Small talk is meaningless conversation in terms of content，but is often seen as socially important in certain situations，or context．In many English-speaking countries，it can be viewed as rude or unfriendly not to make small talk.
Discussing the weather with people who you don’t really know is an example of small talk that many of us are very familiar with on a daily basis．We may chat about the weather with the cashier at the supermarket or with the attendant at the gas station．Small talk may also be related to the situation such as waiting in line．People in the line may comment to others about how slow it is in the post office or bank that day，for instance．We also engage in small talk with people we may see every day but don’t really know such as those we share the elevator with in our office building．
Small talk is common at parties when guests may know the host but not each other．It is considered rude not to mingle and speak with other guests at social functions，so small talk can break the ice and get guests chatting．Compliments(赞美)may be a type of small talk such as one woman at party complimenting another on her dress．
Some people like small talk because they find silence uncomfortable and／or they enjoy communicating verbally．Others enjoy meeting new people and use small talk to start conversations. When making small talk，especially with strangers or those you don’t know very well，it’s important to observe certain socially acceptable conventions．First，small talk should be general and not personal or about controversial topics. Second，while compliments are acceptable，they shouldn't refer to the person’s body or sound like a pick-up line．What do people usually talk about in small talk?
| A．Light topics． | B．Personal topics． |
| C． Meaningless things. | D．Controversial affairs． |
Who do we usually have small talk with?
| A．Close friends． | B．People we don’t really know． |
| C．Family members． | D．Our seniors． |
At parties，it’s considered rude to ．
| A．speak to one guest only and not speak with other guests |
| B．speak to several guests at the same time |
| C．compliment a woman on her dress |
| D．have small talk with the host |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ．
| A．compliments are the most acceptable in small talk |
| B．we should refer to a person’s body when complimenting in order to sound sincere |
| C．there are some rules in making small talk |
| D．some people use small talk to make new friends |
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift.Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September11th.1958.Mum gave birth to Richard.After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying."I promised you a gift, and here it is." What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own.I played with it day and night.I sang to it.I told it stories.1 told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty.My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital.It had a fever.For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as "hopeless", "pitiful", and "dying", which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming."Don’t expect any presents this year." Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room."If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough." As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears.I'd never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning.Dad jumped out of bed to answer it.From my bedroom I heard him say."What? He's all right?" He hung up and shouted upstairs."The hospital said we can bring Richard home!" "Thank God.'" I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car.I had never seen them happy.And I was also full of joy.What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home.I downstairs.My sacks still hung there flat.But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!what happened to the author on September 11 1958 ?
| A．He got a baby brother |
| B．He got a Christmas gift |
| C．He became four years old |
| D．He received a doll |
What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring |
| C．Difficult | D．Fearful |
Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A sad Christmas day |
| B．Life with a lovely baby |
| C．A special Christmas gift |
| D．Memories of a happy family |
Kids are cool to wear blue jeans and T-shirts today.It is fashionable like that.Fashion refers to the styles of dress that are currently popular.Fashion goes beyond just clothes, though.It’s important for some people to wear only the latest fashions and styles.For others, though, keeping up with trends isn’t that important.The one thing that stays the same with fashion is this: it always changes!
During the 1960s and 1970s, hippies made bell-bottomed blue jeans（喇叭裤）popular.Also, in the 1980s, Michael Jackson made parachute pants（降落伞裤）all the fashion.Now try to find these items in today’s clothing stores!
Do you know why fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change.Over time, the new replaces the old.People are influenced greatly by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movies stars, as well as popular films, television shows, books and music.We are also influenced by the fashion industry’s advertising.
The stars of popular culture are always searching for a new angle to maintain（保持）their popularity.Often these new angles come in the form of new clothing or hairstyles.When people see these new styles, they often want to imitate their favorite stars.To do so, they seek out the latest fashions to make themselves look like the people they want to imitate.In this way, fashions evolve and change over time.
Clothes have been used to separate people into groups for many years.Even today, brand-name, clothing that is more expensive than other types of clothing can be used by some people to distinguish themselves from others.
Unfortunately, this can often have the effect of distancing certain groups from others.Don’t forget that it’s always OK to develop your own sense of style that is unique and separate from what the fashion world determines! Stay true to yourself and let your personality—not your clothes—speak for who you are！What does the example of bell-bottomed blue jeans and parachute pants in Paragraph 2 suggest?
| A．Michael Jackson is a good designer. |
| B．Stars are always influential. |
| C．People have different dressing styles. |
| D．Fashion always changes. |
What causes the changes of fashions?
| A．Advertisements change rapidly. |
| B．Movie stars are changing over time. |
| C．Popular culture influences people. |
| D．New films and shows replace the old. |
What does the author mainly want to stress in the last paragraph?
| A．The importance of having one’s own personality. |
| B．The bad effects of following fashion. |
| C．The good influences of popular styles. |
| D．The advantages of staying unique. |
We can learn from the text that_____________.
| A．fashion is all about clothes |
| B．clothes may separate and distance people |
| C．the author has gone out of fashion |
| D．people like imitating others’ dressing style |
The piano on which Mozart wrote all of his late works returned home to Vienna for the first time since his death in 1791.The piano will stand in his former Vienna home, now a museum, for two weeks, ending in a concert of the works by Mozart.
Mozart bought the instrument from Anton Walter, the most famous piano maker of his time, in 1782.He wrote more than 50 works for the piano on it, many of them in the apartment in Vienna.After Mozart’s death, Constanze, Mozart’s wife, gave the instrument to their elder surviving son, Carl Thomas, who donated it to the Mozarteum Salzburg on what would have been the composer’s 100th birthday.The piano is now part of the permanent exhibition in the Austrian city of Salzburg.
“ It was very hard to let it go,” said Matthias Schulz, director of the Mozarteum Salzburg.“ If we didn’ t know it was in the best hands, we wouldn’ t have done it.” The piano is much smaller and lighter than modern concert ones.Its sound is fresher and brighter than that of a modern piano, with lighter action and hammers (音锤).
Piano restorer Josef Meingast, who has looked after the Mozart piano since 1975, said it was superior to any of its surviving copies.Meingast said he had to fight to replace the existing strings (琴键), dating from a 1973 restoration, with softer ones that produce a rounder sound thought to be more similar to what Mozart would have produced.
Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov, who planned to give a concert of Mozart’ s music on the piano on November 7, said he was privileged to play such an instrument.It’s easily the biggest day of a musician’ s life.”According to the passage, the piano___________.
| A．is now being owned by the Mozart family |
| B．has been kept by Carl Thomas since Mozart died |
| C．is much bigger and heavier than modern ones |
| D．is part of the permanent exhibition in the city of Salzburg |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The piano has never been repaired. |
| B．Anton Walter was also a very famous pianist. |
| C．Josef Meingast devoted himself to restoring the piano. |
| D．Matthias Schulz doubted if the piano would be well looked af. |
How will Alexander Melnikov feel when playing that piano?
| A．Upset | B．Honored | C．Frightened | D．Creative |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Mozart’s piano returns home to Vinna. |
| B．Mozart’s piano connects too many artists. |
| C．Mozart’s piano reflects all his wonderful life. |
| D．Mozart’s piano is restored to its original form. |
Are you stuck in a job you don’t like? Many people hold ideas about jobs and careers that are holding them back.Let’s see the truth behind some career myths.
A CV (简历) is the only way to get a job.
To tell the truth, many employers don’t like or actually read CVs.Some employers would prefer to judge a person after a face-to-face meeting, or give them some part-time work first to see what they are truly like in the workplace.
Having an up-to-date CV is important when applying for jobs advertised in the paper, from larger organizations, or when you want to leave some information about yourself for the employers.
I have to make my decision now and stick to it.
There is a great saying: “Life is a journey not a destination.” Journeys are full of options.You make and change your decisions all the time based on new experiences and information.
Yes, you do have to make decisions, but you do not have to be limited by those career decisions by sticking to them.What’s more important is having a go and exploring new things.
I can’t get into the work I like because there are too few opportunities.
I have no doubt getting into work that you really want to do can be challenging.But I do also believe opportunities exist in most career areas because employment needs change all the time.One strategy I’d suggest if you can’t get your dream job is to go after what you want and grab any opportunity that moves you toward your dream job.
It’s the school’s responsibility to talk about careers and work.
Schools do have a part to play in providing career advice for students, but others also have a responsibility.I would suggest that a student-parent-school partnership approach is a far better way of looking at this.A lot of information is available on the internet, in the newspapers, through relatives and friends.The passage was written mainly to ___________.
| A．tell people how to get a good job |
| B．teach people how to behave in a job interview |
| C．correct some wrong ideas about looking for jobs |
| D．introduce right attitudes towards work |
According to the passage, when you are looking for jobs a CV __________.
| A．is the most important thing |
| B．is no longer popular |
| C．should be given face to face. |
| D．should contain your latest information |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _________.
| A．students should use as many resources as possible when looking for a job |
| B．the school is the main source of career advice to students |
| C．students should rely on relatives and friends to find a good job |
| D．information on the Internet is not necessarily true |
Dear Students,
I am delighted to be your guest.
I would like to tell you about myself.I have been a news reporter for the past fifteen years.I chose this job so I could travel the world, but the job has taught me many unforgettable lessons.The work is sometimes difficult.I have seen famines, wars, earthquakes, poverty and death.But I have also seen courage, hope and happiness.
In India, I visited a city where there were many homeless children.Some were as young as four years old.They lived in the streets and survived by begging or stealing.But then a wonderful lady called Rosa opened a home for them.Within one year, she was looking after two hundred children.She clothed them, fed them, and taught them.She gave them hope.
Another time, I was in Turkey after a terrible earthquake, in one place.I found an old lady whose house was in ruins, her son was missing and rescue workers said there was no chance that he was still alive.But the old lady did not give up hope.For four days, she moved heavy stones one at a time by herself.She did not stop until she found her son.He was alive.
Here in China, I met a young boy with a serious condition.He had undergone twenty operations and spent nearly his whole life in hospital.I thought he would be sad, but when I met him, his smile was so warm and welcoming.
In life, we need role models that we can admire and learn from.When my life is difficult, I try to remember the courage and goodness of these three people.The underlined word “ famine ”in Paragraph 2 means __________.
| A．pleasure | B．joy |
| C．luck | D．extreme lack of food |
What can we learn about Rosa?
| A．She’ s a rich lady and she likes to help the homeless children. |
| B．She’ s a kind-hearted woman and she provides houses for the homeless children. |
| C．She’ s a great mother and she looks after the homeless children. |
| D．She’ s a good teacher and she teaches the homeless children. |
The speaker is giving a speech to students in __________.
| A．China | B．Canada | C．Turkey | D．India |
For what does the speaker admire the Turkish woman and the Chinese boy?
| A．Their bravery. | B．Their strong mind. |
| C．Their age. | D．Their luck. |