Question

Conversation is a fine art. It is the art of exchanging thought. It is an

art which anybody can cultivate or master. Not everybody can paint

or play music, but almost everyone can talk. Thus it affords the

greatest pleasure to the greatest number. ‘To talk”, says R.L.

Sleversan, “is our chief business in the world. And talk is by far the

most accessible of pleasures. It costs nothing in money, it is all profit.

It completes our education, makes friends and can be enjoyed at any

age. Conversation is indeed the most teachable of all the arts. All you

need to do is to find a subject that interests you and your listeners.

Hobbies are for example, numberless hobbies to talk about. But the

important thing is that you must talk about the other fellow’s hobby

rather than your own. Therein lies the secret of your popularity. There

is nothing that pleases people so much as your interest in their

interest.It is just as important to know what subjects to avoid and what

subjects to select for good conversation. If you don’t want to be set

down as a bore, avoid certain unpleasant topics. Avoid talking about

yourself unless you are asked to do so. Sickness or death bores

everybody. The only one who willingly listens to such talk is, the

doctor, but he gets paid for it. You must also know not only what to

say but also how to say it.Answer the following questions briefly:

(a) How does the author define and explain the art of conversation?

(2M)

(b) How is talking easier to learn than other fine arts? (2M)

(c) What are the subjects one can easily talk about? (2M)

(d) Which topics usually bore the listener? (1M)

(e) What should be avoided unless you are asked to do so? (2M)

(f)Find out words from the above passage similar in meaning to the

following: (1M)

(a) acquire or develop

(b) make happy.​

Answer 1

Answer:

Honey is sweet it is tasted