ethnic-decimals
TEST FOR ENGLISH MAJORS (2008)
-GRADE FOUR-
TIME LIMIT: 135
MIN
PART I DICTATION [15 MIN]
Listen to the
following passage. Altogether the passage will be
read to you four times. During
the
first reading, which will be done at normal speed,
listen and try to understand the meaning. For
the second and third readings, the
passage will be read sentence by sentence, or
phrase by phrase,
with intervals of 15
seconds. The last reading will be done at normal
speed again and during this
time you
should check your work. You will then be given 2
minutes to check through your work
once
more.
Please write the whole passage on
ANSWER SHEET ONE.
PART II LISTENING
COMPREHENSION [120 MIN]
In
Sections
A,
B
and
C
you
will
hear
everything
ONCE
ONLY
Listen
carefully
and
then
answer
the questions
that follow. Mark the correct answer to each
question on your answer sheet.
SECTION A
CONVERSATIONS
In this section you will hear several
conversations. Listen to the
conversations carefully and
then answer
the questions that follow.
Questions 1 to 3 are based
on ing conversation. At the end of the
conversation, you
will be given 15 seconds to
answer the questions. Now listen to the
conversation.
1. When is Anne available for the
meeting?
A. The third week of May.
B. The third
week of June.
C. The eleventh of June.
D. The eleventh
of May.
2. Their meeting will probably take
place in
A. London.
B. Toronto.
C. Mexico City.
D.
Chicago.
3. When is Eric calling back?
A.
Thursday afternoon.
B. Friday afternoon.
C.
Thursday morning.
D. Friday morning.
Questions 4 to 6 are based on the
following conversation. At the end of the
conversation, you
will be given 15
seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to
the conversation.
4. According to the woman,
advertisements
A. let us know the best product.
B.
give us sufficient information.
C. fail to
convince people.
D. give misleading
information.
5. In the woman's opinion, money spent
on advertisements is paid
A. by manufacturers.
B.
by customers.
C. by advertisers.
D. by all of
them.
6. Which of the following statements is
INCORRECT?.
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A. The woman
seems to be negative about advertising.
B.
The woman appears to know more about advertising.
C.
The man is to be present at a debate on
advertising.
D. The man has a lot to talk about on
advertising.
Questions 7 to 10 are based on the
following conversation. At the end of the
conversation,
you will be given 20 seconds to answer
the questions. Now, listen to the conversation.
7.
Mr Brown brought with him only a few things
because
A. there wasn't enough space in the
cupboard.
B. the hospital would provide him with
everything.
C. he was to stay there for a very
short time.
D. visitors could bring him other
things.
8. According to the hospital rules, at
which of the following hours can visitors see
patients?
A. 2:00 pm.
B. 5:00 pm.
C. 7:00 pm.
D.
6:00 pm.
9. Which of the following statements is
INCORRECT?
A. Patients have breakfast at 8.
B.
Patients have lunch at 12.
C. There are special
alcohol lounges.
D. There are special
smoking lounges.
10. Which statement best
describes Mr Brown?
A. He knows little about
hospital rules.
B. He can keep alcohol in
the ward.
C. He knows when to smoke.
D. He is used
to hospital life.
SECTION B
PASSAGES
In this section, you will hear several
passages. Listen to the passages carefully and
then
answer the questions that follow.
Questions 11 to 13 are based on the
following passage. At the end of the passage, you
will be
given 15 seconds to answer the
questions. Now, listen to the passage.
11. Meeting
rooms of various sizes are needed for
A. contacts
with headquarters.
B. relaxation and
enjoyment.
C. informal talks.
D. different
purposes.
12. Which of the following is NOT
mentioned in the passage as part of hotel
facilities for
guests?
A. Restaurants. B. Cinemas.
C.
Swimming pools. D. Bars.
13. A hotel for an
international conference should have the following
EXCEPT
A. convenient transport services.
B.
competent office secretaries.
C. good sports
and restaurant facilities.
D. suitable and comfortable
rooms.
Questions 14 to 17 are based on the
following passage. At the end of the passage, you
will be
given 20 seconds to answer the
questions. Now, listen to the passage.
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14. The museum aims mainly to display
A.
the area's technological development.
B. the nation's
important historical events.
C. the area's
agricultural and industrial development.
D.
the nation's agricultural and industrial
development.
15. The following have been significant
in the area's prosperity EXCEPT
A. the
motorways. B. the Roman road.
C. the canals.
D. the railways.
16. We know from the
passage that some exhibits
A. are borrowed from
workshops.
B. are specially made for display.
C.
reflect the local culture and customs.
D. try to
reproduce the scene at that time.
17. The passage
probably comes from
A. a conversation on the
museum.
B. a museum tour guide.
C. a museum
booklet.
D. a museum advertisement.
Questions 18 to
20 are based on the following passage. At the end
of the passage, you will be
given 15
seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to
the passage.
18. According to the speaker, safety in
dormitory means that you
A. insure all your
expensive things.
B. lock doors when going
out.
C. lock windows at night.
D. take all
necessary precautions.
19. What does the speaker
suggest girls do when they are going to be out
late?
A. Call their friends.
B. Stay with
their friends.
C. Avoid walking in streets.
D.
Always take a taxi.
20. What is the speaker's
last advice?
A. To take a few self-defense classes.
B.
To stick to well-lit streets at night.
C. To avoid
walking alone at night.
D. To stay with their
friends.
SECTION C NEWS
BROADCAST
In this section, you will hear several
news items. Listen to them carefully and then
answer the
questions that follow.
Questions 21 and 22 are based on the
following news. At the end of the news item, you
will be
given 10 seconds to answer the
questions. Now. listen to the news.
21. What
happened during the New Year celebration in
Thailand?
A. Terrorists fought with Government
troops.
B. Thai troops killed terrorists.
C.
There were shootings.
D. There were explosions.
22.
What has led to the violent situation in the south
of Thailand?
A. The Muslims wanted independence.
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B. Thai troops have been
sent there.
C. About 2000 people have been killed.
D.
There have been more bombings since 2004.
Questions 23 and 24 are based on the
following news. At the end of the news item, you
will be
given 10 seconds to answer the
questions. Now, listen to the news.
23. Under the
national oil law, the Iraqi government
A. will give
more oil revenues to only a few provinces.
B.
will let provinces distribute their oil revenues.
C.
will distribute oil revenues according to
population size.
D. will distribute oil
revenues according to security needs.
24. The
construction package is meant to
A. help build
more houses.
B. help improve the country's economy.
C.
help more children to go to school.
D. help more
young people to get education.
Questions 25
and 26 are based on the following news. At the end
of the news item, you will be
given 10
seconds to answer the questions. Now, listen to
the news.
25.
The
joint
committee
will
promote
co-operation
between
Egypt
and
Spain
in
all
the
following
areas EXCEPT
A.
education. B. industry.
C. investment. D.
technology.
26. What is this news item mainly
about?
A. The establishment of a joint
committee.
B. The trade relations between Egypt
and Spain.
C. The future trade volume between
Egypt and Spain.
D. The establishment of a
joint business council.
Question 27 is based on the
following news. At the end of the news item, you
will be given 5
seconds to answer the
question. Now, listen to the news.
27. According
to the news, Japanese teenage women
A. are less
violent than men.
B. are less violent than
before.
C. are more violent than before.
D.
are more violent than men.
Question 28 is based on the
following news. At the end of the news item, you
will be given 5
seconds to answer the
question. Now, listen to the news.
28. Which of
the following statements is CORRECT according to
the news?
A. Zimbabweans stayed away from voting.
B.
Zimbabweans were enthusiastic about voting.
C.
Only a few Zimbabweans turned up to vote.
D.
Zimbabweans believed that Mugabe would win.
Questions 29 and 30 are based on the
following news. At the end of the news item, you
will be
given 10 seconds to answer the
questions. Now, listen to the news.
29. The news
mentioned _____ reason(s) for the action taken by
Indian telecom workers.
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
30.
According to the news, who among the following
were NOT affected by telecom workers'
action?
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A. Banks. B. Big companies.
C. Long-distance callers. D. Government officials.
PART III CLOZE [15 MIN]
Decide which of the choices given below
would best complete the passage if inserted in the
eorresponding blanks. Mark the best
choice for each blank on your answer sheet.
Salt, shells or metals are still used
as money in out-of-the-way parts of the world
today.
Salt may seem rather a
strange (31)____ to use as money, (32)_____ in
countries where the
food of the people
is mainly vegetable, it is often an (33)_____
necessity. Cakes of salt, stamped to
show their (34)____, were used as money
in some countries until recent (35)_____, and
cakes of
salt (36)____ buy goods in
Borneo and parts of Africa.
Sea
shells (37)_____ as money at some time(38)____
another over the greater part of the Old
World. These were (39)___ mainly from
the beaches of the Maldives Islands in the Indian
Ocean,
and were traded to India and
China. In Africa, shells were traded right across
the (40)___ from East
to West.
Metal, valued by weight, (41)____ coins
in many parts of the world. Iron, in lumps, bars
or
rings, is
still used in
many countries(42)_____ paper money.
It
can either be
exchanged(43)____
goods, or made into
tools, weapons, or ornaments. The early money of
China, apart from shells, was
of
bronze, (44)_____ in flat, round pieces with a
hole in the middle, called
these are
between three thousand and four thousand years old
- older than the earliest coins of the
eastern Mediterranean.
Nowadays, coins and notes have (46)____
nearly all the more picturesque (47)____ of money,
and
(48)____
in
one
or
two
of
the
more
remote
countries
people
still
keep
it
for
future
use
on
ceremonial
(49)____
such
as
weddings
and
funerals,
examples
of
(50)____
money
will
soon
be
found only in museums.
(31) A. object B. article C. substance
D. category
(32) A. but B. and C. so D.
even
(33) A. abstract B.
advantageous C. abundant D. absolute
(34) A. weight B. value C. role D. size
(35) A. times B. events C. situations
D. conditions
(36) A. even B. also C.
still D. never
(37) A. had been used B.
are used C. would be used D. would have been used
(38) A. and B. but C. yet D. or
(39) A. collected B. produced C. grown
D. raised
(40) A. city B. district C.
communib D. continent
(41) A.
processed B. produced C. preceded D. proceeded
(42) A. in spite of B. instead of C.
along with D. in line with
(43) A. against
B. as C. in D. for
(44) A. often
B. seldom C. really D. much
(45) A. earlier st
(46) A. replaced B. reproduced C.
reflected D. recovered
(47) A. sizes
B. shapes C. formats D. forms
(48) A. while B. although C. because D.
if
(49) A. events B. gatherings C.
occasions D. assemblies
(50) A.
original B. primitive C. historical D. crude
PART IV GRAMMAR
& VOCABULARY [15 MIN]
There
are
thirty
sentences
in
this
section.
Beneath
each
sentence
there
are
four
words
or
phrase
marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word orphrase
that best completes the sentence. Mark
your answers on your answer sheet.
5
51. Our
association, which has consistently pressed for
greater employment opportunities for
tN
disabled, will publish ____ proposals in the near
future.
A. their B. our C. his D.
its
52. Had Judy been more
careful on the maths exam, she ____ much better
results now.
A. would be getting B.
could have got
C. must get D. would get
53. Nine is to three _____ three is to
one.
A. when B. that C. which D.
what
54. Men differ from animals
____ they can think and speak.
A.
for which B. for that C. in that D. in which
55. ____ he wanted to go out with his
friends at the weekend, he had to stay behind to
finish
his assignment.
A.
Much though B. Much as C. As much D. Though much
56. I enjoyed myself so much ____ I
visited my friends in Paris last year.
A.
when B. which C. that D. where
57.
Which of the following is INCORRECT?
A.
All his lectures were boring. C. Her few friends
are all fond of dancing.
B. Half his
money was gone. D. He invited many his friends to
the party.
58. When you have finished
with that book, don't forget to put it back on my
desk, _____?
A. do you B. don't you C.
will you D. won't you
59. What does
A. It was wise of him to refuse to
spend his money.
B. He refused
to spend his money in a wise manner.
C.
He was short of money and didn't want to buy
anything.
D. He refused, in a wise
manner, to spend his money.
60.
They stood chatting together as easily and
naturally as ____.
A. it could be
B. could be C. it was D. was
61.
The following are all correct responses to
A. Jim did this. B. Jim did so. C. Jim
did that. D. Jim did.
62. Quality is
____ counts most.
A. which B.
that C. what D. where
63. In his
plays Shakespeare _____ his characters live
through their language.
A. would make
B. had made C. made D. makes
64.
The square itself is five hundred yards wide, five
times ____ the size of St. Peter's in
Rome.
A. / B. that of
C. which is D. of
65. Which of
the following sentences expresses
A.
You must leave immediately.
B.
You must be feeling rather tired.
C.
You must be here by eight o'clock.
D.
You must complete the reading assignment on time.
66. When he first started in
university, he really felt at _____ with his major
--- economics.
A. shore B. bank C. ocean
D. sea
67. On the road motorists
should be aware of cyclists and be ____ towards
them.
A. considerable B.
considering C. considerate D. considered
68. Sally was a bit shy, but the
teacher found her quite ____ discussing a recent
film with
others.
6
A. at home B. at most C. at
house D. at bean
69.
The
company
has
capitalized
_____
the
error
of
judgment
made
by
its
business
competitor.
A. in B. over
C. with D. on
70. Tim has failed three
courses this semester, so he will have to _____
them next semester.
A. remake B.
repeat C. reapply D. revise
71.
Keep this reference book; it may come in _____ one
day.
A. handy B. useful C.
convenient D. helpful
72. The
questions that the speaker raised were well ____
the average adult.
A. past B. on
C. beyond D. through
73. Teachers in
this school were encouraged to use drama as a(n)
_____ of learning.
A. design B.
instrument C. agency D. tool
74.
First, we need to find out what his scheme is, and
then act _____.
A. sensitively
B. imaginatively C. efficiently D. accordingly
75.
At
first
Jim
was
not
quite
clear
what
he
was
going
to
do
after
university,
but
now
he
seems
_____ on becoming a computer
programmer.
A. fit B. set C. disposed
D. decided
76. When invited to talk
about his achievements+ he refused to blow his own
_____ and
declined to speak at the
meeting.
A. trumpet B. whistle C.
bugle D. flute
77. In spite of the
treatment, the pain in his leg grew in
A.
gravity B. extent C. intensity D. amount
78. Bus services between Town Centre
and Newton Housing Estate will be _____ until the
motorway is repaired.
A.
discontinued B. suspended C. halted D. ceased
79. The moon, being much nearer to the
Earth than the Sun, is the ____ cause of the
tides.
A. principal B. basic C.
initial D. elementary
80. Teddy came
to my ____ with a cheque of $$200 to pay my room
rate, after I phoned him
that my wallet
had been stolen.
A. attendance
B. assistance C. rescue D. safety
PART
V READING COMPREHENSION [25 MIN]
In
this section there are four passages followed by
questions or unfinished statements, each
with
four
suggested
answers
marked
A,
B,
C
and
D.
Choose
the
one
that
you
think
is
the
best
answer. Mark your answers on your
answer sheet.
TEXT A
When the sun is up in Amsterdam, the
largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on
the
Amstel River. You can rent
a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank
museum, or take a
water
taxi.
But when the
sun goes down, the partying begins. In the big
clubs and in coffee shops,
tourists gather
to hang out, talk politics and smoke.
Several areas of the city clearly show
the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they're
all
within a short cab ride of
each other.
For example, Dam Square
attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open
markets, concerts
and other
events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels
can be found there. And there is
the
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Royal Palace
and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.
But
as evening descends on Dam Square so do the party-
seekers. Hip pop or funk music
begins
blaring
from
Club
Paradiso
and
Club
Melkweg.
These
are
two
of
the
most
popular
clubs in
Europe. So if
you come, be ready to dance. The clubs don't shut
down until 4 am.
And while you
are there, check out the various inexpensive ways
to tour the city. Don't
worry about
getting lost. Although Dutch is the official
language, most people in Amsterdam
speak English and are happy to help you
with directions.
And you'll
notice that half the people in the streets are on
bicycles. They rent for US$$17 to
$$20
for a whole day.
Amsterdam also
has a good canal system. From anywhere between
U852 and $$9.50, you can
use the canal
bus or a water taxi to cruise the
You
can take in the picturesque canal house
architecture: The rows of neat, narrow four-story
dwellings of brownstone with large
windows are well worth seeing. Many of them are
several
centuries old.
You
might also want to jump out of the canal bus at
the Museum Quarter and start walking.
Masterpieces
by
Dutch
artists
such
as
Rembrandt,
Bruegel,
Van
Gogh
and
others
are
on
display at
the Van Gogh
Museum, Rembrandt House and others.
The
city has an appreciation of its historic past. One
place to visit is the Anne Frank House in
Nine Streets. It was there that the
young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during
World War II.
Visitors can view Anne's
original diary and climb behind the bookcase to
the room where she and
her family hid
from the Nazis for two years.
81.
At the beginning of the passage, the author
indicates that
A. Amsterdam is generally
known as a quiet city.
B. parties go
on all day long in Amsterdam,
C.
Amsterdam presents two different pictures.
D. Amsterdam attracts many daytime
visitors.
82. Which tourist
attraction is cited for elaboration in Paragraphs
Four and Five?
A. Royal Palace.
B. Dam Square.
C. Club
Paradiso.
D. Magna Plaza.
83.
According to the passage, the local people have
all the following characteristics EXCEPT
A. they are party goers.
B.
they show hospitality.
C. they can
speak English.
D. they are fond of
cycling.
84. Which of the following
adjectives can best describe Amsterdam as a
tourist city?
A. Modern. B. Delightful.
C. Quiet. D. Historic.
TEXT
B
In an article some Chinese scholars are
described as being
dragon bone
hieroglyphics.
in
myths and legends of the past (in this
case, Greek and Roman ones). The meaning of the
verb
tantalize is a very
particular one:
8
then
take it away; to tease by arousing
hope.
brief indication of a word's
origins in brackets before or after the
explanation of the meaning. For
tantalize the following explanation is
given: [> Tantalus]. This means that you should
look up the
name
Tantalus
to
find
out
the
word's
origins,
and
if
you
do,
you
will
find
out
that
in
Greek
mythology, Tantalus was a king who was
punished in the lower world with eternal hunger
and
thirst; he was put up to
his chin in water that always moved away when he
tried to drink it
and
with fruit on branches above him placed
just a little bit out of his reach. Can you see
why his
name was changed into a
verb meaning
Another example is the word
siren, familiar to us as the mechanical device
that makes such
an alarming
sound when police cars, ambulances, or fire
engines approach. This word also
has
its
origins in Greek mythology.
The traveler Odysseus (Ulysses to the Romans) made
his men
plug
their ears so
that they wouldn't hear the dangerous voices of
the sirens, creatures who were
half
bird and half woman and who lured
sailors to their deaths on sharp rocks. So the
word came
to be
associated both
with a loud sound and with danger!
When someone speaks of a
with
origins
in
mythology.
Look
these
words
up
to
find
their
meaning
and
relationship
to
myths.
Many common
words, such as the names for the days of the week
and the months of the year,
also
come
from
mythology.
Wednesday
derives
from
the
ancient
Norse
king
of
the
gods,
Woden,
and
Thursday was originally Thor's day, in honour of
Thor, the god of thunder. As a matter of
fact, all the planets, except the one
we live on, bear names that come from Roman
mythology,
including the planet that
is farthest away from the sun and for that reason
was called after the
Roman god of
the dead. This god has also given his name to one
of the chemical elements.
Several other
elements have names that come from mythology, too.
It seems that myths and legends live on
in the English language.
85. The purpose
of the first sentence in Paragraph One is ____.
A. to describe the work of some Chinese
scholars.
B. to arouse readers'
interest in hieroglyphics.
C. to lead
readers onto the main theme.
D.
to link the preceding part to the present one.
86. We learn from the passage, all
English dictionaries include _____.
A.
legends. B. mythology.
C. word
origins. D. word definitions.
87.
The example of tantalize is to show _____.
A. how the word came into existence.
B. how Tantalus was punished in the
lower world.
C. how all English
dictionaries show word origins.
D.
how the meaning of the word changed over the
years.
88. According to the
passage, which of the following does NOT have
origins in myths or
legends?
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A. Jovial. B.
Wednesday. C. Earth. D. March.
89.
Which of the following can best serve as the title
of the passage?
A. Greek and
Roman Mythology in Language.
B.
Mythological Origins of English Words.
C.
Historical Changes in Word Meanings.
D.
Mythology and Common Words.
TEXT C
My heart sank
when the man at the immigration counter gestured
to the back room. l'm an
American born
and raised, and this was Miami, where I live, but
they weren't quite ready to
let
me in yet.
American
last
name,
accompanied
me.
He
was
getting
used
to
this.
The
same
thing
had
happened
recently in
Canada when I'd flown to Montreal to speak at a
book event. That time they held
me
for 45 minutes. Today we were returning
from a literary festival in Jamaica, and I was
startled
that I was being sent
The officer behind the counter called
me up and said,
of someone
who's on our wanted list. We're going to have to
check you out with Washington.
After an hour,
Washington still hadn't decided anything about me.
I asked at the counter.
Just a few more minutes, they assured
me.
After an hour and a half, I
pulled my cell phone out to call the friends I was
supposed to meet
that evening. An
officer rushed over.
terrorist cell and
giving them information.
I put my phone away.
My husband and 1 were getting hungry
and tired. Whole families had been brought into
the
waiting room, and the place
was packed
with
excitable
children, exhausted parents,
even a
flight
attendant.
I wanted to scream, to jump on a chair
and shout:
probably teach English
literature to your children.
After two hours in detention, I was
approached by one of the officers.
said. No explanation or apologies. For
a moment, neither of us moved, we were still in
shock.
Then we leaped to our feet.
weren't happy with your
treatment, you can write to this
agency.
He smiled the
empty smile we'd seen all day.
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After telling several
friends about our ordeal, probably the most
frequent advice I've heard in
response
is
to
change
my
name.
Twenty
years
ago,
my
own
graduate
school
writing
professor
advised me to
write under a pen name so that publishers wouldn't
stick me in what he called
ethnic
ghetto
---
a
separate,
secondary
shelf
in
the
bookstore.
But
a
name
is
an
integral
part
of
anyone's personal and professional
identity -just like the town you're born in and
the place where
you're raised.
Like my father, I'll keep the name, but
my airport experience has given me a whole new
perspective on what diversity and
tolerance are supposed to mean. I had no idea that
being an
American would ever be this
hard.
90. The author was held at
the airport because _____.
A. she and her
husband returned from Jamaica.
B.
her name was similar to a terrorist's.
C.
she had been held in Montreal.
D.
she had spoken at a book event.
91.
She was not allowed to call her friends because
_____.
A. her identity hadn't been
confirmed yet.
B. she had been held for
only one hour and a half.
C. there were
other families in the waiting room.
D.
she couldn't use her own cell phone.
92.
We learn from the passage that the author would
_____ to prevent similar experience
from happening again.
A.
write to the agency B. change her name
C.
avoid traveling abroad D. do nothing
93.
Her experiences indicate that there still exists
_____ in the US.
A. hatred B.
discrimination
C. tolerance D. diversity
94. The author sounds in the last
paragraph.
A. impatient
B.
bitter
C. worried
D.
ironic
TEXT D
Public speaking
fills most people with dread. Humiliation is the
greatest fear; self-exposure
and
failing
to
appeal
to
the
audience
come
a
close
second.
Women
hate
it
most,
since
girls
are
pressurized from an early age to be
concerned with appearances of all kinds.
Most people have plenty of
insecurities, and this seems like a situation that
will bring them
out. If you were under
pressure to be perfect, you are terrified of
falling in the most public of ways.
While extroverts will feel less fear
before the ordeal, it does not mean they will
necessarily do
it better. Some very shy
people manage to shine. When I met the British
comedian Julian Clary, he
was shy and
cautious, yet his TV performances are perfect.
In fact, personality is not the best
predictor of who does it well. Regardless of what
you are
like in real life, the key
seems to be to act yourself.
Actual acting, as in performing the
scripted lines of a character other than yourself,
does not
do
the
job.
While
politicians
may
limit
damage
by
having
carefully
rehearsed,
written
scripts
to
speak
from, there is always a hidden awareness among the
audience that the words might not be
true.
Likewise, the
incredibly perfect speeches of many American
academics are far from natural.
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