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.

1. The main idea of this article is _____.

A. you can improve your speaking ability 　　
B. a poor speaker can never change 　　
C. always make a short speech 　　
D. it is hard to make a speech

2. Paragraph 2 implies that _____.

3. The phrase "talk over their heads" means _____.

A. speak too loudly 　　
B. look at the ceiling 　　
C. look down upon them 　　
D. use words and ideas that are too difficult

4. All of the following statements are true except that _____.

A. few people know how to make good speeches 　　
B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech 　　
C. research is important in preparing a speech 　　
D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability

A. Do Not Make a Long Speech 　　
B. How to Give a Good Speech 　　
C. How to Prepare for a Speech 　　
D. Try to Enjoy a Speech

　 Life in Britain 　　
     Homes and families 　　
     Many British people live in Houses, not apartments. Most houses have gardens. 　　
     Daily (日常的) life 　　
     Most office workers start work at about nine in the morning, and finish at about five or six in the
afternoon. Most people don't go home for lunch, and they just have a quick meal. 　　
      School life 　　
     Children start school at about nine am, and finish at about three thirty pm. Most children have lunch
at school. All children go to school when they are four or five years old, and leave when they are sixteen
or seventeen. 　　
     Shops 　　
     Most shops open at about nine am and close at about six pm. Usually, they don't close for lunch.

1. Many British people live in _____. 　　

A. apartments
B. parks
C. houses
D. gardens 　

2. Most offices start work at about _____ in the morning. 　　

A. ten
B. nine
C. eight
D. seven 　

3. Most office workers and school children don't have lunch _____. 　　

A. in the garden
B. in the shop
C. at home
D. at school 　　

4. The children in Britain usually study at school for _____. 　　

A. sixteen or seventeen years
B. twelve or thirteen years 　　
C. four or five years
D. four years 　

5. Can you buy things in the shops at lunch time? 　

A. No. They close for lunch.
B. Yes. But there is no people in the shop. 　　
C. No. Shops open at 1p.m.
D. Yes. They don't close for lunch.

　　In Canada and the United States, people enjoy entertaining at home. They
often invite friends to come over for a meal, a party, or just for coffee and a
conversation.
　　Here are the kinds of things people say  when they invite someone to their
home:
　　"Would you like to come over for dinner  this Saturday night?"
　　"Hey, we're having a party on Friday. Can you come?"
　　To reply to an invitation, either say thank you and accept, or say you're
sorry and give an excuse:
　　"Thanks, I'd love to. What time would you like me to come?" or "Oh, sorry.
I've tickets to a movie."
　　Sometimes, however, people use expressions that sound like invitations but
which are not real invitations. For  example :
　　"Please come over for a drink sometime."
　　"Why don't you come over and see us sometime soon?"
　　They are really just polite ways of ending a conversation. They are not real
invitations because they don't mention a  specific (确定的) time or date. They
just show that the person is trying to be friendly. To reply to expressions like
these, people just say "Sure, that would be great!" or "OK. / Yes, thanks."
　　So next time when you hear what sounds like an invitation, listen carefully.
Is it a real invitation or is the person just being friendly?

1. Why do Canadians and Americans often invite friends for meals at home?

A. Because they can save time.
B. Because they can spend less money.
C. Because they enjoy entertaining at home.
D. Because they have modern and beautiful  houses.

2. Which of the following is a real  invitation?

A. If you're free, let's go for a drink sometime.
B. Please go to the cinema with me some day.
C. Would you like to have a cup of tea with us  sometime?
D. I've two tickets here. Can you go to the  concert with me tonight?

3. If people say "Let's get together forlunch some day", you just say "_____".

A. That would be nice.
B. How about this weekend?
C. Oh,  sorry. I'm very busy.
D. That's great. I'll be there on time.

4. People use "an unreal invitation" in  order to(为了) show that _____.

A. they're trying to be friendly
B. they're trying to be helpful
C. they're trying to make friends
D. they're trying to be useful

5. The passage is mainly about _____.

A. entertainment at home  
B. real invitations or not
C. expressions of starting a conversation
D. ways of ending a conversation

    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.

1. The main idea of this article is _______.

A. you can improve your speaking ability 　　
B. a poor speaker can never change 　　
C. always make a short speech 　　
D. it is hard to make a speech

2. Paragraph 2 implies that _______.

A. many people are afraid of giving a speech 　　
B. many people are happy to give a speech 　　
C. many people do not prepare for a speech 　　
D. many people talk too long

3. The phrase "talk over their heads" means ________.

A. speak too loudly 　　
B. look at the ceiling 　　
C. look down upon them 　　
D. use words and ideas that are too difficult

4. All of the following statements are true except that _______.

A. few people know how to make good speeches 　　
B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech 　　
C. research is important in preparing a speech 　　
D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability

5. The title for this passage may be _______.

A. Do Not Make a Long Speech 　　
B. How to Give a Good Speech 　　
C. How to Prepare for a Speech 　　
D. Try to Enjoy a Speech