Students learn their lessons in class. They sit in the classroom listening to the teacher. This is a way of learning. There is another way to learn. That is, students can teach themselves. For example, if you cannot remember something when you are doing your homework, you can look at your book to find the answer. This is a way to teach yourself. We can do this in any place and at any time.

How do you teach yourself? The first thing you must do is to read. Read something you are interested in, or you have to read. The second is that you must ask yourself questions. You can write down these questions. A clever student is usually good at asking questions. The third is to answer the questions by thinking hard, by reading the text or other books, and sometimes by asking other people. This is the way of teaching yourself. A lot of students don't know how to teach themselves. But if you keep doing like this for a long time, you are sure to succeed in your study.

Some people have a kind of magic. They will make you comfortable while they are around. You feel at ease while talking to them. How is it done？ Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help people feel relaxed and make friends with them quickly.

First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, "At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question, but it will get things going." From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what kind of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively. Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the topic of conversation. If someone insists on one topic, it means he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to the voice. If the voice sounds bored, then, it's time for you to change the topic.

Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the moment of saying good-bye. If you're saying it, you may give him a handshake and say, "I've really enjoyed meeting you." If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know your thoughts.