1 . All of us have taken an instant dislike to someone, and then felt guilty about being too judgmental. But now it seems we should place more trust in our first impressions. Most people can correctly judge a total stranger following a short meeting, according to scientists.
And in general, the more confident the people are, the more likely they are to be correct in their assumptions. Jeremy Biesanz, who led a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia, said: “Many important decisions are made after very brief encounters — which employee to hire, which person to date, which student to accept”. Although our first impressions are generally accurate, it is necessary for us to recognize where they may be not good enough.
The researchers arranged for two groups of more than 100 people to meet in a meeting. Much like speed-dating, the volunteers spoke to everyone in their group for three minutes each. At the end of each three-minute chat, they were asked to rate each other’s personalities, and how well they thought their impressions “would coincide with someone who knows this person very well”.
To find out what the person was “really” like, the scientists had his friends and family fill out his personality reports. Generally speaking, the more confident the volunteers felt in accurately rating another’s personality, the closer their ratings were to those of the other person’s friends and family, the researchers said.
However, the participants with the highest accuracy were those who rated themselves moderately(适度)accurate — those highly confident of their judgment were less successful. The scientists concluded that, although we know people are different from each other, a good judge of character knows that in many ways people are mostly alike. For example, almost everyone would prefer being kind to being unfriendly.
Therefore, while first impressions can be generally accurate, they are not conclusive in working out whether somebody really is “better” than someone else.
1. The volunteers joined a meeting which was ______.| A．interesting | B．complex | C．serious | D．brief |
| A．agree with | B．appeal to | C．get along with | D．set an example to |
①Being talkative ②Good social relationships
③A proper degree of confidence ④Knowing that people are mostly alike
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．③④ | D．④① |
| A．many important decisions are made with the help of strangers |
| B．people tend to have better impressions on friends than on strangers |
| C．we shouldn’t depend on first impressions completely to judge others |
| D．accurate judgments on others can help us make as many friends as possible |
| A．We should not doubt our ability to judge others. |
| B．Our first impressions on a stranger are usually accurate. |
| C．Confidence determines whether people can succeed or not. |
| D．It’s an important task to make a good judgment about strangers. |
2 . Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced some challenges in friendships and relationships with family members. We might find ourselves frustrated(懊恼的) or angry with other people, or even find that we argue with them. The reality is that nobody is perfect and we need to realise that we should find ways to live happier and less stressful lives. Here are some tips on how to make relationships happier and healthier.
Respect other people and accept them
This is the most important point. If we want to show someone we love them, we need to first respect who they are and show them we accept them for who they are: Everyone is unique with different experiences and lives. By always remembering this, we will be able to develop and maintain strong relationships.
Be interested in others’ interests
We might have friends who are crazy about sports, while we prefer reading. Or perhaps a parent’s hobby seems boring to us but it is something they love. If we want to keep our relationships strong and positive, we should at least take time to listen to them and talk about what matters to them. By doing this, we show them that we care about them and their interests
Apologise when you make a mistake
This is the hardest thing for most of us to do, yet a simple “I’m sorry” can undo a lot of tension. By being humble when you make a mistake, you can fix any problem you may have caused and also show that you are a mature person
Stay connected through communication
Good communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When you experience a positive emotional connection with your partner, you feel safe and happy. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out the disconnect. It may sound simplistic, but as long as you are communicating, you can usually work through whatever problems you’re facing.
So, try and follow the advice and you will find that you have happier and stronger relationships with your friends and loved ones
1. What can be concluded from Paragraph 2?| A．We need to realise that others are often wrong in our dealings with them. |
| B．Our friends and loved ones can cause us stress by being wrong. |
| C．Everyone can be right and wrong at times and we need to remember that. |
| D．We should accept the people we love and respect them. |
| A．be positive and confident |
| B．discuss our partner’s concerns |
| C．put our friends’ interests first |
| D．be familiar with our parents’ hobbies |
| A．Ignore our friends’ preferences. |
| B．Never apologize for our mistakes. |
| C．Check in with our friends regularly. |
| D．No need to be mature. |
| A．Being mature and admitting our mistakes when we make them. |
| B．Respecting the fact that others may not appreciate our hobbies and interests. |
| C．Showing our love for others when they hurt us or disrespect us. |
| D．Accepting that our friends will eventually grow apart from us. |
| A．To offer some tips on making healthier relationships |
| B．To remind us about the challenges in friendships and relationships. |
| C．To help us maintain relationships with family members. |
| D．To share ways to live happier and less stressful lives. |
3 . When we hurt someone, we may be unwilling to acknowledge our fault and make an apology because it makes us feel guilty, conflicts with our beliefs about being a good person, or means accepting that we’re imperfect human beings. We may want to excuse our behavior and blame the other person, minimizing our role in hurting him or her.
Researchers carried out a study to find out how we can be better at apologizing. In the study, researchers asked 120 college students to recall a time when they’d hurt someone else and the conflict remained unresolved. Then, participants were randomly assigned to either a 15-minute guided mindfulness exercise focusing on their breath and having people think in the present moment or a guided mind-wandering exercise, where they were encouraged to let their minds wander.
Afterward, they were asked to report how much they felt like apologizing to the person versus not apologizing or offering excuses for their behavior. Then, they were asked to write a note to the person, without instructions to apologize or not. In analyzing the notes, the researchers found that participants who had practiced mindfulness were more likely to write statements like “I’m sorry” or “I apologize” in their notes than those who had mind-wandered.
“One way in which we can foster apologies is by having people think in the present moment,” lead author Sana Rizvi says. “We can teach individuals to be mindful of their present states, and it can be done in about 15 minutes.”
Why might this be the case? Rizvi isn’t sure, as there has been very little research on how being more mindful might affect us when we hurt others. Prior research has found that being more mindful helps victims of wrong doing to be more forgiving, and it seems to improve relationships generally.
Mindfulness makes us feel less defensive and, therefore, helps us consider the importance of the other person in the conflict more. It’s encouraging that teaching simple mindfulness techniques (like focused breathing) could increase apologies, especially in places that are often filled with interpersonal conflicts, like workplaces or other occasions. It could help improve interpersonal interactions and repair relationships helping people move more easily from a place of conflict to understanding and forgiveness.
1. What does the author want to convey in Paragraph 1?| A．It is difficult for us to apologize. | B．It is hard to put ideas into action. |
| C．It is normal for us to make mistakes. | D．It is useless to regret what we have done. |
| A．They were bad at handling conflicts. |
| B．They were encouraged to discuss their trouble. |
| C．They did something hurtful to others in the past. |
| D．They received mindfulness training before the study. |
| A．Mind-wandering tended to increase conflicts. |
| B．Mindfulness could help people apologize more. |
| C．College students are more likely to behave responsibly. |
| D．College students seem to have better emotional control. |
| A．It is challenging to carry out. | B．It takes time to prove its effect. |
| C．It solves conflicts once and for all | D．It helps achieve better relationships. |
| A．Necessity of apology. | B．Benefits of mindfulness. |
| C．Apology and mindfulness. | D．Understanding and mindfulness. |
4 . Like many people, in terms of socializing, I prioritize making time for my closest friends and family. When it comes to reaching out to people I don’t know as well I often find myself reluctant to engage. This could be a big mistake, though, according to a new study. Having different types of social interactions seems to be central to our happiness — something many of us may think little of.
In a series of surveys, researchers looked at how having a socially diverse network related to people’s well-being. In one survey, 578 Americans reported on what activities they had been engaged in, with whom and for how long over the past 24 hours, while also saying how happy with life they were. The researchers found that people with more diverse social networks were happier and more satisfied with life than those with less diverse networks — regardless of how much time they had spent socializing overall.
“The more you can broaden your social circle and reach out to people you talk to less frequently — like an acquaintance, a friend, a coworker, or even a stranger — the more it could have positive benefits for your well-being,” said the lead researcher Hanne Collins of Harvard Business School.
To further test this idea, she and her colleagues looked at large data sets from the American Time Use Survey and the World Health Organization’s Study on Global Aging and Adult Health. In both cases, they found that when people had a broader range of social interactions, they experienced greater happiness and well-being.
Then Collins and her colleagues did another analysis, using data from a mobile app that 21,644 French-speaking people used to report on their daily social activities and happiness. There, they found that when someone experienced greater-than-average social diversity one week, they were happier that week and the week after.
Why is that? It could be that being with different people contributes to different kinds of emotions, which may be a driving force in our happiness, says Collins. Alternatively, it could be that having a more diverse network allows you to get various social supports when you need it. Whatever the case, Collins hopes her research will inspire people to expand their social networks when they can.
1. What does the author use as an introduction to the passage?| A．A personal communication skill. |
| B．A social trend against one’s will. |
| C．A common social phenomenon. |
| D．A culture many people neglect. |
| A．Its results were different from culture to culture. |
| B．Different results were obtained from the researchers’ three surveys. |
| C．The researchers collected large amounts of data from different platforms. |
| D．It focused on the impact of a more diverse social network on life satisfaction. |
| A．Any stranger or co-worker can bring you happiness. |
| B．Broad social circle contributes to more happiness. |
| C．Happiness depends only on social interactions. |
| D．Close relationship influences happiness badly. |
| A．By providing motivation for life. |
| B．By leading to one’s balanced life. |
| C．By arousing one’s positive emotions. |
| D．By making him / her sensitive to happiness. |
| A．Collins’s social life. |
| B．Collins’s conclusions. |
| C．Collins’s new research. |
| D．Collins’s specific suggestions. |
5 . One person’s happiness causes a chain reaction that benefits not only their friends, but their friends’ friends, and their friends’ friends’ friends. The effect lasts for up to one year. The opposite, interestingly, is not the case: Sadness does not spread through social networks as strongly as happiness. Happiness appears to love company more so than misery.
Focusing on 4,739 individuals, Christakis and Fowler, who co-authored this study, observed more than 50,000 social and family ties and analyzed the spread of happiness throughout this group. The researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, a friend living within a mile experiences a 25 percent increased chance of becoming happy. A co-resident spouse (配偶) experiences an 8 percent increased chance, siblings (兄弟姐妹) living within one mile have a 14 percent increased chance, and for next-door neighbors, 34 percent. But the real surprise came with indirect relationships. Again, while an individual becoming happy increases his friend’s chances, a friend of that friend experiences a nearly 10 percent chance of increased happiness, and a friend of that friend has a 5.6 percent increased chance.
The researchers also found that, contrary to what your parents taught you, popularity does lead to happiness. People in the center of their network groups are the most likely people to become happy, and then there are chances that increase to the extent that the people surrounding them also have lots of friends. However, becoming happy does not help migrate a person from the network fringe (外围) to the center. Happiness spreads through the network without changing its structure.
“Imagine a bird’s eye view of a backyard party,” Fowler explains. “You’ll see people in groups at the center, and others on the fringe. The happiest people tend to be the ones in the center. But someone on the fringe who suddenly becomes happy, say through a particular exchange, doesn’t suddenly move into the center of the group. He simply stays where he is—only now he has a far more satisfying sense of well-being.”
Next time, if you’re happy and you know it, thank your friends—and their friends. And while you’re at it, their friends’ friends. But if you’re sad, hold the blame.
1. Who will be more likely to become happy as a man is happy according to the research?| A．His wife. | B．His next-door neighbors. |
| C．His brothers and sisters. | D．A friend of his friend. |
| A．To explain a rule. | B．To clarify a concept. |
| C．To describe a fact. | D．To make a prediction. |
| A．Happiness changes social structures. |
| B．A social network is a double-edged sword. |
| C．Happiness goes hand in hand with sadness. |
| D．Happiness spreads through social networks. |
| A．Friends’ friends may bring you happiness. |
| B．Your friends are to blame for your sadness. |
| C．Your friends decide whether you are happy. |
| D．The happiest friends at party are on the fringe. |
Putting on weight could be a side-effect of loneliness, research suggests. Women, who feel lonely, are hungrier, and they even find a big meal less satisfying. This could be the body’s way of telling them to seek company, for eating has been a sociable activity throughout human evolution.
The researchers asked 42 women not to eat overnight, and then gave them a large breakfast. The women rated their hunger before and after their meal and blood samples which revealed their levels of ghrelin --- the “hunger hormone (激素)”. As expected, levels of ghrelin fell after eating and then started to rise. However, the rise was much quicker in the lonely women, and they made much more of the hormone. They also said they felt hungrier. They said: “The need for social connection is essential to human nature. As a result, people may feel hungrier when they feel socially disconnected.”
Interestingly, loneliness only makes thin women hungrier. It has no effect on the appetite of those who are corpulent. It isn’t clear why this is, but it is possible that the shame related with being fat makes socializing less valuable for them. Other studies suggest you should choose your company carefully at mealtimes. It has been shown that we tend to mimic (模仿) our dining companion’s eating habits, taking mouthfuls at the same time and eating more when our companion does. The link with appetite could help explain the range of devastating effects loneliness can have on health.
Being cut off from friends and family can raise blood pressure, stress and the risk of depression, as well as weakening the immune system (免疫系统) and a person’s resistance to disease (早老性痴呆). Overall, loneliness is as damaging as smoking or not exercising.
1. How will the lonely people react, according to Paragraph 1? (no more than 5 words)2. What does the body want to tell by being hungry? (no more than 7 words)
3. What is essential to human nature? (no more than 5 words)
4. What does the underlined word “corpulent” probably mean? (1 word )
5. What do you tend to do while feeling lonely? (no more than 30 words)
| A．To book a room. |
| B．To make a complaint. |
| C．To ask for help. |
8 . There’s a song by the great Jamaican singer Bob Marley called So Much Trouble In The World. Marley understood that part of the reason why there are so many problems in the world is the lack of tolerance between people. The UN understands this too that’s why it made Nov 16 “International Day for Tolerance”.
But first of all, what is tolerance? French philosopher Voltaire (1694 — 1778) can give us some help. According to him, tolerance “is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty (脆弱) and error; let us pardon each other’s folly — that is the first law of nature.”
Nobody’s perfect. When we’re tempted to criticize another person, we should perhaps remember our own imperfections first.
Very often, people don’t realize that they’re intolerant. This is because intolerance has a lot to do with ignorance. For example, the UN’s campaign is in part about the treatment of females by males. But often, the behavior of men toward women is intolerant because men don’t put themselves in the shoes of women.
It’s worth thinking a little about the words “tolerance” and “intolerance”. Are they the best words to describe the evils of which we’re speaking here? To agree to be “tolerant” of someone isn’t necessarily a very respectful thing. When someone is tolerated, it implies that there’s something wrong with them.
But it seems wrong that people should agree to “tolerate” people with black skin, for example. And should women think they have received the respect they are due when men agree to “tolerate” them?
Still, what Voltaire said stands: We humans are not perfect and this weakness is something that we all share. That’s the reason we should be tolerant.
It’s a little like generosity. We can give things to another person, and we can also give our forgiveness. Bob Marley understood this. In the song mentioned above, he advised: “Write your love on a rock so it stays for eternity (永恒); write your hate in the sand so the waves will wash it away.”
1. What’s the purpose of the UN “International Day For Tolerance”?| A．To arouse peoples awareness of tolerance among people. |
| B．To celebrate the founding of the UN. |
| C．To solve the problem of global community. |
| D．To change people’s opinions towards globalization. |
| A．being willing to express your love to others |
| B．trying to overcome your imperfections |
| C．giving a hand to vulnerable groups (弱势群体) |
| D．accepting each other’s weaknesses |
| A．They are used to finding faults. |
| B．They consider tolerance a kind of frailty. |
| C．They don’t see things from the angle of others. |
| D．They are intolerant of themselves too. |
| A．Humans are advised to treat others better. | B．Humans learned to find faults in others. |
| C．Humans need to give something to others. | D．Humans will change their attitudes to others. |
| A．The origin of the International Day of Tolerance. |
| B．The meaning and importance of tolerance. |
| C．The philosophy behind Bob Marley’s song. |
| D．Effective ways to show tolerance. |
9 . While working as a graduate student in New York City, Vanessa Bohns was given the much
Was it possible, she wondered, that most of us are
Knowing this can help us understand how our requests might
| A．appealing | B．exhausting | C．sensitive | D．ashamed |
| A．glared | B．approached | C．passed | D．pushed |
| A．sympathetic | B．glad | C．annoyed | D．tolerant |
| A．upset | B．anxious | C．hesitant | D．willing |
| A．expected | B．requested | C．promised | D．recognized |
| A．curious | B．skeptical | C．wrong | D．cautious |
| A．discovered | B．conducted | C．planned | D．recorded |
| A．case | B．circumstance | C．occasion | D．condition |
| A．ignore | B．complain | C．refuse | D．cooperate |
| A．On the contrary | B．On the whole | C．On the surface | D．On the go |
| A．optimistic | B．critical | C．negative | D．neutral |
| A．strange | B．great | C．disappointing | D．normal |
| A．deny | B．doubt | C．appreciate | D．subscribe |
| A．misuse | B．overstate | C．distinguish | D．underestimate |
| A．imitate | B．practise | C．measure | D．perform |
| A．agree | B．fail | C．claim | D．pretend |
| A．angry | B．familiar | C．happy | D．uncomfortable |
| A．mislead | B．impress | C．affect | D．puzzle |
| A．accurately | B．accordingly | C．smoothly | D．systematically |
| A．boundaries | B．assumptions | C．defence | D．intention |
10 . Trying to find the perfect present is about as easy as trying to read someone’s mind. Few people will actually tell you what they want for a special occasion. So what to do? Here are some tips that could help.
Start Early
Be honest-do you wait until the last minute to start looking for presents? While you are definitely not alone in this ritual, it is something you might want to try to change. Starting your shopping early can have a number of advantages, particularly when stocking up for holidays such as Christmas. If you plan in advance rather than last minute you can go shopping online which increases your gift buying possibilities as you’ll have time to factor in the delivery of the gift.
Make a List, Check It Twice
Now is the time to put your thinking cap on as you make a list. If you are lucky, you should be able to find a few good ideas in one of these lists. However, what if this list isn’t as helpful as you might have hoped? In this instance, write down different personality traits of the person you are shopping for. Then try to determine how to use this information to find a gift that is perfectly suited to them.
Think Outside the Box
If you are still coming up empty, it is time to get creative. Often, the reason you get stuck for gift ideas is because you are restricting yourself too much. An example of being creative is to think about what your friend’s office looks like. This can give you lots of ideas to give him a gift for his workspace. In the end, it’s about finding something he can use every day, something he can really appreciate.
Gift an Experience
If a regular old present isn’t doing the trick, it may be time to think a little bigger. Instead of a physical gift, you can give someone an experience that they will never forget. You may be wondering what an “experience” means exactly. Well, it can be anything that will interest the recipient. If they are an adventurer, a local or foreign trip will be excellent. On the other hand, if they are a sports enthusiast, you can buy them tickets to a significant game.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Many people make a plan in advance. |
| B．You have many friends who do the same. |
| C．People tend to send gifts earlier than planned. |
| D．Other people also buy presents at the last moment. |
| A．Listing the character features of your friends. |
| B．Thinking it over before making a decision. |
| C．Asking your friends what they like best. |
| D．Doing shopping with your friends. |
| A．Presents should be unique and special. |
| B．Practical presents can be a good option. |
| C．Offices are usually designed for creation. |
| D．Appreciation could be shown through gifts. |
| A．Dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant. |
| B．Visiting a science museum in your town. |
| C．Buying a smart phone with an advanced camera. |
| D．Taking a trip to Mount Tai in the coming summer. |
| A．To show the significance of pleasing friends. |
| B．To offer some tips on buying friends presents. |
| C．To suggest several ways on how to make friends. |
| D．To stress the importance of buying gifts for friends. |
