1 . One of the cores of emotional intelligence is self-regulation, an important skill in the workplace. Like any skill, mastery of emotional self-control requires intentionality and practice.     1    .

Pause to Mentally Distance

When you notice your typical physiological experiences associated with strong negative emotion, what should you do? Mentally step out of your immediate experience. Asking yourself any question, or imagining what you might look like to others right now, will do the trick. At that point, although still physiologically keyed up, you will be able to ask yourself, “What is the best course of action right now?” or “What advice would I give someone else who is in my shoes?”     2    .

Take Control of Your Self-Talk

We’re frequently unaware of how much self-chatter is going on in the background of our minds. Such self-talk might not be in fully articulated (铰接式的) words or phrases, but instead little flashes of thought. Becoming aware of your self-talk can be difficult. Why is this an important skill to develop?     3    . To genuinely ease a strong negative emotion requires tackling the source by examining the underlying belief and how accurate, reasonable, or useful it is.

Seek Support from Partners

Ask others you trust to help you recognize when your emotions seem to be getting the best of you.     4    . Agree on a gesture or word that might serve as a signal that your trusted individual wonders whether you’re riding the led-by-your-limbic-system train. Of course, there will be times they’re wrong. So, it’s important not to respond defensively when you get that signal. Reacting with anything other than gratitude ensures that your partner won’t take that risk again.

Cultivate (培养) Curiosity

Our brains are wired to draw conclusions and form judgments at lightning speed, and those are frequently the cause of our negative emotions.     5    , but we tend to run with them, sparking the self-talk that follows. Generally working to be more curious about other people’s experiences, including their self-identified motives for their behavior, helps avoid making hasty judgments.

A．They are comfortable with all emotions

B．Those judgments are not necessarily accurate

C．Doing so provides you with choices as to how to act

D．Explain your developmental goals and sincerely ask for help

E．Stay focused on coming up with an answer and following through on it

F．Because it is those background beliefs that fuel our emotional responses

G．Here are four ways you can develop greater emotional self-management

2 . Back in 1964, in his book Games People Play, psychiatrist Eric Berne described a pattern of conversation he called “Why Don’t You — Yes But”, which remains one of the most annoying aspects of everyday social life. The person adopting the strategy is usually a chronic complainer. Something is terrible about their relationship, job, or other situation, and they complain about it endlessly, but find some excuse to dismiss any solution that’s proposed. The reason, of course, is that on some level they don’t want a solution; they want to be validated (认可) in their position that the world is out to get them. If they can “win” the game — dismissing every suggestion until interlocutor (对话者) gives up in annoyance — they get to feel pleasurably righteous (正当的) in their anger and excused from any obligation to change.

Part of the trouble here is the so-called responsibility/fault fallacy (谬误). When you’re feeling hard done by — taken for granted by your partner, say, or obliged to work for a stupid boss — it’s easy to become attached to the position that it’s not your job to address the matter, and that doing so would be an admission of fault. But there’s a confusion here. For example, if I were to discover a newborn at my front door, it wouldn’t be my fault, but it most certainly would be my responsibility. There would be choices to make, and no possibility of avoiding them, since trying to ignore the matter would be a choice. The point is that what goes for the baby on the doorstep is true in all cases: even if the other person is 100% in the wrong, there’s nothing to be gained, long-term, from using this as a justification to evade responsibility.

Should you find yourself on the receiving end of this kind of complaining, there’s a clever way to shut it down — which is to agree with it. Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb describes this as “over-validation”. For one thing, you’ll be spared further complaining, since the other person’s motivation was to confirm her beliefs, and now you’re confirming them. But for another, as Gottlieb notes, people confronted with over-validation often hear their complaints afresh and start arguing back. The concept that they’re utterly powerless suddenly seems unrealistic, not to mention rather annoying — so they’re prompted instead to generate ideas about how they might change things.

“And then, sometimes, something magical might happen, ” Gotlieb writes. The other person “might realize she’s not as trapped as you are saying she is, or as she feels. ” Avoiding responsibility feels comfortable, but turns out to be a prison; whereas assuming responsibility feels unpleasant, but ends up being freeing.

1. What is the characteristic of a chronic complainer, according to Eric Berne?

A．They are angry about their ill treatment and feel bitter towards whoever tries to help.

B．They are habitually unhappy and endlessly find fault with people around them.

C．They constantly dismiss others’ proposals while taking no responsibility for dealing with the problem.

D．They lack the basic skills required for successful conversations with others.

2. What does the author try to illustrate with the example of the newborn on one’s doorstep?

A．People tend to think that one should not be held responsible for others’ mistakes.

B．It is easy to become attached to the position of overlooking one’s own fault.

C．People are often at a loss when confronted with a number of choices.

D．A distinction should be drawn between responsibility and fault.

3. What does the author advise people to do to chronic complainers?

A．Stop them from going further by agreeing with them.

B．Listen to their complaints attentively and sympathetically.

C．Ask them to validate their beliefs with further evidence.

D．Persuade them to clarify the confusion they caused.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．What is the responsibility/fault fallacy for chronic complainers?

B．How can you avoid dangerous traps in everyday social life?

C．Who are chronic complainers and how to deal with them?

D．Why should we stop being a chronic complainer and assume responsibility?

3 . The ISS orbits Earth at an average of 250 miles from the surface of Earth and completes 15.5 circles per day, once every 92 minutes. In other words, the astronauts see the sunrise and sunset 16 times every day!

The station is inhabited by astronauts conducting research in various fields, while also using it as an observatory to explore Earth and outer space. It is also intended to be a transportation center for spacecraft that are bound for the Moon, Mars and other interplanetary voyages.

The crew is not only responsible for the scientific experimentation and research being conducted onboard, but also the upkeep and maintenance of the vessel, a vessel that is continuously in motion and exposed to the worst possible elements. Such conditions are significant area of study for researchers.

The most common effect of space is the initial contact — getting used to such an alien environment. Astronauts are often seen to display anxiety or depression as they adjust to the novelty of space, according to post-psychiatric screenings of astronauts. Other causes of stress are the high pressure of work while being under frequent public observation, being away from home and family, and missing important events.

Sleep is another major factor that affects the mood and efficiency of the astronauts. Due to the irregularity in life and the constant rotation (转动) of sunrise and sunset, the circadian rhythm (生理节律) of the astronauts goes completely haywire, resulting in poor quality of sleep. The shuttle itself is noisy, with essential equipment always in operation to sustain the vessel. Half of all the astronauts onboard rely on sleeping pills to get some rest and manage to get an average 2 hours less sleep than when they’re back on Earth. Sleep is so critical for functionality that 50% of all medicines taken by astronauts in orbit is to help them sleep better. Low-Earth Orbit living is a restless endeavor, indeed.

1. Which of the following is most likely to affect the astronauts’ mood?

A．Scientific experiments onboard.

B．Observation of outer space.

C．Interplanetary voyages.

D．Exposure to extreme conditions.

2. Which of the following can best explain the underlined phrase in the last paragraph?

A．Return to normal.	B．Become out of control.
C．Go unnoticed.	D．Remain unchanged.

3. How can we describe the astronauts’ life in the ISS?

A．Highly-pressured.	B．Trouble-free.
C．Safe and sound.	D．Quiet and beautiful.

4. What is mainly discussed in the passage?

A．The functions of the ISS.

B．The missions of the astronauts.

C．The mental challenges of living in the ISS.

D．The splendid view of the space.

4 . How to Overcome Jealousy

Everyone feels a little jealous once in a while — maybe someone was acting better than you, or maybe your best friend has been having much fun with a new coworker.

However,     1     they can actually cause a conflict between you and the person you want to be closest to. To save the relationship and get some peace of mind, take some time to sort through your feelings before you act on them.

Admit how you’re feeling to yourself before you do anything else. If you notice you’re feeling a little jealous, take a few minutes to check in with yourself. It’s perfectly normal to get jealous once in a while, so don’t judge your feelings — just let yourself acknowledge that’s what’s going on.    2    .

Don’t act on your jealousy while you’re upset.    3    . There’s nothing wrong with simply feeling jealous — it happens to everyone, However, feeling jealous doesn’t mean you have to withdraw from your partner, or accuse them of anything. If you can observe how you’re feeling without acting on it, you may actually feel your jealousy starting to decrease.

    4    . Focus on your positive qualities. Jealousy can sometimes be rooted in insecurity and low self-esteem. However, it’s really important to remember that you re unique, with your own special talents. When you can embrace these, you’ll be less likely to feel jealous or insecure.

Remember that other people have problems, too.    5    . That can sometimes fuel jealous feelings, because you might feel like you want what they have, or that they can come and take what you have. Don’t fall into that trap, though, — other people often have problems that you never know about, no matter what their life looks like from the outside.

A．if jealous thoughts become really disturbing.

B．when you are always jealous of someone.

C．Take some time to cool off so you won’t say anything you’ll regret.

D．It can be really inviting to look at other people and think they have a perfect life.

E．Embrace yourself for who you are.

F．Reflect on the root of your jealous feelings.

G．Sometimes, just naming our emotions can help us start to get some control over them.