1 . Saying farewell to someone you love, even for a night, can be difficult, much less saying goodbye for a lifetime or forever in death. Juliet bid Romeo adieu (再见) for the evening with the words, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Sweet sorrow is an oxymoron. But this seeming contradiction is true in the context of relationships.

Relationships are based on feelings, emotions, and passion. Deep friendships and loving relationships are measured by the level of emotional attachment. Emotions intensify over time. People spend time with the people they like. The more one person likes another person, the closer the relationship becomes. Each person in the relationship receives an emotional benefit from knowing the other person.

Saying goodbye means separating from the people who make up a significant part of your emotional identity. Separation, even a temporary absence, from the people you have a deep emotional connection with can cause sorrow because you will no longer be able to enjoy their company.

The sweet side of saying goodbye is the emotional fulfillment of being in a close relationship. The time spent together is emotionally rewarding, especially if that person is seen as a soulmate. Humans are social beings. We seek the love and comfort of other people. Loneliness devastates the human condition and leads to sadness. Sad people will do anything they can to find fulfilling relationships. Likewise, happy people will do anything they can to maintain or enhance relationships. Herein lies the essential point of the emotional problem.

The more intense relationships become, the more devastating the emotional loss that is felt upon separation. The exhilaration of relationships cannot be truly measured without experiencing the overwhelming loss of a deep emotional connection.

Enjoy the company of the person you are with as long as you can; knowing the pain you will feel at the end of the relationship is the true measure of the relationship. If it doesn’t hurt to say goodbye, perhaps it wasn’t worth saying hello.

1. Which of the word group can create the same effect as “sweet sorrow”?

A．icy cold

B．clicking sound

C．deafening silence

D．endless speech

2. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Saying goodbye is unavoidable in our daily life.

B．The companion of close friends can lessen sorrow.

C．A person’s identity is connected with relationship.

D．Separation is the sorrowful part of saying goodbye.

3. What gives a person emotional satisfaction in social life?

A．Making more communication with others.

B．Building deep emotional connections with others.

C．Comforting friends with love and intense feelings.

D．Being a thoughtful person by standing in others’ shoes.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Sweet sorrow is very common in close relationships.

B．The pain of separation is the measure of relationships.

C．Human beings are eager to get emotional fulfillment.

D．Happiness is meaningless without sadness to compare it.

2 . While everyone’s image of their dream home looks a little different, most people will agree that their ideal neighbourhood is filled with friendly faces. Getting to know your neighbours takes time and effort.     1    

Nick Tebbey, national executive officer of Relationships Australia, says spring is the perfect season to start getting to know your neighbours. “When the weather starts warming up we’re all spending more time outdoors.” It makes sense that the best way to get to know a neighbour is to first make sure they actually know you’re neighbours.     2    “ There are always opportunities to make a connection and they can be as small as a nod,a wave or a friendly good day,” says Tebbey.

To put yourself in the way of these opportunities, Tebbey suggests timing your outings to take place“when other people are out and about as well”. When it comes to actually introducing yourself to your neighbours, Tebbey notes it’s important to do what feels comfortable, whether that’s leaving a note on a building notice board or chatting to someone while you wait for the elevator.    3    

Once you’ve introduced yourself to a neighbor, you can start conversations.     4    “ If they’re gardening, ask what they’re planting–be interested in what people share.”Tebbey says. And once someone tells you their dog’s name or where they’re about to go on holiday, try your best to keep that in mind so you can continue the conversation next time you cross paths.

“It’s not about grand gestures or sharing everything about yourself with your neighbours.     5    ” Tebbey says.“ It’s small but meaningful interactions and taking interest in each other’s lives,but without any sense of expectation.”

A．In fact, it’s almost the opposite.

B．It doesn’t have to require a lot of effort.

C．It’s vital to ask questions and remember people’s answers.

D．However, it can potentially be easier than you may expect.

E．Should you start to feel uncomfortable, you could invite another.

F．And the easiest way to do that is with short, repeated interactions.

G．The less anxiety you feel, the more likely you are to commit to them.

3 . If writing a letter a hundred years ago was like sitting down with someone in a quiet room and talking face to face, writing an email today is like shouting at someone across a noisy crossroads while they’re rushing to a meeting. Everyone is too busy. We keep getting information from emails, text messages and the web. It’s very possible that your email will be read when the receiver is on a phone or doing other tasks.

This means, when writing an email, you should be clear.

I often receive emails from people who are interested in some sort of knowledge communication but never make it clear how they would like me to take action. Do they want to have a coffee? Do they want to make a phone call? It’s unclear. So I won’t respond (回复) at all.

It’s more possible for you to get a response from someone if it’s clear what the next step is. Let’s say you’re reaching out to a film director you admire for advice. Don’t just email him/her with:

I’ve been a fan of your films for years, and I’d love to ask you some advice. What do you say?

Instead, write something like the following :

I’m a longtime admirer of your films and have the greatest respect (尊重) for your filmmaking skills. I would love to ask you a few questions about how you made your first film. Would you be available to have a 15-20 minute phone call next week? My schedule is wide open all day on Thursday and Friday if you are free then. I know you’re very busy, so I promise to keep it short.

The second example explains the subject matter and the fact that you just want to make a phone call. This is more acceptable because you’ve already suggested a date. In other words, you’ve respected their time, and they now know that dealing with you won’t be a headache.

1. What does the first paragraph say?

A．Few people write letters nowadays.	B．People seldom talk face to face nowadays.
C．People are too busy to read an email carefully today.	D．People can deal with different tasks at the same time.

2. Why doesn’t the author respond to some emails?

A．Because he is too busy with the task at hand.

B．Because he thinks it will waste too much time.

C．Because he doesn’t want to communicate with strangers.

D．Because he doesn’t know what the sender wants from him.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refer to?

A．The email.

B．The phone call.

C．The film.

D．The meeting.

4. Why does the author think the second email is better?

A．Because it includes detailed and clear information.

B．Because it makes the film director feel proud.

C．Because it is a more official email.

D．Because it sounds more polite.

4 . As a young child, I was painfully shy. I’d watch other children play in the park, wishing I could join them, but I was too scared to approach. Eventually, my mother would come to the rescue. She’d ask the other kids if I could play, too. Today, I feel comfortable giving public lectures in large halls and having conversations in small groups, but I still tend to avoid situations in which I’m expected to spend time with a roomful of strangers.

There could be many reasons. For one thing, I might be carrying some childhood fear of rejection. But beyond that possibility, one likely element is that I tend to underestimate how much people like me after I meet them, as most of us do.

A new research paper reports that the common concern that new people may not like us, or that they may not enjoy our company, is largely unfounded.

Erica Boothby of Cornell University and her colleagues conducted a series of studies to find out what our conversation partners really think of us. In doing so, they discovered a new cognitive illusion (认知错觉) they call “the liking gap”: our failure to realize how much strangers appreciate our company after a bit of conversation.

The researchers observed the gap in a variety of situations: strangers getting acquainted in the research laboratory, first-year college students getting to know their dormitory mates over the course of many months, and community members meeting fellow participants in personal development workshops. In each circumstance, people consistently underestimated how much others liked them. For much of the academic year, as dormitory mates got to know each other and even started to develop enduring friendships, the liking gap persisted.

The data also revealed some of the potential reasons for the illusion: we are often more severe with ourselves than with others, and our inner critic prevents us from appreciating how positively other people evaluate us. Not knowing what our conversation partners really think of us, we use our own thoughts as a proxy (代理人). This is a mistake, because our thoughts tend to be more negative than reality.

1. Why does the author mention his childhood experience?

A．To show how his character changed.

B．To explain what he was like when he was young.

C．To show an example of why people are shy of communication.

D．To emphasize the important role of a mother in one’s childhood.

2. What does the underlined word “unfounded” probably mean?

A．Careless.

B．Baseless.

C．Selfless.

D．Meaningless.

3. What do we know about the liking gap from the text?

A．It indicates what strangers really think of us.

B．It begins and ends quickly among strangers.

C．It disappears when strangers get to know each other.

D．It states our misunderstanding of how much others like us.

4. Which of the following is the best title for this text?

A．People Like You More than You Know

B．How to Get Along Well with Strangers

C．The Way to Know What Others Think of Us

D．Having Conversations with Strangers Benefits Us

5 . 假定你是李华，你和另一个学生是合住一间宿舍的常住生。你发现无法忍受室友的一些行为，请给宿舍管理员写一封信，申请下学期更换房间。
内容包括：(1)提出换房要求，
(2)阐述具体原因。
注意：字数80左右。
Dear Sir or Madam,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

6 . Have you ever felt the need to be alone for a while? I don’t mean situations when you should be alone, but occasions where you are with a group of people at a party or a restaurant. You get tired of jumping from conversation to conversation, and your mind starts to wander towards that interesting book you left halfway done, or that movie you have been meaning to watch.     1     Now before you rush to defense, please understand that being an introvert (内向的人)is completely normal.

A common misunderstanding about introverts is that they are loners or anti-social.     2     They have friends, probably not as many as extroverts (外向的人), but enough to suit their needs for human interaction. Scientifically, all humans fall somewhere between being an introvert and being an extrovert, and at least 25 percent of us are introverts.

    3     Therefore, the ability to network is extremely valuable. Of course, sometimes introverts might be as capable of talking with people as extroverts, but sometimes they have to force themselves to engage with others in order to “fit in”. While extroverts feel comfortable shaking hands and making jokes, introverts get increasingly exhausted.     4     For the introverted, to continue in this awkward situation could really end up bringing them harm, with individuals reporting to suffer from loss of sleep, panic attacks and depression.

    5     They form deep thoughts, conduct themselves carefully, and pay significant attention to detail. So, for the best results in a project involving group work, both introverts and extroverts are needed.

A．Society appears to favor extroverts.

B．Most introverts, however, are just regular people.

C．These are feelings usually typical of an introvert.

D．Introverts tend to recover by spending time alone.

E．You might have ignored that “strange” thought you had before.

F．Introverts, just like extroverts, have their own set of advantages.

G．Even if standing alone for a while, they get asked “Why are you all by yourself?”

7 . People-pleasers are those who try hard to make others happy.     1     . They always put the needs of others ahead of their own as well. When they're asked to do something or to help someone, they often feel forced to say yes, even if it means taking their own valuable time or resources away from them.

    2    . However, what separates people-pleasing from a healthy agreement is that after the fact, the people-pleaser will feel “trapped” or “stuck” doing something that they actually don’t want to do. If you’re feeling this way, then it is a sign that you made the wrong choice.

People-pleasing, while intended to make others happy, is a barrier to true closeness. Constantly giving in and trying to give the person what they want without sharing your true feelings will only create the opposite effect.    3    . However, the truth is that it only creates distance over time.

Sometimes you trick yourself into thinking that you're doing this because it is “noble” or “admirable”, but if the pattern continues in the relationship, you will likely suffer emotionally and start to feel angry at the people in your life. Sometimes pleasing others leads you to deny how really really feel.     4     . And as long as you give in without checking with yourself, you’ll waste more opportunities to develop or save the relationship.

People respect you more when you are clear about your boundaries, personal values and goals. Take the time you need to think thing through, dig deeper, and then make the right decision.Say yes to yourself first.     5     .

A．Remember that saying no has its benefits

B．Agreeing to help someone isn’t a problem

C．You must value your own thoughts and feelings

D．You think you’re doing it to improve the relationship

E．They will often go out of their way to please someone

F．Then you’ll find the confidence to make a healthy choice

G．In this case, you will likely feel upset, unappreciated or misunderstood

8 . Everyone thinks they're great listeners. But the truth is that hearing isn’t necessarily listening, nor is it necessarily listening well. Listening is an art as well as a basic life skill that we are encouraged to practise and master.    1    

●Don't interrupt

    2     To master the art of listening, you need to stop any good thoughts that come to mind and let the person say everything they need to say. Often times people simply need someone to talk to, not someone who will cut in and give their own thoughts and opinions.

●Practice active listening.

To understand better in communication, you can first practice active listening. The art of listening isn't simply about staying quiet 100% of the time, it's also about asking questions, which are for clarification or for further explanation, so that you can fully understand what the speaker is telling you.     3     You can also make noises that show you agree with what he person is saying such as “yes”, ‘'yeah", and “okay.”

●    4    

About 60-75% of our communication is accomplished without speaking. In order to know whether to encourage the speaker, or to open yourself more, it's essential to know what the person's body is saying. Do they display signs of discomfort? Are they cautious about you? Their body language tells a lot.

●Create a suitable environment.

It can be difficult to listen to another person when the TV is screaming, your phone is buzzing and there are thousands of cars passing by.     5     Also, when you indicate it would be good to “find a quiet place," you put importance in the person and what they say, and then you show care and consideration.

A．Listen to non-verbal communication.

B．Let the person speak without interruption.

C．Listen without forming responses in your mind.

D．Here's how to bring the vital life skill into your daily existence.

E．Additionally, it's important to hold back your negative judgments.

F．Another great way to show your understanding is to respond by nodding.

G．When you remove the distractions and find a quiet place it’s easier to listen attentively.

9 . Internal communication, also known as IC, refers to a group of processes responsible for effective circulation of message within an organization. These messages are information that is valuable to the organization and are supposed to be kept confidential(机密的). The means of transferring this information is often done through emails, letters, notice boards, and even with the help of social media like Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet, in the current times.

Honest internal communication is the healthiest way to keep your organization growing. With honesty around the workplace, it is a safer environment for the employees to voice their opinions which could help in the modification of a certain operation that might have been outdated. Other than changes, not opening up to your colleagues can result in frustration and give rise to “gossip culture” at the workplace. When information is not passed out with lucidity, not only does the quality of work get affected but it also gives rise to questioning the worth of the time spent in the company.

An atmosphere of honesty also encourages growth in responsibility, leadership, and self-accountability. If the CEO of a company voices the shortcomings of his team in a respectful manner, it would bring room for each and every employee to take it on a positive note and bring around the change for the one common goal of development of the company that they are working for. This brings a lot of change in the attitude of every individual employee since they start seeing the company that they are working for as an asset that they cherish (珍爱) dearly.

In a workplace, things go both wrong and right, so it is important to both appreciate and criticize when such situations occur from the end of both the leadership and the employees. The positives should be celebrated while the negatives should be taken as positive criticisms that could help the company grow into something better. The main goal of unity and development should always be kept in mind.

1. Which is considered one main character of IC?

A．It comes with the times of social media.	B．It exists within the leadership of a company.
C．It is often kept secret within an organization.	D．It needs a long and difficult process in most cases.

2. What does the underlined word “lucidity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Clearness.

B．Appreciation.

C．Authority.

D．Assistance.

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The main responsibilities of the CEO.	B．The importance of unity for a company.
C．The advantage of a powerful leadership.	D．The role of an honest leadership in a company.

4. What does the author suggest to us in a workplace in the last paragraph?

A．Communicating both the positives and the negatives.

B．Taking responsibilities bravely for our mistakes.

C．Trying all possible means to avoid the negatives.

D．Strengthening unity mainly among the employees.

10 . Having to deal with a rejection can be extremely difficult. But something that many people find even more difficult is to be the one who has to reject. Sometimes we accept out of politeness, in other cases because we simply don’t know in what possible way to say no.     1     So why not learn how to politely decline a request and save a lot of time and nerves? It’s time to stop being everybody’s darling!

Saying “no” in a proper way is quite difficult.     2     So, whenever a person makes a demand on us, we will have to decide either to accept or reject it based on whether we like it, feel comfortable with it or not. If you like it you accept it.     3    

But due to the fact that we are no robots, it is not easy for us to make a decision based on whether we just like something or not.     4     In many cases, social factors affect our willingness to say “no”, whenever we fear to hurt the other person’s feelings.

Anytime you say “yes” when you know that you should have said “no”, no matter whether you rationalize (使合理化) it as a sign of friendship or kindness, in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that you have agreed to do something you absolutely do not want to do. That’s just because you don’t want to give others a reason to think negatively of you or believe that they will quit the friendship when you’re not doing everything they demand.     5     And no true friend will quit the friendship with you, just because you aren’t willing to do a favor in a given situation.

A．If you don’t like it you just say “no” and reject it.

B．You can finally live the life the way you want it to.

C．As a result, we always end up with amounts of extra work.

D．It might help to see the situation just as emotionless as a robot.

E．Would you clearly express that you will not be able to do the extra work?

F．There will always be other factors that highly influence our decision-making process.

G．But actually a real friend will try to get his life straight without taking advantage of you.