Module 1 Small Talk

詞匯短語園地

1. lack? ?v.? ?缺乏，缺少

n.? ?缺乏，匱乏，短缺

He’s good at his job but he seems to lack confidence.

他善于工作，但似乎缺乏信心。

There is a certain lack of enthusiasm for these changes among the membership.

會員對這些變動沒有多大熱情。

短語

lack for nothing? ?什么也不缺

be lacking in? ?缺少（lacking是形容詞）

for/through lack of? ?因缺少

no lack of? ?不缺少，足夠

2. advance? ?adj.? ?預先的，在前的

No advance booking is necessary on most departures.

大多數起程票無須預訂。

3. favour? ?n.? ?恩惠，照顧

As a special favour， I’ll let you stay up late tonight.

作為對你的特殊恩惠，我允許你今晚遲睡。

Do yourself a favour and wear a helmet on the bike.

要照顧好你自己，騎車時要戴上頭盔。

短語

do sb a favour = do a favour for sb? ?幫某人的忙

in favour of? ?贊同，支持；看中，選擇

in one’s favour? ?以……為受益人

ask a favour of sb? ?請某人幫忙

4. reply? ?n.? ?回答，答復，回信

v.? ?回答，答復；回應，做出反應

I asked her what her name was but she made no reply.

我問她叫什么名字，但她沒有回答。

The senator replied that he was not in a position to comment.

參議員回答說他不宜發表評論。

短語

in reply to? ?作為對……的答復

reply to? ?回答，答復

5. absence? ?n.? ?缺乏，不存在

The case was dismissed in the absence of definite proof.

此案因缺乏確鑿證據而不予受理。

短語

in the absence of? ?缺少

absence of mind? ?心不在焉

in one’s absence? ?某人不在期間

6. interrupt? ?v.? ?打斷，插嘴

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

他們被敲門聲打斷了。

Would you mind not interrupting all the time？

請你別老是插嘴好嗎？

7. imagine? ?v.? ? 想象

（1）imagine + n.? ?想象，設想

The house was just as she had imagined it.

這房子正是她所設想的。

（2）imagine + that從句? ?胡亂猜想……；認為……

He’s always imagining we’re talking about him behind his back.

他總是胡亂猜想我們在背后說他的閑話。

I don’t imagine that they’ll refuse.

我認為他們不會拒絕。

（3）imagine （sb） doing sth? 想象（某人）做某事

Can you imagine George cooking the dinner？

你能想象喬治做飯嗎？

8. purpose? ?n.? ?目的，用途

Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money.

我們這次活動的主要目的就是籌款。

The two are not the same and don’t serve the same purpose.

兩者不是一回事，并且用途也不同。

短語

on purpose? ?故意地

9. apologise? ?v.? ?道歉

apology? ? ?n.? ?道歉；致歉

apologise for （doing） sth? ?為（做）某事而道歉

We apologise for the late departure of this flight.

本次航班延誤離境，謹致歉意。

I apologised to her for stepping on her foot.

我因踩了她的腳而向她道歉。

Your allegations are completely untrue， and I demand an immediate apology.

你的說法完全不屬實，我要求立即道歉。

10. in addition  ?除此之外，另外

該短語為副詞性短語，作狀語，在句中位置靈活。在句中和句末時，一般用逗號隔開。

There is， in addition， one further point to make.

此外，還有一點要說。

In addition to English， he has to study a second foreign language.

除英語外，他還要學第二外語。

11. find out? ?了解（到）；找出（信息）

We found out later that we had been at the same school.

后來我們才弄清楚我們是校友。

12. leave out? 省去，刪去；漏掉

I haven’t altered or left out anything.

我沒有更改或刪去任何東西。

You’ve made a mistake—you’ve left out the letter T.

你錯了，你漏掉了字母T。

13. （be） aware of? ?知道；意識到；明白

Were you aware of something was wrong？

你有沒有意識到出問題了？

I don’t think people are really aware of how much it costs.

我認為人們并不真正明白它得花多少錢。

14. show off? ?炫耀

She wanted to show off her new husband at the party.

她想在聚會上炫耀自己的新婚丈夫。

幽默小故事

That’s the Difference

A teenager lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his driveway.

After a fruitless search， he told his mother the lens was nowhere to be found. Undaunted， she went outside and in a few minutes， returned with the lens in her hand.

“How did you manage to find it， Mom？” the teenager asked.

“We weren’t looking for the same thing，” she replied. “You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for $150.”

跟蹤導練（一）

閱讀理解

“When someone is rude to you， it can put you in a bad mood. It may even lead you to be rude to someone else， creating a chain of rudeness. In fact， this troubling chain may even be caused by simply seeing someone be rude to another person. You don’t even have to be the target of the bad behavior， ” stated a researcher.

The researchers worked with 81 persons， with occupations ranging from security to business to medicine， who were asked to complete online surveys over a 10-day period. Participants recorded their moods when they woke up; and in the evening， they described their experiences over the course of that day.

Each morning the participants also viewed a short video， describing workplace interaction of some kind. Half of the mornings， the video included some kind of rudeness while the other half had some kind of warm interaction in the workplace. Rudeness was conveyed through various means， including a lack of eye contact or unpleasant language.

Participants who watched the rudeness videos reported seeing or experiencing rudeness during the day， and they were also more likely to escape from fellow employees to avoid being the victims of rudeness themselves. They reported their overall （總體的） work suffered that day as a result.

Not all participants were affected by the rudeness videos， however. A few weeks before the study began， the participants completed an evaluation that measured their self-confidence and emotional stability among other things. The participants who scored higher on this evaluation were significantly less likely to be influenced by the rudeness.

Consequently， one of the researchers recommended that companies hire managers who can limit exposure to rudeness， provide plenty of positive reinforcement （強化） and build a civil workplace environment. This， in turn， could help employees build their confidence levels and help them better handle workplace rudeness.

1. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about？

A. The great harm of rudeness. B. Different kinds of rudeness.

C. A regular cause of rudeness. D. A new finding about rudeness.

2. Why do the researchers play short videos for the participants？

A. To make them spread rudeness.

B. To educate them on workplace interaction.

C. To expose them to various aspects of rudeness.

D. To teach them how to use right body languages.

3. What is the probable effect of watching the videos on some participants？

A. Being unwilling to work. B. Poor ability to do their work.

C. Serious emotional sufferings. D. Less interaction with others.

4. Who may not be affected by the rudeness videos？

A. People positive and kind to themselves.

B. People keeping calm in stressful situations.

C. People owning confidence in others’ ability.

D. People participating in the rudeness experiment.

閱讀七選五

How to Make Conversation with a Group of Strangers

One of the most common fears is speaking to strangers. While most people don’t naturally enjoy talking to strangers， it is an art that you can learn. When you learn how to make conversation with a group of strangers， you never have to stand by yourself at a party again.

1 Say hi and tell the group your name. Don’t focus on how boring you think you sound. Remember that others in the group are probably just as self-conscious as you are. Doing so to a group of strangers may result in making others feel comfortable enough to open up. They may secretly be glad that you made the first move.

Practice talking to as many strangers as possible throughout the day. 2 Soon it will be second nature for you to walk up to a group of strangers and introduce yourself.

Make a comment about something interesting in the environment. This may be something as simple as the decorations for the party or the band providing the entertainment. 3

Ask for an opinion. People enjoy giving their opinion on any subject. 4 Asking for an opinion works immediately to break the ice and encourages the entire group to talk with you.

Learn to listen. Making conversation is about more than trying to find the right words to say. 5 And then find out the next thing you should say. Make sure that your response invites another response.

A. Introduce yourself.

B. Try to catch strangers’ attention.

C. Ask about book ideas， gift ideas or dining ideas.

D. Each time you do this， you will feel more confident.

E. Develop the habit of listening to others carefully to understand them.

F. A comment like this gives the group something in common to discuss.

G. Ask the group to share what they do for a living or whether they enjoy their work.

1. ? 2. ? 3. ? 4. ? 5.

跟蹤導練（二）

完形填空

The Spring Festival means a lot for Chinese people. However， given the sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks in different places， many cities 1 residents in any city with confirmed COVID-19 cases not to travel during the holiday in order to prevent any more outbreaks. 2 ， I stayed in Beijing during the Spring Festival of 2022. It was my first Spring Festival in China. I 3 it with my Chinese friends.

Several of Ralph’s coworkers came to our apartment to have 4 with me. They brought the meat and dough （面團） to make the 5 dumplings. While I was not 6 in making them， I certainly did enjoy eating them. As soon as all the food was ready， we 7 to enjoy the delicious foods.

Linda brought me Spring Festival couplets 8 good wishes and asked me to put them up on the door. Scott 9 me with many firecrackers. Some students gave me paper cuts to 10 my windows.

Eric invited me to 11 his family to spend New Year’s Eve together. Among the many 12 at dinner， they served a 13 fish. However， I was told we would only be eating half the fish that night because the 14 of it would be eaten the next day. This was done to 15 the good fortune over into the following year since leftovers are thought to be a 16 of wealth. After dinner， we watched the Spring Festival Gala together. A martial art performance 17 me deeply. The show entitled Walking Clouds， Flowing Water starred three tai chi 18 practicing their moves on top of landmark buildings in three cities： Shanghai， Chongqing and Guangzhou of Guangdong Province， which was amazing. I went to my 19 at midnight.

It was a very happy time and we have many good 20 of this festival holiday.

1. A. urged B. forbade C. allowed D. invited

2. A. Otherwise B. Therefore C. Besides D. However

3. A. congratulated B. made C. visited D. celebrated

4. A. lunch B. supper C. fun D. tea

5. A. common B. original C. traditional D. sweet

6. A. skilled B. disappointed C. weak D. slow

7. A. got off B. stood up C. sat down D. came out

8. A. forecasting B. representing C. spreading D. adopting

9. A. assisted B. impressed C. served D. provided

10. A. beautify B. paint C. fix D. protect

11. A. cheer B. promise C. join D. help

12. A. guests B. dishes C. programs D. events

13. A. small B. big C. half D. whole

14. A. rest B. head C. back D. tail

15. A. turn B. leave C. carry D. get

16. A. scene B. sign C. period D. schedule

17. A. absorbed B. adapted C. frightened D. judged

18. A. athletes B. adults C. performers D. singers

19. A. country B. classroom C. office D. apartment

20. A. memories B. views C. imaginations D. expectations

跟蹤導練（三）

閱讀理解

A

Wolves are important animals in the traditions and stories of most Native American tribes. To Native Americans， wolves often stand for bravery. The animals also are signs of strength， loyalty， and success at hunting. However， something happened. Perhaps wolves attacked too many people or ate too many farm animals. Whatever the reason， wolves were killed in many areas. They also became known as villains （惡棍）. From the wolves in some films to the wolves in children’s stories， wolves get a negative image in both literature and English expressions.

For starters， there is the term “lone wolf”. The lone wolf isn’t a bad person. But they like to do things on their own. Lone wolf makes you think the person doesn’t want to be around people because he or she dislikes them. In new stories， you sometimes hear the terms “lone wolf attacker” or “lone wolf shooter”. These individuals are not part of a larger group carrying out an attack. They are acting alone.

Now， let’s move on to the home. Parents might criticize their child for wolfing down their food. In other words， the child eats very quickly and looks a little wild. And if someone says a child was raised by wolves， that child has bad manners and is behaving like a wild animal. A wolf call is a whistle or other noise made by a man to show that he likes the way a woman looks. But a wolf call is not a nice thing. These men sound wild and rude. A wolf at the door means someone to whom you owe money is waiting just outside your door.

1. What can we learn about wolves from Paragraph 1？

A. They are brave in some films. B. They are thought little of now.

C. They attack many people every year. D. They stand for strength in children’s stories.

2. The underlined words “lone wolf” in Paragraph 2 mean someone who .

A. feels lonely B. is less popular C. does things alone D. has little experience

3. Which of the following has something to do with money？

A. A wolf call. B. A wolf at the door.

C. Being raised by wolves. D. Wolfing down something.

4. What does the text mainly talk about？

A. Too many wolves being killed. B. Our misunderstanding about wolves.

C. Different meanings of the word “wolf”. D. Some expressions about the word “wolf”.

B

My daughters are lovely and attractive. The 4-year-old has big blue eyes and easy laughter. The 7-year-old’s long strawberry blond hair and sweet smile are already turning the boys’ heads. I love everything about these girls and they know it.

But I try not to tell them they’re beautiful. My young daughters are totally innocent about the pressures of being a woman in our society. They know nothing about plastic surgery （整形手術）， diets， “feeling fat”， or eating disorders. We adults know all too much about such things and in the face of this cruel reality， we tend to start telling our girls， as soon and often as possible， how beautiful they are. Here’s the thing， though. What we’re also doing is bringing the beauty pressure home to our littlest girls. The more I talk about beauty and looks， even in a positive way， the more I’m conveying the importance of those things.

However， it doesn’t mean I don’t praise my girls. Instead of saying “You look beautiful！”，I might say the more specific “Don’t you look fancy today！” or “Those colors go so well together.” It means that I treat my daughters not as my little dolls， but as real people who are developing their own sense of self and style. It means that they are in charge of how they look.

Naturally， I buy most of my girls clothes. But I don’t usually manage their outfit choices. My daughters can go girly with necklaces and head-to-toe pink， or they can choose to give up dresses altogether. Of course we’ve seen some mismatching， but they own those styles. They never ask if they look pretty， and they walk with an easy confidence that has nothing to do with what I or anyone else will say about how they look. And that’s the confident spirit I want them to take into their teens and adulthood.

5. What do the author’s two daughters have in common？

A. Both like to smile. B. Both have blond hair.

C. Both like strawberries. D. Both have big blue eyes.

6. Why is the author unwilling to tell her girls that they are beautiful？

A. She prefers inside beauty. B. She expects them to face reality.

C. She wants them to focus less on it. D. She doesn’t think they can understand it.

7. How does the author treat her daughters？

A. She is always praising them. B. She is particular about their clothes.

C. She sets strict clothing rules for them. D. She pays attention to their unique style.

8. Which of the following statements can best describe the author’s daughters？

A. They are fully confident.

B. They are highly dependent.

C. They tend to take advice from their mother.

D. They have a good taste in dressing themselves.

跟蹤導練（四）

完形填空

Tim Becker and his neighbors are doing something to make their neighborhood a trouble-free area.

When Tim Becker gets into his car to go 1 ， he doesn’t just drive to a store and back home. He always looks 2 up and down the streets of his neighborhood. He looks for anything 3 such as strange cars， loud noises， broken windows， or people 4 on street corners.

Tim 5 to a neighborhood watch group in Stoneville， Indians， USA. The neighborhood watch group 6 on the third Wednesday of every month. That’s 7 Tim gets together with about ten of his neighbors to 8 community safety. Members of the neighborhood watch group want to help the police keep their homes， streets， and families 9 .

Tina Stedman， president of their neighborhood watch group， 10 with Tim. “People seem to think that 11 happens to other people but not to themselves. Well， it has never happened to me，” she says， “but I don’t think anyone has the 12 to steal from other people or to make them feel 13 living in their own homes.”

Alex， a member of the group， says that all the neighbors 14 out for one another. “We

15 each other’s homes. We keep watching on the neighborhood at night and on weekends. Usually a 16 of four or five of us goes out together. If something doesn’t look right， then we call the 17 . For example， if we notice a group of teenagers who seem to be looking for 18 ， or someone destroying property （財產）， we 19 to the police.”

Alex feels the neighborhood watch group 20 a lot in keeping crime down. Her husband Jim agrees， “Police are good people， but they can’t do everything.”

1. A. hiking B. dancing C. shopping D. fishing

2. A. carefully B. curiously C. nervously D. seriously

3. A. familiar B. unusual C. expensive D. uncertain

4. A. waiting B. walking C. resting D. gathering

5. A. attends B. belongs C. talks D. turns

6. A. meets B. wanders C. practices D. searches

7. A. where B. why C. when D. how

8. A. introduce B. hear C. argue D. discuss

9. A. safe B. clean C. unchanged D. uninterested

10. A. speaks B. fights C. agrees D. lives

11. A. action B. condition C. luck D. crime

12. A. right B. chance C. courage D. mind

13. A. anxious B. dangerous C. disappointed D. disgusted

14. A. set B. call C. hold D. look

15. A. tidying B. enter C. watch D. manage

16. A. group B. series C. number D. crowd

17. A. judges B. police C. firemen D. doctors

18. A. work B. money C. service D. trouble

19. A. go B. write C. shout D. report

20. A. needs B. helps C. finds D. gets

跟蹤導練（五）

閱讀理解

Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is， we can try to do it ourselves.

How is it done？ Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow these skills， they’ll help you put people at their ease， and make friends with them quickly.

First of all， good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone， no matter how shy he or she is， will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says， “At business lunches， I always ask people what they did that morning. It’s a common question， but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

Second， once good talkers have asked questions， they listen to the answers. This point seems clear， but it isn’t. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what kind of person you are talking to. And to find out， you really have to listen carefully.

Real listening at least means some things. First， it means not changing the subject of a conversation. If someone sticks to one topic， you can take it as a fact that he’s really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words， but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull， then， it’s time for you to change the subject.

Finally， good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion of parting. If you’re saying goodbye， you may give him a firm handshake and say， “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you.” If you want to see that person again， don’t keep it secret. Let people know what you feel， and after that they may feel as if they’ve known you half their life.

1. Asking questions can be a good way .

A. to begin business talks B. to make new friends

C. to start a conversation D. to get to know others

2. What is polite after asking somebody a question？

A. Making sure he will reply. B. Listening to his reply attentively.

C. Turning back to your own business. D. Going on asking him more questions.

3. Generally speaking， good talkers are persons who .

A. always speak in a gentle way B. talk neither too much nor too little

C. are good at making topic important D. know how and when to change the topic

4. What can you do when parting someone if you want to meet him again？

A. Let him know it. B. Take him as a lifelong friend.

C. Give him a second handshake. D. Have further understanding of him.

選詞填空

用方框里單詞的正確形式填空，使其句意完整。有兩個詞是多余的。

anyhow awkward cautious customer divorce advance

function imagine interrupt purpose success serious

1. We need_____preparation for the important meeting.

2. Humor is the wisdom and resourcefulness that can ease up a（n） _______ situation.

3. New investors also need to be ______ in choosing suitable investment products.

4. Penny got ________ and rushed into another marriage.

5. The joke is not proper when we are discussing such a _____ problem.

6.The two students stopped talking to each other because their conversation ______ by the ringing of the telephone.

7. The____ of the heart is to send blood around the body.

8. A ______ company must keep up with the pace of technological change.

9. We never _____ that men would land on the moon.

10. A special class meeting was held for the _________ of exchanging our studying methods.

語法填空

Animators （動畫片制作人） are bringing endangered native languages back to life. The 3D animations are part of Monash University’s Wunungu Awara project， 1 has already made 17 films 2 （tell） stories from all over the country 3 their traditional languages. Project manager Fred Leone said the work 4 （think） highly of “because without language， the culture stops existing”. Estimates （估計） of 5 number of native languages vary， but more than 250 languages is a 6 （general） accepted number. However， only around 120 7 （be） still in use and about 90 percent of these are endangered. If a language is not being learned by 8 （child）， it means it is in danger of extinction. The Wunungu Awara project started in 2011 when founder， John Bradley， 9 （speak） to Yanyuwa elders and discovered they wanted a way 10 （preserve） the language and pass it on to the next generation in a way that was interactive for young people. “Hopefully， more animators will join in the effort in the near future，” said Fred.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

跟蹤導練（六）

短文改錯

When I was 12， I met Jane in a college， which came to China with her parents. Her parents teach English at that time. We soon made friend with each other. Her Chinese was very well while I had difficulty speak English. In order to help me my English， she spoke as much English as she could when we were together. Before long， I could speak English well but at the same time I also made a great progress in my written English. Unfortunately， a year later， Jane returned home with his parents. And we had been out of touch with each other since then.

書面表達

假設你是王賓，你的弟弟王平考入了他理想的高中。請你用英文給他寫封信，告訴他今后在學習和生活上應注意的有關事宜。內容包括：

1．表示祝賀；

2．你的建議（學習、生活、健康方面）。

注意：

1．詞數100左右；

2．信的開頭和結尾已給出，不計入總詞數；

3．可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

Dear Wang Ping，

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Best wishes！

Yours，

Wang Bin

背景大鏈接

Tips You Need to Know When Talking

with Americane

和美國人聊天須注意的細節

Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar. To use English effectively， you need to understand the culture in which it is spoken. Here are a number of important tips to remember when speaking English in the United States.

說英語不僅僅要語法正確。想要有效地使用英語，你需要了解語言使用國的文化。如果你在美國說英語，那么下面這些注意事項是你應該記住的。

Conversation Tips

交談溝通秘籍

Speak about location： Americans love to talk about location. When speaking to a stranger， ask them where they are from and then make a connection with that place. For example， “Oh， I have a friend who studied in Los Angeles. He says it’s a beautiful place to live.” Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences living or visiting that particular city or area.

Talk about work： Americans commonly ask “What do you do？”. It’s considered impolite in some countries but is a popular topic of discussion between strangers in America.

Talk about sports： Americans love sports！ However， they love American sports. When speaking about football， most Americans understand “American Football”.

談論地點：美國人喜歡談論地點。和陌生人說話的時候，可以問問他們從哪里來，然后找到自己跟那個地方的聯系。比如：“啊，我有個朋友在洛杉磯學習，他說那個地方很漂亮。”這時大部分美國人就會很樂意談起他們居住或者到過那個特殊的城市或地區的經歷。

談論工作：美國人通常會問：“你是做什么工作的？”在某些國家這樣的問法會被認為是不禮貌的，但在美國不是，這只是陌生人之間聊天的一個流行話題。

談論運動：美國人超愛運動！然而，他們喜歡美國的運動。如果說到足球，大部分美國人會理解成“美式足球（橄欖球）”。

Addressing People

對人的稱呼

Use last names with people you do not know： Address people using their title （Mr， Ms， Dr， etc.） and their last names.

Always use “Ms” when addressing women： It is important to use “Ms” when addressing a woman. Only use “Mrs” when the woman has asked you to do so.

Many Americans prefer first names： Americans often prefer using first names， even when dealing with people in very different positions. Americans will generally say “Call me Tom” and then expect you to remain on a first name basis.

Americans prefer informal： In general， Americans prefer informal greetings and using first names or nicknames when speaking with colleagues and acquaintances.

對不認識的人要稱呼他們的姓：用他們的頭銜（先生、女士、博士等）加上他們的姓來稱呼他們。

稱呼女性的時候通常用“女士”：稱呼女性的時候用“女士”是很重要的。如果對方要求你稱呼“夫人”，那再照辦好了。

很多美國人喜歡被叫名字：美國人通常喜歡用他們的名字，甚至是和身份非常不同的人打交道時。美國人通常會說“叫我湯姆”，然后真的希望你用他們的名字來稱呼他們。

美國人不拘小節：通常情況下，美國人喜歡非正式的問候，當和他們的同事、熟人說話時，他們喜歡使用名字或昵稱。