The Open Hand — a Universal Sign

    When meeting people at the airport,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} We know that a smile is usually a sign that people feel friendly and happy, but what if we don't know who the new person is?{#blank#}2{#/blank#} What if we are meeting a stranger in an unfamiliar place? Sometimes people are dangerous and humans have to find ways to protect themselves. We have to make sure we can trust people we do not know,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Showing our hands means that we are not armed（武装）. In many cultures today, the Western custom of shaking hands is used. We use our right hand, which is usually stronger than the left one. If we are using our hand this way, it cannot be holding a knife or a gun. It shows that we trust the other person,{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Not all cultures use the handshake,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Japanese people might cover one hand with the other and, depending on whom they are greeting, bow slightly or quite low. In India, Hindu people join their hands in front of their faces and bow their heads. A Muslim will touch his heart, mouth and forehead（前额）to show respect. Even young people in the West now give each other the “high five”, when they slap（拍）each other's hands high in the air. They are all keeping their hands busy. In almost all cultures, to smile and show an open right hand means, “Welcome, you are safe with me.”

A. What if I want to show that I am bored?

B. most people smile and shake hands with people they meet.

C. and that the other person can trust us.

D. What if we are not introduced by a friend?

E. and people in many Asian cultures do not always touch another person.

F. and we have to show that we are not dangerous.

G. nor are they comfortable in the same way with touching or distance between people.

    When it comes to the end of daylight savings time (DST), trying to remember how reset the time on the microwave might be the least of our worries. According to a review, a one-hour shift in your sleep cycle can affect you for up to a week. People are more likely to have trouble falling asleep, wake up more frequently throughout the night and wake up earlier than normal for up to seven days after daylight savings time starts{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here's how to battle the effects of DST.

    Dim the lights and your device

    Light can inhibit the production of melatonin, a natural hormone that is associated with sleep onset. When we stare at the screen of a phone or television, or even read next to too bright a light{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Try dimming the lights and turning off your device at least thirty minutes before bed.

    Turn down the thermostat (恒温器)

    When we sleep, our body temperature drops, reaching our lowest level at around 5 a.m. If the air in our bedroom is too warm{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The National Sleep Foundation says the ideal sleeping temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius. Experiment with what temperature range is best for you.

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    According to researchers, there's no bad time to exercise when it comes to improving your sleep. As long as you fit in physical exercise and, most importantly, stay consistent with it, you are less likely to have sleep problems. On the flip side, there is a good and a bad time for food{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Additionally, it's best to avoid spicy (辛辣的) foods and caffeine before bedtime.

A. Exercise often and eat early.

B. Develop a bedtime routine.

C. But that doesn't have to be you!

D. hat can interfere with our natural sleep cycle.

E. we essentially force our body into staying awake.

F. Eating too late in the day is a main cause of restlessness.

G. it only takes five minutes to put the temperature down.

    A conversation with a good listener is like a good meal—we walk away feeling satisfied and happy.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Here are 4 ways to make your conversation partner feel like you're fully tuned in to their personal radio station.

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    Making your conversation partner feel safe starts with two things: an open mind and keeping judgment to yourself. Just as immersing（沉浸）yourself in a novel requires suspension of disbelief, immersing yourself in listening requires suspension of opinions or advice. While judgments may appear into your head, set them to the side.

    Ask questions to follow your natural curiosity.

    When you're interested, ask questions.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Ask for examples. Ask for details. Following your natural curiosity by asking questions not only shows you are listening and interested, but almost always produces an interesting story.

Listen with your whole body.

    In many a kindergarten classroom, teachers emphasize something called “whole body listening”. It goes like this: use your eyes to watch nonverbal（非语言）, your brain to think about what is being said, your heart to feel emotions» and keep the rest of your body quiet to show respect. But many of us lose it over time, especially as life gets busy. The result? We often try to multitask while listening.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Validate（使生效）with simple phrases.

    Keep in your back pocket some validating words and phrases to show you've heard someone.

    “Of course.” “That makes sense.” “Naturally.” “Clearly.” “For sure.”{#blank#}5{#/blank#}In conversation, combining those little phrases: “Of course you feel that way.” or “That makes total sense.” doesn't necessarily convey agreement, but it does convey something even bigger： acceptance.

A. Create safety.

B. Devote yourself to listening.

C. It's appealing to talk about your own experience.

D. We half-listen while getting things done or staring at a screen.

E. Think like a journalist and ask what, when, where, why or how.

F. But being a good listener goes way beyond just not interrupting or nodding your head.

G. All of these statements confirm a person's experience or feelings as worthy and accepted.

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 romatic. 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 belike 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. Also work on delivering them with calmness and confidence.

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

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

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

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

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

Getting the Cheapest Flights

    After interviewing 10 travel agents in the area, we've compiled (汇编) the very best tips for finding the cheapest flights.

    Book your flight 21 days before you want to fly. Booking a flight is like playing a game of chicken. Airlines want to get the most money possible for their tickets and have difficult computer programs that adjust their prices automatically. Booking too early, you might miss out on some major deals. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}The best advice is to book your flight 21 days before your planned departure date to get the best deals.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Most airlines update their reservation systems on Tuesday at 7 p.m. GMT. People tend to buy their tickets on weekends, so airlines make changes on one of the slowest days of the week—Tuesday.

    Fly on Tuesday or Wednesday. Tuesday and Wednesday are the least busy days at airports, and are also the cheapest days to fly. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Friday and Sunday are the peak flying days of the week, and are the worst, and most expensive days to fly.

    Book early for international flights. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You can also try flying into smaller airports, which sometimes have better deals.

    Eat your cookies（网络标记)． Delete your Internet browser cookies if you've visited an airline site within the last 30 days. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Compare prices. Use travel search engines, in addition to airline websites, to make sure you're getting the best deal possible.

A. Collect it one day ahead.

B. Tuesday is the best day of the week.

C. Pay in cash when you receive your ticket.

D. Booking too late, you might be shocked to see prices skyrocket.

E. The best deals for international flying are found 11-12 weeks in advance.

F. As an added bonus, you'll also have less people to deal with at the airport.

G. It's been discovered that some airlines will raise prices for previous visitors to their websites.

Tips to fight summer weight gain

    When we think of summer, most of us think of outdoor fun. So it seems like we should naturally lose weight over the summer—not gain it. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Lots of summer activities can work against our efforts to stay at a healthy weight. The good news is that it's easy to avoid problems if we know what to look out for.

    Get going with goals. When we don't have a plan, it's easy to spend summer moving from couch to computer, with regular stops at the fridge. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Just be sure to plan for some downtime so you can relax a little!

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} With school out, we lose our daily routines. If you don't have a specific job or activity to get up for, it's easy to sleep late, watch too much TV, and snack more than usual. Make sure your summer days have some structure — like getting up at the same time each day and eating meals at set times. Plan activities for specific times, like exercising before breakfast, for example. If you have time on your hands, offer to make dinner a couple of nights a week so your family can enjoy a sit-down meal together.

    Think about what and how you eat. Summer means picnics and barbecues — activities that revolve around an unlimited spread of food. Pace yourself. Don't overload your plate. Avoid going back for seconds and thirds. Choose seasonal  healthy foods like fresh fruit instead of high-sugar, high-fat desserts. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Stay busy. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In addition to helping you avoid the cookie jar, filling your days with stuff to do can give you a sense of accomplishment. That's especially true if a dream summer job or planned activity fell through. Limit your screen time — including TV, computer, and video games — to no more than 2 hours a day.

A. Stick to a schedule.

B. Plan more activities.

C. Appropriate summer eating sets you up on the right track!

D. Most of us, however, don't take summer weight gain seriously.

E. In reality, though, summer isn't all about beach volleyball and water sports.

F. When we're bored, it's easy to fall into a trap of doing nothing and then feeling low on energy.

G. Avoid this by setting a specific aim, like volunteering, mastering a new skill, or working at a job.