Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．
In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．
Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(强调)the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．
Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by  Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．
【小题1】The passage mainly tells us       ．

阅读理解

　　Matt grows the nicest vegetables in the village. He grows fruits, too——big, sweet apples and oranges. And what else? Well, the biggest and the prettiest flowers.

　　Things grow in Mitt’s garden all through the year. He cuts some flowers for his sitting-room table; and, of course, he eats some fruit and vegetables. But he sells everything else in the market. Matt is not a poor man—oh, no, he isn’t poor.

　　I will tell you people do not understand him. And they do not understand has garden. “Why not?” you will ask, “It’s a good garden, isn’t it?”

　　It is a wonderful garden. Matt grows things in spring, summer, autumn and winter. After that he does very little work. He sits in the garden with his small radio. And everything grows.

　　People ask, “How does Matt grow these wonderful things? He waters the plants sometimes, but he doesn’t do anything else. He just sits under an orange tree with his radio. He listens to music nearly all day!” And that is all quite true. People cannot understand it, and so they don’t like it very much.

　　Mutt likes music. But what about the garden? Who does the work? I will tell you another truth: the music does the work. All plants love music; and Matt knows that.

　　Do you want big vegetables and the loveliest flowers? Well, just give your plants a lot of music.

1．Matt grows plants in his garden ________.

[　　]

A．when he is free

B．when he wants to make some money

C．only when it is warm

D．all the year round

2．Matt is not a poor man because ________.

[　　]

A．he sells most of what he grows in the market

B．he has no one to support

C．he grows a lot of fruit and he does not eat any

D．he has sold his sitting-room table in the market

3．Matt knows a few other gardeners ________.

[　　]

A．and they are his good friends

B．and they grow better lands than he does

C．who do not understand him

D．who buy all that he sells in the market

4．In fact, besides watering the plants sometimes ________ .

[　　]

A．Matt does nothing else at all

B．Matt gives them nothing but music

C．Matt does all he can to help them to grow faster

D．Matt tries to explain why his plants grow so well

5．Plants love music ________.

[　　]

A．and Matt knows that well

B．but Matt refuses to give his plants any

C．and everyone understands that

D．but the orange tree in Matt’s garden does not

　　Rats eat our food or make it so dirty that it isn't fit for people at all. That's why people often kill them by laying down poison. After a day or two, they find the poison still there. The rats haven't touched it, even though it is near the food which they eat. People think they must be clever and cunning. Some scientists have been trying to find the best way to poison rats. They have watched to see just what a rat does day and night. They have found out that rats aren't so clever. They are just very shy.

　　Rats usually live in holes. They run from these holes to the places where they eat and drink. They have special paths on which they travel each time. So they know their paths quite well.

　　If anything new, such as stone or wood, is put in the path, the rats won't go near it at first as they are too frightened. It will take them many days to get over the fear. They are also frightened to go near a place that they know, where something has been taken away. If a path goes around a rock, the rats follow the same path around the rock each time. If the rock is taken away, they will still run round the place where the rock was! They won't cross the empty place, which is now open to them, even though it would be quicker.

　　Rats will always keep away from anything unusual to them. That's why they won't eat poison on the first or second night. They usually won't go anywhere near it for about four days until they get used to being there. Even then they only eat a little at a time.

　　If people want to kill rats with poison, all they have to do is to leave it out for a few days. Once the rats have got used to it, they will eat it and die.

　　1．This passage mainly tells us

　　　　A. how a rat destroys our food

　　　　B. how to poison a rat

　　　　C. what's a rat's habit

　　　　D. poisoning a rat is not easy

　　2．How does the writer feel about rats?

　　　　A. They are clever and cunning.

　　　　B. They are the most dangerous enemy.

　　　　C. They are smart and shy.

　　　　D. It's easy for them to get close to an unknown object.

　　3．________ rats have special paths to travel each time.

　　　　A. Because they live in holes most of the time

　　　　B. To find more food to eat and water to drink

　　　　C. In order not to eat anything poisonous

　　　　D. To protect themselves

　　4．If you want to kill a rat, ________.

　　　　A. you should make it get used to the poison

　　　　B. you should drive it out of the hole

　　　　C. you should place a rock on the path along which it runs

　　　　D. you should make it get over the fear to cross the empty place

Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．

    In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．

    Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(强调)the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．

    Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by  Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．

1.The passage mainly tells us       ．

    A．how to make friends with Americans

    B．how to make proper conversations with Americans

    C．what Americans like to talk about in their dailv life

    D．what to avoid in talking with Americans

2.When you talk to an American for the first time，you can ask him the following questions EXCEPT “   　 ”.

    A．How does America treat other countries

    B．Where did you buy your wonderful car

    C．What do you do

    D．How is the dessert the nearby restaurant offers

3.When you find that an American has made a mistake, you’d better       ．

A．point it out directly and politely

    B．pretend not to see it

    C．tell his friends about this

D．cover it up for him