“How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly way that people in the U.S.A greet each other. But “How are you?” is also a very unusual question. It’s a question that often doesn’t need an answer. The person who asks“ How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine”, even if the person’s friend isn’t fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn’t really a question and “Fine” isn’t really an answer. They are simply other ways of saying “Hello” or “Hi”.
Sometimes, people also don’t say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone Asks “Do you agree?”, the other person might think, “No, I disagree. I think you’re Wrong...”But it isn’t very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say “I’m not sure.” It’s a nicer way to say that you don’t agree with someone.
People also don’t say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person say “I’ve to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives and excuse: “Someone’s at the door.”“Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real, or not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn’t want to talk any more, but it isn’t polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn’t hurt the other person.
Whether they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, of finishing a talk, people don’t say exactly that they are thinking. It’s an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it’s part of the game of language.
【小题1】“How are you?”is another way of saying"Hello."or"Hi."
【小题2】 It is polite lo say"No.I disagree I think you are wrong, "if you don’t agree with others.
【小题3】When someone says"I have to go now "On the phone.it means he wants to go on talking.
【小题4】"Someone is at the door."may be an excuse for finishing a plume can.
【小题5】Sometimes people don't say exactly what they are thinking about just became they try to be nice to each other.

The Red Cross Society of China（RCSC）（中国红十字会）has so far received 150 million yuan (18 million U.S. dollars) as donation (捐款) for tsunami-hit (遭受海啸袭击的) countries, reports from the RCSC said on January 14, 2005.

2.66 million U.S. dollars of the money were sent to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand soon after they were hit by the killer disaster（灾难）late last month. The rest of the money will be sent for rebuilding villages, schools and orphanages (homes for children who lost their parents) in the disaster areas, the reports said.

According to the reports, two RCSC’s rescue (营救) teams have arrived in Indonesia and Sri Lanka on Friday. A third team will go to Thailand early next week.

The RCSC will report how much money has been collected and the uses of the money on its website on time, the reports said.

1.The passage is probably from _____.

A. a newspaper                 B. an advertisement                    C. an instruction (指导) book

2.Which countries were hit by a tsunami (海啸)？

A. Indonesia, China.

B.Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

C. Thailand, Japan and Maldives.                 

3.How many RCSC’s rescue teams have arrived in the tsunami-hit countries?

A.  One.                            B.Two.                                        C.Three.                                

4.The rest of the money will be used to rebuild _____ in the disaster area.

A. villages, schools and orphanages

B.villages, factories and stations

C. orphanages, gyms and schools      

5.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A.The RCSC has so far received U.S. $ 20.66 million in donation for tsunami-hit countries.

B. The uses of the money will be reported on its website on time by the RCSC.

C.Two RCSC’s rescue teams have arrived in Thailand.

—_____ the population of the U.S.A. in 2005?

—It _____ about 296 million.

A.What is; is                                                             B.What was; was

C.How many is; was                                              D.How many was; is