1 . Look up how to increase your life expectancy (预期寿命), and you will probably see plenty of results recommending that you have a healthy diet, get sufficient sleep, work out and cut out tobacco and too much alcohol consumption. But what many of us don’t know is that our relationships also affect our life expectancy. Social integration is associated with greater life satisfaction, better health and increased life expectancy. People with wide social networks are more likely to be happy, experience fewer health issues, enjoy better mental health and to live a lot longer.

Now this doesn’t mean that we should dive head first into a relationship whenever we’re lonely in order to avoid dying young. Harmful relationships can be as isolating as being alone, so who we choose to break bread with is absolutely vital to our overall health.

Have you ever wondered why some people are single and happy, while others are drowning in suffering? Or why some married couples exist in a consistent state of bliss, while others are practically enemies?

Research shows that marriage has greater benefits for men than it does for women. Being coupled allows men to receive the essential emotional support that they would lack if they were single. They also get the added benefit of being physically taken care of thanks to the gender roles society still subscribes to.

Women, on the other hand, don’t have as much luck when it comes to being coupled. A woman in a harmful relationship is likely to experience the mental, emotional and physical consequences that come with that. On the contrary, a woman in a healthy relationship is likely to live well. Research shows that the women who are happily married tend to be coupled with partners who take on their fair share of household responsibilities.

But that’s not all, age gaps also need to be factored in to determine relationship satisfaction. Couples with wider age gaps are more likely to be harmonious compared to their peers.

1. What does the writer intend to emphasize in Paragraph 1?

A．Some health problems.

B．Ways to increase life expectancy.

C．The effect of sleep on people’s health.

D．The importance of human relationships.

2. What does the underlined word “bliss” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Happiness.	B．Kindness.
C．Loneliness.	D．Friendliness.

3. What can we learn from the research?

A．Marriage benefits men and women equally.

B．Women benefit more from marriage than men.

C．Men are better taken care of because of the gender roles.

D．Good relationship can effectively prevent people from dying lonely.

4. What would be probably discussed in the next paragraph of this passage?

A．The influence of a harmonious marriage.

B．Relationship satisfaction for older couples.

C．Gender differences in marriage satisfaction.

D．The benefits of wider age gaps in marriage.

2 . Researchers set up an experiment in which 5-year-olds were tested with their fellows under different circumstances of transparency (透明) and different audiences. They set up a sticker machine that in some settings was transparent, and other settings in which only the giver of stickers knew how many stickers he could give. They had children give out stickers in both settings. The results were striking: children were consistently generous only when the receiver and audience of the stickers were fully aware of the donation options. Children were notably ungenerous when the receiver of stickers couldn’t see the options.

The researchers said, “Children only showed consistently pro-social behavior in our study in the condition when they could see the receiver and their allocations (分配物) were fully visible; in all other conditions, children were statistically ungenerous, giving the receiver the smaller amount of stickers.”

They made the conclusions that at a very early age, children are learning how to position themselves socially. Well before they apprehend the sociology of their networks and what social reputation really means, they think strategically about giving as a function of how they can gain a reputation with a peer as a generous citizen or pro-social agent when the receiver observes them.

Children change their behavior in response to having an audience. Help children give to others in full view, delivering meals to families, and in private, dropping off treats or surprises for those who need support without signing their names. Also, children should be reminded that thank-you notes are lovely but unnecessary to receive. When we give gifts or lend help to others, try to help children remember why—to provide something for another. It really doesn’t have to be recognized. When a thank-you card doesn’t come, it doesn’t make a gift any less valuable or meaningful for those who were lucky enough to receive.

1. What did the researchers discover?

A．The givers’ behavior greatly inspired the receivers to help in return.

B．The children gave out an equal number of stickers in both settings.

C．The presence of an audience affected children’s decisions to give.

D．Donating helped children to become more generous in the future.

2. Which is pro-social behavior according to the researchers?

A．Observing the givers.	B．Donating more stickers.
C．Gaining a reputation.	D．Receiving more allocations.

3. What does the underlined word “apprehend” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Share.

B．Predict.

C．Confirm.

D．Understand.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To suggest recognizing others’ kindness.	B．To acknowledge the giver’s contribution.
C．To confirm the benefits of being grateful.	D．To advise inspiring generosity in children.

4 .

A．The woman is wasting his time.

B．The woman should use her time wisely.

C．He is eager to know the answer.

D．The woman does not need to hurry.

5 . Having a good sense of humor makes you more enjoyable to be around.     1     . Here’s how you can develop your sense of humor.

●Surround Yourself with Humor

You learn more effectively when you fully expose yourself to a subject. Similarly, you can improve your sense of humor by surrounding yourself with humor. Watch stand-up comedians. Listen to programs that amuse you.Read humorous books.     2     .

●Learn What Amuses You

    3     . We amuse our friends by praising a change they made. However, when it comes to being funny, don’t change your sense of humor to amuse other people. Instead, start with what amuses you.Then, if you think the other person will also be amused with it, share it with them.

●Think About Timing and Audience

You don’t have to be funny all the time, so don’t expect that of yourself. When you catch yourself trying to be funny, slow down. Simply speak slower so you’re not as likely to stop and repeat yourself. Try speaking at 60-70 % of your usual rate.     4     .

●    5    

You don’t need to seize every single opportunity to be funny. If you’re in the middle of a bad joke, just end it. “You know what, now that I’m telling it, it’s not as funny as it sounded in my head,” can be a bit of an awkward end and hurt your pride a little bit, but it saves everyone time and patience. In the long run, they’ll respect your taste.

A．Be Creative, Not Silly

B．Pause in between sentences

C．There’s a lot of fun out there

D．You might also do better at work

E．Know When to Pull the Plug on Yourself

F．You can also try your hand in the real world

G．A lot of times, we say things purely to please others

6 . When I was nine years old, I was desperately in love with a man who was 40 years my senior. Don’t worry; Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees didn’t even know I existed because he’d stopped being an actor 20 years earlier. But that didn’t stop me from decorating my books with love hearts.

The Monkees were entirely manufactured, but as a product they were a success: they used the media to develop a bond between an audience member and her target. In their TV show, they regularly broke the fourth wall, throwing knowing winks (眨眼) to camera, and shared their funny behind-the-scenes lives. They made us think we knew them, as a friend.

This kind of “parasocial relationship” (准社交关系) has long roots in media. Radio characters like Lonesome Gal started her program with, “Sweetie, I love you,” speaking directly to her listeners in the the 1950s. Each individual felt he had her undivided attention. She was an entirely virtual girlfriend, at a time when the word had nothing to do with technology.

Parasocial relationships have become a means to an end in the digital age, now that selling yourself has become a way of life. Using these relationships is how you gain followers, credibility and influence. But once you start to gain a critical mass, the relationship necessarily transforms—at least in the eye of the digital personality. You can speak directly to one fan, or even five. But it’s not possible to respond to the 10, 000 people who subscribe to your TikTok. What was once a close and friendly relationship turns into a business transaction (交易).

Rising social media stars have to manage themselves and their boundaries. That’s one of the most undeveloped skills in the digital age. Today’s parasocial relationships are surfing unknown territory, so it is expected that they—we—will make mistakes. And who is there to help when we’ve put ourselves out there online?

1. What do we know about a parasocial relationship?

A．It isn’t developed without mutual understanding.

B．It isn’t healthy or beneficial at all to either side.

C．It is a relationship that enjoys good interaction.

D．It is an imaginary relationship with a celebrity.

2. What do the underlined words “broke the fourth wall” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Stepped down from the stage.	B．Interacted with the audience.
C．Removed bricks of the wall.	D．Engaged with photographers.

3. What has caused the change of the relationship between fans and internet celebrities?

A．The expansion of digital marketing.	B．The intentional ignorance of fans.
C．The increase in the number of fans.	D．The lack of communication skills.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To raise public concern.	B．To present a scientific study.
C．To give a full explanation.	D．To express personal feelings.

7 . According to Jaime Roberts, good consulting is often about loosening the body, opening the mind and, more often than not, keeping the mouth shut.

Your body language matters

Jaime Roberts has been one of my go to experts for advice for decades. When I once asked her why she was so good at consulting, she was quick to mention her body language. “    1    ,” she said, “Otherwise, they might not open up to me as much as I would want them to.”

You don’t have to fix the problem

That’s another thing Jaime Roberts has learned on the job, “People who ask ‘What should I do?’ often want to process a problem themselves.     2    ,” she said. “Part of the trick is remembering that listening is the best thing you have to do, in most cases.”

You don’t need to give advice right now

Texts and FaceTime might be immediate, but your advice doesn’t have to be.     3    . “Forcing yourself to give advice when you can’t will do more harm than good,” she said.

    4    

You’re bound to hear about problems you haven’t experienced firsthand. That’s why Jaime Roberts says you should let them know that you’re just human beings with limited experience.     5    .

A．Don’t say their choices are wrong

B．You cannot give advice as giving someone an order

C．I try to appear relaxed and avoid looks of shock or judgment

D．You don’t need to have the same problem to be a good consultant

E．But you should let them know you will do your best to understand them

F．You’re a good consultant if you can help them fix the problem on their own

G．You can politely explain to them that you will talk to them when you’re ready

8 . We’ve all been in a position where life gets busy, schedules are difficult to coordinate and connecting with friends feels harder than ever. With some friendships, we may lose touch and want to reconnect. However，the more time that passes, the more uncertain it can feel if they want to hear from us.

A recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology says it’s time to reach out. Researchers found numerous benefits when reaching out to friends and old acquaintances. Especially if you’re unsure of how well they’ll receive hearing from you. The study, led by Dr Peggy Liu, is called The Surprise of Reaching Out: Appreciated More Than We Think. In the study, researchers posed the question: Do people accurately understand how much other people value being reached out to by someone in their social circle? To answer this question, researchers carried out 13 experiments with more than 5,900 participants. In the experiments, researchers measured how much people estimated their friends or acquaintances would appreciate them reaching out versus how much those on the receiving end did appreciate it. They also examined different forms of communication-phone calls, texts, emails, notes or even small gifts—and their impact.

Over the series of experiments, experts discovered a similar trend: those reaching out significantly underestimated how much their friends would appreciate hearing from them. Plus, the more unexpected the communication was, the more the friend on the receiving end appreciated it. “People are fundamentally social beings and enjoy connecting with others,” the researchers wrote.

In fact, what made these moments of reaching out so impactful was the effort they showed—no matter the form of communication. Dr Amie Gordon, a social psychologist at the University of Michigan, emphasises the importance of small moments and making efforts in relationships in a Psychology Today article. “In a busy life, these little moments might feel just like that—little moments that don’t really matter ... But each moment we ignore is a missed opportunity to connect and build up an emotional bank of positive moments.”

The science is clear—people appreciate the effort we put into our friendships. And we greatly underestimate it. One phenomenon that may explain why those who reached out underestimated their positive impact is because of “the liking gap”. Psychologist Terri Apter writes in Psychology Today that the liking gap is a tendency to “how we often underestimate other’s responses to us”, and the reality that other people like us more than we may think.

1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to ______.

A．state some disturbing problems

B．present the background of the following topic

C．introduce the theme of his argument

D．make comparisons between different opinions

2. What could be inferred from the experiments according to the text?

A．The way of communication matters in reconnecting with friends.

B．An unexpected calling to an acquaintance will not be highly valued.

C．People tend to appreciate hearing from friends more than reaching out to them.

D．We are more well-liked and well-received than we expect in our friendships.

3. Why does the author mention Dr. Amie Gordon in paragraph 4?

A．To present the discovery of the study.

B．To support the findings theoretically.

C．To explain the causes of losing friendships.

D．To make suggestions about the topic.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Estimate Friendships in a Scientific Way

B．Appreciate Being Reached Out to by friends

C．Remove the Misunderstanding between Friends

D．Don’t Hesitate to Reconnect with Your Old Friends

9 . Developing an optimistic outlook can be good for both your physical and mental health. Here are some ways to make thinking positive thoughts easy.

●Spend time with positive people

If you surround yourself with constant complainers, their negativity is likely to rub off on you. Spend time with positive friends and family members to increase the likelihood that their positive thinking habits will become yours too.    1    

●Recognize and replace negative thoughts

You won’t be successful at positive thinking, if you’re still stuck in frequent negative thoughts.    2    If you find yourself thinking something such as, “I always mess everything up”, replace it with something more realistic such as, “Sometimes I make mistakes but I learn from them.”

●Consider the consequences of negativity

Spend some time thinking about the consequences of negative thinking.    3     For example, a person who thinks, “I probably won’t get this job interview,” may put less effort into the interview. As a result, he may decrease his chances of getting the job.

●Create a daily gratitude list

If you start keeping a daily gratitude list, you’ll start noticing exactly how much you have to be thankful for.    4     And you focus on the positive in your life instead of thinking about all the bad things that have happened in the day.

●Look for silver lining

When something bad happens, look for the silver lining.     5     While it may be difficult to find good in a tough situation, it is always there if you look hard enough. Focusing on the positive helps you to stay hopeful and optimistic even when things are tough.

A．Often, it can become a self-fulfilling prediction

B．This will help you look for the good in other people.

C．Learn how to surround yourself with positive people.

D．Your past mistakes are not there for you to hold on to.

E．This means looking for the positive side of a negative event.

F．Learn to recognize and replace thoughts that are overly negative.

G．Generate ideas on limiting the time you spend with negative people

10 . Perhaps,you are a smart person with good knowledge and creative ideas, but when you move to a new environment or have to work with some new people,it is not always easy for them to recognize you or respect you immediately.    1    How can you get other people to pay attention to you and respect you?

Be curious and be willing to learn new things.

Moving to a new working environment,you may need to deal with new things or skills.     2     In such a case,people who are more willing to learn new things can become more flexible and be able to meet new requirements in their job.

    3    

Learning or working in a new environment,you need to have a good sense of judgement when joining a discussion or making a decision. You should consider what is virtually right, and look for long-term goals,and not be distracted by small choices for the short term.

Be confident and make eye contact when talking to people.

When you go out and meet people,it is important to look confident. For example, if you are going to an interview,but you don’t feel confident, what can you do? Before you walk in, think to yourself,“I own the room.”    4    Remember to look other people in the eye—it’s the key to creating a connection with people. Soon,you will feel as confident as you look.

Set clear goals and learn.

When working together with others,it is important that you have a clear vision and a working plan to achieve it. Let people know what you stand for. You need to find out which ideas can really unite people and then express those ideas clearly.    5    .

Be helpful to others. When working, don’t focus on what is your work and what isn’t. After do-ing your own work,always be ready to help others.

A．How can you be a leader soon?

B．How can you get along with others?

C．Then, walk in holding your head high and smile.

D．Quite often, they don’t belong to your own field.

E．Remember not to judge a person by his appearance.

F．Also, treat your team members respectfully as equals.

G．Have a good sense of judgement on important aspects.