1 . "While extroverts (性格外向者) often make great first impressions with their outgoing manner and lively personalities in interviews, that value and reputation at work diminish (削减) over time,” says Corinne Bendersky, an associate professor of management.

“Extroverts disappoint us over time when they're part of a team,” Bendersky says. “On a team you're expected to work hard and contribute a lot. But they're often poor listeners, and they don't collaborate.”

“On the other hand, introverts (性格内向者) work hard on a team because they care what others think of them. They don't want to be seen as not pulling their weight or contributing 100%,” Bendersky says.

So while companies may be attracted to hiring extroverts because they impress managers greatly in job interviews, bosses also may want to consider whether the extrovert they are considering will be a valuable team player, Bendersky says.

Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, two writers, agree and say managers should recognize the strengths of introverted employees, such as their ability to put themselves in someone else's shoes.

“These team members are often easygoing, which can make them exceptional mentors (良师益友) to more junior staff or particularly good sounding boards when you interact with them in one-on-one situations,” Su says.

“Managers must try to help introverts find their voice,” Wilkins says. “Help them see that speaking up is not about self-promotion or being in conflict but rather about offering the team key insights, making better decisions or increasing the efficiency for all.”

What about those extroverts who never seem to be at a loss for words? Should managers cut them off? Managers definitely should weigh in on how an extrovert is affecting others. Wilkins suggests saying something in private to make adjustments.

1. What do we know about outgoing people according to Bendersky?

A．They are good listeners.	B．They are good at cooperating.
C．They often make great contributions.	D．They tend to perform well in interviews.

2. Which can best replace the underlined part “pulling their weight” in Paragraph 3?

A．Trusting others.	B．Making good choices.
C．Doing their full share of work.	D．Trying to share their thoughts.

3. What is Su's attitude towards Bendersky's words?

A．Critical.

B．Tolerant.

C．Doubtful.

D．Approving.

4. What does Wilkins advise managers to do?

A．Promote more introverts.	B．Learn to work more efficiently.
C．Encourage introverts to speak up.	D．Avoid conflict among employees.

5. How is the text mainly developed?

A．By providing examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By following the order of time.	D．By following the order of importance.

2 . We often hear such statements “I spilled juice, but it wasn’t my fault.”, “I got in trouble at school, but it wasn’t my fault.” Or “I was in a car accident, but it wasn’t my fault.” That “It’s not my fault.” is a go-to response for so many people and especially teenagers.

Parents complain they are tired of the “excuse”. The reason why variations(变体) of “It’s not my fault.” are so popular is that it lets us off the hook from guilt and blame. I’m a fan of not owning responsibility for things that I can’t control. Teens who often say “It’s my fault.” when something bad happens tend to be highly self-critical, perfectionistic and more easier to be troubled by anxiety and depression.

While it is important to recognize a lack of reason to blame oneself, many teens over-rely on “It’s not my fault.” When trying to get them to take responsibility, parents usually attempt to convince their teens that something is their fault. The approach tends to be ineffective and turn into a power struggle. No one wins. A more effective approach can be to stress significant drawbacks to consistently focusing on removing our responsibility with this phrase.

Overuse of the phrase can result in feelings of lack of ability to control their own lives. This sense has been shown to cause low motivation. Besides creating feelings of lack of ability, overuse of “It’s not my fault.” focuses a teen’s attention on what is done as opposed to what needs to be done.

People may not have caused all their problems, but they have to solve them anyway. The example I frequently share with teens is the question of what one will do if he is pushed into a deep lake. One can certainly stay in water, yelling, “It’s not my fault.” However, that won’t get him out of water. He needs to swim to the shore, regardless of the fault.

If you take a proper approach to communicating with your teens, you can help them avoid over-reliance on “It’s not my fault.”.

1. What phenomenon is described in Paragraph 1?

A．The teenagers’ dislike for school life.

B．The common trouble faced by teenagers.

C．The reasons for blaming others for accidents.

D．The tendency for people not to be responsible for mess in life.

2. What type of teens tends to suffer great mental pressure according to the text?

A．Those lacking confidence and ambition.

B．Those allowing others to find excuses.

C．Those unable to get along well with others.

D．Those often blaming themselves for some incidents.

3. What’s the author’s attitude to parents’ usual way of guiding children?

A．Supportive.

B．Negative.

C．Ambiguous.

D．Neutral.

4. What’s Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．It’s harmful to overuse “It’s not my fault.”.

B．It’s important to learn lessons from faults.

C．It’s difficult for people to admit their fault.

D．It’s absurd to often find excuses for mistakes in life.

5. What lesson is conveyed in the example often shared by the author?

A．We should try to avoid troubling others.

B．We should focus on how to solve problems.

C．We should dare to point out others’ mistakes.

D．We should be self-critical as much as possible.

3 . I had worried myself sick over Simon’s mother coming to see me. I was a new teacher, and I gave an honest _________ of the students’ work. In Simon’s case, the grades were awfully low. He couldn’t read his own handwriting. _________ he was a bright student. He discussed adult subjects with nearly adult comprehension. His work in no way reflected his _________.

So when Simon’s mother entered the room, my palms(手掌心)were _________. I was completely _________ for her kisses on both my cheeks. “I came to thank you,” she said, surprising me beyond speech. _________ me, Simon had become a different person. She talked of how he _________ me, he had begun to make friends, and for the first time in his twelve years, he had _________ spent an afternoon at a friend’s house. She wanted to tell me how grateful she was for the _________ I had nurtured(培养)in her son. She kissed me again and left.

I sat, stunned(惊呆), for about half an hour, __________ what had just happened. How did I make such a life-changing difference to that boy without __________ knowing it? What I finally came to __________ was one day, several months before, when some students were __________ reports in the front of the class, Jeanne spoke __________, and to encourage her to raise her voice, I had said, “Speak up. Simon’s the expert on this. He is the only one you have to convince, and he can’t hear you in the __________ of the room.” That was it. From that day on, Simon had sat up straighter, paid more attention, __________ more, and became happy. And it was all because __________ to be the last kid in the last row. The boy who most needed __________ was the one who took the last seat that day.

It taught me the most __________ lesson over the years of my teaching career, and I’m thankful that it came early and positively. A small kindness can indeed __________.

1.

A．introduction

B．favour

C．discussion

D．account

2.

A．Or

B．And

C．But

D．So

3.

A．courage

B．abilities

C．feelings

D．dream

4.

A．hurting

B．trembling

C．sweating

D．clapping

5.

A．desperate

B．responsible

C．unprepared

D．unsuitable

6.

A．Because of

B．In addition to

C．Apart from

D．As for

7.

A．loved

B．envied

C．pleased

D．criticized

8.

A．gradually

B．constantly

C．recently

D．obviously

9.

A．self-respect

B．self-doubt

C．self-pity

D．self-defence

10.

A．imaging

B．observing

C．wondering

D．regretting

11.

A．also

B．even

C．still

D．ever

12.

A．expect

B．remember

C．believe

D．accept

13.

A．writing

B．reviewing

C．editing

D．giving

14.

A．quietly

B．repeatedly

C．quickly

D．firmly

15.

A．entrance

B．middle

C．front

D．back

16.

A．slept

B．smiled

C．shouted

D．quarreled

17.

A．intended

B．pretended

C．refused

D．happened

18.

A．change

B．praise

C．thanks

D．visits

19.

A．painful

B．stressful

C．valuable

D．enjoyable

20.

A．take power

B．have a point

C．make a difference

D．catch attention

4 . A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.

First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may softer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.

Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.

In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.

One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.

To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The problems faced by the old in society.

B．Why we should take responsibility for the old.

C．How we can improve the lives of the old.

D．Where the old can go to get their pensions.

2. According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.

B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years.

C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.

D．Make available pensions for those who have retired.

3. The underlined word “viable” most probably means “           ”.

A．impossible	B．practical
C．useful	D．successful

4. What can be concluded from the passage?

A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money.

B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age.

C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people.

D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old.

5. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this article?

A．To point out the need for government supped for old people.

B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.

C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.

D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.