Having a shy style isn't necessarily a problem. It's OK to take time to warm up to new people and situations.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Some people want to feel less shy so they can enjoy socializing and being themselves around others. Here are some tips on overcoming shy feelings.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Practice social behaviors like eye contact, confident body language, introductions, small talk, asking questions, and invitations with people you feel most comfortable around. Smile and build your confidence.

    Think of some conversation starters. Often the hardest part of talking to someone new is getting started. Think of conversation openers, like introducing yourself, giving a compliment (赞美), or asking a question.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} 

    Rehearse (排练) what to say. When you are ready to try something you've been avoiding because of shyness — like a phone call or a conversation, write down what you want to say. Read it out loud in front of a mirror. Then just do your social activities.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Few of the things that more confident people do are perfect, either.

    Give yourself a chance.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Practice socializing with these new people and get to know them slowly. People who are shy often worry about failing or how others will judge them. Don't let these worries and feelings keep you from trying.

A. Start small with people you know.  

B. Then you can start smiling and saying “hello” in real life.

C. One of the best ways to get over shyness is to believe in yourself.

D. Find group activities where you can be with people who share your interests.

E. Being ready with a conversation starter makes it easier to approach someone.

F. Don't worry if they're not exactly like you have practiced or they're not perfect.

G. But shyness prevents some people from being as comfortable as they'd like to be.

    I have two younger cousins starting their “Third Year of High School.” Though I don't talk to them often, I'm both excited for them and also worried. Are they growing up too fast? Are they eating right? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    I throw myself into anxiety. But, today, I stepped back for a moment and came to this realization: my cousins are smarter than my 16-year-old self. If I could go back in time, here's what I would say to myself.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} There's a time for everything—don't speed it up. This is especially true for love. Life is much longer than the distance from now until tomorrow.

    Maintain your digital diet. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Being connected has benefits, but please don't become a victim of the internet.

    Study. You're just starting to define who you want to be and what you want to do. Make sure you study, get the grades, light the midnight oil. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Study the other things in life—the people who are transforming your community and the simple stuff that makes our world go round. You will discover that each bit of detail will change how you view life.

    Be an upstander, not a bystander. Your biggest childhood regret is not standing up for that kid. The kid is the one who was accused of not fitting in right; the one whose shirt was always stained and whose eyes were dull. Your biggest regret is walking away. And, it doesn't matter if you turned away from the taunting（嘲弄）. It doesn't even matter if you were nice to him when the other kids weren't around. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Take your time.

B. You'll regret not being more sympathetic, more courageous, more of a leader.

C. Are they dating?

D. Don't be afraid of what will happen.

E. But, don't just study what teachers say you should.

F. Are you worried about your life.

G. You don't need to spend every waking moment on a device.

    As is known to everyone, we all care about what others think of us and want to be liked, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}However, there are also many smaller, simpler things you can do, which can affect how others view you.

    Prove you are paying attention.

    To really show someone your interest in him or her, try bringing up a topic the person mentioned earlier. Did your co-worker talk about working with his son on a science fair project last week? Follow up and ask how it went. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}In fact, sometimes it says more that you can recall and show interest in even the small happening in another person's life.

    Handle criticism in a wise way.

    While you want to be generous with your praise, be careful with your criticism. For example, if someone makes an error, don't call that person out in front of a group. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Anyhow, be always gentle with criticism and only offer it when it's truly needed.

    Ask for advice.

    Asking someone for advice is a great way to get people to like you. It shows that you respect the other individual's opinion.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When you make someone feel better about himself or herself, that person will most certainly end up liking you for it.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Most people love to talk about themselves. If you are asking questions and getting people to talk about themselves, they'll leave the conversation thinking that you're the coolest.

A. Try to be confident and respectful.

B. Everyone likes to feel needed and important.

C. It doesn't have to be a big, life-changing event.

D. Ask other people about their lives and interests.

E. Always use an individual's name in a conversation.

F. You can discuss your own mistakes before digging into someone else's errors.

G. The basics of getting people to like you are obvious—be nice, considerate and polite.

Think like This When You Feel Stressed

    It's a sweet opportunity. If you look on pressure as a threat, you are sure to be negatively impacted by its occurrence. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}They look on it as a great chance. They will cherish the pressure moment and approach it with confidence and enthusiasm.

    I'll get another chance. Under pressure, we often lose hope. We tend to distort the reality of the situation. One of the most common phrases is the "chance of a lifetime" in which we tell ourselves, "I will never get an opportunity like this again, so I can't miss it."{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    I'll do my best. This is what people who do their best under pressure tell themselves when they are going into a pressure moment. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Because it prevents them from wasting valuable energy worrying over things they can't influence and promotes confidence at the same time. Focusing on doing your best keeps you in the moment and guides your behavior toward success.

     {#blank#}4{#/blank#}People who perform their best under pressure will reduce the significance of the upcoming pressure moment, so they feel less stressed. Whether it's a sales call or an interview for their dream jobs, they are like winning athletes, and when asked how to handle the pressure of the big game, they responded, "It's just another game."

    I can control how I respond. People who do their best in a pressure moment focus on what they can control. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you have an upcoming interview, don't worry about the other applicants. You can't control them. Practice how you will handle an unexpected problem.
A. It's no big deal.
B. It stops you paying attention to anxiety.
C. Instead, take care of your own business.
D. Remembering past successes increases your confidence.
E. In fact, we have many chances to succeed in our lifetime.
F. But people who do their best in a pressure moment are different.
G. Focusing on doing your best quickly decreases pressure in the moment.

    I like my job. It may be my nature that draws me to this kind of job. I work at Izzy's Pizza Bar.

    One day an elderly couple came in just after 3p. m. The first thing they said was, Where is Nan?" Nan is my mother. She was not in that day. It was her day off.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} , since they liked to talk with my mom. But when I explained I was her daughter, they were thrilled to meet me. We enjoyed our conversation, comparable to a girl speaking with her grandparents. They are the type of people who understand me and have a positive attitude towards my job.

    Later that night, I waited on two men. It took some effort to get them to be friendly. I explained I was waitressing over the summer to make some extra cash for school. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, since she was also my coworker. They said they were very surprised at the idea of me and my mother waiting on people at the same restaurant. The two men were quite different. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Once all the customers had finished eating, I began my closing duties, using the time to reflect on my day, or rather, life. I rushed around getting everything done, thinking about those two men.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. We should treat people with respect, regardless of their occupation. I could have let those two men make me feel ashamed, but I didn't. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. I will always have pride in the person I was, am, and aim to be.

A. I had always received a positive response from everyone else I had told

B. Everyone should have equal opportunities in getting a job

C. I also said I was grateful that my mom had trained me

D. On the contrary, I felt really proud

E. This couple got a lot of enjoyment out of eating in this restaurant

F. You could say they were very disappointed to know that

G. Your job doesn't have to state who you are as a person

    As we know, everyone can make mistakes, but don't worry about it. The following is what we should do when we make mistakes.

    Just admit (承认)it. Don't think that our mistakes are caused by others. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't blame other people, and don't cheat ourselves, either.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. In order to stop the problem from getting worse, we should act quickly to solve it. If we don't act and deal with the problem quickly, it'll only make us feel more stressed. Also it is necessary to make a plan of action and correct the mistake according to it. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Those who have made the most mistakes can get an A, for they are the ones who have learned the most. The more we learn from our mistakes, the cleverer we are.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. What caused us to make the mistake? How can we avoid making the same mistake in the future? When we act with a method to get a good result, do it that way next time. If we don't, we should stop, think about it, change it and try again.

A. Think about what we can learn from our mistakes.

B. Be brave and face the fact that we have made the mistakes.

C. So decide quickly and act.

D. Realize that making mistakes is the best way to learn.

E. Solve it at once.

F. Don't be afraid of failure.

G. So be away from stress.