1 . While scientists have many ideas, they are not certain why humans yawn(打哈欠). Still, there is one thing experts know—yawns seem to be contagious(传染)!

Have you ever caught a yawn from someone else? Most people have. In fact, a person is six times more likely to yawn after seeing someone else do so. Experts have done many studies into why yawns seem to pass from person to person. As a result, they have a few theories(理论) for the reason behind it.

One possible explanation has something to do with social mirroring, which is caused by mirror neurons(镜像神经元) in the brain. These mirror neurons help the brain notice useful behavior of others and then copy it. When one person sees another yawn, his mirror neurons observe the action and consider it to be beneficial. That may cause him to yawn, too.

Another popular theory is that yawns are contagious because of social relationships. Being social creatures, humans form friendships, families and live together in groups. That’s why many people mirror others, such as smiling when another person smiles. Yawning may be just another example of this. In fact, research has shown that one is most likely to catch yawns from another person if the two share a social relationship.

The answer could even be that yawns aren’t truly contagious at all. Instead, people yawn together simply because they’re in the same environment. Experts say many things may cause yawning, including temperature and time of day. Whatever the explanation is, experts do know that contagious yawns aren’t limited to humans. One study found that lions in South Africa also caught each other’s yawns.

1. What kind of behavior may be copied by mirror neurons?

A．Important and attractive.	B．Useful and beneficial.
C．Hard to understand.	D．Easy to copy.

2. Whose yawns are people most likely to catch according to Paragraph 4?

A．Those who yawn a lot.	B．Those who like smiling.
C．Those closely connected with them.	D．Those sharing the same interest with them.

3. What might the author continue talking about in the following paragraph?

A．Tips on how to avoid yawning in public.

B．A real explanation for contagious yawning.

C．Other examples of animals yawning together.

D．Things that may cause yawning among humans.

4. Which of the following serves as the best title?

A．Why yawns are contagious	B．What causes people to yawn
C．Who yawns more than others	D．Why humans yawn now and then

2 . Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced some challenges in friendships and relationships with family members. We might find ourselves frustrated(懊恼的) or angry with other people, or even find that we argue with them. The reality is that nobody is perfect and we need to realise that we should find ways to live happier and less stressful lives. Here are some tips on how to make relationships happier and healthier.

Respect other people and accept them

This is the most important point. If we want to show someone we love them, we need to first respect who they are and show them we accept them for who they are: Everyone is unique with different experiences and lives. By always remembering this, we will be able to develop and maintain strong relationships.

Be interested in others’ interests

We might have friends who are crazy about sports, while we prefer reading. Or perhaps a parent’s hobby seems boring to us but it is something they love. If we want to keep our relationships strong and positive, we should at least take time to listen to them and talk about what matters to them. By doing this, we show them that we care about them and their interests

Apologise when you make a mistake

This is the hardest thing for most of us to do, yet a simple “I’m sorry” can undo a lot of tension. By being humble when you make a mistake, you can fix any problem you may have caused and also show that you are a mature person

Stay connected through communication

Good communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When you experience a positive emotional connection with your partner, you feel safe and happy. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out the disconnect. It may sound simplistic, but as long as you are communicating, you can usually work through whatever problems you’re facing.

So, try and follow the advice and you will find that you have happier and stronger relationships with your friends and loved ones

1. What can be concluded from Paragraph 2?

A．We need to realise that others are often wrong in our dealings with them.

B．Our friends and loved ones can cause us stress by being wrong.

C．Everyone can be right and wrong at times and we need to remember that.

D．We should accept the people we love and respect them.

2. If we want to keep our relationships strong, we need to        .

A．be positive and confident

B．discuss our partner’s concerns

C．put our friends’ interests first

D．be familiar with our parents’ hobbies

3. Which of the following would the author encourage us to do?

A．Ignore our friends’ preferences.

B．Never apologize for our mistakes.

C．Check in with our friends regularly.

D．No need to be mature.

4. According to the author, which is the most challenging mindset(心态) for most people?

A．Being mature and admitting our mistakes when we make them.

B．Respecting the fact that others may not appreciate our hobbies and interests.

C．Showing our love for others when they hurt us or disrespect us.

D．Accepting that our friends will eventually grow apart from us.

5. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To offer some tips on making healthier relationships

B．To remind us about the challenges in friendships and relationships.

C．To help us maintain relationships with family members.

D．To share ways to live happier and less stressful lives.

3 . 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.

4 . I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?

A．The author was very willing to stay with Kate.	B．Kate always helped the author to clean her bed.
C．The author felt proud to have such a roommate.	D．The author didn’t get along very well with Kate.

2. What caused their quarrel to break out?

A．The author placed her shoes under Kate’s bed.	B．The author refused to listen to Kate’s advice.
C．The news of Kate’s grandma’s illness spread.	D．The author was very tired of Kate at school.

3. Why did the author tidy their room silently?

A．Because she realized the importance of tidiness.	B．Because she would like to express her concern.
C．Because she was required by other roommates.	D．Because she expected to be inspected by school.

4. What was their future life like after their argument?

A．They never quarreled with each other about anything again.

B．They separated at once and never wanted to see each other.

C．They completely understood the principle of being roommates.

D．They gained a deeper understanding of each other’s personalities.

5 . We’ve 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 is 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 important 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. “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 phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?

A．Addiction to smartphones.

B．Inappropriate behaviours in public places.

C．Absence of communication between stranger.

D．Impatience with slow service.

2. 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.

3. What can you learn from the passage?

A．Big business doesn’t need to have small talk.

B．communicating with others is the most important thing.

C．Small talk can benifit a lot.

D．Silence is necessary in daily life.

4. What does the coffee-shop study suggest about small talk?

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.

8 . The word listen, as is shown in Longman Dictionary, means paying attention to what someone is saying or to a sound that you can hear. Listening is definitely an important skill in communication. “When people talk, listen completely.” Those words of Ernest Hemingway might be a pretty good guiding principle for many managers. After all, people like being listened to.

Some firms use a technique known as a “listening circle”. In such a circle, only one person can talk about the issues they face at a time and there is no interruption. A study cited in the Harvard Business Review found that employees who had taken part in a listening circle subsequently suffered less social anxiety and had fewer worries about work-related matters than those who did not.

Listening has been critical to the career of Richard Mullender, who was a hostage (人质) negotiator, dealing with everything from suicide interventions to international kidnaps (绑架). He defines listening as “the identification, selection and interpretation of the key words”. It is crucial to all effective communication.

Plenty of people think that good listening is about nodding your head or keeping eye contact. But that is not really listening, Mr Mullender argues. A good listener is always looking for facts, emotions and indications of the other person’s values. Another important point to bear in mind is that, when you talk, you are not listening. The listener’s focus should be on analysis.

Of course, a listener needs to speak occasionally. One approach is to make an assessment of what the other person is telling you and then check it with them. For example, you can check with the other person by saying “It seems to me that what you want is…”. That gives the other party a sense that they are being understood. The fundamental aim is to build up a relationship so the other person likes you and trusts you, Mr Mullender says.

1. What can we learn about a “listening circle”?

A．A listening circle focuses on personal issues.

B．In a listening circle, a speaker won’t be interrupted.

C．A listening circle increases worries about work-related matters.

D．Employees get rid of social anxiety by taking part in a listening circle.

2. What’s Mr Mullender’s attitude to speaking occasionally when listening?

A．Critical.

B．Opposed.

C．Cautious.

D．Favorable.

3. Why should we be good listeners?

A．To be liked and trusted by the other person.

B．To check our assessments with the other person.

C．To make assessments of what the other person is saying.

D．To have a sense of being understood by the other person.

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．The Analysis of a Listening Circle

B．The Tricks of Successful Listening

C．The Misunderstanding of Listening

D．The Necessity of Effective Listening

9 . My wife and I were at a crowded grocery store not long ago. It was a weekday evening, cold and wet and tense. People were carelessly blocking aisles, complaining and cutting one another off with their carts. At one point, two women quarreled for several minutes in the freezer section.

Things got worse at the checkout line. The cashier scanned a man’s discount card, but he misread the savings on her screen as an additional charge. He decided she was acting on purpose and began to argue.

Other customers looked away as the cashier tried to reason with him. She called a manager, who took him to customer service. Shaken, she moved to the next customer in line.

We’ve all witnessed uncomfortable scenes like this in public places. My reaction when I see them is both personal and professional. I am a data analyst and sociologist who studies how and why people interact with one another — or why they choose not to. To me, the grocery scene was another example of how our trust in others has disappeared. But it was also a teachable moment on how we can rebuild our faith — starting with just one person.

Therefore, my wife and I reached the disturbed cashier. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and handed it to her. We learned her name was Beth.

“We felt bad about how that man treated you and wanted to buy this for you.” I said.

Beth’s face lit up, and we talked as she scanned our items. She told us she had been working that evening through severe foot pain and would be having surgery later that week. We wished her well in her recovery, and she thanked us as we left.

That is the balancing act, the moment of countering social and emotional pain with healing, that will add up to restore trust across the United States. You can start that pattern in someone else’s life, even in a place as ordinary as the neighborhood grocery store.

1. By describing the arguments, the author wants to show________.

A．the job as a cashier is not easy	B．people in the U.S are unfriendly
C．arguments in public are very common	D．trust in each other has worn off

2. How did Beth probably feel when the couple gave her a bottle of water?

A．Sad and regretful.	B．Sorry and embarrassed.
C．Cheerful and rewarded.	D．Grateful and relieved.

3. What’s author’s attitude towards Americans’ regaining trust?

A．Doubtful.

B．Optimistic.

C．Uncaring.

D．Cautious.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．A Miserable Cashier	B．A Helping Hand
C．Learning to Trust Again	D．Starting a new life