1 . So many things can keep you from seeing your loved ones in person, from busy schedules to long distances. Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, the people you miss are often only a phone call or a text message away. According to science, if you want to feel more connected to the people you’re talking to, you should call them instead of texting.
In a study, researchers did various experiments. In one, they asked 200 people to imagine what it would be like to reconnect with an old friend by email or by phone, and they asked people to do one or the other at random. Although people thought that a phone call would be more mortifying, it actually made the experience better. “People reported they did form a stronger bond with their old friends on the phone versus email, and they did not feel uncomfortable,” co-author Amit Kumar said.
In another experiment, researchers had strangers connect by texting, talking over video chat, or talking using only audio (音频). They found that both forms of voice communication — whether video or audio only — made the strangers feel more connected than when they communicated via text.
Sabrina Romanoff, a psychologist, says people tend to text instead of calling because of convenience, as they can organize information exactly in the way they intend without unexpected additions by the other person.
Romanoff says that in reality, texting can make it hard to determine the true meaning behind a conversation. “A phone call is actually more convenient considering the effects of the message,” she explains. “Each part is more present, and therefore, it is able to figure out the meaning behind the conversation quickly without thinking on the endless possible meanings behind words.”
1. What does the underlined word “mortifying” in Paragraph 2 mean?A.Puzzling. | B.Exciting. | C.Embarrassing. | D.Satisfying. |
A.It takes more patience. | B.It brings people closer. |
C.It proves more relaxing. | D.It makes people more friendly. |
A.They can make themselves clear without being disturbed. |
B.They would easily keep the messages for future use. |
C.They can freely express their good or bad feelings. |
D.They would avoid some unpleasant topics. |
A.It is easy to express one’s meaning through texting. |
B.It is necessary to guess the meaning behind words. |
C.People can understand each other more easily by phone calls. |
D.People should use simple words to express themselves in emails. |
2 . Initial conversations can have a huge impact on how relationships develop over time. People are often stuck in the impressions they think they might have made the minute they finish speaking with someone for the first time: “Did they like me or were they just being polite?” “Were they deep in thought or deeply bored?”
To find out whether these worries are necessary, we have conducted nearly 10 years of research. In our studies, participants in the UK talked with someone they had never met before. Afterward, they were asked how much they liked their conversation partner and how much they believed that their conversation partner liked them. This allowed us to compare how much people believed they were liked to how much they were actually liked.
Time and time again, we found that people left their conversations with negative feelings about the impression they made. That is, people systematically underestimate how much their conversation partners like them and enjoy their company — a false belief we call the “liking gap”.
This bias (偏见) may seem like something that would occur only in initial interactions, but its effects extend far beyond a first impression. Surprisingly, the liking gap can constantly affect a variety of relationships, including interactions with coworkers, long after the initial conversations have taken place. Having a larger liking gap is associated with being less willing to ask workmates for help, less willing to provide workmates with open and honest feedback, and less willing to work on another project together.
There are numerous strategies to minimize your biased feelings. One place to start is shifting your focus of attention. Try to direct your attention to your conversation partner, be genuinely curious about them, ask them more questions, and really listen to their answers. The more you’re zeroed in on the other person, and the less you’re focused on yourself, the better your conversation will be and the less your mind will turn to all the things you think you didn’t do well.
1. Why did the author carry out 10 years of research?A.To dismiss national concerns. | B.To check out a potential bias. |
C.To enhance human communication. | D.To develop harmonious relationships. |
A.Fewer chances of new projects. | B.Underestimation of their ability. |
C.Bad relationships with people around. | D.Low willingness to interact with others. |
A.Restate opinions. | B.Deliver warnings. | C.Give suggestions. | D.Make a summary. |
A.Liking Gap May Influence Work Performances |
B.First Impressions Rely On Initial Conversations |
C.People Probably Like You More Than You Think |
D.How People Like You Matters Less Than You Assume |
3 . Bad judgments are meant to feed our own personal ego (自我意识) and put others down, which is not the healthiest thing to do. Here are five reasons why you should stop it now.
You start finding faults in everyone. Judging quickly moves on to more private areas of your life.
Judging becomes a habit. If you judge people, sooner or later, it becomes a habit, and you start judging everyone around you for the tiniest of things.
People begin to distrust you. If you pass judgments about other people in front of your audience, you will lose their trust. As they will begin to feel that if you can judge others in front of them, you can talk about them behind their back.
Judgment is a sign of unhappiness. If you are 100% happy with who you are, you are a lot less likely to feel the need to judge others. If you are self-assured, you will not feel the need to cast a downward glance at others.
A.You are viewed positively by people. |
B.You start taking yourself too seriously. |
C.Hence, seeing others positively shows we are positive people. |
D.You judge their clothing, actions, success, values, and everything. |
E.Likewise, you also judge because you feel you are better than others. |
F.You start judging your close ones; friends, family members, partner, etc. |
G.And no one wants to make friends with someone often talking unkindly about others. |
4 . We have most friends at the age of 26 after having spent the first quarter of our lives building up our friendship circle, a new research has claimed.
The research into friends hip shows that our social circle peaks at 26 years and 7 months, at which we typically have five close friends. Women are most popular at 25 years and 10 months, with men hitting the highest friendship point a little later at 27 years and 3 months.
The research, by Forever Friends, shows that about a third of adults meet their closest friends when at school, with about a fifth saying they meet them at work.
Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter now also play a major role in building new friendship. The research points out that 25 to 34-year-olds make 22 friends via Facebook, compared to 18 to 24-year-olds who make 12, and 35 to 44-year-olds who make just 4.
Forever Friends’ relationship coach Sam Owen says, “It is no coincidence that over a third of us meet our best friends at school. It is a key time in our lives when friendship is growing through sharing notes, giving gifts, seeing each other regularly and laughing a lot. As adults we can often forget how powerful these small things are and how the little things can make a difference.”
Later in life we find ourselves losing friends. Over half of us lose friendship through moving, while 36% say that over time they grow apart from close pals. Having children also causes 19% to drift away from childhood friends.
With growing pressures being put on friendship these days, it’s important to make time for our friendship.
1. How many friends can a 20-year-old college student make via Facebook?A.4. | B.12. | C.18. | D.22. |
A.how important making friends is |
B.that friendship is not easy to keep |
C.how much has been done to keep friendship |
D.that friendship at school is important |
A.make sense of | B.lose contact with | C.feel sorry for | D.make up with |
A.Facebook or Twitter | B.an advertisement |
C.a textbook | D.a newspaper |
5 . Active Listening: A Key Skill for Effective Communication
Active listening is a communication skill that goes beyond simply hearing words and involves fully taking part and understanding the speaker’s message. Importantly, it is a significant part in effective communication.
Give full attention to the speaker. Active listening requires being fully present in the conversation, observing the speaker’s body language, and facial expressions to avoid negative responses. It also requires listening to the speaker with all your senses, including sight, sound and so on.
Maintain good eye contact with the conversation partner. When taking part in active listening, making eye contact is especially important.
By actively listening, we can create stronger connections, and promote trust and respect in our relationships. Remember, active listening goes beyond simply hearing.
A.Respond properly to the speaker. |
B.Reflect on the responses of the speaker. |
C.It focuses on the way you answer the speaker. |
D.It shows that you are truly interested in what they say. |
E.The fact, however, is that many people often fail in active listening. |
F.It also involves improving communication quality and connecting with others. |
G.To use this technique effectively, we’d better not do other things at the same time. |
6 . Trust is the basic of any relationship in both a professional and a personal capacity (能力). Here are some ways to build trust and be trustworthy.
Be always honest. Honesty is a quality that must be developed fully if you desire to build trust with others. Half-truths and white lies result in disasters.
Communicate effectively. Poor communication is one of the main reasons why trust is unable to be developed in any environment.
Do not be too quick in making decisions. There is no need to take too much pressure if you’re faced with a tough situation.
Take the necessary time.
A.Keep your word. |
B.Don’t take everything for sure. |
C.Trust can’t be built in a short time. |
D.Therefore, avoid them if you are trying to build trust. |
E.The failure to explain your stand may cause unpleasant results. |
F.You’d better take the time to consider your way from every aspect. |
G.Make sure you are paying attention to old and new relationships equally. |
7 . Have you ever argued with a friend, and said or done something you regretted? Sometimes it can be hard to put things right, especially when feelings have been hurt. Knowing how to apologise can help you become friends again and to understand why you fell out in the first place.
We argue for all kinds of reasons. You might think your football team is fantastic but your friend disagrees; or maybe your sister is being really annoying. Sometimes, especially if you’re angry, things can spiral out of control and you’ll say or do something you regret. Arguing and disagreeing with others occasionally is normal — we all do it — but it’s important to resolve your differences afterwards so bad feelings don’t get worse. This is where an apology can help.
We all make mistakes, and apologising is a way of admitting we’ve got something wrong and will try not to do it again. Dr. Jennifer Thomas, a psychologist and author, believes an apology needs to show the other person that we’re genuinely (真诚地) sorry, we accept responsibility for our actions and we want their forgiveness.
Sometimes another person may pressure you into taking the blame when it’s not your fault. If you feel this is happening, try talking about why you argued in the first place and explain how it made you feel. If you still can’t agree, you could ask a parent or teacher to help you resolve the problem.
Sorry on its own might not always be enough, so try to ask the other person how they felt while you were arguing. Explain your side too, and make it clear you’ll try not to repeat the same mistake again. A genuine apology isn’t a magic wand (魔杖); it may take some time for someone to understand and forgive. Even after you’ve said sorry, you could still feel bad but you can feel good about trying to fix things and promising yourself to do better next time.
1. Why is it important to resolve differences after an argument?A.To ensure that bad feelings worsen over time. | B.To maintain relationship and prevent damage. |
C.To avoid taking responsibility for one’s action. | D.To establish leading power over one’s friends. |
A.Stop. | B.Decrease. | C.Increase. | D.Win. |
A.Both parties will forget the argument. | B.Forgiveness could take quite a while. |
C.The person apologizing can calm down. | D.Relationships will improve immediately. |
A.The Power of Apologies | B.The Causes of Arguments |
C.The Significance of Forgiveness | D.The Benefits of Communication |
8 . We often think about relationships on a scale from positive to negative. We are drawn to loving family members, caring classmates and supportive mentors. We do our best to avoid the cruel uncle, the playground bully and the jerk boss.
But the most toxic relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative. We often call them frenemies, supposed friends who sometimes help you and sometimes hurt you. But ifs not just friends. It’s the in-laws who volunteer to watch your kids but belittle your parenting. The manager who praises your work but denies you a promotion.
Everyone knows how relationships like that can tie your stomach into a knot. But groundbreaking research led by the psychologists Bert Uchino and Julianne Holt-Lunstad shows that ambivalent (矛盾情绪的) relationships can be damaging to your health — even more than purely negative relationships.
I had assumed that with a neighbor or a colleague, having some positive interactions was better than all negative interactions. But being cheered on by the same person who cuts you down doesn’t reduce the bad feelings; it increases them. And it’s not just in your head: It leaves a trace in your heart and your blood.
Even a single ambivalent interaction can cause harm. In one experiment, people gave impromptu speeches on controversial topics in front of a friend who offered feedback. The researchers had randomly assigned the friend to give ambivalent or negative comments. Receiving mixed feedback caused higher blood pressure than pure criticism. “I would have gone about the topic differently, but you’re doing fine” proved to be more distressing than “I totally disagree with everything you’ve said.”
The evidence that ambivalent relationships can be bad for us is strong, but the reasons can be harder to read — just like the relationships themselves.
The most intuitive reason is that ambivalent relationships are unpredictable. With a clear enemy, you put up a shield when you cross paths. With a frenemy, you never know whether Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde is going to show up. Feeling unsure can disrupt the body’s calming system and activate a fight-or-flight response. It’s unsettling to hope for a hug while also preparing for a likely quarrel.
Another factor is that unpleasant interactions are more painful in an ambivalent relationship. It’s more upsetting to be let down by people you like sometimes than by people you dislike all the time. When someone stabs you in the back, it stings more if he’s been friendly to your face.
1. Which of the following can be counted as a frenemy?A.Your neighbour’s kid who advises you to study hard but idles away his own time. |
B.Your classmate who admires your diligence at first, but doubts your intelligence later. |
C.Your mother’s friend who encourages you to spend more time on homework but less on smart phones. |
D.Your father’s colleague who proposes you to do a moderate amount of homework while ensuring adequate sleep. |
A.Ambivalent relationships have a permanent effect on your well-being. |
B.The common cause for high blood pressure is ambivalent relationship. |
C.Ambivalent interactions will be more painful if it is done consciously. |
D.The negative impact of ambivalent interactions is direct and strong. |
A.devalue | B.appreciate | C.respect | D.abuse |
A.Some Negative Relationships Are Bad for Your Health |
B.Your Most Ambivalent Relationships Are the Most Toxic |
C.The Reasons for Ambivalent Relationships Are Unpredictable |
D.Some Positive Relationships Are Better than All Negative Ones |
9 . We all know the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. This is an old proverb we learn from an early age.
Have you ever noticed that when you do something nice for someone else, it makes you feel better too? This isn’t just something that happens randomly (随机地).
Making others feel good can “warm” your heart, sure — but being nice to others can also affect the actual chemical balance of your heart. Kindness releases the hormone oxytocin which reduces blood pressure and therefore protects the heart.
Kindness can help you live longer. You may be shaking your head at this one, but there’s science to back it up. According to Health.com, you’re at a greater risk of heart disease if you don’t have a strong network of family and friends. When you’re kind to others, you develop strong, meaningful relationships and friendships.
A.Anxiety is an extremely common human experience. |
B.This behavior can help you handle stressful situations. |
C.Kindness strengthens your heart physically and emotionally. |
D.It has something to do with the pleasure centers in your brain. |
E.Besides improving personal relationships, kindness can make you healthier. |
F.So, make some new friends, or expand your kindness to the ones you already have. |
G.However, there are a number of real-life benefits connected with the way we treat others. |
10 . Have you ever been in mid-conversation with someone, when you look over and find them standing in the same position as you or holding the same facial expression? It may seem like they have consciously copied you, but it is much more likely that it is the chameleon (变色龙) effect at play.
The chameleon effect is the unconscious imitation of another person’s gestures or behavior. Just as a chameleon attempts to match any environment’s colors, people acquire the behavior of others to bring them closer together and help make their interactions smooth.
The chameleon effect was confirmed in an experiment by psychologists John Bargh and Tanya Chartrand in 1999. The part of their experiment included 78 people, who each spoke with an experimenter. During the test, Bargh and Chartrand studied whether participants would copy the actions of someone they hadn’t met before, like moving the foot and touching the face. The second part measured the impact that copying someone has on the person being imitated.
In the first stage, participants increased their face touching by 20% and their foot movement by 50% while in conversation about a photograph with the experimenter. The individuals weren’t aware of what they were being studied for, and the photograph was used to catch their attention to insure unconscious acts. The second stage involved half of the participants being copied, and then rating the likability of the experimenter. The results, showed that those who were imitated scored the experimenter higher. It has shown that when someone copies our behavior, we develop more positive feelings about them. These interactions could be a person unconsciously willing to be liked, and forming a moment of connection.
The main reasons behind humans’ imitation are positive. However, when people carry this chameleon effect to the extreme, they can lose their sense of self. Those who change their entire personalities in different groups often go undetected. But more common signs of the chameleon effect are easier to notice. Next time you are in a social gathering, take a look around and you might just see some chameleons for yourself.
1. Why do people imitate others’ behavior?A.To show admiration for others. | B.To adapt to the surroundings. |
C.To establish a connection with others. | D.To attract others’ attention. |
A.By directing their attention to a photo. | B.By keeping an eye on their actions. |
C.By telling them the purpose of the study. | D.By evaluating the impacts of imitation. |
A.People tend to like those who imitate their behavior. |
B.Too much of the chameleon effect can be beneficial. |
C.People imitating others are not easy to be detected. |
D.The copied movements help people to feel relaxed. |
A.Students adopt teachers’ accents for fun after class. |
B.People change their habits to please others on purpose. |
C.A comedian copies a celebrity vividly on stage. |
D.A husband and his wife share similar behaviors over time. |