Some people are afraid of starting a casual conversation with a stranger because of a fear of not having anything interesting to say. Fear of rejection (拒绝) is also a for keeping silent. Small talk in a conversation can as a way of warming up and getting to each other. Most people, no matter successful they are at work, will find the process of small talk uncomfortable, even pointless. , you will have a pretty small world you refuse to let others in. Starting off with a casual comment or question will make others , and even just greeting them with a simple “hello” will often be enough.
Once you have made the first , there is no turning back. You need to keep things before you can gracefully say goodbye. Think about what you would like to with a new friend and that is what you can ask the other person about. Work, family, hobbies or interests are some points of discussion. To keep the ball rolling, you can show that you are really in what they are saying. Once you find common of interest, things will definitely off from there.
Small talk can out to be a pleasant experience. The conversation be brief and casual without turning into a long and boring discussion. Do not let yourself the conversation. Stop worrying about how big of a fool you may appear to be. You may find out later on that you have the “ ” of getting people to open up to you by engaging them in small talk.
A．right B．reason C．result D．sign
A．take B．use C．mean D．serve
A．know B．learn C．recognize D．help
A．what B．whether C．why D．how
A．giving B．leaving C．making D．forcing
A．So B．Instead C．However D．Besides
A．unless B．until C．if D．Though
A．comfortable B．upset C．nervous D．satisfied
A．try B．plan C．wish D．move
A．changing B．rising C．improving D．going
A．know B．share C．do D．show
A．private B．present C．important D．general
A．careful B．surprised C．interested D．encouraged
A．ideas B．experiences C．points D．senses
A．take B．put C．get D．set
A．come B．turn C．find D．figure
A．should B．can C．will D．may
A．start B．complete C．consider D．control
A．still B．even C．ever D．almost
A．right B．advantage C．talent D．habit
Mr. Glen is a millionaire. Five years ago, after returning from abroad to his motherland, he 36 up his small company. Speaking of success, Glen often tells us a story about his ___ 37 expensive “school” fee. He always owes his success to it.
At that time, Glen, who already got a Ph. D. degree, decided to return to the homeland, starting a company. Before 38 , he bought a Rolex watch with the 39 made through years of work after school and the scholarships. At the airport he had to accept the routine customs check. The watch on his wrist was also demanded to be 40 down for inspection. Glen knew that carrying the 41 goods out had to pay the tax. And he worried about paying 42 for his watch. So when he was checked, he told a lie that his watch was a worthless 43 . When he was 44 of his “smarts”, immediately, 45 the presence of Glen, the officers hit the watch, which 46 nearly 100,000, into pieces on hearing Glen’s words. Glen was amazed, 47 he understood why, he was taken to the office to be 48 strictly. For many times of entry-exit 49 he knew that only those people in the “blacklist” would “enjoy” this special treatment. The officers looked out every thing carefully in the box, and warned him no matter
50 time of entry and exit he must accept the check and if 51 reusing and carrying fake and shoddy(劣质的) goods, he would be charged according to law! Suddenly, his face turned red, and he had nothing in mind after 52 the plane for long.
After returning to the homeland, he often told the story to his family, and his employees, too. He said that this made a deep 53 on him, because the additional high “school” fee that he had ever paid made him realize the value of 54 , which he would 55 as the secret of his success forever.
A．set B．came C．went D．called
A．good B．bad C．extra D．few
A．staying B．leaving C．living D．coming
A．books B．things C．savings D．pounds
A．put B．looked C．taken D．lied
A．ordinary B．common C．specific D．many
A．one B．it C．them D．these
A．present B．trade C．toy D．fake
A．afraid B．proud C．well D．hard
A．in B．on C．before D．after
A．paid B．spent C．took D．cost
A．Before B．After C．If D．Though
A．appreciated B．beaten C．spoken D．examined
A．conditions B．experiences C．experiments D．chances
A．what B．how C．when D．why
A．came out B．found out C．sent out D．set out
A．landing B．flying C．catching D．boarding
A．expression B．idea C．thought D．impression
A．honesty B．lies C．goods D．things
A．remember B．learn C．revise D．read
In a city of south India lived a young man who was always dreaming of becoming rich. He often heard about some traders in his city who gathered a great deal of 1in the course of their travels across the world. He believed he could also make a great achievement although he didn’t have any 2 in business at all. So, one fine day, the young man set out on a long 3
in search of trade opportunities.
4 though, he did not become as rich as he had thought he would. Worse, he spent more money on his travels than he 5 in the course of his trade. All this made him feel confused and 6 , but he refused to return home without 7 .
One day, while he was wandering on the shore in a seaside town, his eyes 8 on an object which he thought should be a large ship at a distance.
“When I become rich, I shall buy a ship just like that one and 9 around the world,” he said ambitiously. Then he waited to see the ship enter the harbor. As the ship got closer, it lost its 10 dimensions(规模) and looked more like a small boat. When the boat reached the 11 , the young man let out a big heavy sigh because he discovered that it was only a bunch of logs tied together. He was terribly 12 to see such a raft(木筏).
Finally he understood. Just as he 13 a lot of time on fruitless speculation(猜想) about the “ship”, his expectations of getting 14 was also without any real basis. Therefore, he decided to return home and 15up a more practical job.
1. A. energy B. knowledge C. resource D. fortune
2. A. expectation B. experience C. interest D. ambition
3. A. journey B. partnership C. vacation D. period
4. A. Unreasonably B. Unbelievably C. Unconsciously D. Unfortunately
5. A. begged B. borrowed C. earned D. adopted
6. A. uncertain B. excited C. patient D. indifferent
7. A. hesitation B. success C. problem D. income
8. A. depended B. focused C. insisted D. lived
9. A. show B. turn C. sail D. fly
10. A. correctB. formal C. real D. grand
11. A. bank B. shore C. ocean D. bottom
12. A. disappointed B. pleased C. puzzled D. astonished
13. A. saved B. valued C. wastedD. created
14. A. richB. learned C. smart D. strong
15. A. setB. gave C. made D. took
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
During my second year of college I had to look for another place to live in. One Sunday after church the pastor(牧师) 36 me to stay in his daughter’s room because she was studying abroad for one year.
To be honest, I really didn’t want to stay with the pastor’s family. 37 then he old me how much rent would be—a very 38__ figure that included one home-cooked meal a day. I thought about it and 39 to move in.
At the end of the term I had planned to make 40 living arrangements, since the daughter was to 41 home. But they suggested I 42 a room with their son. By this time I seemed to have been adopted（收养）into their 43-- her people became my people. I 44 accepted the offer.
As I emptied the daughter’s bedroom, I thought it might be 45 to have a little sister. But when I later met her, I 46 that this idea of looking after her might be more interesting than I first 47 .
We finally fell in love, married, and have been 48 one another for many years. There have been times that life turned out to be 49 than either of us could have known. But we have always been able to go 50 _ largely because we knew that somebody deeply cared.
It isn’t about marriage—it’s about 51 _ . It’s about mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers and special friends who are as 52 _ as family. It’s about anybody who can say, “I’ll be 53 -- you can count on me. I’ll try to look after you and 54 I will need you to look after me.”
Is there somebody you can 55 ? And is someone counting on you? We travel the path of life best when there is someone to look after, and when someone is looking after us.
A．required B．told C．warned D．reminded
A．But B．And C．So D．Or
A．high B．low C．familiar D．fair
A．helped B．refused C．admitted D．decided
A．other B．extra C．different D．similar
A．reach B．sell C．return D．leave
A．spare B．share C．separate D．divide
A．house B．family C．life D．group
A．happily B．sadly C．curiously D．nervously
A．strange B．uneasy C．nice D．boring
A．predicted B．doubted C．proved D．realized
A．knew B．imagined C．planned D．promised
A．watching over B．taking over C．looking after D．looking for
A．smoother B．more challenging C．flatter D．more interesting
A．forward B．backward C．up D．down
A．friendship B．relation C．love D．couple
A．perfect B．lucky C．distant D．close
A．away B．out C．in D．around
A．always B．sometimes C．never D．ever
A．believe in B．depend on C．take care of D．watch out for
I arrived in the United States on February 6, 1997, but I remember my first day there very clearly. My friend was waiting for me when my plane____26____at Kennedy Airport at three o’clock in the afternoon. The weather was very cold and it was snowing, but I was_____27____
excited to mind. From the airport, my friend and I ______28_____a taxi to my hotel. On the way, I saw the skyline of Manhattan for the first time and I stared_____29_____astonishment at the famous skyscrapers and their_____30_____beauty. My friend helped me unpack at the hotel and then_____31____me because he_____32_____go back to work. He_____33_____to return the next day.
______34____ my friend had left, I went to a restaurant near the hotel to get something to eat. Because I_____35____speak a word of English, I couldn’t ____36____the waiter what I wanted. I was very upset and ____37_____to make some gestures, _____38_____the waiter didn’t understand me. Finally, I______39_____the same thing the man_____40_____the next table was eating. After dinner, I started to walk along Broadway______41_____I came to Time Square with its movie theatres, and huge_____42_____people. I didn’t feel tired so I continued to walk_______43_____the city.
When I returned to the hotel, I couldn’t sleep because I ______44______hearing the fire and police sirens(汽笛) during the night. I______45_____awake and thought about New York. I decided that I had to learn to speak English.
A．took off B．landed C．got out D．took down
A．too B．so C．very D．much
A．got B．took up C．got on D．took
A．in B．at C．for D．to
A．old-make B．man-made C．newly-make D．natural
A．had left B．would leave C．left D．was leaving
A．must B．had to C．should D．ought
A．agreed B．said C．told D．promised
A．Shortly after B．Long before C．Shortly D．Soon
A．couldn’t B．could C．didn’t D．did
A．ask B．say C．tell D．order
A．begun B．started C．must D．started to
A．and B．so C．then D．but
A．ordered B．booked C．asked D．got
A．on B．for C．at D．to
A．when B．until C．after D．before
A．crowds of B．groups of C．crowd of D．group of
A．around B．in C．by D．near
A．was B．went C．kept D．started
A．was B．lay C．laid D．were
James was a curious young man. Everywhere he went, he liked to observe things and to __21__ people—what they did, what they said and what they wore. Subconsciously, he was making quick __22__ all the time. He couldn’t really __23__ it; it just happened.
For example, he once saw a man whose body was __24__ with tattoos(文身). That man was strong and walked proudly. James imagined his __25__ people up, sometimes with sticks and sometimes with his hands, speaking __26__ words each time he opened his mouth. A troublemaker, perhaps, James __27__ to himself.
Sometimes James felt __28__ for judging others this way, but that feeling was __29__ and never really lasted.
Then, one day, he saw a woman seated alone in a café. The woman was __30__, quite fat, and although she was not __31__, James could tell she was a short lady. __32__, James glanced across at her, looking at her from top to bottom. As his eyes reached her __33__, he got a shock.
There she was, on her left foot, wearing a platform shoe that was at least 3 inches high. __34__ could such a little middle-aged lady who was average-looking at best be so vain as to wear high platforms? Look beautiful? In that short moment of time, __35__ thoughts flowed through James’ mind.
A second later, James’ eyes naturally moved across to the lady’s right foot. And there, he got an even bigger __36__. ----It was a flat shoe. She was not vain; she had a birth defect(缺陷) ----uneven length of her legs. If anything, she deserved __37__ and understanding, certainly not blame, not even mental ones.
James was __38__ with guilt. It was a(n) __39__ lesson he learned about not __40__ conclusions, about not judging people, especially so quickly.
A．greet B．watch C．meet D．cheat
A．mistakes B．progress C．judgments D．promises
A．help B．get C．accept D．keep
A．faced B．covered C．filled D．charged
A．cheering B．dressing C．beating D．holding
A．humorous B．modest C．bad D．cautious
A．thought B．proved C．explained D．told
A．curious B．guilty C．excited D．happy
A．temporary B．strange C．permanent D．deep
A．young B．middle-aged C．old D．pretty
A．speaking B．standing C．sitting D．walking
A．Therefore B．However C．As well D．As usual
A．feet B．hands C．eyes D．legs
A．When B．Why C．How D．What
A．inspiring B．blaming C．persuading D．defending
A．pleasure B．honor C．comfort D．shock
A．love B．award C．sympathy D．respect
A．hit B．started C．equipped D．struck
A．new B．valuable C．interesting D．difficult
A．denying B．reaching C．leading to D．jumping to