1 . When you are communicating, you spend nearly 60% of your time listening to other people, but most people only remember 25% of what they hear.
Do you find yourself looking at your phone or following a TV show during a conversation with a family member or a friend? These little distractions can have much bigger consequences than you might think and you should try to limit them completely. When you are listening to someone, put everything else aside and give your full attention to the person.
Empathize with the person
When you are listening to another person, try to think what they might be feeling or going through at that very moment. Empathy towards other people can be improved by imagining yourself in different situations, as well as by learning more about people and different cultures.
Ask more questions
Being a good listener doesn’t just mean that you sit quietly and let the other person speak, you also need to ask meaningful questions. Try to find an answer to questions “why” and “what”.
Train your emotional intelligence
The way you are able to manage your own emotions influences your ability to listen to other people.
| A．Be more open |
| B．Be more present |
| C．The good news is that you can practice it. |
| D．Don’t hurry or pressure the person into saying anything. |
| E．So how can you listen more and become the person people want to talk to? |
| F．Don’t start listening to someone with a predicted idea of what the person should do or say. |
| G．Don’t be afraid to ask for a clarification because misunderstandings can harm the conversation. |
2 . Feel exhausted after a party? Rather see one close friend than a group of acquaintances? Enjoy your own company? In our world, that makes you an introvert (内向的人). However, there’s another possible explanation — vertical attachment. If you are closer to your parents and family members than to your peers, you are vertically attached, which means you rely more on family for comfort.
If you are closer to your peers, then you are peer attached. We live in a peer-oriented world. We believe that having lots of friends means that we are well-adjusted. We put our kids in playgroups and daycare for peer interaction. We expect teenagers to want to hang out with their friends, thinking it is the natural way of things.
Result? Generations often feel worlds apart. We use different language, dress, and technology apps. Even if multiple generations are invited to the same party, the kids go to the basement playroom while the parents stay upstairs. Vertically-attached individuals can feel out of place in this context, demonstrating the traces of introversion. Will they be exhausted after a party with same-aged acquaintances? Absolutely. Would they rather spend time with one close friend? Sure. Do they enjoy alone time? Yes, more than they enjoy time fitting in with peers.
It’s normal that many people need alone time to recharge. However, vertically-attached people often label themselves as introverted. They feel insecure that others have more friends and live richer lives. They claim that their family attachments arise from their loved ones being stuck with them.
If you feel these insecurities, know that there is nothing wrong with you, and you are not missing out on anything. Your attachment style is just different from the culture where you live. Have confidence in the strength of the relationships you have, whether it is with a mom who feels more like a best friend, or a grandmother with whom you can share anything. They are meaningful, enriching relationships, even if they look different from the cultural norm.
1. Who is vertically attached according to the text?| A．Tom, who feels at ease with his teachers. |
| B．Lily, who enjoys film time alone at weekends. |
| C．Jim, who often turns to her dad when things are hard. |
| D．Marry, who feels burnt out after a family get-together. |
| A．Younger generations should be self-disciplined. |
| B．Being sociable is a desired quality for their children. |
| C．Their children need more friends than they themselves do. |
| D．Different generations should have different circles of acquaintances. |
| A．Be that as it may, just leave it as it is. |
| B．Never underestimate your inner power. |
| C．Hang out more with friends and adjust to it. |
| D．Treat others the way you want to be treated. |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Indifferent. |
1.学生面临困难的状况描述；
2.简单评论；
3.你的建议。
注意：
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What Trouble We Have
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4 . EVEN the best of communicators can sometimes hit a wrong note, whether with a joke, turn of phrase, or even an ill-timed chuckle（轻笑）.
For instance, a former finance minister Ken Gabriel usually tries to keep things casual when answering reporters’ questions. But in a television interview on the news program 60 Minutes, some people felt his register was a little too casual—even careless.
At one point, Gabriel spoke about the bankers who have been widely blamed for causing the collapse of the financial sector: “I mean there were a whole bunch of folks who, on paper, if you looked at quarterly reports, were wildly successful, selling derivatives that turned out to be …completely worthless,” Gabriel said, with a chuckle.
Shocked by Gabriel’s laughter during the interview, journalist David finally asked: “You’re sitting here. And you’ re—you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems.”
Gabriel quickly explained himself by replying, “No, no. There’s gotta be a little humor to get you through the day.” But that exchange ended up making news, as TV pundits, journalists and public relations experts debated Gabriel’s tone.
One unnamed strategist for Gabriel’ s party said that the finance minister’ s attempts at humor were distracting: “Gabriel is gifted in so many ways, but humor is not something that he seems to be comfortable with. He does not come across as a funny guy.”
The TV critic Daniel, meanwhile, came to Gabriel’s defense.
“Gabriel isn’t a rookie …All this laughter seems clearly to be calculated rather than accidental. His laughs last night were designed as laughs of reassurance. They were designed to tell the TV audience he understands the severity of the situation.”
There would have been little debate if Gabriel had not laughed during a speech. Answering questions in a public setting, however, should allow for a more conversational register. But as Gabriel discovered, not everyone agrees on just how casual the tone should be.
1. What’s the meaning of the phrase hit a wrong note?| A．Say something wrong. | B．Do something wrong. |
| C．Write down something wrongly. | D．Play the music wrongly. |
| A．Tried to account for it. | B．Found an excuse for it. |
| C．Refused to say anything about it. | D．Learned a lesson from it. |
| A．The banker. | B．David. |
| C．The unnamed strategist. | D．Daniel. |
| A．Debatable speeches of Gabriel. | B．Be cautious while you are speaking. |
| C．Gabriel’s rude behavior in speeches. | D．Honest or not, it’s hard to say. |
5 . “Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?” Lindsey whispers to Tori.
With her eyes shining, Tori brags, “You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago.”
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedmam. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.
If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? That answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor(传言) can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.” In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(优越感).
Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.
1. The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to ________.| A．introduce a topic | B．present an argument |
| C．describe the characters | D．clarify his writing purpose |
| A．gives them a feeling of pleasure |
| B．help them to make more friends |
| C．makes them better at telling stories |
| D．enables them to meet important people |
| A．provide students with written rules |
| B．help people watch their own behaviors |
| C．force school to improve student handbooks |
| D．attract the police’s attention to group behaviors |
| A．Never become a gossiper | B．Stay away from gossipers |
| C．Don’t let gossip turn into lies | D．Think twice before you gossip. |
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Apologizing can be harder than realizing you’ve acted poor. To truly apologize to a friend, you had to be sincere and let your friend to know how much he means to you. It’s easy said than done. But if you swallow your pride and show some sincere regret, they will have a true apology ready. Besides, sending gifts can be good choice for you to make. And if you do this kind of thing instead of talk to your friend face to face, you’re just hiding behind gifts. After all, gifts cannot say word like “I’m sorry”. So it is of great important to apologize in person.
7 . Chinese culture values family bonds very much. Family members don't just gather during the holidays .In fact they often live under one roof all year round.
In most East Asian cultures, extended families are common.
Atlantic, 90 percent of children in Shanghai and 70 percent of children in Beijing were cared for by their grandparents. Chinese people believe that "a grandparent is a treasure to their family".
In many Western countries, most families are nuclear families （小家庭）. These are solely made up of children and their parents.
Additionally, the duties parents have toward their children can also differ.
It's normal for parents to pay for their children's college, help them find a job, or buy them an apartment. Chinese adults also follow their parents' opinions when making major life decisions, more often than not.
In most Western countries, however, kids usually move out of the house after they turn 18.
While the East cares more about close family bonds, the West values privacy and independence.
| A．These families have three or even four generations living together |
| B．Nuclear families are the most common type in China. |
| C．In China, many parents look after their children all the way into adulthood. |
| D．Different cultures have different family values. |
| E．But in the end, home is best 一 east or west. |
| F．Many young people going to college often need to take out loans and work part-time jobs in order to pay for tuition and rent. |
| G．Both Easterners and Westerners value quality family time. |
8 . Knowing your neighbors can make you feel safer and can make your life a little more enjoyable.
Start a Facebook group. Many online groups already exist for local communities, but they may just focus on swapping and selling objects, or simply for exploring the local area.
Get volunteering. Volunteering is a great way to meet like-minded neighbors and make a difference to your community.
Practice everyday kindness. Kindness is the start to possible long-lasting friendships. Everyday acts of kindness can be as simple as saying hello when you see your neighbors in the street or the supermarket. It may be seeing someone struggle with the gardening and offering your help.
Start an exercise group. There are a rare few of us that are motivated to start exercising, and even fewer that enjoy going it alone.
| A．However, you are often too busy to realize this. |
| B．There are many ways to volunteer in your local community. |
| C．Starting a neighborhood exercise group may be just the ticket. |
| D．So why not set one up simply to get to know your neighbors better? |
| E．It may also be taking in that rather large parcel when no one is home. |
| F．If you’re new to an area or don’t know how to make local friends, try this advice. |
| G．These groups indeed make life in communities easier and more comfortable for you. |
