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?

3 . Humans, by nature, have always lived in groups and social interaction is fundamental for every part of our health. Lack of it can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. A strong support network and solid community bonds promote our emotional and physical health, and are critical components of a balanced adult life. However, just as with many other aspects of our lives, there seems to be a limit to how large our personal networks can grow.

Back in 1992, a British scholar named Robin Dunbar came up with a hypothetical (假设的) number defining the maximum sum of meaningful human relationships a person can have. The number, which was later named after him, was discovered accidentally while he was studying the cleaning and brushing tendencies — a social behavior —of non-human primates (灵长类动物). Around that time, researchers had discovered that the large brain of these primates was a result of their socially complex societies. The relevance was that the larger the brain, the larger the animal's social group was likely to be. Scientists could then theoretically use an animal's brain size to calculate how many members could make up this group. Dunbar applied this theory to humans, and the resulting number was roughly 150.

Dunbar's Number, however, only refers to the limit of meaningful contacts within our social network. It does not account for other relationships. Human social relationships tend to have numerous layers, and extend outward from the individual in circles with the same centre. The innermost circle contains five people: our loved ones. The next circle holds of our good friends. The third circle is reserved for people we consider friends, and the fourth is where the limit of 150 can be found. Nowadays, with various forms of electronic communication, such as websites for social networking and microblogging people find it very convenient to create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other contents. Consequently, it is possible for a human to get into the fifth (500acquainitances) circle, an impressive breakthrough that was difficult to achieve in the past.

1. What can be learned about Dunbar's Number in Paragraph 2?

A．It is confirmed by the social reality.

B．It serves as an accurate measurement.

C．It is backed by a certain theoretical basis.

D．It establishes links between health and network.

2. Which of the following diagrams illustrates human social relationships?

A．	B．
C．	D．

3. Why is it easy today to go beyond the fourth circle of human relationships?

A．Human brains are becoming bigger and bigger.

B．Social media have contributed to the phenomenon.

C．Meaningful contacts grow significantly with age.

D．People are eager to improve every aspect of their lives.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Group Living: A Solution to Health Problems

B．Dunbar's Theory: A Ladder to Career Success

C．Social Network: A Soured of Endless Pleasure

D．Dunbar's Number: A Measure of Social Relations

4 . Individuals with social intelligence can sense how other people feel, know clearly what to say in social situations and appear confident even in a larger crowd. You might think of these folks as having “people skills”, but what they truly possess is social intelligence.

People who are socially intelligent display core traits (核心、特质) that help them communicate and connect with others.    1     A person who possesses social intelligence doesn’t listen merely to respond but truly pays attention to what another person is saying. The other folks in the conversation walk away feeling like they were understood and that they made a connection.     2     Someone with social intelligence understands that arguing or proving a point by making another person feel bad isn’t the right thing to do.     3     Instead, they tend to listen to him/her with an open mind — even when it’s not an idea that they personally agree with.

Some people may seem to develop social intelligence without really trying.     4     Luckily, certain strategies, such as practicing active listening and respecting cultural differences, can help a person build social skills. Studying social situations is also an effective way to develop social skills. Pay attention to what people are doing well and the mistakes you want to avoid. Afterward, think about what you want to do differently in the next social situation you are in.

    5     If it were, there wouldn’t ever be another awkward conversation at a party. However, working toward a strong social intelligence can lead to a richer life — or, at least, an easier time making a few new friends.

A．They are usually effective listeners.

B．Social intelligence isn’t easy to master.

C．But others have to work to develop it.

D．They don’t directly reject another person’s ideas.

E．And remember that you can mess up sometimes.

F．Develop your social intelligence by working on your communication skills.

G．Lack of arguing is another important trait that people with social intelligence exhibit.

5 . 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.

7 . “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.

8 . In the days before air conditioning, a wife and her husband were visiting her parents in a small town. As they were relaxing one day, the wife’s father suggested that they all drive to Abilene for dinner. The son-in-law dreaded the hot drive to a town 53 miles away, but said OK to avoid being a rude guest. The wife and mother-in-law both said it sounded good, so they went off.

Having the not very good food and returning home hot and sweaty, the mother-in-law said they would never have taken the terrible trip if it had been up to her. The son-in-law said that he chose to agree because the others wanted to go. Finally, the father-in-law said he only suggested it because he thought the younger couple might be bored at home.

This story happened to Jerry B. Harvey who later became a university professor. In 1974 he told it in an article entitled, “The Abilene Paradox (悖论): The Management of Agreement”, which shows that sometimes a consensus (一致) of opinion may not lead to achieving the desired result. The Abilene paradox sounds like groupthink. But in fact, groupthink members are voting according to their conscience (是非感) while Abilene “paradoxers” are not.

Going along to get along arises from a desire to avoid conflict and unwillingness to be seen as the “spoiler” who criticizes ideas and plans that others favor. The choice to go against one’s conscience to please the group produces cognitive dissonance (认识失调), and could involve personal risk to relationships or career or both.

The only way for either groupthink or the Abilene paradox in planning or decision-making situations is to avoid agreeing publicly with something you disagree with privately. You can’t control what others in the group do, but at least you can speak up, “I’ll go if everyone else wants to, but I’d be just happy to stay here and relax”.

1. What do we know about the son-in-law?

A．He was good at pleasing others.	B．He didn’t want to take the trip.
C．He behaved badly during the visit.	D．He was treated as an honored guest.

2. What did the mother-in-law do after arriving home?

A．She helped the family make a decision.	B．She suggested taking some food along.
C．She had an argument with her family.	D．She made a complaint about the trip.

3. What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?

A．It is difficult to make a balance.

B．It is impossible to avoid a conflict.

C．It is unnecessary to satisfy everyone.

D．It is impolite to blame a person publicly.

4. What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．A man should find right ways to relax.

B．A man should consider others’ ideas deeply.

C．A man should actively participate in group discussions.

D．A man should express himself directly in decision-making.