How to Speak in Public

Many people have a fear of public speaking. They worry that they will lose their words，bore the audience or somehow make a fool of themselves. It is easy to try to avoid public speaking，but that usually doesn't work out. Everyone has to speak publicly at some point in their life. You may give a speech in a class or a meeting. Maybe you'll have to give a speech for some honor you've received. 【小题1】

Relax. 【小题2】 Your audience don't expect you to be perfect. They want you to succeed just as much as you do. If you're thinking you'll forget everything，remind yourself that you are prepared and knowledgeable. Imagine yourself doing well.

Be yourself. You are not Jack Canfield or Tony Robbins. Share your true personality with your audience，and they'll find you reliable. 【小题3】

Know your topic. Try to speak about the subject you know well. Research the topic to make sure that you are correct. Public speaking is easier when you don't feel like a fraud（骗子）.

【小题4】 Choose your message for the group you are speaking to carefully. If you' re giving a public speech, then rude jokes certainly won't be suitable.

Give value. Base your speech on 2 or 3 main points. 【小题5】 They' ll be satisfied if they leave with something they can use, and that is what public speaking is all about.

   Many people would like to change various things in their life in order to be more eco-friendly. 【小题1】 They range from changing their jobs to their vehicles and even their homes. In what follows, I am going to talk about the most energy-efficient（节能的）small green homes. Keep on reading, as this article is very useful if you would like to change your home into a more eco-friendly one.

【小题2】 This happens because a green home will contain green devices（设备）which need alternative sources of energy such as solar power and wind power. They do not pollute the atmosphere as much as the regular sources of energy. 【小题3】 The process of installing them is kind of expensive but in the long term, it will save you a lot of money.

【小题4】 It will be made out of recyclable and renewable materials. For example, the furniture will be made out of bamboo instead of materials which take years to grow. This means that there is not a risk of them to be used up as in the case of certain types of wood or other materials.

A green house will be decorated by using non-toxic（无毒的）materials. 【小题5】 They contain harmful chemicals which can be dangerous, but the most energy-efficient small green homes do not have this problem.

   When the weather turns warm，everyone wants to be in or around the water. 【小题1】 Learning how to swim is important if you plan to be near water. Many organizations provide swimming instruction for people of all ages. Check to see what classes are available（可得到的）in your area.

【小题2】 Always swim with a partner，every time—whether you're swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake. Even experienced swimmers can become tired or get muscle cramps，which might make it difficult to get out of the water. When people swim together，they can help each other or go for help in case of an emergency.

Get skilled. Speaking of emergencies，it's good to be prepared. Learning some life-saving skills，such as CPR and rescue techniques，can help you save a life. 【小题3】 Check with your YMCA or YWCA，the local hospital，or the chapter of the Red Cross.

Know your limits. Swimming can be a lot of fun—and you might want to stay in the water as long as possible. If you're not a good swimmer or you're just learning to swim，don't go in water that's so deep that you can't touch the bottom and don't try to keep up with skilled swimmers. 【小题4】 But it's a pretty sure bet they'd rather have you safe and alive.

Swim in safe areas only. 【小题5】 No one can predict changing ocean currents（流），rip currents，sudden storms，or other hidden dangers. In the event that something does go wrong，lifeguards are trained in rescue techniques.

   You’ve got the part, so you must be able to act! There are some classic acting strategies that you’ll need to nail down (确定) to wow the crowds. Are you ready for your first Oscar?

Read over the play. Before you begin acting, at least read through a few scenes to get the feel of what the play is about. Figure out the genre (体裁) , and who are the character. 【小题1】

Get into the character. Now that you know more about the character, get in their shoes. If you can, tell your friends about it, and practice having a conversation or doing things as if you were the character. Talk like they would, walk like they would, watch the shows they would, and do the things they would. 【小题2】

【小题3】Stand up, memorize a couple of lines and practice moving with them. If the play doesn’t tell you what actions to do, do what you think the character would do. You are now the character. If he would hold his head while screaming, do that! Do what needs to be done.

Memorize your lines. 【小题4】 During practice, you want to make sure you work more on your acting than just reading off the book. If you are reading, your hands and eyes are occupied, so learn ahead of time.

Act and Learn. Be confident, whatever your character is supposed to be. If you must, practice being in the character an hour before the show. 【小题5】 Unless it is a one-man show, listen to their input. They may have better ideas and even ways to improve your actions. Take this to heart. If you must, ask multiple people what you should do.

Why you shouldn't punish your kids for lying

Getting your children to stop lying is challenging. There are many influences（TV，movies and video games）in which lies are common. Children see parents lie to others，if only to be polite. Most parents add to that with tales about the lives and activities of Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. 【小题1】

The most common reactions to children who lie are explaining why it is wrong and punishments. 【小题2】 Here are three better tools supported by research to use instead.

Give praise: You could ask your child to say something that happened at school that is true. When your child obeys, praise him enthusiastically. Be specific. 【小题3】 and give your child a hug or a high five. Aim for one or two interactions（互动）like this a day. If you happen to "catch" your child in a lie，say something like，“That is not true and could get you in trouble outside of the home.”

Act as a model: Explicitly（明确地）tell the truth. This could be about something that happened when you were a child or something that happened during the day. It need not be dramatic. Another option is to play a game at dinner. Each person tells one thing that was true that day. Again，give a little praise to the child who normally lies if she plays along.

Decrease punishments and moralizing（说教）：They are unlikely to change behavior or develop the conduct you want. 【小题4】 Rather，use very mild punishments（light scolding，short loss of privileges，a brief timeout）. More severe punishments（shouting，taking away something for a week，hitting）are not more effective in actually changing the frequency of lying.

【小题5】 Usually they can be dropped by then. It is unlikely that lying will be completely removed，but with the right encouragement，it can be dramatically lessened.