Among the many ways in which people communicate through speech, public speaking has probably received more study and attracted more attention than any other. Politicians campaigning for public office, salespeople presenting products, and preachers delivering sermons all depend upon this form of public communication. Even people who do not make speaking a part of their daily work are often asked to make public speeches: students at graduation, for instance, or members of churches, clubs, or other organizations. Nearly everyone speaks in public at some time or other, and those who perform the task well often become leaders.
There are many reasons for speaking in public. A public speaker may hope to teach an audience about new ideas, for example, or provide information about some topic. Creating a good feeling or entertaining an audience may be another purpose. Public speakers, however, most often seek to persuade an audience to adopt new opinions, to take certain actions, or to see the world in a new way.
Public speakers usually know well in advance when they are scheduled to make an address.
Consequently they are able to prepare their message before they deliver it. Sometimes, though, speakers must deliver the message unprepared, or off the cuff, such as when they are asked to offer a toast at a wedding reception or to participate in a televised debate or interview.
When they do not have to speak unpreparedly, most speakers write their own speeches. Politicians and business executives sometimes employ professional writers who prepare their speeches for them. These professional writers may work alone or in small teams. Although the speaker may have some input into the contents of the speech, the writers sometimes have a great influence over the opinions expressed by their employers. Regardless of how a speech is prepared, the person who delivers it is given credit for its effect upon its hearers.
1. Public speaking is well known to the average people because _____.
2. Which of the following is rarely the purpose of public speaking?
3. In paragraph 4, the expression “deliver the message off the cuff” means _____.
4. Often the speech prepared by a professional writer for a boss _____.
5. No matter who writes a speech, the audience _____.
问题1选项
A.most of them have been trained as public speakers
B.most of them have been audience of such activities
C.most of them have to do it when they study at college
D.the passage does not mention the reason
问题2选项
A.To influence people’s ideas and behavior.
B.To enjoy the satisfaction from one’s own speech.
C.To persuade the audience to accept an idea.
D.To promote public interest.
问题3选项
A.speak at a large reception
B.speak on television
C.speak according to the schedule
D.speak without preparation
问题4选项
A.is very professional and tactful
B.expresses the writer’s idea of the matter
C.expresses the boss’s idea of the matter
D.expresses the ideas of both
问题5选项
A.believe it expressed the speaker’s idea
B.know very well who the speaker is
C.know whose idea the speech really expresses
D.do not believe what the speaker says
第1题:B
第2题:B
第3题:D
第4题:D
第5题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
Public speaking is well known to the average people because _____. 公众演讲是普通人所熟知的是因为_____。
A. most of them have been trained as public speakers A. 他们中的大多数人都受过公众演讲的训练
B. most of them have been audience of such activities B. 他们中的大多数人都是这类演讲的观众
C. most of them have to do it when they study at college C. 他们中的大多数人在大学期间都必须做演讲
D. the passage does not mention the reason D. 文章没有提到原因
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第一段，第一段提到了“政治家（Politicians）竞选，销售员（salespeople）推销，传教士（preachers）传道都是发布公众演讲，甚至是不经常演讲的人，比如刚毕业的学生（students at graduation），教会俱乐部或其他机构成员（members of churches, clubs, or other organizations）也都做过公众演讲。几乎每个人都或多或少会在公共场合发言（speaks in public），而那些表现出色的人往往会成为领导者”由此可知，公众演讲是普通人所熟知的是因为大多数人都是公众演讲的观众。选项B符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“他们中的大多数人都受过公众演讲的训练”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
C选项“他们中的大多数人在大学期间都必须做演讲”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
D选项“文章没有提到原因”，属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following is rarely the purpose of public speaking? 以下哪一项很少是公开演讲的目的？
A. To influence people’s ideas and behavior. A. 影响人们的思想和行为。
B. To enjoy the satisfaction from one’s own speech. B. 从自己的演讲中得到满足。
C. To persuade the audience to accept an idea. C. 说服听众接受一个观点。
D. To promote public interest. D. 促进公众利益。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文第二段，第二段提到了“例如，一位公共演讲者可能希望向听众传授新思想（new ideas），或者提供一些关于某个话题的信息。创造一种良好的感觉或娱乐观众可能是另一个目的。然而，公众演讲者往往试图说服听众接受新的观点（adopt new opinions），采取某种行动，或以一种新的方式看世界”由此可知，只有B选项“从自己的演讲中得到满足”没有提及，所以该选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项都是公众演讲的目的，属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
In paragraph 4, the expression “deliver the message off the cuff” means _____. 第四段中deliver the message off the cuff是什么意思？
A. speak at a large reception A. 在大型招待会上演讲
B. speak on television B. 电视上演讲
C. speak according to the schedule C. 依照安排演讲
D. speak without preparation D. 毫无准备的演讲
【考查点】词义推测题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到第四段的第二句话“然而，有时演讲者必须在没有准备的情况下或……例如，当他们被要求在婚礼招待会上祝酒，或参加电视辩论或采访时”，结合句子关键词or可知off the cuff与unprepared意思是并列的，而且下文的举例也正好进一步解释了这个词是“即兴或无准备的”意思，所以选项D正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项不符合词义，属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Often the speech prepared by a professional writer for a boss _____. 通常专业写稿人为老板准备的演讲稿_____。
A. is very professional and tactful A. 非常专业和机智
B. expresses the writer’s idea of the matter B. 表达写稿人对这件事的看法
C. expresses the boss’s idea of the matter C. 表达老板对这件事的看法
D. expresses the ideas of both D. 表达了两者的思想
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文最后一段的第四句“虽然演讲者表述了演讲所需的内容，但是写稿人（the writers）有时会对他们雇主所要表达的观点产生很大的影响（have a great influence over the opinions）”由此可知，专业写稿人为老板准备的演讲稿通常是表达了老板和写稿人的思想，所以选项D符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“非常专业和机智”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
B、C选项都不符合原文表达的“表达了两者的思想”，属于曲解原文。
第5题:
【选项释义】
No matter who writes a speech, the audience _____. 不管是谁写的演讲稿，观众_____。
A. believe it expressed the speaker’s idea A. 相信它表达了演讲者的想法
B. know very well who the speaker is B. 很清楚演讲者是谁
C. know whose idea the speech really expresses C. 知道演讲真正表达的是谁的想法
D. do not believe what the speaker says D. 不相信演讲者所说的话
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位到原文最后一段最后一句“无论一篇演讲是如何准备的，演讲的人（the person who delivers it）都会因其对听众（its hearers）的影响而受到赞扬（credit）”由此可知，观众都会认为它传达的是演讲者的思想和心声。选项A符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项不符合原文，属于曲解原文。
