1 . It’s never easy to say no, especially when we’re invited somewhere by someone close to us.    1     Maybe it’s time to learn how to turn down an invitation without hurting people’s feelings.

Put off your response. Avoid immediately responding to a request that you believe you will turn down. A quick “No” will deprive (剥夺)you of time to come up with a kind refusal. Instead, a simple “Let me check my calendar and get back to you” will often work.     2    .

Check your calendar for conflicts. If you are lucky, you may discover a scheduling conflict that enables you to honestly decline due to the previous promise.    3     . When you see your calendar is busy, take a little extra time in advance to think about a kind refusal.

    4     If you already know you want to decline before checking your calendar, you may have a specific reason in mind. Do you dislike the task ? Are you planning to attend the event with someone else? Think about reasons you can give that focus on aspects of the request rather than the person making it.

Remember to respond.    5     You may leave them with the impression that you don’t value them. Therefore, it’s important to reply to requests in a timely manner. When declining, try to emphasize non-personal reasons for doing so.

A．Avoid admitting your schedule is open.

B．Identify the exact reason why you want to decline.

C．However, the person may ask you for another time.

D．This gives you time to create a response in your head.

E．But often, we find ourselves saying yes and later regretting it.

F．Keep these in mind if the other party asks why you are declining.

G．Forgetting a request may hurt people or make you an impolite person.

3 . 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 harmful 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 it’s not just friends. It’s the in-laws who volunteer to watch your kids but devalue your parenting. The manager who praises your work but denies you a promotion.

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.

Even a single ambivalent interaction can cause harm. In one experiment, people talked about controversial (具有争议性的) 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 obvious, but the reasons can be harder to read — just like the relationships themselves.

One 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 break 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 distressing 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 considered as a frenemy?

A．Your neighbor’s kid who advises you to study hard but kill his own time.

B．Your classmate who admires your hard work 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 reasonable amount of homework while ensuring enough sleep.

2. What does the underlined word “distressing” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Upsetting.

B．Satisfying.

C．Inspiring.

D．Confusing.

3. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

A．The negative impact of ambivalent interactions is strong.

B．Ambivalent relationships have a long-lasting effect on your well-being.

C．The common cause of high blood pressure is ambivalent relationship.

D．Interactions in ambivalent relationships are more painful than those in negative ones.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Negative relationships are bad for health.	B．Ambivalent relationships are unpredictable.
C．Ambivalent Relationships are the most harmful.	D．Positive relationships are better than negative ones.

4 . 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?     1     If you know what’s meaningful or fun for you, it may lead you to an activity that connects you to others.

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!     2     You can try your grandma’s pie recipe or plant an herb garden that puts your thoughts and feelings about who you are and express those thoughts and feelings to others.

    3     Share something about yourself. It doesn’t have to be the darkest secret of your life, but just something other people might find interesting. Putting yourself out there requires a bit of a risk, and it’s the first step to real connection.

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.     4    

Other people’s loneliness matters too.     5     If loneliness go unaddressed, people can end up in a world of hurt. If you see someone experiencing loneliness, ask them how they’re doing. Share your own experience of loneliness and how you get rid of it. Thus, helping others can also benefit yourself.

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.

5 . 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

6 . As humans, we’re meant to be social creatures. Being socially connected is key to our mental and emotional health.     1     When it comes to shyness and social awkwardness, the things we tell ourselves make a huge difference.

People aren’t thinking about you — at least not to the degree that you think.     2     Just like you’re spending their time judging you, so stop wasting time worrying about what others think of you.

    3     When you’re socially anxious, it can seem as though everyone else is outgoing and confident.     4     Some people are better at hiding it than others, but there are many people out there struggling with the same self-doubts as you are. The next person you speak to is just as likely to be worried about what you think of him or her!

People are much more tolerant than you think. In your mind, the very idea of doing or saying something embarrassing in public is frightening. You’re sure that everyone will judge you. But in reality, it’s very unlikely that people are going to make a big deal over a social faux pas (失礼).     5    

A．But that’s not the case.

B．We should learn to self-evaluate (自我评估) our social awkwardness.

C．Everyone makes mistakes; it’s part of being human.

D．Yet many of us are shy and socially introverted (内向的).

E．Most people are caught up in their own lives and concerns.

F．Many other people feel just as awkward and nervous as you do.

G．Everyone has done it at some point so most will just ignore it and move on.

7 . Life doesn’t always seem fair. Some people are just born with the ability to attract anyone they meet easily. Well, it might seem like a magical power, but actually there are various factors at work.     1     The answer is: to a large extent, yes you can.

But first, the bad news. People initially judge each other based purely on physical appearance With just a glimpse of a face, people make snap judgments about each other’s likeability, trustworthiness and confidence. How should we deal with this?     2     People perceive a smiling face as more trustworthy, warmer and sociable. It sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? Smile and others will smile with you.

What other tricks might we have?    3     Consequently, three things we can do to signal that we are not a threat: raise our eyebrows quickly, tilt (仰起) our heads slightly, and once again, to smile.

So we’ve looked at body language, but of course what you say is hugely important too, unless you want to just stand there grinning foolishly. The golden rule of friendship is if you make people feel good about themselves, they’re going to like you. In other words, you should not talk about yourself and all your wonderful achievements.     4    

Finally, finding common ground is good to form a connection. Charming people are particularly skilled at seeking out shared interests or experiences to bond with others. Simple things like asking where someone’s from really can open up a discussion and allow you to find areas in common. And if all else fails, you can fall back on that most British of topics: the weather.    5    

A．It can break the ice.

B．So, can you develop exceptional charm?

C．There’s one incredibly basic tool: your smile.

D．Alternatively, you need to display interest in them.

E．What effective strategies can we employ to become charming?

F．Our brains frequently scan the surroundings for signs of friend or enemy.

G．Mutual interests are the foundation for building connections with others.

8 . How to Deal with Nosy (好管闲的) People

Nosy people are everywhere. They are just too much for us to tolerate. However, no matter what type of nosy people you meet, there are ways you can use to get out of the situation.       1    

Respond. Do not react.

When someone starts asking personal questions one after another, you might get confused as to why. When you find yourself in this situation, remind yourself to slow down.     2     Be mindful of the situation and try to respond wisely. You don’t owe (欠) an answer to the other person.

Answer them reasonably without showing too much.

One great way is to give a satisfactory answer without saying too many details. This way, you will satisfy their curiosity and keep your personal boundaries (界线) .     3     For instance, your loved one might ask, “I heard you had a fight with your husband. What happened?” You could say, “Nothing serious. We are fine.” This will let them know you are fine and you needn’t say the details!

    4    

Sometimes, you just don’t feel like answering the other person’s questions. It could be because they have no business knowing the details. It could also be that they are rude. So, if someone asks you a personal question, you could politely decline to answer by saying, “Sorry, but I am not comfortable discussing my private matters like this.”

Show a lack of enthusiasm.

Your body language tells a lot about you. It tells other people whether you are interested in talking to them, whether you are having a good time and so on. So, if you want to communicate that you don’t appreciate them being nosy, you can do so with your body language. How do you do this? Easy! Just show a lack of enthusiasm.       5    

A．Avoid talking with them.

B．Politely decline to answer.

C．So, give yourself time to react.

D．There is no need to feel rushed at all!

E．Use this way when the other person is a loved one.

F．Give brief answers and don’t look them in the eye too much.

G．Follow the ones below and you will find it easy to deal with them.