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Chat shows are the staple of late night entertainment TV in many countries. The US has some of the most famous hosts and the shows are syndicated worldwide.
Jon Stewart does comedy; Oprah Winfrey goes for heartfelt conversation. But what makes a good interview? Is it catching the guest off guard? Will they reveal something more personal - some juicy gossip that will have us chatting away on social media?
Larry King is a veteran. For more than 25 years he's been hosting nightly shows in which he interviews movie stars, politicians and ordinary people, who are thrown into the spotlight. And the secret to getting the best out of an interviewee? King says: "If you ask good questions and elicit thoughtful answers then you learn more about the person. If the interview's hard – if I begin by saying: 'Why did you do that?' I'd make you defensive. That may be thrilling television, but you don't learn a lot."
King adds that he's learned that the more he draws back, listens to the answers, and cares about the guest the more he gets from the person. "You make the camera disappear", he says.
Another thing Larry King does is ask open questions. He explains: "I don't want a 'no'. I don't want a 'yes'. I want a 'why'. So in other words, I want to be a little kind of dumb, I ask "What do you mean by that?'"
Being amiable, courteous and curious about the person in front of them – maybe that's what makes a good chat show host. Their biggest talent is making the guest feel at ease. Another famous American host, David Letterman, seems to know it. He once said: "I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host." Good idea: let others do the singing – just make them relax and they'll tell us everything!
词汇表
chat show 访谈节目
staple 主要的，常规的
a host (noun) 主持人
to syndicate 把（电视广播节目）给媒体机构（以供播放）
heartfelt 真心实意的，诚挚的
to catch (somebody) off guard 乘人不备，使人措手不及
juicy gossip 八卦， 花边新闻
to be thrown into the spotlight 成为公众焦点
to elicit 引出，套出
defensive 辩解的，防卫的，保护的
thrilling 令人兴奋的、激动的
to draw back 后退，不咄咄逼人
open question / closed question 开放性问题/封闭性问题
dumb 笨的，傻的
amiable 和蔼可亲的，友好温和的
courteous 有礼貌的，客气的
to feel at ease 感到放松的