Gossip is the information passed from one person to another about other people’s lives. You may think gossip is awful. Even dictionary entries suggest that it is often unkind or untrue. And yet this common idea is unreasonable.
Firstly, a study by Robbins and Karan in 2019 shows that gossip common but much of it is just people sharing information. For their study, 467 people’s conversations were recorded. Robbins and Karan found that, on average, these people gossiped for 52 minutes a day, with three quarters of the time spent communicating non-evaluative(非评价性的) information. Only about 14 percent(百分比) of the gossip was considered malicious, a much smaller percentage than the common idea suggests, although to be fair, that was double the percentage of positive gossip.
Scientists consider gossip to be an important reason why our ancestors(祖先) were able to stay alive. It helped spread important news, but more importantly, it provided information about who was trustworthy and who might not work well with others in a group. It allowed humans to build small communities with those who could be trusted, ensuring a greater chance of living. Today, it seems that not much has changed. Gossip still allows us to form, relationships and find out who we can work with best. Gossip also explains the principles(行为准则) of our society. When we hear someone criticize a person’s behaviour, it is obvious that such behaviour is unacceptable and should not be copied. That’s not to say we should pay attention to everything we hear, but it gives us direction.
Of course, these days, our world is changing the nature of gossip. Our networks are now larger, and some gossip can spread like wildfire. Our obsession(痴迷) with gossip about well-known people may seem unimportant to some, but it serves to bring people closer. Problems come up when gossip includes untrue information. This kind of gossip can destroy people’s lives.
So scientists say that it’s important to share information that is unlikely to hurt others. If we fail to do this, people will see us as someone who can’t be trusted and may even avoid us. Similarly, gossiping to improve one’s own place in society is unacceptable. It’s best to share information that may act as a warning to others or encourage them to behave better. It’s these things that normally push people together rather than make them turn away from each other.
1. The word “malicious” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.| A．unimportant | B．harmful | C．meaningful | D．interesting |
| A．People who gossip a lot in a group are always criticized. |
| B．People who like gossiping can work well together in a group. |
| C．Gossip helps people build relationships today as well as in the past. |
| D．In the past, people who liked gossiping were considered untrustworthy. |
| A．we shouldn’t spend too much time gossiping |
| B．gossiping to move up in society should be avoided |
| C．gossip about well-known people should be limited |
| D．we shouldn’t stay close to people who like gossiping |
| A．To discuss the effects of gossiping. | B．To state the reason why gossip is common. |
| C．To remind people of the problems of gossiping. | D．To guide people to be responsible when gossiping. |
相似题推荐
When somebody gets sad, you can cheer him up by offering kindness.
For example, you can give him a gift. In fact, giving a gift is more important than the gift itself.
You can take him to your secret place or offer him something you care for. They are often more priceless than something you can buy in a store.
To show your kindness, you can also try to make him smile.
Now you’ ve listened, offered advice and shown your kindness
Don’t be sad yourself if you aren’t happy, how can you cheer your friend up? So you can let him know you’re not happy when he isn’t happy, and you must also show him you are active. Help your friend and do as much as you can so he can feel someone cares about him. This builds trust.
Do this, always, happily.
| A．He knows he can depend on you. |
| B．See if you can surprise him with it. |
| C．What else you can do is to take his mind off it. |
| D．Jokes and funny stories are always good choices. |
| E．So think about what he loves the most in the world. |
| F．You can’t help people who don’t want to help themselves. |
【推荐2】
Hi, I’m looking for some help with my son’s watch that was made by the ToyTech company. Am I sending messages the right place? |
Nancy | |
Trent | Yes. Thank you for sending messages to Toy Tech’s customer service online chat. My name is Trent, and I’d be glad to help you. Can you describe the problem to me please? | |
We bought the toy watch last week, and it has already stopped working. I’d like a new one for it if you can’t help me fix it. |
Nancy | |
Trent | I’m going to pass you over to the product support department. Please hold on a moment while I find someone. Please don’t close our chat window. | |
Tim | Hi Nancy, this is Tim at Toy Tech’s product support. | |
Trent | Nancy, I’m going to leave this chat now, and Tim will take over helping you. | |
Tim | Trent has told me a bit about the problems you’re experiencing. I’m more than happy to help you. Can you tell me what you see when you press the power button for ten seconds? | |
| I did that, and nothing is happening. And I know that it’s fully-charged. |
Nancy |
Tim | I have a few more ideas to try but it will take around 20-30 minutes. Are you OK with that? If not, I can email you a list of ideas for you to try when you do have more time, and if none of them works, you can call us again. | |
I think I better get the list. I have to go pick up my son from school soon. Thank you for your help. |
Nancy |
1. Why did Trent leave the conversation?
| A．Because they had someone else to help Nancy. |
| B．Because he could not understand Nancy’s problem. |
| C．Because he had no time to deal with Nancy’s problem. |
| D．Because he was not willing to help Nancy. |
| A．She wants to get the watch at a lower price. |
| B．She wants to learn how to use the watch. |
| C．She wants a watch that works. |
| D．She wants to get the money back. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a magazine. |
| C．In a phone. | D．In a book. |
【推荐3】Has a person ever warmly held a door open for you? How do you feel after playing with friends? And what would you say is your favourite family memory? These questions have one thing in common: they’re all about connecting with people. “Let’s Connect” is the theme of this year’s Children’s Mental (心理的) Health Week. It improves mental health by building healthy social connections.
Humans naturally connect with others, whether that’s family, friends or people in our community. Healthy connections give people energy and support we all need people to celebrate and share our worries with. Social connections aren’t just about mental health; they improve physical health too, helping us to live a long life. Research suggests being lonely can slowly harm your health. Humans’ need for connection is different from person to person, but what’s important is not how many relationships you have, but how good your relationships are.
Then how to connect with others? “You can reach out and connect with people in so many different ways,” says Julia Clements of Place2Be, the organizer behind Children’s Mental Health Week. You can connect in person or online, with your friends, parents, teachers or classmates. It’s not just people, either. “Some people feel connected with their pets or in nature,” says Clements. She advises making time to build more connections through actions as well as words. Being kind, listening to others and trying new experiences are all good tools.
Everybody may feel lonely sometimes and refuse to talk to others. Keep in mind that connections change—some become stronger, while others stop. “Remember that there are always people that care for you,” advises Clements. She says it’s important to tell someone you trust about how you are feeling, or safe organizations such as Childline or Shout. They can help, whether you’re looking to form new connections or repair a strained (紧张) relationship that is important to you.
1. The writer uses three questions in the beginning to ________.| A．express worries about humans | B．lead into the topic “social connections” |
| C．introduce health problems | D．interest readers in family memory |
| A．ways | B．popularity | C．importance | D．rules |
| A．it is better to connect with pets than people |
| B．using words is the best way to build connections |
| C．people should only communicate with others face to face |
| D．talking to others can be helpful to a lonely person |
| A．teachers | B．parents | C．children | D．doctors |
【推荐1】We can see some overhead bridge (天桥）in Yueyang city. There is one near the No. 1 People’s Hospital. Another is in front of the Bus Station. As we all know, it is not safe to cross a busy road. These bridges can help people cross the roads safely. Overhead bridges have the same use as street crossings.
Many people think it great trouble to go through overhead bridges. The old and the young think it’s difficult for them to climb up and down the steps of the overhead bridges. But why does the government build so many overhead bridges? That’s because old people and young children walk slowly. And when they cross a busy road using a street crossing, the traffic will be held up or maybe stopped, or even a traffic accident may happen. With the help of the overhead bridges, people and the traffic can move at the same time. A lot of money has been spent building these overhead bridges. People, the old or the young should always use them. This can help stop traffic accidents from happening.
阅读短文，判断正误。（正确选A，错误选B）1. There is only one overhead bridge in Yueyang city. A B
2. It is dangerous for people to cross a busy road. A B
3. All the people like using overhead bridges instead of street crossings. A B
4. Overhead bridges help people and the traffic move at the same time. A B
5. An overhead bridge can help stop a traffic accident from happening. A B
【推荐2】The label (标签)，made in China，is one that is becoming increasing common in shopping centers all over the world.
In the United States，shoppers at WalMart，the nation's largest retailer (零售商)，have a wide selection of products mostly produced in China. A large number of people begin to buy more and more products made in China. These goods are even widely available in other Asian nations，where Chinesemade goods are quite popular. Chinese brand names are also becoming more wellknown outside China.
When Chinese Americans visit family and friends in their homeland，gifts from the U．S. are a must. But anything “Made in China” shouldn't be considered in any case.
“When I decide to visit my family members in China，I'll have a big headache. What should I buy for them？They may not all speak English，but everyone in China knows those three words，” a Chinese American said.“When they see the label ‘Made in China’，they will think，‘Why do you send me this？’”
The development of China has surprised the world with its growth. As a result，the other countries are beginning to try to reduce Chinese goods with the use of taxes (税) and import restrictions. However，the development on the Chinese economy still affects the world in many ways.
1. Around the world，the products made in China are ________ in the shopping malls.| A．unwelcome | B．expensive | C．popular |
| A．选择 | B．区域 | C．生产地 |
| A．Because their Chinese friends can not speak English. |
| B．Because their friends will be unhappy if the gifts are made in China. |
| C．Because they should give their friends fashionable gifts. |
| A．By developing the qualities of their own products. |
| B．By telling their shoppers not to buy Chinese goods. |
| C．By using taxes and import restrictions. |
| A．products made in China are more and more popular all over the world |
| B．TVs and fashionable clothes are ideal gifts for Chinese people |
| C．everyone in China can speak English |
【推荐3】It is very important for us to exercise to stay healthy. How should we exercise to keep fit?
Depending on (取决于) your personal fitness goals (目标), how often you should exercise will be different. But it’s important to work your way up to the minimum amount (最低量) of 150 minutes of moderate (适度的) exercise every week.
Exercising too hard or too often can cause injuries. And if you exercise too much, the soreness (疼痛) you feel may make you give up exercise all together.
Here is how to get an idea of a starting off point:
★Write down how much exercise you get now each day, even if it’s walking. Walking is exercise, too.
★Decide on what kind of exercise you are going to do. Will you do cardio (有氧运动), weight training, or other sports?
★Check out the minimum for cardio and weight training. What’s the minimum of that you can do each week.
★Make an exercise plan. It could be something as simple as walking around the street each day.
Start off with exercise that you love to do now!
1. How often you should exercise depend on ________.| A．whether you are a beginner | B．what your personal fitness goals are |
| C．what your weight is | D．what kind of sport do you like |
| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
| A．It’s important to exercise | B．How to get an idea of a starting off point |
| C．Let’s exercise to keep healthy | D．Why do we exercise |
Buying gifts for teenagers can be hard sometimes. A bad gift can send the wrong message. A good gift shows that one understands the teenager well.
Think about your friend’s hobbies and interests.
Don’t choose a gift by only thinking your own hobbies and interests. Think more about your friend’s hobbies and interests.
A special experience is a good choice.
Some of the best gifts are good experiences.
| A．Give your friend something that will be in his mind forever. |
| B．If he likes painting, you can buy some paintbrushes and paints for him. |
| C．Do you find it hard to choose a good gift for your best friend? |
| D．You can buy two tickets and go with him. |
| E．If your friend has no special likes, it’s usually safe for you to give him a book or a CD. |
| F．You’d better make a gift by yourself instead of (而不是) buying it. |
Now students’ English handwriting gets worse and worse. That makes their teachers feel worried. Is your English handwriting beautiful?
Use paper with lines
When you write English words or sentences, you can use paper with lines. That will make your handwriting straight.
Slow down
If your writing is hard to read, just slow down a little. If you write too quickly, it’s hard for you to stop where you should, and you may make more mistakes easily.
Hold your pencil right
When you hold your pencil in the correct way, writing is much better.
Draw more pictures.
| A．But many kids press down really hard when they write. |
| B．Drawing can improve your handwriting. |
| C．Those lines on the paper can help you to write words in the right size. |
| D．If not, here are four steps that really work! |
| E．You can improve your handwriting by practicing more. |
【推荐3】These days it seems that many people are trying to live with less. They’re discovering the joy of spending their time, energy and money on the things that matter most.
Tips for cutting down the clutter (杂乱的东西) 1. Start with three boxes. Write “Keep” on the first box, “Sell” on the second and “Give away” on the last. 2. Choose an area or a room and begin organizing your things. For each thing, decide which box it belongs in. 3. Clean each room until your clutter is under control. Take as much time as you need. 4. Once your clutter is under control, do your best to keep it that way. |
Some benefits of living simply:
* More free time
The more things you own, the more time you’ll spend cleaning and organizing them. Keep only the things you need, use or enjoy. You’ll be surprised at how much time you’ll have to do what you really want to do.
* More money
As you stop buying things you don’t need, your finances (财力) will improve. You can save the spare money and take a special trip or an interesting class instead. Learn to reward (奖赏) yourself with rich experiences, not things.
* Changed values
Once you break the accumulation (积聚）habit, your values change. You come to realize that things don’t bring lasting happiness. True happiness comes from making memories with loved ones.
Living simply makes you feel less stressful, improves your health and allows you to focus on what’s important. The good news is you don’t have to wait for a holiday to start living simply. Start living with less today, and discover the peace and happiness this lifestyle can bring.
根据短文内容，判断句子正（T）、误（F）。
1. These days, many people are discovering the happiness of living a clutter-free life.
2. To organize the clutter, you need lots of empty boxes.
3. Living simply helps you save more free time and money.
4. Anyone who wants to live simply needs to start from a holiday.
5. The passage is mainly about how to live simply.
