1 . There’s a long line of research showing that when we make contact with people who’re socially different from us, we tend to feel less prejudice towards them. According to the contact theory, contact seems to work best for reducing prejudice when the contact is generally positive. But what happens when the conditions for interpersonal contact may not be ideal? For example, what if you feel threatened in some way by a group of people you see as “the other”?

Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium analyzed the results of 34 studies surveying nearly 64,000 people from 19 countries to see how intergroup contact affected their viewpoints about “outgroups” under conflict situations. For example, people were asked to report on how they viewed other groups. The researchers also had data from the surveys that measured attitudes towards outgroup members, such as how positive people felt towards them and how much they could trust them.

After analyzing the data, the researchers found strong feelings of threat were associated with more negative views of outgroup members. But having contact with outgroup members still reduced prejudice just as much under those unfavorable conditions. To Jasper Van Assche, the lead author of the paper, this suggests contact theory holds even under conflict situations.

Van Assche says that contact is so powerful probably because just being around people from an outgroup affects how we think and feel about them. As we become accustomed to even the me re presence of people from other groups, that can reduce our anxiety, especially if the encounters are positive—and that can lead to warmer feelings. Also, contact can enhance our knowledge about others’ customs and practices, so that they don’t seem so foreign or “other” to us.

Van Assche hopes his research can lead people to see the benefits of integrating the spaces where they live. This could be done through top-down methods, such as the government requiring school integration, but also from the bottom up. For example, suggests Van Assche, communities could create low-cost, low-key events that bring people together, helping to promote tolerance.

1. Why are the questions raised in paragraph 1?

A．To inspire readers’ imagination.	B．To argue against the contact theory.
C．To show the author’s curiosity.	D．To offer the purpose of the study.

2. Why can interpersonal contact reduce prejudice?

A．It improves people’s adaptive capacity.	B．It increases people’s desire to socialize.
C．It promotes each other’s understanding.	D．It makes people emotionally stable.

3. What might be Van Assche’s advice according to the text?

A．Expanding communities on the whole.

B．Increasing chances of positive contact.

C．Strengthening interactions between schools.

D．Offering equal education opportunities to diverse groups.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．People involved in equal contact are generally positive	B．Opportunities for intergroup contact are on the rise
C．The interventions based on contact are unhealthy	D．Interpersonal contact can help people connect

3 . “Individuals of all ages who have empathy (共情) understand that sometimes telling little white lies can protect other people from getting hurt,” says Barbara Greenberg, a clinical psychologist in Connecticut. “Most people that I have come across tell these little white lies because they understand that 100 percent honesty all the time is not beneficial.” A white lie, she explains, spares people from unnecessary hurt.

At the same time, Dr. Julia Breur, a marriage and family therapist in Florida, emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the way we respond to someone. The fact is that not telling the truth can result in something unpleasant on you; it’s not just about the person the white lie is being told to. For example, she says someone who always tells others that “all is good” when it comes to a sick parent in an effort to avoid discussions about how serious their health issue really is, can eventually face stressful experiences. When that parent eventually passes away, the person who always gave an “all is good” response ends up emotionally broken.

Sometimes, telling white lies often depends on the situation, Dr. Breur says. For example, consider a woman who has not seen her mother for several months. The daughter has gained noticeable weight, yet the mother responds by excitedly declaring that she looks great. “I emphasize during psychotherapy sessions with my patients that context helps define meaning,” Dr. Breur says. “So when we look at the context of a mother saying you look great when she clearly sees that her daughter has gained weight, it can be acceptable. It reflects the intention of the white lie which is kindness, protection and unconditional love. Otherwise, white lies — especially when told to avoid personal accountability — can start a cycle of mistrust between people, ultimately compromising integrity,” she adds.

Therefore, it’s important to ask ourselves when it is and isn’t appropriate to deliver the honest truth, and when it’s best to step back and offer a more delicate response. More often than not, it’s about finding a balance between the two.

1. What can be learned about white lies according to Barbara Greenberg?

A．They are short-lived.	B．They are unidentifiable.
C．They are trouble-making.	D．They are common.

2. What message does Dr. Breur deliver in paragraph 2?

A．White lies can harm both the liars and the listeners.

B．We must respond to our family members truthfully.

C．It’s wrong to tell white lies to a seriously ill parent.

D．The “all is good” response is effective in dealing with patients.

3. What is Dr. Breur’s attitude towards the mother’s practice in paragraph 3?

A．Uncaring.

B．Critical.

C．Supportive.

D．Doubtful.

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

A．East or West, White Lies Are the Best

B．Think Twice Before You Tell White Lies

C．White Lies Signify Unconditional Love

D．White Lies Are Empathetic People’s Favorable Choice

4 . Active listening is a communication skill that involves going beyond simply hearing the words that another person speaks but also seeking to understand the meaning and intention behind them. The word “active” implies that you are taking some type of action when listening to others.

    1    

Be fully present

Active listening requires being fully present in the conversation. It enables you to concentrate on what is being said. Being present involves listening with all your senses and giving your full attention to the speaker. To use this active listening technique effectively, put away your cell phone, ignore distractions, and shut down your internal dialogue.     2     And let everything else slip away.

Pay attention to non-verbal cues (非言语暗示)

As much as 65% of a person’s communication is unspoken,     3    . This involves not folding your arms, smiling while listening, leaning in, and nodding at key points. It can also be helpful to pay attention to your facial expressions when active listening so that you don’t convey any type of negative response.

Keep good eye contact

When engaged in active listening, making eye contact is especially important. This tells the other person that you are present and listening to what he or she says.     4     At the same time, you don’t want to use so much eye contact that the conversation feels strange. To keep this from happening, follow the 50/70 rule. This involves maintaining eye contact for 50% to 70% of the time spent listening, holding the contact for four to five seconds before briefly looking away.

Be patient

Patience is an important active listening technique because it allows the other person to speak without interruption. Being patient involves not trying to fill periods of silence with your own thoughts or stories. This also requires listening to understand, not to respond.     5     Also, don’t change the subject too abruptly as this conveys boredom and impatience.

A．Don’t prepare a reply while listening.

B．It also shows that you aren’t distracted.

C．This isn’t helpful during active listening.

D．So use open, non-threatening body language.

E．Don’t focus too much on insignificant details.

F．Place your focus on your conversation partner.

G．This involves using certain strategies or techniques.

5 . We’ve all had things to apologize for. Whether on the playground or at the office, intentionally or not, we’ve hurt people. Research shows that apologies benefit us in many ways, which can reduce stress and ease heart rates, as well as boosting relationship well being and cooperation.     1    

Like so many other habits that are good for us, apologies must overcome our own mental barriers. When people know they’ve made a mistake and hurt somebody, they may still remain silent in the face of their wrong doings.     2    

First, the offender (冒犯者) may not be concerned with the relationship, especially if they have little empathy for the other person. The second barrier is the perceived threat to one’s self-image. Some people fear that apologizing will be both humbling and prove that they aren’t a good, moral person.     3     They worry that the offense is too great or that the offended won’t forgive them.

While this too is a possibility, in most cases the opposite is true, because people have a tendency to overestimate the negative consequences of apologizing and underestimate the benefits of apologizing. But once we’ve actually apologized, we both feel better, and it can really have a positive impact.

    4     Sometimes, it’s only the beginning of a settlement, for the other person may need time to forgive, or forgiveness may not come at all. That’s okay, because a true apology doesn’t come with the expectation of forgiveness. It’s not a confession (忏悔) by which you clean your morality by unburdening your mistakes on another.

    5     It says you’re sorry you hurt them, that the relationship is important to you, and that you will do better in the future.

A．Have you ever said sorry to somebody?

B．But then why are apologies so difficult?

C．A true apology is a gift to another person.

D．In some cases, it may take time for the person to forgive and forget.

E．Finally, people may simply underestimate the effectiveness of their apology.

F．But even if you make the apology, don’t think the conflict is over automatically.

G．According to the researchers, there are three mental barriers to explain this silence.

6 . How to Deal with Nosy People

They can come in the form of friends, relatives or strangers. The thing about nosy people is that they don’t understand personal space. Things can get confusing when your family members or friends become nosy. You don’t want to hurt them, but you may not want to share everything, either.     1    

Respond. Do not react.

When someone starts asking personal questions one after the other, you might get confused as to why he or she is asking all those questions and what you should do. This confusion can then turn into discomfort. When you are in this situation, remind yourself to slow down.     2     Instead, be mindful of the situation and try to respond consciously.

Answer them reasonably without revealing too much.

One great strategy is to give a satisfactory answer without giving away too many details. You will satisfy their curiosity and maintain your personal boundaries at the same time.     3     For instance, your loved one might ask, “Hey! I heard you had a fight with your husband. What happened?” In response, you could say, “Oh, nothing serious. We are fine.” This will let them know you are doing fine.

    4    

Sometimes, you just don’t feel like answering the other person’s questions. It could be because they have no business knowing the details or because the question annoys you. So, if someone asks you a personal question, you could politely decline to answer.

Show a lack of enthusiasm.

    5     It tells the other person whether you are interested in talking to them. So, if you want to communicate that you don’t appreciate them being nosy, you can do so with your body language. How do you do this? Just show a lack of enthusiasm.

A．Give detailed answers.

B．Politely decline to answer.

C．There is no need to feel rushed at all!

D．Your body language tells a lot about you.

E．Here are tips on how you can deal with nosy people.

F．Use this strategy when the other person is a loved one.

G．It shows them you are not interested in the conversation.

7 . All relationships require work, though it may not always feel like work.     1     Professional relationships require work too. Here are some tips to improve your relationships and get along better with others in both your personal and your professional lives.

Listen to others. The most important skill in communication is the ability to listen to others. Rather than doing all the talking, take time to stop and hear what others have to say.     2    

Be polite and positive. When you are the one speaking, do it in a way that considers others’ feelings and leaves a positive impact. Think about what you want to say before you say it.       3     If you’re responding to someone, say something positive if you agree and offer an encouraging word. Doing this early in your relationship sets a healthy example for future interactions.

Be honest and sincere. Another communication skill is to make sure you speak with honesty and sincerity.     4     When we trust people, we know that “they say what they mean, and they mean what they say. ”

    5     Listen with respect for other people’s experiences. Look for chances to listen to them, even if you disagree with what they are saying. Be open to changing your mind or understanding things in a different way. You may also want to ask for and receive feedback on your own business. A different view provides you with the chance to grow and learn.

A．Keep an open mind.

B．Look for common ground.

C．Avoid interrupting other people.

D．Ask questions that help you understand them more deeply.

E．Don’t be afraid to apologize if you say something unintended.

F．You will build relationships with others when you tell them the truth.

G．That could mean calling a friend, or getting together with your family for the holidays.

8 . Faced with a room of seasoned professionals, you can be too nervous to speak. If you want to be a leader in the future, learn some strategies for refining your leadership communication.

Invest in continuous learning

A knowledgeable leader can guide discussions.     1     . This reservoir of knowledge can give authority to your voice and attract people’s attention when you speak. Continuous learning not only equips you with facts but also helps you develop a growth mindset to face challenges.

Develop informed opinions

Leaders stand out by shaping and guiding dialogues. Express informed opinions to build your authority in discussions. These opinions, however, shouldn’t be formed in isolation(孤立).     2     . This ensures that when you express your viewpoint, it produces meaningful thinking.

    3    

A mark of leadership is convincing and clear communication. For the ambitious executive, specialized training can offer rapid advancements. Communication training programs can improve your verbal and non-verbal cues, enhancing your persuasiveness and impact.

Enhance charm and presence

While some are born with personal charm, it’s a skill that can be developed. True charm arises from genuine engagement in conversations and active listening. By improving your emotional intelligence, you can better understand and even react to the others’ emotional change.     4     .

Make messages clear

    5     . It’s vital to change complex ideas into easy and impactful points. The audience should leave with a clear understanding and recollection of your key messages. In conclusion, stepping on the path to executive leadership requires commitment to constant development in language.

A．Try to convince executives

B．Attend relevant communication training

C．Engage with experts and use data-backed insights

D．The clarity of messages is what matters most in speeches

E．Forming your opinions alone in the presence of professionals is key

F．Regular exposure to a varied range of materials enriches your thinking

G．Then you’ll inspire trust and admiration, making your presence felt even in silence

9 . What do you do when you receive an invitation to an event that you do not want to attend or that you cannot attend due to your busy schedule? In that case, we simply can’t act on everything our heart feels.     1     Here are some right ways to decline (拒绝) an invitation without hurting others’ feelings.

Respond in a timely manner.

    2     It’s OK to put off responding if you’re unsure at first, but give yourself a deadline to figure it out — and stick to it. Always respond to invitations in a timely manner.

    3    

It’s OK to say you’re sorry that you can’t make an event, but it’s better to redefine it as a positive. Rather than apologizing, say how happy you are that they invited you and that while you can’t make it this time, you look forward to getting together with them in the future.

Don’t say “maybe”.

Procrastinating (拖延) by saying “maybe” usually means it’s a no.     4     Saying “maybe” is a way of making yourself feel better, but it leaves the other person hanging, which is unkind.

Don’t try to control the other person’s feelings.

There’s the assumption that we can decline without hurting anyone else’s feelings, but we can’t ensure the other person’s experience. They may feel sad or disappointed when you decline,. but that’s OK.     5    

A．Focus on the positive.

B．Be honest but not too honest.

C．Don’t leave the host hanging.

D．It’s fine to decline via digital means.

E．Most people will understand that life just gets busy.

F．So just go ahead and say no if that’s really what you mean.

G．Instead, we should learn how to politely say “no” to an invitation.

10 . If you feel that making friends as a kid is easy, you’re right. “They have a break between lessons and gym classes. They can let their guard down,” says Marisa G. Franco, a sought-after friendship & belonging expert. However, it’s not the case for adults. Even though they see their colleagues every day, they still find it never easy to be friends with them.

In the US, for example, a 2021 survey by the American Enterprise Institute, found that the number of adults who said they had no close friends had increased four times since 1990, going from 3 percent to 12 percent. “We’ve never been more disconnected,” says psychologist and author Jody Carrington. Although adults spend time together from 9: 00 am to 6: 00 pm and even late into the night, the fast paced work pattern dictates that communication is limited to the content of the work, and after work, they immediately go back to homes, leaving no extra energy to have unplanned interactions to develop further friendship.

Research by Brigham Young University psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad has shown that loneliness is a major threat to longevity (长寿), same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. People who are lonely or socially cut off have a higher risk of having diseases like depression, dementia and cardiac death. On the another side, healthy friendships can help us a lot, doing better with stress and living happier and longer. Plus, happiness is contagious. Harvard researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, his or her friends who live in a 1.6-kilometre radius have a 25 percent higher chance of getting a boost in happiness, too.

Hence, making and deepening friendships matters more than we imagine. You might think making friends is an inherent skill that doesn’t need to be taught. It’s not the case. We can all get better at connection if we try. Some experts offer some tricks to make finding connection a little easier.

1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?

A．By listing a lot of figures.

B．By drawing a conclusion.

C．By making a comparison.

D．By showing a conversation.

2. What makes an adult difficult to be friends with others according to paragraph 2?

A．Lack of breaks in the workplace.

B．Worry about being deeply hurt.

C．Unwillingness to communicate.

D．Lack of unplanned interactions.

3. What does the author want to convey in paragraph 3?

A．The necessity of staying connected.

B．The approach to leading a happy life.

C．The consequences of getting into bad habits.

D．The relationship between happiness and habits.

4. What does the underlined word “contagious” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Unrealistic.

B．Influential.

C．Flexible.

D．Unique.