单选题 "Hi there. How's it going?"
"Oh, fine, fine. How about this weather, huh?"
"Well, I guess we can always use the rain."
What's that? This story? Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day. Maybe you're waiting for the elevator. Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn't do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives.
Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, "Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It's so powerful. It does something to you." "Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary," Oliver says, "If I don't make small connection with another person, I can't work."
What causes it? As a rule, you're either trying to force something into your life, or you're using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation.
The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time. Take the elevator, for instance. Now there's prime territory. Nobody knows anyone and there's no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, "can confirm your territory. It's a way of feeling liked and accepted."
The topics of small talk don't matter. In fact, you don't want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It's non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you're with lots of people doing lots of talking.
Let's say you're at a party. Now it's time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don't look silly standing by the food table alone all night.

单选题 "Small talk'", as interpreted by the author, ______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[精解] 本题主要考查考生对文章主旨的提炼能力。从整篇行文来看，作者的意思是说闲谈看上去没什么意义，但是却能起到很重要的作用。例如将交谈双方引入一些更有意义的谈话或者是打破冷场的局面。这与A项“闲谈不像它看上去那样无意义”表述一致。B、C两项曲解了文意。D项“闲谈的话题有严格的限制”与文章倒数第二段第一句“The topics of small talk don't matter．”相悖。故选A。

单选题 According to the author, small talk is often used ______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[精解] 本题考查考生的推理能力。由文章倒数第四段第二句话“You can be wanting to connect with another person，and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation．”可知，当我们想与他人进行交流时，闲谈可把我们引入更有意义的话题，由此判断闲谈可起到建立和维持沟通渠道的作用，这与 A项“开通和维护交流的渠道”表述一致。故选A。