1 . Are You a Prisoner of Perfection?
Do you struggle for a goal that is beyond your reach?
Shame and fear are often the hidden drivers of perfectionism. We believe that if we can fashion a perfectly polished personality, flash our intelligence, and perfect our humour, then no one can hurt us with criticism and we’ll win respect and approval.
Perfectionism keeps us leaning toward the future. We’re constantly evaluating ourselves in order to do better.
Being human, perfection is impossible.
| A．Do you hold an idealized vision that is impossible to realize? |
| B．A cure to perfectionism is to make room for our human shortcomings. |
| C．Do you fear that others will be horrified by what you judge about yourself? |
| D．The addiction to staying perfect protects us from any sign of being imperfect. |
| E．There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do our best and self-correcting along the way. |
| F．People who are addicted to perfection are often isolated, even if they seem outgoing and popular. |
| G．By accepting ourselves as we are and doing our best, we begin to rid the shame that drives perfectionism. |
2 . On the night of December 8, 1992, when he was standing in a parking lot talking to friends, Tracy March jumped to the top of a car, as he had done a hundred times before. This time, though, Tracy lost his balance. His head struck the ground, hard.
All night, Cory, Tracy’s mother, stood next to her son, who was lying in a hospital bed, his brown eyes fixed in a lifeless stare. She remembered that Tracy had once mentioned organ donation. Maybe I can spare another family this pain, she thought. When the time came, she and her husband Bill signed the forms permitting his organs to be donated.
Tracy was declared dead the next day. Twenty-four hours later, in a Boston hospital, Tracy’s liver was made part of my husband, David, who was suffering from a hopeless liver disease.
Months later, we learned from the local organ bank that the donor’s parents wished desperately to meet someone who had gained life through the gift from their son. A meeting was arranged by the organ bank to bring together two families linked by the most bittersweet ties imaginable.
The meeting was risky, but worth it. We talked for 3 hours. They showed us a picture of Tracy. We learned how he had lived and died. We learned something about Bill and Cory too.
For the Marches, seeing David and knowing he was well seemed to ease their suffering. I’ll never forget seeing David’s tall figure stopped over Cory, her arms around his waist, as a mother would hug a son. For a long time they held each other tight. It was hard to know if she was saying hello or good-bye. Maybe she was saying both.
1. We learn from the passage that Tracy died _______.| A．of brain damage | B．on December 8, 1992 |
| C．24 hours after he fell off the roof of a car | D．in a car crash |
| A．Tracy told them to do so just before he died |
| B．they wanted to save others the pain of seeing dear one die |
| C．David’s life could continue in a meaningful way |
| D．they knew David was suffering from a hopeless liver disease |
| A．they saw that David looked very much like their son |
| B．they now knew for sure they had done the right thing |
| C．they now had someone to share their memories of Tracy |
| D．they saw that David had regained health with Tracy’s liver |
3 . You’ve seen news reports about people who need assistance after a natural disaster, or TV programs about how lonely and isolated older people can get. Maybe you’ve walked past people who are living on the streets.
Find what’s right for you.
Volunteering isn’t school.
After you’ve discovered what interests you, decide how much time you want to spend and what fits into your schedule.
Expand your mind.
Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills — from working as part of a team to setting and reaching goals.
Feel good.
Volunteering helps people feel they make a difference — that they do have the power to change things for the better. When people depend on you, it can change the way you look at yourself.
| A．It can give you a chance to discover what kinds of things you’re best at and enjoy most. |
| B．Instead of having the choices made for you, you’ve got to pick. |
| C．Doing something for others helps people to change the world. |
| D．So what can you do about any of those things? |
| E．You can feel proud of what you’ve achieved. |
| F．Find what fits your schedule. |
| G．Change things for the better. |
4 . “How are you” is a nice question. It's a friendly way that people in the United States greet each other. But “How are you?” is also a very unusual question. It's a question that often doesn't have an answer. The person who asks “How are you?” hopes to hear the answer “Fine.”, even if the person's friend isn't fine. The reason is that “How are you?” isn't really a question and “Fine.” isn't really an answer. They are simply other way of saying “Hello!” or “Hi!”.
Sometimes, people also don't say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone asks, “Do you agree?”, the other person might be thinking, “No, I disagree. I think you're wrong…”But it isn't very polite to disagree strongly, so the other person might say “I'm not sure…”. It's a nice way to say that you don't agree with someone.
People also don't say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person says “I've to go now.” Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse,” Someone is at the door.” “Something is burning on the stove.” The excuses might be real, or it might not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn't want to talk any more, but it isn't polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn't hurt the other person.
When they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, or finishing a talk, people often don't say exactly what they are thinking. It's an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it's also a part of the game of language.
1. When a person wants to disagree with someone, it is polite to say “ ”.| A．You're wrong. I disagree. | B．I'm not sure. |
| C．I'm sure I disagree. | D．No, I disagree. |
| A．giving an excuse |
| B．hurting someone's feeling |
| C．talking to a person at the door |
| D．going to another place |
| A．Always say what you mean. |
| B．Don't disagree with people. |
| C．Never say exactly what you're thinking. |
| D．Being polite is the best policy. |
5 . We’ve all 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’s 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 invaluable 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, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. ＂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 strangers. |
| D．Impatience with slow service. |
| A．Showing good manners. | B．Relating to other people. |
| C．Focusing on a topic. | D．Making business deals. |
| 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. |
| A．Conversation Counts | B．Ways of Making Small Talk |
| C．Benefits of Small Talk | D．Uncomfortable Silence |
6 . In court at 9 o'clock. Apart from me there are a few old ladies who have come to the court and a class of 14-15 year-olds with their teacher.
9:05 Court starts. First case: Henry P., 47, divorced, charged with being drunk. He refused to leave a pub at closing time and caused a bit of damage when the police tried to arrest him. P. said he had had an argument with his boss and could not face going home to an empty flat.
9:50 Mrs F., 72, shoplifting (店内偷窃). Apparently Mrs F. had stolen a frozen chicken, which she had hidden under her hat (At this the school children burst out laughing and even the judges have difficulty keeping a straight face). The chicken was so cold that she fell unconscious, otherwise she would probably not have been caught. Mrs F, in tears, says she had not eaten meat for three weeks. It turns out that, although she has the old - age pension, she does not know about other forms of support.
10:30 Peter D., 19. D. stole, or rather “borrowed” a motorcycle, intending, he said, to give it back to the owner after trying it out. D.’s father is at sea and the mother is left to bring up four children, of whom Peter is the eldest, by herself.
11:00 Mrs A., 45, a doctor’s wife, president of a local ladies’ club, was caught leaving a fashion shop wearing two dresses, only one of which belonged to her. Admitting that she had wanted to steal the dress, she could not explain why.
1. What did Henry P. do when he was caught?| A．He damaged the pub. | B．He attacked the police. |
| C．He bothered other customers. | D．He quarreled with his boss. |
| A．Active. | B．Amusing. | C．Pitiful. | D．Ridiculous. |
| A．Henry P. | B．Mrs F. | C．Peter | D．Mrs A. |
7 . Life is full of surprises and events that sometimes change one’s daily routine. Some of them might be good and pleasant.
Have a positive attitude. Not all unexpected events are bad.
Always focus on the present moment, learning from it and making use of new changes that come your way. In other words, make the most of the present moment, instead of thinking about what you lost, or how bad the situation is.
Introduce small changes into your life.
| A．This is useless and is a waste of time. |
| B．Admit the fact that unexpected events are part of life. |
| C．However, there are some that are bad and unpleasant. |
| D．Think before speaking when facing unexpected events. |
| E．This will help you deal more easily with unexpected events. |
| F．Sometimes what seems like a problem could be a good thing. |
| G．It would be much more useful to think about the new situation. |
8 . No matter what type of business you run, it has to deal with things that go wrong from your customer’s point of view. Complaints can be a great source of information for organizations to make corrections as well as further improvements.
Secondly,
Thirdly, talk with the client and discover the best means to resolve his problem.
In this case it’s important to let your customer know an estimation of how long it will take to take action on his complaint.
Fourthly, a simple “Thank you”is one way to let the customers know you appreciate the time and effort they’ve taken to inform you about a problem of your company’s service or product that you need to know about.
Finally, create a procedure for recording different types of customer complaints.
| A．Listen to your customer’s complaints and you can improve your service. |
| B．There will be times when you’ll be unable to resolve the issue immediately. |
| C．When receiving a complaint, you should apologize for the failure the customer has identified. |
| D．They are a valuable source of information to determine various root causes that need to be addressed within your company. |
| E．So it’s important to learn to deal with customers’ complaints efficiently. |
| F．Don't feel ashamed of the failure in your service or product. |
| G．You should also show your customer that you do understand him by giving full attention. |
Every day, in hundreds of ordinary situations, actions speak far louder than words. We talk with our mouth, but we communicate with our facial expressions, our tone of voice and our whole body.
By understanding how to use body language, you can communicate more effectively. Here is how:
Work on your handshake.
Use eye contact. Eye contact is very important in forming an impression of someone. You should have the ability to keep direct eye contact if you want to be taken seriously. But some people feel uncomfortable when it is too strong.
Be yourself. Nonverbal (非言语的) messages come from deep inside you, from your own sense of self-respect. If you are comfortable with yourself, it shows.
| A．Use hand gestures carefully. |
| B．Pay attention to your body-talk. |
| C．A mirror can be useful to examine facial expressions. |
| D．People who know who they are have a relaxed way of talking and moving. |
| E．In the business world, the handshake shows important messages about power. |
| F．Understanding body language is one of the most useful skills you can develop. |
| G．To avoid this problem, change your focus so that you look at somewhere between the eyes and the chin. |
10 . Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It’s very likely that you’ll want to have volunteers to help with the organization’s activities. To do so, it should help to understand why people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.
Let’s begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate. To select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to attract.
People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these programs can shift people’s wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g. “I volunteer because it’s important to me”) to an external factor (e.g. “I volunteer because I’m required to do so”). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.
Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to “training methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping with the problem they do experience”.
Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in the degree to which people view “volunteer” as an important social role. It was assumed that those people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role mattered by responding to statements such as “Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who I am.” Consistent with the researchers’ expectations, they found a positive correlation(正相关) between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These results, once again, lead to concrete advice: “Once an individual begins volunteering, continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity....Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity”.
1. People volunteer mainly out of __________.A．ac ademic requirements | B．social expectations |
| C．financial rewards | D．internal needs |
| A．Follow-up studies should last for one year. | B．Volunteers should get mentally prepared. |
| C．Strategy training is a must in research. | D．Volunteers are provided with concrete advice. |
| A．Individual differences in role identity. | B．Publicly identifiable volunteer T-shirts. |
| C．Role identity as a volunteer. | D．Practical advice from researchers. |
| A．How to Get People to Volunteer | B．How to Study Volunteer Behaviors |
| C．How to Keep Volunteers’ Interest | D．How to Organize Volunteer Activities |
