3 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all don’t have enough conversational ability. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s embarrassing and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s a valuable social practice that leads to big benefits.

It is easy to consider small talk as unimportant, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist if there weren’t casual conversations. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,” he explains. “The secret to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, professor of psychology at UBC, invited people to a coffee shop. One group was asked to interact (互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network is important for our happiness and health.”

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a greater sense of belonging, a link with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.

4 . Small talk has a reputation for being uninteresting, and for good reason. Pointing out the fact that it’s raining seems as ridiculous as pointing out the fact that you have a head—you’re fully aware of both things, and don’t require an outsider to confirm them. But despite being evident and often painfully dull, small talk has an important role to fulfil, enabling us to leap over a number of social obstacles towards improved, meaningful interaction.

Humans can be sensitive souls. We each have our boundaries and lists of potential upsets, which when broken, cause us to either gently back away to an alternative position in the room, or become cross at the person. Small talk is first a way to test the waters with an unfamiliar person, so that you may better understand their personality. When finding yourself positioned closely to a person who you know little about, it’s much safer to point out the rainy sky than to share your political views on a sensitive topic. Until you know the person better, heavier topics should probably be kept under wraps, so you won’t find yourself on the receiving end of a cold stare.

Though insignificant, small talk still has great power. When talking with fellow humans, much of our soul is exposed through non-verbal communication. A response to “how was your weekend” can unveil much about the person’s character. The length of their response might indicate their level of self-confidence; the tone of speaking might show how agreeable a person is; their slightly lowered head, as if protecting themselves from attack, a possible sign of a regrettable history of bullying.

As more of a person’s character is revealed, we have the insight needed to determine whether to broach more significant topics—the things that we actually want to talk about. Conversation is a great educator, and deep conversation establish lasting bonds with our fellow humans, forming precious friendships that paint our lives with vibrant colors. Such friendships begin with small talk.

5 . A video show has become a hot topic on the Internet around China these days. The 35-second video shows that a man driver took a woman out of her red car, threw her to the ground and ______ her several times.

Later, the man driver told the police that was because the woman driver changed lanes（变道）______ and scared his child in the car. That made this man driver very ______. And his anger changed into this fight. The man was blamed (责备) a lot from Internet users, who regarded him as " Crazy or Mad".

However, public attitude (态度) soon took a u-turn when the video from the dashboard camera (行车记录仪) on the man driver's car was put on the Internet on Tuesday. The ______video shows the woman driver suddenly crossed lanes in front of Zhang's car twice and the two said angry words to each other ______ both cars came to a stop under an overhead bridge. And there the fight happened. The latest online poll（民调） shows that 78 % Internet users believe that the woman driver should be blamed for ______ she had done. However, the woman driver _______ to realize her own mistake and refused to say sorry at first. The discussion further grew when some people started a cyber hunt (人肉搜索) against the woman. Some of her personal ______ was put on the Internet, including her ID number, address, phone number and so on.

____ the morning of May 11, the woman driver finally wrote a letter to say sorry to the public, and put it on the Internet, saying that she felt sorry for what she had done and what her family had ______ about this accident. Both of the two have paid for what they had done! So when we drive on the road, try to be calm enough to avoid such happenings again.