Question

In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?”. But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion(宗教)or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: “A great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may talk about the transport system(体制): “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”

Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.

1.Small talk is          .

A. what people disagree about a topic

B. a kind of talk show using short words

C. a greeting when people meet each other

D. what we talk about to start a conversation

2.Which of the following is a good topic for small talk?

A. Politics.     B. Income.

C. Weather.      D. Religion.

3.The passage suggests that when we learn a language,          .

A. we should understand the importance of the language

B. it’s necessary to learn about the culture of the country

C. we should learn about the transport system of the country

D. it’s enough to grasp the grammar and vocabulary of the language

4.When we say “A great game, isn’t it?” we in fact          .

A. ask a question             B. discuss the game

C. greet the other person      D. begin a small talk

5.It can be learned from the passage that          .

A. it’s important to find a suitable small talk subject

B. small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

C. in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather

D. agreeing with each other is the key to a successful conversation

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.D

5.A

【解析】

试题分析：“闲聊”是语言交流和学习的重要组成部分。

1.Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation.”，可知所谓“闲聊”就是我们在开始正式的谈话前所讲的内容，故该题正确答案为D.

2. It（Small talk）must be about something which both people have the same opinion about.”和“People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion(宗教)or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. ”可知，大家进行闲谈的往往是大家有共同的观点的安全的话题，故该题正确答案为C.Weather.

3.

4.

5.

考点：社会生活类文章的阅读