問題詳情

Small talk is casual conversation that on the surface seems inconsequential.Happening almost everywhere, it can take place between people who do not know eachother well and involves short conversations about common interests. Shoppers may usesmall talk to pass the time while waiting in line to purchase their goods, or a hairdressermight keep up a steady conversation of small talk with client whose hair is being styledat the beauty salon. In a restaurant, a savvy waitress hopes that small talk will help forgea connection with satisfied diners who will then leave a large tip. Co-workers mayexchange a few words about the weather at the water cooler. The most common venuefor small talk, however, is probably a party or social gathering, where it is used to strikeup conversations with strangers. In such situations, a person might even move around theroom to take part in small talk with other attendees. Engaging in small talk behavior isalso known as “mingling.”Although the topics may be insubstantial, the act of engaging in small talk canactually be extremely significant. In many situations, small talk fills uncomfortablesilences, setting people at ease. Through small talk, people become acquainted with eachother, exchange information, and learn what the other does for a living or participate infor leisure. In ascertaining a sense of each other, people discover common ground.Indeed, small talk is essential to developing relationships. It is the match that lights thefire of friendship.The functions and appropriateness of small talk vary by culture. Suitable topics forsmall talk are universal. For example, in American culture, questions about personalincome are not acceptable, but in Malaysia, salary inquiries are a normal part of smalltalk. In the United Arab Emirates, where female family life is extremely private,questions about a person’s wife or daughters are off limits. In many cultures, formalbusiness meetings begin with a certain amount of small talk, and how long the small talklasts will depend on the culture. In a business meeting in Turkey, small talk precedes anybusiness discussions because business relations built on personal rapport and friendshipare deemed essential to doing business. Germans, however, tend to consider small talk awaste of time in business meetings and prefer to get right to the point of the meeting.Small talk is normal in many situations and actually necessary in some, where notto engage in small talk is considered rude. For instance, it is terribly impolite to sit alonein a corner at a party or not to exchange a few pleasantries with someone who has justbeen introduced. Many people, however, disdain small talk as phony, dull, or trivial.Their attitude is interpreted to mean that they are not interested in another person andthat they are too busy and important to invest time in getting a sense of the other person.Yet it does not take a lot of time to establish meaningful connections with people throughsmall talk.Another reason the art of small talk is vitally important is that subtle messageconveyed are often essentially more powerful than those sent during rehearsed, formalpresentations, such as speeches. Hence, this proves why adeptness at a small talk can becrucial in making good first impressions. Adept small talk can be the difference indetermining, for instance, whether a person is successful in a job interview. When facedwith two candidates of comparable academic qualifications and professional ability, thehiring manager is more likely to choose the candidate who creates a positive impression,establishes fantastic rapport, and creates a comfortable interaction, which good small talkcan do.Effective interpersonal communication depends in part on excellentconversational skills, which are founded in the capacity for engaging in small talk. Adocumented study in the early 1990s of Master of Business Administration (MBA)graduates showed that, a decade after graduation, the successful graduates were thoseadept at conversation. They could present superbly in front of audiences, talk to virtuallyanyone, and make people feel at ease. Oral communication skills are one valuable key tosuccess.
46. According to the information in paragraphs 1 and 2, the subject of small talk .
(A) merely passes time and has no noteworthy function
(B) can be controversial if the person speaks in a polite manner
(C) is less important than the actual small talk itself
(D) depends on an already established relationship to be successful

參考答案

答案：C
難度：適中0.5
統計：A(2),B(3),C(6),D(1),E(0)

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