15．Silence is unnatural to man．He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness．In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world，and he fears silence more than anything else．Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence．If he is introduced to another person，and a number of pauses occur in the conversation，he regards himself as a failure，a worthless person，and is full of envy（妒忌） of the emptiest-headed chatterbox（喋喋不休的人）．He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly，but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure（蠟塑人像）．
The aim of conversation is not，for the most part，to communicate ideas； it is to keep up the buzzing sound．There are，it must be admitted，different qualities of buzz； there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito．But at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person．Most buzzing，fortunately，is pleasant to the ear，and some of it is pleasant even to the mind．He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take part in the buzzing with his neighbors．
Those who hate 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 in the hope of learning anything new．Some of them are content if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people's ears，though they have nothing 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 which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time．They just prove themselves to be successful conservationists．
27．According to the author，people make conversation toD．
A．exchange ideas
B．prove their value
C．a(chǎn)chieve success in life
D．overcome their fear of silence
28．By"the buzzing of a fly"（Para.1），the author means"C"．
A．the noise of an insect B．a(chǎn) low whispering sound
C．meaningless talks D．the voice of a chatterbox
29．According to the passage，people usually talk to their neighborsB．
A．a(chǎn)bout whatever they have prepared
B．a(chǎn)bout whatever they want to
C．in the hope of learning something new
D．in the hope of getting on well
30．What is the author's purpose in writing the passage？D
A．To discuss why people like talking about weather．
B．To encourage people to join in conversations．
C．To persuade people to stop making noises．
D．To explain why people keep talking．
分析 本文的作者了解釋人們?yōu)槭裁磿?huì)交談．大多數(shù)的交談是害怕沉默而進(jìn)行的毫無意義的交談．
解答 27．D 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．從第一段句子：Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence．可知人們的交談是害怕沉默．選D．
28．C 猜測(cè)詞義題．從前面的句子：He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than 可知the buzzing of a fly是指毫無意義的交談．選C．
29．B 推理判斷題．從第三段的句子：Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new．可知和鄰居的談話是無所不談．選B．
30．D 主旨大意題．從第二段的句子：The aim of conversation is not，for the most part，to communicate ideas； it is to keep up the buzzing sound．可知作者是解釋人們?yōu)槭裁磿?huì)交談．選D．
點(diǎn)評(píng) 故事類文章在閱讀過程中，我們一直在某個(gè)線索的引導(dǎo)下，隨著作者的思路去了解一個(gè)故事或一件事情的始末，因此會(huì)感到比較輕松．命題往往從故事的情節(jié)、人物或事件之間的關(guān)系、作者的意圖和態(tài)度、故事的前因和后果等方面入手，考查學(xué)生對(duì)細(xì)節(jié)的辨認(rèn)能力以及推理判斷能力． 閱讀故事類文章時(shí)，應(yīng)注意把握主旨大意，弄清主要情節(jié)，立足文章的內(nèi)容揣摩作者的態(tài)度和意圖，根據(jù)文章的情節(jié)展開合理的想象，從而達(dá)到解題的目的．
