Saying no can be very difficult. People who are very shy often have little confidence. They think that they have to meet everyone’s need. It is very hard for them to say no. they sometimes feel shy if they say no, but doing things that they don’t want to will make them unhappy.

A simple and direct “No” is the best way. If you want to explain, you can keep it simple. Just say, “No, I’ve already made plans for this time” or, “Sorry, I’m afraid I’m not free at that time.”

Other ways of saying no:

▲  I can’t do this right now.

▲  No, but thank for asking.

▲  Please accept that I cannot come.

▲  I’d rather not.

To say no you should:

▲  Start the sentence with the word no.

▲  Shake your head when you say no to make sure they understand. Your voice should be clear and direct. Keep eye contact.

If someone makes a request, it is necessary to ask for time to think it over. The decision should be up to you, but sometimes it is difficult to say no. You can try to reply in the following way:

“Sorry. I would have taken care of your cat next weekend, but I will be going out. I know it will be hard to find someone to take care of the cat. I will try to help you next time.” Remember  that: you have the right to say no!

1.What does the writer encourage us to do?

2.How many ways of saying no are mentioned in the passage?

3.Who has a hard time saying no?

4.When you say no, what should you do as well?

5.If you want to refuse someone’s request, what will you say?

An old woman walked into a clothes shop. She asked the salesgirl to let her have a look at a new dress on display, but the girl stood still behind the counter, taking no notice of the request.
The old woman spoke to the girl again, raising her voice a bit, but still received no answer. The old woman looked closely at the girl and nodded to her, "I am too old to see well." I can't even tell a plastic (塑料的) model from a real girl."
On hearing this, the salesgirl shouted at the old woman, " What? Did you call me a plastic model?"
The old woman was greatly surprised. "On, dear me," she said. "The model can speak. Then it must be a robot of a new type."
【小题1】The old woman wanted ______in the clothes shop.

Asking for information or help is a very common and necessary activity, especially when we visit a foreign country. So knowing how to ask for information politely is important. In English, "Where are the restrooms?" and "Could you please tell me where the restrooms are?" are similar requests—both are correct English, but the first could sound rude. It’s important to use correct language, but sometimes this alone is not enough—we need to learn how to be polite when we make requests.
In English, just like in Chinese, we change the way we speak when talking with different people. The expressions you use might depend on whom you are speaking to or how well you know them. If you say to your teacher, "Where is my book?" this will sound rude. But if you say, "Excuse me, Mr West. Do you know where my book is?" your question will sound much more polite. On the other hand, it might be alright to say "Where is my book?" in some situations, perhaps with people you know well.
And you would not usually say, "Peter, lend me your pen. " A very direct order like this can sound rude in English. Usually in English polite questions are longer and include extra language, such as "Could you please...?" or "Can I ask...?" It sounds more polite to say, "Peter, could you please lend me your pen?" Sometimes we might even need to spend some time leading in to a question or request. For example, if you stop a stranger in the street, we might first say, "Excuse me. I wonder if you can help me. " or "I’m sorry to trouble you but," before asking them for help.
It might seem that speaking politely is more difficult than being direct, and in a way this may be true. However, in order not to offend people, learning about the language etiquette is just as important as learning grammar or vocabulary. And doing this will also help you become better at English, or any other language you wish to speak.
【小题1】 It’s important to know how to_     _in English when we visit a foreign country.
【小题2】 When you talk with different people, you need to__       _.
【小题3】 Extra words are used to help__      ___.
【小题4】._      _is as important as learning language structure.
【小题5】 How do you say " Don’t smoke here. " politely? "_         __*