1 . How to make conversation with a group of strangers

One of the most common fears is speaking to strangers. While most people don’t naturally enjoy talking to strangers, it is an art that you can learn. When you learn how to make conversation with a group of strangers, you never have to stand by yourself at a party again.

    1    Say hi and tell the group your name. Don’t focus on how boring you think you sound. Remember that others in the group are probably just as self-conscious as you are. Doing so to a group of strangers may result in making others feel comfortable enough to open up. They may secretly be glad that you made the first move.

Practice talking to as many strangers as possible throughout the day.     2    Soon it will be second nature for you to walk up to a group of strangers and introduce yourself.

Make a comment about something interesting in the environment. This may be something as simple as the decorations for the party or the band providing the entertainment.     3    

Ask for an opinion. People enjoy giving their opinion on any subject.     4    Asking for an opinion works immediately to break the ice and encourages the entire group to talk with you.

Learn to listen. Making conversation is about more than trying to find the right words to say.     5    And then find out the next thing you should say. Make sure that your response invites another response.

A．Introduce yourself.

B．Try to catch strangers’ attention.

C．Ask about book ideas, gift ideas or dining ideas.

D．Each time you do this, you will feel more confident.

E．Develop the habit of listening to others carefully to understand them.

F．A comment like this gives the group something in common to discuss.

G．Ask the group to share what they do for a living or whether they enjoy their work.

2 . Rules for proper gift giving

When you are planning to give a gift, it is important to think about the receiver. As the gift is for the other person, it should be suitable for his or her particular personality. Is he or she a family member or a close friend?    1    These are valuable things to keep in mind when choosing the right gift for someone.

At a dinner party, it is usually proper to show up with some sort of gratitude(感谢) for the host.     2     This type of gift does not have to be expensive. It just needs to be something that can serve as a sign of appreciation. This can be done in the form of flowers or a bottle of wine.

When someone gives you a gift, you generally want to give one in return.     3     There are situations where people give gifts and do not expect anything in return. This occurs when you are celebrating your birthday or graduation. If you receive gifts from your friends, then just a thank-you note will be enough.

When in a situation where you have received something expensive and are expected to give one in return, many people feel pressured to give a gift of greater or equal value to the one that was gifted to them. However, it is important to distance yourself from these assumptions.     4    

Well, what should you do when you have forgotten to send a gift? It happens to all of us. Whether it is a family member’s birthday or a friend’s graduation ceremony, forgetting to give a gift is awkward. So, it can be difficult to find the right way to make up for forgetfulness. However, before you begin to panic, know that a late gift is better than no gift.     5    

A．However, this is not always the case.

B．Do you have to give a gift to your friends?

C．Gifts should be tied to meaning instead of dollar value.

D．In Eastern cultures, gifts are given before the guest leaves.

E．Does he or she enjoy big gifts or prefer a bunch of flowers?

F．So, send your gift with an apologetic note and all should be forgiven.

G．They have invited you over to their home and that should be acknowledged.

3 . Recently my friend invited me to her residential hall, which is an African-American themed hall. They have lots of meetings and outings there. So I thought it would be fun. On this particular day they were having a pancake breakfast, just a time to mix. I was excited to be there, too.

I walked in at a time when the mini-party was at its peak. I found my friend; excitedly, we hugged and she led me to a seat in the back. We sat there for some time. I sensed some sort of discrimination. I wondered, were we just isolating ourselves or were we facing discrimination?

My friend’s breakfast came in first, and it was a plate full of colors. My mouth watered. I have always liked rainbow dishes: they make me hungry. She let me pick pancakes and fruit; we ate and only then began to talk.

The black American contemporary music was extremely loud. Some boys and girls were beating the tables and some guys on the stage were dancing in what looked like a kind of competition.

We talked about various subjects: hair, boys, shoes and books. And then we got to it. “What do African Americans think of Africans?”

We argued. I told her I thought African Americans were haughty. Why did they sideline us? When we met in a narrow passage and our eyes met, they quickly looked aside before we greeted. Why? Weren’t we all black? I mean, wasn’t this exactly the reason why there was an African-American themed house to begin with?

Did they look down upon us because they grew up in America and we in Sub-Saharan Africa? Oh yes, I felt this was it! They believed that we were HIV-positive and that the giraffes were right behind our huts.

My friend uttered, “No!” And then she continued：

“I also thought so at one point but after living with these guys, I got to a different conclusion altogether. These guys are not from Africa. They were not born there and may have never been there. We can’t expect them to naturally like us or bond. We are different. Skin color is the skin color.”

1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that the author ________.

A．is an African American	B．is an American African
C．was late for the party	D．was crazy about parties

2. What does the author think of the breakfast?

A．Delicious.	B．Just so-so.
C．A bit salty.	D．A little sweet.

3. The underlined word “haughty’’ in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to“________”.

A．kind-hearted	B．modest
C．fashionable	D．proud

4. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．They had a good time at the party.

B．They turned down the music for me.

C．Some of them broke the tables.

D．They had a competition at the party.

5. Which statement is NOT true according to this text?

A．The author was brought up in Sub-Saharan Africa.

B．The friend had the same idea as the author before.

C．The African Americans are born in America.

D．The African Americans have nothing in common with Africans.

4 . Volunteering offers great help to people in need, but the benefits (好处) can be even greater for you, the volunteer.

    1    . Being a volunteer helps you make new friends and improve your social skills. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. It develops your ties to the community, broadens your support network and offers you chances to know people with common interests and fun activities.

    2    , others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests.

Volunteering is good for your mind and body.     3    . Nothing reduces (减少) stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Studies have found that older volunteers are likely to walk more and find it easier to sleep regularly.     4    .

If you’re considering a new job, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field.     5     , volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork communication, problem solving and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching (伸展) your wings at work once you have improved these skills in a volunteer position first.

A．Volunteering increases self-confidence

B．Volunteering connects you to others

C．Even if you're not planning on changing your job

D．While some people are naturally outgoing

E．It provides many benefits to both mental and physical health

F．Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work

G．Volunteering can also reduce the risk of heart disease

6 . Improve Your Relationships

Having stable and positive relationships in your life can make you happier and more fulfilled. Whether it's your friends, family, or significant other, improving a relationship can sometimes be confusing.     1    

Express your appreciation for the person.

    2     Notice the positive things that the person is doing and go out of your way to show your appreciation for them. You can also show your appreciation by remembering important events like anniversaries or birthdays.

    3    

If you hardly see each other or talk to each other, it can be difficult to maintain a relationship. Take extra time out of your day and devote it to the person that you want to improve relations with. Try to work around the other person's schedule so that you can spend the time together. You can share a meal, watch a show, listen to music, or go shopping with them.

Turn off distractions.

Distractions like a cell phone, social media, or video games can create a division in between you and another person. If you notice that you are always distracted, you should turn off your cell phone or computer and talk to them.     4    

Seek therapy(心理治疗) if you can't get along.

To fix or improve family relationships or relationships with your significant other, you can turn to therapy. If you notice that you and the person are always arguing over the same kinds of things, and nothing has worked, you should consider seeking therapy with them.     5     And family therapy may be able to restore bonds between family members.

A．Spend more time with the person.

B．Maintain a relationship if possible.

C．People often like to be praised for achievements.

D．A specialist can help solve long­term issues in the relationship.

E．If they are the one always distracted, ask them if they can do the same.

F．Follow the tips and you can develop good relationships with your family.

G．Luckily, by adjusting your behaviour, you can improve any relationship in your life.

7 . When I was seven, my parents explained to me that my sister would be different.     1     But now I realize I see the world in a much different way, all thanks to her.

Throughout our lives, my sister has often got stared at because she has Down syndrome (唐氏综合征), which makes her appear abnormal. There were times when I had to struggle with her.     2     I simply thought. “Everyone else is just staring and that is wrong. They should offer us help instead of staring at us like it’s a circus act (马戏表演).”

I had this in mind when I was traveling alone recently and saw a mother and a son with special needs at the airport gate.     3     They were heading towards the gate of their second departure of the day. The mother was obviously stressed out and trying to keep her son calm while some items were falling out of her un-zipped (拉开拉链的) backpack. The son was pulling strangers’clothes, and she appeared to be embarrassed about it. Then the boy began to scream, looking very scared and confused.

Some people gave the son and mother strange looks, the same kind of looks my sister and I would sometimes get.     4     I tried to help calm the boy down by assuring him he was going to see his grandmother as his mom kept telling him. When the boy finally calmed down, I returned to my seat. At the time, an older gentleman turned around and said to me. “I thought about doing what you did, but I just thought about it. You did it.”

To be honest. I didn’t even really regard what I did as something different or good.     5    

A．They had got off another plane.

B．People would stare at us even more.

C．I don’t know what I should do to help.

D．But I went up and asked if I could lend a hand.

E．I just consider it as the only choice in that situation.

F．I was so angry that I shouted loudly at the strangers.

G．I had no idea what impact she would have on my daily life.

8 . Don't brag(炫耀)，but be proud of what you've done. These two pieces of advice were tough to balance before Facebook existed.    1    We are unable to draw a line between a humble bragging and a straight-up bragging. But we certainly know that oversharing doesn't do your friendship any favors.

Social media like Facebook bring us convenience.    2    Once upon a time, only your family and close friends would be there to see you eagerly open presents on Christmas morning. Now the photo you take on your iPhone will likely become a touch-up Instagram in about 15 seconds. Maybe you just post it subconsciously. But your sharing behavior could easily be considered annoying or even narcissistic(自恋的).

    3    Maybe we should all be asking ourselves the question before hitting the share button. As our personal fame grows alongside our social media presences, so does the number of people we could potentially impress or bother.

According to Therapist Jessica Michaels, providing "emotional context" may help prevent what might be seen as a bragging. Think about how you say something, not just what you say. Frame it in a way that makes it more of a sharing idea. For example, if you plan a party for Christmas, you could post "Hey friends of mine! Let's plan this together. Maybe we could all go." instead of saying "Oh I can't wait to enjoy my party."     4    

Remember, the original intention behind social media is a connector, and your true best friends definitely do want to know when things are going good for you. Next time when you post a photo of your fantastic winter vacation, for example, make sure to tag your friends.    5    

A little bit of social media love goes a long way!

A．To post or not to post?

B．Will it make me a celebrity?

C．Tell them you wish they were by your side.

D．They are the most important friends in our life.

E．Meanwhile, they can put us in danger of oversharing.

F．It makes a big difference how you express your ideas.

G．Even today's share-it-all social media haven't made it any easier.

9 . Many people confuse hard-working people with workaholics(工作狂). How could a person tell that he/she is a workaholic? A workaholic works long hours, at the expense of personal relationships and health. When not working, they’re thinking about work. Work influences their mood: when work is going well, they’re up; when work is going less well, they’re down.

Working, or simply being busy, can be a hard habit to break. When workaholics aren’t busy working—or doing something to promote their work—they feel anxious and guilty. They hang onto jobs for dear life and do everything they can to make sure they’re essential.

There is a link between health problems and workaholism. Just because work itself is a respectable pursuit(追求) doesn’t mean that an addiction to it is any less damaging than other sorts of addictions. A number of studies show that workaholism has been associated with a wide range of health problems, such as anxiety and heart disease.

Besides health problems, being a workaholic brings other negative effects as well. A study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy found that working too much negatively influenced an employee’s marriage. This isn’t surprising, since if you’re married to your work, it can be difficult to be married to anything, or anyone, else. There have also been studies looking at the influence of workaholic parents on their children and the news isn’t good. Adult children of workaholic fathers experienced more depression and anxiety and a weaker sense of self.

However, there are also many positive aspects to working hard and to an increasing devotion to career. Hard work can bring great rewards. For many, it’s how they develop feelings of self-worth and confidence and purpose. If you have a workaholic in your life, you might point out the things he or she is missing out on while at work, whether it’s a child’s soccer game, a good book, or a yoga class. Seek to understand why the person feels the need to work so much and support them in finding a solution.

1. What can we infer about workaholics?

A．They put work in the first place.

B．They usually have life outside work.

C．They often get pleasure from work.

D．They win respect from their workmates.

2. What are Paragraphs 3 and 4 mainly about?

A．Bad influences of workaholism.

B．Reasons for being workaholics.

C．How people deal with their addictions.

D．How hard-working people differ from workaholics.

3. What can we do to help workaholics in life?

A．Force them to join family activities.

B．Reward them for their hard work.

C．Help them find self-worth and confidence.

D．Try to understand and support them.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards working hard?

A．Doubtful.

B．Objective.

C．Negative.

D．Curious.