1 . In England, many people get worried when they are invited to dinner parties. That is because they don’t know the specific etiquette（礼仪）when attending the party.
Arrive 15 minutes late.
It’s true that the invitation said 7:30 p. m., but chances are that your host hasn’t quite finished up that roast, or they’re still putting the finishing touches on the table decor. Plus, you don’t want to be the first guest there, walking awkwardly in the room while your host are busily preparing.
You don’t have to eat anything that’ll cause you to have severe allergies （过敏）,but avoid making an overreaction or a dramatic public announcement that you can’t or won’t eat anything. When the dish is passed your way, politely pass it to the next person, and explain to your host later that it's not because you didn't want to eat it, just that you couldn't.
Be mindful of your relationship to the host.
Offer to help clean up.
Your host has already gone to great lengths to put the party on.
| A．Notify the host about your dietary（饮食上的）needs. |
| B．Be honest when giving any home-made dishes. |
| C．Volunteering your help is a huge and appreciated politeness. |
| D．The following dinner party etiquette might be of great help. |
| E．Look at the time listed on the invitation, cross it out, and push it late. |
| F．Asking your host if he needs you to bring anything to the dinner party. |
| G．If you're a relative stranger, act politely but be concerned about your host's life. |
2 . What do you do when you receive an invitation to an event that you do not want to attend or that you cannot attend due to your busy schedule? In that case, we simply can’t act on everything our heart feels.
Respond in a timely manner.
It’s OK to say you’re sorry that you can’t make an event, but it’s better to redefine it as a positive. Rather than apologizing, say how happy you are that they invited you and that while you can’t make it this time, you look forward to getting together with them in the future.
Don’t say “maybe”.
Procrastinating (拖延) by saying “maybe” usually means it’s a no.
Don’t try to control the other person’s feelings.
There’s the assumption that we can decline without hurting anyone else’s feelings, but we can’t ensure the other person’s experience. They may feel sad or disappointed when you decline,. but that’s OK.
| A．Focus on the positive. |
| B．Be honest but not too honest. |
| C．Don’t leave the host hanging. |
| D．It’s fine to decline via digital means. |
| E．Most people will understand that life just gets busy. |
| F．So just go ahead and say no if that’s really what you mean. |
| G．Instead, we should learn how to politely say “no” to an invitation. |
3 . Being responsible can seem hard at first, but if you keep at it, it will become second nature to you.
Place others’ needs before your own. When you have a family, friends, or pets, being responsible may mean placing their needs above your own.
Find solutions for issues instead of casting blame. Problems come up in any relationship.
People who are not responsible with their words will shout out the first thing that comes into their heads, including calling another person names. Instead, take time to think your words through.
| A．Don’t let your anger get the better of you. |
| B．You need to take care of yourself and others. |
| C．That doesn’t mean you don’t take care of yourself. |
| D．Doing just the things you are asked to do is responsible. |
| E．Your responsibility won’t mean much if it is hit or miss. |
| F．If you are not sure, consider how it would make yourself feel. |
| G．Instead of blaming the other person, try to find a way to solve them. |
4 . Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced some challenges in friendships and relationships with family members. We might find ourselves frustrated 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.
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.
Be interested in others' interests.
This is the hardest thing for most of us to do.
So, try and follow the advice and you will find that you have happier and stronger relationships with your friends and loved ones.
| A．You can learn from mistakes. |
| B．Apologise when you make a mistake. |
| C．Show your friends what you really think. |
| D．Yet a simple “I'm sorry” can undo a lot of tension. |
| E．Everyone is unique with different experiences and lives. |
| F．Here are some tips on how to make relationships happier and healthier. |
| G．We might have friends who are crazy about sports, while we prefer reading. |
5 . How would you feel if you were invited to the moon? If you found a gold coin, would you save it, give it to charity or use it for a holiday? Personality quizzes of this kind, known as “psychometrics”, have bothered many job seekers. Now, it is being applied to the oldest problem in finance: will a borrower repay?
In rich countries, lenders use credit scores to weigh risk. But just 7% of Africans and 13% of South Asians are covered by credit bureaus (征信机构). Bailey Klinger of the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL), which explores new kinds of credit data, argues that psychometrics could include many more people in the financial system. Everyone has a personality, after all.
Judging character is not new. Psychometrics attempts to make it a science. The model developed by EFL has undergone many tests and adapted to different cultures. Its collected data reflect something unnoticed. For instance, young optimists are risky, but old ones are safe.
Clever design cuts cheating. There are no obvious right answers; responses are cross-checked for consistency. The model monitors mouse movements for signs of indecision or distraction. When borrowers lie to get a loan, they often do so in predictable ways. In an EFL test, people are shown pictures of five drinks and asked which one they would be. Choosing water over something with small bubbles may be a sign of cheating.
This sounds fanciful, but there is evidence that it works. In one Indonesian bank, combining psychometrics with existing customer data cut default (违约) rates for small businesses by 45%. A study by the World Bank found that EFL’s model increased lending to those without a credit history.
The technique needs further development. At present, turning to credit bureaus is still the best way to tell if somebody will repay a loan. But bureaus improve more slowly than technology. Lenders will find ever more ways to look into their customers’ souls.
1. What are the figures intended to show in paragraph 2?| A．Uncertain property of poor people. | B．Racial discrimination from lenders. |
| C．Current weakness of credit bureaus. | D．Great risks brought by credit scores. |
| A．Its data confirm some ideas. | B．It has been greatly improved. |
| C．Its effects vary with cultures. | D．It can’t tell characters exactly. |
| A．Lenders’ answers. | B．Drinks with bubbles. |
| C．Borrowers’ responses. | D．Pictures of five drinks. |
| A．It is beyond the expectation | B．It will replace credit bureaus. |
| C．It will be mature in the future. | D．It has won most lenders’ love. |
6 . If you feel that making friends as a kid is easy, you’re right. “They have a break between lessons and gym classes. They can let their guard down,” says Marisa G. Franco, a sought-after friendship & belonging expert. However, it’s not the case for adults. Even though they see their colleagues every day, they still find it never easy to be friends with them.
In the US, for example, a 2021 survey by the American Enterprise Institute, found that the number of adults who said they had no close friends had increased four times since 1990, going from 3 percent to 12 percent. “We’ve never been more disconnected,” says psychologist and author Jody Carrington. Although adults spend time together from 9: 00 am to 6: 00 pm and even late into the night, the fast paced work pattern dictates that communication is limited to the content of the work, and after work, they immediately go back to homes, leaving no extra energy to have unplanned interactions to develop further friendship.
Research by Brigham Young University psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad has shown that loneliness is a major threat to longevity (长寿), same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. People who are lonely or socially cut off have a higher risk of having diseases like depression, dementia and cardiac death. On the another side, healthy friendships can help us a lot, doing better with stress and living happier and longer. Plus, happiness is contagious. Harvard researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, his or her friends who live in a 1.6-kilometre radius have a 25 percent higher chance of getting a boost in happiness, too.
Hence, making and deepening friendships matters more than we imagine. You might think making friends is an inherent skill that doesn’t need to be taught. It’s not the case. We can all get better at connection if we try. Some experts offer some tricks to make finding connection a little easier.
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?| A．By listing a lot of figures. |
| B．By drawing a conclusion. |
| C．By making a comparison. |
| D．By showing a conversation. |
| A．Lack of breaks in the workplace. |
| B．Worry about being deeply hurt. |
| C．Unwillingness to communicate. |
| D．Lack of unplanned interactions. |
| A．The necessity of staying connected. |
| B．The approach to leading a happy life. |
| C．The consequences of getting into bad habits. |
| D．The relationship between happiness and habits. |
| A．Unrealistic. | B．Influential. | C．Flexible. | D．Unique. |
7 . Kindness May Keep You Healthy
If you are driving in the United States, you may see a common bumper (汽车保险杠) sticker on passing vehicles that reads:
However, being kind is not just emotionally beneficial. Lyubomirsky studied a group of people with the disease Multiple Sclerosis (多发性硬化).
“The basic reason why people are kind,” Oliver Curry, explained, the research director at Kind-lab that is a non-profit organization, “is that we are social animals. Kindness is as much a part of us as our anger, grief or desire.”
| A．Perform random acts of kindness |
| B．Acts of kindness are very powerful |
| C．In other words, we are designed to be kind. |
| D．She found that they felt better physically when helping others. |
| E．Research shows that doing kind things can make us feel better |
| F．He found that being kind makes people feel better emotionally, |
| G．Other research has shown that many people prize kindness above other values |
8 . Having good working relationships with your coworkers is important. Unfortunately, some coworkers can be rude, or unprofessional. It’s easy to get stressed and struggle with productivity when you’re suffering a bad work relationship.
One easiest way to avoid trouble is simply to avoid them when you can. Stay away from difficult coworkers if you don’t have to work with them directly. Limit your interactions.
Fight a coworker’s negativity with your own optimistic perspective. Does your coworker seem to complain constantly?
Understanding and empathizing with them makes it easier to get along. As you learn about your coworker, you’ll also gain insight into why they behave the way they do.
| A．If so, build a positive attitude in response. |
| B．Try developing a few coping methods to help you. |
| C．Thankfully, there are ways to improve the situation. |
| D．Then you’ll reduce the amount of frustration you feel. |
| E．They might be overworked, or going through a rough time. |
| F．Get to know your coworker so you can understand why they act that way. |
| G．Letting bad behavior slide right off your shoulders is often the easiest way. |
9 . Going Solo to a wedding? Make Yourself Welcome.
Taylor was nervous when walking into the wedding of her friend Gabrielle. She’s not alone. Attending a wedding by yourself can bring anxiety, especially for people who are single and feeling lonely.
Dress to Impress
Wearing something that will make you feel comfortable and confident is key.
A Smooth Arrival
The first thing to do when you enter an event space is find the bathroom. Take a look in the mirror and get situated. Then, go to the bar and grab a glass of water or a drink.
Conversation
After dinner and some chitchat, there’s no harm in leaving if you don’t feel like you want to stay any longer on your own.
| A．But the effort and the presence are what count. |
| B．People are more willing to talk to you if you do that. |
| C．If a conversation doesn’t go as expected, don’t get discouraged |
| D．You may want to make an excuse and stay home, but don’t do that. |
| E．Talking to people who are also waiting at the bar is a great way to start. |
| F．Introduce yourself to everyone at the table, whether there is arranged seating or not. |
| G．For her friend’s wedding, Taylor wore a floral dress and was feeling herself that day. |
10 . Go on a 15-minute Tour
Didn’t someone say that life is about the journey, not the destination?
To commit some time to the journey, take some time to walk around where you work and notice your surroundings.
After your first observation tour, select a different day to tour your workspace for moods. Other people’s moods can provide you with critical clues about how things are going.
Schedule 15 minutes to tour your workplace twice a week for a month and be sure to avoid making too many assumptions or conclusions — just simply observe.
| A．You’ll be amazed at what you see along the way. |
| B．Spare a little time to closely monitor each person’s progress. |
| C．Notice what people may be feeling when you drop by to talk briefly. |
| D．During any workday, take just 15 minutes to observe neglected things. |
| E．You generally love the breathtaking landscape and people’s performances. |
| F．Going on a short tour will help you get in tune with other people and their emotions. |
| G．To become socially aware, remember to enjoy the journey and notice people along the way. |
