1 . How to make conversation with a group of strangers

One of the most common fears is speaking to strangers. While most people don’t naturally enjoy talking to strangers, it is an art that you can learn. When you learn how to make conversation with a group of strangers, you never have to stand by yourself at a party again.

    1    Say hi and tell the group your name. Don’t focus on how boring you think you sound. Remember that others in the group are probably just as self-conscious as you are. Doing so to a group of strangers may result in making others feel comfortable enough to open up. They may secretly be glad that you made the first move.

Practice talking to as many strangers as possible throughout the day.     2    Soon it will be second nature for you to walk up to a group of strangers and introduce yourself.

Make a comment about something interesting in the environment. This may be something as simple as the decorations for the party or the band providing the entertainment.     3    

Ask for an opinion. People enjoy giving their opinion on any subject.     4    Asking for an opinion works immediately to break the ice and encourages the entire group to talk with you.

Learn to listen. Making conversation is about more than trying to find the right words to say.     5    And then find out the next thing you should say. Make sure that your response invites another response.

A．Introduce yourself.

B．Try to catch strangers’ attention.

C．Ask about book ideas, gift ideas or dining ideas.

D．Each time you do this, you will feel more confident.

E．Develop the habit of listening to others carefully to understand them.

F．A comment like this gives the group something in common to discuss.

G．Ask the group to share what they do for a living or whether they enjoy their work.

2 . Rules for proper gift giving

When you are planning to give a gift, it is important to think about the receiver. As the gift is for the other person, it should be suitable for his or her particular personality. Is he or she a family member or a close friend?    1    These are valuable things to keep in mind when choosing the right gift for someone.

At a dinner party, it is usually proper to show up with some sort of gratitude(感谢) for the host.     2     This type of gift does not have to be expensive. It just needs to be something that can serve as a sign of appreciation. This can be done in the form of flowers or a bottle of wine.

When someone gives you a gift, you generally want to give one in return.     3     There are situations where people give gifts and do not expect anything in return. This occurs when you are celebrating your birthday or graduation. If you receive gifts from your friends, then just a thank-you note will be enough.

When in a situation where you have received something expensive and are expected to give one in return, many people feel pressured to give a gift of greater or equal value to the one that was gifted to them. However, it is important to distance yourself from these assumptions.     4    

Well, what should you do when you have forgotten to send a gift? It happens to all of us. Whether it is a family member’s birthday or a friend’s graduation ceremony, forgetting to give a gift is awkward. So, it can be difficult to find the right way to make up for forgetfulness. However, before you begin to panic, know that a late gift is better than no gift.     5    

A．However, this is not always the case.

B．Do you have to give a gift to your friends?

C．Gifts should be tied to meaning instead of dollar value.

D．In Eastern cultures, gifts are given before the guest leaves.

E．Does he or she enjoy big gifts or prefer a bunch of flowers?

F．So, send your gift with an apologetic note and all should be forgiven.

G．They have invited you over to their home and that should be acknowledged.

3 . Recently my friend invited me to her residential hall, which is an African-American themed hall. They have lots of meetings and outings there. So I thought it would be fun. On this particular day they were having a pancake breakfast, just a time to mix. I was excited to be there, too.

I walked in at a time when the mini-party was at its peak. I found my friend; excitedly, we hugged and she led me to a seat in the back. We sat there for some time. I sensed some sort of discrimination. I wondered, were we just isolating ourselves or were we facing discrimination?

My friend’s breakfast came in first, and it was a plate full of colors. My mouth watered. I have always liked rainbow dishes: they make me hungry. She let me pick pancakes and fruit; we ate and only then began to talk.

The black American contemporary music was extremely loud. Some boys and girls were beating the tables and some guys on the stage were dancing in what looked like a kind of competition.

We talked about various subjects: hair, boys, shoes and books. And then we got to it. “What do African Americans think of Africans?”

We argued. I told her I thought African Americans were haughty. Why did they sideline us? When we met in a narrow passage and our eyes met, they quickly looked aside before we greeted. Why? Weren’t we all black? I mean, wasn’t this exactly the reason why there was an African-American themed house to begin with?

Did they look down upon us because they grew up in America and we in Sub-Saharan Africa? Oh yes, I felt this was it! They believed that we were HIV-positive and that the giraffes were right behind our huts.

My friend uttered, “No!” And then she continued：

“I also thought so at one point but after living with these guys, I got to a different conclusion altogether. These guys are not from Africa. They were not born there and may have never been there. We can’t expect them to naturally like us or bond. We are different. Skin color is the skin color.”

1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that the author ________.

A．is an African American	B．is an American African
C．was late for the party	D．was crazy about parties

2. What does the author think of the breakfast?

A．Delicious.	B．Just so-so.
C．A bit salty.	D．A little sweet.

3. The underlined word “haughty’’ in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to“________”.

A．kind-hearted	B．modest
C．fashionable	D．proud

4. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．They had a good time at the party.

B．They turned down the music for me.

C．Some of them broke the tables.

D．They had a competition at the party.

5. Which statement is NOT true according to this text?

A．The author was brought up in Sub-Saharan Africa.

B．The friend had the same idea as the author before.

C．The African Americans are born in America.

D．The African Americans have nothing in common with Africans.

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I hit the back window of a new car with a hammer. In a flash I was in. I started the car, just like my older brother had taught me. I was 12 then. It seems crazy now. Today, everyone knows me as Donald Driver, a famous football player. I've dedicated(致力于) my life after football to helping disadvantaged kids around the country.

Mom would have killed me if she'd known what I was up to. My dad had gone to prison while she was pregnant with me. Mom wanted a better life for me, my two brothers and two sisters. She worked long hours to support us. But she often fell behind on rent and then we'd have to move. Trouble really started when we moved next door to a man named J. R. Mom trusted him to care us while she was at work, and he did. What Mom didn't know was that J.R. and his friends were thieves.

My older brother Moses and I served as look-outs(放哨人).We knew it was wrong, but the money was too good- $ 100 a night. We broke it into smaller bills, and regularly slipped some into Mom's purse. Then Moses discovered we could bring in even more cash by stealing cars. We practiced giving the same smile, hug and kiss for my mom when we came home, no matter what we'd done on the streets.

Now, though, I was about to get caught. The police got closer. I turned into a back alley. Suddenly, up ahead, a car backed out of a driveway. I saw a little old lady sitting in the driver's seat. But it, was too late. I stopped and jumped out to see if the old lady was damaged. The woman, Evelyn Johnson, looked angry, but unhurt. “Go sit in my house right now,” she said. It was the tone of voice that no kid can disobey. The police arrived and began to question the old woman.

“The man who did this ran that way,” she said, pointing down the alley.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

When the police drove off,

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I spent more time studying and football kept me busy too.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . Volunteering offers great help to people in need, but the benefits (好处) can be even greater for you, the volunteer.

    1    . Being a volunteer helps you make new friends and improve your social skills. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. It develops your ties to the community, broadens your support network and offers you chances to know people with common interests and fun activities.

    2    , others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests.

Volunteering is good for your mind and body.     3    . Nothing reduces (减少) stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Studies have found that older volunteers are likely to walk more and find it easier to sleep regularly.     4    .

If you’re considering a new job, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field.     5     , volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork communication, problem solving and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching (伸展) your wings at work once you have improved these skills in a volunteer position first.

A．Volunteering increases self-confidence

B．Volunteering connects you to others

C．Even if you're not planning on changing your job

D．While some people are naturally outgoing

E．It provides many benefits to both mental and physical health

F．Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work

G．Volunteering can also reduce the risk of heart disease

6 . 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。

New research published by a team of psychologists at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that our own happiness     1     (influence) by the kindness and generosity we show to others.

    2     (arrive) at this conclusion, the researchers asked a group of research participants to engage in a series of     3     (experiment) that examine them in acts of their own happiness against those aimed at     4     (improve) the happiness of others. In one study, participants were given a few coins by a research assistant on the street after parking their cars. They were asked to put some coins either into their own parking meters (停车计时器)     5     in others' nearby.     6     (interesting), people who put coins in others' meters showed     7     (great) happiness than those who put money in their own, despite not knowing who they were helping.

The researchers offer a good     8     (explain) for the reasons why they come to such a conclusion. According to the researchers, an effort to make another person happy inspires feelings of closeness,     9    , in turn, explains why people end up feeling happy themselves.

But it is not just financial generosity that has the power to increase our happiness. Simply adopting an attitude that puts others' happiness above our own has     10     positive influence on our psychological happiness.

7 . 语法填空

Spain is a fantastically welcoming, energetic country, characterized by its love of life One of the most important     1     (aspect) of Spanish life is the family; an extended gathering is of great     2    (significant), without which no celebration would be completed. And the elderly     3     (respect) by all other family members. Likewise, children are     4     (absolute) favored and included in everything. Food plays     5    important part in Spanish family life, with lunch being the     6     (big) meal of the day, often lasting from 2: 00 pm to 4: 00 pm. Friends are more likely    7     (meet) in restaurants for meals, but if you are invited to someone’s house dinner, you should take a small gift     8     any children. Also remember that drinking too much isn't common though there seems to be a bar on every corner,     9    is more for coffee and socializing than heavy drinking. Tipping is common in Spain, although not always       10     (expect), but locals are small tippers and twenty cents on a bar table or five percent in a restaurant is usually enough. It is also common practice to tip taxi drivers, hotel porters in small change.

8 . Improve Your Relationships

Having stable and positive relationships in your life can make you happier and more fulfilled. Whether it's your friends, family, or significant other, improving a relationship can sometimes be confusing.     1    

Express your appreciation for the person.

    2     Notice the positive things that the person is doing and go out of your way to show your appreciation for them. You can also show your appreciation by remembering important events like anniversaries or birthdays.

    3    

If you hardly see each other or talk to each other, it can be difficult to maintain a relationship. Take extra time out of your day and devote it to the person that you want to improve relations with. Try to work around the other person's schedule so that you can spend the time together. You can share a meal, watch a show, listen to music, or go shopping with them.

Turn off distractions.

Distractions like a cell phone, social media, or video games can create a division in between you and another person. If you notice that you are always distracted, you should turn off your cell phone or computer and talk to them.     4    

Seek therapy(心理治疗) if you can't get along.

To fix or improve family relationships or relationships with your significant other, you can turn to therapy. If you notice that you and the person are always arguing over the same kinds of things, and nothing has worked, you should consider seeking therapy with them.     5     And family therapy may be able to restore bonds between family members.

A．Spend more time with the person.

B．Maintain a relationship if possible.

C．People often like to be praised for achievements.

D．A specialist can help solve long­term issues in the relationship.

E．If they are the one always distracted, ask them if they can do the same.

F．Follow the tips and you can develop good relationships with your family.

G．Luckily, by adjusting your behaviour, you can improve any relationship in your life.

9 . 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。

At a time when we are all experiencing an extraordinary level of stress, science offers a simple and effective way to improve our own emotional （情感的）health.

To help yourself,     1    （ start） by helping others.

As     2     matter of fact, our bodies and minds benefit in a variety of     3    （ way）when we help others. Some research has focused     4     the “ helper's high. " Studies show that volunteering, donating money, or even just thinking about donating money can release （释 放）feel-good brain chemicals.

    5     （feel） responsible for other people also can help us deal with whatever challenges life brings. Emily Greenfield, an associate     6    （ consult） of social work at Rutgers

University, studied a concept called “felt obligation （义务），”   which     7     （measure） by asking people questions such as how obligated they would feel to give money to a friend in need, even     8     it meant putting themselves in trouble.

As it turned out, the people who had higher levels of “felt obligation” - meaning they were the type of people to sacrifice for others - dealt     9    （ well） with their own life challenges than others.

She     10     （note） that caring for others helped us to regulate our own emotions and gain a sense of control.

10 . 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。

Last spring, the Art students League of New York, an art school, found its members effectively     1     (separate). Wanting to provide     2     opportunity for the students to dig deep within themselves, the league made an open call for contributions to the COVID-19 comics Anthology(选集).

Since then, people     3     (participate) in their contributions actively. The anthology brings together the works of 76 artists from around the world and is a     4     (person) glimpse into how each one interprets their experiences about this ongoing disruption in their     5     (life).

Although the news cycle of 2020 has been overwhelming(令人难以应对的), the events can     6     (understand) in a different way when selected through the hands of artists. The editor of the comics Kitchen threw     7     (she) into her work and she said, “The pandemic is     8     (extreme) frightening, but it is a fight worldwide. Everyone has access     9     expressing their inner thoughts with pens and ink, showing how the disasters can be defeated. ”

Art is one of the most important lenses ( 滤镜), through     10     society views itself and people grow.