Do you have a headache about learning English? 【小题1】

Speak without fear.

The biggest problem that most people face is their own fear. 【小题2】 Some say that they will look stupid. Some are afraid that they can not get themselves understood. So they don’t say anything at all. Don’t do this. The fastest way to learn English is to say it again and again until you get it right. Like everything else, English requires practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Surround yourself with English.

【小题3】 Put English books around, listen to English broadcasts and watch English movies. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the more progress you will make.

【小题4】

Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is a way to help us understand English. The best way to learn, though, is to get the lyrics (歌词) you are listening to and sing them as the artist sings. There are several good Internet sites where you can find the lyrics for most songs. 【小题5】 And if you like to sing, even better!

Most people use the weekends to relax. 【小题1】 Because you’re on duty, you have to focus on your work seven days a week.

While you don’t have to be at your desk every minute of every day, weekends make you free to create your lifestyle so that you can get the most out of your busy schedule. Here are a few ways to make you more efficient both at work and in life during the weekends.

Don’t work 24/7. Though it’s important to think about your business on the weekend, you shouldn’t be working in the way you are during the week. 【小题2】 Instead, work on projects you enjoy or use the time to think about your business in a broader way. Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish this week, month or year?” Judge how your day-to-day activities are taking you closer to your long-term goals.

Check your e-mail once or twice a day. 【小题3】 Read all your messages, arrange activities, and then put your phone away. If you know you will be checking e-mail at a specific（特定的）time, you’ll be less likely to check it throughout the day.

【小题4】 You could go somewhere quiet to relax, or spend time with friends and family members. Since all your previous five days have been spent on your work, you deserve your own time to relax, and to strengthen your relationship with others. However, make sure you’re prepared to start your work on Monday while enjoying yourself. Don’t oversleep. Though some people enjoy sleeping until noon on the weekend, it’s not beneficial to your health. 【小题5】 So try not to sleep more than two or three extra hours on the weekend.

The word listen, as is shown in Longman Dictionary, means paying attention to what someone is saying or to a sound that you can hear. Listening is definitely an important skill in communication. “When people talk, listen completely.” Those words of Ernest Hemingway might be a pretty good guiding principle for many managers. After all, people like being listened to.

Some firms use a technique known as a “listening circle”. In such a circle, only one person can talk about the issues they face at a time and there is no interruption. A study cited in the Harvard Business Review found that employees who had taken part in a listening circle subsequently suffered less social anxiety and had fewer worries about work-related matters than those who did not.

Listening has been critical to the career of Richard Mullender, who was a hostage (人质) negotiator, dealing with everything from suicide interventions to international kidnaps (绑架). He defines listening as “the identification, selection and interpretation of the key words”. It is crucial to all effective communication.

Plenty of people think that good listening is about nodding your head or keeping eye contact. But that is not really listening, Mr Mullender argues. A good listener is always looking for facts, emotions and indications of the other person’s values. Another important point to bear in mind is that, when you talk, you are not listening. The listener’s focus should be on analysis.

Of course, a listener needs to speak occasionally. One approach is to make an assessment of what the other person is telling you and then check it with them. For example, you can check with the other person by saying “It seems to me that what you want is…”. That gives the other party a sense that they are being understood. The fundamental aim is to build up a relationship so the other person likes you and trusts you, Mr Mullender says.