16．You are an intelligent and a good talker．You have no problem giving a wonderful report，delivering an excellent speech or participating in a political debate．You strive for meaningful conversations and have no patience for small talk．"The weather is nice，isn't it？"Really，who cares？
Although seemingly meaningless and informal，small talk is the starting point of all relationships．Romances and friendships begin with small talk．In a more pragmatic light，you can't avoid it．Getting a job，working with colleagues，winning new business partners-all of these require small talk．
Americans call it the"Gift of Gab"．Want to be successful？You'd better acquire this gift．
An article on the Forbes website lists a few reasons why small talk is so important for one's career．Not only does small talk make us more likeable； in one's career，small talk is also a"free option"．
It can lead to a host of outcomes，from a merely pleasant exchange to the signing of a multimillion-dollar business deal，says the article．
In a time when a big part of our lives has moved online，the art of small talk is mysterious．The awkward experience of feeling like a total outsider at a social function，such as a company event or a diner party，is shared by many of us．
"But don't worry，"says Elizabeth Bernstein，a relationship columnist at The Wall Street Journal，"you can learn to develop your conversational intelligence．"
First of all，remember small talk is not about communicating，it's about connecting．Bernstein advises focusing on the other person．
Bad small talkers tend to dominate the conversation．They spend too much time on their favorite topic，whether it's football or how clever their kids are．
They think they are being social because they are talking．But they are talking to somebody，not with someone．Such people often give the impression of being self-centered and inconsiderate．So no wonder they will lose good chances，like a good fortune or a rise in their positions．
25．People usually begin with"The weather is nice，isn't it？"becauseC．
A．they care much about the weather
B．they don't want to talk more to each other
C．they just want to have small talk
D．the topic of their talk is in relation to weather
26．From the second paragraph we knowB．
A．small talk is the most important thing of all relationships
B．many important things result from small talk
C．no one can succeed without small talk
D．small talk proves much more important than reports or debates
27．The primary art of small talk isD．
A．bringing in a lot of business chances
B．being informal
C．relaxing atmosphere
D．connecting rather than communicating．
分析 不要小看閑聊，它是我們建立任何一種關(guān)系的起始點．
解答 25-27 CBD
25題答案：C考查細(xì)節(jié)推理，根據(jù)本句前面的You strive for meaningful conversations and have no patience for small talk．你想要有意義的交流，沒有耐心進行閑聊（small talk）．可知本題答案為C選項．
26題答案：B考查細(xì)節(jié)推理，根據(jù)第二段的首句Although seemingly meaningless and informal，small talk is the starting point of all relationships．似乎看起來沒有意義而且也不正式，但是閑聊是所有關(guān)系的開始點．可知本題答案為B選項．
27題答案：D考查細(xì)節(jié)推理，根據(jù)倒數(shù)第三段的First of all，remember small talk is not about communicating，it's about connecting．首先要記住的一點是閑聊不是關(guān)于交談而是關(guān)于（建立）聯(lián)系．可知本題答案為D選項．
點評 本文是一篇科教類閱讀，題目涉及多道細(xì)節(jié)理解題，做題時結(jié)合原文和題目有針對 性找出相關(guān)語句進行仔細(xì)分析，結(jié)合選項選出正確答案．推理判斷也是要在抓住關(guān)鍵句子的基礎(chǔ)上合理的分析才能得出正確的答案．
