Public speaking fills most people with dread. Humiliation is the greatest fear; self-exposure and failing to appeal to the audience come a close second. Women hate it most, since girls are pressurized from an early age to be concerned with appearances of all kinds.
Most people have plenty of insecurities, and this seems like a situation that will bring them out. If you were under pressure to be perfect, you are terrified of falling in the most public of ways.
While extroverts will feel less fear before the ordeal, it does not mean they will necessarily do it better. Some very shy people manage to shine. When I met the British comedian Julian Clary, he was shy and cautious, yet his TV performances are perfect.
In fact, personality is not the best predictor of who does it well. Regardless of what you are like in real life, the key seems to be to act yourself. Actual acting, as in performing the scripted lines of a character other than yourself, does not do the job. While politicians may limit damage by having carefully rehearsed, written scripts to speak from, there is always a hidden awareness among the audience that the words might not be true.
Likewise, the incredibly perfect speeches of many American academics are far from natural. You may end up buying their book on the way out, but soon afterwards, it is much like fast food, and you get a nameless sense that you’ve been cheated.
Although, as Earl Spencer proved at his sister Princess Diana’s funeral, it is possible both to prepare every word and to act naturally. A script rarely works and it is used to help most speakers.
But, being yourself doesn’t work either. If you spoke as if you were in your own kitchen, it would be too authentic, too unaware of the need to communicate with an audience.
I remember going to see British psychiatrist R. D. Laing speak in public. He behaved like a seriously odd person, talking off the top of his head. Although he was talking about madness and he wrote on mental illness, he seemed to be exhibiting rather than explaining it.
The best psychological place from which to speak is an unselfconscious self-consciousness, providing the illusion of being natural. Studies suggest that this state of “flow”,as psychologists call it, is very satisfying.
1. “This” in Paragraph Two refers to( ).
2. Which of the following is NOT the author’s viewpoint?
3. What is the author’s view on personality?
4. The author implies that while speaking R. D. Laing( ).
5. In the last paragraph the author recommends that( ).
问题1选项
A.insecurity
B.sense of failure
C.public speaking
D.pressure
问题2选项
A.Acting like performers spoils the message in a speech.
B.Perfection of scripts is necessary in making good impressions.
C.Acting naturally means less dependence on the prepared script.
D.There should be a balance between actual acting and acting naturally.
问题3选项
A.Personality is the key to success in public speaking.
B.Extroverts are better public speakers.
C.Introverts have to learn harder to be good speakers.
D.Factors other than personality ensure better performance.
问题4选项
A.was both too casual and authentic
B.was acting like a performer
C.was keeping a good balance
D.was aware of his audience
问题5选项
A.you forget about your nervousness
B.you feel natural and speak naturally
C.you may feel nervous, but appear naturally
D.you may imagine yourself to be natural
第1题:C
第2题:B
第3题:D
第4题:B
第5题:D
1.推理判断题。题干:文章第二段的“this”指的是___________。第一段说到演讲使很多人望而却步。首先是因为害羞,其次是害怕在众人面前露面而且担心不能吸引听众。女人尤其讨厌演讲,因为女孩子从小就感受到各种公开露面的压力。然后定位到文章第二段Most people have plenty of insecurities, and this seems like a situation that will bring them out. (很多人都有较强的不安全感,这项活动似乎可以引发人们的不安全感。),根据上下文可知,指示代词this指代本篇主题:公开演讲。所以本题的正确选项是C“公开演讲”。
2.推理判断题。题干:以下哪个选项不是作者的观点________。第四段第三句话Actual acting, as in performing the scripted lines of a character other than yourself, does not do the job.像真正的演员那样表演,就像是在念别人的台词而不是你自己的台词一样,往往是行不通的。对应A选项“表演得像演员一样会破坏演讲中的信息”的内容。第五段第一句话Likewise, the incredibly perfect speeches of many American academics are far from natural. You may end up buying their book on the way out, but soon afterwards, it is much like fast food, and you get a nameless sense that you’ve been cheated.(同样地,许多美国学者的完美地不可思议的演讲都极不自然。你可能会在听完演讲后买他们的书,但是很快,你会有一种莫名的上当受骗的感觉,就像吃完快餐食品后的感觉一样。听完许多完美地不可思议的演讲后往往会有一种莫名的上当受骗的感觉。),说明太完美的内容让演讲不自然,和B选项“为了给人留下好印象,完美的剧本是必要的”表达的意思不符合,所以本题应该选择B选项。第六段的第二句话A script rarely works and it is used to help most speakers.(但是稿子很少能起作用,它只是大多数演讲者的拐杖而已。)和C选项“自然的表演意味着少依赖准备好的剧本”内容对应,综合以上,可以推断出即使是精心准备的演讲也不一定能够博得听众的好感,所以D选项“在真实的表演和自然的表演之间应该有一个平衡。”也是正确的。综上所述,本题的正确答案为B选项。
3.推理判断题。题干:关于个性,哪一项是作者的观点?通过第四段第一句话In fact, personality is not the best predictor of who does it well.(事实上,性格并不能最准确地预测出一个人能否成功。),可推断出A选项“性格是成功演讲的关键”错误。通过第三段第一句话While extroverts will feel less fear before the ordeal, it does not mean they will necessarily do it better. Some very shy people manage to shine.(性格外向的人在这种折磨下比性格内向的人感受到的恐惧要小些,但这并不意味着他们一定会比性格内向的人做得更好。有些很害羞的人也能成功得使自己脱颖而出。)可推断出B选项“外向的人是更好的公众演说家”错误,和C选项“内向的人要想成为优秀的演讲者必须更加努力学习”错误。根据题干关键词personality定位到第四段:In fact,personality is not the best predictor of who does it well.Regardless of what you are like in real life,the key seems to be to act yourself.(人的性格并非做好演讲的最好标准,关键在于其他因素。)。综上所述,本题D选项“人格之外的因素保证了更好的表现”正确。
4.推理判断题。题干:当提起R.D. Laing时,作者暗示________。通过题干关键词“R.D. Laing”定位到第八段 He behaved like a seriously odd person, talking off the top of his head. Although he was talking about madness and he wrote on mental illness, he seemed to be exhibiting rather than explaining it.(当他即兴发言的时候表现地好像个十足的怪人。尽管他那天谈论的是有关疯狂的话题,而且他的文章写的是精神病,他看起来就像是在表演而不是在进行解释。),因此R.D. Laing在演讲时更多的是在表演,是在作秀,故B选项“表现得像个表演者”为正确答案。其他三项在文中均未提及,排除。
5.推理判断题。题干:在最后一段,作者建议_________。定位到文章最后一段, The best psychological place from which to speak is an unselfconscious self-consciousness, providing the illusion of being natural.(演讲时的最佳心理状态是无意识的自我意识,从而获得表现自然的幻觉。),所以本题的正确答案是D选项“你可以想象自己是自然的”,A选项“你会忘记你的紧张”,文章并没有暗示演讲时会忘记你的紧张,所以A选项排除,B选项“你感觉自然,说话自然”,最后一段表达的意思是,心里状态要自然,并没有提及说话需不需要自然,所以B选项排除,C选项“你可能会感到紧张,但要表现得自然”文章表达的是要克服紧张的心里情绪,所以C选项也不正确,综上所述,本题的正确答案为D选项。