A. too; to        
B. enough; to  
C. too; not to      
D. so; that

A. too; too
B. to ; to
C. so; that  
D. too; to

　　It's sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life
difficult for foreigner. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with
him and she says, " If I finish my work, I'll meet you in the café at 7 o'clock," Is
she saying " yes" or " no" to his invitation?
　　In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure. By using the
conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a "yes" or " no" answer to a
question. It enables people to be diplomatic. If the girl doesn't want to go out
with the boy, she won't turn up at the café. She will let him understand she is still
working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn't want to appear too easy to
catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first
conditional which shows probability, she is quite likely to turn up at the café.
Being polite can make life very difficult!
　　The conditional is often used by people in the news-politicians, for
example-who to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are
on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her
points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of
workers, " if we could pay you more, we would.' The use of the conditional here
makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional
form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their
rise.
　　"If" is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can
show politeness, reported speech and conditionals such as the
First-probability-if I can come to your party, I will; the
second -improbability-if I saw you tomorrow, I'd give you the book; and the
third-impossibility( meaning it is too late to change something that has
happened)-if you have told me. I would have helped you.

1. The using of the conditional can make a speech _____.

A. clearer
B. quicker
C. more polite
D. more exciting

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Language used in the news should make room to argue.
B. Usually English girls are not easy to catch.
C. English people never speak out their ideas in public.
D. The word "if" can show different meanings.

3. In the passage," If we could pay you more, we would." probably means _____.

A. the workers will make more money
B. the spokesman doesn't give any promise
C. the spokesman keeps his word
D. the workers' problems aren't difficult

4. This passage is mainly talking about _____.

A. the conditional in communication
B. how to invite a girl in Britain
C. British people and their life
D. some language points in daily English

30th September
Dear Jayne,  
　　How are you? I hope everything is getting on well with you.  
　　I returned to my home on the morning of September 28th, at 2 am. I am so
sorry for not calling you as soon as I came back home.  
　　I have been allowed to stay at home for two days (from September 29th to
September 30th) to have a rest. The Chinese National Day is on October 1st. We
have a seven-day off for National Day holiday.  I will stay at home to have a
good rest.  
　　Thank you for your help.  I miss you and your kindness.  I miss the climate
in England in summer, too.  It is neither too hot nor too cold.  Now it is still very
hot in most parts of China, especially in the south of China, for example, in
Guangzhou.  The sun seems to dry up everything. We have to use air conditioner
to make the air cool enough so that we can have a good sleep at night.  
　　I will continue my work on October 8th.  After I start my work, it will be
too busy for me to do anything that I want to do, but I will try my best to get in
touch with you.  
　　Best wishes.                                          
                            Yours sincerely,                                                                          
                                     Sunny

1. How many days will the writer stay at home to have a rest?

A. Two.            
B. Seven.          
C. Eight.            
D. Nine.

2. Which country is the writer in at the moment?

A. China          
B. the UK            
C. America      
D. Japan

3. What does the weather like in England in September?

A. Hot            
B. Cool            
C. Cold          
D. Rainy

4. Which country is Jayne from?

A. The UK      
B. The USA            
C. Canada        
D. China

5. From the passage,we know that ___________.

A. Jayne is helpful and kind                
B. Jayne is friendly
C. the writer can get on well with Jayne        
D. A,B,and C