M: I can see your point, but I just don’t trust the sellers. They may use words like, “organic” or
“natural” just to attract customers. How do we really know their products are grown
organically?
W2: Well, real organic products are certified by the government and are allowed to use the
organic label. Like this one, it’s labeled “USDA organic,” meaning that it meets the strict
regulations set by the US government.
M: Okay, you win. Let’s get some organic apples and use them to make a pie for dinner.
M: Whether you are a sociable person or not, making small talk is a part of life. Like it or not,
sometimes you’re going to find yourself in a situation where you just have to get a
conversation going with a new acquaintance.
Luckily, there are plenty of useful tips for starting a conversation. One powerful way is to
ask open-ended questions – questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” or
a single word like “okay” or “right.”
Sometimes, though, it can be tricky to come up with suitable open-ended questions. In these
situations, you can use the F-O-R-M acronym, which stands for “family,” “occupation,”
“recreation,” and “miscellaneous.” The first three of these are fairly straightforward. The last
one, “miscellaneous,” is the one that allows for the most creativity on your part. For example,
you could ask your new acquaintance if she’s read any interesting books or seen any great
movies recently.