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 fulfill, 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 annoyed 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 uncover 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, is 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 put forward more significant topics — the things that we actually want to talk about. Conversation is a great educator, and deep conversations establish lasting bonds with our fellow humans, forming precious friendships that paint our lives with vivid colors. Such friendships begin with small talk.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?A.The first stage of human interaction. |
B.Ridiculous human behavior in communication. |
C.Absence of communication between strangers. |
D.The difficulty of having deep conversations. |
A.Because they talk to an unfamiliar person. |
B.Because they are enthusiastic about politics. |
C.Because they are too sensitive about boundaries. |
D.Because they fail to manage interpersonal distance. |
A.The length of the answer. | B.The quality of the voice. |
C.The position of the head. | D.The distance between speakers. |
A.Sensitive Human Souls | B.Ways of Understanding Personality |
C.Significance of Small Talk | D.Challenging Deep Conversations |
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【推荐1】Digital technology -email and smart phones especially - have vastly improved workers’ ability to be productive outside of a traditional office. Even so, most white-collar work still happens in an office. One reason is that, according to findings of a new survey of office workers conducted by Wakefield Research for the IT company Citrix, most bosses are doubtful about remote working. Half of the workers say their boss doesn’t accept it and only 35 percent say it’s tolerated.
Skeptical bosses will likely have their doubts reinforced by the same survey, which shows that 43 percent of workers say they’ve watched TV or a movie while “working” remotely, while 35 percent have done housework, and 28 percent have cooked dinner.
It is true, however, that working at home makes people much more efficient(高效的), because it allows workers to take care of annoying housework while still getting their jobs done. It’s much faster, for example, to shop for groceries at a quarter to three than to stand in line during the after-work rush.
The fact that such practices remain officially unaccepted reflects how far we haven’t come as a society from the days when we expected every full-time worker to be supported by a full-time homemaker.
More broadly the Wakefield survey suggests that employers may be missing a low-cost way to give workers something of value. Sixty-four percent of those survey participants who haven’t worked remotely would rather give up some bonus in order to get even one day a week working from home. Under such circumstances, smart firms need to find ways to let their employees have enough flexibility to manage their time efficiently.
1. Why do some employers hesitate to allow remote working?A.They fear losing control of their workers. |
B.They want to stick to their routine practice. |
C.They have little trust in modern technology. |
D.They are used to face-to-face communication. |
A.take care of the annoying children |
B.watch TV or a film while working |
C.save a lot of time to get their job done |
D.enjoy the long wait in the after-work rush |
A.Favorable. | B.Doubtful. | C.Reserved | D.Disapproving |
A.Shorten their office hours. | B.Adopt flexible work patterns. |
C.Give employees a pay raise. | D.Reduce their staff’s workload. |
【推荐2】The latest diet trend in America is also an ancient human activity. The activity is fasting, or not eating food for a set amount of time. Like other diets, intermittent fasting helps you lose weight by setting limits on eating. But instead of limiting what you eat, it limits when you eat.
One of the more popular approaches to intermittent fasting is called “time-restricted feeding”. It is not as difficult as some of the other approaches, since the fasting period can include the time you are sleeping. The basic idea of time-restricted feeding is to limit eating to an eight-hour period. You then fast during the day’s other 16 hours.
Many people make the eating period shorter or longer. Some eat just one meal a day. In other approaches, people fast several days during a week. On fasting days, some people may permit themselves around 600 calories. Whatever the approach, people are not supposed to overeat when they stop fasting.
Studies on the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting are still limited, including for its effectiveness with weight loss. For now, limited research suggests it may not be any better for weight loss than reducing calorie intake over the long term.
They point to a study of 100 people where those placed in a fasting group lost about the same amount of weight as those on diets that restricted calories. The fasting group had a dropout rate of 38 percent, compared with 29 percent for the caloric-restriction diet group.
People interested in intermittent fasting should talk to their doctor before trying it. Health experts do not recommend intermittent fasting for children, people on some medications and people with a history of eating disorders.
1. What counts in the new diet trend in America?A.The quality of dinner. | B.The amount of food. |
C.The dinning time. | D.The type of diet. |
A.Very strict. | B.Nearly useless. | C.Rather difficult. | D.Relatively easy. |
A.Stick to the rules. | B.Avoid eating too much. |
C.Use a variety of methods to fast. | D.Research intermittent fasting further. |
A.It's not fit for everyone. |
B.It can cost a lot of money. |
C.Health experts think highly of the method of losing weight. |
D.It's supported by some medicine. |
【推荐3】Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender(性别)are "really, really smart." Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are "really, really smart." Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors(因素) like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance(毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world."
1. What does the author think of victors' standards for joining the genius club?A.They're unfair. | B.They're conservative. |
C.They're objective. | D.They're strict. |
A.They think themselves smart. |
B.They look up to great thinkers. |
C.They see gender differences earlier than boys. |
D.They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs. |
【推荐1】In a country where over 80% of residents live in public housing, a government commitment to sustainable urban design could have huge influence. And when it’s a tropical country like Singapore where convenience and air conditioning are a way of life, the impact could be greater still.
Promising 42,000 new homes across five residential districts, the eco-town of Tengah will be the 24th new settlement built by Singapore’s government since World War II. It is, however, the first with centralized cooling, automated trash collection and a car-free town center, with which environment lovers hope to offer a roadmap for reducing carbon emissions in the Southeast Asian city-state.
The development is named as “Forest Town” by officials, due to its abundant greenery and public gardens. Once home to brickmaking factories, and later used for military training, the 2.7-square-mile site has been reclaimed by a forest in recent years. A 328-foot-wide ecological “corridor” will be maintained through its center, providing safe passage to wildlife and connecting a water catchment area on one side to a nature reserve on the other.
The project has proven a new plan for urban planners supporting green design principles and “smart” technology, according to Chong Fook Loong, group director for research and planning at Singapore’s Housing and Development Board, the agency overseeing the country’s public housing. “Tengah is a new start,” he said in a video interview, explaining that roads and parking are being pushed beneath the town center. “We’re going for the ideal concept of separated traffic, with everything underground and then the ground level totally freed up for pedestrians — for people. So, it’s a very safe environment for all.”
“We want a town that allows walking and cycling in a very user-friendly manner,” he added, saying that cycling has “taken off” in Singapore in the “last three to five years especially”. The master plan will see the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
1. What is special about the 24th new settlement?A.It can house 42,000 people. | B.It will be well equipped. |
C.It will be built by the government. | D.It will be environmentally friendly. |
A. |
B. |
C. |
D. |
A.A parking lot will put in the town center. |
B.Passers-by and traffic will be in different levels. |
C.Bikes will be able to fly in the near future. |
D.All masters will install charging stations. |
A.Ways to reduce carbon emissions | B.A green roadmap for Singapore |
C.An eco “smart” city planning | D.A smart electric vehicle technology |
【推荐2】Different countries have different tipping customs. When you travel, you need to know how to tip in the country that you’re in; otherwise you’ll leave servers angry everywhere you go.Here are just a few guidelines to tipping around the world.
BrazilThere will always be a standard 10% service charge added to your bill, and you won’t necessarily have to tip. If you do feel like being generous, an extra 5-10% will really make your server very happy. Just remember to do this as skillfully as possible—Brazilians don’t make a big show of this.
DubaiIn Dubai it’s a rule for restaurants to charge 10% tip on all restaurant and bar bills. You can add a couple of dirhams(迪拉姆,货币单位)to this if you feel like it. Waiters are not paid very much in Dubai, so it is always very appreciated.
GermanyGerman bars and restaurants will include the tip as part of what you owe, but that’s not all you have to pay. It is a custom to round the bill up after that, usually to the euro. This can be anywhere from 5-10%. When it’s time to settle up, you won’t get a bill: your waiter tells you the total and then you tell them how much you want to pay, including your “tip”, and hand over the money.
Czech RepublicWhile locals in the Czech Republic don’t leave tips, that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.Foreign tourists are definitely expected to leave some kind of tip for service—as long as you’re in a high tourist traffic area, like Prague for instance. The standard tip is 10%.
IndiaIf you like the service, go ahead and tip your server 5-10%. You have to adjust that amount though, based on how big the meal you’re eating is. If the bill is for a small meal, and totals less than 300 rupees, tip the full 10%. If the bill is higher, tip towards the 5%.
1. In which country do customers have to tip at least 10% for the service?A.Dubai | B.India |
C.Germany | D.Czech Republic |
A.Dubai | B.Germany |
C.India | D.Czech Republic |
A.10 | B.80 |
C.120 | D.200 |
【推荐3】The Oxford English Dictionary defines “awe” as “a feeling of reverential (虔诚的) respect mixed with fear or wonder”. Sometimes taking a moment to stop and appreciate something like the Grand Canyon or a clear, starry night can make you feel like a tiny part of a vast universe swirling around. A research found that feeling of being small might actually make you a kinder, more generous person.
The research was done by teams from the University of California Berkeley and UC Irvine. “Our investigation indicates that awe, though often momentary and hard to describe, serves a vital social function,” said Paul Piff in a statement.
The researchers exposed participants to images of nature. They included video clips from the BBC series Planet Earth. Then Piff and his team asked questions. The researchers measured moral behavior, especially generosity. Those who reported feeling a sense of awe or recalled a time when they felt awe displayed more moral behavior as opposed to someone who felt pride.
Actually, it isn’t only the natural wonders that are awe-inspiring. After all, awe is defined partly by the fear one feels in the face of something larger than themselves. In fact, the same generous behavior was detected in people who were shown scenes of natural disasters, according to Hoffman. Whether it was watching scenes of the Amazonian rainforest or a violent volcanic eruption, participants were more willing to share resources with each other afterwards.
Recent studies suggest that experiencing awe may also boost your immune system. And it could make you feel more creative. It can even make you feel that you have more time to get things done.
1. What do the researchers find in the investigation?A.Awe often lasts for a long time. |
B.Awe often makes people less confident. |
C.Experiencing awe inspires moral behavior. |
D.Moral behavior can be easily detected in generous people. |
A.People experience fear in the face of natural wonders. |
B.People with pride tend to display more moral behavior. |
C.Scenes of natural disasters can help promote generosity. |
D.Natural wonders bring a stronger sense of awe than natural disasters. |
A.A short story. | B.A book review. | C.A geography book. | D.A science magazine. |