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阅读下列短文，根据短文中的信息完成文后表格。（每空一词)

Small talk is pleasant conversation about common interests. The ability to make “small talk” is highly valued. But making small talk is difficult not only for English learners, but also for many native speakers of English. Most English learners may have difficulty discussing topics they are unfamiliar with because of lack of(缺少) suitable vocabulary.

Now that we understand the problem, the next step is to improve the situation. Here are some tips to improve small talk skills.

◆Do some research

Spend time on the Internet, books, magazines, TVs to special about the type of people you will meet, and this can make your conversations more interesting.

◆Use the Internet for specific vocabulary

This is a bit like doing research about other people. If you have a business conference, or are meeting people who share a common interest, make use of the Internet to learn specific vocabulary.

◆Ask yourself about your culture

Take time to make a list of common things that you will discuss when making small talk in your own culture. And then check to make sure that you have the English vocabulary to make small talk about those subjects.

◆Find common interests

Once you have a subject that interests both of you, keep to it! You can do this in many ways: discussing travel, discussing the school or friends, discussing the differences between your culture and the new culture.

◆Listen

Don’t get so worried about being able to communicate that you don’t listen. Listening carefully will help you understand and encourage those speaking to you. You might be nervous, but letting others express themselves will improve the quality of the discussion and give you time to think of an answer!

“Life is speeding up．Everyone is getting unwell．’’

This may sound like something someone would say today．But in fact，an unknown person who lived in Rome in 53AD（公元）wrote it．

    We all love new inventions．They are exciting，amazing and can even change our lives．

But have all these developments really improved the quality of our lives?

Picture this．You're rushing to finish your homework on the computer．Your mobile phone rings，a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen，the noise from the television is getting louder and louder．Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work．Now you have to stay up all night to get it done．How happy do you feel?

    Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave up feeling stressed（有压力的）and tired．Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities，who have no telephones，no car，not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they live simple lives．

    One family in the UK went ” back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today．The grandparents，with their daughter，and grandsons Benjamin，10 and Thomas，7，spent nine weeks in a 1940s house．They had no washing machine，microwave，computer or mobile phones．

    The grandmother, Lyn，said，“The more things you have，the more difficult life becomes．”The boy said they fought less．Probably, they said，because there was less to fight over such as their computer．Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a” trendy（新潮人物），beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things”．

1．The writer uses the quote（引用）at the beginning of the story to                    ．

A．tell us a truth about our life

B．tell us what life was like long time ago

C．point out what causes such a thing to happen

D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same

2．In the passage the writer describes a picture to show that new inventions                 ．

A．have speeded up our lives

B．have improved the quality of our lives

C．may make people feel very happy

D．may bring people some trouble

3．The family chose to spend some time in a l 940s house because                 ．

A．they loved to live simple lives

B．they wanted to know how people lived without modem inventions

C．they were troubled by modem inventions

D．1iving in a different time would be a lot of fun for them

4．According to the passage，which is NOT right? 

A．People who live far away from noise often seem to be happier．

B．An unknown Roman was sure that the quality of life would get better．

C．The family had some changes when they lived in a l 940s house

D．With the improvement of our lives, we often feel stressed and tired．

5．The passage is mainly about                  ．

A．problems with technology

B．improvements of our lives with technology

C．changes happening to technology

D．the importance of technology

Happiness is important for everyone. Most people want to be happy but few know how to find happiness. Money and success don’t bring lasting happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness.

Some people believe that if they are wealthy, they will be able to do anything they want, which means happiness. On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high position in the government is happiness. In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things which can’t be bought by money. However, other people believe that having lots of money is not happiness, nor is holding a high position in the government. These people value(重视 ) their beliefs, or their intelligence, or their health. They think these can make them happy.

Here are a few ways to help you be happier.

The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future, for example, getting into college or getting a good job, that we don’t enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives.

The second secret of happiness is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.

Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to do many meaningful things for other people. If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbor, or simply help around the house.

Now maybe you know how to find happiness!

1.The underlined word “wealthy” means “      ” in the article.

2.Some people who hold a high position in the government think they can _______.

3.The writer thinks the secret of happiness is that people _______.

4.Many people find it happy to ______.

5.The passage mainly tells us _______.