1 . It’s rare that you see the words “shyness” and “leader” in the same sentence. After all, the common opinion is that those outgoing and sociable guys make great public speakers and excellent net-workers and that those shy people are not.
A survey conducted by USA Today referred to 65 percent of managers who believed shyness to be a barrier to leadership. Interestingly, the same article stresses that roughly 40 percent of leaders actually are quite shy — they’re just better at adapting themselves to situational demands. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Charles Schwab are just a few “innies”.
Shy people take a cautious approach to chance. They listen attentively to what others say and absorb it before they speak. They’re listening so they can learn what to say. Along the same lines, shy people share a common love of learning. They are intrinsically (内在地) motivated and therefore seek content regardless of achieving an outside standard.
Being shy can also bring other benefits. Remember being in school and hearing the same kids contribute, until shy little Johnny, who almost never said a word, cut in? Then what happened? Everyone turned around to look with great respect at little Johnny actually talking. This is how shy people made good use of their power of presence: they “own” the moment by speaking calmly and purposefully, which translate to a positive image.
Shyness is often related to modesty. Not to say that limelight-seekers (引人注目的人) aren’t modest, but shy people tend to have an accurate sense of their abilities and achievements. As a result, they are able to recognize mistakes, imperfections, knowledge gaps and limitations.
Since shy people have a lower desire for outside rewards than outgoing ones, they’re more comfortable working with little information and sticking to their inner desires. Shy people are also more likely to insist on finding solutions that aren’t primarily apparent. Albert Einstein once said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s that I stay with problems longer.” Obviously, finding certainty where uncertainty is typically popular is a huge plus for any successful person.
1. What is the traditional belief to the shy people?A.They are good at making friends. |
B.They are not popular with people. |
C.They like making speeches in public. |
D.They are unlikely to become leaders. |
A.Shy people. | B.Public speakers. |
C.Net-workers. | D.Survey conductor. |
A.They focus on achieving themselves outside rewards. |
B.They make the best of the power of presence actively. |
C.They realize their abilities and imperfections clearly. |
D.They perform more confidently than outgoing people. |
A.By making contrasts and giving examples. |
B.By quoting authorities and making evaluations. |
C.By explaining problems and providing solutions. |
D.By giving definitions and presenting research results. |
2 . Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely stroll through the streets — this is what many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they visit a new city.
To them, Citywalk means “roaming around the city” on foot. Participants can follow a distinctive urban route, soaking up the atmosphere, exploring old buildings, browsing boutique shops, sipping a cup of coffee, or indulging in authentic local snacks.
Citywalk can be a special guided trip for a small group of people, or simply a leisurely stroll for one or two to explore new areas, sticking to the key point: avoiding famous scenic spots and big crowds to gain a more inclusive experience of the places you visit. Besides interacting with a city, Citywalk provides young people with a new social scene, where they who share the same interests and ideas can easily make friends.
In China, the Citywalk trend is spreading from first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai to second and third-tier cities, encouraging more participants and event organizers to get involved. Some organizers invite folk culture researchers and enthusiasts to act as tour guides. Xiao Yiyi, a young entrepreneur in Changsha, recently launched six Citywalk routes in different cities on her social media account, with the aim of providing experiences for visitors to “walk in open-air museums”. Her Changsha route features more offbeat sights like historical architecture from the 19th century, artsy old alleys, and even a stop-off to sample the local spicy crayfish specialty.
Even though Citywalk is a relatively new phenomenon, it is offering a positive change to urban travelers as they can better choose the experiences based on their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk represents an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more tailored, professional service to meet with ever-changing market demands.
1. Why do young people choose Citywalk?A.To enjoy a guided tour. |
B.To cut down expenses. |
C.To dig deeper into a city. |
D.To make new friends. |
A.Doing sightseeing on foot. | B.Avoiding hot scenic spots. |
C.Taking a local tour guide. | D.Keeping a fixed urban route. |
A.A tour guide | B.A culture researcher. |
C.A Citywalk enthusiast. | D.An event organizer. |
A.Favorable. | B.Dismissive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Unclear. |
A.Her classmate. | B.Her son. | C.A doctor. |
A.He agrees with the woman. |
B.The woman should be polite. |
C.The woman’s concern is useless. |
5 . To get a sense of how spending in my generation is different from that of my parents’, just consider one simple transaction: a utility bill. When my parents paid their utility bill, they had to take out their checkbook, put pen to paper, write a check, and then record it in their checkbook. If they did not know how much their utility bill was, they had to be purposefully ignorant.
My utility bill is paid automatically from my banking app. For me to know how much my utility bill is, I have to be purposefully diligent. And the truth is, I’m not in most cases.
Of course, I’m not just talking about utility bills here. As with most millennials (千禧一代), technology has made the payment of bills so simple that we tend to take it for granted and hardly have to think about it anymore. And that is the problem: By streamlining our personal finances, technology has also made it so much easier to ignore the costs. However, in doing so, it has broken the connection between the things we buy and the cost of having them. And it is precisely that connection that keeps our financial lives on track—making sure that we save enough and spend our money on the things that really matter.
The question now is: How do we get that connection back, without giving up the convenience that technology has brought us?
The good news is that whatever is given can be taken back. Much of the battle is simply to recognize what we have lost. The first thing is thus to be aware of how much we are spending by using personal-finance apps. These apps can categorize purchases and send you a spending report. They can detect—and warn you—if a repeated payment is going to get you in trouble. And they can send you a notification when each automatic payment is being made. These real-time tools, used together, are probably better practice than balancing a checkbook on a Saturday morning.
The fact, however, is that all of these tools require the user to make a conscious effort to sign up for these services, and to actually use them. And that is where the ”stop me before I do something foolish“ process must begin. If we millennials want to be smart about our money, it seems that we have no choice: We need to bridge that gap between what we spend and how we pay. We need to feel the connection between the value of our purchases and the effort it takes to make them.
1. The example mentioned in the first two paragraphs was meant to suggest that__________.A.spending habits vary from generation to generation |
B.banking apps have quickly developed in recent years |
C.the younger generations are much lazier than their parents |
D.the payment process has greatly changed over the past decades |
A.handling | B.stretching |
C.improving | D.simplifying |
A.Out of sight, out of mind. | B.The devil is in the details. |
C.Rome wasn’t built in a day. | D.You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. |
A.stopping the use of automatic paying apps |
B.setting aside a regular time to pay their bills |
C.making the best use of personal-finance apps |
D.thinking twice before making expensive purchases |
6 . It is commonplace to come across instances of students or young professionals of the same age groups renting together.
Intergenerational housing whereby Gen Zers and Millennials rent a room from an elderly homeowner is not limited to a particular region.
In recent years, the high cost of living makes it nearly impossible for young adults to find affordable accommodations in major urban areas.
The elderly find renting their homes to young people a win-win proposition. They have someone able and energetic for company and the additional income helps them offset (抵消) the cost of home ownership.
A.It is now widespread in many parts of the U.S. |
B.Living with the elderly is challenging for the young. |
C.However, recently, a different trend has been observed. |
D.It drives the demand for intergenerational housing arrangements. |
E.Nowadays, many young people prefer to live independently after finishing school. |
F.The students find living with seniors better than sharing rooms with several roommates. |
G.Another person in an empty home also relieves the loneliness many old people experience. |
7 . People in most countries have stopped wearing masks (口罩). In Japan, many people are still covering up. Some of those who have gone maskless, or who want to, are taking lessons in how to smile. A lot of adults say they have “forgotten” how to smile naturally after three years of wearing a face covering. They are taking lessons from “smile coaches” to relearn how to smile with confidence. One coach, Keiko Kawano from a “smile education” company, spoke to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper about her work. She said: “Mask wearing became normal, so people had fewer opportunities to smile. Many people developed a complex (情结) about smiling. I want people to smile for their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Smile coaches in Japan may be busy for some time to come. A recent survey(调查) by Laibo Research found that 27.8% of company employees in their 20s to 50s would continue to wear masks. Just over two-thirds of people said they would wear a mask depending on the situation. Only 5.5% said they would go mask-free. Ms. Kawano is well known in Japan. She has coached more than 4,000 people in the art of smiling. She has also trained hundreds of “smile specialists”. She said: “Smiling makes a good impression on others and helps communication. It also has the effect of making yourself feel more positive.” She added: “Moving and relaxing the facial muscles is the key to a good smile.”
1. Who needs to take lessons in how to smile in Japan?A.People who are still covering up | B.People who have gone maskless, or who want to |
C.People who knows how to smile | D.People in most countries |
A.A basketball coach | B.A football coach |
C.A tennis coach | D.A smiling coach |
A.1/3 | B.2/3 | C.27.8% | D.5.5% |
A.Learn again | B.no more study | C.teach | D.rewrite |
A.A good impression on others and helping communication. |
B.The effect of making yourself feel more positive. |
C.Moving and relaxing the facial muscles. |
D.A complex about smiling. |
1. How did Eric get hurt?
A.He got hit by a ladder. |
B.He tripped over a rock. |
C.He fell from the height. |
A.His arm. | B.His ankle. | C.His head. |
A.Lift Eric on to the bed. |
B.Apply ice to the injured part. |
C.Send Eric to the hospital for an X-ray. |
9 . Today, we are told children don’t spend enough time in the fresh air. Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV—they seem to be living in a virtual world. They have lost touch with nature.
But now 400 organizations in the UK, from playgroups to the National Health Service, are encouraging children to have some “wild time”. They want kids to swap at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time playing outside. Activities such as building dens, climbing trees, rummaging for conkers and playing hide-and-seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city, they can go on adventures in the garden or the park.
Children often need a helping hand from their mums and dads. They need to be shown what to do and where to go. Andy Simpson from the National Health Service says, “We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development, independence and creativity, by giving wild time a go.”
So despite the complicated world that young people grow up in now, it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need. David Bond from Project Wild Thing says, “We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine, freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted.”
This might sound a bit old-fashioned to you but there’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!
1. Except what are children encouraged to do the following activities?A.Building dens. | B.Climbing trees. |
C.Playing hide-and-seek. | D.Watching TV. |
A.Wild time is hard to design. | B.Wild time is beneficial for children. |
C.Parents know the importance of wild time. | D.Parents like keeping their children indoors. |
A.Modern children need wild time. | B.Adults value outdoor activities. |
C.The present world is complicated. | D.This generation of kids have no freedom. |
A.Wild time for children | B.Benefits of wild time |
C.More space for children | D.Adventures of children |
10 . The US tech giant Microsoft Corp and the leadership consulting firm DDI worked together on a new project on Thursday, with the goal of helping more than 1 million women in China improve their digital skills and embrace the digital future.
The Women Digital Future project came as reports show that women have been more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 than men, and an improvement in digital skills is expected to help them better deal with the bad results from it.
Microsoft said it will partner with a number of companies and organizations to help women in multiple ways, as COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation worldwide and women are faced with more challenges in both life and work.
Alain Crozier, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Greater China, said, “Microsoft has always placed a high value on the development of our female employees and strongly promoting the power of women to drive the world forward.”
Mindy Yeh, managing director of Greater China, said the company’s global survey shows that there are nearly double the number of female leaders at the top 20 percent of well-performing companies than in the bottom 20 percent. Moreover, they have clear advantages in terms of teamwork and interaction.
Cecilia Qi, general manager of GSK China, said, “Digital transformation is both an opportunity and a challenge for women. This is especially the case in the new era, which requires companies to provide women with more support to help them achieve better work-life balance and continue to gain success as they continue forward in their career. Success belongs to everyone, and I believe that, in the future, society will be more supportive of women and provide them with more equal career opportunities.”
1. What is the main purpose of the new project?A.To help women fight against COVID-19. |
B.To reduce the bad impacts from COVID-19 on women. |
C.To help women better prepare for the digital future. |
D.To promote the products of Microsoft Corp. |
A.speeded up | B.lived up to | C.influenced | D.prevented |
A.Women are more popular in good companies. | B.Women receive more support from society. |
C.Women leaders have more advantages over men. | D.Women leaders perform better in some fields. |
A.Women have no chance to succeed in the digital age. |
B.Women are treated unfairly in pursuing a successful career. |
C.Women need support to achieve a balance between work and life. |
D.The world is too complex for women to achieve their dreams. |