MODULE 1
6
You will probably laugh when I tell you that my interest in body
language was sparked by a favourite professor of mine at
university. He mentioned ‘Pinocchio Syndrome’ to me one wintry
morning after claiming that I always rubbed my nose when giving
excuses for being late to his lectures. Apparently, when someone
tells a lie, the person’s blood
rushes
to the nose and the extra
blood makes it itchy. So if you think someone is not being entirely
honest with you, perhaps like my professor you should watch to
see if they
scratch
their nose! This little example of non-verbal
communication inspired me to become a body language expert.
Now, I earn my living by training people in non-verbal
communication. Knowing when someone is lying and knowing
how to
convince
people you’re telling the truth are two of the most
important skills you’ll ever learn. For example, lawyers build their
reputation on their deductive skills when cross-examining in court,
while politicians need to rely on their powers of persuasion to gain
support.
I have dedicated my life to studying the ways the human body
gives more
reliable
information than the words we speak. The
words say one thing but the body may say something completely
different. This is the theory of body language and most of us are
familiar with the
basics
.We know that crossed arms can be seen
as either defensive or aggressive, but what about facial
expressions, gestures, posture, and the intonation and rhythm of
our speech? All of these speak volumes and can be understood if
you only know how to make sense of the signs.
Take the eyes, for example. If I told you a lie, you would
probably expect me to look away rather than look you full in the
face.
However, this is not, as commonly thought, the sure sign of a lie,
but the reflexive movements we make when we are trying to
remember something. Because of this, glancing away is not as
easy to
interpret
as you might believe.A good liar is not searching
his memory for the truth, so he can quite easily look you straight
in the eyes as he speaks to make the lie more
convincing
. Here’s
a tip, though. Watch the pupil of the eye; does it change size? If it
gets bigger, this is probably an
involuntary
sign that something is
being hidden.
Body language is something that the majority of us cannot
control; it’s what escapes when we’re
concentrating on
something else. I might think I’m creating a good impression
because my voice is strong and steady and my speech is clear,
but the sweat pouring off my forehead and my constantly moving
feet say otherwise.
Business clients are constantly in need of my services and I
try to improve their confidence in themselves by teaching them
about body language. I give advice about handshakes, which
should always be firm and steady, and I teach the importance of
personal space, explaining that people who live in warm climates
stand a lot closer to one another than people in cooler climates.
They may seem like minor matters, but these codes of behaviour
can be the
key
to making or breaking a business deal.
My working life gives me a great deal of satisfaction. I feel that
I’m providing a public service, but it is a service that has had its
downside. Whenever I meet someone new and I tell them what I
do for a living, they immediately put their guard up and they’re no
longer relaxed. They quite literally freeze in the attempt to hide all
the signals that they
assume
I’m reading. It makes life difficult at
times, but I consider it a small price to pay for a job I enjoy so
much.
2
Read the title of the text. How
can this character be related to
the text? Read through to find
out.
3
Read the article. For questions
1‒6, choose the answer (A, B, C
or D) which you think fits best
according to the text.
Lead-in
1
Who’s the man in the
pictures? Which character
does he portray? What is
special about the character?
by Mark Evans
Exam Practice: Reading
