1 . There’s a long line of research showing that when we make contact with people who’re socially different from us, we tend to feel less prejudice towards them. According to the contact theory, contact seems to work best for reducing prejudice when the contact is generally positive. But what happens when the conditions for interpersonal contact may not be ideal? For example, what if you feel threatened in some way by a group of people you see as “the other”?
Researchers from Ghent University in Belgium analyzed the results of 34 studies surveying nearly 64,000 people from 19 countries to see how intergroup contact affected their viewpoints about “outgroups” under conflict situations. For example, people were asked to report on how they viewed other groups. The researchers also had data from the surveys that measured attitudes towards outgroup members, such as how positive people felt towards them and how much they could trust them.
After analyzing the data, the researchers found strong feelings of threat were associated with more negative views of outgroup members. But having contact with outgroup members still reduced prejudice just as much under those unfavorable conditions. To Jasper Van Assche, the lead author of the paper, this suggests contact theory holds even under conflict situations.
Van Assche says that contact is so powerful probably because just being around people from an outgroup affects how we think and feel about them. As we become accustomed to even the me re presence of people from other groups, that can reduce our anxiety, especially if the encounters are positive—and that can lead to warmer feelings. Also, contact can enhance our knowledge about others’ customs and practices, so that they don’t seem so foreign or “other” to us.
Van Assche hopes his research can lead people to see the benefits of integrating the spaces where they live. This could be done through top-down methods, such as the government requiring school integration, but also from the bottom up. For example, suggests Van Assche, communities could create low-cost, low-key events that bring people together, helping to promote tolerance.
1. Why are the questions raised in paragraph 1?A.To inspire readers’ imagination. | B.To argue against the contact theory. |
C.To show the author’s curiosity. | D.To offer the purpose of the study. |
A.It improves people’s adaptive capacity. | B.It increases people’s desire to socialize. |
C.It promotes each other’s understanding. | D.It makes people emotionally stable. |
A.Expanding communities on the whole. |
B.Increasing chances of positive contact. |
C.Strengthening interactions between schools. |
D.Offering equal education opportunities to diverse groups. |
A.People involved in equal contact are generally positive | B.Opportunities for intergroup contact are on the rise |
C.The interventions based on contact are unhealthy | D.Interpersonal contact can help people connect |
2 . Your neighbors are probably the first line of defense in case of any problematic situation.
The first step is introducing yourself when you move to a new neighborhood or when a newcomer moves in. Leave them a note under their door to introduce yourself.
Be respectful of your neighbors. It’s in poor taste to have regular insensitive parties at your place causing disturbances. Before your party, it’s good practice to notify your neighbors. Besides, avoid chatting them up for hours on end, which may be inconvenient, especially if you don’t know their schedules.
As Emma Seppälä put it, “social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop (圈) of social, emotional and physical well-being.” It feels so easy to just stay home without having to engage with your neighbors but connecting with them is worth the effort.
A.Remember every small gesture counts. |
B.A crisis is a test of communication skills. |
C.It can actually boost your mood in the long run. |
D.Slipping it in their mailbox further solidifies friendship. |
E.It’s essential to ensure you maintain decent relationships with them. |
F.Alternatively, you can give them a gift while making yourself known to them. |
G.Only by establishing healthy boundaries will you achieve peaceful coexistence. |
1. What does the woman probably want the man to do?
A.Do some cleaning. | B.Be careful in his job. | C.Take out the trash in turn. |
A.Mother and son. | B.Brother and sister. | C.Manager and new worker. |
内容包括:(1)提出换房要求,
(2)阐述具体原因。
注意:字数80左右。
Dear Sir or Madam,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
5 . Everyone thinks they're great listeners. But the truth is that hearing isn’t necessarily listening, nor is it necessarily listening well. Listening is an art as well as a basic life skill that we are encouraged to practise and master.
●Don't interrupt
●Practice active listening.
To understand better in communication, you can first practice active listening. The art of listening isn't simply about staying quiet 100% of the time, it's also about asking questions, which are for clarification or for further explanation, so that you can fully understand what the speaker is telling you.
●
About 60-75% of our communication is accomplished without speaking. In order to know whether to encourage the speaker, or to open yourself more, it's essential to know what the person's body is saying. Do they display signs of discomfort? Are they cautious about you? Their body language tells a lot.
●Create a suitable environment.
It can be difficult to listen to another person when the TV is screaming, your phone is buzzing and there are thousands of cars passing by.
A.Listen to non-verbal communication. |
B.Let the person speak without interruption. |
C.Listen without forming responses in your mind. |
D.Here's how to bring the vital life skill into your daily existence. |
E.Additionally, it's important to hold back your negative judgments. |
F.Another great way to show your understanding is to respond by nodding. |
G.When you remove the distractions and find a quiet place it’s easier to listen attentively. |
6 . Quite often, no matter how good you are, your success is dependent on how other people such as your boss, peers, clients and customers perceive your communication and responses. So when you come to people who make the key difference between helping you or holding you back, how can you influence and persuade them to give what you want?
Psychological researches repeatedly show that people generally make up their minds on whether to help or hinder you based on whether they like you or not. It is human nature. What can you do about it? You need to make a good impression on others to ensure they like you and give you what you want. Research again shows that people give opportunities to the people they like best. In fact, most people actually make up their minds about other people in the first five minutes or less of meeting someone. These are called first impressions or “moments of truth” .
Once they make up their minds, they tend to be very reluctant to change their opinions. You hardly have room for error when making that first impression on a new acquaintance. Therefore, whether you are applying for a job, going for an interview, attending a meeting with your boss or peers, or serving a customer, you need to prepare yourself mentally and rehearse how you will manage the first few minutes of your interaction. This includes doing your homework to gather information and researching all possible issues so you will know how to address them should the other party raise them unexpectedly.
It is amazing how poorly some people can come across at the beginning. The worst thing is that they do not even seem to realize it. Having good qualifications and an excellent work performance does not excuse candidates from trying to make a good first impression.
1. What is the passage mainly about?A.Persuading people to like you. | B.People making the key difference. |
C.Winning strategies for a job interview. | D.Making a good first impression. |
A.They make quick decisions. |
B.They change their opinions frequently. |
C.They prefer people who are experienced. |
D.They pay much attention to good qualifications. |
A.Show your friendliness and confidence. |
B.Ask the interviewers for homework to do. |
C.Know as much as possible about the situation. |
D.Do something unexpected to impress interviewers. |
A.Examples of how good first impressions help people succeed. |
B.Some practical advice to help make a good first impression. |
C.Questions that might be asked by the interviewers. |
D.How to win over people who don't like you at first. |
7 . How would you feel if you were sharing a personal story and noticed that your friend wasn't really listening? You probably wouldn’t be too excited. Without active listening, people often feel unheard and unacknowledged.
Listen without making judgements. Most people tend to judge others during conversations.
Ask questions. Asking questions is one of the best ways to show you're interested. If someone is telling you about their ski trip, don’t respond with “That’s nice.”
Think before responding. After the speaker has finished talking, a good listener may take some time before responding. Simply take a few seconds to think or say, “Give me a second to think about that.” Doing so either makes the speaker first feel you’re listening to what they’re saying.
A.Use positive body language. |
B.Pay attention to the speaker’s judgement |
C.That would show a lack of interest and disrespect. |
D.Give the speaker a chance to correct your understanding. |
E.But judging isn’t helpful when you’re having a conversation. |
F.Then they will know you want to be thoughtful in your response. |
G.That’s why it’s important for everyone to learn how to be a better listener. |
8 . Is being different around different people like putting on a mask? When I am around different people I act differently. I switch my attitude around so it is similar to that of my friends.
The honest truth is that every person has many different parts of his or her personality that make up the whole person. For example, there are times when I am excited and noisy. At other times I like to be more quiet and reserved. During neither of these times am I being dishonest; just another aspect of my personality is coming out. And sometimes I behave differently depending on the social situation that I am in. For example, I am a pretty casual guy, so I really do prefer wearing jeans and T-shirts whenever possible.
This is not wearing a mask. It is just being respectful and appropriate to the situation. And there are even groups of people that bring out certain parts of my personality. For example, when I am hanging out with ray male friends, I can be loud and wild. But when I am at home with my wife and kids after a long day at work, I am much more reserved and quiet.
By contrast, what if I were with a group of people who support abortion?
A.Is this considered putting on a mask? |
B.Only you can decide if you are wearing a mask. |
C.I don't feel that I must act in a certain way to be accepted. |
D.However, at a funeral or wedding, I always wear a suit and tie. |
E.So I do not believe I am wearing a mask in any of these situations. |
F.If they asked me my opinion, it would totally be a mask for me to agree with them. |
G.So if we are not being the same person in the presence of any group, we are wearing a mask. |
As a child, Obaida Omar
“Children did not create this conflict,
A.In a house near Nick’s. |
B.In a downtown house. |
C.In a house on Main Street. |