Silence is unnatural to man. He begins his life with a cry and __1__ it in stillness. In the __2__ he does all he can to make a noise and there are few things of which he stands in more fear than the __3__ of noise. Even his conversation is in great measure a desperate attempt to __4__ a dreadful (糟透的，討厭的) silence. If he is introduced to someone, and a number of __5__ occur in the conversation he regards himself as a failure and is full of __6__ of the empties-headed chatterbox. He knows that 99% of human conversation means no more than the buzzing (嗡嗡聲) of a fly, but he __7__ to join in the buzz, and to __8__ that he is a man and not a wax-work figure.
The __9__ of a conversation is usually not to communicate ideas, but to __10__ up all the buzzing sound. __11__, most buzzing is agreeable to the ear, and some of it is agreeable to the __12__. A man would be very __13__ if he waited until he had a wise thought before taking part in the buzzing with others. Those who despise (鄙視，看不起) the weather as a conversational __14__ seem to me to be __15__ of the reason why human beings wish to talk. __16__, very few human beings join in a conversation in which they are __17__ allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears, though they have nothing to tell them __18__ that they have seen two or three new plays or __19__ they have had bad food in a Swiss hotel. At the end of the evening during which they have said nothing meaningful __20__ immense length they congratulate themselves on their success as talkers.
1. A) ends B) finishes C) consumes D) renews
2. A) interpretation B) interval C) process D) life
3. A) disturbance B) avoidance C) presence D) absence
4. A) cause B) make C) prevent D) forbid
5. A) interruptions B) mistakes C) intervals D) pauses
6. A) envy B) hatred C) love D) anger
7. A) longs B) thinks C) dislikes D) agrees
8. A) mean B) find C) say D) prove
9. A) meaning B) object C) topic D) obligation
10. A) get B) turn C) keep D) take
11. A) Fortunately B) Unfortunately C) Surprisingly D) Terribly
12. A) mentality B)spirit C) mind D) belief
13. A) sensible B) insensitive C) foolish D) wise
14. A) opening B) vacancy C) hole D) content
15. A) ignorant B) conscious C) aware D) regardless
16. A) Therefore B) Accordingly C) However D) Furthermore
17. A) completely B) totally C) luckily D) merely
18. A) except B) for C) in D) besides
19. A) which B) how C) if D) that
20. A) with B) at C) to D) toward
The __9__ of a conversation is usually not to communicate ideas, but to __10__ up all the buzzing sound. __11__, most buzzing is agreeable to the ear, and some of it is agreeable to the __12__. A man would be very __13__ if he waited until he had a wise thought before taking part in the buzzing with others. Those who despise (鄙視，看不起) the weather as a conversational __14__ seem to me to be __15__ of the reason why human beings wish to talk. __16__, very few human beings join in a conversation in which they are __17__ allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears, though they have nothing to tell them __18__ that they have seen two or three new plays or __19__ they have had bad food in a Swiss hotel. At the end of the evening during which they have said nothing meaningful __20__ immense length they congratulate themselves on their success as talkers.
1. A) ends B) finishes C) consumes D) renews
2. A) interpretation B) interval C) process D) life
3. A) disturbance B) avoidance C) presence D) absence
4. A) cause B) make C) prevent D) forbid
5. A) interruptions B) mistakes C) intervals D) pauses
6. A) envy B) hatred C) love D) anger
7. A) longs B) thinks C) dislikes D) agrees
8. A) mean B) find C) say D) prove
9. A) meaning B) object C) topic D) obligation
10. A) get B) turn C) keep D) take
11. A) Fortunately B) Unfortunately C) Surprisingly D) Terribly
12. A) mentality B)spirit C) mind D) belief
13. A) sensible B) insensitive C) foolish D) wise
14. A) opening B) vacancy C) hole D) content
15. A) ignorant B) conscious C) aware D) regardless
16. A) Therefore B) Accordingly C) However D) Furthermore
17. A) completely B) totally C) luckily D) merely
18. A) except B) for C) in D) besides
19. A) which B) how C) if D) that
20. A) with B) at C) to D) toward