It is sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life difficult for foreigners. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with him and she says, “If I finish my work, I'll meet you in the cafe at 7 o'clock.” Is she saying “yes” or “no” to his invitation?

　　In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure. By using the conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a “yes” or “no” answer to a question. It enables people to be diplomatic. If the girl doesn't want to go out with the boy, she won't turn up at the cafe. She will let him understand she is still working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn't want to appear too easy to catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first conditional which shows probability, she is quite likely to turn up at the cafe. Being polite can make life very difficult!

　　The conditional is often used by people in the news－politicians, for example－who wish to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of workers, “If we could pay you more, we would.” The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their rise.

　　“If” is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can show politeness, reported speech and conditionals such as the First－probability－if I can come to your party, I will; the Second－improbability－if I saw you tomorrow, I'd give you the book; and the Third－impossibility (meaning it is too late to change something that has happened)－if you have told me, I would have helped you.

　　注：conditional structure表示條件的句式，avoid避免，diplomatic婉轉(zhuǎn)的，achieve達到，politician政客

1．The using of the conditional can make a speech ________.

[　　]

2．Which of the following is TURE according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Language used in the news should make room to argue.

B．Usually English girls are not easy to catch.

C．English people never speak out their ideas in public.

D．The word “if” can show different meanings.

3．In the passage, “If we could pay you more, we would.” probably means ________.

[　　]

A．the workers will make more money

B．the spokesman doesn't give any promise

C．the spokesman keeps his word

D．the workers' problems aren't difficult

4．This passage is mainly talking about ________.

[　　]

A．the conditional in communication

B．how to invite a girl in Britain

C．British people and their life

D．some language points in daily English

Jennie sat at her window as usual, looking out upon the street, with a look of sadness on her face,“What a long day this is going to be!”

Then she saw a little boy running down the street, swinging his schoolbag. Looking up to the window, he took off    1   hat and bowed with a bright, pleasant smile.

“What a nice    2   ,”said Jennie to herself, as the boy ran out of sight.“It seems like having the sunshine. I wish everybody who goes by would look up    3   smile.”

George, the little boy, told his mother about that    4   girl when he got back home,“She looks so helpless. I wish I could do something for her.”

“Why not give her some    5  ?”said his mother. George agreed.

The next morning, as Jennie    6    at he window again, she saw George with a handful of beautiful flowers carefully picking his way across the street. He stopped in front of her window, smiling pleasantly, and said,“Can I come in?”Jennie told him    7   to get into the house.

Opening the door to Jennie’s gentle“Come in”, George said, “I’ve brought you some flowers.”

“Are they for me?”said Jennie    8  .“How kind you are,”she continued, as George put the flowers on her lap.“I’ve    9   received any flower since we moved to the town.”

“Did you live in the countryside?”asked George,    10    the old, small and empty room.

“Yes,”said Jennie.

Jennie used to have a happy family and live in a beautiful house in the countryside. However, she lost her right leg in an accident. She    11   walk like other people any longer. Later, her father died, and her mother was sick   12    so many years that their money was all gone. They sold the house, and move here to get work to do.

George told his parents    13   . They decided to help her. More and more people in the   14   gave Jennie friendly smiles when they passed by her house. She was greatly cheered up.

A few months later, Jennie and her mother    15   a flower shop. People could always see Jennie sitting in the shop, having a lovely smile on her face.

1.                A．her            B．his             C．your D．my

2.                A．house          B．door           C．smile D．schoolbag

3.                A．a(chǎn)nd            B．but            C．a(chǎn)s   D．or

4.                A．rich           B．lucky           C．bad  D．poor

5.                A．money         B．flowers         C．clothes   D．food

6.                A．danced         B．cried           C．sat  D．laughed

7.                A．how           B．who           C．when D．why

8.                A．a(chǎn)ngrily         B．easily          C．sadly D．happily

9.                A．never          B．usually         C．a(chǎn)lways    D．sometimes

10.                                A．looking for  B．looking around

C．looking like                       D．looking after

11.               A．shouldn’t      B．needn’t       C．couldn’t  D．mustn’t

12.               A．for            B．in             C．a(chǎn)t    D．on

13.               A．something      B．a(chǎn)nything        C．everything D．nothing

14.               A．countryside     B．town           C．village D．city

15.               A．reached        B．left            C．closed D．opened

完型填空（15分）

Jennie sat at her window as usual, looking out upon the street, with a look of sadness on her face,“What a long day this is going to be!”

Then she saw a little boy running down the street, swinging his schoolbag. Looking up to the window, he took off    1   hat and bowed with a bright, pleasant smile.

“What a nice    2   ,”said Jennie to herself, as the boy ran out of sight.“It seems like having the sunshine. I wish everybody who goes by would look up    3   smile.”

George, the little boy, told his mother about that    4   girl when he got back home,“She looks so helpless. I wish I could do something for her.”

“Why not give her some    5  ?”said his mother. George agreed.

The next morning, as Jennie    6    at he window again, she saw George with a handful of beautiful flowers carefully picking his way across the street. He stopped in front of her window, smiling pleasantly, and said,“Can I come in?”Jennie told him    7   to get into the house.

Opening the door to Jennie’s gentle“Come in”, George said, “I’ve brought you some flowers.”

“Are they for me?”said Jennie    8  .“How kind you are,”she continued, as George put the flowers on her lap.“I’ve    9   received any flower since we moved to the town.”

“Did you live in the countryside?”asked George,    10    the old, small and empty room.

“Yes,”said Jennie.

Jennie used to have a happy family and live in a beautiful house in the countryside. However, she lost her right leg in an accident. She    11   walk like other people any longer. Later, her father died, and her mother was sick   12    so many years that their money was all gone. They sold the house, and move here to get work to do.

George told his parents    13   . They decided to help her. More and more people in the   14   gave Jennie friendly smiles when they passed by her house. She was greatly cheered up.

A few months later, Jennie and her mother    15   a flower shop. People could always see Jennie sitting in the shop, having a lovely smile on her face.

1.                A．her            B．his             C．your D．my

2.                A．house          B．door           C．smile D．schoolbag

3.                A．a(chǎn)nd            B．but            C．a(chǎn)s   D．or

4.                A．rich           B．lucky           C．bad  D．poor

5.                A．money         B．flowers         C．clothes   D．food

6.                A．danced         B．cried           C．sat  D．laughed

7.                A．how           B．who           C．when D．why

8.                A．a(chǎn)ngrily         B．easily          C．sadly D．happily

9.                A．never          B．usually         C．a(chǎn)lways    D．sometimes

10.                                A．looking for  B．looking around

C．looking like                       D．looking after

11.               A．shouldn’t      B．needn’t       C．couldn’t  D．mustn’t

12.               A．for            B．in             C．a(chǎn)t    D．on

13.               A．something      B．a(chǎn)nything        C．everything D．nothing

14.               A．countryside     B．town           C．village D．city

15.               A．reached        B．left            C．closed D．opened