2 . We are often reminded of Oscar Wilde’s saying that “sarcasm (讽刺) is the lowest form of wit” while forgetting the following “but the highest form of intelligence”. Parents or teachers of teenagers, in particular, may find it hard to believe that it is actually a sign of a flexible and inventive mind.

Yet that is exactly what psychologists and neuroscientists have been arguing. They have found that sarcasm requires the brain to jump through numerous hoops (圈) to arrive at a correct interpretation, requiring more brainpower than literal statements.

If you’re still not convinced that your teen’s love of sarcasm is a thing worth celebrating, consider a recent experiment from Li Huang, a psychologist at Insead’s business school in Fontainebleau, France.

In the experiment, participants were presented with a candle, a pack of matches and a box of tacks (图钉). Their task was to find a way to attach the candle to the wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. The correct answer is to empty the box of tacks, pin it to the wall, and then place the candle inside a solution that will only come to mind if you are prepared to think about the functions of each object.

Before working on the problem, some participants were asked to recall a sarcastic interaction, while others remembered a sincere or neutral exchange. Quite amazingly, the sarcastic memories more than doubled the participants’ success rate, from around 30% to more than 60%.

It may initially feel like a shock when parents notice their children using sarcasm——a sign, perhaps, of a more adult-like cynicism (愤世嫉俗) that conflicts with their impressions of their children’s youthful innocence. Parents may feel particularly helpless when dealing with a teenager who uses it in almost all interactions, as if they struggle. to express any sincere emotions.

But should we blame teens for applying this handy tool? Perhaps it’s better seen as the useful practice of a vital ability. Penny Pexman, a psycholinguist at the University of Calgary agrees and it is for this reason that she has produced Sydney Gets Sarcastic, a storybook that provides multiple examples of sarcasm and the reasons it was used. In a recent experiment on 5-to 6-year-olds, she showed that children who read and discussed the story found it easier to detect sarcastic statements in a following test.

1. Why does the author refer to Oscar Wilde’s words at the beginning of the text?

A．To give a definition of sarcasm.

B．To stress the significance of sarcasm.

C．To express his concern about sarcasm.

D．To show the misunderstanding of sarcasm.

2. What can we learn about sarcastic memories from Li Huang’s experiment?

A．They tended to stay long with participants.

B．They offered clues to the problem to be solved.

C．They could force participants to face problems.

D．They contributed greatly to participant’s success.

3. What might parents think of their children’s sarcasm?

A．It shows their innocence.

B．It helps them express emotions.

C．It is not appropriate for their age.

D．It allows them to behave like adults.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To urge parents to learn from their children’s sarcasm.

B．To teach parents how to respond to their children’s sarcasm.

C．To show parents the positive side of their children’s sarcasm.

D．To remind parents to teach their children to use words properly.

3 . Suppose you are out shopping and come across an acquaintance who starts telling you a story that seems to be dragging on and on. You want to seem interested, so you offer the occasional “Oh” or “I see”. To your surprise, though, this person angrily stops in their tracks and says, “Sorry if I’m boring you!”

Where did this come from? Clearly, your body language must have betrayed you. The idea that verbal (口头的) and nonverbal messages can conflict was the inspiration for a recently published study from Yale University’s Lueylle Armentano. As part of her study of communication in relationships, Armentano’s research also examined communication channels in people meeting for the first time.

To test the role of verbal-nonverbal mismatch on emotional communication, Armentano and her partner created experimental conditions to see what happens when someone asks for help from strangers. The research team created videotapes of a fellow Yale student expressing nervousness in his words, bodily gestures, or both. The bodily gestures included running his hands through his hair, grabbing his arm, and facially expressing uneasiness. The key question was whether the other participants, another 82 Yale students, would believe the student and provide the help he was requesting. They needed to give their responses.

Turning to the findings, those nonverbal cues (提示) of nervousness had a greater impact on helping behavior than the verbal cues. Surprisingly, helping behavior was the highest when verbal expressions of nervousness were low but nonverbal cues were high.

Recognizing that your body language can outweigh your words means that you need to be mindful of what your body is doing when you’re interacting with others. Generally, when someone is speaking to you, you want to look like you’re interested. Not only should you maintain eye contact, but you should keep your body still and face toward the other person. If you’re not trying to look interested, it may be more polite to say you have to be somewhere else.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The obvious advantages of body language.

B．A situation where body language is a must.

C．An example of verbal-nonverbal mismatch.

D．The proper way to interact with old friends.

2. What were the 82 Yale students asked to do?

A．Express nervousness in their words.	B．Identify the types of body language.
C．Try to win the nervous student’s trust.	D．Respond to the nervous student’s request.

3. What played the most important role in helping the student win kindness?

A．His sincere verbal expressions.	B．His bodily gestures of nervousness.
C．His positive attitude to nervousness.	D．His good manners in front of others.

4. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Make a prediction.	B．Offer suggestions.
C．Present some facts.	D．Give some warnings.

4 . Honesty is important. However, not everyone seems to think so. Lies and the hiding of truth are commonplace. But when examining the case for honesty, you realize it’s a better option. Here are the reasons why the value of honesty is beyond measure.

It is easier to understand.     1     The other person doesn’t have to second guess what you really mean. And with clarity comes a better understanding of your expectations of them. They know what you would actually like them to do.

You are more likely to get what you want. We often hide our true desires or preferences rather than speak out the truth. But when we are completely honest with ourselves and others, we encourage the right actions that lead to what we want.     2     You may not get your way every time. But at least you’ll get your way sometimes or a middle ground will be reached that suits you both.

    3     There is no need to remember what you lied about and to whom. You can be confident that you have said what was true in the moment you said it. Now, don’t confuse simple with easy. Being honest is not always easy.     4    

It is better for your inner peace. Lying doesn’t come easy for most people. When you cheat others, it can feel like you are going against your values. Not only that, but as soon as you lie, you will live with the fear of that lie being discovered. That’s a mentally tiring thing.     5     Of course, you may feel slightly bad if you have to tell someone an uncomfortable truth, but that won’t last long.

A．Telling the truth is simple.

B．It is the best way to prove your honesty.

C．Instead, it is so hard that no one can do it.

D．When we speak up, the other person is more likely to listen.

E．Honesty, though not always easy, doesn’t carry such burdens.

F．When you are clear in what you think, there’s no grey area for confusion.

G．Actually, it can be hard when you tell others what they don’t want to hear.

5 . 假定你是李华，你和另一个学生是合住一间宿舍的常住生。你发现无法忍受室友的一些行为，请给宿舍管理员写一封信，申请下学期更换房间。
内容包括：(1)提出换房要求，
(2)阐述具体原因。
注意：字数80左右。
Dear Sir or Madam,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

6 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Building Trust in Virtual Environments

Research into the science behind human communication tells us that up to 90 percent of what we tell one another is nonverbal. It’s the countless eye, facial and body movements we flash one another that help us understand someone’s intention and determine if we should trust them.

The challenge we all face is figuring out ways to build trust in virtual environments. Sure, we have some interactions on videoconferences, but the physical cues (暗示) we’ve become accustomed to reacting to are restricted and masked. This is forcing us to develop new ways to trust one another. Good leaders are working to engineer those opportunities to build trust in their now virtual teams.

There are lessons we can learn from global multinational companies that have figured out how to make virtual relationships work over the past few decades. If you have vital business partners, or even employees working overseas, you have, at best, limited opportunities to meet them in person. What these companies have learned is that actions speak louder than words, and people base a simple analysis of trustworthiness on delivering on commitments. People that do are trustworthy; people that don’t aren’t.

When you hire virtual workers and get a new virtual team member, there is the question of whether someone has the background and experience they claim to have. That means we all need to lean on tools and techniques to help certify (证实) someone’s background. Some companies have built talent databases in which people can search their teammates and confirm their impressive backgrounds. Knowing that you are working with a certified superstar builds trust.

Finding ways to get someone to prove their trustworthiness by doing what they say they will and backing up their claims of experience will go a long way in helping you adapt to the new reality that we work in.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . The Truth Is Out

Human beings are not born liars, but the moment we can form complete sentences we begin lying to protect the feelings of others, to avoid punishment and conflict, and, most frequently, because lying gives advantages the truth wouldn’t provide. Lying gets results.

One study by Bella DePaulo, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, found lies played a part in 30-38 percent of people’s social interactions. Socially skillful people told a lot more lies than their more awkward coworkers.     1    

Nowhere is this more obvious than on the singles scene. First dates have always involved a certain amount of self-boast, but some singles now regard out-and-out deceit (欺骗) as a reasonable strategy.

Experts believe that increased competition and the higher expectations among singles, along with the popularity of Internet dating, are encouraging outbreaks of deceitfulness. The problem is that many singles are presenting images of themselves that are impossible to live up to, and costing their already limited chances of long-term love in the process.     2    

Of course, long-term lovers aren’t immune (不受影响) to the conflict-avoiding, problem-burying lie either. Once again, a pleasant singles scene coupled with unrealistic expectations has put new pressure on less-than-faultless relationships and tempted many into more serious deception. A study last year by Cahoot found that a majority of partners lie to each other about their personal financial situation. Other studies have found that women appreciate wise lies about their weight or looks.

    3     In this context, might a policy of honesty at all costs upset the delicate balance of deceit that we’ve involved in by chance over the past few years? Could lying, as some people suggest, be little more than the latest social art?

Possibly. After all, few of us feel that lying is wrong any more.     4     But then that, of course, is the real issue. We might be great and frequent liars these days, but we’re not any better at recovering or forgiving, if we discover that we’ve been lied to.

A．Lying, it seems, is becoming an acceptable and even admirable social skill.

B．A lie is only wrong because it might be discovered, and cause hurt and upset.

C．But the Cahoot research also showed that lying is on increasingly difficult ground.

D．We, as a result, are all on the receiving end of a great many more lies than in the past.

E．They are so emotionally and intellectually evolved now that they are lying more, on a regular basis.

F．They either stop potential lovers by asking for too much, or they invite lies that will be discovered quickly.

10 . Perhaps you know two people would get on well—if only they would speak to each other. Your shy friends aren’t intentionally avoiding one another; it is just not in their nature to strike up a conversation. You can help things along by greasing (润滑) the wheels of social interaction.     1     In fact, they might both be grateful that you helped them get past the initial awkwardness.

Make Introductions

The first step to getting two shy people to talk to one another is to offer an introduction.     2     If you see two shy people sitting together but not talking, walk over and offer an ice breaker. A brief introduction with a piece of information that ties the two shy people together will be most helpful.

Ease Anxiety

    3     As they talk, an inner thought tells them that they are not good enough, smart enough or funny enough. They think that everyone else is judging them and that they never measure up. You may be able to help two shy people overcome this social hurdle by building their social confidence and belief that they are mutually (相互地) liked.

Find Mutual Interests

Give your shy friends a reason to talk. Figure out what they have in common and let them know about it. For example, if Josh and David are both into watching the UFC, make an introduction and a comment about the latest fight.     4     But once the two shy people are absorbed in their favorite topic, you can quietly slip away.

Get Active

Shy people have trouble living in the moment. They tend to think about past weaknesses or worry about future social obstacles rather than focus on the current situation. Put your shy friends in a situation that forces them to stop thinking so much and have a little fun. Ideally, your shy acquaintances should have to work together to overcome an obstacle—similar to what happens at company party.     5    

A．Some shy people are their own worst critics.

B．Most shy people are hesitant to offer a handshake or a name.

C．You might need to include yourself in the conversation at first.

D．Don’t worry that your shy friends will feel that you are interfering.

E．Promote the conversation by easing the anxiety shared by your shy friends.

F．They will come away with a shared experience and hopefully a tighter bond.

G．Getting to know the likes and dislikes of your shy friends will make this easier.