Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809. His mother died when he was ten years old. Later, his family moved to Illinois and his father remarried. The family was poor, so they had to struggle just to live. In Illinois, there were neither teachers nor schools, but Lincoln’s stepmother encouraged him to study. He learned to read and write while working on the farm.

At twenty-one, Lincoln left home. He soon received a law license and became a lawyer. People trusted him and began to call him “Honest Abe”.

During the following years, he took a more active part in polities. Soon he was not only a highly respected lawyer but also a well-known politician. He was elected the sixteenth president of the United States in 1860, and in the next year the Civil War broke out.

The Civil War was between the southern states that wanted to leave the Union and form their own country, and northern states that wanted to keep all the states as one country. The southern states wanted to keep the laws that allowed them to own slaves. Both the northern states and President Lincoln wanted to get rid of those laws. On April 9, 1865, the Civil War ended and all slaves were set free.

Less than a week later, on April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot at the Ford Theater in Washington D.C. He died the next day from his wounds.

Abraham Lincoln

Birth

★He was born in 1809.

His family

★His mother died when he was 1. .

★His stepmother was 2. to him and encouraged him to study.

Unusual Experience

★A farmer, a lawyer, a politician and the sixteenth 3. of the United States.

Achievement

★The Civil War broke out between the southern states and the 4. states.

★All slaves were set free when the Civil War 5. .

★“Keeping all the states as one country” came true.

People can’t see you when you’re speaking on the phone, but they can hear you. So, the way you speak is especially important. In fact, researchers have calculated that 80% of communication over the phone is through your tone of voice; and only 20% is from the words you use. Here are our top tips on how to speak over the phone.

1. Facial Expressions

Your facial expression can influence your voice. For example, if you smile, your voice will sound warm and friendly, just the opposite, if you have an angry look on your face, it can make you sound unpleasant.

2. Volume

If you speak too loudly, you could sound angry. And if you speak too softly, it’ll be difficult to hear you. So, speak loudly enough to be heard clearly, but not so loud that you’re shouting.

3. Pace

The pace of your voice is how quickly you speak. And this can show how you feel. For example, an angry person might speak faster than normal. Or a downhearted person might speak very slowly. Try speaking a little more slowly than normal. This will make you sound confident, and it’ll make it easier for the other person to understand you.

4. Gestures

Gesturing can influence the tone of your voice. When you gesture, you bring more air into the lungs, which can make your voice sound warmer. Gestures are also useful to help you stress the right words or even find the words you need. The best thing about gesturing during a phone call is that no one can see what you’re doing, so you can gesture as wildly as you like!

5. Movement

If you’re feeling nervous, stand up and move around. It will reduce the nervousness in your body and help your voice to sound more confident.

6. Pauses (停顿)

Using pauses every now and then can help you to slow down. This will make you sound more confident and in control. Also, if you pause after giving some new information, it’ll give the other person time to understand it. At the same time, listen to how the other person uses pauses. They could tell you something about the speaker’s feeling. For example, when a speaker is really angry, he might use pauses and says, “I... am... so... angry...”

1.How much of telephone communication is from the words you use?

A. 20%. B. 40%. C. 60%. D. 80%.

2.What can people do to reduce their nervousness on the phone?

A. Gesture wildly. B. Move around. C. Raise their voices. D. Make facial expressions.

3.How can pauses help people talk on the phone?

A. The speaker can show he is friendly. B. The speaker can tell more information.

C. The listener will feel confident and in control. D. The listener will have time to understand the words.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to control the speed of your speech. B. Different good ways of talking on the phone.

C. Reasons of making gestures while talking. D. How to improve communication among friends.

5.What is the writer’s opinion about telephone talk?

A. Your voice on the phone will show what you’re feeling.

B. Using too many pauses while talking will annoy others.

C. Speaking loudly makes it easier for others to understand you.

D. The words you use are more important than the way you speak.

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