Module 1 Small Talk

词汇短语园地

1. lack   v.   缺乏，缺少

n.   缺乏，匮乏，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.

会员对这些变动没有多大热情。

短语

lack for nothing   什么也不缺

be lacking in   缺少（lacking是形容词）

for/through lack of   因缺少

no lack of   不缺少，足夠

2. advance   adj.   预先的，在前的

No advance booking is necessary on most departures.

大多数起程票无须预订。

3. favour   n.   恩惠，照顾

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

作为对你的特殊恩惠，我允许你今晚迟睡。

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

要照顾好你自己，骑车时要戴上头盔。

短语

do sb a favour = do a favour for sb   帮某人的忙

in favour of   赞同，支持；看中，选择

in one’s favour   以……为受益人

ask a favour of sb   请某人帮忙

4. reply   n.   回答，答复，回信

v.   回答，答复；回应，做出反应

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

我问她叫什么名字，但她没有回答。

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

参议员回答说他不宜发表评论。

短语

in reply to   作为对……的答复

reply to   回答，答复

5. absence   n.   缺乏，不存在

The case was dismissed in the absence of definite proof.

此案因缺乏确凿证据而不予受理。

短语

in the absence of   缺少

absence of mind   心不在焉

in one’s absence   某人不在期间

6. interrupt   v.   打断，插嘴

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

他们被敲门声打断了。

Would you mind not interrupting all the time？

请你别老是插嘴好吗？

7. imagine   v.    想象

（1）imagine + n.   想象，设想

The house was just as she had imagined it.

这房子正是她所设想的。

（2）imagine + that从句   胡乱猜想……；认为……

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

他总是胡乱猜想我们在背后说他的闲话。

I don’t imagine that they’ll refuse.

我认为他们不会拒绝。

（3）imagine （sb） doing sth  想象（某人）做某事

Can you imagine George cooking the dinner？

你能想象乔治做饭吗？

8. purpose   n.   目的，用途

Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money.

我们这次活动的主要目的就是筹款。

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

两者不是一回事，并且用途也不同。

短语

on purpose   故意地

9. apologise   v.   道歉

apology     n.   道歉；致歉

apologise for （doing） sth   为（做）某事而道歉

We apologise for the late departure of this flight.

本次航班延误离境，谨致歉意。

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.

你的说法完全不属实，我要求立即道歉。

10. in addition   除此之外，另外

该短语为副词性短语，作状语，在句中位置灵活。在句中和句末时，一般用逗号隔开。

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

此外，还有一点要说。

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

除英语外，他还要学第二外语。

11. find out   了解（到）；找出（信息）

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

后来我们才弄清楚我们是校友。

12. leave out  省去，删去；漏掉

I haven’t altered or left out anything.

我没有更改或删去任何东西。

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

你错了，你漏掉了字母T。

13. （be） aware of   知道；意识到；明白

Were you aware of something was wrong？

你有没有意识到出问题了？

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

我认为人们并不真正明白它得花多少钱。

14. show off   炫耀

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

她想在聚会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.”

跟踪导练（一）

阅读理解

“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 （总体的） 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 （强化） 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.

閱读七选五

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.

跟踪导练（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

跟蹤导练（三）

阅读理解

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 （恶棍）. 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.

跟踪导练（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 （財产）， 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

跟蹤导练（五）

阅读理解

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.

选词填空

用方框里单词的正确形式填空，使其句意完整。有两个词是多余的。

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 （动画片制作人） 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 （估计） 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.

跟踪导练（六）

短文改错

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.

书面表达

假设你是王宾，你的弟弟王平考入了他理想的高中。请你用英文给他写封信，告诉他今后在学习和生活上应注意的有关事宜。内容包括：

1．表示祝贺；

2．你的建议（学习、生活、健康方面）。

注意：

1．词数100左右；

2．信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；

3．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Wang Ping，

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

Best wishes！

Yours，

Wang Bin

背景大链接

Tips You Need to Know When Talking

with Americane

和美国人聊天须注意的细节

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.

说英语不仅仅要语法正确。想要有效地使用英语，你需要了解语言使用国的文化。如果你在美国说英语，那么下面这些注意事项是你应该记住的。

Conversation Tips

交谈沟通秘籍

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”.

談论地点：美国人喜欢谈论地点。和陌生人说话的时候，可以问问他们从哪里来，然后找到自己跟那个地方的联系。比如：“啊，我有个朋友在洛杉矶学习，他说那个地方很漂亮。”这时大部分美国人就会很乐意谈起他们居住或者到过那个特殊的城市或地区的经历。

谈论工作：美国人通常会问：“你是做什么工作的？”在某些国家这样的问法会被认为是不礼貌的，但在美国不是，这只是陌生人之间聊天的一个流行话题。

谈论运动：美国人超爱运动！然而，他们喜欢美国的运动。如果说到足球，大部分美国人会理解成“美式足球（橄榄球）”。

Addressing People

对人的称呼

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.

对不认识的人要称呼他们的姓：用他们的头衔（先生、女士、博士等）加上他们的姓来称呼他们。

称呼女性的时候通常用“女士”：称呼女性的时候用“女士”是很重要的。如果对方要求你称呼“夫人”，那再照办好了。

很多美国人喜欢被叫名字：美国人通常喜欢用他们的名字，甚至是和身份非常不同的人打交道时。美国人通常会说“叫我汤姆”，然后真的希望你用他们的名字来称呼他们。

美国人不拘小节：通常情况下，美国人喜欢非正式的问候，当和他们的同事、熟人说话时，他们喜欢使用名字或昵称。