[originaltext]M: I’m really scared about this talk I’ve got to give next week.

M: I’m really scared about this talk I’ve got to give next week. Do you think you could help me? You’ve had loads more experience of that kind of thing than I have.
W: Yes, yeah, sure. If I can help, I will. What’s it about and why’ve you got to give a talk, anyway?
M: Well, I’ve applied for this job. You see, it’s with an advertising company and they’ve asked all the applicants to give a talk as part of the selection process. I do want the job, so I’ve got to try and do something good.
W: Well, what’ve you got to talk about?
M: We can choose our own subject I think that makes it harder. We just have to talk for twenty minutes. And we can use an overhead projector if we want.
W: Right, then the first thing to do is to decide what you’re going to talk about. Pick something that you feel strongly about. That’ll make it easier for you to sound enthusiastic and interested yourself which is very important if you want to hold your audience’s attention.
M: So how on earth do I manage to sound enthusiastic and interested when I’m feeling scared out of my mind?
W: Well, I suppose the first thing to do is to prepare your talk well so that you know exactly what you want to say and in what order. Do not just read a script, that’s very dull for the listeners. Talk from brief notes—you can write them on cards, perhaps—so that it sounds a bit more spontaneous than reading a prepared script and your eyes are free to make contact with the audience. If you feel really scared just before the talk, take a deep breath: that should be enough to calm you down.
M: Anything else about how I should speak? I mean, slowly or fast?
W: Well, you must talk clearly of course and not too fast, though, mind you, a bit of variety of pace is a good idea. It’s also important that your voice goes up and down and doesn’t sound too flat. You don’t want them to fall asleep while you’re talking. And it goes without saying that you must project your voice well—you know how irritating it can be if you have to strain to hear someone speaks.
M: It certainly is.
1. What do we learn from the beginning of the conversation?
2. According to the man, what do we learn about the talk?
3. According to the woman, which factor is not important to a talk?
4. In the woman’s view, what is the appropriate pace for a talk?
5. What should be paid attention to during a talk?