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 which 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. 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 in English. 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 about the transport system: "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
The passage suggests that when we learn a language______.
A.we should know the culture about the country |
B.we should only master the grammar and vocabulary |
C.we should grasp the importance of the language |
D.we should learn about the transport system of the country |
When we say "Great game, isn't it?" we in fact______.
A.have a conversation | B.begin a small talk |
C.greet each other | D.ask a question |
What we learn from the passage is that______.
A.in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather |
B.different language has different grammar |
C.small talk is an important part in a language |
D.small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation |
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(Customers outside North America, please CLICK HERE to start your shopping)
Product |
Item / Price |
Description |
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The Silk Road (Item#CB510) Price: US$12.99 |
The Silk Road, with colorful pictures, has information of hot spots, suggested routes with an area map, introduction(介绍) of major cities along the silk road, festivals, hotel, transportation and travel service. Color pictures. 48 pages. English. Click for picture of inside page. |
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The Sights of Beijing (Item# CB101) Price: US$39.99 |
Detailed(详细的) Beijing tour guide, 684 pages, English. The book includes Beijing introduction and sightseeing, profile of the sights(名胜),places to visit, travel information, scenic spots within one-day journey from Beijing, with pictures. |
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Talking about China (Item#CB102) Price: US$12.99 |
English & Chinese A Canadian’s experience in China. CLICK for more information or pictures. |
Mr Smith is an American teacher who works in Peking University. How could he get the book The Silk Road?
A.By telephoning the travel agency. | B.He could shop online. |
C.He could go to the post office to buy it. | D.He has to buy it in Xinjiang. |
Which of the following is NOT included in The Silk Road?
A.An area map. |
B.Hotel service. |
C.Introduction of major cities along the silk road. |
D.Introduction of sports along the silk road. |
What does the underlined word “profile” mean?
A.Description. | B.Maps. | C.Service. | D.Price of the tickets. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the reading?
A.Not all the books are in English. |
B.The Sights of Beijing is the most expensive. |
C.Talking about China is about a Canadian’s experience in Canada. |
D.There’re pictures in all the books. |
If you want to get more information, what can you do?
A.Surf the Internet. | B.Write a letter to the writer. |
C.Ask the Canadian. | D.Buy the books in Canada. |
Shanghai’s Maglev Train(磁悬浮列车) runs from Longyang to Pudong International Airport(国际机场). The whole trip takes about 8 minutes.
Time
First train |
Longyang Road station |
6:45 |
Airport Station |
7:02 |
|
Last train |
Longyang Road Station |
21:40 |
Airport Station |
21:42 |
Tickets
Economy Class(普通座) |
VIP |
|
Single Trip(单程旅行) |
50 yuan |
100 yuan |
Round Trip(往返旅行) |
80 yuan |
160 yuan |
Children at or under 120 cm tall don’t need to buy tickets to take the train, but they cannot take the train by themselves. Children above 124 cm must buy a full-price ticket.
If you buy a round ticket, you can get on the train at Longyang Road Station or Pudong Airport Station, and get off at the other station. The return part of the ticket must be used on the same day.How long does it take to travel from Longyang Road Station to Pudong International Airport by Shanghai Maglev Train?
A.About five minutes. | B.About six minutes. |
C.About eight minutes. | D.About nine minutes. |
Mr Wang will buy an Economy class ticket to Pudong International Airport with his 120 cm tall son. He should pay___________ for the trip.
A.50 yuan | B.100 yuan | C.150 yuan | D.200 yuan |
The first train from Airport Station to Longyang Road Station leaves__________.
A.6:30 | B.6: 45 | C.7:02 | D.7:20 |
A passage( 乘客) who buys a round trip ticket__________.
A.can take the train three times |
B.must take the train back on the same day |
C.can only get on the train at Longyang Road Station |
D.can only get off the train at Pudong Airport Station |
A boy who is 130 cm tall__________.
A.can take Shanghai Maglev Train by himself |
B.doesn’t need a ticket to take the train |
C.has to take the train with his parents |
D.can take the train with a half-price ticket |
An English traveler found himself in Norway with only enough money to buy the ticket for his journey back home, As he knew that it would take him only two days to get to England, he decided that he could easily spend the time without food. So he bought a ticket and got on the ship. The man closed his ears to the sound of the lunch bell(铃子). When dinner time came, he didn’t go to dinner room, saying that he was not feeling very well.
The next morning he still didn’t have breakfast and at lunchtime he again stayed in his room. But at dinner time he was so hungry that he went to the dinner room and ate everything the waiter put in front of him. He got ready for the quarrel(吵架).
“Bring me the bill (账单),” he said. “The bill, sir?” said the waiter in surprise, “There isn’t any bill, On our ship meals are included (包括) in the money for the ticket,” said the waiter. The story happened_________.
A.in England | B.on a ship from Norway to England |
C.in Norway | D.on a ship from England to Norway |
Why didn’t the traveler go to the dinner room first?
A.Because he had no money | B.Because he didn’t feel very well. |
C.Because he didn’t want to eat anything. | D.Because he didn’t hear the sound of the bell. |
The traveler went to the dinner room to eat something because__________
A.his friend had given him some money | B.The waiter had asked him to change his mind |
C.he learned that there was no bill on the ship | D.he was too hungry |
How many meals did the traveler have on the ship?
A.Only one. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.None. |
After the traveler finished eating,___________.
A.he had a quarrel with the waiter over the bill |
B.he drank a lot |
C.he asked the waiter to bring him the change (零钱) |
D.he came to know that travelers on the ship had free (免费的)meals |
Do you like traveling? How can you make your trip interesting? Here’s some advice.
Read!
Before you leave, you should find some information about the place, such as its geography, history and people. You can introduce that place better by reading.
Take photos!
If you want to take some photos, remember to choose the most special sights. Don’t choose the sight you can see in other places. For example, Qingdao and Ningbo are coastal cities, so don’t only take photos of the sea. You should take photos of something else, too.
Taste!
You’d better taste some specials(特产) in the area. Food in some places is very delicious. So why not taste it? Maybe you have just one chance to taste it in your life.
Write!
When you visit a place, you should take a pen and a notebook, so you can write down what you see and what you think during the trip.How many pieces of advice about traveling are mentioned(提及) in the passage?
A.Two | B.Three | C.Four. | D.Five |
Before we travel to a place, we should__________.
A.learn something about it | B.decide which hotel to stay at |
C.decide when to leave | D.Know which bus to take |
The underlined word “coastal” means_________ in Chinese.
A.内陆的 | B.新兴的 | C.沿海的 | D.现代的 |
You should_______ during your trip.
A.take no photos | B.taste some specials | C.write down what you eat | D.read more books |
What’s the best title(题目) for the passage?
A.How to make your trip interesting | B.The most popular way to travel |
C.How to make a travel plan | D.The best place to travel |
Everyone needs friends. Friends bring us happiness and hope in our lives. But the ability to make friends changes from person to person. To some people, making friends is easy, and to others it’s very difficult.
Making friends is a skill, and the first thing is to know how to get on with others.
If you have trouble in making friends, maybe I can tell you how to do it.
Realize your own good points. You have skills and talents(才能) that others will like.
Believe that you are a good person and have something nice to share with others.
Be humourous. Learn to laugh at yourself and your weakness. Remember to smile at others.
Respect(尊敬) the others. Everyone has his own idea. Learn how to listen to others’ ideas without trying to make them accept(接受) yours.
Be kind. If you are kind to others, they will usually be kind to you. There are hundreds of little things you can do to show your kindness. Open the door for someone. Wave to a friend and so on.
Don’t complain(抱怨). Learn to accept what you can’t change, and work hard to change what you can. No one is willing to hear your complaints all the time.
Never give up. Even if you are faced with some closed-minded people, never give up. And try to find someone who will understand you.Why do we need friends according to the passage?
A.Friends can do everything for us. | B.Friends can bring us happiness. |
C. Friends accept our ideas all the time. | D.Without friends, we could not live. |
What’s the first thing we should learn in order to make friends?
A.To help others. | B.To smile to others. |
C.To get on with others. | D.To listen to others’ complaints. |
Which of the following shows a sense of humour?
A.Opening the door for someone. | B.Complaining to others all the time. |
C.Laughing at ourselves and our weakness. | D.Finding someone who will understand us. |
How many pieces of advice does the writer provide when we have trouble in making friends?
A.Five. | B.Seven. | C.Nine. | D.Eleven. |
What should we do when we have trouble in making friends?
A.Respect others. | B.Complain. | C.Give up. | D.Laugh at them |