SMI
Exam preparation
Having a memorable first conversation
We all want t o make a good impression, but t his takes some effor t. The key to mak ing a
good fir st impression is to be memorable, in a po sitive way. Of course, you cou ld dress like a
clown and ge t a lot of attention. O r you might 1 a big row with s omeone in a social
meeting . Or maybe, you could revea l 2 information about someone. A ll of these
examples a re memorable, but not in a good way. So, how can you be memorable i n a positive
way?
Part ies and social gat herings often involv e making 3 ta lk that is supposed
to 4 people at ease. T hey are introduced to one a nother and they are u sually
worried ab out asking 5 questions t hat don’t make any one uncomfortable. So the
conversation gener ally begin s with predicta ble questions and comments l ike ‘What do you
do for a livi ng?’, ‘I’m a doctor’, ‘So, you’ve always got a 6 of work to do du ring the
week’. However, imagi ne if someone answered t he question with a more u nusual answer.
For insta nce, someone asks ‘What do you do for a l iving?’ and t he person answers ‘I bri ng
the past to l ife to help us navigate t he future. I’m a histor y professor’. Unusual a nswers to
simple quest ions should always be acc ompanied by eye contact a nd gestures. Nobody l ikes
a person who is 7 on t heir phone while they a re talkin g to you. So, think about
some origi nal ways you can a nswer simple questions s uch as ‘Where are you fr om?’ or ‘What
do you do for a livi ng?’. Doing so wi ll result 8 more interes ting and enjoyable
conversat ions.
1 For questions 1–8, read t he text below and decide wh ich answer (a, b, c or d) best fits each gap.
1a) ha ve b) establish c) t ake d) make
2a) enthusiastic b) i nst a nt c) confidential d) inbox
3a) short b) little c) sm a ll d) ti ny
4a) hit b) b ea r c) ma ke d) put
5a) appropriate b) s ha r ed c) awkward d) dominating
6a) back b) t on c) line d) bea r
7a) crossing b) texting c) handwrit ing d) deleting
8a) on b) to c) of d) i n
9780194098472 Navigate 1e Upp-Intermediate i7_revised finals.indb 19780194098472 Navigate 1e Upp-Intermediate i7_revised finals.indb 1 04/07/23 3:24 PM04/07/23 3:24 PM
