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.
1. What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?| A．Addiction to smartphones. |
| B．Impatience with slow service. |
| C．Improper behaviors in public places. |
| D．Absence of communication between strangers. |
| A．Keeping in touch with other people. |
| B．Showing good manners. |
| C．Making business deals |
| D．Focusing on a topic |
| A．It improves family relationships. |
| B．It makes people feel good. |
| C．It raises people’s confidence |
| D．It matters as much as a formal talk. |
| A．Strengths of Small Talk |
| B．Ways of Making Small Talk |
| C．Conversation Counts |
| D．Uncomfortable Silence |
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【推荐1】Déjà vu， the strange feeling of having been to this very place or done this very thing before when you know you haven't， happens to most people at some point in their lives. The expression comes from the French， meaning "already seen".
My friend Shannon knew that she was going to marry her husband the day they met. She had dated a lot of men following her divorce， but none of them felt right. Then， she met Bob. There was something about the way he smiled， his voice and the shape of his hands， that made her think that they had known each other before. After talking it was clear that their paths had never crossed， but after their first lunch date， they became inseparable. What Shannon and Bob immediately felt for each other was more than just physical chemistry. It was a natural understanding and a depth of closeness that usually arises after couples are together for many years. They were married two months after they met and have been together now for ten years.
I'm often asked how to tell the difference between a feeling of déjà vu when we first meet someone and all attraction stemming from an addictive obsession （痴迷）.
There is a strong tendency among addicts to try to "fix" themselves with love， rushing prematurely into relationships inspired only by strong physical attraction. They often have nothing to do with déjà vu， but stem rather from a basic emptiness that longs to be filled. There is no true bond between the people involved，they hardly know each other， and these partnership attempts fail miserably when the pink glow of newness wears off. However，mostly déjà vu experiences convey a quality that is quiet and solid. The possibility of having a déjà vu is existing in partnerships of all kinds，particularly the more intimate ones. It can occur in business， friendships and family， often leading to outcomes that can impact the direction of our life.
Déjà vus can take place anywhere， at any time and with anyone. Don't let these possibilities pass you by. Summoning the courage to take a chance and act， to have faith in what is not yet visible， will make the experience your own.
1. What is déjà vu？| A．The false belief that one has experienced something before. |
| B．The fact that one is often cheated by his belief. |
| C．The wrong idea that couples share everything in life. |
| D．The feeling that one falls in love at first sight. |
| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To entertain the readers. |
| C．To support the explanation. |
| D．To analyze couple relationship. |
| A．It occurs all the time. |
| B．It's stable and lasts long. |
| C．It involves a previous experience. |
| D．It appears only between couples. |
| A．Practicing before acting. |
| B．Calming down and letting it go. |
| C．Regarding it as nothing but imagination. |
| D．Seizing the opportunity and taking actions. |
【推荐2】Every kid wishes to be an adult. Do you remember playing house as a child--pretending to be a grown-up like your parents? Did you imagine you were a doctor, a soldier or a teacher? At that time, anything seemed more exciting than being young.
Some kidults collect toys they once played with.
“Kidults can be like vitamins to society. Adults who value their childhood and hold on to pure, childlike emotion may be needed in such a rough and dry society,” said Lee Sojung, professor of Foreign Studies at Hankuk University.
Tim Greenhalgh, a professor in London explained that some kidults just refused to grow up.
| A．Other kidults still enjoy children’s stories and fairy tales. |
| B．But now some adults find they cannot leave childhood behind. |
| C．And some adults often run into the problem of finding a good job. |
| D．They do so because life in a busy and stressful city frightens them. |
| E．Hello Kitty, Garfield, and Snoopy have many adult fans around the world. |
| F．He added that kidult culture may fill the generation gap between adults and kids. |
| G．They may not be great parents as well as able to take on adult responsibilities. |
I had left my book in the office, so I spent the time thinking of my experiences of being late in China. On my first visit in 1985, punctuality was deeply rooted in the Chinese hearts. There were no traffic jams then.
As a teacher in Canada, I always insisted on punctuality. I would open the classroom door to a late student for the first time and the second, but not the third. During the six years I worked for CCTV, I had a Chinese friend whom I often saw at lunch time, or after work. We used to meet at the subway station nearby. He was always late by 10-20 minutes. To my question, “You were busy?” he would surprisingly answer, “ No.” Once I asked him to check the clock in his office, he smiled.
In March 2015, I got permanent residence (居住权) in China. The ceremony was scheduled for 9:00 am at the Public Security Bureau on the Second Ring Road. I told my driver I had to get there by 8:40 am. “No problem,” he replied. But he thought he had time to drop someone off at the airport before picking me up. I desperately waited for him. Then, to rub salt into my wound, he had to stop at the exit of a gas station. Finally, I entered the room at 9:07 am ── the last guest to arrive!
1. What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The author is always late for work or any activities. |
| B．The author dislikes making friends with unpunctual persons. |
| C．The author hates being late from the bottom of heart. |
| D．The author can do something to deal with unpunctuality. |
| A．he will let him/her remain outside |
| B．he will open the door for him/her again |
| C．he will shout at him/her loudly |
| D．he will tell him/her to take care next time |
| A．Excited. | B．Embarrassed. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Shocked. |
| A．Because the gas was running out. |
| B．Because his driver met a guest at the airport. |
| C．Because there was a big traffic jam on the road. |
| D．Because the driver estimated the time wrongly. |
【推荐1】A school in London made a rule that students aren't allowed to use slang (俚语)in the classroom. The school has said that it’s important for students to express themselves "clearly and correctly".
Yes - slang doesn't belong in school
Slang doesn't belong in school. When students are in the classroom, they should learn how to use language properly, so that they can better express themselves in the future. Although people use slang in everyday life, it's not proper in all situations.
No - it's part of the English language
Language is developing. Words always come and go.
| A．They are not proper situations. |
| B．Slang is a valuable part of this process. |
| C．They might be misunderstood by others. |
| D．Slang is words or phrases that are informal. |
| E．However, some language experts say this is unfair. |
| F．Banning slang could make them feel uncomfortable. |
| G．For example, slang is not suitable in workplaces. |
Food & Health Myths
Every day there is new information about food and health products. Newspapers regularly have articles that discuss how certain foods or drinks are good or bad for you, Some television shows often deal with new stories about how consuming certain substances can affect your body
One myth about food and health is that eggs are bad for your heart. Although they are indeed high in cholesterol(胆固醇)and fat, it's not true that eating eggs every day will damage your heart.
| A．Another popular belief is that red wine, like other drinks, may be harmful to you if consumed too much. |
| B．Apart from that, many people believe drinking red wine is especially good for your heart |
| C．Eggs are high in cholesterol and fat despite the fact that they are a nutritious source of energy |
| D．There are many other myths common is our society about food and health. |
| E．This is because the body can deal with the extra cholesterol by reducing the amount it produces |
| F．With such a steady stream of information, it's understandable that a few popular myths about food and health are floating around. |
【推荐3】The Buy Nothing Movement
Social media, magazines and shop windows bombard (猛轰) people daily with things to buy, and British consumers are buying more clothes than ever before. The average person spends more than £ 1,000 on new clothes a year, which might not sound like much.
However, a different trend arises in opposition to consumerism—the ‘buy nothing’ trend.
The trend has now reached influencers on social media who now encourage their viewers not to buy anything at all for periods as long as a year. Two friends in Canada spent a year working towards buying only food. For the first three months they learned how to live without buying electrical goods, clothes or things for the house. For the next stage, they gave up services, for example, haircuts, eating out or buying petrol for their cars.
The changes they made meant two fewer cars on the roads, a reduction in plastic and paper packaging and a positive impact on the environment from all the energy saved.
| A．In one year, they’d saved $55,000. |
| B．If everyone followed a similar plan, the results would be impressive. |
| C．Many people didn’t support the idea at the very beginning. |
| D．Second-hand clothes are often of too poor quality to recycle in charity shops. |
| E．But that figure hides two far more worrying trends for society and for the environment |
| F．The idea originated in Canada in the early 1990s and then moved to the US. |
| G．People might not realise the problems because they donate their unwanted clothes to charities. |
【推荐1】In Canada, you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends.
Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections (注射) so that they won’t carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be: Their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. But pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
1. The passage mainly talks about ________.| A．how to keep disease from pets | B．pets in Canada |
| C．how to take good care of pets | D．life of the old in Canada |
| A．the pets are sick | B．the pets are wild |
| C．they want to stop them from carrying disease | D．they want them to sleep on the way home |
| A．hate animals | B．often kill animals | C．love animals | D．don’t keep pets inside houses |
| A．they don’t love their parents any more | B．they can only find jobs far from their parents |
| C．their parents’ houses are too small | D．they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more |
【推荐2】World Food Day falls on October 16 in memory of the day when the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN was formed. The events of the day usually focus on reducing, or rather, removing hunger from the face of the earth. Farmers and government officials are often given tips on how to get rid of hunger with better effect.
World Food Day was created by FAO member countries in November 1979. It was during their 20th General Conference that the observance (纪念、庆祝) of World Food Day was decided. It was not observed until 1981 when the specific date was determined. Pal Romany, the then Hungary's Minister of Agriculture and Food, played an important role in the founding of World Food Day during the 20th General Conference. Many people at the conference welcomed the idea.
World Food Day is not only celebrated by FAO and the United Nations, but several other organizations concerned with food security, hunger reduction, consumption of balanced diet and health also take part in the celebration. On the day, which is usually observed in more than 150 countries in the world, a number of activities like marathons, concerts, agricultural inventions, and cultural exhibitions and shows are usually organized.
Each year has its own theme to celebrate World Food Day. The themes are always related to food production, availability, and consumption. The themes are always set so that the public can come up with suggestions and ideas that are effective in dealing with hunger, poverty, and famine. In fact, most themes are agriculture related. This is because agriculture is the chief source of food.
World Food Day hopes to bring awareness to help people from around the globe solve issues concerning hunger and famine. It is meant to help farmers attain modern skills that would help achieve food security. The day is also set aside to encourage the government to think of methods to keeping food security in a country.
1. What have you got to know about World Food Day?| A．Its celebrations have the same theme relevant to agriculture. |
| B．It has been celebrated across the globe ever since it was created. |
| C．It is meant to make people realize the importance of food security. |
| D．It is celebrated to remember one of the former crucial ministers. |
| A．Food shortage is a worldwide issue. | B．Creativity is essential to agriculture. |
| C．The hunger problem has reduced. | D．World Food Day is well-received. |
| A．World Food Day ABC | B．Why to Advocate Agriculture |
| C．World Food Day History | D．How to Solve Hunger Issues |
【推荐3】How good are you at maths? Some people enjoy working out number puzzles. But many fear the moment when they have to deal with numbers and figures and feel a real sense of worry and confusion. It may make us feel less confident, but this “maths anxiety” is normal. And anyway, our worries and fears don’t necessarily reflect our ability.
The problem really starts in childhood, at school. Research has found that maths teachers who are nervous about teaching the subject can pass on their anxiety to the pupils, and girls may be more likely to be affected. The Programme for International Student Assessment found around 31% of 15 and 16-year-olds across 34 countries said they got very nervous doing maths problems, 33% said they got anxious doing maths homework, and nearly 60% said they worried maths classes would be difficult. Shulamit, a professor from Boston University, said she believes giving students, particularly girls, good role models “is extremely important, especially at a young age”. She thinks the key is to get people, especially women, who love teaching maths to younger children.
Writing for BBC Future, David Robson says “It’s not clear why maths stirs up so much fear compared to geography. But the fact that there’s a right or wrong answer might make you more worried about poor performance.” And once we assume we’re not a “maths person”, we keep away from solving things that we probably could do.
Psychologists (心理学家) have been trying to work out why mental arithmetic (心算) can bring us out in a sweat. That seed of fear may come from many sources, but some suggest that expressing your fears clearly can reduce their effects on you, and encourage children to see a maths test as a challenge, not a threat. Anyway, we need to think positively about maths and give it a second chance.
1. What’s the function of paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To define “maths anxiety”. |
| C．To call on people to do maths. | D．To tell how important maths is. |
| A．Speaking out their fear clearly. | B．Leaving maths homework alone. |
| C．Avoiding solving maths problems. | D．Turning to math teachers for help. |
| A．To show impacts of maths fear. | B．To stress maths anxiety is normal. |
| C．To talk about how to study maths. | D．To give ways of solving maths problems. |
