1 . People often say your feelings are “written all over your face” because our facial expressions are a main way we communicate emotions. Now according to a recent research led by Patty Van Cappellen of Duke University, besides our faces, our body posture (姿势) also plays a role.
In one study, Van Cappellen and her colleagues asked a group of participants to show four faceless mannequins (人体模型) in postures that represented four different emotions: dominance (支配), joy, hope and respect. The research assistants then looked at photos of the mannequins that participants had created and assessed their head positions, arm positions, and degrees of expansiveness — how much space they took up by standing straight or opening up different parts of their bodies. Then, the researchers compared these positions to the feelings they supposedly expressed.
Van Cappellen found that people viewed an expansive posture as representing dominance. But joy and respect were also represented by expansive postures, with hope involving the least expansive posture. “We’re finding that positive emotions are also marked by expansiveness — especially joy,” she says.
Besides, arm and head positions also mattered. For example, joyful postures were described by arms raised above the head, while respectful postures showed hands touching the face. Dominant postures, on the other hand, tended to show arms akimbo (双手叉腰) with the head facing forward.
To know if other people seeing the mannequins could recognize the feelings being expressed by different postures, Van Cappellen had a new group of participants look at photos of mannequins posed in many different ways. The participants found that expansive postures with arms held high represented positive emotion — with arms akimbo representing dominance and negative emotion.
Her research suggests that our body posture helps express our emotions and may help us feel certain emotions, too. This could be consequential — not just in the lab, but in real life, where it’s useful to know how we and other people are feeling in a certain situation.
1. Which emotion is most probably expressed by the least expansive posture?| A．Dominance. | B．Joy. | C．Hope. | D．Respect. |
| A．Hold his arms high. | B．Touch his face. |
| C．Have his arms crossed. | D．Shake his head. |
| A．To find why the participants showed the different feelings. |
| B．To know how people communicate with facial expressions. |
| C．To figure out what different body postures may represent. |
| D．To see if others can feel the same about the body postures. |
| A．Embarrassing. | B．Important. | C．Flexible. | D．Unusual. |
2 . Why do children learn so quickly? Is it simply a necessity, or is a child’s brain more capable of taking in new information than an adult’s brain?
“It is a common way of thinking that ‘children are like sponges’ and have the magical ability to learn new skills faster than an adult, but there are some misconceptions here, “ said Debbie Raven, a researcher at the University of Chester. “A child’s cognitive (认知的) development is age-related and, naturally, children perform worse than their older peers in most areas. However, there are times when being young brings an advantage, and this is especially true around their earliest years.
This advantage is largely due to neuroplasticity, meaning the brain’s ability to form and change its connections, pathways and wiring based on experiences. Neuroplasticity is what gives children the capacity to learn-and, if necessary, unlearn-habits, routines, approaches and actions very quickly. This ability is most constant and rapid before a child’s fifth birthday, when much of what they encounter or experience is novel. “This ability to learn quickly is connected to several areas, including plasticity, their experiences with adults, their environment, and their biological drive to explore, “ Raven said. “Childhood is a place where children spend their time catching up with adults’ more sophisticated abilities. “
Language learning, in particular, is an area where children often have a huge advantage over adults. This is largely because “babies are able to tune in to the rhythm and sounds used in their native language, and can therefore become fluent speakers by the age of four. “This ability can help young children learn a second or third language with apparent ease, Raven said.
In a research paper, the authors suggest that “human babies are born seeing and hearing linguistic information that older children and adults miss, although they lose this ability with more experience in their environments. Moreover, babies can “discriminate speech sounds and tones used in al of the world’s languages, making them open to al input, regardless of the linguistic environment they are born into.
1. Why does Raven make the remarks in paragraph 2?| A．To prove a new theory. | B．To share personal experience. |
| C．To correct a wrong belief. | D．To solve long-held confusion. |
| A．It enables children to break a habit quickly. |
| B．It accompanies a person all through his life. |
| C．It is entirely based on a kid’s past experiences. |
| D．It disappears soon after a child’s fifth birthday. |
| A．Their brain structure. | B．Their habits and routines. |
| C．Their parents’ experiences. | D．Their inborn desire to explore. |
| A．Why children are talented language learners. |
| B．What are the proper ways of learning languages. |
| C．When is the best time to learn foreign languages. |
| D．How environments can influence language learning. |
3 . The older you are, the less likely you are to swear (except in the car—studies say most people swear when driving). As we get older, swearing becomes part of the rich lexicon of language that we use to express ourselves, and while we might associate swear words with negative communication. Only eight percent of people actually swear to cause offence. “There are many other reasons that we swear, including positive uses like expressing excitement, emphasis.” says Dr Karyn Stapleton, a senior lecturer in Communication at Ulster University. “And there’s cathartic (宣泄的) swearing, which provides a means of releasing strong emotions, or feelings like anger, pain or frustration.”
Cathartic swearing fascinates scientists as it shows some really interesting facts about bad language. Studies at the UK’s Keele University revealed that when under stress, a person can think of considerably more swear words than someone asked to do the same task when relaxed, and it’s now suspected that rather than being controlled by the normal part of the brain that handles language (the left cortex), swear words are actually processed by the limbic (边缘的) system that normally controls emotional thoughts. Be warned though—the more you swear in general speech, the less effective the cathartic effects of swear words are when you really need them!
What makes a word offensive is also very interesting. “The two main categories of swear words are bodily functions and religion—and that’s not just in English, it’s observed across many languages,” says Dr Robbie Love, lecturer in English Language at Aston University in Birmingham. “It’s like the brain has encoded these words with a special meaning so that it knows they are different in some way. I think there’s almost an innate human need to have some linguistic items that can be used to process intense moments.”
Generally though, we’re swearing less than we used to. Dr Love’s research found the use of 16 common swear words has declined by 27 percent over the last 20 years. According to a survey by the British Board of Film Classification, only 12 percent of those aged 55-64 swear regularly compared to 46 percent of 20-somethings. “It’s possible that as we get older we might have fewer uses for swearing. We don’t need it to bond with coworkers. Also, older adults have often had to spend some time restraining their language around children—no matter how our own feelings about swearing change, we still don’t want to expose children to it,” says Dr Love.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．People swear more easily as they get older. | B．People swear merely to release negative emotion. |
| C．Swearing often offends others. | D．Swearing is a way of expressing ourselves. |
| A．person can think less swear words in relaxation than in pressure. |
| B．Swear words come from the brain system that controls emotional thought. |
| C．Bodily functions and religion are two types of swear words just in English. |
| D．People swearing more in daily life may not release their emotions well on necessary occasions. |
| A．Helpful | B．Offensive | C．Special | D．Indifferent |
| A．Young people swear in order to connect with their coworkers. |
| B．Older people may swear less to create better language setting for children. |
| C．There are fewer swear words people use. |
| D．People swear less than they used to. |
4 . I dropped “rizz” into a conversation at home as a test to see my son’s familiarity with Internet slang. “Don’t say that,” he said. “You sound terrible.” In terms of ego, it was a failure. But as a test of generational differences in language use, it was a success.
I read in a newspaper that Oxford University Press had chosen “rizz” as the word of 2023. Short for charisma, rizz is defined as “style, charm, or attractiveness”. Internet slang has been confusing and difficult for me to understand. Considering it enjoys great popularity among Gen Z associates, as a Gen X director, should I keep up with the Internet slang and be prepared for it at work?
One thing is clear: The attempt to resist is in vain. Internet slang is a product of its time. Technology makes humour more important. Slang, says Erica Dhawan, author of Digital Body Language, “can create closeness with colleagues when body language is no longer the primary communication”.
That doesn’t mean Gen X leaders should be trying to drop “rizz” into conversation. It is embarrassing. Partly it seems fake, but also because it is hard to keep up with the way language changes if not immersed in it. Tony Thorne, of the Slang and New Language Archive at King’s College London, says Gen Z is “heavily influenced by viral trends, it is not strictly only verbal ... it always has one eye on visual metaphors and allusions (影射) too”.
Workplace norms evolve. Just five years ago senior leaders were complaining about headphones in the office, Dhawan points out. “Now they’re normal.” So too with language. Slang slips into common usage quickly. Oxford University Press’s past years words include “vax”, “toxic” and “climate emergency”, all of which seem fairly mainstream now. Who signs their emails with “Yours faithfully”? Far more common is: “Thanks”, “Kind regards” or “Best wishes”.
I still frown when I see signoffs like KR or BW-but give me another year, Thx.
1. What advantage does Internet slang bring to people according to Erica Dhawan?| A．Close relationships. | B．High working efficiency. |
| C．Personal popularity. | D．Good reputation. |
| A．Oppose it. | B．Keep up with it. | C．Let it slide. | D．Use it in conversation. |
| A．It’s hard to tell. | B．It’s a matter of time. |
| C．It’s a piece of cake. | D．It’s out of the question. |
| A．Where Internet Slang Will Lead the Gen X |
| B．Why Internet Slang Is a Riddle for Bosses |
| C．How Internet Slang Affects Relationship among Colleagues |
| D．What Role the Youth Play in the Development of Language |
5 . By experiencing the sensations of the reality around us, we create a subjective understanding of what reality is. Language came into being with the development of mankind. It requires the use of more than one of the basic five human senses, which shows that language is a complex process that brings huge power along with it. This power is so strong that it can demonstrate that language can influence the way we think. Language can be an amazing tool for change, both positive and negative.
Language can completely change our perception of time. The changed perception of time isn’t the only way language affects how we think. Our sense of self is also significantly changed, especially if a person is bilingual (双语的). Depending on which language a person who is bilingual is using, his sense of self changes. The differences may even become so great as to change his personalities.
Word teaching plays an important part in education, so to expand language is to expand the ability to think. We can see this in children, whose thinking develops hand in hand with language. It helps a great deal to increase their “word power” by learning new words in order to develop new ideas and new ways of thinking.
The increase in “word power” extends to those who lack the sense of hearing, thanks to the modern invention of sign language. Since the beginning, sign language has allowed deaf people to become fully literate. Whether we are deaf or not, language transforms experience and connects us to the past as well as the future. Be mindful of how important language is to our perception of reality and all its various aspects, and we can empower ourselves beyond our present limitations and expand our awareness.
1. What is the relationship between language and senses?| A．Opposite. | B．Correlative. | C．Independent. | D．Competitive. |
| A．Its role. | B．Its formation. |
| C．Its changes. | D．Its differences. |
| A．By enlarging their vocabulary. |
| B．By learning about their limitations. |
| C．By changing their ways of speaking. |
| D．By transforming their past experiences. |
| A．Why Does Language Connect Us Closely? |
| B．When Should We Achieve Language Skills? |
| C．How Does Language Influence Our Thoughts? |
| D．What Should We Do to Learn Language Well? |
6 . How similar are language and music?
Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.
Both language and music have a writing system.
Both language and music have their own systems of notation. Language uses alphabets to represent sounds and create meaning.
Listening to the language someone speaks can provide valuable clues about their geographical origin. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.
Both share emotion.
| A．Both are expressive. |
| B．Both vary with culture. |
| C．How do you know that I am annoyed? |
| D．Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives. |
| E．Equally, music uses notes to represent pitches and rhythms. |
| F．We use language to express our thoughts. |
| G．In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down. |
7 . “When studying foreign speech, don’t forget about body language. ” Anne Merritt said.
Something as simple as a smile can show: friendliness in one culture, embarrassment in another, impatience in a third. Even silence means different things in different places. If you want to avoid making some mistakes when traveling abroad, you should pay attention to the following.
Touch
Britain, along with much of Northern Europe and the Far East, has a “noncontact” culture. In those countries, there is very little physical contact (接触) in people’s daily talks. Even brushing someone’s arm by accident is the reason for an apology. However, in the high-contact cultures of the Middle East, Latin America, and Southern Europe, physical touch is a big part of daily life.
What’s more, there are different standards, for who touches whom and where. In much of the Arab world, men hold hands and kiss each other in greeting, but would never do the same with a woman. In Thailand and Laos, it is taboo (禁忌的) to touch anyone’s head, even children’s. In South Korea, elders can touch younger people with force when trying to get through a crowd, but younger people can’t do the same.
Eye contact
In most Western countries, frequent eye contact: is a sign of confidence and attentiveness (注意). We may think that a conversation partner who looks away is either not listening to us or lying. Of course, this is not the standard around the world.
In many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, the unbroken (未间断的) eye contact would be considered impolite and rude. These cultures consider avoiding eye contact a sign of respect for bosses and elders. In these parts of the-world, children won’t look at an adult who is speaking to them, nor will employees look at their bosses.
1. In Britain, when people are talking, they usually_________.| A．avoid eye contact | B．brush the others’ arms |
| C．avoid physical contact | D．apologize for their mistakes |
| A．unnecessary | B．impolite | C．dangerous | D．common |
| A．How to have a good time abroad. | B．The importance of body language. |
| C．How to communicate with foreigners. | D．An introduction to some body language. |
8 . The English language arrived in South Asia as a result of colonization (殖民).
The British first arrived in India in the early 1600s and soon established trading posts in a number of cities under the control of The East India Company. By 1765 the company’s influence had grown to such a degree that the British were effectively controlling most parts of the country. This date is often taken as the start of what is referred to as The Raj — a period of British rule in India that lasted until Independence in 1947.
At first, there were no official attempts to force the language on the masses. But by the 1700s, English had firmly established itself as the language of administration (行政) and many educated Indians were demanding instruction in English as a means of social advancement. By 1857 universities had opened in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. English was increasingly accepted as the language of government, of the social elite (精英), and of the national press.
After Independence, India became a nation state, and it was intended that English would be phased out as the language of administration. But there was no simple solution as to which language should replace it. At first Hindi, the most widely spoken language, seemed to be the obvious choice, but since protests in 1963 in the state of Tamil Nadu against Hindi as a national language, opinion has remained divided. In a country with over 1. 3 billion people and more than a thousand languages, it is difficult to choose a single national language, as mother tongue speakers of that language would benefit more from it.
Despite continued pressure from nationalists, English remains at the heart of Indian society. It is widely used in the media, in higher education and government and therefore remains a common means of communication, both among the ruling classes, and between speakers who do not understand each other’s languages.
1. What led to the introduction of the English language to India?| A．The British rule. | B．The Indian press. |
| C．The contribution of social elite. | D．The promotion of English culture. |
| A．The progress of Indian education. | B．The change of social classes in India. |
| C．The advancement of Indian society. | D．The development of English in India. |
| A．Widely used. | B．Equally taught. |
| C．Publicly recognised. | D．Gradually put to an end. |
| A．Thankful. | B．Unconcerned. |
| C．Unsupportive. | D．Friendly. |
9 . How to Improve Your Written English
There are many different aspects of learning English such as listening, speaking and writing Many people think it is really difficult to improve their wring in English. Don’t worry, though.
Increase your vocabulary.
To express yourself clearly. you need a good active vocabulary. It not just means being able to know lots of words but also means actually being able to use them correctly.
Read widely and often.
People often say that we learn to write best by reading. Reading in English is useful in many ways. It is a great way to get an idea of the different writing styles. Reading shouldn’t be boring.
Choose books or articles that interest you.
Always check your writing twice. The first time. look for general mistakes and the second time look for mistakes with the grammar points you are studying at the moment.
Just do it.
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Double check your writing. |
| C．Then remember their beautiful words. |
| D．You’d better know their settings and characters. |
| E．The following tips might help you to improve it. |
| F．Use simpler language and shorter sentences to show your ideas. |
| G．Thus, it is wise to enlarge your vocabulary by using them in your writing. |
10 . You can study the English language for years and still not understand a native speaker of English when you meet one. Many language leaners know that native speakers say a lot of things that you can’t find in a dictionary. Well, here’s a secret for you: A lot of British people can’t understand each other either!
Across the UK, a number of regions have different dialects—that is, they have their own unique vocabulary and grammatical phrases. There are many different accents in London, because it is not just where a person is born in the UK that decides their accent. Language and accents also vary across social class and level of education. Hence the recent rise of a new accent coined at the end of the 20th century—“Multicultural London English”.
Other factors are also important in the invention of new accents and ways of speaking. These include the influence of people from different ethnic backgrounds and different age groups, too.
“Yoof culture” is an example. The word “yoof” is a slang spelling of “youth”. Young people are creating their own language, concepts and identity. By using words that their parents don’t understand, children can talk about things that their parents might not approve of. For example, instead of saying something like “That’s good!” or “I understand”, yoof will use a single adjective like “Safe!”, or “Sorted!” Besides, Yoof would use “kind-a-thing,” or “sort-a-thing” to replace “if you understand what I’m saying”. In this way, they are starting to find freedom, independence and self-expression.
As learners of English, we may wonder how well we can talk to a native speaker, but perhaps we should worry less about this. Research commissioned by the British Council shows that 94 percent of the English spoken in the world today is spoken among non-native speakers of the language. In fact, when we think about “international English”, there is no such thing as a native or non-native speaker. The UK no longer owns the English language.
1. What’s the function of Paragraph 1?| A．To share a story. | B．To make a comparision. |
| C．To show the author’s experience. | D．To introduce the topic. |
| A．It’s now spoken by people around the world. |
| B．It was invented by Londoners in the 1900s. |
| C．It’s a modern accent that crosses educational divides. |
| D．It’s a dialect specific to a particular social class. |
| A．Watch out. | B．I see. | C．My pleasure. | D．Hurry up. |
| A．Don’t worry if you cannot understand native speakers. |
| B．Learning English well is very easy. |
| C．Languages are always changing. |
| D．It is important to communicate with a native speaker. |
