On Public Speaking1. Nothing to be feared about pub

In this section you will hear a talk. You will hear the talk ONCE ONLY. While listening, you may look at ANSWER SHEET ONE and write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap. Make sure the word(s)you fill in is(are)both grammatically and semantically acceptable. You may use the blank sheet for note-taking.
    You have THIRTY seconds to preview the gap-filling task.
     (a thirty-second interval)
    Now listen to the talk. When it is over, you will be given TWO minutes to complete your work.
                            On Public Speaking
    Good morning. Today I’d like to discuss with you the secrets of good public speaking, that is, how to talk to an audience in public properly and successfully.
    I give speeches many times a year to groups of every possible description. My secret is simply that I think of public speaking as no different from any other form of talk. It’s a way of sharing my thoughts with other people. You know, in one sense, it’s actually easier than social conversation because you are in complete control of where the talk is going. At the same time you have to have something to say, of course. This leads us to the first key of being a successful public speaker: talk about something you know about.
    The second key to being a good speaker is to follow the motto of the Boy Scouts — "Be well prepared". Never go to a speech without some prior work on it. If you are talking about a subject you know well, preparing the speech itself should not be too difficult. If you let the audience know where you’re going at the beginning, they will follow you more easily through the body of your speech.
    Here are some other key tips based on my own speaking experience and what I’ve noticed in other good speakers.
    Look at your audience. I’ve already said how important it is to make eye contact. Each time you look up from your text, look at a different part of the audience, so the whole group feels they are being addressed.
    Note the pacing and inflection you want to use in speech. This accomplishes two things: It guarantees that your emphasis will be where you intended it to be, and it assures your audience that you won’t be speaking in a dull monotone that will put them to sleep, especially if you’re talking after a heavy meal.
    Stand up straight. I don’t mean that you have to assume a parade ground posture, but stand in a comfortable, natural way rather than hunching over the lectern. If there’s a microphone in front of you, adjust it to the right height rather than forcing yourself to stoop during the speech. And be careful to keep your mouth in the range of the mike: don’t wave around or turn away to answer a question from the side.
    Last but not least, a speaker has to keep in mind the value of brevity. It’s not easy to be brief, especially on a topic you know a lot about. But in any kind of communication, it’s always worth taking the time to boil your message down to its essentials. That emphasis on brevity applies even more when you are delivering a speech. We can learn from the speakers whose ability to talk effectively was central to their success, as is the case with so many successful people in every profession. Brevity is the first thing we can learn from them.
    To sum up, I’ve mentioned several key points in becoming a successful public speaker, such as good preparation, audience awareness, brevity, etc. I hope you find them very useful in making your speeches effective. Thank you.