[originaltext]M: Good morning, Mrs. Collins! Welcome to our studio. As a distin

M: Good morning, Mrs. Collins! Welcome to our studio. As a distinguished member of Toastmasters International, could you tell us a bit about the background of the organization?
W: I am delighted to have that opportunity. Toastmasters is an international organization, designed to develop effective speaking and listening skills. It was founded in 1924 by Ralph Smedley and it’s headquartered in California.
M: What is the purpose of Toastmasters?
W: Toastmasters has a two-fold purpose: the personal growth of the individual and strong effective communication skills.
M: Then, who is Toastmasters opened to? And what kind of members do you have now?
W: Well, many people think Toastmasters is open only to those individuals who wish to be professional speakers, but that is definitely not true. Toastmasters is open to the public at large. Any individual who wishes to improve his public speaking is welcome. And also, those who just want to increase their overall self-confidence are encouraged to attend.
M: Another question is how can Toastmasters help you in job situations?
W: By becoming involved in Toastmasters, you will learn different methods of communicating what you really want to say, and equally important, you will learn what your audience expects from you so you can deliver that message to them in a logical fashion. Some people are comfortable around friends, but when they appear before a group they don’t know, they get tense. Our organization helps our members to get calm and organize thoughts, and deliver them in an effective way.
M: Is Toastmasters concerned with total communication, not just for speaking but other communication skills?
W: Most often, people assume that when you are listening, you are also paying attention. This is not always true. Many times people are waiting for their turn to speak and are not really listening at all. Toastmasters can develop a person overall in terms of organizing their thoughts, getting input from others and then receiving effective feedback.
1. According to Mrs. Collins, what can we learn about Toastmasters?
2. Who is Toastmasters opened to?
3. How can Toastmasters help people in job situations?
4. What does Mrs. Collins say about listening?
5. What can we learn from the interview?