Some individuals are born with a gift for public speaking.Do you want to be a good public speaker? Here are some principles you must master.
People want to listen to someone who is interesting, relaxed and comfortable. Too often when you stand up to give a speech, you focus on the "public" at the expense of the" speaking." Focus on the speaking. Talk directly to your audience, be yourself and make a connection.
Even the most successful public speaker will make mistakes. Yet, the only one who cares about any mistake is the one who is speaking. People's attention wanders constantly. In fact, most people only absorb about 20 percent of a speaker's message. So, don't stop speaking when you make a mistake unless it's a truly serious one.
Your goal is not to be a perfect public speaker.And like everything else in life, that takes practice. Remember, even world champion athletes practice their skills on a consistent basis.
It's rare to hear someone say, "I wish that speaker had spoken longer. "On the other hand, you probably can't count the times that you've thought, "I'm glad that talk is over. It seemed to go on forever! "So surprise your audience. Always make your presentation just a bit shorter than anticipated. It's better to leave your listeners wishing for more than shifting restlessly in their seats waiting for your speech finally to end.
A. Do the opposite.
B. You want to be an effective public speaker.
C. You don't need to apologize for a minor slip.
D. When it comes to public speaking, less is usually more.
E. The objective of most speeches is to benefit the audience
F. Take the fear out of public speaking by focusing on your listeners
G. However, the majority of people are effective speakers because they train to be.
As any younger brother will tell you, having a big brother involves a lot of walking in someone else's shadow, especially when you have a brother who is a typical example of "cool". For years I wanted to do everything my elder brother Tyson did, but no matter how hard I tried, I was always the neglected (被忽略的) one. My legs just weren't made to run like his. I could never play football or basketball well.
I probably would have continued trying to keep up with him for the rest of my high school career, but when my family moved, everything changed. Tyson left for college, so I had to start at a new school all by myself. This new start gave me an opportunity to redefine myself and discover an entirely new version of "cool".
I don't know what made me decide to try some new activities at the new school, but one day I chanced to show up for an after-school meeting of the Science Olympiad team. I had always been fascinated with chemistry, biology, and math, but since those interests hadn't fit Tyson's definition of "cool", I had never pursued them. On this day, for some reason, I did.
As we organized teams, prepared resources and practiced answering questions, I felt more connected than I ever had to any sports team. I didn't feel as though I needed to keep up with anybody else; I was finally with peers who understood me. It was so good to feel accepted for what I'm good at. For the first time in my life, I actually felt cool. Now I know who I am! I'm Tyson's little brother, but that's only part of my identity. I'm a cool guy in my own way, too. I'm relieved to know that "cool" has a much broader definition than what I used to think.
I experienced years of loneliness as a child. His friends teased him about babysitting his sister and his interests were far different from mine. With no other kids of my age in the neighborhood, I had to spend hours by myself.
A bright spot for me turned out to be reading. My love of the written word began early as my mother read to me every evening. I started reading books on my own before age 5 and my mother took me to the public library once a week to borrow several books. I quickly graduated from typical children's books to ones with fewer pictures and longer chapters. Reading opened new worlds to me.
My mother also encouraged me to make what I wanted. I tried making toy cars with cardboard boxes and constructing buildings from leftover cardboard and bits of wood my father gave me. When my mother saw my creations, she told me how creative my designs were. I learned a lot about how to extend the life of objects and transform them into something new and useful. It was a trait(特点) others found helpful, and I soon had friends who wanted to make things with me.
My parents made it a point for their two kids to spend time outside, no matter the weather or season. My brother, of course, raced off to be with his friends, while I had plenty to do myself. There was making leaf houses in autumn, ice skating in winter, and so much more. They're all memories I treasure today.
A. I wasn't alone any longer.
B. I enjoyed reading stories aloud.
C. I was invited to play with another kid.
D. I loved the colorful photographs in the books.
E. Another habit I formed early was being outdoors.
F. Thus, I began my lifelong interest in making things.
G. My older brother couldn't be bothered to play with me.
Humor
If you see humor as an optional form of entertainment, you're missing some of its biggest benefits: Humor makes average-looking people look cute and uninteresting people seem entertaining. Studies show that a good sense of humor even makes you seem smarter.
Best of all, humor raises your energy, and that can have an effect on everything you do at school, at work, or in your personal life. The increase of energy will even make you more willing to exercise, and that will raise your overall energy even more.
Humor also transports your mind away from your daily troubles. Humor lets you better understand life and sometimes helps you laugh at even the worst of your problems.
In my experience, most people think they have a sense of humor, and to some degree that's true. But not all senses of humor are created equal. So I thought it would be useful to include some humor tips for everyday life.
You don't have to be the joke teller in the group in order to show your sense of humor. You can be the one who directs the conversation to fun topics that are ripe for others to add humor. Every party needs a straight person. You'll appear fun and funny by association.
When it comes to in-person humor, effort counts a lot. When people see you trying to be funny, it frees them to try it themselves. So even if your own efforts at humor fall short, you might be freeing the long kept humor in others. People need permission to be funny in social settings because there's always a risk that comes with humor. For in-person humor, quality isn't as important as you might think. Your attitude and effort count a lot.
Some people--and I was one of them--believe that humorous complaints about the little problems of life make humor, and sometimes that is the case. The problem comes when you start doing too much complaint-based humor. One funny observation about problem in your life can be funny, but five is just complaining, no matter how smart you think you are. Funny complaints can wear people out.
Self-deprecating(自嘲式) humor is usually the safest type, but here again you don't want to overshoot the target. One self-deprecating comment is a generous and even confident form of humor. You have to be at least a bit self-assured to laugh at yourself in front of others. But if you do it too often, you can transform in the eyes of others from a confident joker to a Chihuahua dog.
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Humor |
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Benefits of humor |
●Humor is form of . Humor can improve one's and personality. ●Humor can make one in his work, study, and life. ●Humor has a positive effect when we are in difficulties. |
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to follow |
● others for a conversation of fun is as good as telling a joke yourself when showing your sense of humor. ●Quality counts than attitude and effort-even stupid joke can others of risk and embarrassment. |
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Traps to |
●One humorous complaint makes funny person. But too many complaints will your audience. ●Self-deprecating comments show one's assurance. But too much deprecation will make a Chihuahua dog. |
A housewarming party is a special party to be held when someone buys or moves into a new apartment or house. The person who bought the house or moved is the one who throws the panty. The party is a chance for friends and family to congratulate the person on the new home. And it is good time to fill the new space with love and hopefully presents.
Some people register a list of things they want or need for their new home at a local or store or stores. Some common things people will put on a gift registry include kitchen tools like knives and things like curtains. Even if there isn't a registry, a good housewarming gift is something to decorate the new house with, like a piece of art or a plant.
This is often appreciated since at a housewarming there isn't a lot of food served. There are usually no planned activities like games at a housewarming party. The host or hostess of the party will, however, probably give all the guests a tour of their new home. Sometimes, because a housewarming party happens shortly after a person moves into their new home, people may be asked to help unpack boxes.
Housewarming parties get their name from the fact that a long time ago people would actually bring firewood to a new home as a gift. Now most homes have central heating and don't use fires to keep warm.
A. This isn't usual though.
B. It is traditional to bring a gift to a housewarming party.
C. You can also bring food or drinks to share with the other guests.
D. If you're lucky enough to receive gifts, keep them in a safe place.
E. It also gives people a chance to see what the new home looks like.
F. The best housewarming parties encourage old friends to get together.
G. This was so that the person could keep their home warm for the winter.
A Few Tips for Self-Acceptance
We all want it to accept and love ourselves. But at times it seems too difficult and too far out of reach. Here's a handful of ways that will set you in the right direction.
● Do not follow the people who make you feel not-good-enough. Why do you follow them? Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own; you are the only you in this world.
●Forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made. We are often ashamed of our shortcomings, our mistakes and our failures. You will make mistakes, time and time again. Rather than getting caught up in how you could have done better, why not offer yourself a compassionate (有同情心) response? "That didn't go as planned. But, I tried my best."
●Recognize all of your strengths. Write them down in a journal. Begin to train your brain to look at strength before weakness. List all of your accomplishments and achievements. You have a job, earned your degree, and you got out of bed today.
●Now that you've listed your strengths, list your imperfections. Turn the page in your journal. Put into words why you feel unworthy, why you don't feel good enough. Now, read these words back to yourself. Turn to a page in your journal to your list of strengths and achievements. See how awesome you are?
A. Feeling upset again?
B. Where do you start?
C. Nothing is too small to celebrate.
D. Remember, you are only human.
E Set an intention for self-acceptance.
F. Stop comparing yourself with others.
G. When does the comparison game start?
Rock music consists of many different styles. Even though there is a common spirit among all music groups, they make very different music.At that time the Beatles entered the world of music from Liverpool.
After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England. They held large concerts and performed at clubs. They became the hottest thing on the pop music scene in England. They began as a modestly successful musician group and ended the year as show business legends（传说）. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were named composers of the year.
They were not sure how the Americans would react to the new type of music. Beatlemania hit New York on February 7, 1964. Hundreds of fans jammed the airport to greet them. The concert was broadcast live and attracted the largest one night audience in the history of television up to that time. The Beatles were described as a British invasion（入侵）by local and nationwide newspapers at that time. Their victory in America was still remembered as a major turning point in the history of rock and roll. Thanks to the Beatles, a lot of opportunities were opened up to new faces on the market.
A. They decided on a tour to the United States in 1964.
B. Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time.
C. Rock music developed in the 1950s and the early 1960s.
D. However, their songs changed the lives of generations to come.
E. Many rock bands were able to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles.
F. They appeared in the films A Hard Day's Night（1964）and Help！（1965）.
G. They performed their first concert in America at CBS television's 53rd street studio.
A. It's not a simple matter to determine the nature of talent. B. Sports team owners spend millions of dollars attracting top talent C. The group interaction and its effect drew the researchers' attention. D. Stars apparently do not follow this basic principle of sportsmanship. E. Several recent studies examined the role of talent in the sports world. F. Building up a dream team is more complex than simply hiring the best talent. G. This task interdependence distinguishes baseball from football and basketball. |
Much of the work in today's world is accomplished (完成) in teams. Most people believe the best way to build a great team is to gather a group of the most talented individuals. Companies spend millions hiring top business people. Is their money well spent?
They focused on football, basketball and baseball. The results are mixed. For football and basketball, adding talented players to a team proves a good method, but only up to the point where 70% of the players are top talent; above that level, the team's performance begins to decline. Interestingly, this trend isn't evident in baseball, where additional individual talent keeps improving the team's performance.
To explain this phenomenon, the researchers explored the degree to which a good performance by a team requires its members to coordinate (协调) their actions. In baseball, the performance of individual players is less dependent on teammates. They conclude that when task interdependence is high, team performance will suffer when there is too much talent, while individual talent will have positive effects on team performance when task interdependence is lower. If a basketball star is, for example, trying to gain a high personal point total, he may take a shot himself when it would be better to pass the ball to a teammate, affecting the team's performance. Young children learning to play team sports are often told, "There is no I in TEAM."
Another possibility is that when there is a lot of talent on a team, some players may make less effort. Just as in a game of tug-of-war (拔河比赛), whenever a person is added, everyone else pulls the rope with less force.
. An A-team may require a balance-not just a players, but a few generous B players as well.
The Cost of Thinking
Despite their many differences, all human beings share several defining characteristics, such as large brains and the ability to walk upright on two legs.
The first unique human characteristic is that humans have extraordinarily large brains compared with other animals. It seems obvious that evolution should select for larger brains. Mammals (哺乳动物) weighing sixty kilograms have an average brain size of 200 cm2. Modern man has a brain averaging 1200-1400 cm2. We are so fond of our high intelligence that we assume that when it comes to brain power, more must be better. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
The fact is that a huge brain is a huge drain—consumption of energy—on the body. I's not easy to carry around, especially when boxed inside a massive skull (倾骨). It's even harder to provides energy. In modern man, the brain accounts for about 2-3%of total body weight but it consumes 25% of the body's energy when the body is at rest. By comparison, the brains of apes (类人猿) require only 8%of rest-time energy. Early humans pad for their large brains in two ways. Firstly, they spent more time in search food. Secondly, their muscles grew smaller and weaker. It's hardly an obvious conclusion that this is a good way to survive. A chimpanzee (黑猩猩) can't win an argument with a modern man, but it can tear the man apart like a rag doll.
Another unique human characteristic is that we walk upright. Standing up, it's easier to find food or enemies. In addition, their arms that are unnecessary for moving around are freed for other purposes, like throwing stones or signaling. As a result, humans can perform very complex tasks with their hands.
Yet walking upright has its disadvantage. The bone structure of our ancestors developed for millions of years to support a creature that walked on all fours and has a relatively small head. Adjusting to an upright position was quite a challenge, especially when the bones had to support an extra-large skull. Humankind paid for its broad vision and skillful hands backaches and painful necks.
We assume that a large brain makes huge advantages. It seems obvious that these have made humankind the most powerful animal on earth. But humans enjoyed all of these advantages for a full 2 million years during which they remained weak and marginal creature. Thus humans who lived a million years ago, despite their big brains and sharp stone tools, lived in constant fear of meat-eating animals.
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The Cost of Thinking |
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Introduction |
•Large brains for their bodies and the ability to walk upright are two of human beings. |
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The of large human brains |
•The larger brains may not be better because of the cost. •The big brains make it harder for the body to move around and consume more energy. •The animal brain requires less when the body is at rest. •Large human brains consume more food, and weaken muscles. |
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The of walking upright |
•Walking upright makes it easy to find food or against enemies. •Freed hands can serve some purpose and perform complex tasks. |
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•Walking upright challenges the human bone structure, and the size of brains. •Walking upright results in sufferings. |
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Conclusion |
• With a large brain, human beings other beings in terms of intelligence. • Weak and marginal, human beings remained of meat-eating animals. |
In an online class, developing healthy patterns of communication with professors is very important. While I have only listed two of each, there are obviously many other situations that can arise. Students should be able to extend the logic（逻辑）of each to their particular circumstance.
Do's
Questions about subject content are generally welcomed. Before asking questions about the course design, read the syllabus（教学大纲）and learning management system information to be sure the answer isn't hiding in plain sight.
Participate in discussion forums（论坛）, blogs and other open-ended forums for dialogue. Be sure to stay on topic and not offer irrelevant information. Make a point, and make it safe for others to do the same.
Don'ts
Don't share personal information or stories. Professors are not trained nurses, financial aid experts or your best friends. If you are in need of a deadline extension, simply explain the situation to the professor.
Don't openly express annoyance at a professor or class. When a student attacks a professor on the social media, the language used actually says more about the student. If there is truly a concern about a professor's professionalism or ability, be sure to use online course evaluations to calmly offer your comments.
A. That's what they are for.
B. Turn to an online instructor for help.
C. If more information is needed, they will ask.
D. Remember that online professors get a lot of emails.
E. Below are some common do's and don't for online learners.
F. Everyone has taken a not-so-great class at one time or another.
G. Ask questions, but make sure they are good, thoughtful questions.
Imagine a child standing on a diving board four feet high and asking himself the question:“Should I jump? This is what motivation or the lack of it can do. Motivation and goal setting are the two sides of same coin. Like the child on the diving board, you will stay undecided.
More than that, how should you stay motivated to achieve the goal? First, you need to evaluate yourself , your values your strengths, your weaknesses, your achievements, your desires ,etc. Only then should your you're your goals
You also need to judge the quality and depth of your motivation. This is quite important, because it is directly related to your commitment. There are times when your heart is not in your work. So, slow down and think what you really want to do at that moment. Clarity（清晰）of thoughts can help you move forward.
Another way of setting realistic goals is to analyze your short and long term objectives, keeping in mind your beliefs, values and strengths. Remember that goals are flexible. They also need to be measurable. You must keep these points in mind while setting your goals.
Your personal circumstances are equally important. For example, you may want to be a Pilot but can't become one because your eyesight is not good enough.You should reassess your goals, and motivate yourself to set a fresh goal.
You will surely need to overcome some difficulties, some planned, but most unplanned. You cannot overcome them without ample motivation. Make sure that you plan for these difficulties at the time of setting your goals.
A. This can affect your work.
B. So how should you motivate yourself?
C. However, this should not discourage you.
D. So why should we try to set specific goals?
E. They can change according to circumstances.
F. Motivation is what you need most to do a good job.
G. Without motivation you can neither set a goal nor reach it
Is Fresh Air Really Good for You?
We all grew up hearing people tell us to "go out and get some fresh air." According to recent studies, the answer is a big YES, if the air quality in your camping area is good.
If the air you're breathing is clean-which it would be if you're away from the smog of cities-then the air is filled with life-giving, energizing oxygen. If you exercise out of doors, your body will learn to breathe more deeply, allowing even more oxygen to get to your muscles(肌肉)and your brain.
Recently, people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈). In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery. It turns out that just looking at green, growing things can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and put people into a better mood(情绪).Greenery is good for us. Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead. It gives us a great feeling of peace.
While the sun's rays can age and harm our skin, they also give is beneficial Vitamin D. To make sure you get enough Vitamin D—but still protect your skin— put on sunscreen right as you head outside. It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working, and that's plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day's worth of Vitamin D.
A. Fresh air cleans our lungs.
B. So what are you waiting for?
C. Being in nature refreshes us.
D. Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.
E. But is fresh air really as good for you as your mother always said?
F. Just as importantly, we tend to associate air with health care.
G. All across the country, recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.
Emoji (表情符号) and Workplace Communication
In Asia, messaging platforms are growing rapidly, with users in the hundreds of millions, both at work and play. . It's been reported that 76 percent of employees in some western countries are using emojis at work.
Written communications can often read as cold and dull. Using emojis can add humor and feeling, keeping intention clear. , encouraging better and more frequent communication.
In any given office, employees can range from age 22 to 70 and beyond, and finding common ground in communication style can be a challenge. . While the younger generations prefer to communicate visually, for those used to working with traditional tools like email, it may feel like a learning curve (曲线). The good news is that it's simple to learn and can be worth the effort.
There is also the matter of tone (语气). Who hasn't received an email so annoying that it ruined an entire day? . Emoji can help communication feel friendlier, and even a serious note can be softened with an encouraging smile.
, and emoji can contribute directly to that positive outcome. And when your employees begin adding smiling emojis to their business communication, you'll know you have succeeded in improving your work culture.
A. Message with emojis feel more conversational
B. Even a formal email can seem cold and unfriendly
C. Sending smiling faces to colleagues may seem strange
D. The popularity of these platforms is spreading globally
E. Giving employees the tools enables them to communicate honestly
F. Studies show that friendlier communication leads to a happier workplace
G. An easy way to bring all work generations together is with a chat platform
