1 . Types of Social Groups

Life places us in a complex web of relationships with other people. Our humanness arises out of these relationships in the course of social interaction. Moreover, our humanness must be sustained through social interaction -- and fairly constantly so. When an association continues long enough for two people to become linked together by a relatively stable set of expectations, it is called a relationship.

People are bound within relationships by two types of bonds: expressive ties and instrumental ties. Expressive ties are social links formed when we emotionally invest ourselves in and commit ourselves to other people. Through association with people who are meaningful to us, we achieve a sense of security, love, acceptance, companionship, and personal worth. Instrumental ties are social links focused when we cooperate with other people to achieve some goal.

Occasionally, this may mean working with, instead of against, competitors. More often, we simply cooperate with others to reach some end without endowing the relationship with any larger significance.

Sociologists have built on the distinction between expressive and instrumental ties to distinguish between two types of groups: primary and secondary. A primary group involves two or more people who enjoy a direct, intimate, cohesive relationship with one another. Expressive ties predominate in primary groups: we view the people as ends in themselves and valuable in their own right. A secondary group entails two or more people who are involved in an impersonal relationship and have come together for a specific, practical purpose. Instrumental ties predominate in secondary groups ; we perceive people as means to ends rather than as ends in their own right. sometimes primary group relationships evolve out of secondary group relationships. This happens in many work settings. People on the job often develop close relationships with coworkers as they come to share gripes, jokes, gossip, and satisfactions.

A number of conditions enhance the likelihood that primary groups will arise. First, group size is important. We find it difficult to get to know people personally when they are milling about and dispersed in large groups. In small groups we have a better chance to initiate contact and establish rapport with them. Second, face - to - face contact allows us to size up others. Seeing and talking with one another in close physical proximity makes possible a subtle exchange of ideas and feelings. And third, the probability that we will develop primary group bonds increases as we have frequent and continuous contact. Our ties with people often deepen as we interact with them across time and gradually evolve interlocking habits and interests.

Primary groups are fundamental to us and to society. Sociologists view primary groups as bridges between individuals and the larger society because they transmit, mediate, and interpret a society’s cultural patterns and provide the sense of oneness so critical for social solidarity. Primary groups, then serve both as carriers of social norms and as enforcers of them.

1. According to Paragraph 1, which of the following statements is true of a relationship?

A．It is a structure of associations with many people.

B．It should be studied in the course of social interaction.

C．It places great demands on people.

D．It develops gradually over time.

2. Which of the following can be inferred from the author’s claim in paragraph 4 that primary group relationships sometimes evolve out of secondary group relationships?

A．Secondary group relationships begin by being primary group relationships.

B．A secondary group relationship that is highly visible quickly becomes a primary group relationship.

C．Sociologists believe that only primary group relationships are important to society.

D．Even in secondary groups, frequent communication serves to bring people into close relationships.

3. The phrase “size up” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．enlarge	B．evaluate
C．impress	D．accept

4. This passage is developed primarily by ________.

A．drawing comparisons between theory and practice

B．presenting two opposing theories

C．defining important concepts

D．discussing causes and their effects

2 . I have the bad habit of skipping to the last pages of a book to see how it ends while I’m still in the middle of it. This habit ______ people around me. Often my ______ wouldn’t be confined(局限) just to the books I read but also to what others were ______ as well. Finally, one day my daughter told me with a little _______. “Dad, please just read a book one page at a time like everyone else!”

At times I didn’t ______ this bad habit to just reading books either. I also tried to skip ahead in my life and _____ what to do months and even years from now instead of ______ each day as it is intended. I knew that the book of my life wasn’t done yet and that I had many ______ left to go.________, that didn’t stop me from trying to write the ______ half-way through. Time and again, I would ______ jump ahead and try to solve every potential problem before it ______ so I could reach that storybook happily ever after ending. Life, however, doesn’t ______   like that. It loves to ______ us, and you never know what new problem or opportunity each new day will bring.

Life has often had to ______ me to slow down. Recently, when I found myself ______ to that bad habit of rushing ahead and living in the ______ again, I felt a special voice gently telling me, “ Live one day at a time.” Then I smiled, and turned the book of my life back to the ____ page. Each of us has to live the book of life one page and one day at a time. Each of us has to write it ______ and moment by moment. We have to trust that it will bring our ______ to its perfect end.

1.

A．concerned

B．annoyed

C．frightened

D．embarrassed

2.

A．impatience

B．difficulty

C．influence

D．effort

3.

A．demanding

B．carrying

C．writing

D．reading

4.

A．interest

B．excitement

C．anger

D．sadness

5.

A．extend

B．spread

C．limit

D．devote

6.

A．bring out

B．let out

C．try out

D．figure out

7.

A．fearing

B．enjoying

C．doubting

D．imagining

8.

A．pages

B．things

C．reports

D．novels

9.

A．Indeed

B．Still

C．Surely

D．Finally

10.

A．ending

B．plot

C．outline

D．passage

11.

A．happily

B．carefully

C．unwillingly

D．foolishly

12.

A．counted

B．left

C．happened

D．backed

13.

A．start

B．finish

C．work

D．change

14.

A．touch

B．amuse

C．worry

D．surprise

15.

A．allow

B．force

C．remind

D．encourage

16.

A．admitting

B．returning

C．responding

D．referring

17.

A．present

B．memory

C．dream

D．future

18.

A．right

B．first

C．new

D．blank

19.

A．more or less

B．line by line

C．one by one

D．now and then

20.

A．story

B．job

C．plan

D．hope

3 . The Last Robot-Proof Job in America?

You can get most food, such as warm cookies or vodka, to your doorstep in minutes. But try getting a red snapper (红鲷鱼). Until recently, if you could obtain it, it would likely have been pre-frozen and shipped in from overseas.

A new tech startup is aiming to ____________this situation. Based inside the Fulton Fish Market, a seafood wholesale market, the startup, called FultonFishMarket.com, allows customers across the whole country, both restaurants and individuals, to buy from the market. The fish is shipped ____________, rather than frozen, thanks to an Amazon advanced logistics system. Mike Spindler, the company’s C.E.O., said recently, “I can get a fish to Warren Buffett, that’s as fresh as if he’d walked down to the pier (码头) and bought it that morning.”

There is one thing, ____________, that the sophisticated logistics system cannot do: pick out a fish. If Warren Buffett orders a red snapper, the company needs to ____________ that his fish is actually red snapper, and not some other. According to the ocean-conservation organization, more than 20% of the seafood in restaurants and grocery stores in America is ___________. For this task, the company has employed Robert DiGregorio, a forty-seven-year veteran of the business, who possesses a blend of judgement and ___________ knowledge that, so far, computers have yet to replicate.

“___________ the food-safety stuff, our business could be any market from the last three thousand years of human history,” Spindler told me. He is experienced in the ___________ business. When he arrived at the fish market in 2014, people were cautious. “They thought selling fish on the Internet was___________.” DiGregorio said, speaking for the fishmongers(鱼贩). “They didn’t see how it could possibly work.” Five years ago, DeGregorio didn’t know how to use a computer, but when the Web-site people arrived at the market, he sensed an opportunity. Together, they’ve created a human-machine fish-buying operation.

By 1 a.m. each night, the company collects __________ from around the country and sends them to DiGregorio. He heads into the market, carrying his tablet computer. The company’s algorithms（算法） ___________ data on their sources and can tell DiGregorio, for example, which stall to go to get the best tuna (金枪鱼). The computer is a “learning system,”, so if DiGregorio makes a choice it didn’t ___________, it asks, “Was the fish not available? Was it damaged?” All that information is fed back in for next time.

Then, what can a fishmonger see that a computer can’t? DeGregorio showed me his part of the ___________ process. “I’m assessing a few things,” he said. First, ___________. Fish should have “nice” slime(粘液). Then, smell. He sniffed the air above the box. “when fish goes bad, it smells like ammonia.” Besides, to get the best stuff, “Fishmongers have to have a relationship with you. To trust you.” He added.

Is he ever __________being replaced by the learning system of computers? DiGregorio shrugged. “By the time they invent a computer that can do what I can do,” he said, “I’ll be dead.”

1.

A．maintain

B．remedy

C．substitute

D．recognize

2.

A．free

B．overseas

C．separate

D．fresh

3.

A．therefore

B．otherwise

C．however

D．thus

4.

A．ensure

B．propose

C．concede

D．remind

5.

A．overpriced

B．misidentified

C．displaced

D．modified

6.

A．computer

B．cuisine

C．fish

D．marketing

7.

A．Rather than

B．Thanks to

C．Except for

D．Prior to

8.

A．fund-raising

B．online-grocery

C．fish-selling

D．non-profit

9.

A．significant

B．worthy

C．responsible

D．ridiculous

10.

A．sales

B．orders

C．alternatives

D．statistics

11.

A．analyze

B．supply

C．prioritize

D．feed

12.

A．require

B．process

C．predict

D．value

13.

A．calculation

B．decoding

C．correction

D．selection

14.

A．smash

B．touch

C．wipe

D．roll

15.

A．concerned about

B．eager for

C．delighted with

D．capable of

4 . When I first met Begay at Los Ninos Elementary on “King and Queen Day”, she was wearing a smile ear-to-ear.

This morning, though, Begay was______. The parent she had been trying to_____was a no-show again. Begay______needed to talk to her. Her boy was smart, but now about a year behind. She______there were problems at home. He was always late and had already missed too much school.

By 8 a.m. , kids were arriving, and Begay’s______quickly became a beehive（蜂窝）of activity. Forty-five minutes_______, the little boy finally walked in, shoulders sunk, head_______. Rather than______him in front of the class, Begay welcomed him warmly. He was testing Begay’s long-held_______that no child is a lost cause, no matter how______he seems. “It’s the unspoken       _____teachers start out with,” Begay said.

During lunch I sat down with Begay’s students and asked them what they liked about her.

“ She never gets angry, “ said one girl. A boy______:” She’s funny and likes telling jokes.”

Before we left the______, the shy, quiet girl next to me______,” She teaches me when I don’t want to learn.”

Her_______stayed with me. When I_______it with Begay, I told her that I felt it was a very       _____thing for a child to say. She agreed.

“They never______that to me.” said Begay, “But that’s what I_______. I want them to enjoy school. I want them to feel like someone_______them.”

1.

A．sensitive

B．worried

C．thrilled

D．energetic

2.

A．meet

B．investigate

C．enquire

D．praise

3.

A．gradually

B．occasionally

C．abruptly

D．desperately

4.

A．clarified

B．revealed

C．suspected

D．acknowledged

5.

A．classroom

B．school

C．canteen

D．house

6.

A．after

B．before

C．later

D．ago

7.

A．rose

B．bowed

C．nodded

D．shook

8.

A．disturbing

B．astonishing

C．capturing

D．embarrassing

9.

A．conclusion

B．dream

C．belief

D．ambition

10.

A．awesome

B．troubled

C．innocent

D．careless

11.

A．commitment

B．assumption

C．proposal

D．regulation

12.

A．rejected

B．declared

C．added

D．protested

13.

A．office

B．kitchen

C．playground

D．table

14.

A．shouted

B．whispered

C．cried

D．suggested

15.

A．comment

B．adventure

C．experience

D．discovery

16.

A．interpreted

B．promoted

C．shared

D．demonstrated

17.

A．fancy

B．comprehensive

C．crucial

D．meaningful

18.

A．do

B．express

C．guarantee

D．leave

19.

A．acquire

B．secure

C．accomplish

D．pursue

20.

A．believes in

B．stands by

C．tums against

D．fears for

5 . The assumption that depression is a disease has been supported by biologists, psychiatrists and companies producing medicine. Although advances in medical treatment have certainly been responsible for reducing much suffering, sticking to the disease model is preventing a more complete understanding of why we are so likely to suffer from depression, with at least 45% of people experiencing the condition in their lifetimes.

My recent review of theories and personal observations suggests that depression might serve some useful functions. We should not forget that depression has meaning, and that there is a real new life after recovery.

A recent study of depression in Holland showed that people seemed to cope better with hardships in life after depression than they were doing before it. In the group as a whole, liveliness, psychological health, social and spare-time activities, performance at work and general health all significantly improved upon recovery from depression.

Depression can lead to great insights(洞察力) and achievements. More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle believed depression to be a state of great moral and spiritual value because of the insights it could bring. The philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote his famous work, Utilitarianism, at the age of 19 and became depressed at the age of 21. Upon recovery, he admitted that the experience had taught him an important lesson---that he should not sacrifice(牺牲) his social and emotional development to intellectual ambition.

Theories have suggested that depression could be a defense against the long-time stress. It is possible that depression defends us against the tendency to ignore our true needs by chasing unobtainable goals and helps to bring these needs into sharper focus.

Depression may bring about a “rebirth” because it removes a false idea about oneself. There is some evidence from scientific studies to show that depressed people are rather more realistic in their thinking than “healthy” individuals. With recovery, a new kind of truth could be found, which would do away with blind optimism: a more modest evaluation of the depressed person’s own ability, containing a more balanced picture of his or her life.

Depression may have forced our ancestors to look again at their strengths and weaknesses, and their coping strategies. Regardless of the reason for falling into depression, the journey has potential to make us better equipped, in a general sense, for life.

1. Which of the following is the disadvantage of treating depression as a disease?

A．People dislike being taken as patients.

B．The medical treatment costs a lot of money.

C．It prevents us from better understanding depression.

D．It stops people from getting a balanced picture of life.

2. After recovering from depression, John Stuart Mill realized that he shouldn’t _________ .

A．take part in too many social activities

B．aim too high in intellectual achievement

C．write Utilitarianism at such an early age

D．consider too much about emotional needs

3. What functions can depression serve?
a. It enables people to perform better at work
b. It makes it easier to achieve people’s dream.
c. It helps people to get a realistic view of self
d. It improves people’s ability to deal with difficulties

A．abc	B．bcd
C．abd	D．acd

4. What can be a suitable title for this passage?

A．Ways to Address Depression

B．Brave Attitude to Depression

C．Depression: Disease or Rebirth?

D．Depression: Assumption or Reality?

6 . Security guard, truck driver, salesperson—year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job _________ —unusual hours, low pay, no chance for advancement—these three jobs _________ for another reason: a lack of small talk.

Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to our well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under _________ . In one study, researchers overheard undergraduates for four days and then _________ each conversations either “small talk” (“What do you have there? Pop corn? Yummy!”) or “serious” (“Did they break up soon after?”). They found that the second type is connected with happiness—the happiest students had roughly twice as many “serious” talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, _________ only ten percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the unhappiest students.

However, don’t just consider small talk _________ yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote bonding. Chatting with strangers could _________ our morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists found that those who chatted with other train passengers reported a more pleasant journey than those who didn’t.

Small talk can also help us feel connected to our _________ . People who smiled at, made eye contact with and _________ spoke with their Starbucks baristas (咖啡师) reported a greater sense of __________ than those who rushed through the transaction (交易). __________ , when volunteers broke the silence of the art gallery to chat with gallery-goers, the visitors felt happier and more connected to the exhibit than those who were not __________.

Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talk into something bigger. In one study, people who were rated “less curious” by researchers had trouble getting a conversation __________ on their own. People who were considered “curious”, meanwhile, needed no help   __________ conversations about ordinary things like favorite holidays into friendly exchanges. A “curious mindset,” the researchers concluded, can lead to “positive social __________.”

Therefore, go ahead—small talk needn’t be idle, and nosiness isn’t all bad.

1.

A．rewarding

B．depressing

C．exhausting

D．challenging

2.

A．stand out

B．turn up

C．give off

D．put forward

3.

A．negotiation

B．construction

C．investigation

D．examination

4.

A．divided

B．entitled

C．imposed

D．cataloged

5.

A．figured out

B．made up

C．look over

D．added to

6.

A．worthless

B．essential

C．boring

D．ridiculous

7.

A．occupy

B．satisfy

C．brighten

D．spoil

8.

A．emotions

B．heart

C．customers

D．surroundings

9.

A．purposefully

B．briefly

C．continuously

D．generally

10.

A．responsibility

B．security

C．belonging

D．achievement

11.

A．Consequently

B．Oppositely

C．Unexpectedly

D．Similarly

12.

A．approached

B．attached

C．addressed

D．attended

13.

A．breaking

B．pausing

C．rolling

D．stopping

14.

A．evolving

B．substituting

C．adapting

D．transforming

15.

A．interaction

B．standard

C．impact

D．involvement

7 . In a room at Texas Children Cancer Center in Houston, eight-year-old Simran Jatar lay in bed with a drip (点滴) above her to fight her bone cancer. Over her bald (秃的) head, she wore a pink hat that matched her clothes. But the third grader’s cheery dressing didn’t mask her pain and weary eyes.
Then a visitor showed up. “Do you want to write a song?” asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic keyboard, a microphone and speakers. Simran stared. “Have you ever written a poem?” Anita Kruse continued. “Well, yes,” Simran said.
Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. “Some bird soaring through the sky,” she said softly. “Imagination in its head…” Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (鸣, 唱) birds, and finally the girl’s voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song.
That was the beginning of Anita Kruse’s project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help “came in one flash”.
The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling (蜷缩) in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he called I Can Make It.
“My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses,” says Anita Kruse. “But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families.”
Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song, Always Remembering, and they always remember the “really sweet and nice and loving” lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour.
1. Simran Jatar lay in bed in hospital because ________.

A．most of her hair had fallen out

B．she was receiving treatment for cancer

C．she felt depressed and quit from school

D．she was suffering from a pain in her back

2. What do we know about Anita Kruse’s project?

A．It helps young patients record songs.

B．It is supported by singers and patients.

C．It aims to replace the medical treatment.

D．It offers patients chances to realize their dreams.

3. What does the case of a 12-year-old boy suggest?

A．Most children are naturally fond of music.

B．He was brave enough to put up performance.

C．The project has positive effect on young patients.

D．Singing is the best way to treat some illnesses.

4. What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．Purple Songs Can Fly

B．Singing Can Improve Health

C．A Shining Moment in Life

D．A Kind Woman—Anita Kruse

8 . I like travelling. In my younger years, my mother gave me some ________, “While you’re still young”, she said fondly, “________ as much as possible.” So whenever I have days off, I usually travel somewhere And ________ this habit, I met Taeko, a Japanese film producer, on the Isle of Skye in the UK.

I still remember the ________ Taeko and I first met. Skye is a mountainous island in Scotland ________ the transportation is inconvenient (不便的), I had to join a ________ tour, so did Taeko.

We didn’t meet ________ we had breakfast the next morning. It was very rare to see an ________ face on this far away and strange island, ________ we started to talk. I learned Taeko just took part in the 67th Cannes Film Festival.

After chatting for only 20 minutes, our friendship ________, We exchanged phone numbers and left for our separate bus journeys. ________, afterwards, we reunited again and again in different cities in the UK.

Taeko is a friendly and elegant (优雅的) lady who always speaks to people in a ________ voice. Although there’s a huge age difference ________ us, we understand each other. Taeko told me her husband was a professor in American literature. They all liked reading. It was the same love for ________ that brought them together.

But sadly, her husband ________ 18 years ago, and Taeko has remained single since then. She produces films, travels the world and makes friends. You can never ________ where she will be tomorrow.

When asked if she ever felt lonely, she said she never did. Instead, she feels________. She’s been doing exactly ________ she likes to do: be happy.

1.

A．concern

B．command

C．promise

D．advice

2.

A．play

B．travel

C．study

D．exercise

3.

A．instead of

B．according to

C．thanks to

D．except for

4.

A．moment

B．noon

C．dusk

D．night

5.

A．which

B．that

C．where

D．why

6.

A．bus

B．bicycle

C．train

D．lorry

7.

A．since

B．until

C．when

D．after

8.

A．American

B．African

C．Australian

D．Asian

9.

A．but

B．so

C．or

D．and

10.

A．developed

B．recovered

C．disappeared

D．slowed

11.

A．Peacefully

B．Interestingly

C．Hopelessly

D．Disappointingly

12.

A．rude

B．determined

C．soft

D．shocked

13.

A．between

B．among

C．in

D．beyond

14.

A．filming

B．travel

C．running

D．literature

15.

A．fell ill

B．turned up

C．broke down

D．passed away

16.

A．doubt

B．tell

C．settle

D．consider

17.

A．upset

B．familiar

C．satisfied

D．sensitive

18.

A．why

B．whether

C．when

D．what

9 . On March 25, 2010, Kate and David Ogg were heartbroken to hear that their newborn wasn't going to make it. Their twins,a girl named Emily and a boy named Jamie, were born 14 weeks premature. Doctors had ________ to save the boy for 20 minutes but saw no ________ .

"I saw him gasp(喘息), but the doctor said it was no _______ ," Kate told the Daily Mail. "I know it sounds _______ ,but if he was still gasping, that was a sign of _______ . I wasn't going to give up easily."   _______ , the couple knew this was likely goodbye. In an effort to _______ her last minute with the _______ boy, Kate asked to hold him.

Kate _______ the boy from his hospital blanket and ordered David to ___________ his shirt and join them in bed. The first-time parents wanted their son to be as ___________ as possible and hoped the skin-to-skin contact would     ____________ his condition. "We were trying to make him ____________ ." Kate said. "We explained his name and that he had a ____________ that he had to look out for and how hard we had tried to help him."

A ____________ showed itself eventually, Jamie gasped again-and then he started ____________ . "We were the ____________ people in the world," David told Today.

Now, the twins are happy and healthy. The Oggs only recently told the kids the story of their ____________ . "Emily burst into ____________ ." Kate said. "She was really upset, and she kept ____________ Jamie. This whole experience makes you cherish them more."

1.

A．planned

B．managed

C．tried

D．hoped

2.

A．improvement

B．reply

C．reward

D．surprise

3.

A．good

B．use

C．sense

D．meaning

4.

A．encouraging

B．terrible

C．dangerous

D．stupid

5.

A．life

B．death

C．reasonable

D．emergency

6.

A．Therefore

B．Moreover

C．Still

D．Besides

7.

A．spare

B．treasure

C．enjoy

D．kill

8.

A．fatty

B．tiny

C．skinny

D．lively

9.

A．unwrapped

B．caught

C．withdrew

D．protected

10.

A．put on

B．tidy up

C．take off

D．pick up

11.

A．calm

B．cool

C．safe

D．warm

12.

A．lighten

B．better

C．strengthen

D．maintain

13.

A．stay

B．cry

C．sleep

D．smile

14.

A．job

B．task

C．brother

D．twin

15.

A．challenge

B．disaster

C．wonder

D．result

16.

A．talking

B．choking

C．living

D．breathing

17.

A．healthiest

B．smartest

C．richest

D．luckiest

18.

A．future

B．birth

C．faith

D．growth

19.

A．tears

B．laughter

C．scream

D．cheers

20.

A．hitting

B．touching

C．hugging

D．pushing