INPUT ARTICLE: Article: There's nothing small about small talk. Small talk is what helps you get to know people and open up to having a more serious conversation and a more personal relationship. Talking about the weather or what classes you're taking can lead to a more serious discussion about your favorite interests, or your favorite memories from a certain time of year. To make small talk, you should work on being interested in the other person instead of obsessing over being interested. Ask the person some basic questions like what classes he or she is taking, if he or she has any pets or siblings, or ask anything about his or her summer vacation or upcoming plans. Learn to build off a simple comment. If the person says he hates the rainy weather you're having, you can ask what activities he likes to do when the sun is out. Listen carefully. If the person mentions that he's from San Francisco, when sports teams come up later, you can casually ask if he's a 49ers or a Giants fan. Awkward silences can very easily turn into creepiness, but so can your babbling on and on about your mother, your cat, or your collection of bugs. A good conversationalist keeps finding things they have in common in a casual, non-intrusive way. For example, there's a difference between asking someone "Have you ever held a tarantula?" and saying "Have you ever felt the tiny hairs of a tarantula's legs brush up against the palm of your hand?" The latter is more poetic, but way too intimate for a first conversation. Learn to start a conversation and keep it flowing in a fun, positive, and casual way. It's worth repeating that you should not go on and on about unique hobbies or interests unless the person shares them or asks a lot of questions. If they only ask a few questions, that doesn't necessarily mean they're interested; it probably means they're just being polite, so don't dominate the conversation with your enthusiasm. When first meeting someone, it's more important to listen to what they have to say than to talk about yourself. Work to find something that you and the person have in common -- even if it's a bit of a stretch. If you're both from Jersey, talk about your favorite summer time destinations in your state or ask if you played on any competing sports teams; if you found out you both went to the same college, then talk about any extra curricular activities or Greek life activities you both might have been involved in. Don't make it too obvious that you're trying to do this -- asking the person to list his ten favorite TV shows or bands will make it sound too obvious. It can be very simple. One thing you may have in common can be that you both think the bar you're in has an amazing beer selection. Though it's advisable to stick to having a positive interest in common, you can always find common ground over your mutual hatred of Justin Bieber or your history teacher too. To keep a conversation flowing, you can occasionally complement the person you're talking to. Saying something like, "Wow, it sounds like you're really managing to keep a lot on your plate with work and school" or "I love those shell earrings" can help make the person feel appreciated. Saying, "You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen" or "I've never met anyone with such incredible legs before" will send the wrong message. Be sparing with complements when meeting a new person. Just complementing one personal item or one personality trait throughout the course of a conversation will make you sound polite, but not creepy.

SUMMARY: Master the art of small talk. Stick to the right amount of detail. Find common ground. Give appropriate compliments.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Each digit in a number has a name, and knowing them will help you add. Number places go from left to right: The spot on the left is the "ones" place. The second spot from the left is the "tens" place. The third spot from the left is the "hundreds" place. Here's an example: In the number 583, the 3 is in the ones place, the 8 is in the tens place, and the 5 is in the hundreds place. Line up your numbers so that each digit place is in a row. This makes it easier to add each column of numbers to get a final sum. If your problem is presented horizontally on a worksheet, it helps to rewrite it vertically to make it easier to solve. Each number place should be in its own line with each number stacked vertically. If one number uses fewer number spaces than another, leave the left spot blank. Here's an example: Here's how you'd write 16+4+342: 342 _16 +_4 The ones column is on the right. Once you have the sum of these numbers, write the ones digit of the sum in the ones place of your answer spot. If you have a tens digit in your sum, write it above the tens column in your problem. For 342+16+4, you'd add 2+6+4=12. Write the 2 in your ones place in your answer. Carry the other 1 into your tens column. If you have a number in the tens place, write the tens place number at the top of the tens column. This is the column located to the left of your ones column. You will include this number in the tens total. In the above example, you'd write the 1 from the tens place in 12 on top of the tens column. Go to the tens column, which is the next column to the left. Add up the numbers in this column, including your carry over number, if you had one. Write the ones place in this sum in the tens spot on your answer, then carry over the tens spot in your sum, if you had one. For 342+16+4, you'd add 4+1+1=6. Remember, the second 1 is the carry over from your ones sum. You'd write 6 down in the tens spot of your answer. You don't have any carry over from this sum. For longer problems, you'll need to add each column, moving from right to left. For each column, write the ones place of that column's sum in the corresponding number place in the answer. Then, carry over the tens place of the sum in the next column to the left. When you complete the last column on the right, you'll have your final sum. In our example, you only have one number in the hundreds column, so you'd carry down the 3 to your answer. Your final sum for 342+16+4=362. Although it seems challenging, you use the same process to add decimals as you do with whole numbers. Just make sure you line up each numbers place properly, including your decimals. If a number in the problem doesn't have a decimal, add a .0 to make it easier to workout the problem. Here's an example: 107.8 _24.5 __3.2 +15.0

SUMMARY:
Learn the number places. Write out your problem vertically. Line up the numbers. Add the ones column first. Carry the tens from the ones sum into the column of your problem. Count the next column. Continue working these steps until you get a final sum. Follow the same steps when adding decimals.