How to Not Be Boring
A) Humans are creatures of habit. We love to establish a routine and stick with it. Then we often put ourselves on auto-pilot. Routines can be incredibly useful in helping you get things done. However, too much of a routine can also make you incredibly boring. Nevertheless, many people live lives that are boringly predictable, or live a life where everything is outlined or planned.
B) To tell the truth, interesting people are more popular among their friends. If you don’t arouse someone’s curiosity or brighten someone’s day, you probably come across as being a little bit dull. But that doesn’t mean your life has ended and you can’t do anything to change it. If you find yourself searching for something to say beyond small talk, try these tactics to find more interesting approaches to conversation.
C) Recently, I was at a gathering of colleagues when someone turned to me and asked, “So, what’s new with you?” Ordinarily, I think I’m a good conversationalist. After all, it’s literally my job to talk to people and tell their stories or share their advice. And that’s not exactly an unexpected question. Still, the only “new-to-me” topics that came to mind were my daughter’s basketball tournament (锦标赛) and my feelings about that morning’s political headlines—neither amusing nor appropriate topics at that moment.
D) Oh, no, I thought. Have I become boring? But sharing our experiences in an authentic way to connect with other people is what makes us interesting, says associate professor Michael Pirson. The hesitation I felt in not sharing the ordinary things that were happening in my life, and the wild mental search for something more interesting, may have backfired and made me seem less interesting.
E) “If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting, it’s probably not going to land well,” says Pirson, whose expertise includes trust and well-being, mindfulness, and humanistic management. “It’s going to feel like a made-up conversation that people don’t necessarily want to tune in to.”
F) The most interesting people aren’t those who’ve gone on some Eat, Pray, Love journey to find themselves. Instead, Pirson says, they’re those who examine the ordinary. “Often, the ‘boring things’ may not be boring at all. Maybe they are actually little miracles,” he says. Share your observations about the world around you—interesting stories you heard or things you noticed—and you may be surprised by the universal connection they inspire.
G) This is essentially how Jessica Hagy starts her day. The author of How to Be Interesting: An instruction Manual, Hagy spends a lot of time thinking about what’s interesting to her. People who are interesting are persistently curious, she says.
H) Think about the everyday things around you and ask questions about them. What is that roadside monument I see on my way to work every day? Who built that interesting building in my city? What nearby attractions haven’t I visited? Why do people do things that way? Use what you find to ask more questions and learn more about the world around you. “Having that sort of curiosity is almost like a protective gear from getting into boredom,” she says. And when you find things that are truly interesting to you, share them.
I) Television veteran Audrey Morrissey, executive producer of NBC’s The Voice, is always looking for what will make a person or story interesting to viewers: it’s usually a matter of individuality. “Having a strong point of view, signature style, or being a super-enthusiast in a particular field makes someone interesting,” she says. That means embracing what is truly interesting or unique about yourself. “Many people are ‘not boring’ in the way that they can carry a conversation or can be good at a social gathering, etc. To be interesting means that you have lived life, taken risks, traveled, sought out experience to learn for yourself and share with others,” she says.
J) Of course, it’s possible to be a fountain of knowledge and a boring person, says public relations consultant Andrea Pass. Paying attention to the listener is an important part of having a conversation that’s interesting to both parties. Talking on and on about what’s interesting to you isn’t going to make you an interesting person, she says.
K) “If the listener is not paying attention, it’s your sign to shorten the story or change direction. Make sure to bring the audience into the conversation so that it is not one-sided,” Pass says. Be a better listener yourself, and give others opportunities to participate in the conversation by inviting them with questions or requests to share their own experiences or thoughts. (e.g., “Now, tell me about your favorite book,” or “Have you ever been to that attraction?”) Questions are a powerful tool, especially when they encourage others to disclose information about themselves. A 2012 study from the university of California, Santa Barbara, found that roughly 40% of the time we are talking, we’re disclosing subjective information about our experience. And when we’re doing so, our brains are more engaged. So one strategy to leave others with the impression that you’re a sparkling conversation partner is to get others to talk about themselves.
L) Being relatable is also essential, Morrissey says, “The best entertainment and storytelling comes from people who are relatable—those who don’t shy away from opening up but freely share who they are and what they care about. These are the people viewers most relate to and find interesting. Being authentic, honest, and vulnerable is always interesting.”
M) I have now come to realize that being boring, in actuality, is not only about who you are as a person, but also how you present yourself. No matter what, make sure you are having fun in life. Because when you are enjoying, people around you will begin to enjoy as well. show some interest in them and they will definitely show some in you. If you are a very reserved person, this could be a little difficult at first. But with a little effort, you can definitely improve.
(1) Pirson claims that some ordinary things may often prove to be miraculously interesting.
(2) To make a conversation interesting, it is important that you listen to the other party attentively.
(3) A person who is unable to stimulate others’ curiosity or make their life enjoyable may appear somewhat boring.
(4) Interesting people usually possess certain unique qualities, according to a TV program producer.
(5) Be interested in others and they are sure to be interested in you.
(6) The author considers himself usually good at conducting conversations.
(7) Interesting people are always full of curiosity.
(8) Falling into a routine can turn a person into an utter bore.
(9) One strategy to be a good conversationalist is to motivate your partner to tell their own stories.
(10)Interesting as it might appear, a made-up conversation will probably turn out to be dull.
答案解析：
(1) 由题干“Pirson claims that some ordinary things may often prove to be miraculously interesting.”定位到F段。F段中Pirson说“‘Often, the “boring things” may not be boring at all. Maybe they are actually little miracles,’”，即一些普通的事情可能根本不无聊，也许它们实际上是小奇迹，也就是一些普通事情可能被证明是极有趣的，所以选F。
(2) 由题干“To make a conversation interesting, it is important that you listen to the other party attentively.”定位到J段。J段提到“Paying attention to the listener is an important part of having a conversation that’s interesting to both parties.”，意思是关注倾听者是让对话对双方都有趣的重要部分，也就是要认真倾听对方，所以选J。
(3) 由题干“A person who is unable to stimulate others’ curiosity or make their life enjoyable may appear somewhat boring.”定位到B段。B段提到“If you don’t arouse someone’s curiosity or brighten someone’s day, you probably come across as being a little bit dull.”，即如果不能激起别人的好奇心或让别人开心，可能会显得有点无趣，所以选B。
(4) 由题干“Interesting people usually possess certain unique qualities, according to a TV program producer.”定位到I段。I段中电视节目制作人Audrey Morrissey说“Having a strong point of view, signature style, or being a super - enthusiast in a particular field makes someone interesting”，即有强烈的观点、独特的风格或在特定领域非常热情会让人有趣，说明有趣的人通常有独特品质，所以选I。
(5) 由题干“Be interested in others and they are sure to be interested in you.”定位到M段。M段提到“Show some interest in them and they will definitely show some in you.”，即对别人表现出兴趣，他们肯定也会对你感兴趣，所以选M。
(6) 由题干“The author considers himself usually good at conducting conversations.”定位到C段。C段中作者说“Ordinarily, I think I’m a good conversationalist.”，即通常认为自己是个善于交谈的人，所以选C。
(7) 由题干“Interesting people are always full of curiosity.”定位到G段。G段中Hagy说“People who are interesting are persistently curious”，即有趣的人总是充满好奇，所以选G。
(8) 由题干“Falling into a routine can turn a person into an utter bore.”定位到A段。A段提到“However, too much of a routine can also make you incredibly boring.”，即太多的常规会让人非常无聊，所以选A。
(9) 由题干“One strategy to be a good conversationalist is to motivate your partner to tell their own stories.”定位到K段。K段提到“So one strategy to leave others with the impression that you’re a sparkling conversation partner is to get others to talk about themselves.”，即让对方谈论自己是给人留下你是个出色交谈者印象的策略，也就是激励对方讲自己的故事，所以选K。
(10) 由题干“Interesting as it might appear, a made - up conversation will probably turn out to be dull.”定位到E段。E段中Pirson说“‘If someone is making up some conversation that might be interesting, it’s probably not going to land well,’...‘It’s going to feel like a made - up conversation that people don’t necessarily want to tune in to.’”，即编造的可能有趣的对话可能不会效果好，会让人觉得不想听，也就是编造的对话可能会很无聊，所以选E。
