1 . Easy things you can do to be more polite

It’s important to be polite to build meaningful relationships and to grow a individuals (个体). And though our lives and friendships might change as we get older, the desire to be the best ourselves should not.     1    

Say “please” and “thank you”

One of the best life lessons we learn from our parents at an early age is to always say “please” and “thank you. ”    2     Thanking someone for an act of kindness can brighten their day and ours in return.

    3    

William Shakespeare said it best: “Better three hours too soon than a minute to late.” Three hours early may go too far, but the message is clear don’t be late. And if you’re running late, tell the people you’re meeting ahead of time so they know where you are.

Return phone calls.

In this day and age, phone calls are rare. Sending a text is a quicker way to get a message across, and it’s usually just as efficient.     4    

Write “thank you” notes

Writing a “thank you” note for someone who bought you a gift or joined in your celebration is very important.     5     Sending a note shows how much you appreciate them for taking the time to think of you.

A．Be on time.

B．Don’t waste your time.

C．This is a rule that stands the test of time.

D．You shouldn’t be tired of saying “please” and “thank you”

E．Here are easy things to do if you’re aiming to be more polite

F．It takes time to pick the perfect gift for a friend or to travel to a party.

G．But if someone does give you a call, its polite for you to make the effort to return it.

2 . Whether you get into a new school, company or group, introducing yourself is necessary. When it comes to introduction to unknown faces, you should feel comfortable and confident in doing so. Besides, you should show friendliness, so people are happy to make friends with you.     1     That’s because any wrong action will be quickly picked up by people and they might even pass incorrect judgements (判断) on you, by considering the way you present yourself at the first meeting.     2    

Look into the eyes of the person, to whom you’re going to introduce yourself. This can show your confidence. During self-introduction, you should remember to wear a sweet smile on your face while shaking hands with the other person.     3     If the person doesn’t get your name, be sure to spell it. Ask for his/her name as well and repeat it when he/she says it. Always say “nice to meet you” while bringing an end to the conversation.

    4     For example, don’t introduce yourself by your nickname (绰号). Don’t introduce yourself with titles, such as Mr. or Mrs., because it creates an over-confident sense in the mind of the person, along with the wrong attitude. Never look for mistakes in the person you’re meeting for the first time.     5     After all, no one wants to be judged by a stranger.

A．You’d better be careful as well.

B．Say your name clearly in a friendly manner.

C．Talk about good things and avoid anything upsetting.

D．Otherwise, he/she will lose interest in meeting you again.

E．And always talk about what you have achieved in a proper way.

F．There are some things you mustn’t do when you introduce yourself.

G．To introduce yourself in the best way, go through the following lines.

3 . One of the pleasant things about having an apartment is having neighbors. You may develop personal friendships with some of your neighbors. There may also be times when you have a conflict（冲突）with your neighbors. There may be neighbors you just don't get along with at all. So how can you get along well with your neighbors？

Your neighbors have the right to maintain their living space as you do. Your neighbors have their own lifestyle and their own responsibilities. When you first move into an apartment, show respect for your neighbors. If you see them outside, say "hello". Introduce yourself to them and tell them you just moved in. Be pleasant. Early conflict with neighbors can cause you a bad reputation（名声）.You should avoid that. Don't turn up your radio loud. Don't speed up your car on the streets of the neighborhood.

If your neighbors or your landlord（房东）feels that you are causing a problem at any point, be-have responsibly. It is not fun to suddenly be blamed for something, and it is easy to get defensive if this occurs. However, you need to accept that something you are doing has dissatisfied either your neighbors or your landlord or both of them. Listen to their stories carefully. Try to imagine yourself in their situation. Apologize for the problem you have caused.

If you feel your neighbors are causing a disturbance, be dispassionate. For example, suppose that it's two o'clock in the morning and you are awakened by loud noise from neighbors who are having a party, what will you do？This is annoying. You need to recognize that this is the first time that such kind of thing has happened. Recognize that your neighbors are human beings that make mistakes. Realize that there is time to resolve your discomfort with your neighbors. With cool heads, proper communication, patience, and consideration, you can solve this problem with your neighbors.

1. Paragraph 2 mainly suggests that we should be _________

A．careful and calm	B．friendly and considerate
C．kind-hearted and patient	D．responsible and easy-going

2. How should you react if your neighbors blame you for something？

A．Be defensive.	B．Don't take it seriously.
C．Ask the landlord for help.	D．Listen and try to be responsible.

3. The last paragraph mainly tells us what to do when _________

A．neighbors try to anger us	B．we are blamed for something
C．neighbors cause a disturbance	D．w e are woken up by neighbors

4. What does the underlined word "dispassionate" in the last paragraph probably mean？

A．Calm.

B．Concerned.

C．Relaxed.

D．Curious.

4 . Small talk. Chitchat. These are the short conversations we have at parties, while we wait in line at the store, at family events or work.     1     Often we have to make small talk with complete strangers.

Many people find these small conversations about random topics difficult. Some people say they hate it.     2    They may even call it idle chitchat or idle chatter, meaning it doesn't do anything. They consider small talk not important.

    3     These exchanges can open doors that may lead to larger, more meaningful conversations. When you first meet someone or talk to someone you don't know well, it would be awkward to begin a conversation about a really deep topic such as war, politics or the meaning of life. Small talk also gives you the chance to decide if you want to know that person better-or not. Let's say you make small talk with someone at a party.     4    You may not want to build a friendship with them unless you really, really love cats.

Chitchat can also increase your feeling of understanding, or empathy, toward people you know but not well. Chatting with a colleague about their child may help you to understand more of their life outside the office.     5    

A．However, small talk is important.

B．And small talk may make us happier.

C．But they only want to talk about cats.

D．Others say small talk is a waste of time.

E．This could help build healthy work relationships.

F．However, some people are not good at small talk.

G．Sometimes we make small talk with people we already know but not well.

5 . 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 . Dear Amy,

I am a 30-year-old woman with no friends. I have always been shy and a bit of lonely.

In the first couple of years after graduation I kept in touch with most of my friends but gradually they scattered(分散) around the country. My best friend Lily and I were roommates for a while but we had a fight. We both admitted mistakes but refused to apologize. After that she grew very close to the new roommate she got after I moved out. Then she moved across the country and that just made it harder to repair our friendship.

About three years ago I was seriously injured in an accident. After that I got chronic(慢性的) pain. I had to change my job as a result. I get along well with the colleagues (同事) at my new job but no friendships really form, mostly because of large age differences. And at the same time, the friends from my old job gradually gave me up. They said that I never gave them enough attention.

I live in a small town with very little to do. The entire social place is only made up of bars, bars and more bars. It’s really not my thing. I can’t drink because of the medicine I take, and it’s really no fun to go to a bar and be the only person there who doesn’t drink.

I don’t think I’m a difficult person. I’m kind, patient, and a good listener. People seem to like me, but no one seems to want to be friends with me. What should I do?

Yours,

Erica

1. What is Erica’s problem?

A．She can’t find a job.

B．She suffers from chronic pain.

C．She has difficulty making friends.

D．She can’t get along well with her colleagues.

2. According to Erica, she has no friends at her new job mostly because________.

A．she doesn’t enjoy drinking

B．she pays little attention to her colleagues

C．she is too shy to communicate with others

D．she isn’t in the same age group as her colleagues

3. Erica’s main purpose in writing the letter is to ________.

A．ask for advice	B．share her problems
C．complain of her loneliness	D．apologize to Lily

7 . Every child faces friendship problems at some time, in some way, but generally speaking, there are three main problems that keep children from being part of a group.

    1    

Kids who do too little in social situations could be ignored by the other kids and may have a hard time making friends. They are usually too shy and just wait for other kids to come to them.     2    . Then they can make friends in any social groups. These tricks include how to greet people friendly and show their good will through small acts of kindness.

Doing too much

We see this problem in kids who are always ready to cut in a talk or a game.     3    . If they continue their annoying behavior after a kid asks them to stop, they are likely to be disliked by the group. Therefore, these children need to learn proper ways of stopping, such as saying “sorry”, or sitting on their hands and keeping their mouths shut.

    4    

Some kids have trouble making friends because they behave in ways that set them apart from the other kids in the social groups. For example, they may always try to be funny on purpose, or have strange interests and habits.

Every child is unique, but they have to learn to connect with other kids in natural ways.     5    .

A．Talking too much

B．Doing too little

C．Being too different

D．Kids make friends by doing fun things together

E．The other kids may find their actions annoying

F．They have to learn some simple ways to reach out

G．Then they can build friendships and enjoy being part of a group

8 . Active listening

We often focus on saying what we want to say in an effective way and forget that listening carefully to others is just as important. The good news is that we can learn how to improve our listening skills.     1     Much of the time, we listen passively, so by making an effort to listen actively, we can improve our listening skills and develop necessary relationships more easily. Here are a few tips to help you start listening more actively.

Never underestimate（低估） the importance of nonverbal communication.     2     One study found that nonverbal factors were responsible for 93 percent of communication effectiveness. While not all experts agree that the percentage is as high as this, they do agree that nonverbal communication is extremely powerful. So, when you listen to another person, pay close attention to his tone of voice, facial expressions and body language.

Have an open mind. Do your best to put your own feelings and opinions aside while you listen, and encourage the speaker to fully express his ideas. Try to imagine that you are in the same situation as the speaker.     3    

Repeat what the speaker has said. By repeating the speaker's words, such as by saying "So, you feel unhappy." or "    4    ", you are performing two important functions of an active listener. One is showing the other person you have been following what he was saying and the other is giving the speaker the chance to correct you if you have misunderstood. This technique is especially useful in highly emotional situations.

    5     If you do that, you have stopped listening and started talking. Once you put your mind to listening more actively, you will find the practice has many benefits.

A．This caused problems for you?

B．"Nonverbal" simply means "without words".

C．Strong listening skills are important to everyone.

D．Avoid starting talking about your own idea or views.

E．In this way, you will better understand his point of view.

F．One key to improvement is developing "active listening" skills.

G．Use nonverbal methods to encourage another person to communicate with you.