## 2. Body positions and hand distance

In groups, the teacher will read a part of a real news story to a member of the group. Then one by one the first volunteer will have to remember the news and tell as much as possible to his/her partner. And so on, until all participants have had the opportunity to be counted and tell the news. The fifth volunteer will tell the news out loud to his or her group.

Plants “Talk” – Especially When They’re Stressed
Scientists have known for years that plants respond to sounds around them. For example, flowers make sweeter nectar to the sound of buzzing bees. But now scientists have shown that plants also seem to be doing some “talking”.

Sounds and Frequency Sound is made by vibrations. Things that vibrate slowly make low sounds. Rapid vibrations – like those from a whistle – create high sounds. Scientists use the word “frequency” to describe how rapidly or slowly something is vibrating. Some sounds are so high that humans can’t hear them. These sounds are called “ultrasonic” sounds. Dogs and cats are known for being able to hear ultrasonic frequencies.

Professor Lilach Hadany and her team at Tel Aviv University set up microphones to record tomato and tobacco plants under different conditions. Their recordings revealed that the plants made ultrasonic sounds.
When the researchers adjusted their recordings so that humans could hear them, they heard sharp clicking noises, like the snapping sound of bubble wrap being popped. As the scientists studied the sounds, they began to notice patterns. Plants clicked hardly at all when they had enough water. But as their soil got drier, they clicked more and more. When scientists cut off a stem from the plants – as if an animal had just taken a bite – the plants also clicked more. But the clicking wasn’t the same as when the plants needed water. It’s not clear how the plants make the sounds. One idea is that air bubbles form inside the plant’s stem, and that these popping bubbles make a clicking sound. It’s also not clear that the plants are making the sounds on purpose. Sometimes people’s knees creak, too, but they’re not doing it on purpose. But the plants are definitely making noise, and creating much more noise when they’re stressed (not enough water, stem cut off) than when they’re not. The result suggests that researchers may one day be able to use a plant’s sounds to figure out when it is having trouble, and what trouble it is having. That could be very helpful to farmers.

Conclusion: Our brain cannot retain all the information. The brain picks up only part of the message, which is why active listening plays an essential role in understanding the message and being able to process it properly.
In the world of work, there is no leader without active listening skills.