Question

【题目】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 that 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. In the UK people usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk. 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. “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus-stops, people may comment on the transport system. “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”

【1】Small talk is ________.

A. a kind of conversation with short words

B. a greeting used when people meet each other

C. to let people disagree about something

D. something we talk about to start a conversation

【2】The favorite topic of small talk for English people is _________.

A. the weather B. politics

C. games D. languages

【3】The passage suggests that when we learn a language _________.

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

B. we should only master the grammar and the vocabulary

C. we should learn the culture of the country

D. we should understand the importance of the language

【4】When we say “Great game, isn’t it?”, we are in fact __________.

A. asking a question B. having a conversation

C. make a comment D. making small talk

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】C

【4】D

【解析】

【1】D细节理解题。根据第一段第二句Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation.说明small talk可以作在开始谈话之前，故选D。

【2】A细节理解题。根据第一段3,4行In English-speaking countries people often make smalltalk about the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?”说明天气是谈论较多的话题，故A正确。

【3】C推理判断题。总结文章可知文章中以small talk为题，主要就是告诉我们西方的文化，我们要学习一门语言，很重要的就是学习他们的文化。故C正确。

【4】D推理判断题。根据文章倒数3,4行The topics for small talk also depend on where theconversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk aboutthe game they are watching. “Great game, isn’t it?”说明这样说的目的就是为了引起一些small talk，故选D。