1 . We all know that honesty is an important value and that lying is wrong, but who can say they’ve never told a lie?     1     They are little lies that we tell to protect others from the truth.

We’ve surely had the experience of someone cooking a meal that we don’t like. Most of us of course lie that the food is “delicious”. Or we may tell a friend their new haircut is “great!”, even if we think it’s awful. Why?

One of the main reasons for telling a white lie is to make others feel better.     2     Perhaps we are in fact lying to protect ourselves from the disappointment and anger of others.

    3     Say for example that your friend asks you what you think of his singing. You of course say it’s wonderful, despite secretly thinking that your cat can sing better. Stop and consider that maybe your friend wants some frank comments from you so that they can improve.

Finally, we may also tell a white lie when we want to protect others from bad news. If you’ve had a bad day, do you tell your parents about it, or do you hide your tears and lie that your day was “fine”?     4    

We may find even white lies have results we cannot know in advance. Perhaps the meal you said was “delicious” will be served every time you visit. Would your friend trust your opinion again if he found out you had lied about his “wonderful” singing?     5     Moreover, how would you feel if you discovered that the people closest to you had been hiding the truth from you?

A．But to what degree can we tell white lies?

B．Another reason for telling a white lie is to give encouragement.

C．Perhaps we comfort ourselves that most of our lies are “white lies”.

D．If the latter (后者), wouldn’t it be better to respect their concern for you and ask for their advice?

E．As we can see, honesty is the best policy, so never ever tell a lie, even if it is a white lie.

F．How would you expect others to truly understand your emotions if you only shared good news?

G．However, when we lie that someone’s haircut looks "good"or that the meal is “delicious”, are we really hoping to improve the situation for someone else?

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

There is immense value in stepping out of your comfort zone and making a change to your life that you truly want to happen. This not only creates your    1    (confident) and nurtures personal growth. In many cases, it can help to end     2    (desire) situations and signal the beginning of    3    new life chapter. Making that decision and taking the first step may be difficult to begin with. Many of us are resistant to change because we fear the unknown,     4    feel a lack of competence. But once you get started and reap the     5    (benefit) that shaking things up brings, it will naturally become     6    (easy).

The first step is to change your words. Your words-whether spoken or thought-influence your own experience and    7     of those around you. Putting effort and intention into    8    （keep) your language positive - whether you’re communicating how you feel, or expressing your opinion, will improve your thought patterns and relationships     9     others. It will also reduce negative interpretations.

“By taking just a couple of breaths before speaking, we can first open our hearts, and feel the connection and appreciation for ourselves and whoever we’re communicating with or about,” explains Andrea Gardener.

This conscious action will transform the words     10    we use and their effect.

3 . “There is nothing noble (高尚的) in being superior (优秀的) to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” —— Ernest Hemingway

As Hemingway says, self-improvement is a noble cause.     1     Much of who we are is determined by how we relate with others around us. When we seek to improve ourselves, we can also make our relationships with others better.

    2     If you have a good self-image, then others are likely to relate to you in a positive way. When people see a self-controlled and confident individual, they are likely to be affected in a positive way. And this can result in a more optimistic and constructive relationship.

Only when you have accepted who you are can you grow. If you continuously fight against yourself, you won’t have the emotional energy you need to better yourself. If you wish to get on with people better, then you may start by accepting yourself.     3    

If you are on a personal path that is going upwards, then you are likely to find a friend or partner who is also seeking to better themselves and their circumstances.     4    

Focusing on your good qualities and attempting to protect and improve these characteristics will help you become a better person.     5     When you stop damaging who you are, you are likely to avoid ruining relationships and this can lead to longer and more meaningful connections with others.

A．Like-minded people attract one another.

B．When you feel confident, you keep calm.

C．It will also stop you from damaging yourself.

D．The way you view yourself affects how others view you.

E．This will probably help you become a successful person.

F．People like to be around individuals who like and accept themselves.

G．It can help us learn about who we are and enable us to be better people.

6 . Their man-servant had been sent one morning to Exeter on business, and when he waited at table, he began to chat with his mistress.

“I suppose you know, ma’am, that Mr. Ferrars is married.”

Marianne gave a violent start, fixed her eyes upon Elinor, saw her turning pale, fell back in her chair and lost control of her emotions. Mrs. Dashwood was shocked to realize by Elinor’s expression how much she really suffered.

Mrs. Dashwood immediately took all that trouble on herself;, and Elinor had the benefit of the information without the effort of seeking it.

“Who told you that Mr. Ferrars was married, Thomas?”

“I see Mr. Ferrars myself, ma’am, this morning in Exeter, and his lady too, Miss Steele as was. They were stopping in a chaise at the door of the New London Inn, and she knew me and called to me, and inquired after you, maam, and the young ladies, especially Miss Marianne.”

“But did she tell you she was married, Thomas?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She smiled, and said how she had changed her name since she was in these parts.

“Was Mr. Ferrars in the carriage with her?”

“Yes, ma’am, I just see him leaning (倚靠) back in it, but he did not look up -he never was a gentleman much for talking.”

Elinor’s heart could easily account for his not putting himself forward; and M, Dashwood probably found the same explanation.

“Was there no one else in the carriage?” “No, ma’am, only they two.”

“Do you know where they came from?”

“They come straight from town, as Miss Lucy-Mrs. Ferrars told me.” “And are they going farther westward?”

“Yes, ma’am, but not to bide long. They will soon be back again, and then they’d be sure and call here.”

Thomas’s intelligence seemed over. Elinor looked as if she wished to hear more, Mrs. Dashwood could think of no other question, and Thomas and the tablecloth, were soon afterwards dismissed. Mrs. Dashwood’s and Elinor’s appetites were completely lost. They remained long together in a similarity of thoughtfulness and silence.

1. What’s Elinor’s reaction at the news from the man servant?

A．She lost control of her emotions.	B．She fell back in her chair, crying.
C．She went pale from suffering a lot.	D．She exploded with great anger.

2. Why does Mrs Dashwood ask so many questions?

A．She was only too curious about the couple.

B．She wanted to find out who the bridegroom was.

C．She wanted to satisfy her daughters with her questions.

D．She wanted to cheer her daughters up with the news.

3. How does the servant sound when answering questions?

A．Confident.

B．Doubtful.

C．Sad.

D．Regretful.

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The lady the servant met with was not Lucy.

B．Mr. Ferrars was not in the carriage at all.

C．The servant concluded without seeing Mr. Ferrars.

D．The news ruined the mother and daughter's desire for food.

7 . If you want to lose weight, you should choose your lunch companions wisely. A study found that co-workers who ate together tended to pick similarly healthy foods.

The researchers said their findings offered policymakers new strategies against fatness. “We found individuals tend to mirror the food choices of others in their social circles,” said Dr. Levy, lead author of the research. “People may change their behaviour to strengthen the relationship in their social circle.”

Co-workers may give each other permission to pick unhealthy foods, the researchers said, or place pressure to make a healthier choice. Levy added, “The effect was a bit stronger for healthy foods.”

Employees at a hospital could pay using ID cards, allowing the researchers to collect data on what, when and where to buy. They worked out social relationships by looking at how long apart two people bought food, how often they ate and whether they visited a different cafe at the same time. They surveyed over 1,000 employees to ask them about the names of dining partners.

“Considering other shared characteristics, co-workers were influencing each other's habits, rather than friendships formed between people with similar lifestyles,” Levy said.

The researchers said their findings could be widely used for public health interventions. It showed that interventions to improve healthy eating in a particular group may have a wider impact in individuals with social connections to that group.

Levy said, “To work out whether people with similar lifestyles and food preferences were more likely to become friends and eat together, we controlled common characteristics and analyzed the data from different angles, consistently finding the results were the same.”

1. What is the study mainly about?

A．How people choose lunch companions wisely.

B．How social circles affect people's food preference.

C．How policymakers offer new strategies against fatness.

D．How researchers give co-workers permission to pick foods.

2. How did researchers conduct their study?

A．By analyzing data.	B．By visiting cafes.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By interviewing experts.

3. The findings may be useful for             .

A．public health guidelines	B．food processing standards
C．personal career suggestions	D．social service requirements

4. According to doctor Levy, what may strengthen social relationships?

A．Buying food at the same cafe.	B．Picking food at the same time.
C．Using ID cards to pay in hospital.	D．Copying each other's food choices.

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

In my childhood, I     1     (call) a stammer (结巴) by my friends. I often got     2     (stick) when I answered the teachers’ questions in class,     3     of course embarrassed me greatly. My parents took me to many doctors, but none of them could cure my stammer.

One day, my father took me to a speech therapist. After giving me a thorough examination, he said it was mainly because of the fear and lack of confidence     4     I spoke with a stammer. He was definitely right. I could express myself freely when I talked to my parents and friends, but I became     5     (anxiety) and stammering when talking with strangers.     6     (overcome) my fear and build up my confidence, I landed myself on the area of unknown people. I took it as a challenge. I also attended lots of face-to-face job     7     (interview) so that I had to talk with people I wasn’t familiar with. Gradually my confidence increased.

Now I am 27 years old and I am now working in a large company     8     the personnel manager and I can speak in public     9     (smooth). So my friends, try to make an experiment on     10    . Don’t give up. You can achieve anything so long as you set your mind to it.

9 . Empathy, the ability to understand and co-experience the feelings and thoughts of other people, is probably one of the most important skills a person can have.     1    

• Humans are social animals.

There are very few activities that humans take part in that don’t involve others.     2    It allows you to perceive others’ motives, treat them the way they want to be treated, understand how others perceive you, and so on.

• It lets you better understand non-verbal components of communication.

    3    People who are not empathetic have a hard time reading between the lines of conversations. They cannot understand that what the other person means to communicate is different from what they actually say.

•     4    

When you unconsciously perceive what the other party wants and needs and can understand exactly why they want it, reaching a “win-win” solution gets easier. You don’t have to blindly search for a way out.

• It broadens your horizons.

Seeing the world from other people’s perspectives lets you perceive it to a fuller extent. When you are able to look at life from other people’s point of view, you are able to live a more fulfilled life.

    5    Thus, achieving higher levels of empathy often means achieving greater fulfilment as human beings.

A．It makes you better at handling conflicts.

B．It helps you introduce your ideas to others.

C．Empathy basically is what makes us human.

D．Humans always live and work with each other.

E．So why exactly is empathy so important for us?

F．Communication is so much more than what words express.

G．Therefore, the ability to better understand others and read their feelings is an advantage.

10 . 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.