U1AMo YanChinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature! Mo is the first Chinese who won the prize. When he heard the news，Mo said he never expected to win the prize, as there were so many good writers all over the world.MoYan is the writers pen name. His real name is Guan Moye.He was born into a farmers family in Gaomi, Shandong, in February 1955. When he was 12, he dropped out of school and started to work, first in his village and later in a factory.Little Moye enjoyed reading. But at that time,there were only a few books available in his village. He had to try every means to find books to read.With no more books at hand, he started reading a Chinese dictionary. He read it so many times that he found several mistakes in it.In 1976,he joined the army.During that time, he began to study liberature and write stories. His first short story was published in 1981.He became famous in 1987 when his novel Red Sorghum was made into a film by the famous director Zhang Yimou. He also won the 18th Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2011 for his novel Frog.MoYan is a famous writer in the world now.More and more people are becoming interested in his works. U1B Fryderyk Chopin Fryderyk Chopin was a famous pianist and music writer. Today many piano music lovers still listen to his famous works such as Minute Waltz. He was born on March 1, 1810 in a small village in Poland. Everyone in Chopins family was a musician. His father played the violin, and his mother and sister played the piano. His family moved to Wa rsaw when Chopin was seven months old. When he was 6 years old, he started to take piano lessons. Soon he played even better than his teacher. At that time, he also started to write music, and began to give concerts when he was only seven! In 1825, when he was 15 years old, people said he was the best pianist in Warsaw. They called him the poet of the piano because his music could touch the hearts of his listeners. In his later years, he enjoyed playing at his apartment for a few friends more than giving big concerts. Chopin became seriously ill when he was only 25 and continued to have bad health into his old age. In his last years, he was very weak but kept on writing music until he died in 1849. The world lost a musical talent, but his spirit continues to live in his works today. U2AAlone among strangers: Dealing with a difficult situationIt was Friday night and I could hear loud music and people talking as I walked through the door. My friend saw me and came over. “Hey, Ben! Thanks for coming to my party.” he said. “Thanks for inviting me. It looks like a great party,” I replied. But I had a secret feeling of fear. I realized that I didnt know anyone there. I moved towards the drinks table and got a drink. Then I nervously stood in a corner, not quite sure what to do. Finally, I turned to the person next to me and introduced myself. “Hi,” I said. “My names Ben.” “Hi, Im Tania,” the person replied shyly. Then there was a long silence as I kept trying to think about what to say next. I felt more and more nervous and other person was looking uncomfortable, too. In the end, all I could say was, “Well, it was nice meeting you.” And I quickly walked away. I felt so embarrassed that I left the party. Ben isnt the only person that has experienced this situation. Something similar has probably happened to most of us before. Its natural to feel unsure of ourselves when starting conversations with strangers. A good starting paint is to ask the person questions about himself or herself, or talk about something you both like such as football or pop music. This can make social situations more relaxed. Then youll be glad you went to the party.U2BIntroduction to “small talk” Small talk is relaxed dialog that helps people pass the time when they meet others. Empty silences often make us feel nervous so this is a way of filling those periods. In English, people often say it “breaks the ice”. You can make small talk when waiting inline at airport or bus stop. Though the things we talk about are not usually important, small talk itself is. It makes others feel relaxed and it passes time nicely. For some, small talk is a common form of communication. Business travelers, for example, always meet new people and usually make small talk before discussing serious business. They might be asked about how they got to the meeting or if their hotel is comfortable. Workers in shops or restaurants also find small talk helpful when they are serving customers. People make small talk in almost every country. What they say may be very different, but the basic rules of small talk are often the same. In most cultures, it is important to smile and keep the conversation light and humorous. Making other people smile can make them feel relaxed. Thing