It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr.Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.
Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not at all exciting, the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.
Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena.” The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.
Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings, conversation starters or the blank “fillers”, In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.
1.The author mentions Dr.Johnson’s comment to show that________.
A. most commentators agree with Dr.Johnson
B. Dr.Johnson is famous for his weather observation
C. the comment was accurate two hundred years ago
D. English conversations usually start with the weather
2.What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to?
A. An emotional state
B. An unknown phenomenon.
C. A historical concept.
D. A social trend.
3.According to the passage, Jeremy Paxman believes that________.
A. Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather
B. English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty
C. the English weather attracts people to the British Isles
D. there is nothing special about the English weather
4.What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?
A. To convince people that the English weather is changeable.
B. To analyze misconceptions about the English weather.
C. To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.
D. To explain what English weather-speak is about.
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閱讀下面材料,在空白處填入適當(dāng)?shù)膬?nèi)容(不多于3個(gè)單詞)或括號(hào)內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。
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___3.____
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1.From Para.1, we learn that ________.
A. a trip to Europe would be dangerous
B. the mother didn’t want to see her son
C. Romania might be unsafe at that time
D. the mother didn’t like to write in pen
2.The writer’s husband became an American citizen through ________.
A. experiences B. application
C. illegal stay D. marriage
3.What made the writer feel special about the family dinner in Romania?
A. The way people dressed .
B. The way people spoke.
C. The fantastic violin music.
D. The fancy food flavor.
4.The writer was completely accepted by her husband’s family when ________.
A. she offered gifts to the whole family
B. she spoke her husband’s language
C. she washed all the clothes by hand
D. she had dinner in bra like other ladies
5.The writer shared her story to say ________.
A. “East or west, home is the best”
B. “When in Rome do as the Romans do”
C. “Marry a dog and follow the dog forever”
D. “The course of true love never runs smooth”
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Poor boy! His looks and hands suggested he was very afraid.
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