Passage Three

Disillusionment with government and politics has contributed to the public's fascination with the media's increased interest in the character issue. The public's growing concern with character may be considered instinctual. Too often, in recent past, voters have reached out to candidates with neatly packaged virtues- characteristics they often fail to have in reality. 

There is another reason why the American people have“encouraged”the media to explore the politicians as never before. Political parties have seldom been more interchangeable. Ideological differences have become burred. And the nation's social and economic problems are too complicated to submit to clever political slogans. Consequently, most of the candidates now play it safe on the issues, relying on their rhetorical skills to produce the greatest number of sound bites that say as little as possible. The character issue becomes a way to sell candidates and to set them apart from each other. 

The issue of the media and character raises a number of important questions. Has the media gone too far in attempting to define what character is and what role it should play in identifying the differences between political candidates? Are the print media and television really responding to the public's growing desire for a greater “need to know”their candidates or are they manufacturing everything, no matter how trivial, in hope of selling more newspapers or achieving higher rating points? Is the media being responsible in defining the role of character in a political campaign? The great amount of coverage and the intensifying competition among the news organizations have led to more reports about the candidates' personal and especially sexual lives, says political science professor Larry Sabato, author of Feeding Frenzy. 

If you're making a presentation of any sort, begin preparing as far ahead of time as possible. Two days before your presentation is usually too late to go into the ring and come up with a winning idea. (46. Prepare yourself as well as your material, giving special attention to your voice. With energy and enthusiasm in your voice, the listeners say ahhh. tell me more. You read approval.) 

Like your voice, your appearance is a communication tool. For example, if you are animated, you are most likely to see animated listeners. You give the audience the message: I'm glad I'm here; I'm glad you're here. 

(47.Your approach can, in fact, be a powerful weapon for deflecting hostility—from an audience, an interviewer. an employer.A benevolent aspect says I understand and conveys good will and positive expectations. It works.)

 However, don't ever assume that an audience, an interviewer, your boss will be sympathetic. Always be prepared for a grilling. Think beforehand of the ten toughest questions you could get and be ready with your answers. And remember, when you're asked a hostile question, never show hostility to your questioner. If you do, you lose. 

Once you're prepared for a situation, you're 50 per cent of the way toward overcoming nervousness. (48. The other 50 per cent is the physical and mental control of nervousness: adjusting your attitude so you have confidence. and control of yourself and your audience.)  

I was in the theater for many years and always went to work with terrible. stage fright---until I was in "The King and I". While waiting offstage one night, I saw Yul Brynner, the show's star, pushing in a lunging position against a wall. It looked as though he wanted to knock it down. "This helps me control my 1 nervousness," he explained.

I tried it and, sure enough, freed myself from stage fright. Not only that, but pushing the wall seemed to give me a whole new kind of physical energy. (49.Later discovered that when you push against a wall you contract the muscles that I lie just below where your ribs begin to splay. I call this area the "vital triangle".) 

To understand how these muscles work, try this: Sit in a straight-backed chair and lean slightly forward. (50. Put your palms together in front of you, your elbows pointing out the sides. your fingertips pointing upward, and push so that you feel pressure in the heels of your palms and under your arms.)  

Say sssssss, like a hiss. As you're exhaling the "s", contract those muscles in the vital triangle as though you were rowing a boat, pulling the oars back and up. The vital triangle should tighten. Relax the muscles at the end of your exhalation, then inhale gently. 

You can also adjust your attitude to prevent nervousness. What you say to yourself sends a message to your audience. If you tell yourself you're afraid, that's the message your listener receives. (51. So select the attitude you want to communicate. Attitude adjusting is your mental suit of armor against nervousness. If you entertain only positive thoughts, you will be giving out these vibes: joy and ease, enthusiasm, sincerity and concern. and authority.) 

You have the power within you to become a forceful, persuasive and confident communicator. With these techniques, you will be able to ask for a raise, make a sale, deal with a family crisis, feel comfortable in social and business situations. Master the simple principles set out here and you will never be nervous again.

Paragraph Nine

It is difficult to imagine what life would be like without memory. The meanings of thousands of everyday perceptions, the bases for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory.

The f____ of memory.

Paragraph Ten

Most commuters in Munich, Germany, spend hours stuck in traffic or trying squeeze into one of the overcrowded subway trains, every morning, but for 40-year-old Benjamin David, commuting is actually a relaxing experience. Every day, he jumps into the Isar River and swims two kilometers to his workplace in Kulturstrand.

A different way to a____ heavy traffic

Paragraph Eight

Summer is the ideal time for one of the great outdoor activities, hiking. It is : much more than just a great workout. You breathe in the fresh, clean air while the city life you have endured all week just fades away. When hiking in the deserts, you suddenly realize that life is precious and you will think deeply about your life.

Hiking is a b __activity.

Paragraph Six

The single largest cause of sick leave in the UK is not the common cold or flu, but back pain. Back pain affects one in tree British adults, and is notoriously difficult to treat. Traditionally, doctors in the UK have advised back pain sufferers to do stretching exercises and take painkillers when necessary.

But now a new solution: acupuncture has been officiallyB____ and its treatments.

Paragraph Seven

During television's first 20 years, deaf people missed most of the fun. They could not hear what was being said and had to guess. Deaf people who watched television liked sports and action shows, but they were disappointed with other programs. If there was a lot of dialogue, even the most skilled lip-readers could only catch part of the talking.

Early shows on TV f___ many deaf people.

Paragraph Three

Both Oxford and Cambridge regularly come top in any ranking of the world's best universities. The two universities began within a century of each other. Unlike most modern universities, both Oxford and Cambridge consist of a large number of colleges. Through the centuries, both universities have made huge contributions to British cultural life. They have produced great writers, world leaders and politicians.

The g___ of Oxford and Cambridge.

Paragraph Five

Do you check your work emails when you' re on holiday? Do you call your colleagues to ask what s happening in the office even on a day of? When you see no signal on your mobile phone in a busy shopping centre or no wifi in the hotel by the beach, will you get anxious?

Typical signs of a w___.

Paragraph Four

From childhood Bill Gates was intelligent and competitive. In school, he had excellent records in mathematics and science. It was a very important decision in Bill's life that his parents sent him to a private school, and it was there that he was introduced to a computer. Bill Gates and his friends formed the“Programmers Croup"in late 1968. In the next yer, they got their fist opportunity in Information Sciences.

The g___ of Bill Gates.

Paragraph Two

As leaders and professionals, we are called upon to be at our best all of the time. Not only do we need to maintain and improve personal performance, but we as project managers and program managers are frequently responsible for the performance of others. One challenge is how we manage many of our positive and negative feelings that inevitably come our way in the course of our professional endeavors.

Leaders and professionals should know how to c____ their personal feelings.