Although most of us believe that we communicate almost exclusively with words, research ha

s shown that nonverbal communication is at least as important. Gestures and tone of voice are important cues in determining others' responses to us. Individuals who are not aware of information conveyed nonverbally are at a social disadvantage. In fact, children who fail to "read" such messages tend to be unpopular and underachievers. Children who are overeager or speak loudly, for example, may offend other children, or adults. When they fail to adjust their behavior. on the basis of others' responses, they aggravate the situation.

Adults may offend their peers also by their inattention to nonverbal responses. The sense of personal space varies among individuals and cultures. The salesman who puts his arm around the shoulder of a prospective buyer should realize the possible consequences of his gesture. Physical contact conveys sense of intimacy that the relationship may or may not warrant. Standing very close to someone during a face-to-face conversation may produce a negative reaction. In fact, you may observe the person back away.

Practice and traditions are more permissive in some cultures than in ours. In most situations, those people of power often take or receive more space. Think of the teacher whose large desk is surrounded by more space than the students' smaller desks.

Tone of voice also conveys messages and emotions. "Beautiful" may be used to describe bouquet of roses or a black eye, but the tone of voice will not be the same. "Thanks a lot" can be said with genuine gratitude or with sarcasm.

Dog trainers report that dogs respond to tone of voice than to the particular words that are said. Dogs are often praised in a consistent tone of voice that may be slightly high-pitched and somewhat singsong. They will respond to this tone of voice with wagging tails even if the words don't match.

The main point of the article is that

A．dogs and humans communicate the same way.

B．gestures and tone of voice convey a great deal of information.

C．our system of communication is changing rapidly.

D．only human beings are capable of verbal communication.