听力题 More than two thousand years ago, Aristotle described how to make a good speech. First, he said, the speechmaker must know the subject fully and must be aware of the facts that support both sides of the issue. Second, the speechmaker must know the audience well and say things that will appeal to the audience’s beliefs and interests. Third, the speechmaker must have an absolute command of style and grammar; vague and incorrect sentences simply will not do. Aristotle’s advice still seems quite useful, not only for speakers but for writers as well. A poor writer is usually someone who gives information that is either incomplete or too one-sided; who offends, or confuses the audience; who produces sentences that cannot be called standard English by any stretch of the imagination. The question is whether such writers can become better, and if we turn to Aristotle, we learn the answer is no. He tells us that although someone with talent can he trained to become an excellent communicator, those who are not born with such talent must simply be content with their lot. He would agree that good writers are born and not made.