How to communicate effectively

    Effective communication is a must for everyone who hopes to be successful. It helps express your thoughts and improves your career prospects (前景) as well as strengthens relationships. Therefore, it's necessary to work hard to improve your communication skills.

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    Before you are ready to talk to a group of people, you should think about what you are going to talk about. Although a printed copy of a speech may not be always necessary, highlighting a few important issues in your mind is a must. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} And it reduces the possibilities of getting away from the main issues.

Choose your words

    Choice of words is the most important part of any communication. Simple, clear words are appropriate for the issue you are discussing. Needless to say, words that could make your audience unpleasant are best kept out of the communication. Most people tend to be careful about their language while at work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} This may hurt your loved ones beyond your imagination.

Body language

    Many people use body language by mistake and end up making a fool of themselves. Body language means keeping eye contact and using hand gestures only wherever required. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} This will make your talk more of a stage performance and defeat its purpose.

Listen and concentrate

    Communication is an exchange of ideas. Once you are done with your part, listen carefully to what other people plan to say. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  Get rid of all distractions (分散注意力的事物) such as a phone before you begin communication. A distraction not only disturbs your focus, but it also causes your audience's attention to wander.

    As our family are getting ready for the annual holiday of Thanksgiving, which is probably the most important holiday in the U.S because it's celebrated by people of all faiths. I think back to a cold November day more than twenty years ago. It was a day when my husband and I, married just about three months, got stuck on I -89 in Vermont when our car broke down.

    We had just visited my husband's parents in Vermont, and with a huge turkey they gave us slowly thawing (解冻）in the trunk of our old car, we were heading back to our apartment in Boston to celebrate our first Thanksgiving together. Our car broke down half an hour after we got on the highway. And it was raining. Back to then, not everyone had a cell phone, and in those days if you broke down along a lonely stretch of a highway far from the nearest emergency call box in cold November rain, it wasn't fun.

    Fortutiously for us, a van with a bunch of people coming back from a ski trip stopped andasked if we needed help. They gave us a ride to the nearest gas station, from where we could phone my father-in-law and asked him for help. My father-in-law arranged for :he car to be towed (拖引), and drove us all the way to Boston that day.

    So as we sit down to dinner and think of all the things we can be thankful for tonight, I want to say “thank you” to the strangers on I -89 some twenty years ago for giving a young couple a ride when their car with a frozen turkey in the trunk broke down.

    Never underestimate the difference you can make to the lives of others by one small act of kindness. Step forward, reach out and help. This week, reach to someone that might need a lift.

    How to Feel Attractive and Be Confident of Yourself

    Feeling attractive and confident has little to do with your appearance and everything to do with how you feel about yourself on the inside. Every person is an individual and has attractive qualities to focus on{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⑴Do what you can do.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Don't complain about something that you are not willing to change. Begin dieting and exercising if you are overweight. Change your hairstyle, have your nails done or arch(使成弓形) your eyebrows.

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    Let your hands swing, keep your neck straight and hold your shoulders back. Walking confidently will make you feel more attractive and be more confident.

    ⑶Don't compare yourself to others.

    You don't have to look like a model or a host on TV. However, you can learn to love yourself as you are{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Make a list of your attractive qualities, and think about those each time you want to compare yourself with someone else.

    ⑷Avoid negative thoughts about yourself.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}View pictures that show you at your most attractive. Force yourself to think about the things you like about yourself rather than the things you don't like.

A．Walk confidently.

B．Focus on the areas over which you have control.

C．Learn how to be attractive and confident from models.

D．You will be happier when you don't need to compare with others.

E．Focus on achievements that will make you feel more confident and attractive.

F．The way you handle yourself can make you feel more attractive and confident.

G．Every time you think something negative, replace it with a positive thought or action.

    We accomplish our goals one step at a time, doing a little each day. So, starting your day on the right foot is most important. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Get up an hour early.

    People who get up early in the morning have a jump on the day. In American English, we like to say, “The early bird gets the worm.”{#blank#}2{#/blank#}This expressions means that people who rise up early have a head start and, therefore, are more likely to succeed.

    Don't answer e-mail or jump into social media as soon as you get up.

We've all done it. You see a Facebook post from a friend you haven't seen for a long time. He is angry about some political issue and the heated discussion pulls you in.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You hurry out the door so as not to be late for work. This is not the best way to start your day.

    Exercise!

    Physical fitness experts and trainers often suggest some form of exercise in the morning because the middle of the day is a busy time for most people. By the day's end, you may not have the time or energy to exercise.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Think about your day at night.

    Take time at the end of the day to think back on all the things that have happened.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}It may help you to prepare if you take a few minutes to think about what you need to do the next day.

A. And spend a little time to think about tomorrow.

B. Here, if you're a bird, the worm is the reward.

C. In fact, the morning may be the most productive part of your day.

D. Exercising in the morning prevents that from happening.

E. Avoid jumping into social media as soon as you get up.

F. Here are four ideas on how to start your day off right.

G. Before you know it, an hour has passed.

    Negative thoughts we have about ourselves can destroy our spirits. Many of us have problems with negative thoughts. The negative thoughts lead to bad feelings and they make you believe that the bad things you are suffering are actually true. In short, they bring your focus on your failures, which will make you depressed. What can you do to avoid negative thoughts to affect you? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Recognize that actions always follow beliefs

    Whatever you believe, you'll experience more of them. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. So start believing the best about yourself and believe that you're valuable person.

    Picture the good things

    If you want to change the negative tapes playing in your heads, you have to imagine yourself positively that means judging yourself right. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. How would that look? Draw it in your mind and expand it.

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    You may talk to yourself with statements like "if only" or "what if". The former keeps reminding you of the past with regret, while the latter keeps you fearful of the future. There is nothing you can do about the past and the future isn't here yet.

    Develop positive views

    Instead of always putting yourself down in your head, think of some things you actually like about yourself. Tell yourself " I am able. I'm good at it." instead of saying "I'm not good enough", {#blank#}5{#/blank#}.

    Thinking poorly gets us nowhere and is extremely self-limiting. Decide, today, to turn off the negative channel in your mind and develop your true possibilities.

A. Forget the past

B. Live in the moment

C. Here are some suggestions

D. Make friends with optimistic people

E. Imagine a picture about yourself

F. Always keep positive, rather than say something negative

G. You'll also find your actions are suitable for your beliefs

    So, You Want to Be a Writer?

    What are some tips on becoming a writer?

    ⒈Read everything you can. Most writers are good readers. They read because they love to lose themselves in books. They like the sounds of language and the way that reading a good description can feel as satisfying as winning a race or eating really good food. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. Do you like stories that are fast-paced and full of unexpected twists? Do you prefer to read books with characters who seem like someone you might know? Do you like to feel scared or do you like a story that makes you laugh until you cry? Think about the types of writing you like best, and try to identify the qualities that attract you.

    ⒉{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's easy to forget a good idea if you do not record it immediately. If you get in the habit of carrying a notebook or journal with you everywhere you go, you can write down anything you want to remember. When you are talking to friends in the cafeteria or waiting for the bus, something might give you an idea for a character or a scene in a story. You might have a dream you don't want to forget, or you might just write down the lyrics of a song you love. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    ⒊Do your homework. If you decide that you would like to submit your work for publication, make sure you do your research. If you are sending your writing to a magazine, look through old issues. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you are submitting to a book publisher, explore their website to make sure your material is similar to (but not exactly the same as) other books they publish.

    ⒋Stay positive. A writer's life can be frustrating. Sometimes it's hard to sit down and write. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} This is why perseverance is an important quality for a writer to have.

A. Talk to friends.

B. Keep a notebook.

C. As you read, pay attention to what speaks to you.

D. You may get many refusals before you receive a single acceptance.

E. Does it seem like your writing fits in with other stories or articles?

F. These everyday thoughts and observations can be material for your writing one day.

G. Writing is a good way to clear your mind and make room for more of the "good stuff".