【推荐2】When the telephone rings late at night, most women guess it must be one of only four or five people calling. A sister? Maybe. An emergency? Possibly.A mother? Probably not at that time of night. Much more probably it is a close female friend calling to tell you that she has split up with her boyfriend again or perhaps simply that a good movie has just started on TV.

At a time when families are spread far and wide and marriages often end in divorce, friendships are becoming more and more important. Erika, a 32-year-old lawyer, is strengthened by her ten-year friendship with her married friend Jane. “I was very sick one night, so I called Jane at about 3:00 a.m. to talk about it,” she says. “She was very supportive and even came over to take me to the doctor’s the next morning.”

As American TV shows like Friends, which follows the lives of a very close group of young friends, have become more popular, many of us are beginning to see the value of such friendships. TV shows like this tell us that our romantic relationships may not last, but we need to keep in touch with our close friends if we want to survive.

A TV show called Real Women is about the lives and relationships of five former school friends. In this show, family, husbands, and work are all less important than friendships. One of its actresses says the show reflects her own experience. “Friendship is about commitment. I don’t see some of my friends for ages but when we get together, it is as if time hasn”t passed.”

This is true of Erika and Jane’s friendship. With Erika’s family 200 miles away, it is Jane who keeps a spare set of keys to Erika’s apartment and waters her plants whenever she is away. “Having Jane around gives me a certain amount of freedom. It is not the kind of thing that you could ask anyone to do, but she knows I would do the same for her.” Erika feels that because she no longer sees her family every day, she now enjoys a closer relationship with her best friend. Jane, who may move to a different city soon, is worried about leaving such a support system of friends. “My friends have more to do with my life than my parents and, therefore, I don’t have to spend a lot of time explaining things to them. Friends are more up to date with what is happening.”

1. According to the passage, a late-night phone call for most women is probably from ______.

A．a friend	B．a relative
C．a stranger	D．a doctor

2. TV shows like Friends tell us that ______.

A．marriages with friends often end up in failure

B．families and work are as important as friends

C．close friends help us face problems in life

D．friendship fades(消退) as time goes by

3. Which of the statements will the author probably agree with?

A．A near friend is more helpful than a faraway relative.

B．Both marriage and friendship demand commitment.

C．However far away we’re, parents worry about us.

D．Long distance makes the hearts closer.

【推荐1】Imagine meeting someone for the first time who comes from a distant country but is fluent in your language. Would you adapt the tone of your voice, or the spacing of pauses in your speech? How about adjusting your body language and facial expressions, depending on the background of the person in front of you?

These are just a handful of the shifts in behaviour that can contribute to what is known as your "cultural intelligence", or CQ.

"The number one predictor of your success in today's borderless world is not your IQ, or not even your expertise(专长)," writes social, scientist David Livermore in his book The Cultural Intelligence Difference. "It's your CQ."

Typically CQ is measured through a series of questions that assess four distinct components. The first is "CQ Drive"-the motivation to learn about other cultures. Then there is "CO Knowledge", which is an understanding of some of the general cultural differences you may face. "CQ Strategy" examines how you make sense of those difficult conflicts and learn from them, while "CQ Action" involves your behavioural flexibility-whether you are able to adapt your conduct like a cultural chameleon.

"While understanding a specific culture can be useful, it may not predict at all your ability to engage effectively in a new place," says Livermore. "In fact, our research finds that individuals who have lived in multiple locations for extended time are more likely to have higher CQ Knowledge than those who have lived multiple decades in one overseas setting."

Someone with low CO might have a tendency to judge everyone else's behaviour by his own cultural standards. If he comes from a more sociable environment, for instance, and notices that his Japanese colleagues are very quiet in a meeting, he may assume that they are being unfriendly or bored. A person at the top of the scale(级别), meanwhile, might realise that silence is a sign of respect and that feedback(反馈)won't be given unless it is explicitly required. As a result, he'll make sure to offer suitable opportunities within the meeting for others to provide their opinions.

1. Which of the following best describes "a cultural chameleon"?

A．Learning from other cultures to have a high CQ.

B．Taking action to overcome the communication barrier.

C．Getting along well with others despite cultural differences.

D．Changing behaviour according to the cultural background.

2. What is the best way to get high CQ Knowledge?

A．Experiencing a variety of different cultures.	B．Spending a long time in a specific culture.
C．Meeting people from a distant country.	D．Having personal experience in another culture.

3. What kind of people do the "Japanese colleagues" represent?

A．People with low CO.	B．People with high CQ.
C．People from a different culture.	D．People from a sociable environment.

4. Whom is the text mainly intended for?

A．Those who are going to be a social scientist.

B．Those who want to learn about CQ Knowledge.

C．Those who conduct some research on CQ and IQ.

D．Those who interact with people from different cultures.

【推荐2】3 Things That Can Happen When You Quit Social Media

Social media brings you much fun. But if you’re spending too much time on social media, it can be hard to imagine life without it.     1    Here are some things to expect when you do that.

You’ll get more work done, and you’ll do it faster.     2    When you click back and forth between Facebook and an important project, your work time may be lengthened by as much as 40 percent. That's a high price to pay for a few likes and comments.

    3    As social media has become easy to access, we often feel forced to pay attention to what is happening on our news-feeds anywhere and at any time. The desire to be constantly aware of what’s going on online leads to an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone (压力荷尔蒙).     4    Staying away from social media makes you less affected by cortisol, leaving you calmer and more focused.

You’ll sit less. Sitting all day can be as dangerous for your health as smoking. And after a long day at work, we are increasingly using our free time to check social media — from a seated position. People will say, “Wow, I didn’t realize I was sitting an extra 90 minutes each day because of Facebook”.     5    

A．You’ll get more sleep.

B．You’ll feel less stressed.

C．Without social media, you’ll have more creative ideas.

D．This can bring unfavorable effects on the brain like reduced memory.

E．Staying away from social media frees up your time for healthier activities.

F．However, there are many reasons to consider taking a break from social media.

G．Putting aside social media, you’ll find your productivity levels increase a lot.

【推荐1】Video producer and musician Justin Scholar enjoyed his fantastic moment weeks ago when he spotted his latest work playing on a huge electronic screen at New York’s Times Square.

“It’s sort of the American dream to see your name up in lights,” says the 25-year-old New Jersey native.“I’d never really cared about my name being that big, but going to New York and seeing the big screens, you always wonder if your work is going to make it up there.”

The video that helps Scholar fulfill his “American dream” was shot and produced in China, where Scholar is living and working as a media company owner. Scholar took his first Chinese class in high school seven years ago and made his first trip to Shanghai in 2015 through a study-abroad program when he was a student in New York University. The film and TV major changed his focus from technical art to traditional arts during his study in Shanghai, spending most of the time learning ink-and-wash painting, calligraphy and the guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument. He also fell in love with the city, where he ate a lot of authentic xiaolongbao, or steamed meat buns, and felt safe walking on the streets at 3 am.

Shanghai impresses Scholar as an efficient, modern city calling for greater business prosperity with foreign participation, so he returned two years later, when his career at home was already booming after making commercials for big names such as Coca-Cola and Jaguar.

Thanks to a combination of luck and talent, he achieved the goal soon with a Chinese friend as his business partner, and the company has already produced some 15 videos for pop icons, fashionistas, and art museums in merely six months. The video that plays at Times Square, a tourism promotional film for southwest China’s Chongqing city, is the company’s first project contracted(签合同) by a local government in China.

1. What did Scholar study in Shanghai?

A．TV media.

B．Technical art.

C．Traditional arts.

D．The Chinese language.

2. What is the author’s purpose in writing Paragraphs 3 and 4?

A．To change to a new topic for writing.

B．To make a conclusion of the first 2 paragraphs.

C．To dive deeper into the previous topic.

D．To add the background information of the video.

3. What do we know about Scholar’s video playing at Times Square?

A．It was shot at Times Square.

B．It showed attractions of Chongqing.

C．It was shot in the year 2015.

D．it showed his college life in Shanghai.

4. What does the text intend to tell us?

A．China opens up new routes to international tourists.

B．Shanghai attracts an increasing number of foreigners.

C．An American dream unexpectedly comes true with the great video.

D．A young American brings Chinese tourist video to Times Square.

【推荐2】In a touching story, a family was shocked to find that a stranger had secretly paid for more than half of their Christmas gifts.
When Ayers went to make a payment toward the $283 balance for her family’s Christmas gifts at Walmart, her money was refused. According to a Walmart employee, a woman had paid a part of Ayers’ bill after seeing her shopping in the store. The unknown woman also left Ayers a touching note, which left the mother of two in tears.
Ayers, whose sons are 11 and 3, says the stranger’s great generosity came at the perfect time for her family. Before the anonymous payment was made, Ayers had worried she would not be able to get her kids’ toys in time for Christmas.
Ayers is still looking for the woman who helped pay for their Christmas gifts for her kids. She took a picture of her receipt with the headline: This stranger paid 4 gifts for us. I wish I could thank her for helping give our kids a Merry Christmas!
For thousands of families like Ayers’, feeling this financial pressure around Christmastime is nothing new. These families who still have a roof over their heads and food on their tables often slip through the cracks — they can afford all the necessities, but the “extras” are harder to come by. Considering that Americans are estimated to spend $882 on Christmas gifts this year, it makes sense that a family with a few financial problems would have a hard time filling the stockings for their kids.
Realizing how common this Christmas problem really is makes Ayers’ story even more special. These random acts of kindness around the holidays, often from nameless strangers, can determine what a family’s Christmas looks like. Christmas may not be all about the material stuff, but for families, and especially for kids, it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference.
1. Why did the Walmart employee refuse Ayers’ money?

A．She was too poor to afford it.

B．Her money was not enough.

C．Someone had paid for her.

D．The charismas gifts were free.

2. Why is Ayers still looking for the nameless woman?

A．To say thanks to her.

B．To pay her money back.

C．To praise her online.

D．To make friends with her.

3. Which of the following best describes families like Ayers’?

A．They value Christmas very much.

B．They try their best to buy kids gifts.

C．They hate to spend Christmas.

D．They live from hand to mouth.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards the acts of kindness?

A．Praiseful.	B．Helpful.
C．Troublesome.	D．Useless.