1 . People duck responsibility for reasons ranging from simple laziness or a fear of failure, through to a sense of feeling frightened by the scale of a problem or a situation. Whatever the reason, if people fail to take responsibility, they’ll fail in their jobs, they’ll fail their teams, and they’ll fail to grow as individuals. All of this makes it important to address the issue.

Signs of not being responsible

There are several signs to watch out for. These include:

Lacking interest in their work, and in the well-being of the team

Blaming others for mistakes and failures

Missing deadlines

Avoiding challenging tasks and projects, and not taking risks

Regularly complaining about unfair treatment by team leaders and members and engaging in self-pity

Avoiding being dependent on others for work, advice and instructions

Lacking trust in team members and leaders

Ways to encourage responsibility

Start by talking

Your first step is to talk to the individuals concerned. Are there circumstances that are contributing to the situation, or problems that you can deal with?

Communicate roles, responsibilities and objectives

Your people need to know clearly what their roles and responsibilities are. Ensure that you have an up-to-date job description for each team member, and be as detailed as possible about every responsibility that they have.

Re-engage people

Your people will be more engaged if their work is supported with their values. Talk to them to find out what they are. Then, illustrate how their daily tasks and responsibilities go with those values.

Give plenty of praise

Finally, be sure to give your people plenty of praise when they do take responsibility. And help them improve by providing them with regular, effective and fair feedback.

1. What will happen if John fails to take responsibility?

A．He can complete his jobs.

B．His teams may suffer.

C．His growth will continue.

D．He will lose his life.

2. Which is the sign of John’s irresponsibility?

A．“It’s not my fault.”

B．“I’ll have it completed tomorrow.”

C．“It’s tough, but I can manage it.”

D．“I need resources to solve the problem. ”

3. What will you do first ifyour team members lacks responsibility?

A．Let him know their specific tasks.

B．Get them to find out the values of work.

C．Praise them for their good jobs.

D．Have a chat with him to find out problems.

2 . Facial expressions give away whether someone is being honest

Wouldn’t the world be such a simple place if someone’s nose really grew when they told a lie? Then we wouldn’t have to spend so much time trying to determine whether people are telling the   truth. Luckily, there are scientific ways to tell if someone is being honest by judging from their facial expressions.     1    .

They’re holding the right amount of eye contact.

Eyes have the power to be extremely telling at times, particularly when it comes to whether people are telling the truth or not. When I think about it,     2    , but it turns out the opposite is true.

Their rate of blinking doesn’t change.

Stay to the eyes for a moment — blinking is a very easy way to detect if someone is telling you the truth. Those who are being honest will maintain a consistent rhythm of blinking as they’re speaking to you.     3    , and then the blinking speed will increase up to eight time faster than normal after the lie has been told.

You haven’t noticed them touching their nose.

    4    . Are they reaching up and touching their nose as they’re speaking? Nose touching is a sign of lying. This is because certain tissues in the nose usually swell when a person is telling   a lie, making the nose itch. If the person hasn’t been touching their nose at all, take this as a good sign.

    5    .

A fake smile could mean something is up. Liars have an “increased activity of the ‘zygomatic major muscles’, located around the mouth,” and it can force the face into a fake smile.

A．There’s no fake smile in sight

B．Watch the person’s hands

C．Blinking fast is a way to give away one’s lying

D．I assume liars would have a difficult time holding eye contact

E．You have notice there’s a fake smile in their faces

F．Here are some ways to tell if someone is telling you the truth

G．Oppositely, a liar will blink more slowly when they’re telling a lie

3 . A merchant wanted to purchase a good-looking camel in the market and after spotting one began to bargain for it with the seller! There was a long bargain between the merchant and the camel seller, and finally the merchant bought the camel and took it home!

On reaching home, the merchant called his servant to take out the camel’s saddle. Under the   saddle, the servant found a small velvet bag which upon opening revealed him to be full of precious diamonds! The servant shouted, “Boss, you bought a camel, but look what came with it for free!”

The Merchant was also surprised when he saw diamonds in his servant’s hands which were shining and twinkling even more in the sunlight! The Merchant said: “I have bought a camel and not the diamonds, I should return it immediately!”

The servant was thinking in his mind “How stupid my boss is! Nobody will know who the owner is!”

However, the merchant did not listen to him and immediately reached the market and returned the velvet bag to the shopkeeper.

The camel seller was very happy and said, “I had forgotten that I had hidden my precious diamonds under the saddle. Now you choose any one diamond!”

The Merchant said, “I have paid the right price for the camel, so I do not need any gift and prizes!”

The more the merchant was refusing, the more the camel seller was insisting. Finally, the merchant smiled and said: “In fact, when I decided to bring back the bag, I had already kept two of the most precious diamonds with me!”

After this declaration, the camel seller was infuriated and he quickly emptied the bag and began to count his diamond! But after he counted with a heavy sigh of relief, he said “These are all my diamonds, so what were the two most precious ones that you kept?”

The Merchant said: “My honesty and my self-respect.”

1. If the servant had bought the camel, what would he have done?

A．Giving them to his master.

B．Returning the diamonds.

C．Pocketing the diamonds.

D．Dividing them with his boss.

2. Why did the seller ask the merchant take one diamond?

A．He thought he should reward him.

B．He regretted he had bargained with him.

C．He knew the he had made a big mistake.

D．He volunteered to lower the price.

3. What does the underlined word “infuriated” mean?

A．Content.

B．Funny.

C．Angry.

D．Happy.

4 . Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.

Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”

Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.

Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.

Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.

1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unclear

D．Uncaring.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about gardening?

A．It improves focus.	B．It is a waste of time.
C．It can keep a body in shape.	D．It helps to reduce the risk of diseases.

3. How does gardening affect social connection according to the text?

A．It contributes to creativity.	B．It encourages problem-solving.
C．It builds relationships between people.	D．It improves people’s awareness of safety.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．How to Start a Garden	B．Choose a Garden or Not
C．What Plants Grow Best in a Garden	D．Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits

5 . Mental Health Apps

Although most mental health doctors probably wouldn’t advise people to spend more time with their cellphones, there are some apps that can turn screen time into time well-spent. These apps provide tools for people looking to improve their lives.

Stop, Breathe & Think

This app was created to teach meditation (冥想). Developed for adults, teens and kids, it is perfect when you’re troubled by emotions like anxiety, stress, sadness or anger. It guides you through the practice of stopping, calming your mind and body through breathing and then taking part in short meditation.

Cost: $9. 99 per month. Download here for Apple or Android.

Breatbe2Relax

Breathe2Relax teaches “belly breathing”, a technique that encourages full oxygen exchange, lowers the heart rate and helps reduce stress. This type of breathing can help people who are experiencing fear, anxiety or anger. The app features videos, reading materials and ways for users to track their progress.

Cost: Free. Download here for Apple or Android.

Productive

Productive is a simple app that helps you set goals and track your progress. It offers users help in breaking negative habits and forming healthier habits. Users can specify what time of day they want to begin an activity, for how long, and how often, and the app shows users their successful periods, sends them motivating reminders and records their growth.

Cost: Free. Download here for Apple or Android.

INSCAPE

Regardless of where you are, with INSCAPE, you can focus on the areas that you’re looking to improve. Depending on whether you’d like to sleep better, or be more efficient at work, INSCAPE will suggest a practice that will be most beneficial to your goals, including breathing exercises, meditation and more.

Cost: $12. 99 per month.

Download here for Apple. Come here for Android.

1. What do the first two apps have in common?

A．They can keep people calm.	B．They are intended for adults.
C．They cost their users nothing.	D．They record the users’ progress.

2. Which app is best for those who want to develop good habits?

A．Productive.	B．INSCAPE.
C．Breathe2Relax.	D．Stop, Breathe&Think

3. What is special about INSCAPE?

A．It provides more activities.	B．It has no time or space limitation.
C．It Is only available to Apple users.	D．It works depending on one’s particular needs.

6 . In the countryside in Fuzhou, Fujian, there is a girl, her little brother, their grandma and a cat named Hua Juan. In the eyes of Hua Juan, the grandma treats the boy and the girl very differently — she saves milk for the boy and feeds him as if he were a baby, not paying much attention to the girl. One day, Hua Juan falls asleep and starts to have a dream. Everything begins to change.

This is the story told in the short film I’m Hua Juan, which explores a heavy topic -the traditional preference for sons over daughters. The film helped 18-year- old Zhu Manlin win the best director award at the 2021 International Teen Short Film Festival. The competition aims to encourage middle school students internationally to look at the world around them through images and pay attention to their position within it.

Zhu, a student at Fuzhou Senior High School, said she got the idea of the film from stories she heard. “Gender (性别) preference is still a common thing. Three out of the five members of our filming team have such families with older sisters and younger brothers,” said Zhu. “Many people may take it for granted, but not for a cat. I tell the story from the viewpoint of a cat to encourage the audience to take another look at reality.”

As the director and photographer, Zhu together with her teammates spent about two months writing the script (剧本), shooting the video and editing. She used several key scenes to show the grandma’s preference for the boy: more meat in his bowl, gentler words and interesting toys, while the girl is ignored and accompanied only by Hua Juan. The strong comparison can help viewers better emotionally connect with the girl and reflect on the unfavorable situation of other girls in the same situation. Zhu also set a scene in which the girl looks through the crack of a door and sees a part from the film Sister, which describes An Ran, a girl who struggles to pursue her own dream while having to raise her younger brother after their parents died in a car crash. “I want fewer girls to have to bear such burdens as An Ran and instead bravely fight for their own rights,” said Zhu.

While the theme is realistic, the visuals are artistic. In the film, real life is in black and white while dreams are colorful. Zhu also shot the film in a square format to give it an unusual feeling as well as a sense of seriousness. She wants viewers to focus on the main story, using close-up shots to resonate with the emotions of the young actors while ignoring other unimportant factors.

Zhu said her favorite director is Lee Chang-dong from South Korea, who cares about reality but also stays poetic. “I wish I could make such films one day,” she said.

1. What can be known about the film I’m Hua Juan?

A．It has a theme of gender preference.	B．It is adapted from a novel of the same name.
C．It took the team about half a year to make it.	D．It is based on the director’s personal experience.

2. Why is the story told through a cat’s eyes?

A．To make the story more attractive.

B．To explain what role pets play in our life.

C．To get people to look at things in a different way.

D．To connect the story better with a younger audience.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The problems Zhu had shooting the film.

B．The way Zhu directed and made the film.

C．The inspiration Zhu got from the film Sister.

D．The similarity between Zhu’s film and the film Sister.

4. How does Zhu attract viewers to the main story?

A．By focusing on social reality.	B．By using close-up shots in the film.
C．By shooting the film in black and white.	D．By expressing emotions in a poetic way.

7 . Opera and cinema have much in common: as a matter of fact, they use music, theater, dance and other art forms at once. Cross-referencing and inspiration for each other have led to several interesting experiments.

Cinema, connected with opera, is very attractive for a long time. Opera has been used both as a setting and as a subject for cinema. From comic films to action films, opera scenes appear in a variety of genres(体裁). Whatever the film, scenes set in or around the opera tend to represent the most exciting moment in the plot.

Cinema is also capable of mixing the visual elements of the opera: cameras can catch facial expressions from close or far, special visual effects can be added digitally, and montage (蒙太奇) can change the meaning of a scene. Far from replacing the operatic experience, opera-based films provide a different, complementary take on operas: they become a genre of its own, which has been called the “opera-film”.

Adaptation of films into operas is quite a new development of the operatic world. It is, however, a quickly growing genre: more and more film-based operas are being produced. In the same way popular novels were chosen in the 19th century as plots for operas, nowadays composers turn to popular or relevant screenplays to attract the audience.

In the future, cinema and opera are highly likely to become more and more closely connected. While opera is fighting for relevance in the 21st century with new music produced, and cinema is slowly losing its leading role to high-quality on-demand TV, the two media can work together to give rise to new forms of art, combining their advantages to create something that can become larger than the sum of their parts.

1. What can be learned about opera-based films?

A．It represents a new genre of films.	B．It focuses on visual experiences.
C．It has unique settings and subjects.	D．It appears in a variety of genres.

2. What makes it likely for a film to be adapted into an opera?

A．Its characters.

B．Its setting.

C．Its subject.

D．Its popularity.

3. What can be inferred about cinema and opera from the last paragraph?

A．The two should develop their own advantages in their ways.

B．The two should cooperate to make something new and bigger.

C．Cinema should take the lead in producing high-quality products.

D．Opera should work harder to become a new way of art in the 21st century.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The replacement of opera by cinema.

B．The advantages of cinema over opera.

C．The interaction between cinema and opera.

D．The similarities between cinema and opera.

8 . National Geographic Explorer Malaika Vaz knew from early on that she was destined for adventure. “I was someone who spent a lot of time outdoors,” Vaz says. Among her childhood experiences, she recalls expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic, climbing mountains, scuba diving, and windsurfing.

“In my late teens,” Vaz says, “I began to feel like adventure didn’t really mean anything if there wasn’t an intent to protect the natural spaces we were exploring in.” She began to seek an outlet that would both satisfy her desire for adventure and allow her to support the protection of the species and ecosystems.

Vaz had an interest in the medium of film, and decided to pursue a career in wildlife filmmaking. Today Vaz wears many hats in the filmmaking world, as a documentary director, producer, writer, and presenter.

After falling in love with mantas off the coast of her home, she discovered they were being hunted illegally and she dressed herself as a seafood trader to get as close as possible to the issue. She traced traffickers back to many parts of the world to figure out why mantas were being killed. She shares the challenges of going undercover to produce Peng Yu Sai, her Green Oscar-nominated film on the matter.

The subjects that grab her attention, Vaz admits, cover a wide range. And while she’s been asked to define her focus, she prefers variety, and argues that issues she pinpoints are more interrelated than they may appear.

Her work doesn’t stop at recording important stories-she’s also on top of follow-through, ensuring the message is heard. Vaz and her team work with scientists and policy makers to amplify the message of the films they work on.

From Vaz’s perspective, real improvement in the way the planet is cared for lies in the capable hands of many from various backgrounds. “The truth is that we don’t need ten really passionate, committed environmentalists. We need one hundred or one million people who can do a little bit in that field and change things within their ability.”

1. Which of the following helped Vaz combine adventure with nature protection?

A．Wildlife film-making.	B．Free lifestyle.
C．Childhood experience.	D．Outdoor activities.

2. What does the film Peng Yu Sai mention?

A．Vaz’s home on the coast.	B．Vaz’s experience of mountain climbing.
C．The history of Green Oscar.	D．The illegal hunting of mantas.

3. What really matters in protecting our planet according to Vaz?

A．The backgrounds of policy makers.	B．The influence of films.
C．The guidance from environmentalists.	D．The combined efforts of people.

4. Which of the following best describes Vaz?

A．Enthusiastic but careless.	B．Adventurous and insightful.
C．Knowledgeable but proud.	D．Humorous and patient.