Reading Comprehension

Reading

William Ury is a co-author of the world’s most famous book on negotiating, Getting to Yes. Read the following extract from his best-selling sequel, Getting Past No. Which of the situations remind you of something that’s happened to you?

Daily life is full of negotiations that can drive you crazy. Over breakfast you get into an argument with your spouse about buying a new car. You think it’s time, but your spouse says: ‘Don’t be ridiculous! You know, we can’t afford it right now’. A morning meeting with your boss. You present him with a carefully prepared proposal for a new project, but he interrupts you after a minute and says: ‘We already tried that and it didn’t work. Next item.’ During your lunch hour you try to return a defective toaster-oven, but the salesperson refuses to refund your money because you don’t have the sales slip: ‘It’s store policy’. In the evening you need to return some phone calls, but the line is tied up by your thirteen-year-old daughter. Exasperated, you ask her to get off the phone. She yells: ‘Why don’t you get me my own phone line? All my friends have them.’ Adapted from Getting Past No by William Ury

I. In order to give the person in the extract above advice, what else would you need to know about each situation? What would you say in response to each of the people in the text? Compare your ideas with a partner.

II. Complete the following sentence in not mare than five words: “A good negotiator ______________________________”

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