1 . In his 1936 work How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote: “I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way to get the best of an argument — and that is to avoid it.” This distaste for arguments is common, but it depends on a mistaken view of arguments that causes problems for our personal and social lives — and in many ways misses the point of arguing in the first place.

Carnegie would be right if arguments were fights, which is how we often think of them. Like physical fights, verbal (言语的) fights can leave both sides bloodied. Even when you win, you end up no better off. You would be feeling almost as bad if arguments were even just competitions — like, say, tennis tournaments. Pairs of opponents hit the ball back and forth until one winner comes out from all who entered. Everybody else loses. This kind of thinking explains why so many people try to avoid arguments.

However, there are ways to win an argument every time. When you state your position, formulate (阐述) an argument for what you claim and honestly ask yourself whether your argument is any good. When you talk with someone who takes a stand, ask them to give you a reason for their view and spell out their argument fully. Assess its strength and weakness. Raise objections (异议) and listen carefully to their replies. This method will require effort, but practice will make you better at it.

These tools can help you win every argument — not in the unhelpful sense of beating your opponents but in the better sense of learning about what divides people, learning why they disagree with us and learning to talk and work together with them. If we readjust our view of arguments — from a verbal fight or tennis game to a reasoned exchange through which we all gain respect and understanding from each other — then we change the very nature of what it means to “win” an argument.

1. What is the author’s attitude toward Carnegie’s understanding of argument?

A．Critical.

B．Supportive.

C．Tolerant.

D．Uncertain.

2. Why do many people try to avoid arguments?

A．They lack debating skills.	B．They may feel bad even if they win.
C．They fear being ignored.	D．They are not confident in themselves.

3. What does the underlined phrase “spell out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Defend.

B．Explain.

C．Conclude.

D．Repeat.

4. What is the key to “winning” an argument according to the author?

A．Sense of logic.	B．Solid supporting evidence.
C．Proper manners.	D．Understanding from both sides.

2 . Parrots are prey animals, which means that other predators (捕食者) in the wild, such as hawks or snakes, are looking to make them into a meal. This one factor influences parrots’ behavior in your house more than any other.

Parrots are most easily hurt when feeding on the ground. Membership in a group plays an important function in ensuring their safety and improving their chances of survival from attacks by predators. The most common predators of parrots include hawks, snakes, cats, monkeys, and bats. Some predators make attacks only during the day while others hunt in the night.

As prey animals, parrots are constantly watching out for danger and they instinctively (本能地) react to risks. Their first choice is to take flight. However, if this is not possible, they will fight with their powerful beaks to defend themselves.

Because their biggest enemy is the hawk, parrots are especially reactive to quick movements from above and behind. For this reason, it is wise to avoid quick, sudden movements near your bird. This is a built-in reaction not subject to logic or reason. Simple and relatively harmless household objects can draw extreme fear responses from a bird. For example, a balloon may represent a hawk or a vacuum hose (吸尘器软管) may be the same as a snake in your bird’s mind.

As prey animals, parrots are often frightened by exposure to new household items or strangers. It is important to expose your bird to safe experiences and changes starting at a very young age to build flexibility and improve their adaptability. Variety in diet and toys, travel, and exposure to new people and places all help to make your bird more flexible and adaptable to change.

1. What is important for parrots to better survive from attacks in the wild?

A．Living in a group.	B．Growing beautiful feathers.
C．Feeding on the ground.	D．Avoiding coming out at night.

2. What is parrots’ first response to an immediate risk?

A．To attack back.	B．To get away.
C．To protect the young.	D．To play dead.

3. Why would a balloon frighten a parrot?

A．It may explode suddenly.	B．It may be in a strange shape.
C．It may have a strong color.	D．It may move around quickly.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A．To explain wild parrots’ behavior.	B．To give advice on raising a parrot.
C．To call for action to protect animals.	D．To introduce a study on bird ecology.

3 . Yellowstone Poster Exhibition to Be on View at UW’s Coe Library

A first-of-its-kind exhibition that focuses on the history of Yellowstone National Park posters will be on display at the University of Wyoming’s Coe Library beginning Tuesday, February 1.

“Wonderland Illustrated” will present posters and poster-style illustrations of the park spanning from the 1870s through 2022. The exhibition will be located on Level 3 of Coe Library. It will be on view through Tuesday, May 31.

The exhibition takes place at the same time as this year’s 150th anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. The posters in the exhibition serve the purpose of both advertising and art.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Yellowstone collectors Jack and Susan Davís, and Larry and Thea Lancaster to bring this exhibition to the University of Wyoming as part of year-long celebrations recognizing Yellowstone’s 150th anniversary,” says Tamsen Hert, head of UW Libraries’ Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. “This exhibition involves the history of printing, art, photography and advertising over 16 decades. The images reproduced are found on travel brochures, postcards and maps—many of which are held in our collections.”

One poster from the exhibition—Henry Wellge’s “Yellowstone National Park” from1904—was recently purchased with donated funds and is now part of UW Libraries’ Emmett D. Chisum Special Collections. Wellge, a productive bird’s-eye-view artist, designed the piece for the Northern Pacific Railroad, which used it to advertise the park. This is a unique piece, as posters such as this one were printed on soft paper and very few have survived.

1. How long will the exhibition “Wonderland Illustrated” last?

A．Two weeks.

B．Three months.

C．Four months.

D．One year.

2. What is a purpose of the exhibition?

A．To remember a famous artist.	B．To raise fund for Coe Library.
C．To mark the anniversary of a national park.	D．To tell the history of the University of Wyoming.

3. What do we know about the 1904 poster Henry Wellge designed?

A．It is rare in the world.	B．It is in black and white.
C．It is printed on cloth.	D．It is owned by a professor.

4 . As you read this, pause to reflect on your recent interactions. As a politician, husband, and father, I encounter various spoken language styles: analytical or chatty, formal or informal, pointed or gentle, cooperative or decisive. Talk is the currency of politics. It is our way of negotiating, debating, and persuading. Talk is also the currency of learning-how we develop our ideas, deepen our thinking and share our feelings.

That’s why I want speaking skills, sometimes called “oracy”, to play an important part in Labor’s plans for a reformed school curriculum (课程).

Employers value speaking skills equally with reading and writing. The ability to speak well and express yourself should be something every child should master. But the curriculum doesn’t allow us to provide this. This is short-sighted. An inability to express your thoughts fluently is a key barrier to getting on and doing well in life.

Oracy is in part about good public speaking and debating skills, but in reality, it’s about teaching young people to make strong arguments, choose wise words, understand their audience, form meaningful social connections, and use facial expressions and body language to convey their message. Above all else it’s about finding your voice. To work out who you are and what you believe. If reading opens up a world of imagination and possibility, then speaking and listening opens up a lifetime of empowerment-a chance for those who feel invisible in their own country to be heard. It is about the confidence to speak out, to call out injustice or harm.

And the other side of speaking is listening, which can also be taught. Listening, truly listening, develops tolerance and understanding. And as parents we can play our part. We’ve all been there, at mealtimes, silent as we all stare at our devices. Our job, all of ours, is to get off our screens and give young people, and adults, the gift of listening.

So, oracy―speaking and listening―needs to be placed firmly at the heart of school life.

1. How does talk help a politician?

A．It deepens his wishful thinking.

B．It enhances his analytical skills.

C．It strengthens persuasive power.

D．It provides emotional support.

2. Why does the author suggest a reform in the British school curriculum?

A．Employers underestimate the value of speaking.

B．Academic pressure makes students poor-sighted.

C．Spoken language is regarded as least important.

D．Oracy should deserve more attention at school.

3. How does the author illustrate his argument in paragraph 4?

A．By sharing different opinions.

B．By clarifying the definition.

C．By describing personal experiences.

D．By employing the concept.

4. What are parents advised to do?

A．Set a good example for their children.

B．Balance screen time and mealtime.

C．Have oral face-to-face communication.

D．Disconnect from the virtual world.

5 . How to Improve Your Mental Health

Your mental health is an important aspect of your overall health. No matter what your situation is, you can take steps to improve your mental health.

Take a self-assessment(评估). Everyone has what is known as “emotional intelligence” or EQ. EQ refers to how well you understand your emotions and actions. Figuring out your EQ is important if you want to improve your mental well-being.     1     A mental health expert can also help you determine your EQ.

Set goals. After you have completed your self-assessment, you can clearly identify the areas you would like to focus on improving. Take time to set some clear and achievable goals. These can be both long term and short term goals. Write down your goals.     2    

Handle your emotions. An important part of improving your mental well-being is learning to admit your emotions.     3     However, it is important to handle your emotions. Handling your emotions is a multi-step process. It includes sensing, naming, attributing, evaluating and acting.

Learn how to identify and deal with your triggers (诱因) . Everyone has different triggers.     4     To deal with your triggers, take some time to figure out what they are and develop plans for how to deal with them.

Gather information. Avoid the bad name that mental health issues are somehow not “real” problems. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Take some time to learn about the importance of your mental health.     5     For example, you might visit a yoga studio to ask them about the mental benefits of practicing yoga.

A．Take some time to look at the big picture.

B．This is when you apply a name to the emotion.

C．Yours might be certain people, situations, or places.

D．Research different ways to improve your mental health.

E．This will help you keep them and make your dream come true.

F．Sometimes it might feel simple r to set aside an uncomfortable emotion.

G．You can find online assessment tools to help you figure out your results.

6 . In Europe, nine out of ten students study a foreign language. In the United States, only one in five does. From 1997 to 2008, the number of American middle schools offering foreign languages dropped from 75percent to 58 percent. From 2009 to 2013, one American college closed its foreign language program; from 2013 to 2017, 651 others did the same.

At first glance, these statistics look like a tragedy (悲剧). But I am starting to accept the strange idea that maybe they are not. What is changing my mind is technology.

I was in Belgium not long ago, and I watched various tourists from different nations use speech translation apps to change their own languages into English and French. The newer ones can even reproduce the tone of the speaker’s voice.

I know a foreign language is a window into a new way of understanding the world. But even beyond the fact that this idea has been rather oversold, can we really say the low level of French or Spanish we and our classmates usually picked up in school really gave us a new look into the world and our lives in it? And if our goals are more limited and practical --- for instance, getting directions to the bus station in Rome-technology now makes that possible at the press of a button. With a smart phone and an app, foreign languages will no longer present most people with the challenge they once did. Learning to speak a new language well will be necessary for those who want to engage with (从事) literature or media in the original language, as well as those of us who find pleasure in it just because they are “there”. Strange as that is, it is in its way a kind of progress.

1. What is the author’s opinion about the drop in foreign language learning in the United States?

A．It is a tragedy that needs to be avoided.

B．It is an unacceptable situation that harms society.

C．It is a challenge that will be overcome in the future.

D．It is a positive development due to advanced technology.

2. What is the author’s attitude towards the idea that learning a foreign language gives us a new look into the world?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Curious.

D．Supportive.

3. How does technology influence language learning for practical purposes?

A．It makes the process easier and within reach.

B．It provides an easy way to understand the world.

C．It removes the need for language learning altogether.

D．It improves the traditional methods of language learning.

4. Which of the following questions can be answered in the text?

A．What challenges do translation apps bring to language learning?

B．Why is it still necessary to learn foreign languages in the digital age?

C．Will translation apps make learning foreign languages old-fashioned?

D．How can technology help us learn foreign languages more efficiently?

7 . I had spent some time in the morning talking to my granddaughter about being “generous”. She had a lot of chocolates. I asked her if she had thought about how she was going to ________ her good fortune with her sister? “No!” she said.

That’s why I ________ her to share, and why it’s good to be generous. Not sure if she was convinced, we then ________ out on the town, in Sydney. I wanted to show her Chinatown and shop at the markets.

After shopping I took her to a ________. She is a fussy (挑剔的) eater. She was having a good time and even tried some new ________ while I taught her how to ________ chopsticks.

I noticed a man sitting near me having lunch. Then he got up to ________ and upon leaving he paid for our ________. The shop owner checked with us if that was OK. I was so ________. Then he was gone before I really had ________ to thank him. My 9-year-old granddaughter was really ________ by this. We were then also gifted dessert by our waitress. Good ________ came in pairs.

Upon leaving I ________ them $5. Then I said to my granddaughter “we don’t really need a ________ lunch, do we? So now we have to pay our good fortune forward to someone else.” She got money ________ and was looking for a homeless person.

1.

A．discuss

B．argue

C．share

D．play

2.

A．warned

B．encouraged

C．ordered

D．forced

3.

A．wiped

B．watched

C．set

D．headed

4.

A．restaurant

B．cinema

C．shop

D．theatre

5.

A．drinks

B．tastes

C．cakes

D．tables

6.

A．use

B．choose

C．enjoy

D．recognize

7.

A．hide

B．escape

C．explain

D．leave

8.

A．room

B．meal

C．goods

D．taxi

9.

A．moved

B．confused

C．annoyed

D．stressed

10.

A．money

B．excuse

C．time

D．permission

11.

A．frightened

B．puzzled

C．touched

D．embarrassed

12.

A．chances

B．things

C．services

D．customers

13.

A．tipped

B．owed

C．showed

D．borrowed

14.

A．delicious

B．cheap

C．rich

D．free

15.

A．exactly

B．absolutely

C．shily

D．immediately

8 . It was late July and except for a few thin, white clouds the sky was a bright blue. The sun was ________ on the green grass giving it a golden colour. Birds were ________ flying to and from their homes feeding their ________ growing babies. The air was full of the smell of freshly-cut grass and the sweet smell of ________. In the field behind my house, I could see sheep ________ grass by the edge of the woods.

Our black cat, Alice was sleeping under the shade (阴凉) of our Maple tree, without noticing the little rabbit that was ________ along in the field behind my home. I could see the trees, flowers, and plants along the side of the ________. All of this beauty was here for me just as I ________ outside. Filled with all this, my heart felt so ________. I breathed in the sweet, cool, morning air and walked without ________ in the grass, experiencing nature. I knew that a heat wave was on the way so I wanted to enjoy the comfort of the morning and ________ all of these wonderful gifts of nature creation.

Just then a lovely, yellow butterfly flew down and ________ on a flower right in front of me. It beat its ________ and I smiled. It flew up, circled my face and then was blown away by the gentle ________. A peace filled me as I received the message of nature. And I ________ nature for this beautiful day, this beautiful world, and this beautiful life.

1.

A．appearing

B．moving

C．shining

D．burning

2.

A．easy

B．busy

C．happy

D．difficult

3.

A．entirely

B．actually

C．definitely

D．rapidly

4.

A．flowers

B．vegetables

C．plants

D．trees

5.

A．touching

B．eating

C．searching

D．smelling

6.

A．jumping

B．warning

C．fighting

D．looking

7.

A．house

B．village

C．farm

D．road

8.

A．worked

B．stepped

C．relaxed

D．played

9.

A．weak

B．sad

C．full

D．calm

10.

A．shoes

B．words

C．question

D．doubt

11.

A．take in

B．sweep away

C．hand out

D．give up

12.

A．hunted

B．walked

C．rushed

D．landed

13.

A．legs

B．wings

C．back

D．head

14.

A．water

B．power

C．wind

D．sound

15.

A．improved

B．protected

C．praised

D．thanked

9 . Online Event: How to be a human

Venue

Online event | Thursday, 8 September 2024 | 18.00-19.00 BST

Humans are strange creatures. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of eight, Camilla created her own handbook for understanding humans.

Camilla Pang, biologist and author

Camilla Pang is the author of the book Explaining Humans, a memoir (自传) that uses scientific principles to understand human behaviour through the lens (视角) of someone who has autism and ADHD. Her latest book Perfectly Weird, Perfectly You is a scientific guide to growing up for children, published in March 2022.

What’s included in your ticket:

※Live lecture lasting 60 minutes including Q&A with Camilla Pang

※On-demand access to a recording of the lecture and Q&. A for 12 months

※Extra content from New Scientist

Being Human (Series tickets available)

About the series: What makes us human? What skills and concepts do humans have that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom? And how did they arise? The “Being human” series from New Scientist will explore the beginnings of all the things that make us human, over the course of four virtual events. The series will feature the following talks:

※Origin of love: Anna Machin | 5th May 2024 (now available on-demand)

※The dawn of language: Sverker Johansson | 9th June 2024

※The evolution of childhood: Brenna Hassett | 7th July 2024

※How to be a human: Dr Camilla Pang|8th September 2024

Save 20% off the standard ticket price by purchasing all 4 live online “Being Human” lectures (also available on-demand) or purchase single tickets for £25 per lecture(early booking rate), to hear from the finest minds in science in 2024.

1. What can you do when you attend the online lecture?

A．Take exams to test your knowledge.	B．Communicate with the speaker.
C．Make friends with other students.	D．Ask for a book written by the speaker.

2. Who would interest you if you like the origin of language?

A．Anna Machin.	B．Brenna Hassett.
C．Dr Camilla Pang.	D．Sverker Johansson.

3. How much do you pay if you buy all 4 live online lectures?

A．￡20.

B．£50.

C．￡80.

D．￡100.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Body language is an important part of     1     (communicate). If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can use your body to say what you mean.

Different culture usually makes different body language. Chinese often greet others with a firm handshake, but Americans like a loving hug instead. Russians like to kiss on their     2     (friend) cheek. Some body language also have     3     same meaning in different countries     4     we speak different languages. Smiling is one of them. Take care     5     your body language, then you may make a good impression.

Body language     6     (use) by people for sending messages to one another. It is very useful because it can help you make yourself easily     7     (understand). When you are talking with others, you are not just using words, but also using expressions and gestures. For example, waving one hand     8     (be) to say “Good-bye.” A smile and handshake show welcome, and     9     (clap) hands means congratulations. Nodding the head means agreement, but shaking the head means disagreement. The gestures are accepted both by Chinese and foreigners as having the same meanings.

When you use a foreign language, it is very important to know the meanings of     10     (gesture) and movements in the foreign country.