PASSAGE 43

EYE CONTACT

The eyes themselves can convey several kinds of messages. Meeting someone's
glance with your eyes is usually a sign of involvement, while looking away signals a desire
to avoid contact. Most of us remember trying to avoid a question we didn't understand by
glancing away from the teacher. At times like these we usually become very interested in our
textbooks, fingernails, the clock- anything but the teacher's stare. Of course, the teacher
always seemed to know the meaning of this nonverbal behavior and ended up picking on
those of us who signaled out uncertainty.

I. VOCABULARY
To convey: To send Glance: Quick look
Involvement: Taking part, concern, interest
To avoid: To keep away from, to evade
To signal: To show, to indicate
Stare: Intent look, gaze
Nonverbal: To end up, To finish up
To pick on: To choose, to decide on .
Uncertainty: Hesitation, doubt
II. EXERCISE: Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words defined
above.
1. I'm not going to .... you so you can feel free to answer the question.
2. Moments of doubt and .... always arise, even with the greatest people.
3. He spent ages at the window,.... hard and seeing nothing.
4. All four were accused of .... in the murders of two Australian tourists on holiday in the
Dutch town of Roermond in May 1990.
5. If it is necessary to .... a message, I would ask you to do so through a messenger.
III. READING COMPREHENSION
1. The passage emphasizes the fact that, .........
A. we usually avoid meeting someone's glance.
B. people like establishing contacts with eyes.
C. we are always involved in other affairs.
D. many sorts of messages can be sent through eyes.
E. it is impossible to look away.
2. Students usually look in the different direction when......... ,
A. they want to answer the teacher's questions.
B. they understand what the teacher means.
C. they don't want to answer what the teacher will ask.
D. their textbooks are interesting.
E. they see that the teacher is not looking at them.
 3. The writer says that the teacher always seemed to know what looking away from him
meant......
A. and therefore picked up interesting subjects.
B. so he avoided contact with the students.
C. because he signaled uncertainty.
D. and was not interested in the students.

and chose the students dealing with different things.