1 . Economic growth is often considered as a sure way of increasing the well-being of people in low-income countries, and global surveys in recent decades have supported this strategy by showing people in high-income countries tend to report higher levels of life satisfaction than those in low-income countries. This strong connection might suggest that only in rich societies can people be happy. However, a recent study conducted by ICTA-UAB and McGill University in Canada suggests that there may be good reasons to question whether this link is universal.

While most global surveys gather thousands of responses from the citizens of industrial and urban societies, they tend to ignore people in simple-and-tiny societies on the fringe, where social group has a limited number of members and where the exchange of money plays a minimal role in everyday life with natives and local communities depending directly on nature.

The research, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), consisted of a survey of 2,966 people from local communities in 19 globally distributed sites. Only 64% of surveyed households had any cash income. The results show that “surprisingly, many populations with very low incomes report very high average levels of life satisfaction, with scores similar to those in wealthy countries,” says Eric Galbraith, researcher at ICTA-UAB and McGill University and lead author of the study.

The average life satisfaction score across the studied simple-and-tiny societies was 6.8 on a range of 0-10. Although not all societies reported high satisfaction levels, four of the sites reported average scores higher than 8, despite many of these societies having suffered histories of neglect and control. The results are consistent with the opinion that human societies can support very satisfactory lives for their members without necessarily requiring high degrees of material wealth.

“While the reasons behind these findings remain unclear, the study provides valuable insights into how diverse communities achieve satisfying lives. It offers hope that understanding these factors can help others improve their well-being while addressing sustainability concerns.” Galbraith concludes.

1. What does the research focus on according to the passage?

A．The impact of cash income on locals’ well-being.

B．Income-satisfaction connection in industrial societies.

C．Economic growth’s concerns in low-income countries.

D．Relation between wealth and happiness across societies.

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

A．Edge.

B．Surface.

C．Horizon.

D．Scene.

3. What’s the purpose of the numbers listed in paragraph 3 and paragraph 4?

A．To indicate the research’s limitations.

B．To prove the reliability of the findings.

C．To emphasize high satisfaction scores.

D．To show the number of people surveyed.

4. What is Galbraith’s attitude toward the research?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Unclear.

C．Promising.

D．Critical.

2 . Faced with a room of seasoned professionals, you can be too nervous to speak. If you want to be a leader in the future, learn some strategies for refining your leadership communication.

Invest in continuous learning

A knowledgeable leader can guide discussions.     1     . This reservoir of knowledge can give authority to your voice and attract people’s attention when you speak. Continuous learning not only equips you with facts but also helps you develop a growth mindset to face challenges.

Develop informed opinions

Leaders stand out by shaping and guiding dialogues. Express informed opinions to build your authority in discussions. These opinions, however, shouldn’t be formed in isolation(孤立).     2     . This ensures that when you express your viewpoint, it produces meaningful thinking.

    3    

A mark of leadership is convincing and clear communication. For the ambitious executive, specialized training can offer rapid advancements. Communication training programs can improve your verbal and non-verbal cues, enhancing your persuasiveness and impact.

Enhance charm and presence

While some are born with personal charm, it’s a skill that can be developed. True charm arises from genuine engagement in conversations and active listening. By improving your emotional intelligence, you can better understand and even react to the others’ emotional change.     4     .

Make messages clear

    5     . It’s vital to change complex ideas into easy and impactful points. The audience should leave with a clear understanding and recollection of your key messages. In conclusion, stepping on the path to executive leadership requires commitment to constant development in language.

A．Try to convince executives

B．Attend relevant communication training

C．Engage with experts and use data-backed insights

D．The clarity of messages is what matters most in speeches

E．Forming your opinions alone in the presence of professionals is key

F．Regular exposure to a varied range of materials enriches your thinking

G．Then you’ll inspire trust and admiration, making your presence felt even in silence

3 . What do you do when you receive an invitation to an event that you do not want to attend or that you cannot attend due to your busy schedule? In that case, we simply can’t act on everything our heart feels.     1     Here are some right ways to decline (拒绝) an invitation without hurting others’ feelings.

Respond in a timely manner.

    2     It’s OK to put off responding if you’re unsure at first, but give yourself a deadline to figure it out — and stick to it. Always respond to invitations in a timely manner.

    3    

It’s OK to say you’re sorry that you can’t make an event, but it’s better to redefine it as a positive. Rather than apologizing, say how happy you are that they invited you and that while you can’t make it this time, you look forward to getting together with them in the future.

Don’t say “maybe”.

Procrastinating (拖延) by saying “maybe” usually means it’s a no.     4     Saying “maybe” is a way of making yourself feel better, but it leaves the other person hanging, which is unkind.

Don’t try to control the other person’s feelings.

There’s the assumption that we can decline without hurting anyone else’s feelings, but we can’t ensure the other person’s experience. They may feel sad or disappointed when you decline,. but that’s OK.     5    

A．Focus on the positive.

B．Be honest but not too honest.

C．Don’t leave the host hanging.

D．It’s fine to decline via digital means.

E．Most people will understand that life just gets busy.

F．So just go ahead and say no if that’s really what you mean.

G．Instead, we should learn how to politely say “no” to an invitation.

4 . If you feel that making friends as a kid is easy, you’re right. “They have a break between lessons and gym classes. They can let their guard down,” says Marisa G. Franco, a sought-after friendship & belonging expert. However, it’s not the case for adults. Even though they see their colleagues every day, they still find it never easy to be friends with them.

In the US, for example, a 2021 survey by the American Enterprise Institute, found that the number of adults who said they had no close friends had increased four times since 1990, going from 3 percent to 12 percent. “We’ve never been more disconnected,” says psychologist and author Jody Carrington. Although adults spend time together from 9: 00 am to 6: 00 pm and even late into the night, the fast paced work pattern dictates that communication is limited to the content of the work, and after work, they immediately go back to homes, leaving no extra energy to have unplanned interactions to develop further friendship.

Research by Brigham Young University psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad has shown that loneliness is a major threat to longevity (长寿), same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. People who are lonely or socially cut off have a higher risk of having diseases like depression, dementia and cardiac death. On the another side, healthy friendships can help us a lot, doing better with stress and living happier and longer. Plus, happiness is contagious. Harvard researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, his or her friends who live in a 1.6-kilometre radius have a 25 percent higher chance of getting a boost in happiness, too.

Hence, making and deepening friendships matters more than we imagine. You might think making friends is an inherent skill that doesn’t need to be taught. It’s not the case. We can all get better at connection if we try. Some experts offer some tricks to make finding connection a little easier.

1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?

A．By listing a lot of figures.

B．By drawing a conclusion.

C．By making a comparison.

D．By showing a conversation.

2. What makes an adult difficult to be friends with others according to paragraph 2?

A．Lack of breaks in the workplace.

B．Worry about being deeply hurt.

C．Unwillingness to communicate.

D．Lack of unplanned interactions.

3. What does the author want to convey in paragraph 3?

A．The necessity of staying connected.

B．The approach to leading a happy life.

C．The consequences of getting into bad habits.

D．The relationship between happiness and habits.

4. What does the underlined word “contagious” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Unrealistic.

B．Influential.

C．Flexible.

D．Unique.

5 . Go on a 15-minute Tour

Didn’t someone say that life is about the journey, not the destination?     1     when you are focused only on getting to the next meeting, starting your next class period, or hurrying to send an email, you’re missing all of the people between Points A and B.

To commit some time to the journey, take some time to walk around where you work and notice your surroundings.     2     Also, some of the smaller yet critical social clues that exist right under your nose will be concentrated on again.

    3     Things to look for include the look and feel of people’s work spaces, the timing of when different people move around the office, and which people seek interaction versus those who stay at their desks all day.

After your first observation tour, select a different day to tour your workspace for moods. Other people’s moods can provide you with critical clues about how things are going.     4     Focus on what you see, hear, and pick up on in other people.

Schedule 15 minutes to tour your workplace twice a week for a month and be sure to avoid making too many assumptions or conclusions — just simply observe.     5    

A．You’ll be amazed at what you see along the way.

B．Spare a little time to closely monitor each person’s progress.

C．Notice what people may be feeling when you drop by to talk briefly.

D．During any workday, take just 15 minutes to observe neglected things.

E．You generally love the breathtaking landscape and people’s performances.

F．Going on a short tour will help you get in tune with other people and their emotions.

G．To become socially aware, remember to enjoy the journey and notice people along the way.

6 . How To Stop Bein g A People Pleaser

As a recovering people pleaser, I spent much of my life keeping others happy. Breaking this habit meant stepping on a few toes. However, I’ve become a happier person as a result. Here are some tips I used to stop being a people pleaser.

Identify your priorities. Take a moment to think about why you are trying to learn how to stop being a people pleaser.     1     Why do you feel the need to keep them happy? Answering these questions will help you set a goal that you can hold yourself accountable to.

Just say “no”. One reason why people pleasers say “yes” to everything is that they fear disappointing others.     2     If you are a people pleaser, you are likely to spend lots of energy trying to control how people feel about you. The best thing you can do is let them feel their feelings. It will feel liberating to free yourself from being responsible for someone else’s reaction.

    3     Saying “no” is a good way to set better boundaries in your important relationships. All healthy relationships have their own boundaries. If you haven’t set boundaries in your relationships, the odds are that at some point you will end up feeling pressured to do something you don’t want to do.

Accept yourself. Many people pleasers are insecure about who they are.     4     Check out our summary of Brené Brown’s the Gifts of Imperfection to learn how to accept your imperfections and love yourself.

Remember that you cannot please everyone. No matter what you do there will always be someone who is unhappy with your choices.     5    

A．Learn to set healthy boundaries.

B．Don’t mix up your boundaries with others’.

C．Who are the people that you feel the need to please?

D．Spend some time learning to love yourself for who you are.

E．So why bother trying to please everyone if it isn’t possible?

F．But saying “no” is the best way to take care of your own needs.

G．That is why the more you seek security, the less of it you have.

7 . No matter what profession or occupation you hold you will need to work with others to meet your goals. Group work is a great way to showcase your own skills while getting help from your teammates in areas where you might not be as strong.     1    

Clarify the team expectations so everyone is on the same page.     2     It’s likely that each teammate has a different idea about what’s expected of them, as well as what everyone else needs to be doing. It’s essential that the team discuss these expectations and agree on one universal list of expectations that everyone will follow.

    3     No one likes a teammate who barely contributes to the project. Take on an equal part of the work, and speak up if you realize you aren’t doing your fair share. Not only will your group mates appreciate your work ethic, it will show your supervisor or instructor that you’re a good team player.

Direct your concern toward the problem, not your teammates. Don’t accuse or blame anyone on your team for causing the conflict, even if you believe they did.     4     Have your team work through conflict, using it to their benefit.

Focus on the success of the group, not your personal success. When you’re on a team, everyone’s success depends on each member working toward a common goal.     5     Keep your focus on your team’s success, and your own success will follow.

A．Make sure you do an equal share of the work.

B．Volunteer to take on extra work when necessary.

C．Treat the team’s accomplishments as a group success.

D．Our guide will show you how to boost your teamwork skills.

E．State the issue you’re having, then listen to what everyone has to say.

F．Instead, keep all of your comments focused on the issue and how your team can solve it.

G．This can include explaining the expectations or asking questions if you find them unclear.

8 . Thank-You Emails After a Job Interview

Your hard work toward getting a job is not over when the interview ends. Following every interview, it’s required that you send a thank-you note to your interviewer. Some tips are as follows.

    1     Keep a formal and professional tone in your thank-you email, even if the interview is a laid-back (安详放松的) one. Keep in mind that the interviewer may forward your email to others to review. Do not refer to the interviewer by his first name unless he introduced himself that way. Avoid greetings like “Hey”.     2    

Express excitement. In the first sentence of your email, thank the interviewer for his time and show your interest in the position. For example, write, “    3     I enjoyed learning more about your company, and I would love to be a part of the team.” Include information that you learned during the interview or through your research about the organization.

Add related information. Thank-you emails are a chance to add information about your skills, experience and qualifications (资历).     4     If the interviewer asked for further information, include it in your thank-you email.

Be modest (谦虚的).     5     Even if the interviewer said that you have a good chance of landing the job, do not make yourself too proud.

A．Be formal.

B．Express your thanks.

C．It was a pleasure to meet you yesterday.

D．Avoid sounding overconfident in your thank-you email.

E．Remember that you are still communicating to impress the interviewer.

F．Gently remind the interviewer what a good fit you are for the position.

G．Sell yourself and be confident, but be careful not to oversell yourself.

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。

The key to success in both personal and professional relationships lies in your ability to communicate well. It’s not the words that you use but your body language that speaks the     1     (loud). Body language is the use of physical behaviors and expressions to communicate nonverbally (非语言的), often done unknowingly.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, when you interact with others, you     2     (give) and receiving wordless signals. All of your nonverbal behaviors — the gestures you make, your posture, your tone of voice, how much eye contact you make — send strong messages. They can put people     3     ease, build trust, and draw others towards you, or they can offend, confuse, and weaken what you’re trying to convey. Sometimes, they can give people some kind of     4     (warn).

In some     5     (instance), what comes out of your mouth and     6     you communicate through your body language may be two totally     7     (differ) things. If you say one thing, but your body language says something else, your listener will feel that you’re being     8     (honest). If you say “yes” while shaking your head no, for example. When     9     (face) with such mixed signs, the listener doesn’t know whether to believe you     10     not.

10 . Even the kindest, most considerate people complain, and complaining doesn’t always have a negative impact.     1     So, how do you get a person complaining frequently to reduce it, for the benefit of your health and his?

·Change the subject. Some complainers will switch to another topic if you shift the conversation in a direction that interests them. If your neighbor is complaining about the phone company, tell her about an unexpected call from an old friend. If your coworker is dissatisfied with your boss, ask whether he met the new employee.    2    

·Be honest. When you have things to do, tell the complainer that you must cut the conversation short.       3     You can simply be honest, even saying you need to move on so the conversation doesn’t bring you down —especially if it’s someone who’s complained to you many times before.

·    4       When it is someone very close to you who stresses you out with lots of negativity, it’s important to talk about the problem. Otherwise, if you bottle up your feelings and continue listening to repeated complaints, you may grow annoyed or start avoiding the person.

· Challenge the person to act.    5       This isn’t the usual direction a conversation with annoyance takes, but it may help end his anger. Typically, it’s not about how to fix it –people just want to keep talking about it. If you break that pattern, it puts them off guard, and people usually stop.

A．Have a heart -to -heart talk.

B．Show your interest in listening.

C．The problems start when complaining becomes regular.

D．In a word, get people off the complaint that they are recently making.

E．An excuse such as a work deadline isn’t needed to stop the complaint.

F．Sometimes, complaining can change an unfavorable situation into a more desirable one.

G．When a complainer tells you about his latest problems, encourage him to go to improve them.