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 （宗教） 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: "A great game, isn't it?" At bus-stops, people may talk about the transport system （体制）： "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．what people disagree about a topic

B．what we talk about to start a conversation

C．a greeting when people meet each other

D．a kind of talk show using short words

2．Which of the following is a good topic for small talk?

A．Politics          B．Income              C．Weather                   D．Religion

3．The passage suggests that when we learn a language ,__________．

A．we should understand the importance of the language

B．it's necessary to learn about the culture of the country

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

D．it's enough to grasp the grammar and vocabulary of the language

4．When we say "A great game, isn't it?", we in fact__________．

A．ask a question                      B．discuss the game

C．greet the other person                D．begin a small talk

5．It can be learned from the passage that________．

A．it's important to find a suitable small talk subject

B．small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

C．in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather

D．agreeing with each other is the key to a successful conversation

　　New research, conducted, with college freshmen（新生）who met on the first day of class, found that these snap judgments influenced what kind of relationships would develop. While the power of the first impressions has been well known, this research shows that the course of a relationship may be influenced much more quickly than once thought--within just 10 minutes of meeting. “Earlier research had assumed（假设）there was a cumulative（积累的）effect that happens in the first few days of meeting, which helps determine how the relationship will develop,” said Ramirez. “But we’re finding that it all happens much sooner that that--it’s actually just minutes.”

　　Ramirez conducted the nine-week-long study with Sunnafrank of the University of Minnesota, Duluth. The findings showed that how positively the participants（参与者）rated a potential relationship with their new acquaintance（相识的人）on the first day of class was the best predictor of what kind of relationship actually did develop over the next nine weeks. People who rated the potential relationship more positively tended to sit closer to their partner during class, and communicate more with that person over the course of the nine weeks. After nine weeks, they were also more likely to report a closer friendship had developed.

　　While this study focused on same-sex meetings, Ramirez said it could have applications for dating as well. For one, the study suggests that speed dating--in which you have very short, timed “mini-dates” with a variety of people in one evening--may have real value. While some people have questioned whether you can really evaluate a potential date in just a few minutes, he said this study suggests people already do that. “Romantic relationships probably are similar to what we found in this study--they begin with people making judgments very quickly,” Ramirez said.

　　Ramirez emphasized that the results don’t mean everything about a future relationship is set in stone within minutes of meeting. Obviously, events happen that can change the course of a relationship. Right now, Ramirez said he and Sunnafrank are studying what events may change that initial（最初的）prediction about a relationship, either positively or negatively.

(1)What can we learn from the study discussed in this passage?

[　　]

A．The first judgments determine how the relationship will develop.

B．The power of first impressions exists in people’s communication.

C．Just minutes of meeting may guide the future of the relationship.

D．A lot of people question a potential date in minutes.

(2)The underlined word “snap” in the first paragraph most probably means _________.

[　　]

(3)According to the second last paragraph, a potential date _________.

[　　]

A．should be one necessary result of speed dating

B．can be determined within just minutes

C．means a future romantic story

D．helps people make judgment very quickly

(4)What will the author probably discuss after the last paragraph?

[　　]

A．Some factors that determine the first impressions.

B．A relationship’s being influenced either positively or negatively.

C．How to predict a future relationship.

D．The study on events that can change a potential relationship.