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 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.D

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

1.

2.

3.

4.