1 . Customer service refers to the way that companies behave towards their customers.     1    However, many a time organizations don’t focus on customer relationship management, and that’s what makes customers angry, which is one of the reasons why companies lose their customers.     2    

First of all, you need to realize the great value of the customers. It’s they who are the boss, and it, s because of them that you get your pay checks. So do take your customers seriously.

    3     You need to ask the customers the right kind of questions and think of the possible solutions which you can provide. Understand how they feel according to a particular situation, their body language, tone of voice and words they speak. Never make assumptions and think that you know what the customers want.

Making customers feel they are important is an excellent way to serve them better.     4     The best way to do that is using their first name and finding ways of praising them in a sincere way.

In addition, there are some other skills which will help you in serving your customers better. For example, once you finish solving the problem for the customers, before ending the call, always remember to ask if there is anything else you can do for them. End the call with a “thank you”. If the customers are angry, let them express their anger completely.    5     Once they’ve finished speaking, try to calm them down by apologizing.

In a word, always remember that if the customers remain happy, you’ll be in business.

A．Treat customers as individuals.

B．Never interrupt or start speaking until they’ve finished.

C．You can bring in as many new customers as you want.

D．So customer service is important and you should know how to improve it.

E．Finding out the needs of the customers is another important customer service tip.

F．More companies are finding that their customer service should not be limited to stores.

G．It’s the quality of service that determines whether the customer remains with the company.

2 . Social media does have its shortcomings, and one of those is that it can often seem like everybody is living and winning big — except you.

    1       But the reality is that these people go through struggles just like everybody else. Nobody’s life is perfect all the time. We all go through life’s hardships, failure, and pain. Picture perfect moments do exist, but they exist amongst the real-life terrible moments.    2    

Someone could have +1000 likes on their pictures or a million views on their videos and still be unhappy.     3     There are people with only 10 likes but having plenty of friends, and people with +1000 likes that are lonely, depressed, in fed up relationships and have no real friends.

There are couples that appear happy on social media but behind those photos, they suffer a lot in relationships.     4     Things aren’t always what they appear to be.

You don’t know what some people go through to come out with the fantastic pictures you envy. The real key players mostly operate behind the scenes but make the most happen. They may look like nobody but they are building their kingdoms while others are getting high on likes and attention. Success is not what is presented on social media.     5    

Be yourself and never give up on yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. The real champions of social media are those who add value to others, not the ones who show their lifestyle to impress others.

A．Those ones don’t get documented.

B．Some even think it’s a complete show-off.

C．Being popular on social media is not everything.

D．Self-worth is determined by the number of likes one gets.

E．There are couples who post nothing but are in loving relationship.

F．It takes tears, sleepless nights, and loads of failure to make it in life.

G．You are always flooded with strangers’ images that show the life you long for.

3 . 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.

2. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

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.

3. The underlined word “belittle” in paragraph 2 probably means ______.

A．devalue

B．appreciate

C．respect

D．abuse

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

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

4 . Why Talking to Strangers Is Good for You, Them and All of Us

In childhood, we’re told: “Don’t talk to strangers.” But this is short-sighted advice because after we finish high school and move out into the world, everyone we encounter is a stranger. And we’re a social species, which means we need each other.     1     Furthermore, we need to get good at interacting with them, both to get help when we need it and to be of use to them.

Let’s start with actual strangers-like the people you pass on the street. When you look right through someone as if they aren’t there, they feel a little bad.     2     When you give someone eye contact and a smile, it makes them feel good. And you feel good too when they do it back to you.

What about the humans you interact with regularly yet don’t really know, like the e servers at your coffee shop, the clerks at your grocery store, your postal carrier and so on? Show them that they matter by saying “How’s your day going?”     3     When you’re kind to someone, you, they and everyone who observes your interaction will get a lift from your act of kindness.

    4     For years, although it’s hard for me to admit this, I’d drive home after work each day and realize that I didn’t even know my neighbors. So I formed a monthly writing group with some of them in order to experience the real connections that form from hearing each others’ stories.     5     You have the power to make your community stronger like this, and meanwhile, it is good for you, it’s good for them, and it’s good for all of us.

A．The opposite is also true.

B．So we should not avoid strangers.

C．Then there are those like neighbors.

D．Not everyone can make eye contact or smile.

E．Learn their name so next time you can say, “Hey, Breonna. How’s your day going?”

F．But keep in mind that they came to work today and their work makes your life easier.

G．After doing this, we’ve been more able to do what neighbors do, like borrowing sugar or collecting mail when someone’s away.

5 . While everyone’s image of their dream home looks a little different, most people will agree that their ideal neighbourhood is filled with friendly faces. Getting to know your neighbours takes time and effort.     1    

Nick Tebbey, national executive officer of Relationships Australia, says spring is the perfect season to start getting to know your neighbours. “When the weather starts warming up we’re all spending more time outdoors.” It makes sense that the best way to get to know a neighbour is to first make sure they actually know you’re neighbours.     2    “ There are always opportunities to make a connection and they can be as small as a nod,a wave or a friendly good day,” says Tebbey.

To put yourself in the way of these opportunities, Tebbey suggests timing your outings to take place“when other people are out and about as well”. When it comes to actually introducing yourself to your neighbours, Tebbey notes it’s important to do what feels comfortable, whether that’s leaving a note on a building notice board or chatting to someone while you wait for the elevator.    3    

Once you’ve introduced yourself to a neighbor, you can start conversations.     4    “ If they’re gardening, ask what they’re planting–be interested in what people share.”Tebbey says. And once someone tells you their dog’s name or where they’re about to go on holiday, try your best to keep that in mind so you can continue the conversation next time you cross paths.

“It’s not about grand gestures or sharing everything about yourself with your neighbours.     5    ” Tebbey says.“ It’s small but meaningful interactions and taking interest in each other’s lives,but without any sense of expectation.”

A．In fact, it’s almost the opposite.

B．It doesn’t have to require a lot of effort.

C．It’s vital to ask questions and remember people’s answers.

D．However, it can potentially be easier than you may expect.

E．Should you start to feel uncomfortable, you could invite another.

F．And the easiest way to do that is with short, repeated interactions.

G．The less anxiety you feel, the more likely you are to commit to them.

6 . How to Teach Confidence

While it might seem like some people are just born confident, confidence is largely an acquired skill.     1     Start by building up their self-esteem, independent thought, and positive self—talk. Show them how to achieve goals, and how to deal with failure when it happens. With lessons like these, you can teach the people around you to become more confident.

Model confident behavior far people.

If you’re trying to improve someone’s confidence, be a model for how they should behave in a confident way.     2     Show them confident interpersonal relations like eye contact, handshakes, and making small talk. This lets them practice in a safe environment.

Praise small accomplishments to raise a person’s self-worth.

If you’re trying to build someone’s confidence, start small. Each accomplishment they complete is a cause for celebration, even if it seems small. Be happy for your friends, kids, or students.     3    

Give specific praise so people know what they did well.

A specific praise is better than a simple “You did well”.     4     . This makes your praise more genuine and boosts the person self-esteem more by showing them their strengths.

Start with a positive statement before correcting something.

    5     This is especially important if you’re a parent, teacher, or coach. If you do have to make criticisms or corrections, always start by saying something positive first. This raises the person’s spirits and makes it easier for them to take the critical feedback that’s coming up.

A．Instead, tell the person exactly what they did well.

B．It’s something you can model and teach other people.

C．You may have to point out where someone needs to improve.

D．Instead of feeling criticized, the person will know you’re sincere.

E．Act confident around them and in your interpersonal interactions.

F．Your positive energy will teach them to celebrate their achievements.

G．You might show someone’s strengths to help them see the bright side.

7 . Everyone thinks they're great listeners. But the truth is that hearing isn’t necessarily listening, nor is it necessarily listening well. Listening is an art as well as a basic life skill that we are encouraged to practise and master.    1    

●Don't interrupt

    2     To master the art of listening, you need to stop any good thoughts that come to mind and let the person say everything they need to say. Often times people simply need someone to talk to, not someone who will cut in and give their own thoughts and opinions.

●Practice active listening.

To understand better in communication, you can first practice active listening. The art of listening isn't simply about staying quiet 100% of the time, it's also about asking questions, which are for clarification or for further explanation, so that you can fully understand what the speaker is telling you.     3     You can also make noises that show you agree with what he person is saying such as “yes”, ‘'yeah", and “okay.”

●    4    

About 60-75% of our communication is accomplished without speaking. In order to know whether to encourage the speaker, or to open yourself more, it's essential to know what the person's body is saying. Do they display signs of discomfort? Are they cautious about you? Their body language tells a lot.

●Create a suitable environment.

It can be difficult to listen to another person when the TV is screaming, your phone is buzzing and there are thousands of cars passing by.     5     Also, when you indicate it would be good to “find a quiet place," you put importance in the person and what they say, and then you show care and consideration.

A．Listen to non-verbal communication.

B．Let the person speak without interruption.

C．Listen without forming responses in your mind.

D．Here's how to bring the vital life skill into your daily existence.

E．Additionally, it's important to hold back your negative judgments.

F．Another great way to show your understanding is to respond by nodding.

G．When you remove the distractions and find a quiet place it’s easier to listen attentively.

8 . Why does social media trigger feelings of loneliness and inadequacy? Because instead of being real life, it is, for the most part, impression management, a way of marketing yourself, carefully choosing and filtering the picture and words to put your best face forward.

Online “friends” made through social media do not follow the normal psychological progression of a interpersonal relationship. You share neither physical time nor emotional conversations over the Internet. You simply communicate photographs and catchy posts to a diverse group of people whom you have “friended” or “followed” based on an accidental interaction. This is not to say that your social media friends can't be real friends. They absolutely can, but the two are not the same. Generally speaking, there are no unfiltered comments and casually taken photos on our social media pages. And, rightfully so, because it wouldn't feel safe to be completely authentic and vulnerable with some of our “friends” whom we don't actually know or with whom trust has yet to be built.

Social media can certainly be an escape from the daily routines, but we must be cautioned against the negative effects, such as addiction, on a person's overall psychological well-being.

As humans，we are eager for social connection. Scrolling (滚动) through pages of pictures and comments, however, does not provide the same degree of fulfillment as face to face interactions do. Also, we tend to idealize others' lives and compare our downfalls to their greatest accomplishments, ending in feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.

Social media can lead people on the unhealthy quest for perfection. Some people begin to attend certain events or travel to different places so that they can snap that “perfect” photo. They begin to seek validation through the number of people who “like” their posts. In order for it to play a psychologically healthy role in your social life, social media should supplement an already healthy social network. Pictures and posts should be byproducts of life's treasured moments and fun times, not the planned and calculated image that one is putting out into cyberspace in an attempt to fill insecurities or unmet needs.

Ultimately, social media has increased our ability to connect with various types of people all over the globe. It has opened doors for business and allowed us to stay connected to people whom we may not otherwise get to follow. However, social media should feel like a fun experience, not one that contributes to negative thoughts and feelings. If the latter is the case, increasing face to face time with trusted friends, and minimizing time scrolling online, will prove to be a reminder that your social network is much more rewarding than any “like”, “follow” or “share” can be.

1. What does the author imply social media may do to our life?

A．It may facilitate our interpersonal relationships.

B．It may filter our negative impressions of others.

C．It may make us feel isolated and incompetent.

D．It may render us vulnerable and inauthentic.

2. Why do people post comments selectively on social media?

A．They do not find all their online friends trustworthy.

B．They do not want to lose their followers.

C．They want to avoid offending any of their audience.

D．They are eager to boost their popularity.

3. What are humans inclined to do according to the passage?

A．Exaggerate their life's accomplishments.

B．Strive for perfection regardless of the cost.

C．Paint a rosy picture of other people's lives.

D．Learn lessons from other people's downfalls.

4. What does the author advise people to do when they find their online experience unconstructive?

A．Use social media to increase their ability to connect with various types of people.

B．Stay connected to those whom they may not otherwise get to know and befriend.

C．Try to prevent negative thoughts and feelings from getting into the online pages.

D．Strengthen ties with real-life friends instead of caring about their online image.

9 . False Memories or Parallel (平行的) Realities?

Here is a common situation: You’re talking with someone about an event, only to discover that you both remember things quite differently. Usually, you’d put it down to a poor memory, but what if it wasn’t just one person who remembered things differently? What if it was millions?

In fact, this isn’t a “what if” situation. It’s known as the Mandela Effect, and it was first noticed in 2009 by paranormal researcher Fiona Broome. Broome was chatting with people about the South African activist Nelson Mandela, and she commented how sad it was that he had died in prison in the 1980s.     1     Actually, he'd been released in 1990, become president of South Africa, and died in 2013.

Broome was so shocked at this that she started an investigation.     2     People have memories of movies that never existed, and famous words that were never spoken. There is even a group who clearly recall seeing maps showing that New Zealand was northeast of Australia (it’s southeast ). So what in the world is going on?

    3     In each reality, history is shaped by different events, and the Mandela Effect occurs when some of us shift from one reality to another. Therefore, those who remember Nelson Mandela dying in the 1980s aren’t wrong. They’re just remembering events from their original reality.

More likely, however, is that the Mandela Effect has to do with how our brains store information.     4     Many people remember Pikachu’s tail having a black tip on the end of it, when in fact it was always yellow. “Aha!” you cry. “Parallel realities!” Probably not. Consider instead that people often ignore unfamiliar details and transform information to make it more understandable. In the Pikachu example, his tail may not have a black tip, but his ears certainly do. Thus, both his ears and tail are misremembered as having black tips.     5    

All things considered, if you’re stuck arguing with someone about whose version of events is correct, it may indeed be easier to agree that neither of you is wrong. You just come from different realities.

A．Before we explain let’s look at an example.

B．It turns out she wasn’t the only one who’d experienced this.

C．If several people make these memory errors, the false memory gets stronger socially.

D．The story of Nelson Mandela is not the only example of this type of false group memory.

E．Some claim the Mandela Effect happens because we live in one of many parallel realities.

F．Many in her group agreed, while others mentioned that Nelson Mandela had not died in prison.

G．As more incidents of the Mandela effect continue to occur, perhaps more research into the origins will tell us the causes.