We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don't do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech and you're terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank goodness, it's over. I'm just no good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cheer up! It doesn't have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of time doing your research. Then spend plenty of time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible and use pictures, charts and graphs if they will help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don't talk over their heads and don't talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you'll see that you don't have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You're not convinced yet. Give it a try and see what happens. We can conclude from Paragraph 2 that many people .
| A．talk too long in a speech |
| B．are happy to give a speech |
| C．are afraid of giving a speech |
| D．do not prepare for a speech |
All of the following statements are true except that .
| A．a lecturer does not need to organize his speech |
| B．few people know how to make good speeches |
| C．research is important in preparing a speech |
| D．there are simple steps to improve your speaking |
The underlined expression “talk over their heads” means “ ”.
| A．speak too loudly | B．look at the ceiling |
| C．look down upon them | D．use difficult words and ideas |
The main idea of the passage is that
| A．you can improve your speaking ability |
| B．a poor speaker can never change |
| C．it's easy to make a short speech |
| D．it is hard to make a speech |
Teenage life is quite dramatic but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy your life in these years. Even with your daily troubles, your life is not very hard if you know how to deal with them.
I know exactly how you feel. Life as a teenager can be hard. You are not a kid anymore, because you are smart enough to observe and analyze your surroundings. However, you are still not an adult because there are still lots of experiences that you need to have and lessons that you need to learn from these experiences. To top it all, the hormonal(激素的) imbalance in your body can really mess you up emotionally. I have been there. I was in it for 6 years exploring what life is about.
As a teenager, I had a major problem with completing my chores(日常事务) on time. And at that time, all that I need to do was finish my assignments, study for the upcoming test and clean my room. Now, I have lots of things to do: cooking, cleaning and working while striking a balance between all my relationships related to work, family and friends. That really is a lot of work. So, I will just give you one golden tip, quoting from Benjamin Franklin, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.”
Life becomes much easier because I finish all my work on time and I have enough time to let my hair down. Half the problems as a teenager are because we hate doing things. We’d rather go and have fun than sit down and take care of our duties and responsibilities. That is why you have so much trouble in your life; your parents won’t let you go out with friends because you didn’t clean your room or your professor is always criticizing you because you haven’t finished your assignments.Whom is the text intended for?
| A．Parents | B．Teachers |
| C．Teenagers | D．Scientists |
What do we know from Paragraph 2?
| A．The author also experienced hard times in his teens. |
| B．The author had strong hormones in his body. |
| C．The author thinks teenagers have lots of experiences. |
| D．The hormonal imbalance has no influence on teenagers’ bodies. |
The author tries to persuade readers mainly by means of ______.
| A．quoting famous sayings by famous people |
| B．setting his own experiences as example |
| C．listing all of his troubles in his childhood |
| D．showing the numerous assignments for children |
The underlined phrase “let my hair down” in Paragraph 4 means ______.
| A．get relaxed | B．get success |
| C．get out of control | D．get motivated |
When I was six, my mother placed me in a boarding home. For the next nine years, I never slept in a room that contained less than 30 other kids in it. So, when I was promoted to senior at the high school for my final year there, I had the greatest pleasure of rooming with just one other classmate, and the added feature of a semi-private bathroom.
We seniors also had the feature of walking around the campus in special hats, we called senior bonnets. So all the other kids would know we were the highest in the high school. As seniors, we frequently went on field trips outside the campus, including city museums, city hall, colleges and theatres. The highlight was a senior class trip to Washington, D.C., where we sat in on a session of Congress, visited the monument and many other government sites around the city.
Another benefit of being seniors was that many of us on athletic and other extra-curricular teams were elected to high ranking for the year. I had the honor and pleasure of being chosen captain of our state championship swim team, while my roommate was voted president of the drama club.
Graduation services were on a sunny day in June. Each of us had looked forward to this moment for ten years. Now we were going out on our own to complete freedom, and we should have been flooded with joy. However, to my surprise, I found myself crying, something I hadn’t done for years. I noticed many of my classmates usually proud of their macho guy(大男子气概) attitudes, were also wiping away tears. We knew we would never be together again as we were on that graduation day. Our senior year ended with deep feelings of sadness for our loss, as well as joy for our emerging into a new world beyond the school campus.What made the author feel most pleasant after becoming a senior for his last year?
| A．He needn’t study in a boarding home from then on. |
| B．There would be at least 30 classmates in his class. |
| C．His best friend would share a room with him. |
| D．He would share a room with only one classmate. |
Why did the author and his classmates wear senior bonnets at campus?
| A．He could prove that they were from rich families. |
| B．They would be respected by the girls in his class. |
| C．Students of the lower grades would know their grades. |
| D．They would look fashionable and attractive. |
According to the author, what was the best activity for the seniors?
A. Walking around the campus in special hats
B. Making a senior class trip to Washington, D.C.
C. Going on field trips outside the campus
D. Joining athletic and other extra-curricular teamsThe author and his classmates can’t help crying at graduation services as .
| A．their parents had marriage problems and were faced with divorce then |
| B．they were not admitted to their dreaming universities |
| C．he would say goodbye to his school and he would face new challenges |
| D．the headmaster gave a moving speech at the meeting |
Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He wanted to learn more about American culture and hoped that he and Steve would become good friends. At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to have lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed distant. The two former classmates didn’t see each other very often at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve’s change of attitude. “Steve said we were friends,” Yaser complained, “and I thought friends were friends forever.” Yaser was a little confused.
As a foreigner, he doesn’t understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word “friend” in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintances(相识的人；熟人) and close companions(伙伴) “friends”. These friendships are based on common interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade(逐渐消失). Now as Steve and Yaser are no longer classmates, their “friendship” has changed. In some cultures friendship means a strong lifelong bond between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out five American families moves every year. American friendships develop quickly, and they may change just quickly as well. People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship. After an experience like Yaser’s , people who’ve been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be fickle(易变的). Learning how Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way.According to the passage, ________made Yaser a little confused.
| A．Steve’s inviting him to dinner |
| B．Steve’s cold attitude |
| C．Steve’s studying with him |
| D．Steve’s misunderstanding him |
We can learn from the passage that_____.
| A．Americans use the word “friend” in a very special way and like to develop a close friendship |
| B．American friendliness is always an offer of true friendship and is of great value |
| C．Americans think the friendship will last for ever, even though the shared activity ends |
| D．Americans always base their friendships with others on common interests |
In Paragraph 2, the underlined word “they” refers to “_______”.
| A．American friendships |
| B．American families |
| C．People from the United States |
| D．misunderstandings |
This passage mainly tells us_____.
| A．that people should not make friends with Americans. |
| B．that everyone needs friends. |
| C．the importance of keeping friendships |
| D．how Americans view friendship |
The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666 . In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city , where most of the houses were wooden and close together .Over one hundred people became homeless , but only a few lost their lives .
The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker（面包师）in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family , was able to get out through a window in the roof . A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery（面包房）into a small hotel next door .Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o’ clock three hundred houses were on fire . On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment．Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.”
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire．With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone．In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among which were St Paul’s
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.How was the fire put out according to the text?
| A．The King and his soldiers came to help. |
| B．All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed. |
| C．Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down |
| D．People managed to get enough water from the river. |
It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
| A．some people lost their lives |
| B．the birds in the sky were killed by the fire |
| C．the King’s bakery was burned down |
| D．many famous buildings were destroyed |
Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?
| A．Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire. |
| B．Because Pepys also wrote about the fire. |
| C．To show that poor people suffered most. |
| D．To give readers a clearer picture of the fire. |
Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread of the big fire?
(a) There was a strong wind.
(b) The streets were very narrow．
(c) Many houses were made of wood.
(d) There was not enough water in the city.
(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.
| A．(a) and (b) |
| B．(a), (b) and (c) |
| C．(a), (b), (c) and (d) |
| D．(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) |
You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is such a thing as a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another earth”? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.
ABC means American-born Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside—thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside—looking like a Chinese.
Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese. Also, they are not interested in Chinese politics.
But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas Chinese. These people may be citizens(公民) of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair. But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C. N. Yang (杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957. And he is an American citizen.“ABC” in this text stands for “_______”.
| A．three English letters |
| B．a kind of banana |
| C．Americans born in China |
| D．Chinese born in America |
Chinese in Western countries are called “banana persons” because __________.
| A．their bodies are white inside but yellow outside |
| B．they think like Westerners but look like Chinese |
| C．they were born in China but go to study in America |
| D．they are Chinese who look like bananas |
C. N. Yang is mentioned here to show that ________.
A. American Chinese are great
B. we love American Chinese
C. American Chinese are not Chinese citizens
D. Chinese people can win Nobel PrizesThis text is mainly about _________.
A. overseas Chinese
B. different kinds of bananas
C. the Nobel Prize
D. the life story of C. N. Yang