1 . Have you ever been in mid-conversation with someone, when you look over and find them standing in the same position as you or holding the same facial expression? It may seem like they have consciously copied you, but it is much more likely that it is the chameleon (变色龙) effect at play.

The chameleon effect is the unconscious imitation of another person’s gestures or behavior. Just as a chameleon attempts to match any environment’s colors, people acquire the behavior of others to bring them closer together and help make their interactions smooth.

The chameleon effect was confirmed in an experiment by psychologists John Bargh and Tanya Chartrand in 1999. The part of their experiment included 78 people, who each spoke with an experimenter. During the test, Bargh and Chartrand studied whether participants would copy the actions of someone they hadn’t met before, like moving the foot and touching the face. The second part measured the impact that copying someone has on the person being imitated.

In the first stage, participants increased their face touching by 20% and their foot movement by 50% while in conversation about a photograph with the experimenter. The individuals weren’t aware of what they were being studied for, and the photograph was used to catch their attention to insure unconscious acts. The second stage involved half of the participants being copied, and then rating the likability of the experimenter. The results, showed that those who were imitated scored the experimenter higher. It has shown that when someone copies our behavior, we develop more positive feelings about them. These interactions could be a person unconsciously willing to be liked, and forming a moment of connection.

The main reasons behind humans’ imitation are positive. However, when people carry this chameleon effect to the extreme, they can lose their sense of self. Those who change their entire personalities in different groups often go undetected. But more common signs of the chameleon effect are easier to notice. Next time you are in a social gathering, take a look around and you might just see some chameleons for yourself.

1. Why do people imitate others’ behavior?

A．To show admiration for others.	B．To adapt to the surroundings.
C．To establish a connection with others.	D．To attract others’ attention.

2. How did the experimenter guarantee participants’ unconscious behaviors?

A．By directing their attention to a photo.	B．By keeping an eye on their actions.
C．By telling them the purpose of the study.	D．By evaluating the impacts of imitation.

3. What conclusion can be drawn from the experiment?

A．People tend to like those who imitate their behavior.

B．Too much of the chameleon effect can be beneficial.

C．People imitating others are not easy to be detected.

D．The copied movements help people to feel relaxed.

4. Which of the following shows the chameleon effect according to the passage?

A．Students adopt teachers’ accents for fun after class.

B．People change their habits to please others on purpose.

C．A comedian copies a celebrity vividly on stage.

D．A husband and his wife share similar behaviors over time.

2 . Kindness and kids just seem to go hand in hand. But 62% of more than 2, 600 participants in the NBC News State of Kindness Poll believe that today’s kids are less kind than those in the past. Women (66%) feel about this kindness fall more strongly than men (58%). Most of the participants who feel that way (77%) thank parents caused the seeming lack of kindness among today’s children, with a few thinking that society, schools, or friends caused it.

At the same time, Americans say they don’t put kindness first when it comes to teaching kids values. Among all participants, honesty is taught more than kindness as well as other things like courage, leadership and storing work ethic (道德). But the younger generation—those aged 18～24—think highly of kindness rules. They choose kindness by 10% over honesty as the most important quality to teach kids.

The question of whether kindness is learned or taught—or somewhere in between—causes different opinions. According to the study, Americans have different opinions on whether kindness in something one is born with or needs to be learned and nurtured over time. Slightly more than half (52%) of the participants believe that all of us are born with the ability to show kindness, while 48% believe kindness must be developed.

Parenthood (父母身份) makes a difference to your thoughts on the causes of kindness. Those without kids (56%) are more likely to think that people are born to be kind, while 50% of the participants with kids think kindness is developed.

Also, 51% of dads and 54% of men with no kids believe kindness is something time is born with. Slightly more than half of the moms say kindness must be learned, while 48% believe it is what one is born with.

1. What do participants aged 18～24 consider the most important for kids?

A．Honesty.

B．Leadership.

C．Kindness.

D．Courage.

2. The underlined word “nurtured” in Paragraph 3 means “________”.

A．kept

B．developed

C．replaced

D．protected

3. How many moms in the study believe kindness is what one is born with?

A．48%

B．51%

C．52%

D．54%

4. What is the test mainly about?

A．Causes of today’s kids being less kind.

B．The important qualities of today’s kids.

C．Different people’s opinion’s on kindness.

D．Findings of research on today’s kids’ kindness.

4 . My family moved into a newly constructed home in Calgary 10 years ago. That year was full of promise. We _______ at the stream of incoming families during their move-in days. Hands were shaken. Couches were pulled up steps. But we saw _______ of each other as winter approached. Names were forgotten.

As the snow _______, many of the neighborhood’s kids began to learn how to ride a bike. Their mothers would be nearby, chatting. Dad wanted a place for children to play, a quiet place for parents to sit and relax, but more importantly, a _______ for everyone to leave the house and join the community. He began _______ benches.

He started knocking on doors and _______ hands. He chatted with Eric, a builder and then met with a designer. _______ began with me and my father. Within minutes there was a flock of young neighbors _______, each claiming they could help. _______ of us knew each other well, but all hands were on deck (全员出动). After a few hours, three benches formed a semi-circle on the avenue.

That afternoon marked the first of many weekend Neighbor Days. Kids ________ each other around while parents brought out food. ________ would carry on into the night. We often ________ there the following afternoon, as well as ________ afternoons and evenings in the years since.

I moved out for university four years ago, having learned to ________ value community. But I’ve never lived somewhere as social as my family neighborhood since.

There’s a saying: you must be a good neighbor to have good neighbors. My dad wasn’t thinking much about building those benches. He just wanted a place to sit on a Saturday afternoon. A place to bring the ________ together.

1.

A．tore

B．waved

C．laughed

D．aimed

2.

A．many

B．little

C．more

D．less

3.

A．froze

B．blocked

C．melted

D．accumulated

4.

A．balance

B．reason

C．identity

D．theory

5.

A．imagining

B．watched

C．searching

D．designing

6.

A．retelling

B．reshaping

C．reshaking

D．recalling

7.

A．Painting

B．Repair

C．Destruction

D．Construction

8.

A．at hand

B．under control

C．with care

D．in charge

9.

A．All

B．None

C．Both

D．Neither

10.

A．raced

B．arranged

C．interrupted

D．recorded

11.

A．Performances

B．Conversations

C．Conflicts

D．Demonstrations

12.

A．broke out

B．turned down

C．ended up

D．paid off

13.

A．helpless

B．selfless

C．costless

D．countless

14.

A．doubtfully

B．emotionally

C．helplessly

D．curiously

15.

A．crew

B．colleagues

C．kids

D．community

5 . It goes without saying that everyone has bad days at work. You hit an unexpected problem with a project you’ve been working on for weeks.     1    You are severely criticized by your boss in the company. Whatever your workplace problem is, one effect it has is to make you feel more alone. There are times when you feel as though your colleagues are upset and you can only rely on yourself.     2    

When you’re feeling upset about a problem at work, take a minute to think of someone in your life that you’re grateful to and write a sentence or two on a notepad about what you appreciate.     3     Why does it have such power? Gratitude is often a positive emotion you   feel when someone else has gone out of their way to do something helpful for you that they didn’t have to do. That person has done something selfless in order to make your life little---or perhaps a lot---better.

    4     It might be a relative who took care of you when you were little, a teacher who   helped you out in a tough situation or a colleague who put you up for a great opportunity.

Picking one of those folks out and reminding yourself of why you’re grateful to them has two benefits.     5     It also reminds you of the deep social connections you have so that you   don’t feel quite as isolated anymore.

A．You have a quarrel with your beloved.

B．In those moments, a little gratitude can help

C．Here are some reasons to explain these situations.

D．All of us have people in our lives who fit that bill.

E．Research shows practicing gratitude can make you happier.

F．You forget the appointment with a VIP customer and keep him waiting.

G．For one, it gets you thinking about something positive and lifts your mood

6 . “Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a package.

The package consisted of a long, narrow box ________ wrapped in brown paper. Opening the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside ---- a very old one with a beautifully carved handle. ________ he had not seen it for more than 20 years, he ________ it immediately.

Oscar was 16 when he first saw the ________ umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat. Impressed by its ________, Oscar felt a strong desire to find its owner.

Oscar ________ the manager to go through the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a name matched the seat where Oscar had ________ the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O'Brien.

Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O'Brien's house on their way home. An elderly woman opened the door. “May I help you?” she asked. “I'd like to return it if it's yours,” Oscar said, ________ the umbrella ________ presenting a gift that had long been wished for. “Why, yes, it's mine,” replied Mrs. O'Brien with a ________ smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your ________?” “No, ma'am.” he said, “my grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.” “Well, that's ________ what my father used to say. What is your name, young man?”

Years later, Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O'Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how ________ it was. Why had it arrived here today? As if ________, a note fell from the paper. It read: Mrs. O'Brien wanted you to accept this umbrella as a present for a kind, ________ gesture long ago.

1.

A．strictly

B．carefully

C．obviously

D．curiously

2.

A．After

B．When

C．Since

D．Although

3.

A．adapted

B．reserved

C．recognized

D．removed

4.

A．ordinary

B．unusual

C．simple

D．formal

5.

A．beauty

B．shape

C．size

D．history

6.

A．ordered

B．demanded

C．encouraged

D．persuaded

7.

A．laid

B．found

C．confirmed

D．searched

8.

A．putting up

B．referring to

C．picking up

D．holding out

9.

A．as if

B．as long as

C．due to

D．instead of

10.

A．wide

B．confident

C．confusing

D．shy

11.

A．patience

B．kindness

C．impression

D．determination

12.

A．officially

B．naturally

C．exactly

D．probably

13.

A．old

B．amazing

C．valuable

D．unique

14.

A．in turn

B．in return

C．in exchange

D．in answer

15.

A．professional

B．mean

C．selfless

D．wise

8 . Avoid These Mistakes in Your Social Interaction

Breaking into an existing conversation

Timing is everything. If you see two or more people actively engaged in conversation, they’re probably not ready for you to cut in. First, wait for a rest.     1    , that’s your chance.

Starting talking without having something to say

If someone appears distant or lost in thought, moving into their personal space and saying “hello” is hardly a way to start a conversation. Try asking permission (e.g., “Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you something?”) and make sure you have a fully formed question or comment in mind (e.g., “Are you having a good time?”).     2    .

Bringing up controversial(有争议的) topics

If you’re talking to someone new, it’s generally best not to talk about weighty or of-putting topics.     3     Maybe it’s the music you’re both hearing, or the food you’re both tasting.

    4    

Once you’ve made a connection with each other, keep that connection going by making yourself easy to understand. If you speak different languages, for example, slow your speech and pronounce clearly. If they ask you what you do for work, don’t use a lot of technical expressions.

Talking too much about yourself - or about the other person

It’s often said that people love to talk about themselves, and that asking questions is the secret to good conversations.     5    . Nobody likes to feel interrogated(审问), so if you sense that questions aren’t welcome, back off.

A．Being hard to follow

B．Making too much connection

C．But that’s not true for everyone

D．They will lead to a deeper interaction

E．Then once you have someone’s attention or receive a nonverbal go-ahead

F．Aim for something simple that you and the other person can observe together

G．It’s all about creating a comfortable opportunity for the other person to respond

10 . What is the probable relationship between the speakers?

A．Friends.

B．Boss and employee.

C．Salesman and customer.