Americans, generally speaking, make an effort to be friendly with their colleagues, neighbours and other people they often run into. This often takes the form of a simple greeting like “How’s it going?” or “What’s up ?” This is simply a way of saying I see you and I recognize you.
Americans also show this friendliness in “small talk”. Small talk is a casual conversation that Americans engage in when they meet on the street, in the shop or in the office before a meeting. Usually the topics of such small talk will be something that everyone is familiar with, the weather, sports, traffic, hobbies or what’s on television. The topic of the conversation is not as important as the effort make to spend a few minutes with the other person. Small talk shows that you are a considerate person who is interested in others and who is willing to take the time to get to know people.
Small talk is used in the business world to create a friendly atmosphere and to put everyone at ease before the serious matters of business are discussed. Often businessmen will spend a few minutes talking about the weather or sports before a meeting. This form of small talk only lasts a few minutes before the American businessman wants to “get down to business.”
Asians are very skilled at making casual conversation. However, they often find it difficult to make small talk with Americans because they don’t know what to say, how to say it and who to say it to. Americans may see Asians who are reluctant to make small talk as unfriendly and cold.
1. American people ask others how it is going because .
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A．they are curious about others’ affairs |
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B．they are eager to help others |
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C．they want to start a long conversation |
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D．they only want to show their kindness |
2.Businessmen talk about weather before a meeting .
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A．so that everyone present will feel relaxed |
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B．in order that everyone will be warned against the possible bad weather |
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C．because weather is very important to American people |
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D．in order to make people fresh |
3.The word “reluctant” means .
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A．willing |
B．eager |
C．unwilling |
D．skilled |
4.Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
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A．You should keep the conversation short. |
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B．Asians are not friendly and don’t like to talk with others |
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C．“To get down to business” means to start the work. |
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D．The topics of the small talk are not very important. |
Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon left their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim(模糊的) memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm had led me into varied investigations（调查研究）. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious（清醒的） mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, keen（敏锐的） eyes, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the excellent and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.
1.The first paragraph tells us the author ______.
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A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
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B．lost his hearing when he was a child |
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C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
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D．was born into a naturalist’s family |
2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _______.
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A．he didn’t live very long with them |
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B．the family was extremely large |
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C．he was too young when he lived with them |
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D．he was fully occupied with observing nature |
3.It can be inferred from the passage that the author was _______.
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A．a scientist as well as a naturalist |
B．a naturalist but not a scientist |
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C．no more than a born naturalist |
D．first of all a scientist |
4. The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _______.
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A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic |
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B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist |
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C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries |
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D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way |
A new research shows that in Britain more and more people are returning to the old tradition that the whole family have a meal at table. Worrying about the obesity and breakdown of a family, people change their eating habits so greatly, according to analysis. They find the number of the family having a meal together increases by 5% from 2002 to 2004, and most people who have meals with their family come from the rich social class.
The new discovery makes doctors and the people struggling against obesity extremely excited. Giving up the tradition that the whole family have a meal together is exactly one of the reasons for a series of problems including children’s overweight. If a child has a meal in front of the television or the computer alone, he will often eat some fast food.
Jason Collins is one of the persons returning to the old tradition. Collins is a manager of a bake(烘面包) house. He finds after he gets used to having a meal at home with his child, the child becomes much more obedient(听话的). Dr. Jin is a child psychologist, and she expresses welcome to this result of the study. She says it can make parents have a very good chance to chat with the child when the whole family have a meal together.
1. What makes people change their eating habit back to the old tradition in Britain?
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A．Worrying about their children. |
B．Worrying about some social problems. |
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C．Worrying about the living expense. |
D．Worrying about health and family problems. |
2. We can infer from the passage that _______.
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A．people’s eating habit has much effect on their family |
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B．most rich people have meals with their family |
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C．most children have the problem of overweight |
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D．most children don’t like having dinner with the parents |
3. How do the people who hope to lose weight feel about the new discovery?
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A．They feel glad. |
B．They feel surprised. |
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C．They feel sorry. |
D．They feel disappointed. |
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
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A．The child having dinner with his parents doesn’t like watching TV. |
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B．Children become overweight all because of having dinner alone. |
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C．The family having dinner together is more united and friendly. |
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D．The reason a child has dinner alone is that he likes fast food. |
In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world.
In June 1977, a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to _31_the cause of her illness, so she _32_ to London and admitted to Hammersmith Hospital, where specialist help was _33 _. She was then only half-conscious（半昏迷） and on the “Dangerously Ill” list. A team of doctors hurried to _34_the baby only to discover that they, 35_, were puzzled by the very unusual symptoms. While they were discussing the baby’s case, a nurse asked to __36 to them.
“Excuse me,” said nurse Marsha Maitland, “_37_ I think the baby is __38_ from thallium poisoning.”
“_39 _ makes you think that?” Dr. Brown asked. “Thallium poisoning is extremely _40_.”
“A few days ago, I was reading a novel called A Pale Horse __41__ Agatha Christie,” Nurse Maitland explained. “In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and _42_ the symptoms are _43_. They are exactly the same as the baby’s.”
“You’re very observant and you may be right,” another doctor said. “We’ll _44_some tests and find out _45_ it’s thallium or not.”
The _46_ showed that the baby had 47_ been poisoned by thallium, a rare metal used in making optical（光学的） glass. _48_ they knew the cause of illness, the doctors were able to give the correct treatment. The baby soon _49_ and was sent back to Qatar. Inquiries（调查）showed that the poison __50_ from an insecticide（杀虫剂）used in Qatar.
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If you are interested in this job, please ______ us as soon as possible.
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A．contract |
B．contact |
C．consider |
D．combine |
----- When shall we have a holiday?
------- Oh, forget it. Now there are many things ______ in the company.
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A．remained to solve |
B．remaining to be solved |
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C．remaining to solve |
D．remained to be solved |
