1 . Being part of a club is such a great experience for people of all ages. Here are five benefits of joining a club.

You can meet new people.

Usually, the people you meet are easy to get along with because you both have something in common: your interest in the club.     1    That means you spend a lot of time with other members. Often, from my experience, members of the club become good friends with each other.

You can learn new skills.

Everyone in a club has a job to do. Your work might be something that you’re already great at or something that you don’t have much experience with.     2     I learned about how to communicate with other people. Some basic skills were also learned that can be used later on in life.

    3    

The idea of joining a club between work, school, friends and family may seem overwhelming (令人难以应对的). However, once you get used to your role in a club and learn to manage your time, you will find there is still enough time left for other things that need to be done daily.

You can gain experience for the future.

The skills you learn will not only allow you to succeed in that profession but will also look great on a resume (简历) if you join a club that is similar to the career you want to enter! If you dream of becoming a lawyer, for example, you will be thankful for the practice you got from being part of such a club.     4    

You can improve confidence.

Joining a club requires courage.     5     But the more you practice your club function (功能), the better you’re going to be at it. Normally, the more time you spend in a club, the more you’ll be relaxed and confident.

A．You can stick to your plan.

B．A confident person is popular.

C．There is something to learn either way.

D．You can get better at time management.

E．At first you may not be sure if you will ft in.

F．As they say, teamwork makes the dream work.

G．Many clubs have monthly meetings or meet a few times a week.

2 . Kindness May Keep You Healthy

If you are driving in the United States, you may see a common bumper (汽车保险杠) sticker on passing vehicles that reads:     1     The saying is meant to urge people to behave in a gentle, caring, and helpful way towards others without thinking or planning ahead.

    2     In one experiment, Brian are, an anthropologist (人类学家) at Duke University, asked a group of people to perform three acts of generosity for other individuals each week. These acts could be small, like opening a door for someone. The people who were caring, gentle and friendly towards others reported experiencing contentment, satisfaction and happiness.

However, being kind is not just emotionally beneficial. Lyubomirsky studied a group of people with the disease Multiple Sclerosis (多发性硬化).     3     Her research also pointed out that people showing kindness to others had less inflammation (炎症) in their bodies. And in other studies, Lyubomirsky said more anti-viral genes were found in people who extended a helping hand to other people

    4     In one study, researchers gave people a list of values — such as kindness, creativity, ambition, tradition, security, seeking social justice, and seeking power. When asked to pick the most important, kindness won.

“The basic reason why people are kind,” Oliver Curry, explained, the research director at Kind-lab that is a non-profit organization, “is that we are social animals. Kindness is as much a part of us as our anger, grief or desire.”    5    

A．Perform random acts of kindness

B．Acts of kindness are very powerful

C．In other words, we are designed to be kind.

D．She found that they felt better physically when helping others.

E．Research shows that doing kind things can make us feel better

F．He found that being kind makes people feel better emotionally,

G．Other research has shown that many people prize kindness above other values

3 . I came across some excellent tips on how to communicate better with others.    1     For that reason, it’s necessary that we all work on communicating as effectively (有效地) as possible. In order to help us communicate more effectively, I’m going to share the following tips.

Pause(停顿)before replying to others.    2     Sometimes just that 2-3 seconds’ break is just what you need to really understand what someone else has said or to come up with the thoughts you really want to pass on.

Be honest.    3     You don’t have to think about what you’re going to say wrong and you don’t have to worry about uncovering a secret. If you remain honest, you’ll have a much easier time communicating with others and others will be a lot more willing to communicate with you.

    4     Communication can be hard at times, which is why it’s so very important to be both patient and open-minded in communication. No matter what the situation is, there is a way to communicate. Sometimes it just takes time. Be patient and keep your mind open for new ways of sharing and understanding.

Ask for feedback（反馈）from others. When it’s all said and done, one of the best ways you can learn to communicate more effectively is to ask for feedback. Take some time to speak to those who you communicate with frequently to find out how you can improve on your communication with them.    5    

A．Be patient and open-minded.

B．Trust and hard work are valuable.

C．When you’re honest, communication becomes a lot easier.

D．I believe communication is key to living a good life.

E．It’s not always easy to ask for feedback, but it’s worth it!

F．You’ll be on the road to creating a better understanding with others.

G．Pause works wonders when it comes to communicating effectively with others.

4 . How to Deal with a Colleague who Keeps Challenging Your Views

It can be difficult to develop an environment of teamwork when you continually run up against a colleague who challenges your views.     1    . This will ensure you respect one another, even when you disagree.

Handle unnecessary confrontation (对峙).

If a co-worker habitually challenges your ideas in a group discussion in a confrontational manner, don’t engage him or get into an argument. Pause for a moment, look the colleague in the eye.     2    . This will force the co-worker to either repeat his comment in front of everyone with the same level of confrontation, or soften his approach.

    3    .

There’s a time and place for everything, including professional disagreements. If a colleague interrupts you or talks over you in an effort to contradict your point or insert (插入) his own opinion, gently remind him that you still have the floor. If the colleague is challenging something you say before you have a chance to address the point, note that as well.

Agree to respect each other.

    4    . Constructive debate and brainstorming can strengthen the overall performance of the entire team. Speak to your colleague at a time when you are emotionally stable. For example, you might say, “Can we agree to a respectful and civil way to discuss matters when it’s clear there’s no one ‘right’ answer?”

Prepare rebuttals (反驳).

If a particular colleague has a long history of disagreeing with you, you might be able to anticipate his arguments or objections. Prepare rebuttals to address anything your colleague might throw at you.     5    . It also strengthens your points without being confrontational, and allows you to give him credit for his constructive comments when necessary.

A．Hold your ground.

B．Ask for peace-making.

C．This will help you support your own arguments.

D．And ask him in a calm voice to repeat what he said.

E．Here are the ways to deal with colleagues of this kind.

F．Just find ways to make peace and communicate with your colleague.

G．The bottom line is, colleagues are not going to agree with each other all the time.

5 . Do you have a hard time saying“no”? If “yes” rules your life and “no” doesn’t exist, here are some tips for you to say “no” without feeling bad.

Switch out “no” for “later”

If you’re just starting out, you don’t have to jump straight to “no”.     1     . But saying later is much easier. Make your default (预设) response to any request with “Let me get back to you later.”Don’t rely on your “laters” forever, because too many would make you unreliable in the long run.

Rehearse (排演) your “no”

Sometimes, invites or requests happen naturally and in person, requiring an answer immediately.     2    . If you’re afraid of coming off as robotic or unnatural, it helps to rehearse your lines in front of a mirror.

    3    

Offering an excuse may seem polite to decline a request, but it sets you up for an awkward situation. No matter what excuse you offer, people who are determined to get you to say “yes” will come up with a way to reel (卷轴) you in.    4    . If you say “no” to them, you can still soften the blow by being polite and appreciative.

Do offer an alternative

If the person asking you for something is someone who you want to maintain a positive relationship with, you can decrease the impact of your “no” by offering an alternative.     5    . Hence, the person won’t feel upset and you don’t feel guilty for your“no”, either. It is a win-win situation!

A．Don’t offer an explanation

B．Don’t say “yes” to others easily

C．Saying “no”at once can be tough

D．But noisy places with many people aren’t your choices

E．So it would be useful to rehearse your “no” in advance

F．Being frank with people by saying “no” doesn’t mean rude

G．The goal is to find a common ground and reach an agreement

6 .

Dear Suzie, I know you may hear this all the time from teenage girls, but this bully (霸凌) is driving me crazy. At times she is lovely and acts like a really great friend, but then she makes unhappy faces when she doesn’t agree. If I do anything, she interrogates (盘问) me, making me feel under pressure. She’s used to being the centre of attention and this two-facedness has been going on for 3 years. I’ve tried talking about it and making new friends, but how can I keep the lovely girl instead of the spoilt jealous (被宠坏的和嫉妒的) one? Please help me.

There is no “lovely girl” or “spoilt jealous one”. There is a human being who mostly feels lovely and acts nicely, and who sometimes feels jealous or needy or hurt and then acts unpleasantly. As do we all! Perhaps the problem with your friend is that she is used to being the centre of attention, and expects it. But that’s no reason for you to do whatever she asks you to do. The truth is that people can’t control you unless you let them. People can’t push you around and put you under pressure, unless you fall in with the game.

Want it to stop? Stop pulling when she pushes, pushing when she pulls. If she makes a face, say “Don’t agree? OK.” and leave it at that. If she has a go at you, ask her if she’s having a bad day, and back off. Tell her you’ll come back to talk when she’s feeling better, or ask her if she needs to talk about anything. Maybe she needs to learn from experience that when she acts in that way she won’t get what she wants. At present, you “reinforce (加强)” her behaviour — by that I mean you show her that it always works. Stop letting it work and she’ll soon learn not to do it.

1. What is troubling the teenage girl?

A．She is studying under high pressure.

B．She is being bullied by a good friend.

C．She doesn’t know how to make new friends.

D．She fails to protect her friend from being bullied.

2. What does Suzie think of the girl’s friend?

A．She enjoys being at the centre.

B．She doesn’t know how to control her feelings.

C．She is so polite that people like to be around her.

D．She always does what other people require her to do.

3. What suggestion does Suzie give to the girl?

A．Make her friend realize her unpleasant acts.

B．Get away from her friend for a while.

C．Spend more time with her friend.

D．Follow what her friend says.

4. Where does this text probably come from?

A．A textbook.

B．A storybook.

C．A daily newspaper.

D．A teenage magazine.

7 . About 72% of Americans use social media, where it’s common to make new friends, build relationships, or share photos of your daily life.

Social media allows people to connect in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible, and can often expand (扩展) people’s social circles, says Kathryn Moore, Ph. D., a psychologist at Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica. On social media, you can connect with those people in similar situations and share worries, fears, and celebrations, Moore says. According to her research, up to 64% of teens report they have made a new friend online, for example, and 83% of teens report that social media makes them feel more connected with their friends.

Social media can negatively impact relationships when you start comparing yourself to other people, including your friends, just based on their social media, Moore says. For example, some may fear their lives aren’t as good as their friends’ and take friendships away because they feel they’re not good enough. Problems with self-esteem (自尊) can also appear when posting about some relationships on social media, but not all of them. “People might feel left out that they’re not as important if they’re not being shared on social media,” Moore says. Cyberbullying (网络霸凌) can also negatively impact relationships, whether you are receiving mean comments or sending them to someone else.

In order to grow a relationship that started online you should show the real you. To deepen a relationship that started on social media, Moore suggests talking on the phone or meeting in person. This allows for more fluid (流畅的) conversations, where you can communicate in real time. Remember that the people who you meet online can become an important part of your life.

“If a relationship created through online resources is treated with respect and consideration, it can be a great way to meet someone you might never have had the chance to meet,” says Don Grant, Ph. D., chairman of the American Psychological Association’s Device Management & Intelligence Committee.

1. What can we say about social media according to Moore’s research?

A．It has become the most important way for teens to make friends.

B．It prevents people from making friends in real life.

C．It can help teens to develop real relationships.

D．It makes teens feel more lonely and lost.

2. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Social media may influence relationships in a bad way.

B．Building relationships online is not a piece of cake.

C．Relationship online makes people less connected.

D．Social media increases the risk of cyberbullying.

3. What does Don Grant think of the relationship online?

A．It leads people to lose chances to meet face to face.

B．It is more respectable than the relationship in real life.

C．It can be meaningful if dealt with properly.

D．It can be developed in an informal way.

4. Which of the following shows the structure of the text?

A．	B．
C．	D．

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

While being     1    (knowledge) about body language is vital, the value of empathy should not     2    (understate). Seek to understand the other person’s emotions, by putting yourself     3     their shoes and looking at the situation from their perspective. Suppose you are discussing a project with your partner,     4     has just lost an important basketball game and is inactive. To engage him or her in the discussion and make your communication     5    (effective), you may express your sympathy by, for instance,     6    (say), “I understand how you feel ...” However, some issues may be complicated and you may be confused about     7     others feel the way they do. Only     8     you give serious consideration to their points of view will you be able to see what accounts for their emotions and empathize with them. You may not approve of their ideas     9     at least you will see where they are coming from, which means you can make     10    (adjustment) to your own tone and choice of words accordingly.

9 . I heard a story recently about a friend’s former boss. When employees would go into this person’s office to discuss something like a pay rise or promotion, the boss had a habit of greeting their request with silence. Quiet, tense seconds went slowly by, and they’d often leave, willing to take a pay cut or demotion (降职) — anything to end the terrible silence.

Embarrassing silences can be unbearable. In 2017, a study found that silence in a talk starts to be unbearable after about four seconds. There’s so much uncertainty in the air as those silent seconds went slowly by. Did I say something wrong? Does this person hate me? Am I going to get fired? But it’s worth remembering that if you don’t know what to say or do, there is always the choice to do nothing. Uncomfortable silences aren’t necessarily a bad thing, depending on how you use them.

For example, Katie Donovan is a supporter of the awkward-silence negotiating (谈判) technique. As she said, “The first step is to be silent or shut up!” If, for example, you are offered a starting salary of $40,000 when you know that the median salary for this position is $48,000, you can say something like this, “Thank you for the offer. I’m a little surprised about the salary, though. Based on my research I would have expected it to be in the $50,000 range.”

It’s a good start; there is no phrase more quietly deadly in the business world than “I’m a little surprised”. But it only works if you say this — and then say nothing. During this pause, Donovan explains, the hiring manager is likely to try to work out how serious you are and how much more to offer. “Remember,” Donovan writes, “the hiring manager most likely will increase the salary during the meeting.”

1. What would the employees often do when they met with the boss’s silence?

A．Keep silent.

B．Get angry.

C．Fight back.

D．Give in.

2. What does the author say about silence in Paragraph 2?

A．It is a basic part of communication.

B．It gives people time for themselves.

C．You don’t have to break it all the time.

D．The meaning of it varies among people.

3. What does the underlined word “median” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Average.	B．Highest.
C．Final.	D．Starting.

4. What should you do after saying “I’m a little surprised”?

A．Give up your request.	B．Keep silent for a while.
C．Avoid making eye contact.	D．Continue to give your reasons.

10 . Years ago, I lived next door to an old man named Steve, who told me he hadn’t had any friends since quitting his factory job 20 years earlier. Steve sat on his porch (门廊) all day. Across the street was another neighbor, Werner, who usually sat on an armchair on his lawn. The two men, both around the same age, stared at each other but rarely talked. When Steve fell down on the floor, Werner watched as the ambulance crew tried to save him.

Steve and Werner are a handy example for the kind of separation that COVID-19 has visited upon many of us. Although the pandemic has gone now, a separation still exists. The percentage of men with at least six close friends fell by half between 1990 and 2021, according to the Survey Center on American Life.

In short, man is in friendship recession (衰退). It is the result of social conditioning and 10, 000 years of developmental forces, where cooperation has been changed into competition. The invention of the big-screen TV hasn’t helped.

A 2020 Oxford University study confirms what many people will readily admit: People prefer to socialize in groups rather than on-on-one. Groups are looser, less private. And shared activities often center on something—a sport, a bar, or a football match. But when the activity goes away, the group often goes with it.

I reconnected with an old friend who had played professional football and I asked him if he was in touch with any of his former teammates. “No,” he said. When football ended, those connections did too. Without that central activity to keep the relationship, they all disappeared from one another’s lives.

There was a time when card games or watching the football games was a sort of guilty pleasure, a senseless activity. Now we’re learning that these things, or at least the connection they represent, are basic to mental health.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the neighbors.	B．To tell the neighbors’ stories.
C．To give an example of separation.	D．To tell the effect of the pandemic.

2. What did people readily admit in the study?

A．Men prefer one-on-one relationship.

B．Relationships in groups are more private.

C．Shared activities do not center on anything-

D．The group’s connection ends after activities go away.

3. What challenge are men facing now?

A．Friendship recession.	B．Peer competition.
C．Team cooperation.	D．Social development.

4. What’s the author’s opinion about card games or watching the football games?

A．A sort of guilty pleasure.	B．Basic to mental health.
C．A kind of senseless activities.	D．Ways to amuse themselves.