“How are you?” is a nice question. It’s a friendly way that people in the USA 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 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 don’t say exactly what they are thinking when they want to finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person says “I’ve got to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an 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, or finishing a talk, people don’t say exactly what 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】According to the passage, what should a person say when he disagrees with someone?A.You are wrong. I disagree. | B.I’m not sure. |
C.I’m sure I disagree. | D.I don’t agree with you. |
A.You have to go now. | B.I want to hang up. |
C.I have to go now. | D.I don’t want to talk any more. |
A.Giving an excuse to finish talking. |
B.Hurting someone’s feelings. |
C.Talking to a person at the door. |
D.Going to another place. |
A.Always say what you mean. |
B.Don’t disagree with people. |
C.Never say exactly what you’re thinking. |
D.Be nice to each other. |
Mary:09:05:10 Good morning! My name is Mary Smith. Kate:09:05:12 Morning, Mary! My name is Kate Black. Nice to meet you! Mary:09:05:15 Nice to meet you, too. I am English. And I am in England now. Kate:09:06:07 I am in China. I am a Chinese girl. Mary:09:07:03 Oh! I like China very much. I can say “China” and “England” in your language. China is “zhōng guó”, and England is “yīng gé lán”. Kate:09:07:45 Yes, very good! Well, look at this picture. What’s this in English? Mary:09:08:01 It’s a map. And it’s a map of China. |
【小题1】Kate and Mary are talking(谈论)________.
A.in the morning | B.in the afternoon | C.in the evening | D.at noon(中午) |
A.时间 | B.学校 | C.国家 | D.语言 |
A. | B. | C. | D. |
A.is in China | B.likes the picture | C.is in England | D.is Kate’s friend |
Do you know what an English first name means? Here is a list of British, American and Australian first names for boys and mothers often get names for their baby boys.
Name | Meaning | Name | Meaning |
Albert | bright | Bond | farmer |
Austin | helpful | Bryant | big |
Blaine | thin | Byron | bear |
Curt | short | Dave | beloved |
Douglas | dark | George | farmer |
A.Thin. | B.Strong. | C.Short. | D.Bear. |
A.Austin. | B.Bryant. | C.Byron. | D.Albert. |
A.Bryant and George. | B.Blaine and Albert. | C.Bond and George. | D.Dave and Douglas. |
A.Albert | B.Austin | C.Dave | D.Douglas |
A.the school | B.the hospital | C.the hotel | D.the family |
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