1 . Whether we’re making small talk with a waiter, or meeting up with a close friend, we may hope to make a connection, only to leave the conversation feeling that our minds have failed to meet.     1    .

Ask questions

If you want to have a meaningful dialogue with someone, then you should make the effort to ask some questions.     2    . A follow-up that requires more information about a previous point is more appealing than a “switch” that changes topic, or a “mirror” that simply copies what someone has already asked you.

Be cautious about empathy(同理心)

We are often told to place ourselves in other people’s shoes. But our empathy is rarely as accurate as we think it is.     3    . “It’s when I’m using my own experience, my own mental states, as a representative of yours,” says Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioural science. “And we fail to differentiate sufficiently between the two.” In general, it’s far better to ask someone what they actually think and feel than trying to guess it.

Favor familiarity over originality

    4    ? The drawback of novelty arises from the “informational gaps” in our conversation. If we are talking about something completely new, our audience may not have enough knowledge to understand everything that we are saying. If we are talking about something already familiar to our audience, however, the listeners can fill in those gaps themselves.

Don't be afraid to go deep

This need for common ground should not limit our conversation to dull small talk.     5    . And most people appreciate the chance to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings, even if they are talking to perfect strangers.

When practicing each of these steps, you should always remain conscious of the other person’s mood and comfort. With a little strategy, sensitivity and a genuine interest in the people around you, you may often find that greater social connection is easily within your reach.

The key to success in both personal and professional relationships lies in your ability to communicate well. It’s not the words that you use but your body language that speaks the     1     (loud). Body language is the use of physical behaviors and expressions to communicate nonverbally (非语言的), often done unknowingly.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, when you interact with others, you     2     (give) and receiving wordless signals. All of your nonverbal behaviors — the gestures you make, your posture, your tone of voice, how much eye contact you make — send strong messages. They can put people     3     ease, build trust, and draw others towards you, or they can offend, confuse, and weaken what you’re trying to convey. Sometimes, they can give people some kind of     4     (warn).

In some     5     (instance), what comes out of your mouth and     6     you communicate through your body language may be two totally     7     (differ) things. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will feel that you’re being     8     (honest). If you say “yes” while shaking your head no, for example. When     9     (face) with such mixed signs, the listener doesn’t know whether to believe you     10     not.

3 . Tips for Submitting a Good Letter of Recommendation

If you consider applying for any colleges abroad, one of the most important parts is the recommendation letter. Its purpose is to give universities a complete picture of you.

    1    

But a credible (可信的) reference saying you’ve consistently worked hard on a project can be the difference between getting accepted or rejected.

Choose the right references

Universities want to know how well you work under pressure and how you react to criticism, basically your characteristics, abilities and mentality. A good referee (推荐人) should have a solid professional relationship with you and be able to communicate your academic and personal strengths.

    2    

Most universities ask for two recommendation letters. They are regularly split between a school professor and an extracurricular (课外的) source. Undoubtedly, it’s good to show your skills in the subject you want to study.     3    

Time

Professionals can sometimes find it hard to make time for writing recommendations.     4     So give them plenty of time and send them a link of your university’s recommendation letter guidance page, if possible.

Clear goals

Don’t be afraid to ask your referees to include certain qualities or examples you want to highlight. You should inform at least one of your referees about your career goals, grades and recent projects. They may not be referenced. But giving referees additional evidence to back up their points can make the letter more convincing.

    5     It’s where you can find what a university lays stress on, as well as some important information such as deadlines and so on.

At a time when we are all experiencing an extraordinary level of stress, science offers a simple and effective way to improve our own emotional （情感的）health.

To help yourself,     1    （ start） by helping others.

As     2     matter of fact, our bodies and minds benefit in a variety of     3    （ way）when we help others. Some research has focused     4     the “ helper's high. " Studies show that volunteering, donating money, or even just thinking about donating money can release （释 放）feel-good brain chemicals.

    5     （feel） responsible for other people also can help us deal with whatever challenges life brings. Emily Greenfield, an associate     6    （ consult） of social work at Rutgers

University, studied a concept called “felt obligation （义务），”   which     7     （measure） by asking people questions such as how obligated they would feel to give money to a friend in need, even     8     it meant putting themselves in trouble.

As it turned out, the people who had higher levels of “felt obligation” - meaning they were the type of people to sacrifice for others - dealt     9    （ well） with their own life challenges than others.

She     10     （note） that caring for others helped us to regulate our own emotions and gain a sense of control.