Question

【题目】 "How are you?" is a nice question. It's a friendly way that people in the U.S.A. greet each other.【1】. 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 though the speaker isn't fine at all. The reason is that "How are you?" isn't really a question, and "Fine" isn't really an answer. They are simply the ways of saying "Hello" or "Hi".

【2】. 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 speak out one's real thoughts so directly, so the person might say "I'm not sure", which is a nicer way to say that you don't agree.

People won't tell the truth when they want to finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person says "I have to go now." Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse like "Someone's at the door. "or" Something is burning on the stove."【3】. They want to hang up simply because they don't want to talk any more, but it isn't polite to tell the truth. The excuse is more polite and it doesn't hurt the other person's feelings.

Whether they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, or finishing a talk, people don't always say exactly what they are thinking. 【4】. and it's part of the game of a language.

A.What they say might not be true

B.Sometimes people don't say exactly what they mean

C.But it is also a very unusual question

D.It doesn't sound good to lie to others

E.It's an important way to get along well with each other

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】B

【3】A

【4】E

【解析】

文章介绍了美国的一些礼貌用语背后隐含的真正意思，文章旨在让读者对其有所了解，从而避免尴尬。

【1】

根据空后“It's a question that often doesn't need an answer. 这个问题通常不需要答案。”和空前“It is a friendly way that people in the USA greet each other. 美国人互相问候是一个友好的方式。”分别为"How are you?”的两种不同用法，可知空处应填一个承上启下的过渡句。分析所给备选项可知C项“But it is also a very unusual question但这也是一个非常不寻常的问题”最符合语境，故选C。

【2】

根据空后“For example, when someone asks …which is a nicer way to say that you don't agree.”，可知此段讲述了为了出于礼貌有时候人们并不确切地说出他们的意思，选项B“Sometimes people don't say exactly what they mean.”最符合语境，故选B。

【3】

根据第三段第一句“People won't tell the truth when they want to finish talking with other people. 当人们想结束与他人的谈话时，他们不会说出真相。”，以及空后“They want to hang up simply because they don't want to talk any more, but it isn't polite to tell the truth. 他们想挂断电话仅仅是因为他们不想再说话了，但说实话是不礼貌的。”，可知此空应表达“他们说的可能不是真的”，选项A最符合语境，故选A。

【4】

根据空后“and it's part of the game of a language这是语言游戏的一部分”，可知选项E“It's an important way to get along well with each other这是彼此和睦相处的重要方式”最符合语境，故选E。