How to Answer Difficult Questions Intelligently

Every one of us has been in a situation before that we found intimidating because of questions put to us. This happens in school, in job interviews, or when dealing with other authority figures. These steps should help you keep your cool.

Steps

1. 
   Identify your opponent. Who will be asking the questions?
2. 
   Think ahead. What is this person likely to ask you? Consider in what context you will meet the potentially intimidating person and why they make you nervous. Most likely you are worried about making a bad impression or coming across as less intelligent than you really are.
3. 
   Prepare yourself. If your opponent is a specific teacher in school, study their subject carefully. Pay attention in class so that you are at least aware of the general topic of the lesson at hand. If you are approaching a job interview, read the company's website and get acquainted with their history, mission, and future plans.
4. 
   Learn jargon, if necessary. If the topic at hand requires you to know technical vocabulary, important historical figures, or a certain language (most cooking terms, for example, are in French), make sure you know at least some of them. That way you can refer to them while you answer, even if your answer is vague or general in nature. It will make your "opponent" think that you have studied the area in depth. He or she will probably become more friendly.
5. 
   Be confident. This will be a lot easier if you followed the steps above, as knowledge on the topic will make you feel more up to the task. If you are simply trying to be more eloquent in social situations, following the news (including international events) and maybe watching some game shows (question and answer shows) will prepare you pretty well for any small talk or social event.