Calvin Coolidge (1872 – 1933) was the thirtieth president of the United States. He looked down on a person as being unworthy of respect who was too fond of talking about the details of others people’s actions and private lives because he had no time for small talks. The following two incidents clearly show how Collidge treasured silence.
When he was vice president, Coolidge had plenty of opportunities to participate (参加) in Washington’s social life, especially the many dinner parties. As be ignored the art of conversation, he couldn’t exactly make himself dear to his hostesses. One lady felt she could solve this problem. She placed him next to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of the former President Roosevelt. Mrs. Longworth, a very brilliant conversationalist (谈话者), began to talk in her usual charming manner, but all attempts to a wake the interest on the part of the vice president were unproductive. Finally, being shamed into anger, she said, “I’m sure that going to as many dinners as you do, you must get terribly bored.”
Without lifting his eyes from his plate, Coolidge said not very clearly, “Well, a man has to eat somewhere.”
Later, when he was president and once again at a dinner party, Collidge was seated next to an ou
tstanding society woman, one of those busybodies, who seemed to take delight in trying to change the lives of everyone they met. “Oh, Mr. President,” she spoke with too much enthusiasm, “you are always so quiet. I made a bet (打赌) today that I could get more than two words out of you.”
小题1:President Collidge considered those people as being unworthy of respect .
A．who liked to talk about the affairs of others
B．who never talked about anything serious
C．who often spoke insincerely
D．who talked much but did little小题2:The hostesses thought Collidge was unfriendly because in her eyes.
A．he treated women coldly and rudely
B．he paid no attention to conversational skills
C．he was too serious to please any women
D．he was pretty easy and quick to get angry小题3:Mrs. Longworth got shamed and angry because .
A．the vice president took part in too many dinner parties
B．the vice president didn’t lift his eyes from his plate
C．the vice president didn’t speak exactly and clearly
D．the vice president didn’t react to all her efforts小题4:The underlined sentence “Well, a man has to eat somewhere” probably means .
A．Mr. Coolidge didn’t want to talk with Mrs. Longworth a
t all
B．Mr. Coolidge had really got tired of so many social dinners
C．Mr. Coolidge was unhappy with the dinner he was eating that day
D．M
r. Coolidge was really hungry and had to find something to eat
