通过问愚蠢的问题能挖掘出名人内心深处的想法吗？《随身英语》透露美国资深谈话节目主持人 Larry King 成功的秘诀。

课文内容

词汇: Interview 采访

Chat shows are the staple of late night entertainment TV in many countries. The US has some of the most famous hosts and the shows are syndicated worldwide.

Jon Stewart does comedy; Oprah Winfrey goes for heartfelt conversation. But what makes a good interview? Is it catching the guest off guard? Will they reveal something more personal - some juicy gossip that will have us chatting away on social media?

Larry King is a veteran. For more than 25 years he's been hosting nightly shows in which he interviews movie stars, politicians and ordinary people, who are thrown into the spotlight. And the secret to getting the best out of an interviewee? King says: "If you ask good questions and elicit thoughtful answers then you learn more about the person. If the interview's hard – if I begin by saying: 'Why did you do that?' I'd make you defensive. That may be thrilling television, but you don't learn a lot."

King adds that he's learned that the more he draws back, listens to the answers, and cares about the guest the more he gets from the person. "You make the camera disappear", he says.

Another thing Larry King does is ask open questions. He explains: "I don't want a 'no'. I don't want a 'yes'. I want a 'why'. So in other words, I want to be a little kind of dumb, I ask "What do you mean by that?'"

Being amiable, courteous and curious about the person in front of them – maybe that's what makes a good chat show host. Their biggest talent is making the guest feel at ease. Another famous American host, David Letterman, seems to know it. He once said: "I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host." Good idea: let others do the singing – just make them relax and they'll tell us everything!

词汇表

chat show     访谈节目
staple     主要的，常规的
a host (noun)     主持人
to syndicate     把（电视广播节目）给媒体机构（以供播放）
heartfelt      真心实意的，诚挚的
to catch (somebody) off guard     乘人不备，使人措手不及
juicy gossip 八卦，    花边新闻
to be thrown into the spotlight     成为公众焦点
to elicit     引出，套出
defensive     辩解的，防卫的，保护的
thrilling     令人兴奋的、激动的
to draw back     后退，不咄咄逼人
open question / closed question     开放性问题/封闭性问题
dumb     笨的，傻的
amiable     和蔼可亲的，友好温和的
courteous     有礼貌的，客气的
to feel at ease     感到放松的

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Which host mentioned in the article makes guests say sincere things?
2. True or false? Larry King likes to have his guests on the defensive so they reveal more about themselves.
3. What does Larry King mean when he says he makes "the camera disappear"?
4. What example of an open question can we find in the article?
5.If David Letterman can't sing, dance or act, what can he do?

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。从每个表格中选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. I've been working in construction for 30 years. I'm __________ in this business.

a host      a veteran      a guest      Larry King

2. No need to __________. I'm just asking if you've seen my smartphone. It was here a minute ago.

be defensive       feel at ease       syndicate       be thrown into the spotlight

3. Why is the sky blue? I'm very __________.

courteous      off guard      relaxed      curious

4. So you know George Clooney well. Come on, give me some __________!

open questions      talk show      juicy gossip      entertainment TV

5. I shouldn't have told you that. It's a secret. You __________me off guard!

made      gave      did      caught

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Which host mentioned in the article makes guests say sincere things?
Oprah Winfrey.

2. True or false? Larry King likes to have his guests on the defensive so they reveal more about themselves.
False. Larry King says that if he puts his guests in the defensive "you don't learn a lot" about them.

3. What does Larry King mean when he says he makes "the camera disappear"?
He means that he makes the conversation so interesting and the guest so comfortable that it makes the conversation more intimate and natural.

4. What examplesof an open question can we find in the article?
Larry King's example of an open question: "What do you mean by that?"

5. If David Letterman can't sing, dance or act, what can he do?
According to the article's author, the famous American chat show host David Letterman can make his guests feel at ease so they reveal more of themselves.

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。从每个表格中选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. I've been working in construction for 30 years. I'm a veteran in this business.

2. No need to be defensive. I'm just asking if you've seen my smartphone. It was here a minute ago.

3. Why is the sky blue? I'm very curious.

4. So you know George Clooney well. Come on, give me some juicy gossip!

5 . I shouldn't have told you that. It's a secret. You caught me off guard!