If you’re one of the people who find it difficult to make small talk at parties, it may be because you’re asking the wrong questions, experts said.
For example, while the question "What do you do? "is a classic conversation starter，it may lead to an embarrassing moment if your conversation partner is unemployed or simply doesn’t want to talk about work.
Instead of “What do you do?”, try asking "What keeps you busy?"expert Daniel Post Senning said. That way, the question applies to people whether or not they have traditional jobs.
As it turns out, Senning considers work life one of the most intimate(私密的) conversation topics, right up there with family, health, and finance. Slightly less intimate topics include politics and dating, while the safest topics to discuss include sports, weather and pop culture.
Meanwhile, in other countries, the "What do you do? " question could even be taken as offensive (冒犯的). In France,for example, "They will be offended, believing you’ re trying to put them into a box, "culture writer Julie Barlow said. “And they just don’t think it’s interesting to work for a living. There are other things they’d much rather talk about.”
But other than rephrasing(改述) the question, there are plenty of other strategies you can use to start meaningful conversations with strangers.
For one, it helps to ask your conversation partner open-ended questions, which prompt(引起)more detailed answers than yes-or-no questions. A question like "Did you have a good weekend? "will get a less thought-provoking (发人深思的) response than “What was the best part of your weekend?”
Communication expert Yasmin Sara Merchant also recommends preparing a few conversation topics in advance related to the event, like "How do you know the host? "or “What is your connection to this event?”
【小题1】What may Senning think about the “What do you do? "question?| A．It is a less private topic. |
| B．It is better than topics about family |
| C．It may discomfort those who are unemployed |
| D．It can hardly be replaced by the“What keeps you busy? ”question |
| A．Confident | B．Puzzled | C．Angry | D．Unconcerned |
| A．Giving detailed answers |
| B．Asking open-ended questions |
| C．Avoiding asking intimate questions. |
| D．Preparing event-related topics ahead of time |
| A．What kind of questions people prefer to ask |
| B．How to make friends at parties |
| C．Why some people hate small talk |
| D．How to ask small talk questions properly |
