family, friends, relatives or work colleagues. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But at the same time, it can also make you feel unhappy, especially because there is always the chance that you will be asked to answer awkward questions during these gatherings.

    I think you had better have a general idea of who you might meet or the questions some people may ask you. You may prepare answers to some awkward questions. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Think of ways you might be comfortable answering questions, and have some basic answers in your head.

    My family and I recently attended a holiday event. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}However, because I knew several people who would most likely be attending the event, I was able to take some time to think about how I wanted to answer the questions they could ask me. This doesn't mean that I spent the days before the party memorizing answers and recited the answers to the questions like a robot. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}So I found it most effective to prepare by having several stories and answers, or even questions for your companion, in order to make sure the conversation runs smoothly.

A. Ask some questions of whoever you are speaking with.

B. Communicating with others around you can be fun.

C. And you may even practice a bit beforehand if necessary.

D. You have no way of knowing exactly what questions you may be asked.

E. Some awkward questions might be asked at the holiday parties.

F. I was asked a few awkward questions about my work situation.

G. Rather, I simply decided what I was comfortable telling them.

    A good night's sleep is one of the best things for your health. The following steps might help you enjoy a good sleep.

    Create a nightly routine(惯例).

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It could be as simple as washing your face or brushing your teeth. As you begin to move into your "nightly routine", your mind will know that it's time to sleep.

    Learn your body clock.

    Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles(周期性地). If you know the cycles in your body clock, you can use them to your advantage. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If not, it might be a long time before you're ready for sleep again.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Put your clock under your bed or on the bottom shelf of your bedside cabinet(床头柜), where its light won't disturb(干扰)you. That way, if you wake up in the middle of the night, or have problems in sleeping, you won't worry about how late it is and how much sleep you're missing.

    Paint your bedroom a relaxing color

First, take any unnecessary things away from your bedroom— they stand in the way of a good night's sleep.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's a reminder of sleep.

    Choose the right pillow

    One study found that neck pillows can actually improve the quality of your sleep as well as reduce neck pain. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It should provide neck support and be washable.

A. Hide your clock.

B. Change your habit

C. You probably can't fall asleep very easily

D. When sleepiness comes, get to bed in time.

E. Then paint your room a relaxing color, like green.

F. The best neck pillow should be soft and not too high.

G. This is something you do every night before going to bed.