The phone rings. It’s a friend who wants to tell you his or her latest health problems. You hate to be impolite and cut your friend off, but what can you do? Stephanie Winston, author of Stephanie Winston’s Best Organizing Tips, offers his advice:

Don’t ask questions like “What’s new?” They give the information that you have time to talk. After “hello”, get right to the heart of the matter.

Time your calls wisely. If you make a call right before lunch or dinner, or at the end of the workday, people chat less.

Set a time limit. Start with, “Hi, I’ve only got a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you about….” Or, “Gee, I’d love to talk more, but I only have a couple of minutes before I have to leave.”

Jump on a pause（间歇）. Even the most talkative caller has to pause now and then. Quickly say, “It has been great talking with you.” Then end the conversation.

Forget niceties. Some people just don’t take a hint. Cut your caller off and say, “I’d like to talk to you longer, but I’m afraid I have no enough time. Good bye.” Then hang up.

Find “a partner in crime”. If nothing else works, ask someone in your home to help you. For example, one woman gives a sign to her husband, who shouts, “Jane, I think the roast chicken is burning.”

Avoid the phone completely. Use an answering machine to screen calls. If you have an important message for a chatterbox（唠叨的人）, leave the message when he or she isn’t in.

50. What’s the good time to make a call so that people can chat less?

A. After lunch or dinner.　　　　　　　　　　　 B. In the middle of the workday.

C. Before lunch or dinner.　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. At the beginning of the workday.

51. “Finding a partner in crime” means ______.

A. finding someone to answer the call

B. getting right to the heart of the matter

C. telling the caller you are just cooking

D. asking someone to help you end the call

52. What’s Winston’s advice about?

A. How to talk on the phone.　　　　　

B. How to make calls wisely.

C. How to make a phone call.

D. How to keep phone calls short.

Today people can use the phone to talk with others almost anywhere on the earth. But when you use the phone, you don’t see the person you are talking with. This may change in the near future.

Today some people are using a kind of telephone called the picture phone or vision phone. With it, two people who are talking can see each other.

Picture phones can be useful when you have something to show to the person you’re calling. They may have other uses in the future. One day you may be able to ring up a library and ask to read a book. Then you’ll be able to read the book right over your picture phone. Or you may be able to go shopping through your picture phone. If you want to buy something in the newspaper, you’ll use your phone and call the shop. People at the shop will show you the thing you’re interested in right over the phone. You’ll be able to shop all over town and never even leave your room!

1.Today people can use the phone to talk with others ______.

A．in all the towns

B．in some places in the world

C．only in big cities

D．almost anywhere on the earth

2.The underlined word “it” in the passage means ______.

A．the picture phone                       B．any phone

C．the use                               D．the change

3.We can ______ through the picture phone according to the text.

A．write a book                           B．do shopping

C．play games                            D．have classes

4.Picture phones can be used for ______.

A．ringing up a library to see a book

B．going shopping without leaving our homes

C．showing the person we’re talking with something

D．All of the above.

5.The title of the article can be “______”.

A．The telephones

B．Picture phones

C．Shopping on the phone

D．Talking on the phone

　　Today people can use the phone to talk with others almost anywhere on the earth. But when you use the phone, you don't see the person you are talking with. There will be many changes in the near future.

　　Today some people are using a kind of telephone called the picture phone or vision phone. With it , two people who are talking can see each other.

　　Picture phones can be useful when you have something to show the person you're calling. They may have other uses in the future. One day you may be able to ring up a library and ask to see a book. Then you'll be able to read the book right over your picture phone. Or you may be able to go shopping through your picture phone. If you see something in the newspaper that you think you want to buy, you'll go to your phone and call the shop. People at the shop will show you the thing you're interested in right over the phone. You'll be able to shop all over town and never even leave your room.

(1) Today people can use the phone to talk with others ________.

[　　]

A．in all the towns

B．in some place in the world

C．only in big city

D．almost anywhere on the earth

(2) The word “it” in the text means ________.

[　　]

(3) We can ________ through the picture phone according to (根据) the text.

[　　]

(4) Picture phones are very ________.

[　　]

(5) Which is not true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Today some people are using a kind of telephone called the picture phone or vision phone.

B．With the picture phone, two people can't see each other.

C．The phone is very useful.

D．Today people can use the phone to talk with others almost everywhere on the earth.

①Today people can use the phone to talk with others ________.

②The word“it”in the text means ________.

③We can ________ through the picture phone according to the text.