题文
In December 2008, Caroline Kennedy — daughter of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy—sat down, as a frontrunner for the Senate seat in New York, for a televised interview that helped decide the future of her campaign. The result was a disaster.Her performance wasn’t well received, in part because her speech was full of filler words—“ums,” “ahs” and “you knows.” One listener counted 27 “ums” and 38 “you knows” in the space of five minutes. A few weeks after the interview, Kennedy ended her Senate campaign.
Filler words may seem natural in everyday speech, but they can be deadly in formal presentations. “Using excessive fillers is the most annoying speech habit,” said Susan Ward, a speech specialist. “They take your listener’s attention away often to the point that he doesn’t hear anything you say. Your message is entirely lost.”
Many speakers are afraid of pause. They believe their audience will think they are inarticulate (不善于表达) if they pause to think of what to say next, so they use filler words to avoid the silence. However, a pause is actually more impressive than a filler word. Listeners know that the speaker is thinking, trying to find the right word. Sometimes a pause can actually improve a speech, as when an actor uses a dramatic pause to hold the attention of his audience. A speaker shouldn’t be afraid to pause occasionally during a speech; it shows self-confidence.
It takes some work to cut out filler words. You can begin by taking a few seconds to think about what you want to say the next time you are asked a question. This pause will help you begin powerfully, and it will help you avoid using a filler word.
The same public speaking technique applies when you are shifting from one idea to another. While you may be tempted to fill the silence between ideas with a filler word, remember to allow yourself to pause and think about what you want to say next.
If you need help overcoming your “um” problem, consider asking a family member or a friend to point out when you use filler words. You also could record an upcoming presentation and then watch yourself in action. You may be amazed at how often you say “um” or “uh”!
Although we live in a fast-paced society that seemingly demands instant answers, we must use the pause to our advantage. Finally, we should only speak when we are ready.
小题1:In the first two paragraphs of the article the writer intends to ______.A．introduce Caroline Kennedy to readersB．illustrate how deadly filler words can be in the public speechC．explain what filler words areD．remind readers that they should count filler words used in public speeches小题2:The reason why filler words are considered annoying by speech specialist is that ______.A．they prevent the listener from focusing on what the speaker is saying.B．they convey the speaker’s superiority to the listener.C．they mean the speaker is not articulate at all.D．they make the speaker appear self-confident.小题3:When used properly, pauses in speeches can actually ______.A．give the speaker more credibilityB．hold the attention of the audienceC．show the speaker’s deep insightD．help the audience relax小题4:Which of the following is NOT suggested as a way to get rid of filler words?A．To have mental training in order to think faster.B．To ask someone else to point out when you use filler words.C．To watch a recording of your own speech.D．To practice thinking for a moment before answering a question. 题型：未知难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:B
小题4:A
解析
文章大意：我们在讲话过程中会经常用“嗯”、“呃”、“那个”……，我们又怎么才能停止用太多填充词呢？
小题1:B细节理解题。文章第一、二两段用美国已故总统肯尼迪女儿的事例说明了在公共演讲中致命的填充词。故B正确。
小题2:A细节理解题。从第三段的句子：They take your listener’s attention away often to the point that he doesn’t hear anything you say. Your message is entirely lost.可知其原因。故A正确。
小题3:B细节理解题。从文章第四段：Sometimes a pause can actually improve a speech, as when an actor uses a dramatic pause to hold the attention of his audience.可知可知恰当的停顿能够吸引观众的注意力。故B正确。
小题4:A细节理解题。根据文章倒数四段可知作者建议去除填充词的一些方法可以判断出B、C、D符合。故A正确。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“In December 2008, Ca.....”主要考查你对 [日常生活类阅读 ]考点的理解。日常生活类阅读
日常生活类阅读的概念：
日常生活这一话题主要涉及人们衣食住行等方面的活动。这一话题的选材主要针对人们日常的工作，生活以及学习情况。做这一类题时，最主要的是要把握好人物的活动内容，时间和地点。
日常生活类阅读题答题技巧：
【题型说明】
该类文章内容涉及到人们的言谈举止、生活习惯、饮食起居、服饰仪表、恋爱婚姻、消遣娱乐、节日起源、家庭生活等。文章篇幅短小，追根溯源，探索各项风俗的历史渊源，内容有趣。命题也以送分题为主，如事实细节题、语义转换题、词义猜测题和简单推理判断题等。虽然这类文章读起来感觉轻松，试题做起来比较顺手，但绝不能掉以轻心。因为稍不留神，就会丢分。
【备考提醒】
为了保证较高准确率，建议同学们做好以下几点：
1、保持正常的考试心态。笔者在教学中发现，越是容易的试题，同学们越是容易失分。为什么呢？因为在这种情况下，同学们极易产生麻痹思想，认为题目好做，就不引起高度重视，于是思维不发散、不周密。而命题人就是利用同学们的这一弱点，设计陷阱题。所以，无论试题难易与否，我们都要保持正常的考试心态。试题容易，不欣喜；试题难，不悲观。
2、根据前面讲到的方法，认认真真、细细心心做好事实细节题。
3、做好语义转换题。这类题是根据英语中一词多义和某些词语在文中能表达一定的修辞意义的原则而设计的。要求同学们解释某生词的含义，确定多义词或短语在文中的意思，确认文中的某个代词所指代的对象，或者对英语中特有的表达、格言、谚语进行解释。这种题要求同学们一定要根据上下文猜测词义或理解句子，切不可望文生义。
4、做好简单推理判断题。简单推理判断题要以表面文字为前提，以具体事实为依据进行推理，做出判断。这种推理方式比较直接，只要弄清事实，即可结合常识推断出合理的结论。
