Although we benefit from deep and meaningful conversations that help us build connections with one another, we often stick to small talk with strangers because we underestimate (低估) how much others are interested in our lives and wrongly believe that deep conversations will be more awkward and less enjoyable than they actually are, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Nicholas Epley, a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and his colleagues designed a series of experiments with more than 1, 800 participants. The researchers asked pairs of people — mainly strangers — to discuss either relatively deep or shallow topics. In the first experiment, people received shallow or deep questions to discuss. Before the conversations, participants predicted how awkward they thought the conversations would be, how connected they thought they would feel to their conversation partner and how much they would enjoy the conversations. Afterward, they rated how awkward the conversations actually were, how connected they actually felt and how much enjoyment they actually experienced.
The researchers found that both deep and shallow conversations felt less awkward than the participants had expected. That effect tended to be stronger for deep conversations.
Deep conversations were also more enjoyable and led to a stronger sense of connection. In the second experiment, participants who had a deep conversation with one partner and a shallow conversation with another partner initially expected to prefer the shallow conversation but actually preferred the deep conversation after having both of them.
“Our participants’ expectations about deep conversations were greatly mistaken in a way that could keep people from interacting deeply with others in their daily lives,” Epley said. “As the pandemic (疫情) wanes and social distance restrictions become less strict, and we all get back to talking with each other again, being aware that others also like deep conversations might lead you to have more pleasant interactions.”
1. What were the participants asked to do in the first experiment?| A．Choose some topics they prefer. | B．Avoid discussing shallow topics. |
| C．Make predictions on their feelings. | D．Classify various types of questions. |
| A．preferred to discuss shallow questions with strangers |
| B．felt very awkward when conducting deep conversations |
| C．underestimated how awkward their strange partners felt |
| D．overestimated the awkwardness of talking with strangers |
| A．It is easier to conduct than making small talk. |
| B．It usually causes a weaker sense of connection. |
| C．It is more enjoyable than having shallow ones. |
| D．It is more awkward than previously expected. |
| A．Worsens. | B．Appears. | C．Spreads. | D．Fades. |
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【推荐1】How many times have we expressed how rude young people are for texting while having a conversation?They try to fix eyes on their smartphone screen while nodding.What goes through your mind is “how rude they are!”
Have we forgotten some of the old school manners that our parents, grandparents and teachers taught us manners that have nothing to do with a mobile device or iPad,but everything to do with long-forgotten Golden Rules we were raised with?
When I was growing up,there was etiquette to coughing.When coughing,we were told to turn our head away and block off our mouth.This might sound amusing to many young people．But if we didn't follow these etiquettes，we would get a quick reminder to the back of our head When we were given something,and forgot to say “thank you”，elders would seriously remind us,“aren’t you forgetting to say something”，which was immediately followed by a “thank you”．
Maybe technology has affected our brains so much that we can never go back to those golden days we like.It seems as if we have thrown out manners and etiquette with the bathwater.Simple etiquette is missing in society.A thank-you note for a gift you have received all fall into the same box of manners.People are just cold these days because we are on the run every day in the world.
In the work environment have you ever come across a sign:“Your mother doesn’t work here,clean up by yourself”?We often hear people say, the younger generation have no manners.I think many people have lost their manners.We’ve allowed bad manners to go unchecked.We simply stand bad behavior．
In a world of more good manners,more “thank you” or “please” exchanged， our younger generation will have an improved quality of life．
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To point out young people’s good manners． |
| B．To introduce the main topics of the text． |
| C．To stress the importance of cell phone． |
| D．To explain the effect of cell phones on people． |
| A．modern family manners |
| B．rules observed at school |
| C．rules everyone has to follow |
| D．etiquette started by older generation |
| A．the younger person will feel it necessary |
| B．the younger person will feel it funny |
| C．the older people will think little of him |
| D．the older people will teach him a lesson |
| A．the parents and teachers’ improper act and attitude |
| B．the fast developed technology |
| C．the people’s attitude towards running away |
| D．the busy lifestyles people have |
【推荐2】One day, when 12 - year - old Sean Redden went to a popular chat room on the Internet, he saw the name of someone he'd never seen there before, Susan Hicks. Her message was “Would someone help me? I can't breathe. Help me! I can't feel my left side."
At first, Sean thought it was a bad joke and he told his mother Sharon Redden. But she asked, "It's not just some game, is it?"
The message was not a joke. "Susan Hicks" was actually 20 - year - old Taija Laitinen, a student working late at night at a college library near Helsinki, Finland - almost 7,000miles away from Sean's home in Texas. While searching the Internet, she began to feel terrible pain all through her body. The library was empty and the nearest phone was outside in the hallway. She couldn't move that far because any movement caused the pain to get worse. Then as the pain became worse, she began typing her message for help in the chat room.
"I don't think it's a joke, mom," Sean said. He typed, "Where are you?" The letters appeared," Finland." Sean and Sharon couldn't believe it. Not knowing what else to do, Sharon called the local police and explained the situation to officer Amy Schmidt. Schmidt told Sharon to try to get the sick girl's phone number and address.
Meanwhile, the Texas police called the international telephone operator and asked to be connected to the proper agency (机构)in Finland. The Texas police explained the situation and gave Susan's address to the Finnish operator. When Sean heard that, he typed, "Help is on the way. "In the few minutes, the library door opened. Doctors and three policemen ran in.
1. What's Sean's reaction when he received the message for help?| A．He didn't believe it. | B．He took no notice of it. |
| C．He called the police at once. | D．He had a joke with the person. |
| A．She lost her phone. | B．She couldn't finish her work. |
| C．She was locked in the library. | D．She felt pain and couldn't move. |
| A．Sean had seen Taija Laitinen before. |
| B．Susan Hicks was a friend of Taija Laitinen. |
| C．Sean and his mother offered help in time. |
| D．The policeman Sean's mother called was in Finland. |
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives, and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support—financial aid, material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems.
1. Research shows that people’s physical and mental health ________.
| A．relies on the social welfare systems which support them |
| B．has much to do with the amount of support they get from others |
| C．depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles |
| D．is closely related to their strength for coping with major changes in their lives |
| A．adds up to. |
| B．does away with. |
| C．lessens the effect of. |
| D．Lays the foundation for. |
| A．instrumental support |
| B．informational support |
| C．social companionship |
| D．the strengthening of self-respect |
| A．it helps strengthen our ties with relatives |
| B．it enables us to eliminate our faults and mistakes |
| C．it makes our leisure-time activities more enjoyable |
| D．it draws our attention away from our worries and troubles |
In August 2015, President Obama announced that North America’s highest mountain, Mount McKinley, would be renamed. Its new moniker (名字), Denali, was actually its original Aleut name, meaning “the high one”. The previous name, on the other hand, only dates back to 1896 — the year when it was named in honour of William McKinley (1843—1901), who was shortly to become President of the United States. Denali is of course not the only mountain with an interesting linguistic history, so let’s travel to Asia, and across Europe, to explore the naming of those continents’ most famous peaks and mountain ranges.
The Nepalese name Himalaya comes from a Sanskrit word meaning “Abode of Snow”, from hima for “snow” and ālaya for “abode”. In Buddhist sources, Himalaya is known by various names such as Himavā and Himavanta.
In 1856, Mount Everest was named after Sir George Everest (1790—1866), who was the superintendent (负责人) of the Trigonometrical Survey of India. Everest himself was initially displeased by the naming, since he feared that local inhabitants might not be able to pronounce it.
K2 stands for Karakoram 2, because it was the second peak to be surveyed in the Trigonometrical Survey in the Karakoram system. It was also formerly known as Mount Godwin Austen after Col. H. H. Godwin Austen, who first surveyed it. Another alternative name for the mountain is Chhogori.
Annapurna is a household Goddess for Hindus, who guarantees to her worshippers (崇拜者) that food will not fail. The name derives (源出) from a Sanskrit word meaning “one who gives nourishment”.
The Matterhorn’s name derives from the name of the nearby town of Zermatt, the second element of which is apparently Matte “meadow”, and Horn, “horn”. Horn is not an unusual element in German names of mountains with jutting (突出的) peaks. The mountain is called Mont Cervin in French and Monte Cervino in Italian, from the Italian adjective cervino “deer-like”, which conjures up (使想起) a deer’s antlers.
Ben Nevis is the Anglicized form of the Scottish Gaelic name Beinn Nibheis, which means “Mountain by the (River) Nevis”. The name of the river apparently derives from a Celtic root for “water”.
1. How many continents’ mountains are mentioned in the passage?| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
| A．Nepalese | B．Abode of Snow | C．Alaya | D．Himavā |
| A．Everest was unhappy about the name of Mount Everest at first. |
| B．K2 was once called Col. H. H. Godwin. |
| C．Annapurna means “one who offers food”. |
| D．Matterhorn comes from the name of the nearby town of Zermatt. |
| A．color | B．a Sanskrit word |
| C．a person’s name | D．geographic name |
【推荐2】With the days getting longer and hotter, it’s clear that summer has arrived. And there is nothing like listening to iconic (标志性的)summer songs to bring you back to simpler times like driving to the beach while listening to music on the radio.
Summer in the City
This 1966 classic by The Lovin’ Spoonful was a Number One hit. That summer in New York City was filled with protests, according to the New York Times, but a new musical movement was happening in Greenwich Village and Summer in the City captured the moment.
Summer Breeze
Nothing says summer like this harmony-driven folk-pop song from 1972. Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts really captures the essence of the season. This song was so popular that a harder rock version was recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1974.
On the Beach
This 1986 song by Chris Rea was inspired by Formentera—a Spanish Island according to Smooth Radio. The light jazzy sound of On the Beach is perfect for a walk on the beach and watching the waves with your friends.
Sun Is Shining
This summer classic by Bob Marley and the Wailers will make you want to chill out on the beach while tapping your feet to the beat according to Time Out. Sun Is Shining came out in 1971 and was only performed live twice. It’s a great feel-good song.
1. Who created the song that was a No. I hit in 1966?| A．Chris Rea. | B．Bob Marley. |
| C．The Lovin’ Spoonful. | D．Seals & Crofts. |
| A．In 1971. | B．In 1972. | C．In 1974. | D．In 1986. |
| A．On the Beach. | B．Sun Is Shining. |
| C．Summer Breeze. | D．Summer in the City. |
【推荐3】Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms.Its influence on the brain is much deeper than any other human experience.Keep on reading to know all those amazing powers of music.
A recent study suggests that preterm(早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music.Experts led by Dr Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta,Canada,found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests.It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage(脑损伤) have speech and movement-related problems.Music can help recover from brain injuries.As a different and effective treatment，doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions(功能).When people with neurological disorders(神经系统异常) hear a musical beat,it helps them to regain a balanced walk.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear,it really can prevent the loss of hearing.There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians,and this difference gets clearer with age.This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician，even in a noisy environment.
Besides,music mends a broken heart.It is not about a thrown-away love,but about a heart attack.The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure,slowing down the heartbeat rate,and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions,improves the movement of blood,and expands blood vessels,thus,promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular(心血管的) system.
1. Which of the following influences our brain most deeply?| A．Music. | B．Reading. | C．Sports. | D．Writing. |
| A．It helps reduce their pain. |
| B．It helps develop their potential in music. |
| C．It helps improve their hearing systems. |
| D．It helps repair their neurological systems. |
| A．people who watched the experiment | B．people who carried out the experiment |
| C．people who were tested in the experiment | D．people who were interested in the experiment |
| A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’work. |
| B．It can help people prevent diseases caused by anxiety. |
| C．It helps make a person feel optimistic about life. |
| D．It can help patients recover in a slow way. |
| A．Who Can Benefit from Music |
| B．The Best Time to Listen to Music |
| C．The Way to Choose Quality Music |
| D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body |
