1 . As each semester begins, my colleague greets his students wearing a jacket and tie.
“You make only one first impression, " he says. So, while the rest of the semester he teaches class in his usual, more casual clothes, the first week he presents a different image.
His thought is that students will remember their encounter positively and more readily think highly of him as the semester goes on because that favorable first impression has an influence on them. The big influence of first impressions is related to the halo effect, where the perception of the positive qualities in one thing or part gives rise to the perception of similar qualities in related things or in the whole.
Here is an example: You meet a friendly person at a party and later are asked to collect money for a worthy cause. You call that person because you think she will make a contribution. In reality, there is no connection between being pleasant and being generous. Yet the halo effect leads you to think that the two are related.
The halo effect is powerful, but is it questionable whether it matters much in long-term relationships, such as that between teachers and students? While dressing up may make students think the teacher must know his subject matter because he creates a professional first impression, the effect wears thin if the person turns out to be a poor teacher after all.
First impressions matter but they don't have the final word. Facts speak louder. If you had never seen or heard of Einstein, the first time you saw him your impression would most likely be negative. Now his face is connected with genius, not madness because he is the person who has come to define what genius is.
The problem is that few of us are Einstein and we often don't get the chance to change a negative first impression.
1. In the author's eyes, the halo effect_________.| A．is surprisingly powerful | B．may affect our judgment of others |
| C．matters more in the long run | D．makes some teachers irresponsible |
| A．appearance | B．impressions | C．truth | D．fairness |
| A．to mind their first impressions | B．not to judge a book by its cover |
| C．not to follow others’ judgment | D．to pay no attention to the halo effect |
1. 写邮件的目的；
2. 采访相关事宜；
3. 表示感谢。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Qaisra ,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
1.表示歉意；
2.解释具体原因，并希望他能谅解；
3.告诉他下次练习的时间、地点及话题。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. 打扫卫生；
2. 浇灌花木；
3. 帮老人们做家务；
4. 做戒烟宣传；
5. 为孩子们辅导功课；
提示词：义务劳动 voluntary labor 社区 community
注意：1. 词数100左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . On a recent afternoon, some 60 years after they graduated from grammar school, Kathleen Rys, 72, and her sister Lorraine O’Kelly, 70, sat down and had a meal with a classmate, Bruce Smit, 71 for the first time.
In the 1950s, Lorraine and Kathleen Rys’ family moved from Chicago to Monee. As new kids at Monee Elementary School, they soon found themselves on the outs with other students.
“I would be with the other guys and see Kathleen walking down the hallway, her head down, holding her books, walking slowly. And all of us guys would be flat against the wall until she passed. Then we’d burst into laughter. How rude is that? It’s just crazy.” said Smit, a doctor whose wife, Tammy, organized the meeting.
The women said none of the teachers cared about it. “We just kept it to ourselves.” Lorraine said.
Over the years, Tammy Smit said, “Bruce would just start to cry at times. He’d wonder what happened to the sisters, if they landed OK.” One day a few weeks ago, Tammy took to the internet and found Mary O’Kelly, Lorraine’s daughter, and offered to set up a meeting. The idea of revisiting the pain was not well- received by Kathleen, who had never married, let alone gone on a date. It took some convincing, but Lorraine finally got Kathleen to agree to meet with Bruce.
Bruce broke into tears. “I’m so ashamed, so embarrassed,” he said. “But I’m so happy you’re still here and that I can finally apologize.” He said he hopes his apology will encourage others to seek forgiveness for the pain they make on others. Lorraine said, “This is a beautiful thing. It’s just wonderful that a person from 60 years ago can ask for forgiveness. It’s like a miracle to us. It’s a healing to us.”
1. What can we learn from the first three paragraphs?| A．Kathleen made her classmates afraid of her at school. |
| B．Kathleen was once hurt by her classmates at school. |
| C．Bruce Smit asked his wife to organize the meeting. |
| D．Bruce Smit spoke ill of Kathleen. |
| A．The guys’ meeting. | B．Kathleen’s slow pace. |
| C．The guys’ apology. | D．Kathleen’s suffering. |
| A．Angry. | B．Excited. | C．Anxious. | D．Unwilling. |
| A．Bruce was embarrassed for his apology. | B．The other guys apologized to the two sisters. |
| C．Bruce and the two sisters felt a sense of relief. | D．Lorraine thought the apology came a little late. |
My deskmate
One day,
7 . Conformity involves changing your behaviour to “fit in” or “go along” with the people around you. In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a specific group, or involve behaving in a particular way to be viewed as “normal” by the group. Actually, conformity is something that happens regularly in our social world. Sometimes we’re aware of our behaviour, but in many cases it happens without much thought or awareness on our parts. And even in some cases we go along with things we disagree with or behave in ways we know we shouldn’t.
There are countless examples of conformity in life. For instance, a teenager dresses in a certain style because he wants to fit in with the rest of the teenagers in his social group. A woman reads a book for her book club and really enjoys it. When she attends her book club meeting, the other members all dislike the book. Rather than go against the group opinion, she simply agrees with the others that the book is terrible.
Why do we conform? In many cases, looking to the rest of the group for clues for how we should behave can actually be helpful. Others might have greater knowledge or experience than we do, so following their lead can actually be instructive. And in some cases, we conform to the expectations of the group to avoid looking foolish. This tendency can become especially strong in situations where we aren’t quite sure how to act. Additionally, there are some situations where we conform just in order to avoid punishments or gain rewards.
There are many factors that influence conformity. For example, not knowing how to perform a difficult task makes people more likely to conform. Personal characteristics such as motivation to achieve and strong leadership abilities are linked with a decreased tendency to conform. And people are more likely to conform in situations that involve between three and five other people.
1. What can we learn about conformity from the first paragraph?| A．Actually it is rare for us to conform. |
| B．Blind conformity should be criticized. |
| C．Sometimes people tend to conform unconsciously. |
| D．Conformity means changing your behaviour reluctantly. |
| A．Joining a certain organization. |
| B．Following the ongoing fashion. |
| C．Sharing something personal with others. |
| D．Giving up your creative ideas cautiously. |
| A．When we are at a loss. |
| B．When we are rejected. |
| C．When we feel threatened. |
| D．When we feel uncomfortable. |
| A．Conformity cannot be avoided by anyone. |
| B．Conformity is linked to the size of the group. |
| C．Conformity is a natural response to challenges. |
| D．Conformity isn’t related to individual differences. |
8 . A boy who was nervous on his first day of school climbed onto a third-floor balcony (阳台) and put legs over the side. His mother and teachers tried their best to bring him down, but failed. However, a firefighter who dressed as "Spiderman" succeeded in saving him.
Firefighter David Smith was called in after the 6-year-old’s teachers and mother had failed to get him down from the balcony. "He was asking for his mother, "Smith said. "He was crying, and wouldn’t let any of us get near him." After hearing a conversation between the boy’s mother and his teachers about his love of superheroes, Smith hurried home to get his Spiderman clothes.
"I told him 'Spiderman is here to save you. No one will hurt you now,’" Smith said. "Then I told him to walk slowly toward me. I was really nervous that he might fall if he got too excited and started running." Then the crying boy broke into a smile and walked into the fireman’s arms.
The fictional (虚构的) superhero was created by writer Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It has recently become popular again through a series of movies made about him. In them he is acted by superstar Tobey Maguire, who acted with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco.
1. Which would be the best title for this passage?| A．Spiderman Is Back | B．"Spiderman" Saved a Boy |
| C．Spiderman Is Popular | D．A Boy’s Love of Spiderman |
| A．By showing he had the same interest as the boy. |
| B．By bringing the boy’s mother to his side. |
| C．By dressing up as a superhero. |
| D．By making friends with him. |
| A．The boy had been forced to go to school. |
| B．The mother did not love her son. |
| C．Spiderman is a superhero in a series of movies. |
| D．Spiderman became popular again in the 1960s. |
| A．To tell us something about Spiderman. | B．To introduce some famous actors. |
| C．To get readers interested in Spiderman. | D．To introduce another superhero story. |
9 . How to Level up Your Self-Control
By definition, self-control is the ability to do something that benefits your long-term goals, instead of something that might satisfy your immediate desires.
Angela Duckworth, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, says allocating resources between your present self and future self is an ongoing struggle. For example, exhibiting self-control over spending time on video games and social media, two of the most common temptations（诱惑）of the current era, means battling against age-old mechanisms in your brain.
If you're willing to look deeply into your tendencies and weak points, you can recognize the handful of problems that you need to work on.
The problem of looking at your cell phone too often, say, can be solved by putting it on mute or, better yet, sticking it in your bag until lunch.
Finally, Duckworth advises laying a foundation of self-control that you can build of in the future.
| A．One place to start would be the office |
| B．What problems do you need to work on |
| C．We've all experienced unproductive workdays |
| D．But for many of us, short-term satisfactions are irresistible |
| E．Why is exercising proper self-control so tricky for some, and how to do better |
| F．If you can resist resigning you may achieve more on your overall self-control |
| G．Removing the temptation from sight is key to ensuring you're faithful to your mission |
10 . How to Help Others in Your Community (社区)
Helping others in your community is a great way to spread joy to others and get the most out of life.
You can choose to become a volunteer. Volunteering is great way to help others out in your community. Look around for a homeless shelter or soup kitchen and spend some time there doing whatever needs to be done.
You can choose to redirect gifts.
You can stop to help. There are many cases where you can stop to give a helping hand. If you see people on the street struggling to carry all their groceries, stop to help
| A．Usually they are grateful to accept your help. |
| B．You can choose to donate to important causes. |
| C．There are a number of chances you can take advantage of. |
| D．You can help your neighbors without spending much money. |
| E．Donate the gifts you receive to poor children in your community. |
| F．Not only will this help others, but also you will gain certain benefit. |
| G．Instead of getting new gifts every birthday, have your friends and family help others. |
