15．Silence is unnatural to man．He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness．In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world，and he fears silence more than anything else．Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence．If he is introduced to another person，and a number of pauses occur in the conversation，he regards himself as a failure，a worthless person，and is full of envy（妒忌） of the emptiest-headed chatterbox（喋喋不休的人）．He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly，but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure（蜡塑人像）．
The aim of conversation is not，for the most part，to communicate ideas； it is to keep up the buzzing sound．There are，it must be admitted，different qualities of buzz； there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito．But at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person．Most buzzing，fortunately，is pleasant to the ear，and some of it is pleasant even to the mind．He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take part in the buzzing with his neighbors．
Those who hate to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk．Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new．Some of them are content if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people's ears，though they have nothing to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel．At the end of an evening，during which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time．They just prove themselves to be successful conservationists．
27．According to the author，people make conversation toD．
A．exchange ideas
B．prove their value
C．achieve success in life
D．overcome their fear of silence
28．By"the buzzing of a fly"（Para.1），the author means"C"．
A．the noise of an insect B．a low whispering sound
C．meaningless talks D．the voice of a chatterbox
29．According to the passage，people usually talk to their neighborsB．
A．about whatever they have prepared
B．about whatever they want to
C．in the hope of learning something new
D．in the hope of getting on well
30．What is the author's purpose in writing the passage？D
A．To discuss why people like talking about weather．
B．To encourage people to join in conversations．
C．To persuade people to stop making noises．
D．To explain why people keep talking．
分析 本文的作者了解释人们为什么会交谈．大多数的交谈是害怕沉默而进行的毫无意义的交谈．
解答 27．D 细节理解题．从第一段句子：Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence．可知人们的交谈是害怕沉默．选D．
28．C 猜测词义题．从前面的句子：He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than 可知the buzzing of a fly是指毫无意义的交谈．选C．
29．B 推理判断题．从第三段的句子：Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new．可知和邻居的谈话是无所不谈．选B．
30．D 主旨大意题．从第二段的句子：The aim of conversation is not，for the most part，to communicate ideas； it is to keep up the buzzing sound．可知作者是解释人们为什么会交谈．选D．
点评 故事类文章在阅读过程中，我们一直在某个线索的引导下，随着作者的思路去了解一个故事或一件事情的始末，因此会感到比较轻松．命题往往从故事的情节、人物或事件之间的关系、作者的意图和态度、故事的前因和后果等方面入手，考查学生对细节的辨认能力以及推理判断能力． 阅读故事类文章时，应注意把握主旨大意，弄清主要情节，立足文章的内容揣摩作者的态度和意图，根据文章的情节展开合理的想象，从而达到解题的目的．
