8 . Life is full of unexpected journeys. In 2014, my company Sinohydro sent me to work in Uganda on a big hydropower project. The project aimed to give power, jobs and money to Ugandan people, most of whom lived on less than $2 a day at that time.

When I first heard that I was going to Africa, I was a little worried. But I quickly realized people there were really friendly.   

One day, my coworker and I stopped for gasoline (汽油) while driving to work. When we left the gas station, I dropped my phone but didn’t notice until 10 minutes later. I used my coworker’s phone to call mine.

I heard an African man’s voice on the other end, saying something in the local language. I told him that he was holding my phone. I thought that I wouldn’t get it back. But as we drove back to the gas station, we were surprised to see the man waiting in the hot sun. With a big smile, he gave my phone back to me. I was deeply moved.

Life in Africa is simple. There is not much to do in your spare time. But I enjoyed myself by organizing a dancing club and playing basketball games. We also came across wild animals. Once, I was chased by a seemingly cute baboon (狒狒). This disastrous encounter (灾难性的遭遇) with a wild animal completely ended my fantasy of having baby lions as pets!

Nonverbal communication can be anything that is not said. For example, if a man is smiling, you know he is probably h    1    . If a woman is rubbing her head, she may be stressed. Nonverbal communication depends in some ways on a person’s background and culture. For example, in some cultures, pointing with a finger m    2     that you are showing something. In other cultures, pointing is not good. Instead people show things by using their whole h    3    .

In a way, men and women are like people from different cultures. Scientists know that when men and women speak, they use w    4     in different ways. They also know that men and women use different kinds of nonverbal communication. In general, women like to stand c    5     to the person they are talking to. This may help show that the woman is interested in what the other person says. They don’t make large movements with their hands when they speak.

However, men would rather stand farther away from the person they are speaking to. This could be because many men p    6     to have more personal space. When speaking with others, men also use large movements to help show what they are talking about.

What can you learn from nonverbal communication? If you understand what people are saying with their body, it can help you know how they feel or what they r    7     mean. Understanding nonverbal communication can help you understand how to get your own f    8     and ideas across to the person you are talking to. For example, studies showed that men make less eye contact than women. When someone does not look at you often when you are speaking, it can make you feel like they are not l    9    . Sometimes, doing the same thing that the person you are speaking with is doing can help. It can show the person that you are interested in what he or she says. This is c    10     mirroring. For example, if the woman you are speaking with is smiling. you may want to smile, too. If the man you are talking to has his arms crossed, you might want to cross your arms, too.