“How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly way that people in the U.S.A greet each other. But “How are you?” is also a very unusual question. It’s a question that often doesn’t need an answer. The person who asks“ How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine”, even if the person’s friend isn’t fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn’t really a question and “Fine” isn’t really an answer. They are simply other ways of saying “Hello” or “Hi”.
Sometimes, people also don’t say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone Asks “Do you agree?”, the other person might think, “No, I disagree. I think you’re Wrong...”But it isn’t very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say “I’m not sure.” It’s a nicer way to say that you don’t agree with someone.
People also don’t say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person say “I’ve to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives and excuse: “Someone’s at the door.”“Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real, or not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn’t want to talk any more, but it isn’t polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn’t hurt the other person.
Whether they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, of finishing a talk, people don’t say exactly that they are thinking. It’s an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it’s part of the game of language.
【小题1】“How are you?”is another way of saying"Hello."or"Hi."
【小题2】 It is polite lo say"No.I disagree I think you are wrong, "if you don’t agree with others.
【小题3】When someone says"I have to go now "On the phone.it means he wants to go on talking.
【小题4】"Someone is at the door."may be an excuse for finishing a plume can.
【小题5】Sometimes people don't say exactly what they are thinking about just became they try to be nice to each other.

Tony is reading an advertisement in a magazine.  It is about different evening classes or weekend classes.

The Learning Centre, Garden City

We have evening and weekend courses on ...

test preparation            friends and meeting people

jobs and making money     cooking and language learning

Some of this month's courses:

1. Get good grades!

Do you forget information and do poorly on tests? In this course, learn to...

※ remember more (95 percent of what you read).

※ think quickly and read fast (400 words per minute!).

※ do well on tests and get high scores.

2. Find true love...today!

Are you single and shy? Is it hard for you to talk to people?

In this course, learn to...

talk lo people; start a conversation with a man or woman.

be more friendly and outgoing.

※ understand a person's body language.

3. You are on TV!

Many actors get their start in television. You can too! In this course, learn to...

※ act in TV ads.

※ use your voice on the radio.

※ get TV and radio jobs.

4. Cook delicious and healthy food!

Are you interested in cooking? Do you want to keep healthy? In this course, learn to...

※ keep a balanced diet.

※ cook delicious traditional Chinese food.

※ make western-style food. This course is also online al www. dffh. net. cn.

1.In the Learning Center, you won't learn how to______.

A. prepare for a test    B. make money

C. learn a language     D. get along well with others

2. After taking course 1, you can't_______.

A. think quickly

B. improve your memory

C. remember everything you read

D. finish reading a 200-word passage in 30 seconds

3.After taking course 3, you can learn how to_______.

A. become an actor (actress)   B. become a radio reporter

C. become a TV host (hostess)   D. get a job in a radio station

4.Which course is allowed to take online?

A. Course 4.   B. Course 3.   C. Course 2.   D. Course 1.

5.What's the advertisement about?

A. Finding true love.         B. Getting good jobs.

C. Cooking delicious food.     D. Different evening and weekend classes.

Lin Tao and Chen Hai are good friends. They are in the same class. They are in the same team. Lin Tao sits behind Chen Hai. Now it is four o’clock. School is over. They often go to play games after school. They can’t look after their things very well. So their mothers don’t give them watches. They don’t have watches. They don’t know the time. But they can ask a man under the big tree. His watch is very nice. They can also see the clock on the wall of the classroom. Now it’s about five in the afternoon. It’s time to go home. They must put on their clothes and go home.
【小题1】Where do Lin Tao and Chen Hai sit in the classroom?