Silence is unnatural to a man. He begins life with a cry and __1__ it in stillness. In between he does all he can to make a __2__ in the world, and he __3__ silence more than anything else. Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful __4__. If he is introduced to another person, and a number of pauses occur in the conversation, he will regard himself as a __5__， a worthless person, and will be full of envy of the most emptyheaded chatterbox (话多的人). He knows that ninetynine percent of human __6__ means no more than the buzz of a fly, but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to __7__ that he is a man and not a waxwork (蜡像)．
The aim of conversation is not, for the most part, to communicate ideas; it is to __8__ the buzzing sound. There are, it must be __9__， different qualities of buzzes; there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito (蚊子)．__10__ at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person. Most buzzes，__11__，are pleasant to the ear, and some of them are pleasant even to the mind. He would be a(n) __12__ man if he waited until he had a wise __13__ to take part in the buzz with his neighbors.
Those who __14__ to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk. Very few human beings join in a conversation __15__ learning anything new. Some of them are __16__ if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people's __17__， though they have __18__ to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel. At the end of an evening during __19__ they have said nothing meaningful for a long time, they just prove themselves to be __20__ conversationalists.
语篇解读：本文主要介绍了人们在日常生活中聊天的目的。在聊天的过程中，人们并不是交流所有的观点，而且绝大多数的聊天是没有意义的。
1．A.discusses B．ends
C．leads D．faces
解析：选B 根据空格前的“begins life with a cry and”和空格后的stillness可推知，人生开始于啼哭，结束于沉寂。
2．A.word B．scream
C．living D．noise
解析：选D 根据下文中的“If he is introduced to ... envy of the most emptyheaded chatterbox(话多的人)．”可知，他尽力制造声音。
3．A.fears B．appreciates
C．desires D．dreams
解析：选A 根据“In between he does all he can to make a __2__ in the world”以及下文中的“fearful”的提示可知，他害怕沉默，所以A项正确。
4．A.beginning B．result
C．silence D．loss
解析：选C 根据上下文可知，甚至他(与他人)的交谈也在试图阻止可怕的沉默。
5．A.celebrity B．stranger
C．clerk D．failure
解析：选D 由空格后的“a worthless person”可知，如果在自己被介绍给他人时遇到了许多谈话的中断，那么他就认为自己是一个失败者，是一个无用的人。
6．A.activity B．conversation
C．behavior D．socialization
解析：选B 他知道人们绝大部分的谈话都空洞无物，像苍蝇的嗡嗡声，但他还是急于加入他们并且急于证明他是一个人而不是一个蜡像。根据上文讲人们制造声音来打破沉默以及下文多处提到的conversation可知此处指谈话。
7．A.share B．prove
C．ignore D．announce
解析：选B 参见上题解析。B项符合语境。
8．A.show up B．make up
C．keep up D．hold up
解析：选C 人们谈话大部分不是为了交流想法，而是为了把谈论继续下去。show up“露面”；make up“虚构”；keep up“保持，持续，继续下去”；hold up“支撑”。
9．A.recognised B．realized
C．expected D．admitted
解析：选D 人们必须承认，嘈杂声有不同的特点。recognise“认识，认出”；realize“意识到”；expect“预计，期待”；admit“承认”。 D项符合语境。
10．A.But B．So
C．Unless D．And
解析：选A 嘈杂声虽然令人厌烦，但在宴会上，一个人宁可做一个像蚊子那般不断发出嘈杂声的人也不愿意沉默。前后两句之间为转折关系，故用But。
11．A.fortunately B．confidently
C．curiously D．surprisingly
解析：选A 根据“are pleasant to the ear”可知，幸运的是，这些嗡嗡的嘈杂声中大多还是令人愉快的，所以A项符合语境。
12．A.outspoken B．impolite
C．foolish D．mature
解析：选C 如果一个人直到有了一个合理恰当的想法时才加入谈话，那他就会显得愚蠢。
13．A.application B．thought
C．obligation D．experience
解析：选B 参见上题解析。B项符合语境。
14．A.long B．continue
C．mean D．hate
解析：选D 根据下文“not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk”可知，此处指那些不喜欢以天气作为谈话开端的人。
15．A.in the hope of B．in need of
C．in the face of D．in favour of
解析：选A 大家都知道很多聊天没有实际内容，所以很少有人抱着学新东西的目的去聊天。in the hope of“怀着……的希望”，符合语境。
16．A.nervous B．disappointed
C．satisfied D．cautious
解析：选C 一些人只要获准给其他人的耳朵制造声音就满足了。nervous“神经紧张的”；disappointed“失望的，沮丧的”；satisfied“满意的，满足的”；cautious“谨慎的，小心的”。
17．A.minds B．bodies
C．actions D．ears
解析：选D 参见上题解析。D项符合语境。
18．A.nothing B．something
C．everything D．anything
解析：选A 他们在谈话中除了谈一些生活琐事以外，没有什么可以告诉他人的。故选A。
19．A.when B．which
C．where D．what
解析：选B 分析句子结构可知，“during __19__”引导定语从句，空格处作during的宾语，故选which。
20．A.modest B．serious
C．successful D．secretive
解析：选C 在晚上结束的时候，他们长时间的谈话空洞无物，只证明了自己是成功的健谈者。
Ⅱ.阅读理解
