College English Exercises (Band I)
Part I. Skimming and Scanning (10 points)
Directions: In this part, you have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and make the choice to the questions after reading the passage, then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line though the centre.
For questions 1-7, mark
Y (for YES)            if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;
N (for NO)              if statement contradicts the information given in the passage;
NG (for NOT GIVEN)      if the information is not given in the passage.
For question 8-10,      complete the sentences with the information given in the passage
Dealing with Fear
Most people love to talk, but even the most talkative person can become a bundle of nerves at the thought of having to give a speech. This fear of speaking in public seems to be universal. In one study, people were asked what they fear most. Only 32 percent reported a fear of heights. Only 22 percent reported a fear of financial problems. Only 18 percent reported a fear of either sickness or death. But a whopping 40.6 percent reported a fear of speaking in public. This percentage was higher than that for any other item tested!
Not only is fear of speaking common, it is a very normal reaction. People naturally become nervous under pressure. First, of course, standing in front of a group whose eyes are all focused on us makes us self-conscious. The knowledge that what we say will be analyzed and evaluated makes us even more anxious. Even professional speakers are more nervous when they can see people taking notes and getting ready to evaluate.
Nearly all of us experience the same effects when we are nervous. Before the speech we can't eat or sleep. At the time of the speech, we experience trembling perspiring, shortnes
s of breath, and increased heartbeat. If we let ourselves think about our nervousness during the speech, we may feel self-doubt, loss of contact with the audience, a jumping back and forth from point to point, and occasional lapses of memory.
Nervousness need not result in speech problems. In fact, most people can and do control their fears. It is important to note that our goal is "controlling fear" and not "getting rid of it". Let’s start by looking at four factors that can work in your favor.
You Are in Good Company
Not only does forty percent of the population regard public speaking as the thing they fear most, but also many experienced speakers confess to nervousness when they speak. I can hear you now: “Don’t give me that line --- you can’t tell that you fill in the blank with some person you know is nervous when he or she speaks in public!" You doubt me? Ask the person. He or she will tell you. Even famous speakers like Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt were nervous before speaking. The difference in nervousness among people is a matter of degree --- good speakers learn to channel their nervousness.
The following statement may surprise you: I would be disappointed if you were not nervous. Why? Because you must be a little nervous to do your best. Of course I do no, mean that you should be blind with fear But a bit of nervousness gets the adrenalin (肾上腺) flowing--- and mat get you ready to speak.
Despite Nervousness, You Can Make It Through a Speech
Very few persons are so bothered that they can't function. You may not enjoy the speech-but you can do it.
Your Listeners Aren't Nearly as Likely to Notice Your Fear as You Thin
Inexperienced speakers find their fear increases because they think their audiences know how nervous they are. This makes the speaker more self-conscious. The fact is that people, even speech instructors, greatly underrate the amount of nervousness they believe a person has. Once you realize that your audience doesn't really notice the fear that you feel, you'll no longer experience so much nervousness.
The More Experience You Get in Speaking, the More Able You Become to Cope with Nervousness
As you gain experience, you learn to think about the audience and the message and not about yourself. You also come to realize that audiences are usually very supportive. You will find that having a group of people listening to you alone is very satisfying.
英语练习题Some Behaviors to Put into Operation Before and During the Speech
We have looked at four factors that operate, almost without your knowledge, to help you cope with fear. Now let's consider some of the behaviors that you can put into operation before and during the speech itself.
The very best behavior for controlling nervousness is to pick a topic you know something about and that you are interested in. Public speakers cannot allow themselves to be content with a topic they don't care about An unsatisfactory topic almost guarantees nervousness at the time of the speech. By the same token, having a topic that you know about and are truly interested lays the groundwork for a good speech.
Then, give yourself enough time to prepare fully. Don't back yourself into a corner where you must find material, organize it, write an outline, and practice the speech all before an hour or two. This will almost guarantee failure and destroy your confidence. On the other hand, if you will do a little work a week before the assignment, you will feel less pressure and an increase of confidence.