1 . There is a big difference between offering to help and helping. Almost all of us are guilty (内疚的) about the following _________: Someone talks about a problem, and we answer with _________ words, “Be sure to give me a call if I can help.” But we often do nothing to help.

Once I was in the situation where I _________ these kinds of offers of help—my son just started studying abroad. During those particular days, all I could _________ was the trouble my son would possibly face. It was a very _________ experience. However, there were very few who offered something really helpful.

_________. I had one close friend who took action rather than just saying to offer help. She called, “I know you must be going crazy. I think you need to get away from your _________.” She had already called a few of our friends and _________ a big dinner out. It was a wonderful night. I hadn’t even known how much I needed that break _________ I was there.

After that ____________, I decided I’d ____________ her example and reach out to others. I’ve been ____________ and even guessed wrong at times. But I was amazed when I cheered people up. So ____________ asking someone if they need help, and offer something ____________ then and there. It is a way to show the power of ____________ in an uncertain world.

1.

A．rule

B．problem

C．situation

D．excuse

2.

A．confusing

B．sincere

C．honest

D．careful

3.

A．understood

B．performed

C．missed

D．received

4.

A．think

B．learn from

C．complain about

D．suggest

5.

A．valuable

B．painful

C．exciting

D．fresh

6.

A．Luckily

B．Disappointedly

C．Basically

D．Gradually

7.

A．doubts

B．worries

C．anger

D．sadness

8.

A．attended

B．earned

C．joined

D．prepared

9.

A．after

B．when

C．until

D．once

10.

A．experience

B．education

C．experiment

D．adventure

11.

A．change

B．appreciate

C．ignore

D．follow

12.

A．cheated

B．accepted

C．refused

D．respected

13.

A．stop

B．finish

C．keep

D．try

14.

A．small

B．specific

C．unusual

D．right

15.

A．patience

B．courage

C．confidence

D．kindness

2 . Popular people are admired and loved by their peers (同龄人).     1     Popular people have plenty of friends and usually have a high social status in their peer group. Here are some general tips that will help you become a more likable and popular person.

Avoid offering help in exchange for approval (认可). Trying to be helpful will have the opposite effect.     2     Popular people help others because they have a useful skill, not because they want to win someone else’s friendship.

Be the glue in your social circle. When you have plans to meet a group of friends for a social outing, make a habit of inviting someone who hasn’t met everyone in the group yet. If you re hanging out with a friend and run into another friend, remember to introduce them to each other.     3    

Practice positivity. People who often complain about life and are more pessimistic have fewer friends. Therefore, it’s important to have a positive attitude and avoid constant complaining.     4     It can be a key step in making close friends. But if you talk about your problems over and over again, your friends might not enjoy hanging out with you.

    5     Many people make the mistake of avoiding social relationships at their school or workplace. They think these places are for work or studying, not socializing. But most of us spend a lot of time at work or college. If you refuse to socialize with people you see almost every day, you’ll miss out on some valuable relationships.

A．Build relationships at work place and school.

B．Otherwise, your friends might feel awkward.

C．Make sure you are popular with your friends.

D．You’ll be regarded as people who need friendship.

E．And many people want to be associated with popular people.

F．However, sometimes sharing your problems with others is a good thing.

G．Peers have a special gift that enables them to make friends wherever they go.

3 . The first time I had a roommate was during my freshman year of college. Lucky for me, she was great. She was clean and organized. I, on the other hand, was a horrible roommate.     1    . Soon that put an end to our friendship. “Rooming together requires mutual (相互的) respect,” says friendship coach Bayard Jackson. If I had known this back then, maybe I would have saved our friendship. Here are other tips from Bayard on how roommates can set themselves up for success.

    2    

Discuss the rules of your living arrangement. How are we splitting (分摊) rent? What’s our guest policy? Should we create a cleaning schedule? Make your expectations clear. If your roommates say they’re good about “paying rent on time”, for example, what does “on time” mean to them?

Deal with small things directly

If your roommate does something that annoys you, get it solved immediately, says Bayard.     3    , but he adds solving problems, like asking your roommate to put away their shoes, before it gets worse, can help prevent further conflict (冲突).

Invite more play into your home

    4    . Host events together, like a themed watch party for a movie or sports game. Keep a guestbook for your apartment and have guests sign it. You could even throw a Powerpoint party.

Learn from them

Living with a roommate is a good opportunity to meet someone with a very different background from yours.     5    .

A．Set clear rules

B．It might feel awkward

C．I left my dirty clothes everywhere

D．We can develop friendships in many ways

E．Don’t forget to have fun with your roommate

F．In this case, you can learn something new from your roommate

G．Traditional ways of communication can be limiting and take time

4 . While it seems like some people are naturally more sociable than others, the fact is that all human beings are social. Armed with some skills, it is possible to train oneself to become more social.     1    .

Be less critical (批判性的).     2    . They avoid social interaction because they are afraid of being judged by others, or judgmental toward others. It is important to accept that everybody, no matter how they may seem on the outside, has both positive and negative qualities. What separates the confident people from the insecure people is the attitude that they have toward themselves and the active focus on living a fulfilling social life.

Don’t over analyze your interactions. It is vital to break the habit of anticipating what social interactions will be like before they happen, and of over analyzing them once they are over. Rather than focusing on what may go wrong, approach every new social interaction with a clean state and a positive attitude.     3    , focus on the positive things rather than the negative ones. Even if it wasn’t the most eventful interaction of your life, try to identify one good experience from each interaction you have, even if it is as simple as having been able to make somebody laugh.

    4    . Interestingly, shy people who feel invisible and unwanted also tend to feel like they are constantly under a spotlight, being watched and criticized by others. This strange paradox (悖论) of shyness is what prevents people from feeling comfortable being themselves in front of others. This doesn’t mean that you should feel like an unimportant person, but rather, that you should acknowledge that you are your own worst critic.     5    .

A．When reflecting on past interactions

B．Realize that you’re not that big of a deal

C．Just break out of your comfort zone and try them out

D．Other people are simply too busy to constantly judge you

E．While you are so caught up in their own lives and interactions

F．Some people tend to constantly criticize both themselves and people around

G．Over thinking is usually what prevents people from enjoying social interaction

5 . As social creatures, research has histoncally pointed us away from time alone. But recently, more people are spending time away from the crowd, and even seem to desire it. In Solitude (独处) — The science and power of being alone, a book co-written by Heather Hansen, an award-winning journalist and author, with the researcher Thuy-vy Nguyen, they set out to understand how everyday solitude affects people’s lives.

In the largest study of its kind, thousands aged between 13 and 85 participated in online surveys. For some, think of the word “solitude”, and they will think of a determined hiker alone in the wilderness. Most people described experiences of solitude achieved while, for example, walking in a park or writing in a journal. Surprisingly, some described solitude as having a psychological distance from others, but not necessarily a physical one.

In several separate experiments, Nguyen found that when people spend 15 minutes alone, there is a “deactivation effect”, meaning “high excitement” emotions like anxiety are decreased, while positive “low excitement” feelings like calmness are increased, which wasn’t seen when people spent 15 minutes with another person. One caveat is that sometimes solitude also increases the negative low excitement feeling of loneliness. However, a further experiment showed that this increase could be weakened when individuals chose to think about positive thoughts or when they were given a choice whether to spend time alone.

The list doesn’t end there, though. Several studies link time alone and creativity, but only when people avoid social interactions because of what is known as a “non-fearful” preference for solitude. On the other hand, there is no such link in those whose fear or anxiety prevents them from interacting with others, or because of avoidance, where people disliked social interactions.

Now think about the next time you will be on your own. Will you enjoy or suffer it? As evidence increases for how time alone can be a positive force in shaping our lives, Hansen and her colleagues recommend planning for it-and protecting it.

1. What is the survey in paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．When solitude is needed.	B．What solitude looks like.
C．How solitude affects people’s lives.	D．How people make the best of solitude.

2. What does the underlined word “caveat” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Trap.

B．Bonus.

C．Warning.

D．Prediction.

3. According to the studies, time alone will boost creativity for those who__________.

A．prefer to take risks	B．choose to be alone without fear
C．dislike social interactions	D．enjoy negative emotions

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The Power of One	B．Profit of Socializing
C．The Urge to Live Alone	D．Battle Against Solitude

6 . Every morning in graduate school, Christy would wave to the woman selling hot dogs outside her building. “If she wasn’t there on a given day, things didn’t feel right. I missed her,” says Christy, now a psychology (心理学) expert at a university in the U.K. “It was this huge source of comfort and safety, and it was with someone I never talked to.”

That connection satisfied a deep, bodily need for Christy, just like water relieves thirst. Humans are intensely social animals, and research increasingly suggests that losing our connections to others can negatively impact our health. A 2023 report called widespread loneliness in the U.S. a deadly health risk comparable to smoking up to15 cigarettes (香烟) a day. On the other hand, a Harvard study found that having strong relationships is key to living a long and happy life. The study also showed that people between 80 and 89 years old in happy marriages reported that their happiness remained stable even on days when they were in greater physical pain.

But close relationships aren’t the only social ties that matter. Chatting with a stranger, giving a smile of recognition to the waiter in your local coffee shop, or waving to the people you see every day at the park creates a much-needed sense of community. “We can’t achieve happiness by ourselves. We simply cannot survive or live well without feeling like we are accepted,” says Christy.

These “weak tie” relationships aren’t a replacement for the deeper, more meaningful connections we also need. But Christy says we should recognize and celebrate their importance, and push ourselves to engage in them because they’re so beneficial to our sense of well-being. “I am not outgoing,” she says. “And, at the same time, I love talking to strangers. I believe that anyone can do it.”

1. How did Christy feel when she couldn’t see the woman as usual?

A．Safe.

B．Disappointed.

C．Angry.

D．Satisfied.

2. What did the Harvard study find?

A．Older adults feel happier in marriages.

B．Physical pain negatively affects happiness.

C．Close relationships lead to long-term well-being.

D．Happiness has little to do with social connections.

3. Why are “weak tie” relationships meaningful?

A．They contribute to our happiness.	B．They help us to be outgoing.
C．They replace close relationships.	D．They push us to communicate.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Advantages of Being Lonely	B．Influence of Meeting New People
C．Value of Strong Social Connections	D．Importance of “Weak Tie” Relationships

7 . Intentionally or unintentionally, we unfairly consider other people as problematic when what is really getting us all angry are our own senses of insecurity (局促不安). Those senses set off unpleasant emotions when we are with them. As a result, we then judge those people as difficult or problematic.     1     It is not that hard actually.

Try to understand them. You can learn a great deal if you make the effort to take a closer look at those difficult people.     2     Consider the traits (特征) you like in that person and the traits you have in common with him or her. Surprisingly, you may find that you share troublesome (令人讨厌的) traits with him or her.

Treat others as you’d like to be treated. The traits you struggle with are the traits you feel unable to manage. When someone presents a trait with which you struggle, you need to react with kindness.     3     Even with the most troublesome people in your life, kindness is the way forward.

    4     The reason why we suffer in getting along with difficult people is that we expect high standards from them. But the truth is that we are all humans, including the difficult people around us.     5     By seeing ourselves as we are and others clearly, we can conduct our interactions (互动) with greater awareness and kindness.

A．Manage your expectations.

B．Set a high standard for others.

C．You’ll find someone is highly unlikely to be all bad!

D．But how can we get along with those difficult people?

E．That’s because this is exactly what you want to be treated.

F．We should learn to accept those difficult people as they are.

G．The reality is that to some extent, we’re likely difficult for someone.

8 . Why is a compliment so impactful? One of the most important things to humans is to feel valued and respected by others, says Vanessa Bohns, a social psychologist, who has researched compliments. According to her research, people feel “significantly better” after both giving and receiving a compliment.     1    

“You handled that situation so well.”

Bohns recently used her favorite compliment when she saw a server address a difficult situation with a customer at the bar. “I like it so much because you use it in anxious moments where the other person is often unsure of whether they handled a situation OK,” she says. In situations that call for a compliment, don’t second-guess yourself. Give your compliments generously.     2     That concern is unfounded.

“    3    ”

This compliment — one of Bohns’ favorites — works well among romantic partners and close family members. “It’s a beautiful way to highlight how their presence turns life into something meaningful, despite boring routines of our everyday lives,” she says. If you’re afraid that giving a compliment like this will feel strange, you’re not alone.     4     If it makes you personally feel like the bar is lowered for you to give a compliment if you write it down, or if you practice saying it out loud or giving your pet cat the compliment first, do that.

“Hey, great dress!”

Feel free to compliment strangers. In Bohns’ research, students on a college campus were told to approach a stranger of the same gender and compliment them-about, for example, their nice shirt. Before heading out, the study participants tended to underestimate their positive effect while overestimating how annoying it would be. Across all contexts, strangers are more likely to be pleased than confused. Plus, who knows?     5    

A．I love the way you bring out the best in people.

B．Respect is essential when you deliver compliments.

C．One way to overcome this fear is to do a practice run.

D．You make even ordinary moments feel extraordinary.

E．You might make a new friend in addition to making someone’s day.

F．With that in mind, we asked her to share some of her favorite compliments.

G．People sometimes worry that they’re going over and will start to sound insincere.

9 . Behavioral scientists have found that good listening is one of the most important things we can do to improve our relationships.     1     At its core, listening in a one-on-one conversation is about taking an interest in another person and making him/her feel understood.    2     But some recurring (重复出现) features include attentiveness, conveying understanding, and showing a positive intention towards the speaker.

In addition to actively attending to a speaker’s words, good listeners also use questions and body language that indicate their understanding and their desire to understand. This might feel awkward at first, and what’s most effective might depend on your relationship with the speaker.    3     Another great way to show your understanding is by summarizing what you just heard and asking if you have missed anything. Summaries like this show the speaker that you’re truly trying to understand him/her rather than just waiting for your turn to talk. But while a good conversation requires back and forth, planning out your response while the speaker is talking is a common way to miss what’s being said.    4     This might feel embarrassing, but asking for clarification actually shows that you’re committed to understanding.

    5     It’s okay to ask for a moment to formulate your response and taking a beat to think can help speakers reflect on their speech as well.

These might seem like small changes, but together they make a big difference. And when people feel heard, they report more satisfaction, trust, and connection in their relationships.

A．Finally, don’t be afraid of silence.

B．So, what can we do to become better listeners?

C．It’s possible to know what truly excellent listening looks like.

D．But with time and practice, you can internalize these basic behaviors

E．There’s no universally agreed-upon definition of high-quality listening.

F．Researchers have found that smiling and nodding at set intervals doesn’t quite work.

G．So try to stay present and if you lose focus, don’t be shy about asking the speaker to repeat what you missed.

10 . It is William Shakespeare, the great coiner, who is given credit for the word. Coriolanus, one of his characters, compares going into exile (流放) to a “lonely dragon” retiring to his cave. He was talking about a physical state: someone who was lonely was simply alone. Then, thanks to the Romantic poets, the word took on emotional meanings. Loneliness became a condition of the soul. For William Wordsworth, who famously “wandered lonely as a cloud”, the natural world offered an escape from negative feelings of loneliness — a host of flowers could provide “cheerful company”. Today, loneliness is often seen as a serious public-health problem, creating the feeling of disconnection.

In his book Solitude, Netta Weinstein, a psychology professor wonders the rewards of time spent alone. He begins with an account of stories of solitude created by figures such as Michel Montaigne, a writer, and Edward Hopper, a painter. Netta then draw on laboratory work, interviews and surveys to clarify how being alone really affects the human mind.

It is common to treat loneliness and solitude as synonyms (同义词), but they are not. The author suggests that what is negatively described as one state can be positively expressed as the other. Loneliness, often perceived as negative, can potentially be transformed into a positive experience of solitude. To this end he emphasizes how being alone can help restore people and offers practical advice. In a noisy world, he argues, people should make time to be alone, away from attention-grabbing motives.

The book’s interviewees mostly regard a lack of company as a contributor to autonomy. But this depends on whether solitude is desirable or not. Enforced solitude, such as that experienced by prisoners, typically leads to nothing but suffering. Elective solitude, by contrast, affords space for self-reflection. It can open the door to “peak experiences” such as wonder, harmony, and happiness. In a highly-connected digital age, however, many readers do not fancy their chances of ever taking a long enough break to have such experiences.

1. How does paragraph 1 introduce the concept of loneliness?

A．By tracing its development.	B．By analyzing causes.
C．By making a point to be argued.	D．By sharing a romantic story.

2. What does Netta Weinstein’s book Solitude focus on?

A．The various terms of solitude.

B．The societal impact of solitude.

C．The long-standing history of solitude.

D．The psychological benefits of solitude.

3. Netta describes the state of loneliness as __________.

A．stressful

B．essential

C．changeable

D．never beneficial

4. What does Netta most probably agree with according to the last paragraph?

A．Enforced solitude is a matter of choice.

B．Enforced solitude contributes to autonomy.

C．Elective solitude is rare in the digital world.

D．Elective solitude interrupts peak experiences.