1 . Initial conversations can have a huge impact on how relationships develop over time. People are often stuck in the impressions they think they might have made the minute they finish speaking with someone for the first time: “Did they like me or were they just being polite?” “Were they deep in thought or deeply bored?”
To find out whether these worries are necessary, we have conducted nearly 10 years of research. In our studies, participants in the UK talked with someone they had never met before. Afterward, they were asked how much they liked their conversation partner and how much they believed that their conversation partner liked them. This allowed us to compare how much people believed they were liked to how much they were actually liked.
Time and time again, we found that people left their conversations with negative feelings about the impression they made. That is, people systematically underestimate how much their conversation partners like them and enjoy their company — a false belief we call the “liking gap”.
This bias (偏见) may seem like something that would occur only in initial interactions, but its effects extend far beyond a first impression. Surprisingly, the liking gap can constantly affect a variety of relationships, including interactions with coworkers, long after the initial conversations have taken place. Having a larger liking gap is associated with being less willing to ask workmates for help, less willing to provide workmates with open and honest feedback, and less willing to work on another project together.
There are numerous strategies to minimize your biased feelings. One place to start is shifting your focus of attention. Try to direct your attention to your conversation partner, be genuinely curious about them, ask them more questions, and really listen to their answers. The more you’re zeroed in on the other person, and the less you’re focused on yourself, the better your conversation will be and the less your mind will turn to all the things you think you didn’t do well.
1. Why did the author carry out 10 years of research?| A．To dismiss national concerns. | B．To check out a potential bias. |
| C．To enhance human communication. | D．To develop harmonious relationships. |
| A．Fewer chances of new projects. | B．Underestimation of their ability. |
| C．Bad relationships with people around. | D．Low willingness to interact with others. |
| A．Restate opinions. | B．Deliver warnings. | C．Give suggestions. | D．Make a summary. |
| A．Liking Gap May Influence Work Performances |
| B．First Impressions Rely On Initial Conversations |
| C．People Probably Like You More Than You Think |
| D．How People Like You Matters Less Than You Assume |
1. 人物简介；
2. 钦佩和欣赏的原因。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可适当添加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 请在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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3 . Annie was a great teacher who opened the door to Helen Keller’s life. However, she was sometimes ignored as people only
Annie had trouble with her
After graduation Annie met Helen, who was blind and deaf, and taught her to read, write, speak, and most importantly, to
Learning to speak was
Annie and Helen once traveled to Hollywood to film a movie based on their own lives and the movie, called Deliverance, was a(an)
Annie stayed with Helen until she died in New York in 1936. Another woman was asked to
| A．greeted | B．permitted | C．remembered | D．impressed |
| A．suffered | B．struggled | C．died | D．started |
| A．arms | B．legs | C．eyes | D．ears |
| A．received | B．refused | C．designed | D．missed |
| A．listener | B．student | C．translator | D．author |
| A．observe | B．know | C．content | D．draw |
| A．imagine | B．put | C．tell | D．write |
| A．hard | B．natural | C．believable | D．impressive |
| A．agreed | B．had | C．managed | D．hoped |
| A．beautiful | B．tall | C．curious | D．patient |
| A．surprise | B．experiment | C．failure | D．comedy |
| A．cost | B．living | C．rights | D．degrees |
| A．sought | B．borrowed | C．raised | D．found |
| A．argue for | B．stare at | C．apologize to | D．look after |
| A．photo | B．place | C．award | D．chance |
4 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer (癌) and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance (保险) to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.
Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.
Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”
The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.
Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.
1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?| A．The doctors eventually cured her. |
| B．Her disease didn’t become worse. |
| C．She had a job before being ill. |
| D．She had payment protection about medical care. |
| A．The public involvement. | B．The couple’s commitment. |
| C．The operation of a website. | D．The increase of medical debts. |
| A．Humorous and elegant. | B．Influential and understanding. |
| C．Cautious and promising. | D．Enthusiastic and adaptable. |
5 . Like many others, Animal Lovers League (ALL) all started with a love for animals. ALL is a charity and home to over 500 dogs and cats. It encourages the public to adopt (领养) instead of buying animals and tries to help the animals at ALL find loving families.
Tasks that the founders, Cathy and Mohan, as well as volunteers carry out to care for the animals include feeding them, taking sick animals to hospital and bringing them for checkups.
The adoption process at ALL:
STEP 1 Contact us
Learn more details about our animals for adoption, or view them on our website www.animalloversleague.com .
For dog adoptions, please WhatsApp Catheryn at 9753 3320.
For cat adoptions, please WhatsApp Mohan at 9670 8052.
STEP 2 Meet our furry kids
Get a chance to play with our furry kids, one-on-one, to find your perfect match!
All adoption visits are by appointment (预约) only. No walk-ins are allowed.
STEP 3 Homestay
We will interview you and do a home visit to ensure you are able to take care of our kids.
After that, you will go through the adoption initiation (开始) process with a 2-week homestay to see if our furry baby is able to get used to the environment of your home and if you can follow the lifestyle of having a furry kid to care for.
STEP 4 Successful adoption
You will be asked to fill in an adoption form upon the completion of this process.
We will keep in contact with you to check up on your progress.
No adoption fees are required as we do not put a price on the lives of our furry kids.
1. What do we know about Animal Lovers League?| A．It focuses on taking care of animals. |
| B．It offers professional medical treatment to animals. |
| C．It is home to many animals including dogs and cats. |
| D．It was set up to stop the buying and selling of animals. |
| A．To give people some detailed information about the animals at ALL. |
| B．To ask people to provide a home for the animals at ALL. |
| C．To teach people how to get along with animals at ALL. |
| D．To invite people to get close to the animals at ALL. |
| A．Give some money to ALL. | B．Complete an adoption form. |
| C．Attend an adoption interview. | D．Do some volunteer work for ALL. |
A. All at once, the sky was covered with dark clouds and in less than a minute we were in a terrible storm. A huge wave covered our boat and my younger brother fell into the sea.
B. About three years ago, something terrible happened to me. It took less than a single day to change my hair from black to white.
C. The wind and waves, carried us in the direction of the whirlpool. We went round and round, nearer and nearer to the horrible edge of the whirlpool. Suddenly, we went over the edge.
D. Soon after that, the whirlpool became less wild. The waves soon carried me away and finally a boat picked me up.
E. The boat was on the inside of the huge whirlpool and we were going round in circles at great speed. After I made three important observations. I tied myself to a barrel to help me float.
7 . I first met Kyle as a freshman in high school. That day I saw him walking home from school and
When Graduation Day came at last after four years, Kyle was chosen to give a
“Graduation is a time to
I just looked at my friend with
“
Never underestimate (低估) the power of your
| A．leaving | B．carrying | C．reading | D．bringing |
| A．glasses | B．books | C．phone | D．watch |
| A．anger | B．silence | C．sadness | D．disappointment |
| A．lecture | B．performance | C．gift | D．speech |
| A．throat | B．bag | C．way | D．memory |
| A．praise | B．miss | C．admire | D．thank |
| A．service | B．gift | C．moment | D．achievement |
| A．confidence | B．disbelief | C．satisfaction | D．disagreement |
| A．kill | B．express | C．enjoy | D．hide |
| A．filled | B．opened | C．cleared | D．fixed |
| A．Fortunately | B．Strangely | C．Immediately | D．Clearly |
| A．excited | B．confused | C．relieved | D．shocked |
| A．importance | B．purpose | C．possibility | D．difficulty |
| A．words | B．intelligence | C．encouragement | D．actions |
| A．experience | B．understand | C．change | D．discover |
8 . Joseph Frederick Engelberger, the Father of Robotics, was born on July 26, 1925. He received his degree in Electric Engineering in 1949 from Columbia University. He worked as an engineer in a company and then he met George Devol at a party in 1956, two years after Devol had designed and patented (获得专利权) an industrial robotic arm. However, the company where Engelberger worked was closed in the year he met Devol.
Finding himself jobless but with a business partner and an idea, Engelberger co-founded Unimation with Devol, creating the world’s first robotics company. Over the next two decades, the Japanese took the lead by investing (投资) heavily in robots to replace people performing certain tasks. In Japan, Engelberger was widely recognized as a key player in Japanese manufacturing quality and efficiency.
After observing his aging parents, Engelberger saw the robotics automation could be used in the medical field. In 1984, Engelberger introduced HelpMate and hoped to start a new industry for in-home robots. He sold his first HelpMate to Danbury Hospital in 1988. The medical robot was so successful that the hospital ended up purchasing another, and within a decade, well over 100 hospitals worldwide operated HelpMates.
Senator Joseph Lieberman delivered a speech in the U. S. Senate in praise and recognition of the inventor, calling HelpMate an example that shows the federal investment in science and technology for patients can lead to new products that create jobs for Americans and make for a better quality of life.
Engelberger liked working. So even after he got into his 80s, he remained active in the promotion and development of robots for use in elder care.
1. What happened to Engelberger in 1956?| A．He got his college degree. | B．He was unemployed. |
| C．He invented a robotic arm. | D．He sold his company. |
| A．With alarm. | B．With concern. | C．With respect. | D．With indifference. |
| A．The origin of HelpMate. | B．The promotion of HelpMate. |
| C．The function of HelpMate. | D．The challenge in creating HelpMate. |
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Favorable. |
9 . With a few hours until curtain call, a quiet but noticeable energy fills the backstage dressing room of the famous Sunbeam Theatre, known as “Hong Kong’s Grand Palace for Cantonese Opera” Tonight, it’s the annual Rose family performance.
Some of the performers are eating takeout boxes of food, sure to sustain them through the bows-long show ahead. Others are getting a head start on their make-up. A few are being helped into their colorful costumes by eager assistants.
But there is something unexpectedly unusual about this particular performance that becomes obvious as soon as the curtains rise some of the people on stage aren’t Chinese.
Mike Brady, who comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stands on stage in full costume. But he has never seen a Cantonese Opera, let alone been in one. As a background character, he has no spoken lines.
This unlikely actor owes his first performance to Lyle Rose, a fellow American who stands next to him in a similar costume. When it comes to performing, Lyle, a native New Yorker who now lives in Hong Kong, is not as green of a performer as Mike; in fact, he is the mastermind behind tonight’s show.
The entire Rose family is on stage. Mike himself is actually a new addition to the group: his daughter recently married Lyle’s younger son.
Cantonese Opera is a family affair for Lyle. Every year, Lyle, his wife, Cynthia Hu-Rose, a Hong Konger, and two sons put on a performance to raise money for local charities. But their true purpose for doing it is simply to introduce people to it. Though Cantonese Opera remains an important part of Hong Kong culture, it has to compete with many other forms of entertainment for the attention of younger generations, who associate n with their grandparents. “We love Cantonese Opera,” Lyle said. “We want people of all ages to come and watch.”
1. What scene is described in Paragraph 2?| A．Actors are practicing a play backstage. |
| B．Actors are getting ready for an upcoming show. |
| C．The audience are lending a hand to a performer. |
| D．The audience are eagerly waiting for a big show. |
| A．Some of its performers are American. |
| B．Most of its performers have no spoken lines. |
| C．Some of its performers wear newly styled costumes |
| D．Most of its performers have never performed before |
| A．He lacks performing experience. |
| B．He has seldom seen Cantonese Opera. |
| C．He directs and plays a part in tonight’s show. |
| D．He always plays a background character in opera shows. |
| A．To make a living abroad. |
| B．To collect money for local charities. |
| C．To change elders’ opinions about operas. |
| D．To attract younger audiences to Cantonese Opera. |
10 . MINIBOSS & BIGBOSS SUMMER BUSINESS CAMP
Join us at our award-winning International Summer Business Camp! Together with students from all over the world, you will dive into experiencing life and culture. We’ve served over 9,000 students from 27countries since 2000!
LOCATIONThe camp is located 10 miles from Oxford, not far from London and Cambridge.
ACCOMMODATIONSThe camp provides full board. You will live in shared rooms in the boarding Thornton High School or Thornton College. Delicious English dishes are prepared by chefs.
AGE GROUPSMiniboss groups: 9-11,12-15 Bigboss groups: 15-18
POWERFUL PROGRAMMES☑Explore Yourself in Business
This course provides you with a broad introduction to business, human full potential and self-realization. It equips you with the skills to successfully launch and manage your own business. Most importantly, you will develop the mindset to become a groundbreaking entrepreneur (企业家).
☑Aeademic ProgrammeImmerse (使沉浸于) yourself in the exciting business world through case studies of world-famous companies. In addition to training, the camp has many recreational activities and sports, which alternate with business games and daily evening reflection. On this course, you will;
● Identify how to unlock your full potential and manage your own potential;
● Strengthen your problem-solving abilities;
● Develop cooperation skills;
● Examine how leading entrepreneurs achieve their goals;
● Learn to think like an entrepreneur.
1. What do we know about the camp?| A．It has a history of 27 years. | B．It is backed by Oxford and Cambridge. |
| C．It is clearly targeted at teenagers. | D．It is open to students of all nationalities. |
| A．Teamwork spirit. | B．Interpersonal skills. |
| C．Creative thinking. | D．Problem-solving abilities. |
| A．Combine education with pleasure. | B．Teach campers to set goals. |
| C．Offer jobs in world-famous companies. | D．Train campers to think like adults. |
