Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel you are already close friends. They are always good talkers. Here are several skills that good talkers have in common. If you follow the skills, they'll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says，“At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. Your questions 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. Real listening at least means some things. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Finally, good talkers know well how to “say goodbye”. If you're saying goodbye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I've really enjoyed meeting you.” {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away, happy and satisfied.

A. It's polite to listen to others with a smile.

B. You'd better change the subject if the voice sounds dull.

C. Don't be afraid to say so if you want to see that person again.

D. Common as the question is, it will get things going.

E. You can become a popular person.

F. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

G. These people have something in common.

    Now, if you want to be charming, then you'll need to build self-confidence, but becoming more outgoing is actually pretty easy. To get to a point at which you feel comfortable talking to complete stranger, follow these steps.

    Encourage your curiosity about people{#blank#}1{#/blank#}I wonder what his parents look like. I wonder what her favorite color is. Is he from around here? Is she the girl I saw at the movie theater last week? It will take some conscious effort, but you can't be outgoing if you don't care about people.

Smile at others. Make it a goal to smile at one person a day. It can be anybody, and it can be the most subtle(微妙的) of smile. A quick glance paired with a smile—then run away if you want!{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Eventually, you will want to get to a point where you smile instinctively whenever you make first eye contact with someone.

    Ask people questions. The standard ”how are you?” doesn't really count, because people use it as a greeting rather than a real question{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This is where the curiosity and interest in others come into play.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}This is key to being a good conversationalist. If you don't make enough eye contact, the other person will feel invisible and the sense that you're elsewhere mentally. If you make too much, they'll feel uncomfortable. Is that specific enough for you?

    Note your body language{#blank#}5{#/blank#}To show that you're outgoing and welcome conversations, keep your body open, you head up, and a smile on your face. Resist playing with your phone or otherwise occupying yourself.

A. Master eye contact.

B. Never hesitate to smile at others.

C. Most of communication isn't verbal.

D. The more you do it, though, the less scary it will be.

E. Make eye contact when you're asking questions about people.

F. Wherever you go, try to observe people, and ask questions about them.

G. If you've already exchanged eye contact and smiles with someone, start off with a question,

    Holidays with friends can be great fun and a good way of getting to know each other better. Once you are on holiday, the trip can be full of fantastic memories if it's planned correctly.

    Choose a destination

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Going abroad will cost more but be a more exciting experience. Going to a different place in your own country can also be fun and will be cheaper.

    Collect your friends

    Find out how much interest there is from people to go on the trip, and work out your maximum and invite those who you get on well with.

    Meet up

    Everyone will have their own idea of what the trip is to be like, so meet up at a local café or restaurant, and share your ideas and concerns.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Don't try to overpower others. Once you've all shared ideas you'll have a much better idea of how to start organizing the trip.

    Look for accommodation

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When you are searching for a place to stay in, read reviews and ratings(等级)．Book it as soon as possible because leaving it too late is going to make things harder.

    Book transport

    Once you have accommodation, you'll know the dates of your stay and be able to book transport, coach, bus, airplane, etc.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Choose things you want to do there

    When you are on your trip it will be more relaxing if you have a good idea of what kind of things you want to do. Research the area on the Internet and book some activities you want to join in.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Don't book a load of things which you can't afford.

A. One person will naturally be the leader.

B. Check out if your idea is necessary.

C. The first step is to work out where you want to go.

D. Match the activities to your budget.

E. Booking transport well in advance lowers the cost greatly, so please do it soon.

F. Make sure that the trip to the foreign country is not too long.

G. Find out your hotel near to the place you want to visit.

Tips for Using Google Maps When You Travel

    Traveling somewhere new can bring exciting adventures. But it can also bring unwelcome surprises. That may be in the tools you use before and during your trip. With the right technology, you can make the most of your time on the road. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} While people most commonly use Google Maps for directions from one place to another, it offers many other kinds of travel tools. Today, we bring you several tips for using Google Maps.

    ⒈Plan a road trip route

    When you are traveling on a road trip, you do not have to plan each part of the trip separately with Google Maps. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} To plan a road trip, open Google Maps. Search for your first destination, and then click on the arrow to get directions. Then, click on the plus + sign to add more destinations to your trip.

    ⒉Save your maps for offline use

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Or you may not want to pay international charges for using your phone in other countries. The good news is that you can still use Google Maps even without the Internet. You can download a map from Google Maps to your phone. To do this, open the Google Maps app on your phone and search for the area you want to save. Click on the address at the bottom of the screen, then choose Download.

    ⒊Use Google Maps for a walk or bike ride

    While Google Maps may first give users directions to a place by car, it also offers biking or walking directions.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} The results also tell you the elevation change of the route, so you know how much energy you will have to use by choosing to walk or ride a bicycle.

    ⒋Save money on gas

    If you are planning a car trip in North America, Google Maps can show you the lowest gas prices in the United States and Canada. Search for “gas stations” on the Google Maps app and you will see a list of nearby stations with gas prices.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Therefore, Google Maps is really a great convenience to tourists.

A. Google Maps has many tech tools that help make traveling easier.

B. When traveling, you may not always have access to the Internet.

C. You can get those directions by clicking the walking or bicycle icon.

D. The “gas stations” on the Google Maps app are sometimes difficult to find.

E. They will also be marked on the map so that you can see the closest ones to you.

F. The apps and maps are of great help when people are going to a store or supermarket.

G. You can search for all of the parts of the trip in order to prepare your route more efficiently.

    Word travels quickly in the small fishing village of Port Washington, Wisconsin. So when Mardy McGarry wanted to build a playground for kids with special needs, she knew it wouldn't take long to create interest in the project. But she never expected that a third of the town people would join in it.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    "A lot of learning comes through play," says McGarry, a special education teacher for 28 years. She'd seen the wood chips and sand of traditional playgrounds stop wheelchairs dead in their tracks.

    When a piece of land became available, the city council agreed to choose a part for a playground.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}She asked classrooms of kids for their wish list. She also asked experts for help. And she brought on board her friend Sue Mayer, whose eight-year-old son, Sam, has a serious disease.

    Her Kiwanis Club chapter came through with $ 7,000, and that's when the grassroots movement really got started. One woman gave $ 25,000 and had her company donate the same amount.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}There were silent auctions(拍卖) and T-shirt sales. The local Pieper Family Foundation offered to donate half of the remaining $170,000 balance if McGarry could raise the rest. The $ 450,000 covered materials, but the actual construction would cost an additional $ 900,000. Not a choice. But the community could build it.

    On September 16, 2008, the first day of construction, they came. Two women heard about the project on the radio on the way to work and took the day off to help.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Ten-year-olds sanded surfaces.

    Today, Possibility Playground is one of the most popular destinations in Ozaukee County. There's a giant pirate ship, a rock-climbing wall, high and low rings, monkey bars, sandboxes, swings, slides, bridges and so on.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It's exactly what McGarry wanted. People used to ask why she wanted to build a playground just for children with disabilities. "They didn't get it. It's only when you build a playground for children with disabilities that you build one for all children," she said.

A. Soon smaller businesses were helping.

B. All children play shoulder to shoulder.

C. But her students were too often left out.

D. Everyone thought it was really a great wonder.

E. A couple in their 80s operated their own trucks.

F. McGarry started researching play equipment and contacting design firms.

G. They rolled up their sleeves and used their weekdays to bring her idea to life.

Writing an art exhibition review is a creative experience that helps you express your ideas about an artist's work. Your review will provide a description (说明) of an art exhibit.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are some tips that may help you write a good art exhibition review.

Walk through the show to watch the artwork. Spare 1-2 hours to experience the art exhibit so you have plenty of time to examine the artwork. Move through the exhibit slowly, examining each piece of artwork. Besides, make several passes through the exhibit. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Take notes on the description, the form and your impression. Be as detailed as possible so you can use your notes to write the full review. First, note the title and theme of each work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Finally, record your impression on the art, how it made you feel, and what worked or didn't work within the piece.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} While you don't need to include audience responses in your review, it may help you improve your own review of the show. Watch flow others comment on the exhibit and write down the sentences that they say.

Talk to the artists if they're present at the exhibit. If you attend on the opening night, you may meet the artists. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Ask about what they hope the audience will experience, and how they created their works. Take notes on what they say so you can use the information to write your review.

A. Notice how others are reacting to the artwork.

B. The reasons can be explained from several aspects.

C. These will help you find something new about the works.

D. Take the chance to chat with them about what inspired their works.

E. Besides, compare your review with other reviews to find out the differences.

F. Then write down the medium, materials, and techniques used to create the piece.

G. This helps visitors know what to expect from the exhibit and gives advice to the artist.