Unit 1 A land of diversity课时作业

Learning about language

Ⅰ.阅读理解

　　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 sore 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.

　　1．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.

　　2．The personal introduction

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

　　3．Looking 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.

　　4．Expanding 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 (支配) the conversation either. If that starts to happen, mention something about yourself when he or she takes a breath.

　　5．A 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."

　　语篇解读：本文向学生介绍了如何通过聊天建立友谊的技巧。

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

　　A．find common ground

B．impress the other person