Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help people feel relaxed and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, "At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question, but it will get things going." From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.
Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively. Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the moment of parting. If you're saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, "I've really enjoyed meeting you." If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life.
1.Asking questions might be a quite good and suitable way _______.
A. for you to make more and more new friends
B. to begin your business talks
C. to get the conversation going smoothly
D. for you to make a deep and lasting impression on others
2.After having asked somebody a question, it'll be polite of you to _______.
A. make clear what kind of person he is
B. listen to his reply attentively
C. wait quietly and patiently for his answer
D. go on asking him more questions
3.Generally speaking, good talkers are persons who _______.
A. are good at making any topic interesting
B. never talk too much or too little
C. always speak in a gentle way
D. know how and when they should change the topic of the talk
4.If you really want to meet someone again, _______.
A. you may take him as your lifelong true friend
B. it seems necessary for you to let him know it
C. it's proper for you to give him a second handshake
D. it'll be helpful for you to have further understanding of him
People enjoy taking trips. But what are the reasons they leave home? One reason is for education. People travel because they want to learn more about other people and other places. They are curious about other cultures. When people are tourists, they get a quick look at different ways of living. Even a short look at another kind of lifestyle is an important lesson. On a trip, a person can learn directly by visiting museums and historic spots. What does a tourist learn who sees the art museums, visits the historical palaces and other scenic spots in Paris and shops along the River Seine? He gets a vivid picture, a real life of one of the French people. He learns about their attitudes（态度）, how they feel about business, beauty and history.
What about the tourist who goes to Hong Kong? Does he get the same information that he could get from a book? He might read that Hong Kong is crowded, that there is less than 200 square meters of space for each person. But seeing and feeling the lack of space will impress him much more. He might read that there are nearly 200 vehicles for every kilometer of roadway. But the sight of so many vehicles parked along the roadside would be a much more vivid lesson. The tourist to Hong Kong will never forget the contrasts(对比，对照): the straight vertical lines of tall modern buildings and the moving lines of boats that people live in.
1.Why do people leave home to travel according to the passage?
A. For education.
B. For adventure.
C. To enjoy themselves.
D. To look for a different lifestyle.
2.What do we learn from the passage about Paris?
A. It has a large population.
B. It has many tall buildings.
C. There are 200 vehicles for every kilometer of roadway.
D. There are many museums and palaces.
3.What impression will a tourist get of Hong Kong?
A. It has many big and beautiful parks.
B. It is very crowded.
C. It has many historical spots.
D. It is an important industrial center.
4.What does the passage tell us about traveling?
A. It makes our life more interesting.
B. It enables us to get first-hand knowledge.
C. It helps develop our personalities.
D. It brings about changes in our lifestyle.
Six people are talking about two pie shops in a TV program.
Lily: I’ve been going to Pie House for twenty years. Now Marie’s son is taking care of the business, and he makes pies as good as his mother’s. I enjoy my stay there as before. My family also like the pies. We feel relaxed while staying there.
◇◇◇
Olive: I went to Pie Corner once. Their pies were great, too. But I feel more comfortable at Pie House. I am used to the taste there, which makes me feel happy. I’m really a fan of Pie House.
◇◇◇
Ned: Uncle Roy used to work for my mom. Later he opened Pie Corner on the next block after he got married. At the beginning, it’s not easy for him, but it is becoming more and more popular especially among young people. They think Pie Corner can often give them a surprise.
◇◇◇
Marie: Roy was already quite avant-garde when working with me. I mean he had different, sometimes even strange, ideas about pies. There were times I thought his pies wouldn’t taste good, but they turned out magically delicious. He is really creative and can always make new pies, which attract many people.
◇◇◇
Lee: Ned has done quite well with Pie House. His pies make you feel warm. But if you want to try something interesting, you should go to Pie Corner.
◇◇◇
Chuck: The two pie shops are really different from each other. If eating Roy’s pies is like taking an exciting trip, then Ned’s pies are just like a sweet home you go back to after a long trip. Which one to go to depends on what you like.
1.What do we know about the six people?
A.They all have been to both pie shops.
B.They all talked about what the pies taste like.
C.Some of them are the shopkeepers of the pie shops.
D.Some of them talked about how the shopkeepers treated their workers.
2.Which is true about the pie shops?
A. Pie House is a family business.
B. Pie Corner is next to Pie House.
C. Pie Corner has a longer history than Pie House.
D. Pie House gives people a place to stay for the night.
3.What does ‘avant-garde’ mean in the reading?
A. Having a new and surprising way of thinking.
B. Trying to find out where the problems come from.
C. Trying to act like someone who knows everything.
D. Having many exciting life experiences.
I was said to be the worst student in my class, and my family thought I was hopeless. I had to Grade Six. At that time a new teacher, Miss Sadia, came to our school.
One day after class, she noticed that I was staying alone during the lunch break. She came to me and began to talk to me. It was just a conversation. After that day, she gave me particular attention and it made me feel special. I started to work hard because she gave me the feeling that believed me, and my started to improve in her subject.
Months later, she moved into a house near my . We would walk home together after school. Her constant support helped me, especially in my studies, as I knew she would my grades both in her subject and the other subjects. I finally second in my class.
Then, after Grade Six, she started to slowly drift away（疏远）, still kept a constant check on me. By the time I was in Grade Seven, we spoke, but by then I had become the in my class. When I left my school, I was out of touch with her, as she never answered the when I called her.
Then I graduated and went to a good university. One fine day, our paths crossed again. I met her at a wedding. I could not asking her, "Why did you stop talking to me?" "You are a clever boy. I wanted you to be a tree standing on your roots, not depending on others. Now here you are and I feel of you. You are your inspiration(启发灵感的人) and do not need to a shoulder." she said. I could not say anything, but I smiled. I'll always thank her .
1.A. jump B. attend C. copy D. repeat
2.A. stupid B. useless C. normal D. secret
3.A. everyone B. someone C. anyone D. nobody
4.A. words B. objects C. classes D. grades
5.A. home B. school C. hotel D. company
6.A. change B. look C. improve D. check
7.A. received B. came C. caught D. held
8.A. but B. as C. or D. so
9.A. ever B. often C. once D. hardly
10.A. oldest B. strongest C. best D. cleverest
11.A. road B. schoolyard C. phone D. machine
12.A. finish B. help C. prevent D. keep
13.A. own B. teachers’ C. parents’ D. classmates’
14.A. sad B. proud C. good D. ashamed
15.A. give up B. get on C. look for D. take up
—It is reported that it will rain hard next Sunday.
—_______. We' re planning to go boating that day.
A. I don't think so B. I hope so C. I’m afraid not D. I hope not
—Could you please tell me_______?
—Sorry, you can turn to Mr. Lee for help.
A. how long can man live without water
B. how long could man live without water
C. how long man can live without water
D. how long man could live without water
