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. 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.

1.Small talk is ________.

A. a kind of conversation with short words

B. a greeting when people meet each other

C. to let people disagree about something

D. something we talk about to start with a conversation

2.The passage suggests that when we learn a language, we should ________.

A. learn about the transport system of the country

B. only master the grammar and vocabulary

C. know the culture about the country

D. grasp the importance of the language

3.When we say “Great game isn’t it?” we are actually ________.

A. asking a questionB. having a conversation

C. greeting each otherD. beginning a small talk

4.What we learn from the passage is that ________.

A. different language has different grammar

B. small talk is an important part in a language

C. small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

D. in English speaking countries we should talk about the weather

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He believed in the principle “No pain, no gain”. He hardly watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional(传统的) wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said you had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water. So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They were all tall and strong.

I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew up weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity(逆境) seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb’s trees in ways comfort and ease never could.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to meet with hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.

1.With the trees planted, Doctor Gibbs often __________.

A. kept watering them every morning

B. paid little attention to them

C. talked to them to get their attention

D. beat them to make them grow deep roots

2.What does the author think of the way Doctor Gibbs planted trees?

A. strange and harmful

B. interesting and funny

C. original and reasonable

D. cruel and unacceptable

3.Which prayer does the author wish for his sons?

A. Have an easy life, without too much to worry about.

B. Meet people like Dr Gibbs in the future.

C. Have good luck, encountering less hardship in their life.

D. Be able to stand the rain and wind in their lives.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Growing roots

B. Doctor Gibbs and his trees

C. Prayers for my sons

D. Watering trees

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