1 . 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

2 . 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.

3 . Chimpanzees (黑猩猩）enjoy watching movies together, scientists have discovered, in research that suggests social bonding through shared experience has deep evolutionary roots.

It is widely known that humans can bond over group activities such as watching a movie or playing board games. But it has been unclear whether the underlying psychology behind this effect is present in other species.

In the research, chimpanzees were placed in pairs and shown a short video. The researchers then measured how long it took them to approach their partners, how close they got and how long they remained in proximity (靠近）－two measures of social bonding.

Chimpanzees who had viewed the video with either another of their own species or a human approached their partner faster or spent longer in proximity to them, compared with those who had watched the video on their own, the scientists found.

The finding indicates that social bonding created by shared experience may have deeper evolutionary roots than previously thought.

“Animals can stand together and watch a waterfall, but they don't seem to seek out those kinds of experiences," said Wolf, an author on the study. “So for a long time we thought they weren't capable of processing that way or they weren't feeling any psychological consequences from doing so.

“It's exciting that at least some parts of the psychology that we need to connect through shared experiences may actually have a slightly older evolutionary history than previously suspected.”

The animals were tracked for only three minutes after they had watched the film, so it is not clear whether shared experiences strengthen social bonds in the long term. The research used animals in captivity (圈养），and scientists said it was not known whether the same effects would be observed in the wild.

1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Experiencing social bonds.

B．Sharing evolutionary roots.

C．Humans bonding over group activities.

D．Chimpanzees watching movies together.

2. How did the researchers get the findings?

A．By making a comparison.

B．By introducing a concept.

C．By using an expert's words.

D．By referring to another study.

3. What did Wolf think of the research findings?

A．Imperfect.

B．Encouraging.

C．Groundless.

D．Doubtful.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Approaches to future studies.

B．New perceptions of other scientists.

C．The aspects which need further tests.

D．The application of the research findings.

4 . 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.

5 . 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.