1 . A few years ago, a friend sent me a restaurant gift card and I picked a pretty Sunday afternoon to use it. It felt _______ taking my kids to a nice restaurant instead of the fast food places we_______ate at.

When the waiter _______the bill，I looked down at it. The gift card couldn’t_______all of it. I reached into my wallet to get money for the_______. I saw two notes in it. The first would pay the rest of the bill and _______ the waiter a nice tip (小费）.The second was much larger_______ I wanted to pick out the first one.

At that moment my_______went back to 30 years before as I worked in a restaurant for long hours with low_______that could only feed my family. I also remembered how more than once I saw the waiters________their small tips while worrying about how they were going to buy what their________needed. I still remembered the ________in their eyes and saw the sadness in their faces.

Soon, I was back in the present again. My fingers________the smaller note, I smiled, pushed it back and took out the much larger one. I handed it to the waiter, “You keep the change.” I said with a________heart.

We are all one family in this world. Let's just do our best to be a good person and________the suffering with joy.

1.

A．funny

B．strange

C．good

D．interesting

2.

A．hardly

B．lastly

C．finally

D．usually

3.

A．took

B．brought

C．got

D．checked

4.

A．cover

B．exchange

C．hold

D．include

5.

A．rest

B．waiter

C．card

D．tip

6.

A．return

B．keep

C．send

D．give

7.

A．so

B．but

C．unless

D．though

8.

A．mind

B．idea

C．view

D．belief

9.

A．price

B．pay

C．level

D．cost

10.

A．giving

B．catching

C．counting

D．refusing

11.

A．friends

B．neighbours

C．children

D．workmates

12.

A．light

B．anger

C．joy

D．pain

13.

A．touching

B．beating

C．passing

D．lifting

14.

A．brave

B．happy

C．broken

D．heavy

15.

A．share

B．replace

C．connect

D．mix

2 . Giving generously and receiving gratefully make it easier to live happily with others.     1    

Let me start with the idea of giving generously.     2     For example, my husband and I have family members who only contact us when they need money. We usually accept their requests, but we rarely receive a “ thank you ”. Most people would say that my husband and I are being used, and I suppose we are. But when we give, we shouldn't be giving for the purpose of getting gratitude or praise.     3    

The good news is that when we lead our lives being nice to others, our lives run more smoothly. If you're generous, yes, some people will use you. But if you practice being generous, most of your relationships will improve.

    4     I truly believe that you cannot say "thank you" enough when you receive. So often we get lazy about expressing gratitude. Parents can feel unappreciated by their children, and teachers can feel unappreciated by their students. Do you think it unnecessary to thank them when receiving just because a task is part of someone's job description? That's wrong!

Words of appreciation make others feel good about themselves like nothing else. It's good for us to say "thank you" because we regularly need to remind ourselves of how lucky we are.     5    

If you are looking for a way to improve your life, I can give you one： Give generously and receive gratefully.

A．Thus, saying "thank you” can bring us good luck.

B．Rather, we should be giving because it's a good thing.

C．And hearing those two words can make us feel great for days.

D．And at the same time, we should remember to receive gratefully.

E．In return, we are to help others by giving them our time or money,

F．I think people are unwilling to be generous to others for fear of being used.

G．Yet, why do we have such difficulty achieving these things in our relationships?

3 . “Hi, Mrs. Grady,” said Mark, “Would you like us to shovel (铲除) your driveway?”

Mrs. Grady touched her hand to her heart. “That would be ___________, boys. I think the job is too much for me.”

“It will cost 10 ___________.” said Jamie.

“If that’s OK,” Mark ___________.

Shoveling was Jamie’s idea, a way to earn enough money for video games.

“Oh, dear.” Mrs. Grady sounded _____________. “I haven’t been able to get to the bank. I can ___________ homemade cookies, but I realize that’s not what you had in ___________.”

Mark was going to say Mrs. Grady could ___________ them another time, but Jamie_________. “We’ll come back later.”

As they walked through the snow off the _________, Mark glanced over his shoulder. Mrs. Grady stood at her window, __________ them.

She didn’t look like the person who’d come to his __________ last summer when Mr. Dunn’s dog, Goldie, escaped from his backyard. Goldie had __________ wanted to play, but Mark didn’t feel __________ around big dogs. Mark tried to call for his dad, but his ____________ seemed locked behind his teeth.

Mrs. Grady’s front door flew open. She ran across the street and slipped __________ Mark and the dog. She wasn’t much __________ than Mark, but she stood ____________ as a rock in front of him. “Goldie, go home!” Then she swept a broom to ____________ the dog along. “Get!” Goldie ____________.

When Mark’s father appeared, he said to Mrs. Grady. “That was very ____________! Thank you.”

Mrs. Grady laughed. “It’s nothing. Good neighbors watch for each other, don’t they?”

1.

A．vital

B．wonderful

C．practical

D．expensive

2.

A．hours

B．dollars

C．days

D．cookies

3.

A．added

B．advised

C．bargained

D．concluded

4.

A．satisfied

B．uninterested

C．considerate

D．disappointed

5.

A．sell

B．accept

C．offer

D．swap

6.

A．need

B．store

C．mind

D．common

7.

A．pay

B．reward

C．visit

D．save

8.

A．turned up

B．calmed down

C．passed out

D．broke in

9.

A．backyard

B．door

C．driveway

D．window

10.

A．admiring

B．watching

C．scolding

D．expecting

11.

A．rescue

B．treatment

C．company

D．shelter

12.

A．just

B．already

C．well

D．almost

13.

A．confident

B．comfortable

C．different

D．determined

14.

A．mouth

B．nose

C．eyes

D．tongue

15.

A．under

B．into

C．between

D．against

16.

A．quicker

B．taller

C．cleverer

D．healthier

17.

A．straight

B．attentively

C．naturally

D．firm

18.

A．clean

B．get

C．come

D．hurry

19.

A．refused

B．moved

C．obeyed

D．hesitated

20.

A．brave

B．generous

C．confident

D．optimistic

4 . When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant _______ Miller King, who was the best player at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for _______.

Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from hospital. He looked very _______, but he didn’t cry.

That season, I _______ all of Miller’s records while he _______ the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player, but I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s _______.

One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller _______ going over a fence — which wasn’t _______ to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept _______ from. But even that challenge he accepted. I assisted him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally ________ on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did fine. Thank you for filling in for ________.”

His words freed me from my bad ________. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was ________ ahead of me. I was right to have ________ him. From that day on, I grew ________ and a little more real.

1.

A．cheering for

B．beating out

C．relying on

D．staying with

2.

A．comfort

B．show

C．practice

D．pleasure

3.

A．pale

B．calm

C．relaxed

D．ashamed

4.

A．held

B．broke

C．set

D．tried

5.

A．reported

B．judged

C．organized

D．watched

6.

A．decision

B．mistake

C．accident

D．sacrifice

7.

A．stuck

B．hurt

C．tired

D．lost

8.

A．steady

B．hard

C．fun

D．fit

9.

A．praise

B．advice

C．help

D．apology

10.

A．dropped

B．ready

C．trapped

D．safe

11.

A．us

B．yourself

C．me

D．them

12.

A．memories

B．ideas

C．attitudes

D．dreams

13.

A．still

B．also

C．yet

D．just

14.

A．challenged

B．cured

C．invited

D．admired

15.

A．healthier

B．bigger

C．cleverer

D．cooler

5 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with mall talk,” he explains. “The key to successful                           small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”

In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction (互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to                                        the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”

Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.

1. What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?

A．Addiction to smartphones.	B．Bad behaviours in public places.
C．Anger with slow service.	D．Absence of communication between strangers.

2. What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?

A．Showing good manners.	B．Relating to other people.
C．Focusing on a topic.	D．Making business deals.

3. What does the coffee-shop study suggest about small talk?

A．It improves family relationships.	B．It raises people’s confidence.
C．It matters as much as a formal talk.	D．It makes people feel good.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Conversational Intelligence	B．Ways of Making Small Talk
C．Benefits of Small Talk	D．Uncomfortable Silence

6 . “Do not tell anyone”. We often hear these words when someone tells us a secret. But keeping a secret is hard. We’re often tempted to “spill the beans”, even if we regret it later.

According to the professor, Asim Shah, keeping a secret may well “become a burden”. This is because people often have an “eager and anxious urge to share it with someone”. An earlier study, led by Anita, a scientist at the University of Notre Dame, US, suggested that keeping a secret could cause stress. People entrusted with secrets can suffer from depression, anxiety, and body aches, reported the Daily Mail.

Secrets are so often getting out. Why do people share them at all? Shah explained that people often feel that it will help them keep a person as a friend. Another reason people share secrets is guilt over keeping it from someone close to them. A sense of distrust can develop when people who are close do not share it with each other. “Keeping or sharing secrets often puts people in a position of either gaining or losing the trust of someone, ”according to Shah.

He added that talkative people could let secrets slip out. But this doesn’t mean that it is a good idea only to share secrets with quiet people. A quiet person may be someone who keeps everything inside. To tell such a person a secret may cause them stress, and make them talk about the secret.

Shah said that to judge whether to tell someone a secret, you’d better put yourself in their position. Think about how you would feel to be told that you mustn’t give the information away. Shah also recommended that if you accidentally give up someone’s secret you should come clean about it. Let the person know that their secret isn’t so secret any more.

1. What does the underlined phrase “spill the beans” mean?

A．Keep silent.

B．Tell the truth.

C．Let out a secret.

D．Eat our words.

2. How many reasons are mentioned in Para.3 why people tend to share secrets?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Quiet people are more likely to keep the secrets to themselves.

B．Sharing secrets helps establish friendship or get over the sense of guilt.

C．A person asked to keep a secret will suffer from psychological problems only.

D．Putting yourself in others’ shoes helps realize the difficulty of keeping secrets.

7 . If you’re one of the people who find it difficult to make small talk at parties, it may be because you’re asking the wrong questions, experts said.

For example, while the question "What do you do? "is a classic conversation starter，it may lead to an embarrassing moment if your conversation partner is unemployed or simply doesn’t want to talk about work.

Instead of “What do you do?”, try asking "What keeps you busy?"expert Daniel Post Senning said. That way, the question applies to people whether or not they have traditional jobs.

As it turns out, Senning considers work life one of the most intimate(私密的) conversation topics, right up there with family, health, and finance. Slightly less intimate topics include politics and dating, while the safest topics to discuss include sports, weather and pop culture.

Meanwhile, in other countries, the "What do you do? " question could even be taken as offensive (冒犯的). In France,for example, "They will be offended, believing you’ re trying to put them into a box, "culture writer Julie Barlow said. “And they just don’t think it’s interesting to work for a living. There are other things they’d much rather talk about.”

But other than rephrasing(改述) the question, there are plenty of other strategies you can use to start meaningful conversations with strangers.

For one, it helps to ask your conversation partner open-ended questions, which prompt(引起)more detailed answers than yes-or-no questions. A question like "Did you have a good weekend? "will get a less thought-provoking (发人深思的) response than “What was the best part of your weekend?”

Communication expert Yasmin Sara Merchant also recommends preparing a few conversation topics in advance related to the event, like "How do you know the host? "or “What is your connection to this event?”

1. What may Senning think about the “What do you do? "question?

A．It is a less private topic.

B．It is better than topics about family

C．It may discomfort those who are unemployed

D．It can hardly be replaced by the“What keeps you busy? ”question

2. How will the French feel when they are asked about their work?

A．Confident

B．Puzzled

C．Angry

D．Unconcerned

3. What does Merchant suggest?

A．Giving detailed answers

B．Asking open-ended questions

C．Avoiding asking intimate questions.

D．Preparing event-related topics ahead of time

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．What kind of questions people prefer to ask

B．How to make friends at parties

C．Why some people hate small talk

D．How to ask small talk questions properly

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Friendship is one of the most important things in everyone’s life.     1     is very difficult to find a better definition(定义) of friendship. A true friend is the person     2     can share all our sadness and double all our happiness. In time of trial(尝试), he or she is always at our side to give us his or her help and comfort. Knowing how     3     (value) friendship is, we should be very careful with our    4    (choose) of a friend. We should choose those people with a good character as our friends, but we must try to avoid     5     (make) friends with a bad man. Besides, we should forgive their mistakes and try to help them as much as possible.

A true friend can always     6     (trust), loved and respected. If you tell a friend your secrets, he or she won’t tell others. Friends share their     7     (joy) and sorrows. They help each other when they are     8     trouble, and cheer each other up when they are sad.     9     most important thing is that a friend always understands you.

In conclusion,     10     you have made a good friend, don’t forget him or her.

9 . How to Meet New People

Everybody knows that first impressions are important. If you want to know how to meet people, just follow these steps.

●Live in the moment.

To meet new people, the first thing you have to do is to enjoy the present moment of the new conversation. Let go of your expectations and fears.     1    

When you meet a new person, don’t ask yourself, “How do I look?” or “How do I sound?” Instead, ask, “What would this person like to talk about?” “What matters to this person?”

●     2    

If you keep up your confidence, people feel that you’re a person who is worth talking to. You should be confident before you walk into a room with new people in it and build your confidence as the conversation goes along. Just smile, talk about the things that you love, and show everyone that you love who you are, where you are, and what you do.

    3     Stand tall, maintain eye contact, and don’t fidget with your hands or look at the floor. When you introduce yourself, speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard.

●Be positive.

    4    You should smile from time to time. Talk about the things you love, the things that make you happy, and your interests to keep people engaged.

Don’t talk about your long-standing hatred for a certain person.     5     The occasional “That’s so true!” or “I know exactly what you mean!” will be far more positive.

A．Stay confident.

B．Body language can help you stay confident.

C．Don’t ask for the person’s number in the middle of the conversation.

D．Don’t nod and agree with what the person is saying every five seconds.

E．Communicate in a fun and casual way.

F．Maintaining a positive attitude will make people want to talk to you.

G．They can prevent a conversation from going smoothly.

10 . What does the man ask the woman to do?

A．Lend him a book.

B．Return a book to the library.

C．Show him the way to the library.