Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.
| A. Be well-organized. B. Close with a Q & A. C. Don’t be contradictory . D. Bring it to a specific end. E. Speak slowly and pause. F. Drop unnecessary words. |
Speaking to a group can be difficult, but listening to a bad speech is truly a tiresome task—especially when the speaker is confusing. Don’t want to confuse your audience? Follow these suggestions:
76.
When it comes to understanding new information, the human brain needs a little time. First, we hear the words; then, we compare the new information to what we already know. If the two are different, we need to pause and think. But a breathless speaker never stops to let us think about what he or she is saying and risks confusing us. Slow it.
77.
Sometimes we all start a sentence one way and then switch directions, which is very difficult to follow. When you confuse your listeners with opposing information, you leave the audience wondering what part of the information is right and what part they should remember. Instead of relying and keeping correcting yourself, work to get the facts clear and straight.
78.
Jumping from point to point as it comes to your mind puts the onus (责任）on your listeners to make up for your lack of organization. And it’s confusing for them to listen, reorganize, and figure out what you’re saying all at once. But going smoothly from one point to the next helps them understand information more easily. You can arrange things from beginning to end, small to large, top to bottom or by some other order. Just be sure to organize.
79.
Repeated use of um, ah, like, you know and some other useless noises can drive an audience crazy. It makes the speaker sound uncertain and unprepared, and it can leave listeners so annoyed that they can’t pay attention. Recently I attended a speech that was marked by so many ums that audience members were rolling their eyes. Was anybody grasping the intended message? Um, probably not.
80.
Many speakers finish up their speeches with question-and-answer (Q & A) sessions, but some let the Q & A go on without a clear end. The audience is often left confused about whether the meeting is over and when they can get up and leave. Do your listeners a favour by setting a time limit on questions, and close your speech with a specific signal—even if it’s something simple like, “If you have any more questions, you know where to reach me.”
Or even more to the point, conclude your speech with “Thanks for your time. ”
Fastest Time to Run 100 Miles on a Treadmill (跑步机)
BROKEN
The fastest time to run 100 miles on a treadmill by a team (of 12) is claimed at 9hr 5 min 17 sec by a team consisting of staff and prisoners at the Young Offenders Institute in Wigan to raise money for Children in Need.
Largest Game of Chinese Whispers
UNBROKEN
Sadly, the record attempt for the largest game of Chinese Whispers was unsuccessful on 13 November 2008. The existing record of 1330 children still remains.
Fastest Mile with an Egg/Spoon in both hands
BROKEN
The fastest mile egg and spoon race with both hands is 8 min 25 sec and was achieved by Ashrita Furman (USA) in an attempt broadcast by ESPN 260, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 13 November 2008.
Longest Mexican Wave
UNBROKEN
The record for the Longest Mexican Wave was attempted by 250,000 people on the streets of Adelaide on 8 November 2008 – sadly, the wave was not completed by all participants and the attempt was unsuccessful. The current record of 157, 574 remains.
Largest Kebab (烤肉串)
BROKEN
The longest kebab measures 2047.47 m (1.27 miles) and was achieved by the ArcelorMittal Newcastle Works on occasion of the company’s annual Community Day, in Newcastle, South Africa.
69. The above information is _________.
A. a series of sports events B. a list of broken and unbroken records
C. a report of funny sports items D. a description of challenging human limits
70. Which of the following can NOT be found in the information?
A. The countries where the attempts were made.
B. The persons who made the attempts.
C. The reasons why some attempts failed.
D. The present record for each item.
71. Which item was attempted individually?
A. Fastest Time to Run 100 Miles on a Treadmill
B. Largest Game of Chinese Whispers
C. Fastest Mile with an Egg/Spoon in both hands
D. Longest Mexican Wave
Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
| A. desperation | B. authorities | C. diligently | D. confusion | E. enrolled |
| F. violently | G. financial | H. conclusion | I. devoted | J. graduation |
Seventeen years ago, when I was in military college, I was known as “the worrying wreck from Virginia Tech”. I worried so _____41_____ that I often became ill. In _____42_____, I poured out my troubles to Professor Baird, professor of business administration. The fifteen minutes that I spent with Professor Baird did more for my health and happiness than all the rest of the four years I spent in college. “Jim,” he said, “you ought to sit down and face the facts. If you _____43_____ half as much time and energy to solving your problems as you do to worrying about them, you wouldn’t have any worries. ”
I figured that I had failed physics because I had no interest in the subject. But now I changed my attitude. I said to myself, “If the college _____44_____ demand that I pass my physics examination before I obtain a degree, who am I to question their wisdom?”
So I ______45____ for physics again. This time I passed because instead of wasting my time in worrying about how hard it was, I studied _____46_____.
I solved my _____47_____ worries by taking on some additional jobs, such as selling punch at the college dances, and by borrowing money from my father, which I paid back soon after ____48______.
As I look back at it now, I can see that my problem was one of _____49_____, a lack of willingness to find the causes of my worry and face them realistically.