Question

【题目】How to Say No Respectfully

Like most people, your natural instinct (本能) is probably to help others when you can. 【1】 Whether you’re declining an invitation to a party or turning down a new project at work, you can say no while still being respectful. Whatever the situation is, be clear, polite and firm when saying no.

Express your thanks. 【2】 If you have to turn someone down, express your thanks that they thought of you in the first place. You could say something like, “Thanks for considering me responsible enough to watch your kids. I’m sorry that I’m busy that evening.”

Think before you speak. If you say no immediately, it might seem like you didn’t even consider the request. In order to be respectful, take a moment to think about your answer—even if you already know what it is going to be. 【3】

Give a clear answer. Saying no respectfully shows that you’re honest and direct. 【4】 If you can’t help, say so. If someone is asking you on a date and you don’t want to go, make that clear.

【5】 You can say no without completely turning down the request. By setting boundaries, you can make it clear exactly what you can do and what you are willing to do. For example, you could say, “I’m not free for dinner, but I would be coming for a quick drink after work.”

A.Find a way to compromise (妥协).

B.Take a pause, and then kindly say no.

C.But sometimes, you just need to say no.

D.It’s strange to feel guilty for turning someone down.

E.Make it clear that you sincerely appreciate being asked.

F.If you feel it necessary, you can also provide a reason for your answer.

G.Do not give people false hope that you will be able to satisfy their request.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】E

【3】B

【4】G

【5】A

【解析】

本文为说明文。本文主要介绍了如何有礼貌地拒绝别人。

【1】空前讲到“帮助别人可能是人的一种本能”，接下来话锋一转，下文说到“在有的情形下你可以礼貌地拒绝别人”，前后是转折关系。C项But sometimes, you just need to say no（但有时候，你只需要说不）符合题意，故选C。

【2】本段的第一句为段落主题句，所以空格处意思在进一步解释说明这一主题。分析选项，可知E项 Make it clear that you sincerely appreciate being asked（要表达清楚你很真诚地感激得到邀请）符合题意，而且选项中的“appreciate”与本段的第一句的Express your thanks（表达你的谢意）是 同义词，放入句中意义一致，故选E。

【3】本段的首句“Think before you speak.(三思而行)“为段落主题句，意为“在说（不）之前要思考一下”。而B项Take a pause, and then kindly say no.（停一下，然后再善意地拒绝）与此处匹配，故选B。

【4】由本段句首“Give a clear answer. Saying no respectfully shows that you’re honest and direct.”可知，本段主要叙述明确答复对方，有礼貌地拒绝别人表示你是诚实的、直接的，以及空格后的 “If you can’t help, say so. If someone is asking you on a date and you don’t want to go, make that clear.”可知，如果你帮不上忙，就说出来。如果有人约你而你不想去，就说清楚。由此可知，不要给人错觉，让别人觉得你可以满足他们的要求。分析选项可知G项与本段意义一致。故选G。

【5】根据下文可知，本段讲述的是在拒绝别人的时候，可以留有余地，表达清楚你能做什么，愿意做什么。分析选项可知，A项Find a way to compromise（找到一个折中的办法）与之意义一致。故选A。

七选五题型考察学生把握整篇文章的布局和逻辑层次关系和把握微观信息间关联性这种题一般可从以下方面来做：

（1）看首段，跳过空格快速通读全篇，确定文章体裁，抓住文章结构，分析篇章结构，了解文章大意。首段的末句一般是全文的主题所在，首段的末句对于快速掌握文章的主题具有重要意义。

（2）精读空格前后两句，利用各种衔接手段选择正确的选项填入空格。七选五空出的是整个句子，可以通过选项中某个名词或动词跟空前或空后的一致性或者相关性来确定这两个句子之间有一种关联性，从而选择正确的答案。本段的第一句“为段落主题句，所以空格处意思在进一步解释说明这一主题，分析选项，可知E项 Make it clear that you sincerely appreciate being asked（要表达清楚你很真诚地感激受到邀请）符合题意，而且选项中的“appreciate”与本段的第一句的Express your thanks（表达你的谢意）”是 同义词，放入句中意义一致，故选E。

（3）看选项，找出与空前空后句中心词同义，近义或相关性的词语，实现关键词的对接，尤其是词（或短语）的复现。先易后难，各个突破。通过阅读选项，有可能根据选项中的关键词找出正确选项。

（4） 解题的关键是能娴熟地利用各种衔接手段。尤其要注意代词，连词等。如表示转折关系的but，though,however 等。空前讲到“帮助别人可能是人的一种本能”，接下来话锋一转，下文说到“在有的情形下你可以礼貌地拒绝别人”，前后是转折关系。C项But sometimes, you just need to say no（但有时候，你只需要说不）符合题意，故选C。

最后，用代入法，检查答案是否合理，将所有选择答案放回空白处，通读全文，检查文章内容是否语义连贯合理、紧扣主题，语篇结构是否通顺连贯、具有一致性、合乎逻辑，写作思路是否清晰明了，格式以及用语是否恰当贴切，从而判断选择的答案是否正确。