How did your friendships begin? Most start with a short conversation on a random day. Asking about a homework assignment in class or complaining about your painful legs after playing in a soccer game, you found your best pal by accident.

“Small talk is where all your relationships begin,” Forbes magazine summed up.

The following is a five-step guide to making small talk from Bernardo J. Carducci, the director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast, US. Let’s have a look.

Getting started

Begin by talking about the setting, such as the weather outside or the room you are in (“It’s cold in here, isn’t it?”). The purpose of talking about the setting is to show the other person that you are willing to make a conversation.

②The personal introduction

You should mention something about yourself, such as your name. A good personal introduction helps move the conversation forward.

③Looking for topics

At this point, you and your conversation partner need to find common ground. This is a good time to ask questions or to refer back to things you’ve said or heard earlier. Don’t worry if it gets quiet. The other person is probably just thinking of something to say.

④Expanding the topic

The goal is to keep the conversation going. At every stage, you should be careful not to talk too much. But don’t let the other person dominate the conversation either. If that starts to happen, mention something about yourself when he or she takes a breath.

⑤A polite ending

When ending a conversation, let the person know you’ll be leaving soon, express gratitude for the conversation and set the stage for a future conversation. For example, you could say, “I really must be going soon, but I had a great time chatting with you. I really liked hearing your opinion about that new movie. Here’s my phone number. Call or text me if you know of any other movies you think I might enjoy.”

1.According to the article, starting by talking about the setting is meant to ________.

A. find common ground                          B. impress the other person

C. make a conversation                         D. make the room warmer

2.What does the underlined word “dominate” mean in Tip④?

A. interrupt                   B. control                  C. adapt          D. simplify 

3.When ending a conversation, you’d better ________.

A. talk about how much you want to keep talking

B. show that you’ve not enjoyed the talk

C. mention a specific movie that you love          

D. give your opinion about the other person’s earlier comments

4.The main purpose of the article is to ________.

A. encourage students to make more friends

B. give students tips on making small talk

C. introduce popular topics for students  

D. teach students how to create friendships

 

66. He was ________ (好奇) to know what was happening in the office.

67. There is much work to do, so we’ll have to________ (分) it between us.

68. His nose ran , he coughed, and his _________ (体温) was a little up.

69. The_____ (第十二) man in a football team will play if one of the other players is ill.

70. It’s no use_________(后悔) what you have done.

71. The acceptance of new members is________(严格) controlled.

72. When building ________ (材料) cost more. the price of houses increases.

73. Leave your key with a______ (邻居) in case you lock yourself out one day.

74. The idea started in Standlake and has_____(传开) throughout the country.

75. It’s cold today, Please put another________ (毯子) on the bed.

With winter fast approaching, flu season is here. People can easily catch the flu bug and they try to fight it with western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine or some homemade secret recipes. Yet some of these strategies are ineffective or even harmful, the best way to counter the flu is to protect us from contracting（感染）it. So here are some good habits to protect people from contracting flu from the very beginning.
●During the day, keep the bedroom window open to let fresh air in．
●Wash your face with cold water in the morning and wash your feet with hot water in the evening. This practice can help boost blood circulation and improve the body's resistance.
●Do some exercises in the morning. such as jogging or shadowboxing（太极拳)for 10 minutes.
●Rinse(漱) your mouth with salt water or tea every morning and every evening. This can help kill flu bacteria, clear phlegm(痰）and keep the mouth fresh.
●Wear more clothes when it's cold and take some off when it's warm
●Get a bottle of vinegar or Chinese white wine at hand and smell it now and then. Their pungent smell can help people get refreshed and improve their body's resistance.
● Drink two kinds of beverages（饮料）before going to bed, which can help people stay away from the flu: soup made of radish（萝卜）and vinegar, and tea made of fresh ginger（生姜）．
●Close the doors and windows and put a pot of boiling vinegar in the room Vinegar steam is a good way to kill flu bacteria in the air.
【小题1】 Some people like washing their face with cold water in the morning and washing their feet with hot water in the evening perhaps because______．

A．they want to make themselves handsome or pretty

B．they know it is the best way to kill flu bacteria

C．they think it can strengthen blood circulation and improve their resistance

D．they have developed the good habit of living

【小题2】According to the passage, we can know that the best way to fight the flu is to ______.

A．take western medicine or traditional Chinese medicine

B．avoid getting it at the very beginning

C．use some homemade secret recipes

D．drink two kinds of beverages before going to bed in winter

【小题3】 What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Eight habits to keep the flu away	B．The cause of contracting the flu
C．Winter and flu	D．How to cure the flu

The city can seem a cold, mean place. In the middle of so many people hurrying about their own business, a person can feel alone among the millions of others.

    There is a popular view that in cities, strangers are less likely to help an elderly person cross a street or call the police when they see a bike being stolen. Recently, a New Yorker named Casey Neistat did an experiment. He chained up his bike in several public places, then "stole" it in a number of obvious ways, such as using a hacksaw (钢锯). He filmed everything to see whether other New Yorkers would try to stop a shameless bike theft. The result? People just walked on by.

    Is this evidence of an immoral, selfish urban society? Not necessarily. According to another recent study, the way city people mind their own business is about other factors besides morality (道德).

This is called the Bystander Effect, the theory that city people do not react because of the urban enviromnent they live in.

Psychologist Dr. Harold explained why people did not involve themselves in Neistat's bike theft experiment with the Bystander Effect.

    First, people who live in cities are surrounded by so much activity that they stop noticing what is going on around them. Second, they are less easy to surprise and assume every activity has a logical explanation.

    "The third is that people notice it, but they don't know what to do," he continued. "And the fourth is fear — they know they should do something, but they're afraid to challenge someone with a hacksaw."

A lack of concern is only a small reason why people don't take action, concludes Dr. Harold.

     Despite the results of Neistat's experiment, there is also evidence of a sense of team spirit that connects people in cities. All it takes is a funny joke or a shared interest to start a conversation with someone at a bus stop. When city folk are in trouble, they come together for support — famously in New York on September 11, 2001.

City society is different, but that doesn't mean it's cold or mean — it just means it's busy!

1.Casey Neistat fihned everything in the experiment with the purpose of        .

    A. proving that he was not the thief

    B. telling people that bike theft was immoral

    C. finding out who had a sense of right and wrong

    D. making his experiment well-known to the public

2.We can infer from the third paragraph that morality       .

    A. can partly explain a selfish urban society

    B. is what our society should pay special attention to

    C. is the only factor that leads to a selfish urban society

    D. is the root of the Bystander Effect mentioned in the passage

3.The underlined part September 11, 2001 in Paragraph 9 serves as       .

    A. a reminder of the sad memories

    B. a way to prove Dr Harold's Bystander effect

    C. evidence that city life can be really dangerous

    D. an example to show team spirit connecting city people

4.As can be inferred from the passage, the writer probably       .

    A. criticizes the loss of morality in urban society

    B. feels sad about the result of Neistat's experiment

    C. thinks city people are too busy to care about others

D. disagrees that city life sometimes can be cold and mean

 

Getting away for a short time always seems like a great idea—until you have to pack. 1.The rule is: pack light. Here are some tips to help you pack.

1. Make a list. Think of what you need from your head to your toes. 2.When you’ve done this once, it’ll be easier next time.

2. Consider buying small-size samples of shampoo, toothpaste, and other items at your local drugstore. You can reuse the plastic containers next time you go away too.

3. Choosing which clothes to bring is probably the hardest packing decision to make. Think once again from head to toe — hat, shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc. Once you’ve picked out what you want to bring, think carefully. Do you really need that extra pair of jeans? If so, fine.3.Don’t try to fool yourself. You are the one who will be left holding the bag.

4. Weather is an important factor in your packing. If it’s cold, you could wear a jacket, a - sweater, a regular shirt, and a T-shirt. Putting them on will keep you warm. 4.Remember how much easier it will be to carry your bag! As for shoes, you may want to call ahead to see if dress shoes are necessary. If so, one pair will be enough, along with one pair of comfortable shoes.

Remember that it is you who have been invited somewhere, not your things.5.So, do it right—pack light.

A. Mixing and matching is a smart and easy way to lighten your load.

B. But packing won’t be a problem if you remember one simple rule.

C. You will have an easier time if you’re weighed down.

D. But make sure they’re really worth the extra weight.

E. It’s best to bring these things with you.

F. And it’ll leave more room in your bag.

G. Keep the list for future reference.