9월 15일 Topics(댓글이요~)

Topic1. It’s true: you talk too much I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but you talk too much. I know you think you don't, but seriously, you do. Take this simple test: After your next long conversation with someone, estimate what percentage of it you spent talking. Be honest. No, you're already underestimating. How do I know? Because it's more fun to talk than to listen. Talking is like drinking a great Cabernet. Listening is like doing squats. Add another 20% to your total. If you talked more than 70% of the time, you jabber too much. I know, because my son has Asperger's syndrome, and part of his education was learning conversational dynamics. But, you say, what if your talking partner is just quiet and loves to listen? Stop it. She doesn't. Listening is like reading a corporate report. Talking is like eating a cinnamon bun. So how do you achieve this 50-50 conversational ideal? Easy: ask questions. But don't think that one "How are you?" is going to turn you into Oprah. Actually listen to what the other person is saying, and find openings. Also, let your chattering breathe a little. One dastardly arrow in the big talker's quiver is to slow down in the middle of his sentence, then to blow through the period so that there's no opening for anyone to squeeze a word in. Secretly tape one of your own conversations, and if you realize you do this, stop it or never go out in public again. Another essential rule is to monitor your audience. Is the guy you're talking to glancing at his cellphone, spinning his Dorito like a paper football or making his tie into a noose? If so, pull the ripcord and ask him if Heineken is his favorite beer, since you've just seen him drain five of them. Watch how relieved he is to have a turn to talk! Talking is a Miguel Cabrera home run. Listening is getting hit in the head by it. But, you say, this conversational paradigm sounds like work. And talking feels so good! Besides, people don't seem to be complaining about you. Oh, but they are. If you don't let others participate in conversations, I promise they are hatching schemes against you. So when reading this piece, did you recognize yourself? Did it perhaps make you think of someone else? If so, wouldn't it be great to send it to him? But you don't want to hurt his feelings, so how would you go about it? Decent questions, right? Now I'll sit back and let you talk. Questions 1. What do you think about your tendency when you talk with other people? 2. What kind of people do you hate the most when you have conversation? 3. What is the most efficient way to make effective conversation? 4. What kind of topic do you usually use when you try to make talkative air? 5. What kind of reaction did you do when you feel boring? Or what kind or reaction are look like boring? Why do you think so? 6. How can you avoid very boring situation? How can you overcome it? Topic2. Five tips for choosing where to live.   1. Watch out for … travel time Economists say commuting can be bad for our happiness. Researchers at the University of Zurich have estimated that the average person who spends 46 minutes a day travelling to and from work would need a pay rise of 19% to be as happy as the average person who doesn't commute. So beware travel time when choosing where to live. 2. Watch out for … wealthy neighbours Research suggests the power of peer pressure influences a huge amount in our lives – and our neighbours are no different . If people around us spend, we are encouraged to as well, a study on the Dutch postcode lottery suggests. 3. Watch out for … friends and family Friends and family have been found to make us happy, with academic writing that, for the average English person, seeing friends or family on most days rather than once or twice a week increases happiness by as much as would a pay rise of ￡15,000 (? 18,000) a year. So living in close proximity to friends or family might pay – emotionally at least. 4. Watch out for … high travel costs Commuting to work can effectively reduce earnings. Like the economics article on money illusion (that argued inflation an d other factors could be used when negotiating a pay rise), s o too can the costs of travel. If you are looking to change jobs for one that's better paid, watch out for high travel costs as a lower paid job closer to where you live could in effect give you a higher income. It is of particular note given big spikes in the price of fuel. 5. Watch out for … transport links Economic studies explore links between unemployment and homeownership. These include Andrew Oswald at the University of Warwick in the 1990s and a 2004 study from the Netherlands. One explanation is that homeowners find it difficult to move or are reluctant to sell for a job. Good transport links may help, as they can open up a wider area to which homeowners can easily travel to and from work. Questions 1. Tell us a little about where you live. 2. Do you agree with the five “tips”? 3. What other factors should be considered when choosing where to live? 4. How much time to you spend traveling to and from work? 5. What would be the pros and cons of : (1) Living right next to your workplace? (2) Living close to your family/ relatives? (3) Living close to wealthy neighbors? 6. Ten years from now, where do you want to be living in? Where do you think you will be living in? Thirty years? 7. Do you want to live overseas? Why or why not?