1 . Simple Ways to Improve Your Social Skills

Being friendly and social with your coworkers is a big part of most jobs.     1     , as you may not know them as well as close friends. Thankfully, there’s something you can do to improve your social skills at work.

Greet everyone with a smile. Try smiling at your coworkers and greeting them each day when you get to work. Even if you’re a little nervous, it only takes a few seconds, and it can make you seem more friendly and approachable.     2     , smile, and add a personalized hello to break the ice with your coworkers.

Use general conversation starters. Talk about the weather or something you notice in the room. This gives the conversation a nice starting point with whoever you're talking with.

● Any casual small talk is fine — the most important thing is to engage with the people around you.

● Remember to give people time to talk.     3     . If you’ve been doing most of the talking, pause so that your coworker can get a word in or share their opinion.

●    4    . If you notice a natural stopping point in the conversation, politely excuse yourself from the conversation and leave your coworker with an invitation to talk again soon.

Respect your coworkers’ boundaries.     5    . Everyone has their limits on how much they want to socialize. Read your coworkers’ body language to understand their boundaries, and respectfully give them the space they need.

A．Keep a certain distance

B．Make direct eye contact

C．End conversations on a good note

D．A good conversation is about taking turns

E．It will be a disaster to get too close to anyone

F．It can be a little tense to socialize with colleagues, though

G．Not everyone wants to be best friends with their coworkers

2 . If someone kindly introduces you to someone in their network or connects you with someone they think you should know by email, here are the steps to politely and effectively send your email response.

Respond immediately

Since you are the one being introduced by a colleague, probably because you requested an introduction, then you will be the one to respond first and as soon as possible.     1     You are letting the sender know you appreciate the introduction, and that you want to set up a meeting with the person you've been introduced to.

    2    

If you haven't already researched the person you are being introduced to, now is the time to do it.It's also good to see if they've posted any updates on social media that may provide insight (洞察力)into what projects they are working on or what they are talking about on social media.     3    

Say thanks for the introduction

Definitely show your gratitude to the person for their introduction.     4     The proper manner is to put the sender's name in the blind carbon copy (bcc) and reply all with your message. Putting their name in the bcc line ensures they receive your response but not future messages from the other person.

Pay attention to your request

When gathering information from the person you' ve been introduced to, be very clear about the information you are looking for. Don't say you are looking to“pick their brain" or“learn about their career path."     5     Instead, specifically state one or two questions you would like the person to answer during your brief meeting with them, not through email.

A．Research before you respond

B．So you can refer to that in your reply

C．Send your response timely with two goals

D．There are many ways to ask your questions

E．These are too broad and may scare the person off

F．It's polite to express appreciation to senders in person

G．It's a big deal to take the time to make an introduction for you

4 . The ability to communicate information accurately, clearly and as intended, is a vital life skill and something that should not be overlooked.    1    Here are some suggestions to make it.

Be open. There needs to be a give-and-take when it comes to sharing information with one another. To deepen intimacy (亲近). people need to open up to you. but you also have to he willing to let others in and share details about your experiences, emotions, and opinions.    2    

Listen actively. It involves being engaged with what your conversation partner is talking about.    3     You' re reflecting an their words, and asking questions you may have. Listening shows that you care, It shows that you are interested in the other person's life.

Use appropriate body language and eye contact.     4     For example, using direct eye contact and body language that indicates openness, such as uncrossed arms, can help to get across that a person is ready and willing to listen and to speak openly.

    5     Being open doesn't mean you should give others unlimited access to your thoughts.feelings, or time. There should be some limits on when you spend time together or how often and how long you stay together. It can also involve how much you care about each other's values, goals.emotions, and limitations.

A．Maintain boundaries.

B．Communicate politely.

C．These nonverbal signals can convey the true feelings.

D．It's impossible to work on your communication skills.

E．You're not just being quiet and letting them say their piece.

F．You get to know each other through the interactive sharing.

G．Most people can benefit from improving their communication skills.

5 . Mary uses a walking stick. Benjamin recently learned how to walk. Mary is 99. Benjamin is 2. The neighbors may seem like _________friends, but during the pandemic (疫情), they formed a unique _________at the fence between their houses in Minneapolis.

“Benjamin just turned 2 years old. We’ve been _________with Mary long before he was born,” Benjamin’s mom, Sarah Olson said. They didn’t see Mary much, _________last year when the COV1D-19 pandemic _________and the family had to stay home, Mary was someone they could _________—outside.

During the pandemic, the Olsons _________played in their yard, and Mary would be in hers. Benjamin would _________Mary when he saw her in the yard and they would play games. There's a 97-year _________gap, but Benjamin doesn’t see it.

“She’s just Mary, or ‘Mimi’,” Sarah said. “We’re inside and he’ll go, ‘Mimi? Mimi?’ and we'll go outside and ____________Mary. Then Mary will call out, ‘Hey Benjamin!’ How ____________a scene it is!”

For Mary, who was completely ____________during the pandemic, a friend was just what she needed. It seems Mary has ____________a childlike spirit with Benjamin, playing with bubbles and even water guns.

More than a year after they first started ____________together, Benjamin and Mary still ____________each other's company. Benjamin and Mary's friendship has ____________so many because people like to see relationships form so ____________for young people and elderly people. “We didn't have to work on it at all; it just ____________,” Sarah said.

“Friendship can be ____________in so many different ways. I’m really happy they’ve developed this friendship, ” she said. “It is such a rewarding ____________for both of them.”

1.

A．unfaithful

B．unlikely

C．close

D．special

2.

A．bond

B．habit

C．belief

D．impression

3.

A．strangers

B．friends

C．neighbors

D．relatives

4.

A．but

B．so

C．because

D．or

5.

A．continued

B．ended

C．hit

D．faded

6.

A．visit

B．see

C．recognize

D．invite

7.

A．seldom

B．often

C．once

D．never

8.

A．talk about

B．make room for

C．tend to

D．run over to

9.

A．age

B．culture

C．generation

D．knowledge

10.

A．look into

B．look through

C．look after

D．look for

11.

A．strange

B．familiar

C．sweet

D．awkward

12.

A．different

B．forgotten

C．independent

D．alone

13.

A．rediscovered

B．broken

C．understood

D．accepted

14.

A．chatting

B．playing

C．working

D．learning

15.

A．ignore

B．imagine

C．miss

D．enjoy

16.

A．amused

B．shocked

C．touched

D．puzzled

17.

A．naturally

B．quickly

C．obviously

D．normally

18.

A．remained

B．changed

C．mattered

D．happened

19.

A．established

B．spoiled

C．betrayed

D．improved

20.

A．coincidence

B．experience

C．practice

D．lesson

6 . Whether you want to impress a new teacher, or just chat with a new acquaintance, knowing how to start a conversation can help you feel more comfortable and confident.

    1    . To take an example, when you go into a room full of strangers, most people there are just like you in their hopes and fears. So when you approach someone to start a conversation, you’re helping him, because he wants someone to talk to as much as you do.     2    , you can acknowledge and accept them, which will be to your advantage.

No matter what the situation is, you can find something positive to say. Comment on the weather, the food, or the event itself. Saying something as simple as you hope your conversation partner has a good time also is a good way to get a conversation rolling. People tend to respond better to a positive subject rather than a negative one. Staying positive also helps put others at ease.     3    .

It can be difficult to try to talk to someone when it feels that you have little in common. In these situations, getting the other person to talk about his or her own interests, work, or expertise can be a useful way.     4    , so expressing a genuine interest in the things that other people enjoy can be excellent fuel for a great conversation.

Learning how to start a conversation is an important skill that can help you build social connections. It can be difficult initially, particularly if you struggle with shyness or social anxiety.     5    . The more often you start to interact with others, the stronger your conversational skills will become.

A．If you put the skills into practice

B．Instead of pushing your fears away

C．Everyone feels some level of fear in social situations

D．Eye contact will make your partner feel embarrassed

E．Try to think of every interaction as a practice session

F．People often enjoy talking about things they are passionate about

G．People will be more interested in continuing a conversation with you

7 . Like the rest of us, scientists have long suspected the healing capacity (修复能力) of a good hug. Unlike the rest of us, they’ve gone about trying to prove it.

“Laboratory studies suggest that things like hugs help us feel safer. They can also make us less sensitive to physical pain and less reactive when we’re faced with threatening experiences,” says Michael Murphy. He is a research professor in the department of psychological sciences at Texas Tech University. “This lab work has shown that hugs and other touch behavior are related to stress. The more stress we have, the more our heart rates and blood pressure go up. At this time, hugs and other forms of personal touch may give off all sorts of feel-good chemicals, so that stress can be reduced.”

“There’s a lot that we still need to learn, and there’s a lot we don’t know,” Murphy says. “However, what seems to be rising up is that hugs, as well as other forms of loving and gentle touch, are really powerful. They remind people that they’ re cared about and that they have someone in their corner.”

We expect touch. When we were born, we were placed in our mothers’ arms almost immediately. In that first year of our life, we spend a lot of time being held by other people. And as we grow up, we seek out hugs and touch as a way of connection. I think what we have lost in the past few years are these really easy opportunities to be reminded of connection.”

While he was at Carnegie Mellon, Murphy was the lead author of a hug-centered 2018 article in the scientific journal PLOS One. In a series of interviews with 404 adults over a two-week period, the researchers found that receiving a hug is associated with the attenuation of negative emotions that occur on days with interpersonal conflicts. That is to say, generally, hugs help to reduce the negative impacts that personal conflicts may cause in our daily lives.

1. What can we infer about hugs from the laboratory studies?

A．They show people’s good social relationships.

B．They can cure us of our mental disease.

C．They can put much pressure on people.

D．They make us feel calm and at ease.

2. Why do people seek out hugs and touch as they grow up?

A．To recall childhood memories.

B．To keep connected with others.

C．To solve relationship problems.

D．To express their social politeness.

3. What does the underlined word “attenuation” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Expression.	B．Influence.
C．Suffering.	D．Reduction.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Power of Hugs

B．How to Reduce Stress

C．How to Care for Others

D．The Importance of Interpersonal Relations