1 . When romantic partners argue over things like finances, jealousy, or other interpersonal issues, they tend to employ their current feelings as fuel for a heated argument. But thinking about the future helps overcome relationship conflicts, according to a University of Waterloo study just published online in Social Psychological and Personality Science. Alex Huynh, a doctoral candidate in psychology is the lead author of the study, which he published with Igor Grossmann from the University of Waterloo, and Daniel Yang from Yale University.

Previous research has shown that third-perspective reasoning can be a positive strategy for reconciliation (调解) of interpersonal struggles. Huynh and his collaborators investigated whether similar benefit can be induced by simply thinking about the future. Study participants were instructed to reflect on a recent conflict with a romantic partner or a close friend. One group of participants were then asked to describe how they would feel about the conflict one year in the future, while another group was asked to describe how they feel in the present.

The team examined participants’ written responses through a text-analysis program for their use of pronouns — such as I, me, she, he. These choices of pronouns were used to capture participants’ focus on the feelings and behaviour of those involved in the conflict. Written responses were also examined for forgiveness and reinterpreting the conflict more positively, both of which implied the participants’ use of reasoning strategies.

The researchers found that envisioning future relationship affected both participants’ focus on their feelings, and their reasoning strategies. As a result, participants reported more positivity about their relationship altogether, especially when study participants extended their thinking about the relationship a year into the future.

“Our study demonstrates that adopting a future-oriented perspective in the context of a relationship conflict — reflecting on how one might feel a year from now — may be a valuable coping tool for one’s psychological happiness and relationship well-being,” said Huynh.

1. What do romantic partners do in face of most disagreements?

A．They lose faith in their future.	B．They focus on their present feelings.
C．They look forward to a fierce conflict.	D．They care more about financial problems.

2. What does the underlined word “induced” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean？

A．Caused.	B．Explained.
C．Reduced.	D．Improved.

3. What do we know about the study?

A．All the study participants described how they felt both in the present and in the future.

B．Study participants described their recent relationship with their romantic partners or friends.

C．A text-analysis program was employed to examine participants’ use of negative words.

D．The reasoning strategies in participants’ written responses were well worthy of note.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．You have a year to solve your interpersonal problems!

B．Thinking about future is essential for relationship maintenance!

C．Your current feelings are the real cause of your heated arguments!

D．Beneficial reasoning is a positive strategy for reconciliation!

2 . 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.

3 . Being vulnerable (脆弱的) is not a choice. It’s a _________ in our life. What we do with vulnerability can either open doors to deeper connections, or build walls that _________ progress and fulfillment.

Vulnerability _________ the state of being exposed to the possibility of being harmed, either physically or emotionally. It’s part of human _________ because we are vulnerable in some way at all times. We are vulnerable to viruses, accidents, misunderstandings and _________ caused by whatever reasons. The only choice we really have is whether to _________ it or not.

When some people _________ that they have no vulnerability, they are hard to develop meaningful social connections with others. They are just _________. No one likes to spend much time with people who are dishonest or _________ to open up their feelings. Most of the time, a great friendship starts by __________ each other’s vulnerability.

Indeed, it’s not easy for us to admit our vulnerability in front of others. In order to protect ourselves, we tend to struggle with __________. But in fact, when we are vulnerable with people, we have signaled that they can also __________ share their anxieties. And we don’t have to worry too much about the results because a far more common reaction of people is to respect our __________ instead of laughing at us. Under this shared circumstance, we become less __________ by vulnerability and also we __________ a relationship.

1.

A．secret

B．reality

C．skill

D．purpose

2.

A．report

B．reveal

C．replace

D．prevent

3.

A．refers to

B．consists of

C．relies on

D．sticks to

4.

A．belief

B．error

C．rights

D．nature

5.

A．memories

B．lessons

C．experiences

D．pains

6.

A．follow

B．analyse

C．acknowledge

D．remove

7.

A．claim

B．doubt

C．celebrate

D．neglect

8.

A．hesitating

B．complaining

C．lying

D．waiting

9.

A．motivated

B．unwilling

C．desperate

D．unafraid

10.

A．blaming

B．spreading

C．teasing

D．exchanging

11.

A．criticism

B．fear

C．anger

D．hopelessness

12.

A．surprisingly

B．cautiously

C．safely

D．gratefully

13.

A．bravery

B．humor

C．ability

D．understanding

14.

A．impressed

B．affected

C．improved

D．reminded

15.

A．stand

B．request

C．strengthen

D．measure

4 . Feel exhausted after a party? Rather see one close friend than a group of acquaintances? Enjoy your own company? In our world, that makes you an introvert (内向的人). However, there’s another possible explanation — vertical attachment. If you are closer to your parents and family members than to your peers, you are vertically attached, which means you rely more on family for comfort.

If you are closer to your peers, then you are peer attached. We live in a peer-oriented world. We believe that having lots of friends means that we are well-adjusted. We put our kids in playgroups and daycare for peer interaction. We expect teenagers to want to hang out with their friends, thinking it is the natural way of things.

Result? Generations often feel worlds apart. We use different language, dress, and technology apps. Even if multiple generations are invited to the same party, the kids go to the basement playroom while the parents stay upstairs.

Vertically-attached individuals can feel out of place in this context, demonstrating the traces of introversion. Will they be exhausted after a party with same-aged acquaintances? Absolutely. Would they rather spend time with one close friend? Sure. Do they enjoy alone time? Yes, more than they enjoy time fitting in with peers.

It’s normal that many people need alone time to recharge. However, vertically-attached people often label themselves as introverted. They feel insecure that others have more friends and live richer lives. They claim that their family attachments arise from their loved ones being stuck with them.

If you feel these insecurities, know that there is nothing wrong with you, and you are not missing out on anything. Your attachment style is just different from the culture where you live. Have confidence in the strength of the relationships you have, whether it is with a mom who feels more like a best friend, or a grandmother with whom you can share anything. They are meaningful, enriching relationships, even if they look different from the cultural norm.

1. Who is vertically attached according to the text?

A．Mike, who feels at ease with his teachers.

B．Maggie, who enjoys film time alone at weekends.

C．Tom, who feels burnt out after a family get-together.

D．Lisa, who often turns to her dad when things are hard.

2. What is the popular belief among parents?

A．Younger generations should be self-disciplined.

B．Being sociable is a desired quality for their children.

C．Their children need more friends than they themselves do.

D．Different generations should have different circles of acquaintances.

3. What advice is given to vertically-attached people?

A．Be that as it may, just leave it as it is.

B．Never underestimate your inner power.

C．Hang out more with friends and adjust to it.

D．Treat others the way you want to be treated.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards vertically-attached people?

A．Biased.

B．Objective.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Critical.

5 . Internal communication, also known as IC, refers to a group of processes responsible for effective circulation of message within an organization. These messages are information that is valuable to the organization and are supposed to be kept confidential(机密的). The means of transferring this information is often done through emails, letters, notice boards, and even with the help of social media like Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet, in the current times.

Honest internal communication is the healthiest way to keep your organization growing. With honesty around the workplace, it is a safer environment for the employees to voice their opinions which could help in the modification of a certain operation that might have been outdated. Other than changes, not opening up to your colleagues can result in frustration and give rise to “gossip culture” at the workplace. When information is not passed out with lucidity, not only does the quality of work get affected but it also gives rise to questioning the worth of the time spent in the company.

An atmosphere of honesty also encourages growth in responsibility, leadership, and self-accountability. If the CEO of a company voices the shortcomings of his team in a respectful manner, it would bring room for each and every employee to take it on a positive note and bring around the change for the one common goal of development of the company that they are working for. This brings a lot of change in the attitude of every individual employee since they start seeing the company that they are working for as an asset that they cherish (珍爱) dearly.

In a workplace, things go both wrong and right, so it is important to both appreciate and criticize when such situations occur from the end of both the leadership and the employees. The positives should be celebrated while the negatives should be taken as positive criticisms that could help the company grow into something better. The main goal of unity and development should always be kept in mind.

1. Which is considered one main character of IC?

A．It comes with the times of social media.	B．It exists within the leadership of a company.
C．It is often kept secret within an organization.	D．It needs a long and difficult process in most cases.

2. What does the underlined word “lucidity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Clearness.

B．Appreciation.

C．Authority.

D．Assistance.

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The main responsibilities of the CEO.	B．The importance of unity for a company.
C．The advantage of a powerful leadership.	D．The role of an honest leadership in a company.

4. What does the author suggest to us in a workplace in the last paragraph?

A．Communicating both the positives and the negatives.

B．Taking responsibilities bravely for our mistakes.

C．Trying all possible means to avoid the negatives.

D．Strengthening unity mainly among the employees.

8 . Several studies suggest there are some very good reasons to think about ways to be kind and friendly plan out that type of behavior.     1     Researchers also say kindness played an important part in how humans developed. In other words, they say scientific evidence suggests that we are designed to be kind.

Oliver Curry is the research director at Kindlab, a non-profit organization.     2     Curry claims that “kindness is much older than religion.” “The basic reason why people are kind is that we are social animals.” he explained.

    3     University of London psychologist Anat Bardi studies value systems in people. In one study, researchers gave people a list of values - such as kindness, creativity, ambition, tradition, security, and seeking social justice. When asked to pick the most important, kindness won.

But research shows that our bodies can also reward us for being kind. University of California Riverside psychology professor Sonja has tested this idea in many experiments over the past 20 years. In one experiment, she asked people to perform three acts of kindness for other individuals each week. She asked a different group to do three acts of self-kindness.     4     The people who were kind toothers reported feeling happier and more connected to the world.

    5     Sonja studied a group of people with the disease multiple sclerosis (多发性硬化). She found that they felt better physically when helping others. Her research also showed that people who performed more acts of kindness had less inflammation (发炎) in their bodies.

A．Other research has shown that many people prize kindness over other values.

B．Research shows that kindness can be good for many species

C．These acts could be small, like opening a door for someone.

D．Its goal is to educate and urge people to choose kindness.

E．Research shows that acts of kindness can improve our health.

F．But it is not just emotional but also physical.

G．That is why we help strangers in need.

10 . How to Start a Conversation with Strangers

Introduce Yourself

It’s not necessary to be clever when you introduce yourself. Simply focus on being genuine and sincere. When you approach the other person to start the conversation, give him a warm smile and clearly state your name.     1     Remember to speak at a regular pace, taking care not to speak too quickly or slowly, so that the other person will have no difficulty understanding you.

Begin the Conversation

    2    A comment about the weather or a current event may be most appropriate. Avoid beginning the conversation with anything too personal, as this may make the other person feel uncomfortable to continue the conversation. After you make your opening comments, give the person enough time to respond. Show a sincere interest in the thoughts she expresses about the subject.

Continue the Conversation

If you are building a rapport(关系), feel free to move on to a bit more personal topics to continue the conversation.    3    Open­ended questions — those that can’t be answered by a simple “yes” or “no” — help to keep a conversation going.

    4    

When you have run out of things to say or need to move on to do something else, prepare your exit strategy. You may say that you need to use the bathroom or catch up with someone else. Let the other person know how much you enjoyed talking to her.     5    

A．End the Conversation.

B．Bring up a general topic to begin the conversation.

C．This will help keep the conversation flowing freely.

D．If appropriate, make plans to talk again at a later date.

E．Your conversational partner will feel valued and appreciated.

F．Explain who you are and why you want to have the conversation.

G．You may want to ask about his favourite hobby, his career, his classes or upcoming events.