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.

   Nowadays with the development of the economy, our life is becoming easier and easier in many ways. We can drive a car to travel to and from work. We can save a lot of time, shopping online instead of going to stores. Besides, the elevator is widely used in our daily life. 【小题1】 The elevator safety troubles us from time to time. Here are several ways for you to help you use the elevator safely.

【小题2】

Before stepping on the elevator, you should check your and your children's clothing for the loose parts, such as shoelaces（鞋带）and gloves, which can be trapped in the moving parts.

Mind your position.

【小题3】 Tell your children not to lean on the handrail（扶手）, which can slow down the elevator and may make other people lose their balance. You should stand on the right instead of on the left, which is convenient for some people who are anxious to go downwards or upwards.

Locate the emergency stop button.

【小题4】 The button may be near the bottom, but sometimes alongside the stairs. If the elevator breaks down, it is helpful for you to stop the elevator.【小题5】

   With an improved economy，many travelers have been buying first or business class seats，leaving fewer for upgrades（升级）.Here are some strategies for getting a free upgrade.

1. Fly a lot.

This is the most common way to earn a free upgrade. Most airlines reserve some spaces for travelers who fly at least 5，000 miles per year. Five years ago，this meant half or more of domestic（国内的）first class travelers sat up front for free. But now，airlines are selling more high-price seats，so on popular routes it is not unusual for more than 20 travelers to compete for one or two upgrades. But on routes with fewer business class travelers，free upgrades remain more plentiful.

2. Use miles.

If you're not a frequent traveler but still have some miles to fly，you may be able to use them for an upgrade. Be careful，though，as many airlines now ask not just for miles but also a cash co-pay. One example: on flights to Europe，American Airlines charges 5，000 miles，plus $110，for a one-way upgrade from discounted economy class to business class. For most domestic upgrades，American Airlines wants 15，000 miles plus $ 75.

3. Get lucky.

Sometimes airlines overbook coach（经济舱），and a few travelers get no seats. Agents try to ensure the airline's most loyal travelers get the nod（被选中）. Agents usually have some flexibility to make sure the plane is full and takes off on time. So it's the easiest way for them to do it-they might upgrade someone else out of order.

4. Save a life.

Flight attendants don't usually upgrade passengers, even when empty seats remain. Doctors and nurses who answer an emergency call are sometimes an exception. If they comfort a passenger, flight attendants might allow them to sit in business or first class for the rest of the flight.

   Searching for airfares often seems like a game that passengers are bound to lose.

Prices change from day to day, even minute to minute. Looking through various websites for the best deal can be a big challenge. Even when you do book, there’s no guarantee that you are going to get the best price.

“You just don’t know when to pull the trigger. It’s not like buying anything else I can think of,” said George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog. com.

Harriet Levy paid $ 179 for a recent round-trip flight on American Airlines between New York and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sitting just one row behind her, Shirley Harrison paid $ 215. A few rows back, Ellis and Dianne Traub paid $ 317 each. There were at least 12 fares on the flight, ranging from $ 169 to $ 360.

“There’s no reason for it,” Harrison said.

Fares can vary significantly in just a few hours. One Delta flight from New York to Los Angeles jumped from $ 755 to $ 1,143 from a Friday to Saturday in late April, and then fell to $ 718 on Sunday.

The flight was one of a dozen the Associated Press（美国联合通讯社）followed over three months for a vacation between July 16 and 22. The number one finding: avoid booking tickets on weekends. It’s the most expensive time to buy.

There’s no way to guarantee the best fare. But before booking, travelers should pay attention to this additional advice:

● Book on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when airlines most often offer sales.

● Buy in advance, but not too early. The best time is four to six weeks before traveling. In general, prices for any given flight are the highest when tickets are booked eight to ten weeks and two to three weeks in advance.

● Make use of social media. Airlines are giving more benefits like exclusive（专有的）sales to travelers who interact（交流）with them on Twitter and Facebook. Those specials are often gone within hours.

● The so-called discount airlines — JetBlue, Air-Tran, Southwest and Frontier — adjust their fares less frequently than other airlines, so you can feel more confident that the price will stay the same. But their prices aren’t always the lowest. Researching multiple airlines’ fares is the only way to get a good deal.

How to Know Yourself Better

Most of us believe that we know ourselves better than anyone in this world. But a lot of people are still strangers to themselves. Why? 【小题1】 For a person, to have a well-lived life, it is important that he know himself well. If you are one of those who are striving to know yourself better, these steps will guide you.

·Take a moment to write down things that you know“very well”about yourself - your interests,likes, dislikes, hobbies, strengths, weaknesses,hopes, fears, dreams, etc. 【小题2】 By creating a list of your personal qualities that you are familiar with, you are keeping yourself in touch with yourself.

·Take personality and psychological tests. This is another way to know yourself better. The Internet has a rich source of free online personality and psychological assessments and tests. 【小题3】

·Know yourself better by understanding people's opinions of you. 【小题4】 Sometimes, you think you know yourself enough, but other people who see you from their point of view can offer you some insights into how you act and get understood by others. Be careful,however, to balance both opinions to come up with an objective view of yourself.

【小题5】 It's a lifetime process. Every day you will be given new insights about yourself. Writing a diary will help you keep track of these new discoveries. Maintaining that hunger to know yourself better will make you more self-aware, opening up  new opportunities to enrich your life.