1 . It’s important to be able to talk to people when networking and building strong relationships. If you work in a professional role, you probably need to make small talk sometimes. However, you may don’t know how to make small talk. Don’t worry.     1    

Put your electronic devices away. The first step to making small talk is to put your devices away. This is a small but meaningful gesture in this digitalized world.     2     Giving your full attention to the person you are speaking to is good manners. Also, it offers a chance for you to build a relationship with him/her.

Listen first. In social situations, one way to show you are offering your full attention is to listen.     3     When you are listening, show you are paying attention by practising nonverbal cues like nodding and making eye contact. It’s also a good active listening practice to repeat what someone just told you.

Ask open questions.     4     For example. “How have things been?” is a better question than “Have you been alright?”. The latter requires a “yes or no” response, while the former draws out information in a conversational way.

    5     When someone tells you something in a small talk conversation, give your enthusiastic response. Your positivity not only can show you are paying attention but also might make them feel valued. This is good for building a relationship with someone you don’t know very well.

A．Respond enthusiastically.

B．Here are some tips for you.

C．They are some simple but useful methods.

D．Behave properly in response to open questions.

E．When you are talking with someone, listening is also important.

F．When you ask about the person you are speaking to, ask open-ended questions.

G．Putting your phone or computer away shows you focus on the person you are talking to.

2 . “Shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life that you’d like to,” the Smiths once sang. However, research suggests that may not be the case when working as a team.

Researchers have found that when animals temper their personalities because of social rules, the efficiency of a group to undertake risky missions—such as foraging (觅食) for food—is boosted. “We see this phenomenon happening when we mix together a school of fish with wildly different personalities: the very fearless individuals and the very shy individuals tend to control what they would normally be doing when they stick with the rest of the group,” said Dr. Sean Rands, the lead author of the research at the University of Bristol.

Writing in the journal PLoS Computational Biology, the researchers reported how they built a computer model to investigate the impact of social conventions and animals’ personalities on the movement of individuals within a group. The model was based on an assumption in which a group of animals in a safe “home” set out to travel to a food foraging site some distance away.

The results revealed that when no social conventions were in place, their movements were governed by their personalities alone—in other words how fearless or shy they were determined how quickly they left home and arrived at the foraging site. However, when social conventions were introduced, so that the individuals had to keep an eye on each other and adjust their movements accordingly, the impact of personality reduced with less variation in how quickly they reached the destination. The team found where social conventions were present, the group foraged more efficiently than when individuals behaved independently. “We find that if individuals pay attention to the other members of the group, the group will tend to remain at the safe site for longer, but then travel faster towards the foraging site,” the team wrote.

Rands added that for many social animals, being part of a group can bring huge benefits, and these can outweigh the influence of personality.

1. Why are the Smiths’ words mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To give an example.

B．To make a comparison.

C．To lead in the topic.

D．To introduce the background.

2. What will individuals do while staying with a group?

A．Adjust their behavior.

B．Take on risky missions.

C．Ignore social rules.

D．Travel to a distant foraging site.

3. What can we infer from the results?

A．Personalities alone determine movements.

B．Individuals prefer to behave independently.

C．Group work increases exposure to potential risks.

D．Social conventions contribute to working efficiency.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Part of a Group

B．Stay True to Yourself

C．Get Rid of Your Shyness

D．Control Your Personalities

4 . When someone hurts you, it can feel good to hang onto the anger and resentment (愤恨) that may bubble up after their actions. However, forgiving others can actually benefit you both mentally and physically.    1     Forgiving yourself for hurting someone else is another tough task. With a little bit of patience, you can learn to forgive yourself or others.

Forgiving is a willingness to move on from an injustice you went through.    2     While you can consciously decide to forgive someone, it may take some time to process your emotions and actually come to terms with your situation.

    3    You yourself value relationship with him or her, and believe that forgiving is worth it. Forgiveness is a decision that should be made thoughtfully, especially if someone did something seriously wrong. Take time to think through your feelings and your reasoning, to better understand the situation.

Avoid giving someone too many chances.    4     But if they are repeatedly and knowingly hurting you, or if they have done something extremely terrible, then you should consider protecting yourself. If someone has shown that they will mistreat you again and again, or that they are willing to do you serious harm, then you need to protect your own well-being.

Take the time to process your emotions. Sometimes, it takes a while to untangle (排解) all your feelings and figure out what to do. That’s okay. Give yourself time and space to process. Helpful processing tools include: Write in a journal about it. Talk to a mentor or trusted person about the situation.    5    

A．Think of some reasons for forgiving yourself.

B．Consider why you want to forgive this person.

C．You may choose to forgive someone once, twice, or three times.

D．Giving too many chances to people who hurt you is not a wise idea.

E．Spend some time focusing on something else, and come back later.

F．It can also help you move on from thinking about what the other person did.

G．Forgiving someone is a tough decision to make, and it doesn’t happen instantly.

5 . It’s always easier to say “Yes” because most of us want to please other people. Somebody asks you to go for a party but you have tests the next day, or to help them although you are busy at the moment, or to join the activities you have to interest in at all! Even though your heart is crying NO, you find the word “Yes“ coming out of your mouth. However, it usually results in anger-not only for the person who asked you, but also for yourself for not being strong enough.

Lisa Messenger, the Collective Hub CEO, said in her first few years of business, many people asked her to talk over a coffee. Actually, she usually ended up having 20 coffee meetings a week and that stopped her from doing business because she didn’t have time to do her own work.

Messenger finally learned to refuse like “No, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time. ”. She believes if you say“Yes”, you will regret later. Or your heart will be filled with guilt, fear or anger because you feel bad for agreeing to do something you never want to. So you need to be brave enough to say “No”when you’re asked at first.

Janine Garner, CEO of The LBD Group, believed we need to get very clear about our goals. Unless we work towards our goals, nobody else will care about our time. Garner said, “We may end up saying “Yes’ because we feel sorry for somebody who needs us. But we end up having that awful feeling in our heart. You can only achieve the best of you by stopping doing the things that take up your time and don’t add anything towards your goals. Take a good look at the time spent on others, which you really should spend on yourself. ”

1. How does the writer lead in the topic?

A．By giving examples.

B．By telling a story.

C．By making a survey.

D．By asking questions.

2. What can we learn about Messenger?

A．She always agrees to help her workmates.

B．She knows how to refuse others politely.

C．She likes drinking coffee in her work time.

D．She feels angry when she can’t help others.

3. Which opinion would Janine Gamer probably agree with?

A．Offering help is the key to making friends.

B．Helping others may make you successful.

C．You’d better say “No” bravely if necessary.

D．People who need us will care about our time.

4. What’s the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．

6 . How to Start a Conversation with Strangers

Introduce Yourself

It’s not necessary to be clever when you introduce yourself. Simply focus on being genuine and sincere. When you approach the other person to start the conversation, give him a warm smile and clearly state your name.     1     Remember to speak at a regular pace, taking care not to speak too quickly or slowly, so that the other person will have no difficulty understanding you.

Begin the Conversation

    2    A comment about the weather or a current event may be most appropriate. Avoid beginning the conversation with anything too personal, as this may make the other person feel uncomfortable to continue the conversation. After you make your opening comments, give the person enough time to respond. Show a sincere interest in the thoughts she expresses about the subject.

Continue the Conversation

If you are building a rapport(关系), feel free to move on to a bit more personal topics to continue the conversation.    3    Open­ended questions — those that can’t be answered by a simple “yes” or “no” — help to keep a conversation going.

    4    

When you have run out of things to say or need to move on to do something else, prepare your exit strategy. You may say that you need to use the bathroom or catch up with someone else. Let the other person know how much you enjoyed talking to her.     5    

A．End the Conversation.

B．Bring up a general topic to begin the conversation.

C．This will help keep the conversation flowing freely.

D．If appropriate, make plans to talk again at a later date.

E．Your conversational partner will feel valued and appreciated.

F．Explain who you are and why you want to have the conversation.

G．You may want to ask about his favourite hobby, his career, his classes or upcoming events.

8 . While everyone’s image of their dream home looks a little different, most people will agree that their ideal neighbourhood is filled with friendly faces. Getting to know your neighbours takes time and effort.     1    

Nick Tebbey, national executive officer of Relationships Australia, says spring is the perfect season to start getting to know your neighbours. “When the weather starts warming up we’re all spending more time outdoors.” It makes sense that the best way to get to know a neighbour is to first make sure they actually know you’re neighbours.     2    “ There are always opportunities to make a connection and they can be as small as a nod,a wave or a friendly good day,” says Tebbey.

To put yourself in the way of these opportunities, Tebbey suggests timing your outings to take place“when other people are out and about as well”. When it comes to actually introducing yourself to your neighbours, Tebbey notes it’s important to do what feels comfortable, whether that’s leaving a note on a building notice board or chatting to someone while you wait for the elevator.    3    

Once you’ve introduced yourself to a neighbor, you can start conversations.     4    “ If they’re gardening, ask what they’re planting–be interested in what people share.”Tebbey says. And once someone tells you their dog’s name or where they’re about to go on holiday, try your best to keep that in mind so you can continue the conversation next time you cross paths.

“It’s not about grand gestures or sharing everything about yourself with your neighbours.     5    ” Tebbey says.“ It’s small but meaningful interactions and taking interest in each other’s lives,but without any sense of expectation.”

A．In fact, it’s almost the opposite.

B．It doesn’t have to require a lot of effort.

C．It’s vital to ask questions and remember people’s answers.

D．However, it can potentially be easier than you may expect.

E．Should you start to feel uncomfortable, you could invite another.

F．And the easiest way to do that is with short, repeated interactions.

G．The less anxiety you feel, the more likely you are to commit to them.

9 . How to Improve Your Communication Skills

If you feel like you lack the basic skills required for good communication, there are a number of reliable ways to improve. Here are a few tips:

    1    Effective communicators are always good listeners. Active listening means engaging with what people say by giving positive replies and asking follow-up questions to show that you are paying attention.

Focus on nonverbal communication. Mastering nonverbal signals can help prevent miscommunication and signal interest to those around you.    2    Your nonverbal signals affect the first impression you make on someone. Maintaining eye contact, limiting hand gestures, and having good posture go a long way when meeting someone for the first time.

Manage your own emotions. For clear communication and your own personal well-being, it’s important to manage your emotions and express them appropriately in context.    3    

Practice public speaking.    4    However, there’s no better way to develop good communication skills than by seeking out public speaking opportunities. Great communicators are able to clearly express their feelings, whether they’re speaking to a large group or talking face-to-face to one other person. Regularly speaking in front of a group will help you find your strengths and weaknesses and force you to develop great communication habits.

Ask for feedback. There’s no shame in asking for honest feedback on your communication skills from people around you.    5    

A．Practice active listening.

B．Develop communication skills.

C．Public speaking may sound frightening.

D．Know what’s appropriate to express when speaking publicly.

E．Turn to them for advice on improving your communication skills.

F．Showing strong emotions can lead to poor communication and conflict.

G．Pay attention to your facial expressions and body language when speaking with someone.

10 . As a young child, I was painfully shy. I’d watch other children play in the park, wishing I could join them, but I was too scared to approach. Eventually, my mother would come to the rescue. She’d ask the other kids if I could play, too. Today, I feel comfortable giving public lectures in large halls and having conversations in small groups, but I still tend to avoid situations in which I’m expected to spend time with a roomful of strangers.

There could be many reasons. For one thing, I might be carrying some childhood fear of rejection. But beyond that possibility, one likely element is that I tend to underestimate how much people like me after I meet them, as most of us do.

A new research paper reports that the common concern that new people may not like us, or that they may not enjoy our company, is largely unfounded.

Erica Boothby of Cornell University and her colleagues conducted a series of studies to find out what our conversation partners really think of us. In doing so, they discovered a new cognitive illusion (认知错觉) they call “the liking gap”: our failure to realize how much strangers appreciate our company after a bit of conversation.

The researchers observed the gap in a variety of situations: strangers getting acquainted in the research laboratory, first-year college students getting to know their dormitory mates over the course of many months, and community members meeting fellow participants in personal development workshops. In each circumstance, people consistently underestimated how much others liked them. For much of the academic year, as dormitory mates got to know each other and even started to develop enduring friendships, the liking gap persisted.

The data also revealed some of the potential reasons for the illusion: we are often more severe with ourselves than with others, and our inner critic prevents us from appreciating how positively other people evaluate us. Not knowing what our conversation partners really think of us, we use our own thoughts as a proxy (代理人). This is a mistake, because our thoughts tend to be more negative than reality.

1. Why does the author mention his childhood experience?

A．To show how his character changed.

B．To explain what he was like when he was young.

C．To show an example of why people are shy of communication.

D．To emphasize the important role of a mother in one’s childhood.

2. What does the underlined word “unfounded” probably mean?

A．Careless.

B．Baseless.

C．Selfless.

D．Meaningless.

3. What do we know about the liking gap from the text?

A．It indicates what strangers really think of us.

B．It begins and ends quickly among strangers.

C．It disappears when strangers get to know each other.

D．It states our misunderstanding of how much others like us.

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

A．People Like You More than You Know

B．How to Get Along Well with Strangers

C．The Way to Know What Others Think of Us

D．Having Conversations with Strangers Benefits Us