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.