Smiling is common body language. It plays an important role in our life. It has been generally accepted by experts that 93% of communication is without words, 55% through body language and 38% through the tone of voice. According to research, many people with hearing and sight loss may only receive 7% of the full meaning of a conversation.
From a personal point of view, this was brought to my attention through marrying a man who is blind. With other friends, I would make eye contact. But Bob, my husband, has gradually lost all his sight and cannot read body language any more. If I say something that sounds serious but is not meant that way, I would show my purpose by adding a smile. For example, if I said to a sighted friend, “You are terrible!” and smiled at him, he would know the message was not unkind. But if I said that to Bob, he might think I was unhappy with him. So, I avoid these misunderstandings by smiling with a sound! There are also some easy ways to have good communication with blind people.
When you meet them, introduce yourself by name. If you know their names, call their names and then they will know that you are speaking to them and not someone else. To further compel their attention, gently touch their upper arms with your hand. If you are leaving, say you are going away. Nobody likes to find that they have been speaking to an empty space. It all sounds simple but is helpful for the blind.
【小题1】The first paragraph tells us that _________.
| A．Half of communication is body language. |
| B．Words make up a big part of communication. |
| C．People cannot get any message without body language. |
| D．The blind cannot get the full meaning of a conversation. |
【小题2】The writer’s husband _________.
| A．read body language very clearly | B．lost his sight little by little |
| C．became completely blind suddenly | D．misunderstood her smile all the time |
【小题3】The underlined word “
compel” here means __________.
| A．to attract | B．to turn away | C．to forget | D．to mix |
【小题4】Which of the following can make for good communication with blind people?
| A．Speaking loudly. | B．Going away without making a sound. |
| C．Touching them to start a conversation. | D．Smiling at them during a conversation. |
【小题5】What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Common Body Language | B．Simple Things Are Helpful |
| C．Smile at the Blind More Often | D．Communication with the Blind |
