If you often speak at the meeting, or meet new people at parties, knowing about the art of conversation is very important. With the following ways, you will build your confidence and be a popular person.

★Listen to the other person talking above all else.

Ask questions about their interests, family, studies, work to get to know them better. As long as you can pay attention to what they’re saying, what they’ve said or think out more questions to keep the discussion going, they will find the conversation exciting.

★Use your body language to show how kind and open to conversation you are.

Keep your idea open and your arms unfolded (展开的). Keep smiling as you listen to the person talking, and this can make him think you’re paying attention to him.

★Do research about the people you’ll be talking to.

If you’re going to a party, for example, ask the host (主人) about the guests’ backgrounds (背景) and interests. It can help you to find some interesting topics for small talks. Read the newspaper, watch television, surf the Internet and look through books and magazines to come up with conversation starters and topics to discuss.

★Express your ideas clearly in a friendly tone (语气).

If you are trying to make a decision, speak out your mind, then be open to any discussions and questions you get. Make it clear at once if someone has misunderstood what you’ve said by mistake.

The program " China Year in Russia" has ended, but the cultural ties between the two countries grow stronger. "Chinese fever" continues in Russia.

Fifty-year-old Wei Dehan has been studying Chinese culture for thirty years. He was among the first Russians to open a Chinese tea house in Moscow. That was in1995.He also teaches Chinese language and Tai Chi. During" China Year in Russia",he set up a magazine introducing Chinese culture. It is popular with local readers. In Russia, many schools want young people who can speak Chinese. Young people who are able to speak Chinese language find jobs easily. Some 15-thousand people attend Chinese language classes in Russia. The Confucius Institute(孔子学院), the world-wide Chinese language and culture education center, has been set up in thirteen of Russia’s universities and colleges. Besides the language, Chinese way of life is becoming a common factor(因素)in the daily lives of Russian people.

Russian newspaper and magazines praised(称赞)"China Year in Russia" as a timely event.They said that the program deepened(加深) understanding between the people of the two countries. It also opened the way for further culture exchanges.

As is well known, saying “no” is not easy at all. But sometimes we have to learn to say “no”. To learn to say “no”, we have to first understand what’s stopping us about it. There are some common reasons why people find it hard to say “no”.

You want to help others. You are a kind soul (灵魂) at heart. You don’t want to turn the person away and you want to help when possible, even if it may take up your time.

Afraid of being rude. I was brought up under the idea that saying “no”, especially to people who are older, is rude. This thinking is common in Asian culture, where face-saving is important. It means not making others look bad or lose faces.

Wanting to be agreeable. At times, you find you are not in agreement. You don’t want to keep yourself away from the group, so you agree to do others’ requests (请求).

Fear of conflict (冲突). The person might be angry if you refuse him. This might lead to an ugly conflict. Even if there isn’t, there might be disagreement which might lead to bad effects (影响) in the future.

Fear of losing opportunities (机会). Sometimes, saying “no” means closing doors or losing opportunities. It may make you feel worried. For example, one of my friends was asked to work in another department (部门) in her company (公司). Since she liked her team, she didn’t want to go. However, she didn’t want to say “no” as she felt it would affect her promotion (晋升) opportunities in the future.