1 . Saying farewell to someone you love, even for a night, can be difficult, much less saying goodbye for a lifetime or forever in death. Juliet bid Romeo adieu (再见) for the evening with the words, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Sweet sorrow is an oxymoron. But this seeming contradiction is true in the context of relationships.

Relationships are based on feelings, emotions, and passion. Deep friendships and loving relationships are measured by the level of emotional attachment. Emotions intensify over time. People spend time with the people they like. The more one person likes another person, the closer the relationship becomes. Each person in the relationship receives an emotional benefit from knowing the other person.

Saying goodbye means separating from the people who make up a significant part of your emotional identity. Separation, even a temporary absence, from the people you have a deep emotional connection with can cause sorrow because you will no longer be able to enjoy their company.

The sweet side of saying goodbye is the emotional fulfillment of being in a close relationship. The time spent together is emotionally rewarding, especially if that person is seen as a soulmate. Humans are social beings. We seek the love and comfort of other people. Loneliness devastates the human condition and leads to sadness. Sad people will do anything they can to find fulfilling relationships. Likewise, happy people will do anything they can to maintain or enhance relationships. Herein lies the essential point of the emotional problem.

The more intense relationships become, the more devastating the emotional loss that is felt upon separation. The exhilaration of relationships cannot be truly measured without experiencing the overwhelming loss of a deep emotional connection.

Enjoy the company of the person you are with as long as you can; knowing the pain you will feel at the end of the relationship is the true measure of the relationship. If it doesn’t hurt to say goodbye, perhaps it wasn’t worth saying hello.

1. Which of the word group can create the same effect as “sweet sorrow”?

A．icy cold

B．clicking sound

C．deafening silence

D．endless speech

2. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Saying goodbye is unavoidable in our daily life.

B．The companion of close friends can lessen sorrow.

C．A person’s identity is connected with relationship.

D．Separation is the sorrowful part of saying goodbye.

3. What gives a person emotional satisfaction in social life?

A．Making more communication with others.

B．Building deep emotional connections with others.

C．Comforting friends with love and intense feelings.

D．Being a thoughtful person by standing in others’ shoes.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Sweet sorrow is very common in close relationships.

B．The pain of separation is the measure of relationships.

C．Human beings are eager to get emotional fulfillment.

D．Happiness is meaningless without sadness to compare it.

2 . No matter what profession or occupation you hold you will need to work with others to meet your goals. Group work is a great way to showcase your own skills while getting help from your teammates in areas where you might not be as strong.     1    

Clarify the team expectations so everyone is on the same page.     2     It’s likely that each teammate has a different idea about what’s expected of them, as well as what everyone else needs to be doing. It’s essential that the team discuss these expectations and agree on one universal list of expectations that everyone will follow.

    3     No one likes a teammate who barely contributes to the project. Take on an equal part of the work, and speak up if you realize you aren’t doing your fair share. Not only will your group mates appreciate your work ethic, it will show your supervisor or instructor that you’re a good team player.

Direct your concern toward the problem, not your teammates. Don’t accuse or blame anyone on your team for causing the conflict, even if you believe they did.     4     Have your team work through conflict, using it to their benefit.

Focus on the success of the group, not your personal success. When you’re on a team, everyone’s success depends on each member working toward a common goal.     5     Keep your focus on your team’s success, and your own success will follow.

A．Make sure you do an equal share of the work.

B．Volunteer to take on extra work when necessary.

C．Treat the team’s accomplishments as a group success.

D．Our guide will show you how to boost your teamwork skills.

E．State the issue you’re having, then listen to what everyone has to say.

F．Instead, keep all of your comments focused on the issue and how your team can solve it.

G．This can include explaining the expectations or asking questions if you find them unclear.

3 . What do work relationships, personal relationships and diplomacy have in common? First, they best function when based on purely positive energy.

I developed a more remarkable ability to relate to the people in my life after taking multiple courses from an organization. The organization offers advice far more than anything I’ve ever experienced. As an example of the benefits of their teachings, my decade conflict with my mom has turned into loving relationship. This turnaround was critical since she is now in her late 70s. This renewed love was worth my investment in training or the organization. Had I continued down my former path, I believe my life today would be one of suffering.

They teach never to criticize, condemn, or complain. I have applied these principles to great success in all my relationships. And the rewards have been astounding, beyond my imagination. But in my role of management at work, I need to learn how to combine authority with positivity.

Recently, however, I found a solution. In other words, I discovered the secret to maintaining authority in the workplace while maintaining pure positivity. For the most part, I found it in Napoleon Hill’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. I found many of the same principles taught by the organization, but the guidelines were less optimistic in Hill’s book. For instance, Napoleon Hill’s advice on criticizing without offending suggests we start by mentioning the positives about the person and then follow up with criticism.

But, of course, the organization advises against all complaints and I’ve concluded that work relationships, too, shouldn’t have any criticisms. Instead, work relationships should focus on another of Napoleon Hill’s strategies: focusing only on the positives while using suggestions instead of criticism. In other words, say, “That looks great. Do you think this addition might make it even better?” instead of “Here’s what that is lacking.”

1. Why did the author take several courses from an organization?

A．To mainly learn management skills.

B．To enrich his technological knowledge.

C．To deal with relationships in a positive way.

D．To become more sociable as a successful diplomat.

2. What did the author think of the change of his relationship with his mother?

A．It did not come as a surprise.

B．It had little to do with the courses.

C．It was the result of his mother’s great efforts.

D．It was very important considering her old age.

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

A．Satisfactory.

B．Unexpected.

C．Unsurprising.

D．Imaginary.

4. Why did the author give the example at the end of the text?

A．To show how powerful criticism is.

B．To suggest replacing complaints with criticism.

C．To show how to use suggestions instead of criticism.

D．To advise readers to combine suggestions with criticism.

5 . Criticism is harmful to healthy relationships.     1     First, work on changing your own behavior. Then, find effective ways to communicate if someone bothers you.

Changing Your Behavior

●Think before you speak.     2     Sometimes, it’s best to let small indiscretions (轻率的行为) go. Try taking a few deep breaths and leaving the room instead of criticizing.

●Separate the individual from their actions. If you work on separating the person from the action, you may naturally want to criticize less. As you realize you cannot judge a person’s character based on a single choice or decision, you will be unable to call someone out for being rude or disrespectful.

●Focus on positives. Oftentimes, being critical results from how you’re choosing to see a situation. Everyone has shortcomings. However, the vast majority of people have good qualities that outweigh bad ones.     3    

Communicating More Effectively

●    4     Some people have issues that may need addressing. However, feedback is very different from criticism. When addressing an issue, focus on suggestions you can make to help another person improve, which is more effective than criticizing.

●Ask for what you want directly. Inefficient communication often results in heavy criticism.     5     Make sure to ask for what you want in a direct, respectful manner. This will eliminate (消除) the need for criticism.

●Consider the other party’s perspective. If you criticize others too often, you may be shutting out the other person’s point of view. Try to step in another person’s shoes before criticizing and you may get some new and special ideas.

A．Give feedback rather than criticism.

B．However, there are ways to avoid criticism.

C．Try to focus on a person’s positive qualities over their negative ones.

D．If you find yourself making assumptions about a person’s character, stop yourself.

E．If you’re not telling someone what you want, that person cannot be expected to know.

F．Criticism should, ideally, be working towards an effective solution to a negative situation.

G．When you want to dish out criticism, pause and consider whether you really need to say anything.

6 . Four Qualities That Make You Attractive to Others

There is something many people gets wrong about attraction.     1     The reality is that attraction usually has more to do with personality characteristics than appearance. What follows are four qualities that can make you highly attractive to others.

Have control over your emotions(情绪). It’s not easy to always have control over your emotions. And people who do are extremely attractive. Have control over your emotions so that your emotions don’t control you. Allow yourself to think about what you’re going to say.     2    

Laugh at yourself. It’s not what happens to us that makes us feel stressed.     3     Every time you laugh at yourself, you decide to minimize something that could affect you negatively. Laughing at yourself is an attractive quality, as it means you don’t take yourself too seriously.

    4     When you show your warmth, people see you as respectful and friendly. Also, they see you as someone approachable. A warm person says hello to and cares about you after your long and tough day. This quality is important for you to build meaningful relationships.

Give plenty of space. The secret to long-lasting relationships is space, because time apart helps each partner recharge and bring positive energy into the relationship.     5     They don’t let others breathe. Instead, those who let others have their space when they need it are extremely attractive.

A．Be warm.

B．Controlling people are unattractive.

C．Don’t be too quick to show warmth.

D．It’s how we react to it that affects us.

E．They should develop a sense of humor.

F．Take your time to cool down and reorganize your thoughts.

G．They think they have to look beautiful to be accepted by others.

9 . Are you patient? Do you have attention to detail, free time and access to a computer? Well, then a scientist might welcome your help. Researchers in the UK say it’s becoming important to count on common people to help them with their projects. They need people to examine data and submit their observations online.

British teenagers Sasha and Matthew are taking part in a study of penguins (企鹅) from the comfort of their homes. The pair look at pictures and tag (加标签于) photos identifying adults, chicks and eggs. Every click of their mouse is helping to build up a detailed picture of penguin colonies (群). They, and thousands of others, are helping scientists to understand why some colonies are growing and others are decreasing. Within the first four hours of Penguin Watch going live, “citizen scientists” marked more images than the research team did in five years.

Dr. Tom Hart, Penguin Watch Coordinator at Oxford University, says, “When you go beyond what a scientist can analyse to what a mass audience can do, then it increases beyond what any other project could do.”

The British Science Association says families are helping out with careful research. It made a difference to the Planet Hunters Project, which ran for five years. Volunteers looked at dots which showed how the brightness of a star changed at different points in its solar system.

According to Dr. Robert Simpson from Oxford University, who took part in the project, the volunteers discovered planets and these are now in published papers. He says with pride, “We can go and look at these planets with other telescopes and we know they exist because of those helpers.”

But how do scientists guard their research against accidental or deliberate mistakes in observation? Dr. Simpson isn’t worried. “We get lots of people looking at the same things, ”he says. The researcher warns that people who are mistakenly clicking on the site are very obvious and can be identified very quickly. So, there’s no fooling the scientists.

And to make sure things go well, the Penguin Watch paper will go through a peer review before being published. After that, every “citizen scientist” will be credited.

1. According to the passage, who will be suitable to help the scientists?

A．An engineer who works in a company.

B．A university student who likes science.

C．A businessman who invests in a new project.

D．A careful teenager who uses the computer smoothly.

2. What is a volunteer required to do?

A．Publish his observation data by himself.

B．Observe pictures and record his observation.

C．Discuss his observation with other volunteers.

D．Take his report to the scientist and correct mistakes.

3. How could scientists avoid mistakes in observation?

A．By working with volunteers.	B．By using their own data.
C．By identifying pictures and photos.	D．By going through a peer review.

4. What’s Dr. Simpson’s attitude towards the volunteers’ observation?

A．Objective

B．Supportive.

C．Negative.

D．Doubtful.

10 . Not everyone is a people person, and making other people feel comfortable in your company doesn’t come naturally to all of us. Still, a good atmosphere is more than desirable not only on social occasions but also at the workplace. Perfecting cross-cultural communication at the workplace is easier than you think.     1    

Maintain etiquette (礼节). When preparing for a business meeting with international colleagues, find out something about their business etiquette, so you could follow its rules and avoid misunderstandings and embarrassing situations. For example, if you’re doing business with Italians, do your best to look presentable, since dressing well in their culture is a sign of success.     2     This number is considered to bring bad luck.

Speak slowly and clearly. Even if your international colleagues are fluent in the language you’re using, try to express your words more carefully.     3     In the same fashion, avoid using long sentences and give your colleagues a chance to digest what you’ve said by making short breaks.

Avoid closed questions. When interacting with your international colleagues, avoid asking them the Yes/No questions.     4     So you’ll probably always get a “Yes” as an answer, even if your conversational partner doesn’t mean it. In contrast, by asking open-ended questions, you’re encouraging your colleagues to be more creative and offer solutions you might not have predicted.

    5     For intercultural communication to be effective, all team members need to feel comfortable. So, treat your colleagues with respect, communicate clearly, and encourage them when needed. Especially in a remote work environment, it’s important that your team feels connected.

A．Be supportive of your international colleagues.

B．In this way, they won’t have trouble understanding you.

C．Also avoid number 17 when proposing Italians with anything.

D．Similarly, if doing business with Japanese colleagues, avoid number 9.

E．All it takes are some tips, and you’ll be a master of communication soon.

F．In some countries, such as India and Japan, saying “No” is considered rude.

G．Still, you should be careful not to speak too slowly, for it might seem impolite.