Question

“How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly question that people in the U.S.A use to greet each other. But “How are you?” is also a very unusual question. The person who asks “How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine”, even if the person’s friend isn’t fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn’t really a question and “Fine” isn’t really an answer. They are simply other ways of saying “Hello” or “Hi”.

Sometimes, people also don’t say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone asks “Do you agree?” the other person might think, “No, I disagree. I think you’re wrong...”But it isn’t very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say “I’m not sure.” It’s a nicer way to say that you don’t agree with someone.

People also don’t say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person say “I’ve to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse: “Someone’s at the door.” “Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real, or not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn’t want to talk any more, but it isn’t polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn’t hurt the other person.

When they are greeting each other, talking about an idea or finishing a talk, people don’t say exactly what they are thinking. They are trying to be nice to each other, and it’s part of the game of language.

1.When a person in America asks “How are you?”, he or she wants to hear “_____”.

A. How are you? B. Hello

C.I don’t know D. Fine

2.When a person disagrees with someone, it is polite to say “_____”

A. I think you are wrong. B. I’m not sure.

C. I agree D.No, I disagree.

3.When a person says “I’ve to go now. Someone is at the door.” he or she may be _____.

A. giving an excuse B. ill

C. hurting someone’s feeling D. asking a question

4.The rule of the game of language is probably _____.

A. “Always say what you mean”

B. “Don’t disagree with others”

C. “Never ask questions ”

D. “Be polite”

 

Answer 1

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：这篇文章介绍了语言游戏规则是尽量做到有礼貌。能不直接来拒绝对方就不要直接拒绝对方，尽量委婉一些。

1.The person who asks “How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine”, even if the person’s friend isn’t fine.可知问你你好吗的人希望得到你的回答是好的。故选D。

2.But it isn’t very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say “I’m not sure.”得知直接说不同意是不礼貌的，因此他人可能会说我不确信。可知选B。

3.For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person say “I’ve to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse: “Someone’s at the door.” “Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real, or not.可知例如，在电话结束时，一个人说，“我现在就要出去。这时就是要给一个借口：“有人在敲门。”“炉子上坐着东西呢。“可能是真实的借口，也可能不是。根据这些，故选A。

4.语言游戏规则是尽量做到有礼貌。故选D。

考点：考查社会现象类阅读