Whether you’re communicating in person, over text, or on the phone, being a good listener is an important part of any healthy relationship. “Being a bad listener, or repeatedly misunderstanding what the other person is saying, or appearing uninterested when you don’t mean to be, can break that person’s trust in your relationship,” says marriage counselor Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby. If you’ve wondered whether you could be a better listener, the answer is almost certainly “yes”. Making sure the people in your life feel truly heard is something that you can improve upon.
You appear more interested when you invite the speaker to give explanations, by asking them things that need more than a “yes” or “no” answer. “An open-ended question is an invitation for the other person to say more, and continue going deeper into their train of thought, versus a close-ended question that invites a factual answer,” Bobby explains. This is something you can do to show that you’re really listening.
What you’re transmitting (传递) through your nonverbal (非言语的) communication is as important as what you say. It’s about looking in someone’s eyes, smiling and nodding. Showing with your face that you’re following what someone is saying is really important. This is equally key in virtual conversations on a video chat. Remember that looking into your laptop camera is like making eye contact, while breaking it to look downward makes it appear that you’re doing something else.
Listening doesn’t always require offering solutions (解决办法) — quite the opposite, in fact. “People can be considered as poor listeners when they don’t understand what the conversation is actually about on a high level,” Bobby says. Sometimes, people simply want to talk about an unhappy situation. Maybe they’re really just wanting to vent (发泄), or talk about their day. So don’t try to give suggestions; just listen instead.
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2 . 假定你是李华,上周末你和同学们参加了学校组织的秋游。请你为班级英语角写一篇短文,描述这次旅游经历,内容包括:
1. 旅游趣事;
2. 你的感受。
注意:写作词数应为80左右。
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From this year’s trip through Southeast Asia, last year’s Central America adventure and traveling within Canada, travel has been a(n)
Whenever a friend or family member comes back from a trip, they always can’t wait to tell you about the highlights (最好的部分)! Research from San Francisco State University has shown that people feel
Experiences are something I truly value. Your
4 . Brad Ryan, 38, is taking his 89-year-old grandma Joy Ryan on a tour of all 61 US national parks.
The idea for the
As for Grandma Joy, she was ready for that
After that first trip, Brad
“Grandma helped me to slow down. She would
“I just hope everyone gets some
A.meeting | B.trip | C.story | D.task |
A.agreed | B.understood | C.doubted | D.regretted |
A.skills | B.prizes | C.experiences | D.standards |
A.asked | B.failed | C.decided | D.promised |
A.go | B.talk | C.work | D.wait |
A.job | B.call | C.result | D.order |
A.strange | B.far | C.cold | D.little |
A.suggested | B.guessed | C.explained | D.proved |
A.nice | B.proper | C.dangerous | D.difficult |
A.avoided | B.practiced | C.finished | D.continued |
A.accept | B.imagine | C.notice | D.change |
A.great | B.same | C.new | D.wild |
A.forgetting | B.sparing | C.enjoying | D.describing |
A.training | B.encouragement | C.attention | D.knowledge |
A.keep | B.need | C.realize | D.do |
5 . The best trips with friends are the ones that are well-planned. Here are a few tips on planning an incredible trip with friends and making memories that last.
Nothing puts a damper on (使扫兴) vacation planning with friends than arguments over money.
It’s fun to get lost in the excitement of booking things and crossing off your checklist of to-dos.
Despite all the late-night planning and lunchtime meetings, some situations will be totally out of your hands.
A.Pick the right destination. |
B.Book a cheap flight or hotel. |
C.It’s important to choose the right group of people. |
D.You need to discuss big costs like flights and hotels at first. |
E.When it comes to discussing money, talk about it face to face. |
F.So lower your expectations a tiny bit when things don’t go your way. |
G.But don’t forget to communicate with your friends to see if anyone has any worries. |
6 . A company, called Mario Cucinella Architects, has made the House of Music, a solar-powered ( 太阳能的) building in Pieve di Cento that celebrates the town’s long-standing musical tradition. Designed to represent an orchestra ( 管弦乐队), the building is made up of nine small music rooms that connect to a central open space. The curved oak front not only helps to make sound louder like an instrument’s music box, but also ensures high levels of energy efficiency (效率).
Finished in 2017 after four years of planning and building, the House of Music of Pieve di Cento is located in the former Lamborghini (a famous Italian car company) production area that had been changed into a park. The recently completed building gets an advantage from a cycling path that connects the House of Music to the town center and beyond to an area to the south. There is also a wooden bench running around the building and creating resting places facing the park.
To prevent heat, cold, or noise from passing through the building, Mario Cucinella Architects used a special design for the House of Music. The flat roofs are topped with a series of curved and raised disks (圆盘) that help make unwanted sunlight change its direction and are engineered to bring more natural air into the building. The energy-efficient design was influenced by the architects’ (建筑师的) study of the site.
The nine music rooms open up to a central outdoor space that serves as a meeting area. The architects noted, “The House of Music’s outside lighting makes it a comforting place that encourages people to continue to do musical activities after the earthquake that shook the area in 2012.”
1. What was the purpose of building the House of Music?A.To praise the town’s musical tradition. | B.To remember a famous local musician. |
C.To attract people outside the town to visit. | D.To tell people about the importance of music. |
A.It started to be built in 2017. | B.It is located in the town center. |
C.It is supported by a famous car producer. | D.It is connected with other areas by a cycling path. |
A.encourage people to keep up their musical activities | B.warn people of the danger of earthquakes |
C.make the building noticeable and attractive | D.make full use of energy |
A.The history of the House of Music. |
B.The advantages of solar-powered buildings. |
C.An introduction to the solar-powered House of Music. |
D.A discussion about the future development of solar-powered buildings. |
7 . Cambry Nelson is paralyzed (瘫痪的) and has used a wheelchair for years. Still, she didn’t let it stop her from exploring the areas she could get to in her chair, but it came at the expense of some serious shoulder pain. Wanting to help Cambry live life to the fullest, her husband Zack created a DIY off-roading wheelchair.
The chair was made from two electric bikes put together with a seat in the middle. The thick tires ( 轮胎) made it easy for Cambry to move over uneven ( 不平坦的) ground and the fact that it was electric left her arms feeling a lot less painful.
The couple discovered that the chair cost much less (while most off-roading wheelchairs “cost as much as a car,” their chair cost around $4, 000) and had more power than a lot of off-roading wheelchairs on the market. So, they decided to make a business of it.
They call it “Not A Wheelchair.”
It’s designed to fit through (most) doorways as well as to fit into the back of a truck, jeep, or small SUV when it breaks down. As for power, it can go about 12 mph and has enough battery (电池) life to last anywhere from 10 to 35 miles. It also has specially designed space to hold whatever you may want to take along with you on your journey.
When ordering your chair, you get to customize it with your favorite color! Even better? It’s made out of bike parts so you don’t need to take it to a special repair shop if it is in need of repair.
Cambry said, “There are things I’ve never done before and things I stopped thinking about doing because at one point I thought I couldn’t,” and that the chair Zack made her completely changed her attitude. Since taking it off-road, she said, “I like to think it’s just more proof (证明) that difficulties can always be dealt with. Sometimes it just takes a new idea, a creative mind, and a lot of perseverance.”
1. Why did Zack design “Not A Wheelchair”?A.To make a business of it. |
B.To help his wife see the world. |
C.To make people with special needs travel more easily. |
D.To make use of his old bikes that couldn’t work properly. |
A.It is cheaper. | B.It is smaller in size. |
C.It comes with the most popular color. | D.It can go as fast as 35 miles per hour. |
A.Do the repairing on their own. | B.Take it to a common repair shop. |
C.Leave it to someone in a special repair shop. | D.Ask the producer to change it for a new one. |
A.She developed an interest in design. | B.She fell in love with outdoor activities. |
C.She became more creative in her work. | D.She took a new attitude towards difficulties. |
8 . During our four days in Sydney, the first thing on my wish list was to record the symbols of this city, the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, at sunset (日落). Thankfully, my family was very patient with me, as we watched the sunset over and over again while I recorded the exciting moments on my camera.
We first arrived at the Queen Victoria Building, or QVB, which has been called one of the most beautiful places to go shopping. From the QVB we walked down to the Circular Quay, our first look at the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Then the next day, we went to the Taronga Zoo, located across the harbour (港口) from the Circular Quay. There are many Australian animals as well as lions, tigers, and Asian elephants. The best part of the zoo is the ferry (渡船) ride to get there and the view along the way.
For one of the best sunset views, we paid a visit to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a famous viewpoint of the Sydney Harbour. I felt like a true photographer, making my very patient and understanding family wait in the cold for almost two hours while I filled my memory card with photos of the wonderful sunset.
Our time had to come to an end. We spent our last night at the Sydney Opera House café, playing cards, drinking wine, and watching the sunset.
If you would like to know where not to stay in Sydney, then do not go to the Central Railway Hotel. This hotel, one of the few that were cheap enough to fit into our budget, was loud, dirty, and crowded. We were always checking the windows, since so much noise was coming in from the streets. The only good thing was its location, being a five-minute walk from Central Station, a hub (中心) of Sydney.
1. What did the author want to do most in Sydney?A.Go shopping with his family. | B.Visit the Sydney Opera House. |
C.Watch unique animals in Australia. | D.Photograph famous structures at sunset. |
A.It was record-breaking. | B.It was a waste of time. |
C.It was worthwhile. | D.It was very painful. |
A.Its good location. | B.Its quietness. | C.Its low price. | D.Its cleanness. |
A.The QVB → the Sydney Opera House → the Taronga Zoo → Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair. |
B.The QVB → the Taronga Zoo → Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair → the Sydney Opera House. |
C.The Harbour Bridge → the Taronga Zoo → Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair → the QVB. |
D.The Circular Quay → the QVB → the Taronga Zoo → Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair. |
1.时间安排:10月10日早上8点在校门口集合乘大巴车前往,下午3点返回;
2.活动内容:随导游参观;中午野餐(自备)。
注意:
1.词数80左右;
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
参考词汇:遗产 heritage
Dear Smith,
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I am looking forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
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