1、s positive. A compliment is always a good ice breaker and will usually be appreciated. Any news event is a good ice breaker. The fact is, any opening line will do, as long as its not negative, and as long as its not a lie. The best way to entice a person to have a conversation with you is by being s
2、incere and respectful, and letting them know that you are interested in talking to them.Once youve got a conversation going, the best way to keep it going is by asking the other person questions that dont require just a yes or no answer. Ask questions similar to those a reporter might ask to draw a
3、person out; who, what, when, where, why and how questions. You keep asking questions based on the last thing a person says. This is called the elaboration technique. Once you hit on something you find interesting, keep asking questions in order to get the person to elaborate about the topic as much
4、as possible. A good conversationalist elaborates on the experiences theyve had. Instead of saying the party was fun, tell why it was fun. Describe why you had a good timewho was there, what happened, where it was, and how people arranged the party. Go into detail. Description is the best form of com
5、munication because it keeps peoples interest up and stimulates them.If you started a conversation with another person, and youre having difficulty ending it, there are several signals you can send to the other person that will bring the conversation to its close without hurting anyones feelings.Brea
6、king eye contact is a discreet signal that the conversation is about to end. Another way to signal is to use transition words like well, or at any rate. You may want to recap all that was said. Whatever you do, dont lie to the other person. If youre not interested in talking to them again, dont ment
7、ion the possibility of a future meeting just to be polite. Thats hypocritical. Instead, you may want to say, Nice meeting you. And then, leave.Finally, be sure to give the other person a good, firm handshake. The final impression you make can be just as important as the initial one you made.UINT 3 S
8、ECTION BFirst StoryMy husband and I met in high school. During our senior year, we studies biology together. We talked and laughed a lot during class. One Friday, we Joked that we should go on a date that night. At first, I didnt know if he was serious. He didnt know if I was joking. That night I pu
9、t on a new dress and waited. He had a more difficult time. He had to knock on the door without knowing if I would be ready or not. But he knocked, and I was ready! That was our first date. This year, we celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversarySecond StoryMy husband and I met one day at an airport
10、. It was Christmas day. I was picking up my friend Bernd. He was coming from Germany to spend the holidays with my family. While we were waiting for his luggage, I heard a man speaking in Italian. I decided to say something to him because I speak Italian. I said, Buon Natale which means, Merry Chris
11、tmas! When I spoke in Italian, he said, Mama mia! Why do you speak Italian? Who are you? He asked me for my phone number. He called me the next day, and we dated for a year. Then we got married. So be careful who you talk to in the airport!Third StoryMy wife and I met through our parents. Our parent
12、s arranged our marriage. Before we got married, my wife and I wanted to meet. Our parents arranged our first meeting in a restaurant. That night, we talked about ourselves and what we wanted in our lives. We talked for hours. We shared our hopes and dreams. After a while, we decided that our parents
13、 were right! And we got married.Fourth StoryMy wife and 1 met through a matchmaker. Im an engineer, and in my field, most people are men. I couldnt meet any women at work. So one day I saw an advertisement for a matchmaking service, and I decided to call. The matchmaker introduced me to many nice wo
14、men. I enjoyed meeting them, but I didnt meet anyone I wanted to marry. Finally, she introduced me to my wife. I decided not to date any other women because I liked her very much. We enjoyed the same things, and we laughed a lot together. We also had the same goals and values in life. My wife and I
15、were married six years ago, and now we have two children. Im glad I picked up the phone and called that matchmaker!UINT 3 SECTION CAmong married couples in the U.S., one finds a wide range of living patterns. Some older couples still have traditional marriages, with the man as breadwinner and the wo
16、man as homemaker. But most younger women today are not content to be full-time homemakers. The womens liberation movement, which swept the country in the 1960s, changed attitudes and behavior forever. Todays young American woman wants marriage, but she also wants her own identity. She wants what men
17、 have always hada marriage that is important but still allows time to pursue individual goals. The maJority of American wives, even those with children, work outside the home- As a result, the older idea that housework, cooking, and child care are womens work is being discarded. In the contemporary
18、American marriage, the husband and wife share both financial and domestic responsibilities.Sharing money-making and housekeeping responsibilities provides a better life for the family. Of course, problems can develop in the two-income family if the husband expects his working wife to be the perfect
19、homemaker that his stay-at-home mother was- Also, there may be arguments if the wife expects her husband to help with household chores, but he is unwilling to do so. In most families, the working wife probably still handles the largest share of the housework, cooking, and child care. but she gets so
20、me help from her husband.The contemporary American marriage is also characterized by a relationship of equality and shared decision making. Most American women today will not tolerate a husband who considers himself the boss. The American girl is given freedom and education equal to a boys. After co
21、mpleting her education, she is able to get a job and support herself. She does not need to marry for financial security. She is self-sufficient and will not accept a submissive role in marriage. When husband and wife are able to share decision making and respect each others viewpoints, their marriag
22、e is probably closer than those of past generations. When they battle for dominance, theyre likely to end up in divorce court.UINT 4 SECTION B“Ring out the old, ring in the new,” wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the nineteenth-century English poet. And thats exactly what Americans do every December 31.
23、New Years Eve is a time for noise and fun- At home or in restaurants, most Americans drink and dine with friends- At midnight on New Years Eve, bells ring, horns blow, and friends toast each other with champagne. Its also customary to exchange kisses. New Years Eve festivities often continue until t
24、wo or three oclock in the morning. Many people travel from one party to another to celebrate with several different groups of friendsThe countrys most crowded New Years Eve celebration takes place in New York Citys Times Square. Since 1907, the famous ball-lowering ceremony has been a holiday highli
25、ght. To celebrate the arrival of the year 2000, an estimated 2 million people crowded into Times Square, and hundreds of million viewed the scene on TV The huge, 1,070-pound lighted crystal ball began its descent from a 77-foot flagpole at 11:59 p.m. and reached the bottom at exactly midnight. Simul
26、taneously, confetti, balloons, and fireworks brightened the night sky. It was the biggest public event ever held in the city.What do Americans do on New Years Day? Many sleep late because they stayed up all night long. Many watch TV which offers spectacular parades and football games between champio
27、n college teams. From ancient times to the present. New Years customs have been connected with saying good-bye to the past and looking forward to a better future. Therefore, New Years Day often inspires people to start new programs and give up bad habits. Some people make New Years resolutions. Peop
28、le talk about turning over a new leaf, referring to a clean, blank page or a fresh start. Typical New Years resolutions are to spend less money, give up smoking, begin a diet, or be nicer to others. Its safe to assume that about half of them are forgotten by January 31UINT 4 SECTION CIt was a cool a
29、utumn evening. Mrs. Brown was sitting in her living room, reading. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on her door, then two or three more knocks. Mrs. Brown put the safety chain on her door. Then she opened the door a little and looked out. There stood three children wearing masks and costumes. When t
30、hey saw her, they all shouted, Trick or treat! Money or eats!Mrs, Brown dropped a candy bar into each childs bag.Thanks for the candy, shouted the children as they ran off to ring another doorbell-Youre welcome, said Mrs. Brown. Have fun, and dont play any pranks.Every year on October 31. Halloween
31、scenes like this occur throughout the USA. American children love to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating. If an adult refuses to supply a treatcandy, cookies, fruit, or money the children may play a trick. Typical Halloween pranks are soaping windows, writing on doors with crayons, overturning
