Today we’re going to practice evaluating the main tool used when addressing groups—the voice. There are three main elements that combine to create either a positive or negative experience for listeners. They can result in a voice that is pleasing to listen to and can be used effectively. Or they can create a voice that doesn’t hold attention, or even worse, causes an adverse reaction. The three elements are volume, pitch, and pace. When evaluating volume, keep in mind that a good speaker will adjust to the size of both the room and the audience. Of course, with an amplifying device like a microphone, the speaker can use a natural tone. But speakers should not be dependent on microphones; a good speaker can speak loudly without shouting. The second element, pitch, is related to the highness or lowness of the sounds. High pitches are, for most people, more difficult to listen to, so in general speakers should use the lower registers of their voice. During a presentation, it’s important to vary pitch to some extent in order to maintain interest. The third element, pace, that is how fast or slow words and sounds are articulated, should also be varied. A slower pace can be used to emphasize important points. Note that the time spent not speaking can be meaningful, too. Pauses ought to be used to signal transitions or create anticipation. Because a pause gives the listeners time to think about what was just said or even to predict what might come next, it can be very effective when moving from one topic to another. What I’d like you to do now is watch and listen to a videotape and use the forms I gave you to rate the speaking voices you hear. Then tonight I want you to go home and read a passage into a tape recorder and evaluate your own voice.

【生词摘录】

1. evaluate:v.tocarefullyconsidersomethingtoseehowusefulorvaluableit is 评估,评价
2. address: v. address a meeting/crowd/conference etc to make a speech to a large group of people 在会上/对人群/在大会上等发表演说
3. adverse: adj. not favorable 不利的;反对的;相反的
4. pitch: n.[C]the highness or lowness of a musical note 音调;音高
5. register:n.[C]technicaltherangeofmusicalnotesthatsomeone’svoiceor a musical instrument can reach 【术语】(人声或乐器的)音域
6. anticipation: n. [U]the act of expecting something to happen 预期,预料,期望
7. videotape:n.[C,U]alongnarrowbandofmagneticmaterialinaflatplasticcontainer, on which films, television programs etc can be recorded 录像(磁)带
8. rate:v.tothinkthatsomeoneorsomethinghasaparticularquality,value, or standard 对„作评估,评价

文波讲词：

var变化

vary [ˈveəri]                                    v.   变化

variety [vəˈraɪəti]                           n.   多样   a varity of/ a multitude of/a range of

various[ˈveəriəs]                          adj.  各种各样的  differing/ multifarious  adj.

variable[ˈveəriəbl]                         n.   变数, 可变物adj.  可变的

invariable[ɪnˈveəriəbl]                adj.  不变的, 常数的, 不易的

invariably[ɪnˈveəriəbli]                adv.  不变地, 一定地=always