Question

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 that 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. In the UK 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. 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 on the transport system. “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”

1.Small talk is ________.

A. a kind of conversation with short words

B. a greeting used when people meet each other

C. to let people disagree about something

D. something we talk about to start a conversation

2.The favorite topic of small talk for English people is _________.

A. the weather B. politics

C. games D. languages

3.The passage suggests that when we learn a language _________.

A. we should learn about the transport system of the country

B. we should only master the grammar and the vocabulary

C. we should learn the culture of the country

D. we should understand the importance of the language

4.When we say “Great game, isn’t it?”, we are in fact __________.

A. asking a question B. having a conversation

C. make a comment D. making small talk

Answer 1

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：你会闲聊吗，以什么样的话题开始你们的闲聊？这篇文章告诉了我们答案。

1.由“Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation.”可知， 闲谈是指开始对话时所说的小事情。因此选D。

2.细节理解题。由“In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather.”可知，一些说英语的国家，人们喜欢以聊天气开始闲谈。故选A。

3.3】判断推理题。由 “In the UK 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.”可知英国人经常聊天气开始谈话，这样的谈话比较安全；但是人们在宗教和政治方面意见会有分歧，所以这样的话题最好避之不谈。因此学语言的时候了解一个国家的文化很重要。故选C。

4.4】细节理解题。由 “At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching.”可知，观看比赛时，人们喜欢以聊比赛而开始闲谈。故选D。

考点：文化类短文阅读。