1 . What if your next job is just a weak tie away? A recent study, conducted by a team from Stanford University and LinkedIn, revealed that weaker social connections have a greater beneficial effect on job mobility (流动性) than stronger ties. Stanford Professor Erik Bryson suggests a practical outcome of this study is to encourage job seekers to expand their reach beyond immediate friends and colleagues. Weak ties, he explains, often provide more unique, beneficial information and connections.

The advantage of weak ties theory is based on the idea that weak ties allow distant group of people to access novel information that can lead to new opportunities and innovation. Weak ties are more likely to introduce new job information to a wider social network.

The research team conducted a five-year experimental study with LinkedIn, involving 20 million global participants and 600,000 new jobs created. Using LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” (PYMK) algorithm (算法), the researchers tested the weak tie theory’s impact on the job market. The team randomly assigned LinkedIn users to receive either more weak or strong tie recommendations from the PYMK algorithm, then tracked the labor mobility of these groups over five years.

Their findings confirm that weaker ties enhance job mobility. Besides, the researchers looked at differences across industries and found that adding weak ties creates significantly more job opportunities in digital and high-tech industries. “This may reflect the fact that there is more rapid change and need for novel information and connections in those industries,” Bryson said.

He points out that the traditional methods used by policymakers to analyze labor markets are quickly becoming outdated. “They need to recognize that the labor market, like all aspects of the economy, is being digitized,” Bryson said. “It is important that we understand how the algorithms used by digital platforms like LinkedIn impact the labor market.”

1. According to paragraph 1, what should job seekers do?

A．Expand network to include weak ties.	B．Limit the search to their current industry.
C．Strengthen connections with close friends.	D．Rely on strong connections for opportunities.

2. How did the researchers test the weak tie theory?

A．By carrying out on line surveys.	B．By interviewing LinkedIn employers.
C．By tracking user data and job mobility.	D．By conducting a large-scale job fair.

3. What can we learn about digital and high-tech industries?

A．They are fast-paced and value novelty.	B．They cause weak ties among employees.
C．Strong ties are the main source of mobility.	D．Weak ties do not contribute to job mobility.

4. What might Bryson advise policymakers to do?

A．Prioritize traditional methods only.	B．Ignore the impact of digital platforms.
C．Recognize the influence of digitization.	D．Understand the rules on digital platforms.

2 . Go on a 15-minute Tour

Didn’t someone say that life is about the journey, not the destination?     1     when you are focused only on getting to the next meeting, starting your next class period, or hurrying to send an email, you’re missing all of the people between Points A and B.

To commit some time to the journey, take some time to walk around where you work and notice your surroundings.     2     Also, some of the smaller yet critical social clues that exist right under your nose will be concentrated on again.

    3     Things to look for include the look and feel of people’s work spaces, the timing of when different people move around the office, and which people seek interaction versus those who stay at their desks all day.

After your first observation tour, select a different day to tour your workspace for moods. Other people’s moods can provide you with critical clues about how things are going.     4     Focus on what you see, hear, and pick up on in other people.

Schedule 15 minutes to tour your workplace twice a week for a month and be sure to avoid making too many assumptions or conclusions — just simply observe.     5    

A．You’ll be amazed at what you see along the way.

B．Spare a little time to closely monitor each person’s progress.

C．Notice what people may be feeling when you drop by to talk briefly.

D．During any workday, take just 15 minutes to observe neglected things.

E．You generally love the breathtaking landscape and people’s performances.

F．Going on a short tour will help you get in tune with other people and their emotions.

G．To become socially aware, remember to enjoy the journey and notice people along the way.

3 . A workable and pretty easy solution to improving your listening skills is that you begin to realize how much of your ability to be an effective listener is really about you, not the other person and how fascinating or boring they are.     1    

We tend to assume that listening is little more than showing up and paying attention to the other person.     2     It’s worth noticing how we instinctively (本能地) listen in conversation and whether or not that given listening mode is really what’s called for.

You need to identify your personal “hot spots”.     3     Whether it’s talking about climate change or Father’s Day, when you are not interested at all, you realize it is hard to concentrate. That kind of self-knowledge comes by having a scientific approach and observing yourself in action.

    4     For example, your surrounding environment, the topic at hand, or even particular company may affect your ability to listen. When you do this, you can more easily see what gets in the way of your ability to listen and understand. Thus that makes many of our work-related conversations much easier.

In a performance review or heated debate, you can remind yourself if you’re having an emotional response to feedback and are having trouble hearing the other person out. Observing and learning from your behavior, and noticing how you are affected by your surroundings help you uncover your unique needs for doing your best listening.     5    

A．Considering external factors is also important.

B．Besides, get curious about your conversation style.

C．In fact, if they’re boring, in some ways that is on you.

D．But it’s also deeply tied to paying attention to ourselves.

E．Effective listening is about creating the space for others to express themselves.

F．The topics are what uniquely set you off and emotionally inspire you in some ways.

G．Those are going to help everything from meetings to client presentations run smoothly.

4 . Your neighbors are probably the first line of defense in case of any problematic situation.     1     It gives you an assurance that you have people close by looking out for you. Here are easily applicable tips on creating stronger neighbor relationships.

The first step is introducing yourself when you move to a new neighborhood or when a newcomer moves in. Leave them a note under their door to introduce yourself.     2     It doesn’t have to cost you a fortune and opting for a potted plant or baked biscuits will do. These actions present excellent opportunities to connect with them.

Be respectful of your neighbors. It’s in poor taste to have regular insensitive parties at your place causing disturbances. Before your party, it’s good practice to notify your neighbors. Besides, avoid chatting them up for hours on end, which may be inconvenient, especially if you don’t know their schedules.     3     When you borrow anything, return it in due time. If you accidentally break their things, replace them without being asked to.

    4     You could offer to babysit your neighbors’ kids, help with snow removals or even keep an eye on their home when they’re away. Such acts of reaching out to your neighbors make for stronger relationships.

As Emma Seppälä put it, “social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop (圈) of social, emotional and physical well-being.” It feels so easy to just stay home without having to engage with your neighbors but connecting with them is worth the effort.     5    

A．Remember every small gesture counts.

B．A crisis is a test of communication skills.

C．It can actually boost your mood in the long run.

D．Slipping it in their mailbox further solidifies friendship.

E．It’s essential to ensure you maintain decent relationships with them.

F．Alternatively, you can give them a gift while making yourself known to them.

G．Only by establishing healthy boundaries will you achieve peaceful coexistence.

5 . In this day and age, gadgets have become a significant part of our daily lives. While it does make people’s lives easier, there are disadvantages.    1    You might have noticed how everyone is constantly clicking their phones, iPad, and others portable devices. Disconnecting from gadgets might be challenging, but there are ways to spend time with your friends without using these gadgets.

Turn off Gadgets

    2    Turning off your gadgets could be the first step you can do. It could also be one of the house rules when you are together. However, you and your friends should agree on this matter before implementing it in your get-together to avoid any misunderstanding.

Start Playing with Classic Board Games

Before the trend of high-tech gadgets, board games had always been the source of entertainment when a group of friends wanted to have some fun. Meeting with your friends could be the best time to bring these classic board games back.    3    

Bond over Food

Eating together is a chance to bond, de-stress, and relax.    4    The same study also found out that eating together involves laughter and reminiscing. Laughter is known to trigger the endorphin system, which, in return, promotes primate and human social bonding.

Have a Heart-to-Heart Talk

Entertainment isn’t the only way to interact with your friends.    5    You don’t know what your friends are going through, and making room for a heart-to-heart talk might be what they need.

A．There are many different games you can search online.

B．One is how gadgets seem to be taking over people’s social relationships.

C．Evening meals are considered significantly more valuable for building friendships.

D．One study suggested social eating has evolved as a mechanism for improving social bonding.

E．If you want to spend quality time with each other, all of you need to sacrifice your screen time.

F．While it’s essential to enjoy your get-together, going into a purposeful conversation is also important.

G．Though they have digital equivalents, you may still get benefits when playing them in the traditional way.

6 . In conversations with strangers, people commonly tend to think they should speak less than half the conversation time to be likable. But we’ve discovered this idea is wrong. Our data shows that people tend to think they should speak about 45% of the time to be likable in a one-on-one conversation with someone new. However, it appears speaking up a bit more is actually a better strategy.

In our research, we randomly assigned people to speak for 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% of the time in a conversation with someone new. We found that the more they spoke, the more they were liked by their new partners. This was only one study with 116 participants, but the outcome is supported by other researchers’ findings. For example, a previous study randomly assigned one in a pair to take on the role of “speaker” and the other to take on the role of “listener. ” After engaging in 12-minute interactions, listeners liked speakers more than speakers liked listeners because listeners felt more similar to speakers than speakers did to listeners. This outcome suggests the reason people prefer those who speak up: Learning more about a new partner can make you feel like you have more in common with him or her.

Further, we assigned people to speak for up to 70% and even 90% of the time. The result shows it is not an ideal strategy. Our research does not suggest people hold down a conversational partner but rather that they feel comfortable speaking up more than they usually might.

Research like ours can help people gain a ‘more reasonable understanding of social interactions with new people and become more confident about how to make a good first impression. It has the obvious benefit of allowing us to carefully control speaking time. However, it does not reflect more natural conversations. Future research should figure out whether our findings generalize to more natural interactions.

1. What is the common belief concerning conversations with strangers?

A．Speaking a little less is preferred.

B．Speaking half the time is the best.

C．Listeners are more likable than speakers.

D．Listeners fail to control the conversations.

2. How was the research carried out?

A．By analyzing speaking habits.

B．By making comparisons.

C．By listing examples.

D．By collecting data.

3. What is the disadvantage of the research?

A．The conversation time is limited.

B．Further study is hard to continue.

C．The findings are less widely appliable.

D．Interactions with strangers are missing.

4. In which situation can the research finding be applied?

A．Attending a family gathering.

B．Partying with your friends.

C．Meeting a new teacher.

D．Making a public speech.

7 . One person’s happiness causes a chain reaction that benefits not only their friends, but their friends’ friends, and their friends’ friends’ friends. The effect lasts for up to one year. The opposite, interestingly, is not the case: Sadness does not spread through social networks as strongly as happiness. Happiness appears to love company more so than misery.

Focusing on 4,739 individuals, Christakis and Fowler, who co-authored this study, observed more than 50,000 social and family ties and analyzed the spread of happiness throughout this group. The researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, a friend living within a mile experiences a 25 percent increased chance of becoming happy. A co-resident spouse (配偶) experiences an 8 percent increased chance, siblings (兄弟姐妹) living within one mile have a 14 percent increased chance, and for next-door neighbors, 34 percent. But the real surprise came with indirect relationships. Again, while an individual becoming happy increases his friend’s chances, a friend of that friend experiences a nearly 10 percent chance of increased happiness, and a friend of that friend has a 5.6 percent increased chance.

The researchers also found that, contrary to what your parents taught you, popularity does lead to happiness. People in the center of their network groups are the most likely people to become happy, and then there are chances that increase to the extent that the people surrounding them also have lots of friends. However, becoming happy does not help migrate a person from the network fringe (外围) to the center. Happiness spreads through the network without changing its structure.

“Imagine a bird’s eye view of a backyard party,” Fowler explains. “You’ll see people in groups at the center, and others on the fringe. The happiest people tend to be the ones in the center. But someone on the fringe who suddenly becomes happy, say through a particular exchange, doesn’t suddenly move into the center of the group. He simply stays where he is—only now he has a far more satisfying sense of well-being.”

Next time, if you’re happy and you know it, thank your friends—and their friends. And while you’re at it, their friends’ friends. But if you’re sad, hold the blame.

1. Who will be more likely to become happy as a man is happy according to the research?

A．His wife.	B．His next-door neighbors.
C．His brothers and sisters.	D．A friend of his friend.

2. Why does Fowler mention a backyard party in Paragraph 4?

A．To explain a rule.	B．To clarify a concept.
C．To describe a fact.	D．To make a prediction.

3. What does the research aim to tell us?

A．Happiness changes social structures.

B．A social network is a double-edged sword.

C．Happiness goes hand in hand with sadness.

D．Happiness spreads through social networks.

4. What do we know from the last two paragraphs?

A．Friends’ friends may bring you happiness.

B．Your friends are to blame for your sadness.

C．Your friends decide whether you are happy.

D．The happiest friends at party are on the fringe.

8 . How long have you been going to the same hairdresser or barber? It’s a question that gets us thinking about the unique friendship we _______ with our stylists over the years.

You have confidence in each other. You have a laugh together and regularly _______ each other’s news. Plus they try to make you look and feel your best. That’s a(n) _______ not only for a great friendship, but also for the perfect relationship with your hairdresser. When you find a good barber, it’s something to _______.

Many people have _______ experiences with their hairdressers. I’ve had my hair cut by Claire Miller for more than 15 years. She’s taken me through all kinds of _______, and she’s helped me find a totally new look now during the post-chemotherapy (化疗后) period with dyed blonde hair! _______ hairstyles, there have been communications about the joys and trials of motherhood, the _______ of health problems and changes in our careers and lives — the stuff of 15 years that we have _______ in the three salons Claire has worked in.

While she cut my hair recently, we chatted about that special __________ that forms between hairdressers and their clients. “You hear so many stories from them, and sometimes you feel like a counselor __________ a hairdresser. You assess their needs, and you know how to react to them,”says Claire.

For Claire, the customer interaction is something she loves about the job and that she has __________ developed throughout her working life. “It’s about being human and __________ about people. A lot of my clients are my friends and like family now. It’s my __________ to cut their hair, making them look and feel good, but I also want them to feel __________ by the experience,” laughs Claire.

1.

A．break

B．promote

C．form

D．begin

2.

A．catch up on

B．make up for

C．put up with

D．end up with

3.

A．request

B．desire

C．occasion

D．recipe

4.

A．resolve

B．remember

C．cherish

D．evaluate

5.

A．reliable

B．unforgettable

C．imaginable

D．inseparable

6.

A．shapes

B．models

C．styles

D．sorts

7.

A．Besides

B．Despite

C．Given

D．After

8.

A．injuries

B．emotions

C．concerns

D．challenges

9.

A．brought

B．shared

C．observed

D．emphasized

10.

A．link

B．role

C．habit

D．pattern

11.

A．other than

B．rather than

C．less than

D．more than

12.

A．eventually

B．gradually

C．immediately

D．frequently

13.

A．caring

B．hanging

C．worrying

D．talking

14.

A．desire

B．ambition

C．hobby

D．job

15.

A．fascinated

B．struck

C．uplifted

D．impressed

9 . Ways to Always Be Yourself and Live Happily

Don’t aim to please others.     1     This is why you shouldn’t please others but yourself. Pleasing others can be a nice thing to do, but know where your boundaries are. Instead of always aiming to please others, you should do things for yourself as well every now and then.

Don’t worry about how others view you. Occasionally thinking about how others view you may make you change for the better.     2     You should change if you want to, and change into what or who you want to change into.

    3     Do you know who you really are? Ever since you were young, you have been conditioned to be one way or another. It may be unusual just to spend a day being your spontaneous(自然的)self, but sometimes it is the only way that you can learn how to be yourself.

Forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for thinking negatively. Forgive yourself for talking without thinking twice. Don’t think negative thoughts about yourself for taking wrong steps or making wrong decisions. This kind of thinking puts your focus on the problem and not the solution. It’s better to say good thing about yourself than to say negative things.     4    

Strive for what you want to accomplish. Being yourself does not have to mean that you have to be stuck in the status quo(现状).     5     And strive for that accomplishment. You can improve yourself while still remaining true to yourself.

A．Learn more about yourself.

B．Aim for what you want to achieve.

C．Stop being negative about yourself.

D．Saying positive things is a sign that you have forgiven yourself.

E．Committing to something and working toward it will lead to happiness.

F．But you should not be constantly wondering about what others are thinking.

G．There is a problem if you are always doing what everyone else wants to do.