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
My sister, Cathy, who lives in Vancouver, sent me a package full of Christmas gifts. She told me that she had it in advance to make sure it would arrive at my house weeks before the . Christmas was drawing near, but no package arrived. Cathy checked the tracking number every with Canada Post, and every evening she would call me to if there was any sign of it on our end.
The always started with questions about the package, but twenty minutes later we would still be . We talked about our family, such as parents, our kids and . Of course we also talked about our jobs. We had never made so much for each other! The talk always took us back to the hours we spend together in our childhood.
By Christmas Eve we finally had to the fact that the package was lost. On Christmas morning, Cathy got on the phone with everyone in my and told them what she had sent. Later on, after a big Christmas dinner, I had forgotten all about the package when there was a knock on the door. Who could it be at such a time? As I the door, a man was standing there.
“I this is yours.” he said, holding a package. Just then I that it had been delivered to the wrong address. “I just got home from vacation,” he explained, “ I wanted you to have this in time to open for Christmas.” I thanked this stranger for taking so much trouble to this gift to us on Christmas Day, and thanked God that the package had been lost in the first place.
The real gift that holiday season was the new to my sister who lives far away from us. Now there’s one gift I never want to give back!
A．booked B．decorated C．listed D．mailed
A．appointment B．deadline C．holiday D．party
A．year B．morning C．week D．month
A．pick out B．take out C．figure out D．find out
A．complaint B．conversation C．discussion D．quarrel
A．chatting B．arguing C．kidding D．scolding
A．gifts B．secrets C．husbands D．clothing
A．food B．time C．achievement D．money
A．consider B．ignore C．accept D．study
A．hardly B．simply C．mostly D．suddenly
A．restaurant B．office C．house D．class
A．terrible B．outstanding C．big D．missing
A．opened B．locked C．left D．watched
A．understand B．forget C．know D．believe
A．expected B．dreamed C．realized D．remembered
A．because B．but C．or D．so
A．generous B．honest C．polite D．kind
A．show B．present C．return D．offer
A．silently B．carefully C．gently D．actually
A．combination B．guide C．recognition D．closeness
I had heard about the benefits of gratitude(感恩). What was less clear was what to do. Hoping for _ , I called Robert Emmons. He was _ at the University of California. “Be _ ,” he said , “and soon you’ll know the benefits.”
He _ that I should pay a gratitude visit“ _ a person who has made a great difference to your life and whom you have _ thanked. Write a letter to him or her that expresses your thanks, and they read it aloud face to face.” Emmons told me. “It is very moving for the _ and the receiver. Be prepared for _ .”
I _ thought of Miss Riggi, my eighth-grade English teacher. She was the first one to open my __ to Hemingway, Faulkner, and some other great writers. She was the first to __ me to write. I made some quick calls and found she was still teaching in the same school. At once I __ plane tickets to my hometown, Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Miss Riggi was shorter than I __ . After a hug and a small __ , we sat down. I took a deep breath and read my letter to her.” I want to thank you in person for the effect you have had on my _ ,” I began . “Nearly 30 years ago, you introduced me to the wonders of the _ words…” I felt like I was speaking _ generations of students when I was reading to Miss Riggi, ”Time passes quickly. Memories blur(变得模糊不清)and fade, _ I am sure I will never forget the excitement of arriving each day at your class.”
Professor Emmons was _ about the tears. They did come, for both of us. My feeling of peace and joy _ long after I returned home.
A．stories B．tips C．thanks D．examples
A．teaching B．traveling C．searching D．studying
A．happy B．careful C．interested D．thankful
A．suggested B．shouted C．doubted D．lied
A．Look at B．think of C．Cheer up D．Look through
A．Always B．also C．already D．never
A．stranger B．designer C．giver D．lender
A．hopes B．questions C．pains D．tears
A．hopefully B．luckily C．immediately D．strangely
A．eyes B．mouth C．nose D．head
A．serve B．encourage C．refuse D．force
A．received B．booked C．gave D．changed
A．wanted B．understood C．remembered D．described
A．talk B．decision C．discussion D．praise
A．work B．class C．life D．family
A．spoken B．written C．lost D．forgotten
A．for B．to C．with D．at
A．as B．so C．but D．if
A．fine B．worried C．proud D．right
A．helped B．stopped C．moved D．Remained
完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面的短文，从短文后给出的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入文中空白处的最佳选项。
It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. _______ I was waiting for my drink, I realized that there were other people in the place, but I sensed________. I saw their bodies, but I couldn't feel their souls _______ their souls belonged to the ________.
I stood up and walked between the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man ________ in front of it. "I'm Steve", he finally answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. "I can't talk with you. I'm ________ ", he said. He was chatting online and, ________, he was playing a computer game—a war game. I was _______.
Why didn't Steve want to talk with me? I tried _______ to speak to that computer geek(怪人), ________ not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction(反应). I was ________. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, "_______!"
I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I _______, and saw nobody showed any interest.
_______, I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more ________ having a relationship with the _______, particularly Steve. I wouldn't want to ________ the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines _______ with people.
I was worried and I sank in my thoughts. I didn't even ________ that the coffee was cold, ________ Steve didn't notice there was a person next to him.
A．Before B．Since C．Although D．While
A．pain B．loneliness C．sadness D．fear
A．because B．when C．until D．unless
A．home B．world C．net D．cafe
A．sleeping B．laughing C．sitting D．learning
A．busy B．thirsty C．tired D．sick
A．first of all B．just then C．at the same time D．by that time
A．surprised B．delighted C．moved D．frightened
A．once B．again C．first D．even
A．but B．so C．if D．or
A．excited B．respected C．afraid D．unhappy
A．Shut up B．Enjoy yourself C．Leave me alone D．Help me out
A．walked about B．walked out C．raised my hand D．raised my head
A．From then on B．At that moment C．In all D．Above all
A．interested in B．tired of C．careful about D．troubled by
A．computer B．soul C．shop D．geek
A．tell B．plan C．imagine D．design
A．other than B．instead of C．except for D．as well as
A．pretend B．understand C．insist D．realize
A．as if B．just as C．just after D．even though
A boy was walking home from school when he saw a large apple on one of the branches of an apple tree hanging out over a tall fence. In fact, the boy disliked , preferring a bar of chocolate if given the choice. However, as they say, the forbidden fruit can be . Seeing the apple, the boy wanted it. The more he looked at it, the he felt and the more he wanted that apple.
He stood on tiptoe, as high as he could, but even as his tallest he was unable to touch it. He began to .up and down, as high as he could, at the of each jump stretching his arms to get the apple. Still it remained out of .
Not giving up, he thought, if only he had something to 0n. His school bag wouldn't give enough height and he didn't want tothe things inside, like his lunch box, pencil case, and books. Looking ,he hoped he might find an old box, a rock, or, with luck, even a ladder, it was a tidy neighborhood and there was nothing he could use.
He had tried everything he could think to do. seeing any other choices, he and started to walk away. At first he felt angry and disappointed thinking about how hungry he had become from his ,and how he really wanted that apple. The more he like this, the more unhappy he became.
However, the boy of our story was a pretty smart guy, even if he couldn't always get he wanted. He started to say himself, "This isn't helpful. I don't have the apple and I'm feeling unhappy as well. There's more I can do to get the apple-that is unchangeable-but we are supposed to be able to 0ur feelings. If that's the case what can I do to feel better?"
A．fruit B．trees C．vegetables D．sweet
A．difficult B．dangerous C．attractive D．healthy
A．sadder B．angrier C．hungrier D．cooler
A．hanging B．stretching C．beating D．pulling
A．strength B．length C．weight D．height
A．look. B．jump C．walk D．wave
A．edge B．stage C．top D．level
A．hope B．control C．sight D．reach
A．feed B．stand C．sit D．hold
A．break B．shake C．take D．share
A．through B．forward C．down D．around
A．so B．but C．and D．yet
A．After B．While C．Without D．Upon
A．kept off B．gave up C．got through D．turned over
A．lessons B．garden C．efforts D．school
A．thought B．stole C．ate D．learned
A．which B．what C．how D．where
A．with B．by C．in D．to
A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing
A．change B．express C．forget D．describe
Stephanie McRae was used to driving in bad weather. Although still beat the windshield of her SUV（运动越野车）, the worst of the day's storm seemed to have passed as she her 11-year-old daughter, Maddie, home at 8:30 pm.
Maddie in front, while two young kids sat strapped into their SUV in back. Driving along the mud by a river, McRae, 39, a terrifying sight: The road just ahead had been craved in and . She stepped heavily on the brake. The SUV into a flooded hole some 6 metres below, and was washed into the , which the storm had turned into a river 30 metres wide. Rocks and fallen tree knocked into her SUV, making it upside down. The pressure blew out the window.
No one was hurt, there was no way to escape either, The SUV was being towards the middle of the river, about 400 metres away. McRae helplessly and prayed aloud with Maddie: “Please, God, please, help us!” The SUV, submerged and with water, came to a stop when it parked at an angle in a logjam（浮木阻塞）.
It was Maddie who took control. Pushing her way out of the back window, the slight but athletic Maddie onto the top of the SUV, which had righted itself, and yelled to her mother to hoist up the younger children. Soon the were crowded on the top of the SUV’s roof. to hold on as the water swept over them. McRae caught hold of the two-year-old kid to her chest while holding the three-year-old on her leg. Both children were so that MeRac wondered if they were all right. With her mother’s permission, the 11-year-old girl-Meddie got over lots of problems to ask for help in a village and fortunately they were saved.
A．rain B．snow C．wind D．mud
A．walked B．drove C．ran D．rushed
A．stood B．lay C．cried D．sat
A．belts B．backs C．seats D．toys
A．worried B．thought C．saw D．feared
A．washed away B．taken away C．gone away D．moved away
A．changed B．fell C．jumped D．knocked
A．sea B．bank C．take D．river
A．rising B．leaving C．singing D．falling
A．leaves B．branches C．skins D．flowers
A．and B．or C．but D．so
A．carried B．set C．turned D．swept
A．begged B．screamed C．asked D．applied
A．filling B．burdening C．fighting D．talking
A．hidden B．closed C．broken D．covered
A．climbed B．slept C．rolled D．tied
A．two B．three C．four D．five
A．losing B．trying C．finding D．getting
A．noisy B．Happy C．excited D．quiet
A．remote B．close C．crowded D．unknown