Five Ways to Improve Communication Skills
Communication is one of the most important skills we can ever learn. It affects everything that we do —whether we’re communicating at work to meet deadlines and achieve results, or communicating with friends, family and partners to build strong relationships. Thus communication is very important. Here are five ways to improve your communication skills.
1.
This reflects a real lack of respect. By interrupting someone, what you’re basically saying is “I don’t care what you’re saying—what I have to say is more important”.
Don’t finish other people’s sentences.
2. Wrong. Research has shown by doing this you are dis-empowering (剥夺权利) the other person because you are taking control of the conversation, so bite your tongue!
Paraphrase.
If you want to show that you have really understood someone, then paraphrasing (解释) is a great tool.3. Here’s an example: “So Barney, what I’m hearing is that results are the number one objective for you right now and we need to find some fast solutions for you?”
4.
Focus on active listening instead of passive listening. The difference is that active listening means you engage with and respond to the other person based on what he/she has said, while passive listening is simply the act of listening with no response.
Maintain eye contact.
By looking at the other person in the eyes, you are proving that you’re interested in what he/she is saving.5.
A. All you do is repeat back to someone what he/she has just said, before you comment yourself.
B. You don’t see them interrupting others or leaving off mid conversation.
C. Listen actively.
D. This also keeps you focused (集中) and less distracted (分散).
E. Talk actively.
F. I used to do this a lot thinking I was helpfully finishing people’s sentences for them.
G. Never interrupt people.
My family recently did our first major road trip, traveling from our Maryland home to Disney World in Florida. Though we’re no strangers to travel, a trip of this length was a new experience for us with three children. What helped us enjoy our trip so much? Our schedule, of course! So keeping a schedule when you travel can help make your trip a success.
Don’t sleep the day away.
I know you’re on vacation. The kids have a break from school, and you’re excited to be out of the office. Let everyone sleep for a bit, but Still make it a point to rise at a reasonable hour and get active to start the day. Not only will you see and do more on your trip, but it will make it easier to eat regularly, get the kids down at nap time (午觉), and then go to bed without a struggle.
Eat regularly.
Time is easy to go by while you’re running through a theme park, or exploring (考察) a museum. Be prepared for meals because hungry kids are often quick to turn into a headache for you. Pack a snack and drink bag and make sure to stop regularly for a bite to eat while you’re out. Keeping a regular meal schedule can help everyone keep up their energy and enjoy the day.
Take a nap.
Does your baby take a daily nap? Naps are very important for baby’s development. They also help little ones to pick up their strength, or vacations can be exhausting (疲惫的) for little minds and bodies.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Everyone can get tired out on vacation. Don’t allow anyone to stay up late every night. Mom, dad, and kids are all sure to be miserable if they don’t get enough sleep. If bedtime gets delayed (推迟), adjust your travel plans accordingly.
1.Why does the author write this passage?
A. To tell the readers what fun it is to travel.
B. To introduce some attractions of Disney World.
C. To introduce one of his travel experiences to the readers.
D. To give some advice on keeping a schedule while traveling.
2.From the passage, we can infer that .
A. the writer is a stranger traveling in the U.S.
B. the writer is familiar with travel and has much experience
C. a proper schedule helped the writer enjoy his trip to Maryland
D. eating a little more helps little children to recover their strength
3.What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?
A. Travelers to the U.S.
B. Travel companies or agencies.
C. Teenagers crazy about traveling.
D. Parents who plan a family travel.
4.During the trip, the author will agree that .
A. taking a nap during the day is necessary for the children
B. games and enjoyable activities can last until late at night
C. brunch is a good choice if you sleep late in the morning
D. the bedtime should be changed if the travel plan changes
Some people learn a second language easily. Other people have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.
The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes. In other words, do not worry about taking risks.
The second step is to practice your English. For example, write in a journal, or diary, every day. You will get used to writing in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. After several weeks, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will become comfortable communicating in English.
The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it. Write these accomplishments in your journal.
You must be positive about, learning English and believe that you can do it. It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will have more confidence in yourself.
1.When you learn English, you don’t need to .
A. be patient
B. make mistakes
C. express your ideas in English
D. understand everything all at once
2.Which is NOT helpful for you to enjoy learning English?
A. To communicate in English.
B. To worry about making mistakes.
C. To think about what has been done after classes.
D. To make a record of your achievements.
3.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. It is very important to learn a second language.
B. Some people learn a second language easily while other people do not.
C. There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily.
D. Don’t worry about making mistakes when learning a second language.
The drug store was closing for the night. Young Alfred Higgins, the shop assistant was ready to go home. Mr Carr, the boss, stared at him and said: “Hold on, Alfred. Maybe you’d be good enough to take the things out of your pockets and leave them here before you go.”Alfred’s face got red. After a little hesitation, he took out what he had stolen. Mr. Carr said, “Maybe I should call your mother and let her know I’m going to have to put you in prison.”
Alfred thought his mother would come rushing in, eyes burning with anger. But, to his surprise, she arrived wearing a smile. “Hello, I’m Alfred’s mother. Is he in trouble?” she said. Mr. Carr was surprised too. He had expected Alfred’s mother to come in nervously, shaking with fear, asking with wet eyes for a mercy for her son. But no, she was most calm, quiet and pleasant and was making Mr. Carr feel guilty… Soon Mr. Carr was shaking his head in agreement with what she was saying. “Of course” he said, “I don’t want to be cruel. You are right. Sometimes, a little good advice is the best thing for a boy at certain times in his life and it often takes the youths long time to get sense into their, heads.’’ And he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.
Back home without even looking at Alfred she said, “You are a bad luck. It is one thing after another, always has been. Why do you stand there so stupidly? Go to bed.” In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. There was no shame in him, just pride in his mother’s strength. He felt he must tell her how great she was. As he got to the kitchen, he saw his mother drinking a cup of tea. He was shocked by what he saw. His mother’s face was a frightened broken one. It was not the same cool, bright face he saw earlier in the drug store. As she lifted the tea cup, her hand shook. And some of the tea splashed on the table. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. He watched his mother without making a sound. The picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth coming to an end. He saw all the troubles he brought his mother in her shaking hand and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.
1.The reason why Mr. Carr felt guilty was that .
A. he found Alfred was in fact innocent
B. he should have called a policeman in first
C. Alfred’s mother appeared polite and gentle
D. he thought he was partly responsible for it
2.Which of the following is probably said by Mrs. Higgins while talking to Mr. Carr?
A. “Please, for God’s sake, you know, he is just a kid.”
B. “I can’t believe it! You are treating my son like that!”
C. “You know, it takes time for a youth to truly grow up.”
D. “Punishment makes sense because it teaches about the law.”
3.What do you think the underlined words “his mother’s strength” refer to?
A. Mrs. Higgins’s calmness and communicating skills.
B. Mrs. Higgins’s attitude towards parental sufferings.
C. Mrs. Higgins’s love and care for her son Alfred.
D. Mrs. Higgins’s greatness as a woman.
4.After the incident, young Alfred would probably .
A. feel ashamed of his mother
B. change his attitude towards life
C. learn to live an independent life
D. hate Mr. Carr for hurting his mother
My 10-year-old Donna said, “Mom, I made a new friend at school today. Can she come over tomorrow?” Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends to bring her out of her shell.
“Sure, honey, that sounds great.” I said, thinking back to my own best friend, Lillian. We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights, New York. We met at the age of 10, too. Like my daughter, I was shy, but Lillian drew me out. She was one of the friendliest people in school, with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile.
In senior high school, Lillian went on a trip to Florida. This was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days. “I’ll be back soon.” she told me. But three days later, Lillian’s sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn’t come out any more. Soon, my family moved to New Jersey. Whenever I thought of her, tears came into my eyes.
The next day Donna brought her new friend home. “Hi, Mrs. Loggia.” the little girl said. Her hair was so shiny and black and she shot me a big smile. “My name is Laura.”
My daughter’s new friend was so much like Lillian. I was still puzzled (迷惑) when Laura’s mom came to pick her up later that afternoon. I opened the door to let her in. “Judy!” she cried. “It’s me, Lillian’s sister, from Washington Heights.” Yes, my daughter’s friend looked familiar. She was Lillian’s niece.
1.The underlined words in the first paragraph “to bring her out of her shell mean .
A. to help her become less shy B. to help her become smart
C. to help her live happily D. to help her walk out of her house
2.Laura looked familiar to the writer because she .
A. was Lillian’s niece B. was 33 old 25 her daughter
C. had shiny black hair and a big smile, too D. was from Washington Heights
3.Why did the writer lose her best friend? Because .
A. she moved to New Jersey
B. her best friend lost her life on a trip
C. her best friend travelled to Florida
D. they were different from each other
4.We can infer (推断) from the passage that .
A. Judy moved to New Jersey because of Lillian’s death
B. Laura helps Donna a lot
C. Laura and Donna are of the same age
D. Laura is outgoing
假定你是李华。你的美国网友Jackson在邮件中询问你最喜欢的艺术家。就此请你用英语给他回一封电子邮件，内容包括：
1.介绍你最喜欢的艺术家；
2.陈述你的理由。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数。
Dear Jackson,
I’m glad to hear that you have interest in painting.
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Yours,
Li Hua
