1 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk, ” he explains. “The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them. ”
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction (互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.
What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?A.Addiction to smartphones. |
B.Inappropriate behaviours in public places. |
C.Absence of communication between strangers. |
D.Impatience with slow service. |
2 . We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,” he explains. “The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction (互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral (边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.
1. What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?A.Showing good manners. | B.Relating to other people. |
C.Focusing on a topic. | D.Making business deals. |
A.It improves family relationships. | B.It raises people’s confidence. |
C.It matters as much as a formal talk. | D.It makes people feel good. |
3 . Despite being connected online, no matter what state you’re from, each city still retains its own language and slang. At my public high school in Los Angeles, we had our own secret language. A party was a “yart”. A beer was a “brewsky”. If I tried to use these words in front of anyone that didn’t live in Los Angeles, they would have no idea what was going on. When I came to college and used these words around my roommate from the East Coast, she would look at me with a blank stare.
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Whether the way we talk is regional or from online, the soul of communication lies in its power to connect people, foster understanding, and facilitate interactions that shape our personal and social lives. I have often found it’s the way we connect with the people we live around.
What is mainly talked about in the last paragraph?A.The means of communication. | B.The nature of communication. |
C.The elements of communication. | D.The process of communication. |
4 . Despite being connected online, no matter what state you’re from, each city still retains its own language and slang. At my public high school in Los Angeles, we had our own secret language. A party was a “yart”. A beer was a “brewsky”. If I tried to use these words in front of anyone that didn’t live in Los Angeles, they would have no idea what was going on. When I came to college and used these words around my roommate from the East Coast, she would look at me with a blank stare.
Teenagers are often blamed for pulling apart standard linguistic patterns. The way my parents used to talk isn’t the same way that teenagers talk now. But it reflects the dynamic nature of language, which evolves over time due to various influences, including generational shifts and technological advancements. Teenagers, at an age when they are actively exploring their identity and seeking to differentiate themselves from previous generations, often play a significant role in this evolution.
It’s interesting to note that people around the world all have different terms for everyday things. Last year, I came across a British show called Love Island, which is a reality show that mixes people from different parts of the U. K. in a “villa”(another word Americans don’t typically say) for about eight weeks. As a bystander, the way they talked felt so elegant and fun, but to them, it was just normal.
Whether the way we talk is regional or from online, the soul of communication lies in its power to connect people, foster understanding, and facilitate interactions that shape our personal and social lives. I have often found it’s the way we connect with the people we live around.
What is mainly talked about in the last paragraph?A.The means of communication. | B.The nature of communication. |
C.The elements of communication. | D.The process of communication. |
5 . Around the globe, about 1 in 4 adults says they’re lonely. And the consequences of long-term social disconnection can be everything from an increased risk of heart attacks to dementia (痴呆). The following offers a road map to make connections.
Be curious. It’s easier to connect with people if you have shared interests or experiences, so start paying attention to what’s in your mind. What motivates you? What excites you?
Make something. When experts advise making something, people will say, “Well, I’m not Picasso. I don’t know how to do a fancy painting. ” Of course, you’re not!
Find a group that matches your interests. Whether it’s volunteering fora cause or playing frisbee (飞盘), try to find others who share your interests. There’s even an online group that has a quirky shared interest: a fascination with brown bears in Alaska, which led to Fat Bear Week. In interactions with others, you can begin to reveal yourself and share the unique things that matter to you.
Other people’s loneliness matters too.
A.Pour out your hard feelings. |
B.Loneliness can be infectious. |
C.Take a risk by having conversations. |
D.You should tolerate the risk of being lonely. |
E.But the opportunities for creative expression are endless. |
F.Knowing yourself can be a first step to bonding with others. |
G.Then, other people recognize that and share their story in return. |
6 . Customer service refers to the way that companies behave towards their customers.
First of all, you need to realize the great value of the customers. It’s they who are the boss, and it, s because of them that you get your pay checks. So do take your customers seriously.
Making customers feel they are important is an excellent way to serve them better.
In addition, there are some other skills which will help you in serving your customers better. For example, once you finish solving the problem for the customers, before ending the call, always remember to ask if there is anything else you can do for them. End the call with a “thank you”. If the customers are angry, let them express their anger completely.
In a word, always remember that if the customers remain happy, you’ll be in business.
A.Treat customers as individuals. |
B.Never interrupt or start speaking until they’ve finished. |
C.You can bring in as many new customers as you want. |
D.So customer service is important and you should know how to improve it. |
E.Finding out the needs of the customers is another important customer service tip. |
F.More companies are finding that their customer service should not be limited to stores. |
G.It’s the quality of service that determines whether the customer remains with the company. |
7 . Social media does have its shortcomings, and one of those is that it can often seem like everybody is living and winning big — except you.
Someone could have +1000 likes on their pictures or a million views on their videos and still be unhappy.
There are couples that appear happy on social media but behind those photos, they suffer a lot in relationships.
You don’t know what some people go through to come out with the fantastic pictures you envy. The real key players mostly operate behind the scenes but make the most happen. They may look like nobody but they are building their kingdoms while others are getting high on likes and attention. Success is not what is presented on social media.
Be yourself and never give up on yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. The real champions of social media are those who add value to others, not the ones who show their lifestyle to impress others.
A.Those ones don’t get documented. |
B.Some even think it’s a complete show-off. |
C.Being popular on social media is not everything. |
D.Self-worth is determined by the number of likes one gets. |
E.There are couples who post nothing but are in loving relationship. |
F.It takes tears, sleepless nights, and loads of failure to make it in life. |
G.You are always flooded with strangers’ images that show the life you long for. |
8 . We often think about relationships on a scale from positive to negative. We are drawn to loving family members, caring classmates and supportive mentors. We do our best to avoid the cruel uncle, the playground bully and the jerk boss.
But the most toxic relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative. We often call them frenemies, supposed friends who sometimes help you and sometimes hurt you. But ifs not just friends. It’s the in-laws who volunteer to watch your kids but belittle your parenting. The manager who praises your work but denies you a promotion.
Everyone knows how relationships like that can tie your stomach into a knot. But groundbreaking research led by the psychologists Bert Uchino and Julianne Holt-Lunstad shows that ambivalent (矛盾情绪的) relationships can be damaging to your health — even more than purely negative relationships.
I had assumed that with a neighbor or a colleague, having some positive interactions was better than all negative interactions. But being cheered on by the same person who cuts you down doesn’t reduce the bad feelings; it increases them. And it’s not just in your head: It leaves a trace in your heart and your blood.
Even a single ambivalent interaction can cause harm. In one experiment, people gave impromptu speeches on controversial topics in front of a friend who offered feedback. The researchers had randomly assigned the friend to give ambivalent or negative comments. Receiving mixed feedback caused higher blood pressure than pure criticism. “I would have gone about the topic differently, but you’re doing fine” proved to be more distressing than “I totally disagree with everything you’ve said.”
The evidence that ambivalent relationships can be bad for us is strong, but the reasons can be harder to read — just like the relationships themselves.
The most intuitive reason is that ambivalent relationships are unpredictable. With a clear enemy, you put up a shield when you cross paths. With a frenemy, you never know whether Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde is going to show up. Feeling unsure can disrupt the body’s calming system and activate a fight-or-flight response. It’s unsettling to hope for a hug while also preparing for a likely quarrel.
Another factor is that unpleasant interactions are more painful in an ambivalent relationship. It’s more upsetting to be let down by people you like sometimes than by people you dislike all the time. When someone stabs you in the back, it stings more if he’s been friendly to your face.
1. Which of the following can be counted as a frenemy?A.Your neighbour’s kid who advises you to study hard but idles away his own time. |
B.Your classmate who admires your diligence at first, but doubts your intelligence later. |
C.Your mother’s friend who encourages you to spend more time on homework but less on smart phones. |
D.Your father’s colleague who proposes you to do a moderate amount of homework while ensuring adequate sleep. |
A.Ambivalent relationships have a permanent effect on your well-being. |
B.The common cause for high blood pressure is ambivalent relationship. |
C.Ambivalent interactions will be more painful if it is done consciously. |
D.The negative impact of ambivalent interactions is direct and strong. |
A.devalue | B.appreciate | C.respect | D.abuse |
A.Some Negative Relationships Are Bad for Your Health |
B.Your Most Ambivalent Relationships Are the Most Toxic |
C.The Reasons for Ambivalent Relationships Are Unpredictable |
D.Some Positive Relationships Are Better than All Negative Ones |
9 . As our lives become more closely connected with the digital age, it’s more important than ever to keep the spark of human connections, a key part of which is making small talk.
The cornerstone of effective small talk lies in developing genuine interest. Genuine interest is about actively seeking to understand the other person, valuing their perspectives and appreciating the uniqueness they bring to the conversation.
Small talk extends beyond spoken words; it includes the art of observation. As you engage in conversation, pay attention to the speaker’s body language, facial expressions and tone of voice.
Actually listening and connecting with someone is essential for a conversation. By providing your undivided attention, you convey respect and interest in what the other person has to say.
At the heart of successful small talk lies the authenticity (真实性) of your engagement. Authenticity fosters a sense of trust and connection, making the conversation more meaningful and memorable. Avoid the temptation to project an image or use scripted responses.
A.Instead, let your true self shine through. |
B.Some accessible topics are great for small talk. |
C.Active listening involves fully engaging with the speaker. |
D.Focus on understanding their viewpoints beyond simply hearing words. |
E.The signals provide valuable insights into their emotions and intentions. |
F.Small talk may be a gateway to building rich and meaningful relationships. |
G.By expressing authentic curiosity, you make the other person feel seen and heard. |
10 . Young people are being criticized for working from home again, with one professor saying it adversely affects their professional and romantic success.
Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at the New York University, spoke about the harms of being at home at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit, on Wednesday.
A clip posted on TikTok shows Galloway saying, “You should never be at home. That’s what I tell young people. Home is for seven hours of sleep and that’s it. The amount of time you spend at home is oppositely correlated to your success professionally and romantically. You need to be out of the house.”
In another clip at the same event, the professor insisted that success and work-life balance do not go hand in hand. He said, “If you expect to be in the top 10% economically, much less the top 1%, buck up. Two decades plus, of nothing but work. That’s my experience.”
Galloway has long been an advocate of office working and shunned remote working habits because it weakens young people’s ability to build relationships and network. He previously advised young workers, “Before you collect dogs and spouses, get into the office, establish mentors, establish friends,” in an interview with CNN. He added that workers who get promoted are the ones with the best relationships at work.
1. What can be the harm of working from home according to Galloway?A.Less successful careers. | B.Imbalance between work and life. |
C.Worse relationship at home. | D.Loss of sleep time. |
A.Develop remote working habits. | B.Keep a pet at home. |
C.Establish relationships in the office. | D.Get promotion at work. |