A father who makes his sons give a PowerPoint presentation when they want more pocket money says it helps them to grow in confidence.

Phil Quickenden, who lives near Woodbridge, Suffolk, came up with the idea after learning his son Joshua, 15, was not participating in class. He believed two years of lockdown had had an impact on his eldest child’s speaking skills. He said being able to articulate(明确表达) and influence others was essential.

Mr Quickenden’s youngest son, Sam, 10, also started giving a presentation to his parents, to explain why he should have a new video game or money for items outside of his monthly pocket money. Sam had “always been confident in terms of his peers, but has developed that”, said Mr Quickenden. “He’s much more articulate and happy to engage, so it’s had a positive impact,” he added.

“It was a great way for them to test their skills, build up their confidence and fill some of that gap from lockdown when they missed some of those socialisation opportunities,” said Mr Quickenden. As a result, he said his eldest son Joshua had grown in confidence, both in the classroom and with friends. The civil servant, who makes “a lot” of presentations for work, said schools should do more to develop skills in public speaking.

A lot of his younger staff, who were technically capable of using Powerpoint, lacked the skill to be engaging, according to Mr Quickenden. “They can technically put together some slides, but it’s something different to stand up in front of people and get your point across clearly and articulately,” he said. “But crucially it’s about confidence—being able to stand up in front of a group and say your piece. I think it’s really important.”

Mr Quickenden said the needs of the workplace had changed significantly over the last 15 years, and particularly during Covid. “I think as technology builds and takes over, those human interactions become more and more important,” he said. “Being able to... engage with somebody is something a computer will never be able to do.”

1.Why does Phil Quickenden make his sons give a PowerPoint presentation ahead of pocket money rise?

A To help them regain their confidence.

B To improve their speaking skills.

C To influence other fathers.

D D.To make a negative impact on kids.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第二段的“...He believed two years of lockdown had had an impact on his eldest child’s speaking skills.”可知，Quickenden认为他的孩子不积极参与课堂是因为疫情封锁影响了孩子的语言表达能力，故他让孩子做PPT演讲是为了锻炼孩子的语言表达能力。故选B。

2.What may most probably encourage Sam to give a presentation to his parents?

A A video game out of fashion.

B Monthly pocket money.

C Household items.

D Extra pocket money.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第三段第一句的“...to explain why he should have a new video game or money for items outside of his monthly pocket money.”可知当山姆想要一个新游戏或者每月固定零花钱以外的钱(用来买东西)时，他需要向父母做一个PPT演讲。故选D。

3.What does Quickenden do?

A He is a company manager.

B He is a middle school teacher.

C He is a government office worker.

D He is a staff at a technology company.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第四段最后一句“The civil servant, who makes ‘a lot’ of presentations for work”可知Quickenden是一位公务员。故选C。

4.What’s a crucial skill in workplace according to Quickenden?

A Using Powerpoint.

B Public speaking.

C Mastering technology.

D Getting engaged.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据倒数第二段的“being able to stand up in front of a group and say your piece”可知Quickenden认为能够站在一群人面前讲述你的作品的能力非常重要，即公众演讲的能力。故选B。