2 . Feelings are the emotional and physical responses to what we think about and how we react to daily events. Feelings are natural — we can’t stop them from happening. Because we are all different, we respond to feelings in various ways, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. But if we are aware of our feelings, we can learn to respect ourselves and others.

There are many misunderstandings about feelings. For example, “ Feelings, that womanish stuff. ” Recognizing that feelings are real and natural for everyone is important. Some of us may never agree that feelings are a part of living. It may be difficult for some of us to talk about our feelings. Learning about personal feelings is important in building self-awareness and relationships with others. Most mentally healthy individuals learn to accept feelings, both good and bad.

“Feelings don’t exist, or they are dangerous. So no one should talk about them. ” Refusing to admit feelings can damage relationships. It can also build up emotions to the point when negative behaviors break out, for example, when an angry person hits the table. Not being able to talk to those we respect about our feelings may cause an emotional “shut down ” . Talking about personal feelings with your family may help. But if it doesn’t, you may need to talk about your feelings with someone else.

Instead of denying feelings, it is healthier to talk about them. One of the most important things you can do to create respect in a family is never to deny someone’s feelings. Try to spend time each day, perhaps at the dinner table or in a private chat, talking about feelings. Teach your children by example, like “ I feel afraid that you will be sleepy tomorrow if you don’t go to bed soon. ” Learn to be a good listener and show understanding.

1. What is the feature of feelings?

A．They are negative.	B．They happen naturally.
C．They are dangerous.	D．They exist in women.

2. Why does the author mention “ an angry person hits the table ” in Paragraph 3?

A．To tell a story.

B．To explain an idea.

C．To show a fact.

D．To give a definition.

3. What is the author’s attitude toward talking about feelings?

A．Doubtful.

B．Negative.

C．Favorable.

D．Indifferent.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Ways of sharing feelings in a family.	B．Effects of denying someone’s feelings.
C．Reasons for having respect in a family.	D．Importance of teaching kids about feelings.

3 . 阅读下面文章，回答问题。

Quiet the Complainer

For years, Jane Booth’s mother made lengthy airing of complaints. It got so bad that Jane felt it was ruining the quality of their time together, so she finally spoke up and helped her mother realize how often she complained. It turned out that Jane’s intervention not only helped her mother—it also helped their relationship.

You may not be as direct as Jane was to her mother, but there are other ways to get a constant complainer to end. To be effective, it helps to correct misbeliefs about complaining in the first place. In fact, even the kindest, most considerate people complain. And complaining doesn’t always have a negative impact. Sometimes, complaining can change an unfavorable situation into a more desirable one. Other times, it can foster new relationships with people we don’t know well.

The problems start when complaining becomes the default mode (默认模式). “When we have a need to be heard, we repeat ourselves,” says Dian Killian, a life coach, “the satisfaction for frequent complainers comes from attention, so they are never satisfied with any suggestion to address the problems that they highlight—resolution isn’t their aim.”

So, how do you quiet a constant complainer, for the sake of your health and his?

Change the subject. Some complainers will switch gears if you shift the conversation in a direction that interests them.

Summarize the complaint. If your complainer keeps repeating himself, he may stop if you demonstrate that you’re listening.

Challenge the person to act. When a constant complainer tells you about his latest problem, ask nicely what he’s done to improve it.

Be honest. When you have things to do, tell the complainer that you must cut the conversation short—especially if it’s someone who’s complained to you many times before.

When someone stresses you out with lots of negativity, it’s important to talk about the problem. Otherwise, if you bottle up your feelings and continue listening to repeated complaints, you may grow annoyed or start avoiding the person.

Remember: Quieting a constant complainer can be beneficial to both of you.

1. What did Jane Booth do when she realized her mother’s frequent complaints were harming their relationship?
2. Find one example of the misbeliefs about complaining in Paragraph 2.
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Dian Killian points out that people complain frequently to seek suggestions for their problems.
4. Suppose one of your friends complains about almost everything in life. What will you do to help him?

5 . 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。You fall down on the road and a kid you barely know rushes over to help. You come home after a long day to find your dad has prepared your favorite meal. Just before lunch in social studies class, you learn about places where people don’t have clean water or enough food.     1     They’re likely to make you feel grateful.Gratitude (感恩) is one of many positive emotions. It’s about focusing on what’s good in our lives and being thankful for the things we have.     2     It’s taking a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are when something good happens — whether it’s a small thing or a big thing.

    3     Making a habit of gratitude can also be good for us. Like other positive emotions, feeling grateful on a regular basis can have a big effect on our lives. Brain research shows that positive emotions are good for our bodies, minds, and brains.Positive emotions open us up to see more possibilities and take in more information. They improve our ability to develop skills, learn, and make good decisions.

    4     When we feel grateful for someone’s kindness toward us, we may be more likely to do a kindness in return. Thanking people can make it more likely they’ll do a kindness again.

    5     When we feel and express heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to people in our lives, it creates loving bonds, builds trust, and helps you feel closer.

A．Gratitude doesn’t just feel good.

B．What do these have in common?

C．Gratitude can lead to positive actions.

D．Gratitude helps us build better relationships.

E．Such kind of people are more likely to succeed.

F．We can use lots of words to describe feelings of gratitude.

G．Gratitude is stopping to notice and appreciate the things that we often take for granted.

6 . Stop Negative Talk

“I’m so fat,” one of your friends says. The girl next to her joins in. “Welf, I hate my hair today.” Without thinking, you respond “No, you ate not fat! I am fat. And my hair is flat and boring.”     1    

It is easy for people to engage in self-critical conversations, and once it starts there is often pressure for you to join in.     2    Maybe it is because “just talking” feels harmless. But before you know it, those opinions flow out of your conversations and into your life, where they start eating away at your self-respect.

    3     When you start talking about yourself in a negative way, you are not only affecting your self-respect, but your friends! When you criticize yourself, your friends might think you have the same standards for them. You have heard that it is important to treat others the way you want to be treated, but there is also value in treating yourself like you treat your friends. If you wouldn't criticize your friend for the same thing, chances are that you are being too hard on yourself. So, don't start it.

But what if someone else starts? For example, your friend feels insecure about how well he played in his soccer game, so he puts himself down. “I suck at soccer.”     4     Ask him, “do you really think that? Why?” Maybe he is actually upset about a comment someone made, or is just getting down on himself over one bad play. Whatever it is, talking through the real issue will help him more than slipping into another negative talk.

It is important to talk to your friend about your insecurities, but make sure you are not talking about them just to put yourself down.     5     Instead of just focusing on the negative, talk about what makes you and your friends beautiful and unique-including what you love about your body und what you have accomplished. When you show yourself love, you set yourself as an example, and everyone benefits from you positively.

A．Negative talk affects self-respect.

B．Criticizing yourself helps nobody.

C．But why do we hesitate to praise ourselves?

D．But why is it acceptable to talk so negatively?

E．All it takes is just one comment and the negative talk starts.

F．It is better to resist negative conversations and create more balanced ones.

G．Before everyone puts himself down, see if you can get to the root of the problem