1 . People are taught how to speak, but good sentence structure and a wide range of vocabulary words won’t always lead to being understood or understanding others.
The good news is that it’s never too late to learn how to communicate more effectively. The first step is to realize you’ re having communication issues.
You have the same fights over and over.
Your fights are about the same topic again and again. If this is happening, it means you don’t yet have the skills to resolve conflicts.
You don’t want to fight so you try not to bring up subjects that lead only to pain and disconnection. The problem is that avoiding them leads to pain and disconnection anyway. Unless you learn how to have hard conversations productively, you will get more and more disconnected until your relationship is in danger of ending.
You regularly feel misunderstood or unheard.
No matter how hard you try, you don’t feel understood. Perhaps your partner has expressed the same feeling.Over time the disconnected feeling does damage to your relationship. It’s important to learn how to communicate in a better way, so that both you and the other person feel heard and understood.
| A．You avoid discussing certain topics. |
| B．You argue with your partners about some issues. |
| C．If you can’t resolve issues, they will continue to show up. |
| D．This requires more than just speaking to your partner or vice versa. |
| E．Then, you can learn how to communicate in a more productive way. |
| F．If you leave conflicts unsettled, you will feel disconnected and lonely. |
| G．Effective communication requires much more than being able to speak. |
2 . How to Be a Good Friend
It’s important to have friends at different times of our lives. They may serve a different purpose as we get older, but they are still important to us.
Honesty
When things come up in life that may not have been the best choice, you have to be able to tell your friends about it. They should offer the same in return. If you were supposed to go out with a friend and something comes up that you would prefer doing, be honest and tell your friend. A good friend will understand and want you to take advantage of the opportunity (机会).
Support
Sometimes we don’t need to hear advice or stories. We need someone who will listen to us. An active listener who is there to listen can be the best medicine. As we talk through feelings, we may come to our own realizations about what has been said. We don’t always need to hear someone else’s talk on what has happened.
| A．A good listener |
| B．Following a friend’s advice |
| C．Then try your best to achieve your dream |
| D．It may be harder to make and keep friends over time |
| E．We need a close friend who is willing to listen with his heart |
| F．When you are at a loss, it’s important to have someone to turn to |
| G．If you lie to the friend and he later finds out about it, it may hurt the friendship |
3 . 1.3 million people in the Netherlands are older than 75 years — and one large supermarket chain is making sure they’re not getting too lonely in their elder years.
The Dutch government with its campaign (运动), “One Against Loneliness”, has encouraged organizations, towns, companies, and individuals to find solutions. Jumbo, the second largest Dutch supermarket chain, is doing its part with creative chat checkouts (付款台).
The idea for the “Kletskassa”, which translates to “chat checkout”, started more than two years ago — and in the summer of 2019 the first Kletskassa was opened in Vlijmen in Noord-Brabant.
This resulted in many positive reactions from customers — and now Jumbo is swelling the project further: By this time next year, there will be chat checkouts in 200 stores across the country where more people can go for a conversation. When choosing the stores, areas where loneliness is a major factor are carefully considered.
Colette Cloosterman-van Eerd, CCO of Jumbo and the driving force behind the campaign against loneliness, is closely involved (参与) in the project. She said, “Many people, especially the elderly, sometimes feel lonely. As a family business and supermarket chain, we are at the heart of society.”
“Our stores are an important meeting place for many people and we want to play a role in identifying and reducing loneliness. We do this in various ways, including our Kletskassas. We are proud that many of our cashiers like to take a seat behind a Kletskassa. They support the project and want to help people to make real contact with them out of interest.”
“It is a small action, but very valuable, especially in a world that is digitizing (数字化) and getting faster and faster.”
1. What makes Jumbo start the “Kletskassa” project?| A．Jumbo wants to meet the need of young customers. |
| B．The supermarket chain is thirsty for making more money. |
| C．Jumbo wants to become the most popular supermarket chain. |
| D．The government calls for solutions to dealing with loneliness of the elderly. |
| A．Enlarging. | B．Designing. | C．Challenging. | D．Improving. |
| A．The cashiers support the project and want to help the elderly. |
| B．All people like meeting at the supermarket. |
| C．Jumbo is the largest supermarket chain in Dutch. |
| D．The project is the most important in dealing with aging problems. |
| A．The Dutch government launches a campaign against loneliness. |
| B．Jumbo helps the elderly fight against loneliness. |
| C．More attention should be paid to the elderly. |
| D．Fast digitization is making us more lonely. |
4 . Tips for Having Difficult Conversations
“We need to talk.”
In most cases, hearing (or saying) those four words is enough to send shivers down most people’s spines (使人背脊发凉). But whether you need to give negative feedback (反馈) or simply speak about an uncomfortable topic, how can you do it with emotional intelligence?
If you find yourself needing to have a difficult conversation,
1.Follow the three-question rule
Before saying something that you think will be difficult for another person to accept, ask yourself:
·Does this need to be said?
·Does this need to be said by me?
·Does this need to be said by me, now?
If the answer to all three questions is yes, skip (跳过) ahead to step three. But if you only make it to the second question, that means
2.
While criticizing (批评) someone in front of others may be needed in certain circumstances, it’s usually better to speak privately. This shows respect for the other person, and respect causes respect.
3.Consider how you want to communicate
There are a few options here to consider, and you might choose on the basis of various factors, including:
·Your personal relationship with the other party.
·The circumstances.
·Your own strengths and weaknesses.
If possible, try to express your opinion in a helpful way. Additionally, be sure to give the person the chance to express themselves, and how they saw the situation from their perspective (观点).
4.Continue learning
Communication is an art, and
We all need people who tell us what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear. The key is to master the art of tact (圆滑).
And as Sir Isaac Newton put it: “Tact is the skill of making a point without making an enemy.”
| A．I strongly suggest you consider and follow this suggestion |
| B．it takes time and practice to improve |
| C．here are some steps for you to consider to help you out |
| D．There’s much more to consider, but this is a start |
| E．Consider the time and the place |
| F．Avoid criticism at any time and any place |
| G．this needs to be said by you but it can wait, go to step two |
5 . My daughter Eve used to love the Lightning McQueen character from the film ‘Cars’. As a little baby she began to stop and smile every time she saw the character. She was happy when a relative bought her some ‘Cars’ toys.
I knew her interest in ‘Cars’ had disappeared recently; she’s developed new interests since starting school. But when I found myself in a hurry to buy juice cartons(盒装果汁), and the choice was between ‘Disney Princess’ or ‘Cars’ cartons, I took the ‘Cars’ ones.
The next morning she saw a carton go into her lunch bag and took it out. She said it embarrassed her. She told me it was because ‘Cars’ is ‘boyish’. When I said to her that I thought she liked ‘Cars’, she said, very quietly, “I do, but I don’t want anyone to know“. Eve says children should be able to like whatever they want to, but the pressure to behave ‘like a girl’ has got to her.
Children do understand the gendered messages they receive. They understand the gender rule ‘This is for boys and that is for girls, ‘in the same way as other kinds of social rules. The period between birth and age 7 is called The Imprint Period, because this is when children learn about everything around them. They accept much of it as true. It’s one of the reasons gender-stereotyped(性别刻板印象的)toys can be so damaging.
From the moment they are born, children are expected to live up to expectations of what it means to be a boy or a girl. It’s easy to see that they are influenced by the way toys are marketed. Children accept what their world tells them, so it’s necessary to change the harmful stereotypes they are being sold.
1. Why did the author buy ‘Cars’ cartons?| A．She chose them only out of habit. | B．She loved the characters in ‘Cars’. |
| C．She had no choice but to take them. | D．She tried to stimulate Eve’s interest. |
| A．She wanted it stored by her mother. | B．She disliked being the envy of others. |
| C．She lost interest in the ‘Cars’ carton. | D．She didn’t want to be laughed at by others. |
| A．They learn how to tell right from wrong. | B．They turn a blind eye to the surroundings. |
| C．They can be easily affected by social rules. | D．They care too much about others’ thoughts. |
| A．Let Toys Be Toys | B．Girls Will Be Girls |
| C．Toys for Boys Only | D．Let Rules Be Rules |
6 . Talking to someone on a train, bus, or subway can be risky yet exciting, as you never know when they’re going to get off. Starting a connection can be fun as the costs are fairly low and you can easily start and stop a conversation, or get off if things become awkward.
Make eye contact. Making brief eye contact can show the persons that you’re interested and help you judge whether they are interested in you. Glance at the persons and try to hold your gaze (注视) for just a second or two.
Smile at the persons. If you’ve successfully met their gaze, smile at them.
If you want to start a conversation with the persons, smiling is a great way to get somebody’s attention.
Approach the persons to start talking to them.
| A．Use open body language. |
| B．Mind your manners while talking. |
| C．Notice how they respond to your gaze. |
| D．Don’t worry because you can follow some tips that make you smile. |
| E．Once you’ve read that the persons are interested in chatting, make a move. |
| F．A small but sincere smile makes you appear interested, friendly and approachable. |
| G．Therefore, try to get someone’s attention and start a conversation by following the tips. |
7 . When romantic partners argue over things like finances, jealousy, or other interpersonal issues, they tend to employ their current feelings as fuel for a heated argument. But thinking about the future helps overcome relationship conflicts, according to a University of Waterloo study just published online in Social Psychological and Personality Science. Alex Huynh, a doctoral candidate in psychology is the lead author of the study, which he published with Igor Grossmann from the University of Waterloo, and Daniel Yang from Yale University.
Previous research has shown that third-perspective reasoning can be a positive strategy for reconciliation (调解) of interpersonal struggles. Huynh and his collaborators investigated whether similar benefit can be induced by simply thinking about the future. Study participants were instructed to reflect on a recent conflict with a romantic partner or a close friend. One group of participants were then asked to describe how they would feel about the conflict one year in the future, while another group was asked to describe how they feel in the present.
The team examined participants’ written responses through a text-analysis program for their use of pronouns — such as I, me, she, he. These choices of pronouns were used to capture participants’ focus on the feelings and behaviour of those involved in the conflict. Written responses were also examined for forgiveness and reinterpreting the conflict more positively, both of which implied the participants’ use of reasoning strategies.
The researchers found that envisioning future relationship affected both participants’ focus on their feelings, and their reasoning strategies. As a result, participants reported more positivity about their relationship altogether, especially when study participants extended their thinking about the relationship a year into the future.
“Our study demonstrates that adopting a future-oriented perspective in the context of a relationship conflict — reflecting on how one might feel a year from now — may be a valuable coping tool for one’s psychological happiness and relationship well-being,” said Huynh.
1. What do romantic partners do in face of most disagreements?| A．They lose faith in their future. | B．They focus on their present feelings. |
| C．They look forward to a fierce conflict. | D．They care more about financial problems. |
| A．Caused. | B．Explained. |
| C．Reduced. | D．Improved. |
| A．All the study participants described how they felt both in the present and in the future. |
| B．Study participants described their recent relationship with their romantic partners or friends. |
| C．A text-analysis program was employed to examine participants’ use of negative words. |
| D．The reasoning strategies in participants’ written responses were well worthy of note. |
| A．You have a year to solve your interpersonal problems! |
| B．Thinking about future is essential for relationship maintenance! |
| C．Your current feelings are the real cause of your heated arguments! |
| D．Beneficial reasoning is a positive strategy for reconciliation! |
8 . 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. |
| A．Clearness. | B．Appreciation. | C．Authority. | D．Assistance. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
9 . People sometimes think of moving among people and talking to them at a dinner party like it’s a mechanical process. I know some advice on it can give the impression that you need to approach it that way.
In my experience, at parties it’s best to go with the flow, talk to the people who look interesting to you, and see where the night takes you.
For whatever reason, two metaphors (暗喻) come to mind when I think about talking to people at parties.
The second metaphor is that I picture people at a party as a bunch of ping pong balls floating in a basin of water, and moving around on the surface. For a time a few balls may come together, but then they’ll break up and maybe temporarily group with a few others.
| A．If you want to try, go for it |
| B．In practice it’s not really a matter of that |
| C．The first is to see a party like a fairground |
| D．Again, go to a party intending to just move along like this |
| E．I will spend the party making the rounds and speaking to people |
| F．Basically, the movement of people from group to group is not planned |
| G．You’ll decide if you have a better time when you keep chatting to the funny friends |
10 . Video conferencing has been around for more than 20 years. Until the Covid-19 pandemic, though, you would find that many people needing to attend a meeting remotely would be calling from a real conference room full of their teammates. Today, we're routinely holding video conferences that are 100% virtual (虚拟).And this is creating a problem that technology can't fix.
The problem is us, specifically the fact that we haven't evolved socially to the point where we can bear much separation. So much of our well-being and work productivity is decided on how close we are physically. The removal of that for any period of time can be severely damaging. One surprising victim of social distancing is laughter
Normally people laugh about 18 times per day. And 97% of that time we're laughing with others - we are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than to laugh alone. Think about it: how often when you and your friends laugh at something, is that something actually funny? Research shows that 80% of what people laugh at is really not that funny.
So why do people laugh? They laugh in order to laugh with others. Just as everyone starts yawning (打哈欠) when just one person yawns, most people can't help but laugh when those around them do. This is why TV comedy shows often use prerecorded laugh tracks.
Laughing in response to other people's laughing is not just a behavioral phenomenon. When we laugh, our body produces two key chemicals: endorphin which helps relieve pain and sets off feelings of pleasure, and dopamine which can improve learning, motivation and attention. In fact, studies show that people can stand 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand. Laughter is also associated with higher motivation and productivity at work.
In today's home-alone, virtual-team world, this is exactly what you as a team leader should be doing: for your team members to stay healthy and productive, you need to get them to laugh more and stress less.
1. What is the problem mentioned at the start of the text?| A．Physical weakness. | B．Lack of technology. |
| C．Social distancing. | D．Reliance or virtual conference. |
| A．laugh tracks are popular | B．laughing is uncontrollable |
| C．laughing starts with yawning | D．laughing comes more easily in groups |
| A．Why laughing is important to work. |
| B．How laughing keeps us physically healthy. |
| C．Whether laughing is a behavioral phenomenon. |
| D．What chemicals our body produces when we laugh |
| A．Concrete steps to produce laughter in a team. |
| B．Other factors that may influence a team's health. |
| C．Ways to tell the real world from the virtual world. |
| D．The importance of maintaining work productivity. |
