2 . 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.

2. Why did Eve take the carton out of her lunch bag?

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.

3. What do kids tend to do during The Imprint Period?

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.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Let Toys Be Toys	B．Girls Will Be Girls
C．Toys for Boys Only	D．Let Rules Be Rules

3 . We are often reminded of Oscar Wilde’s saying that “sarcasm (讽刺) is the lowest form of wit” while forgetting the following “but the highest form of intelligence”. Parents or teachers of teenagers, in particular, may find it hard to believe that it is actually a sign of a flexible and inventive mind.

Yet that is exactly what psychologists and neuroscientists have been arguing. They have found that sarcasm requires the brain to jump through numerous hoops (圈) to arrive at a correct interpretation, requiring more brainpower than literal statements.

If you’re still not convinced that your teen’s love of sarcasm is a thing worth celebrating, consider a recent experiment from Li Huang, a psychologist at Insead’s business school in Fontainebleau, France.

In the experiment, participants were presented with a candle, a pack of matches and a box of tacks (图钉). Their task was to find a way to attach the candle to the wall so that it could burn without dripping wax on the floor. The correct answer is to empty the box of tacks, pin it to the wall, and then place the candle inside a solution that will only come to mind if you are prepared to think about the functions of each object.

Before working on the problem, some participants were asked to recall a sarcastic interaction, while others remembered a sincere or neutral exchange. Quite amazingly, the sarcastic memories more than doubled the participants’ success rate, from around 30% to more than 60%.

It may initially feel like a shock when parents notice their children using sarcasm——a sign, perhaps, of a more adult-like cynicism (愤世嫉俗) that conflicts with their impressions of their children’s youthful innocence. Parents may feel particularly helpless when dealing with a teenager who uses it in almost all interactions, as if they struggle. to express any sincere emotions.

But should we blame teens for applying this handy tool? Perhaps it’s better seen as the useful practice of a vital ability. Penny Pexman, a psycholinguist at the University of Calgary agrees and it is for this reason that she has produced Sydney Gets Sarcastic, a storybook that provides multiple examples of sarcasm and the reasons it was used. In a recent experiment on 5-to 6-year-olds, she showed that children who read and discussed the story found it easier to detect sarcastic statements in a following test.

1. Why does the author refer to Oscar Wilde’s words at the beginning of the text?

A．To give a definition of sarcasm.

B．To stress the significance of sarcasm.

C．To express his concern about sarcasm.

D．To show the misunderstanding of sarcasm.

2. What can we learn about sarcastic memories from Li Huang’s experiment?

A．They tended to stay long with participants.

B．They offered clues to the problem to be solved.

C．They could force participants to face problems.

D．They contributed greatly to participant’s success.

3. What might parents think of their children’s sarcasm?

A．It shows their innocence.

B．It helps them express emotions.

C．It is not appropriate for their age.

D．It allows them to behave like adults.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To urge parents to learn from their children’s sarcasm.

B．To teach parents how to respond to their children’s sarcasm.

C．To show parents the positive side of their children’s sarcasm.

D．To remind parents to teach their children to use words properly.

5 . Suppose you are out shopping and come across an acquaintance who starts telling you a story that seems to be dragging on and on. You want to seem interested, so you offer the occasional “Oh” or “I see”. To your surprise, though, this person angrily stops in their tracks and says, “Sorry if I’m boring you!”

Where did this come from? Clearly, your body language must have betrayed you. The idea that verbal (口头的) and nonverbal messages can conflict was the inspiration for a recently published study from Yale University’s Lueylle Armentano. As part of her study of communication in relationships, Armentano’s research also examined communication channels in people meeting for the first time.

To test the role of verbal-nonverbal mismatch on emotional communication, Armentano and her partner created experimental conditions to see what happens when someone asks for help from strangers. The research team created videotapes of a fellow Yale student expressing nervousness in his words, bodily gestures, or both. The bodily gestures included running his hands through his hair, grabbing his arm, and facially expressing uneasiness. The key question was whether the other participants, another 82 Yale students, would believe the student and provide the help he was requesting. They needed to give their responses.

Turning to the findings, those nonverbal cues (提示) of nervousness had a greater impact on helping behavior than the verbal cues. Surprisingly, helping behavior was the highest when verbal expressions of nervousness were low but nonverbal cues were high.

Recognizing that your body language can outweigh your words means that you need to be mindful of what your body is doing when you’re interacting with others. Generally, when someone is speaking to you, you want to look like you’re interested. Not only should you maintain eye contact, but you should keep your body still and face toward the other person. If you’re not trying to look interested, it may be more polite to say you have to be somewhere else.

1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The obvious advantages of body language.

B．A situation where body language is a must.

C．An example of verbal-nonverbal mismatch.

D．The proper way to interact with old friends.

2. What were the 82 Yale students asked to do?

A．Express nervousness in their words.	B．Identify the types of body language.
C．Try to win the nervous student’s trust.	D．Respond to the nervous student’s request.

3. What played the most important role in helping the student win kindness?

A．His sincere verbal expressions.	B．His bodily gestures of nervousness.
C．His positive attitude to nervousness.	D．His good manners in front of others.

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

A．Make a prediction.	B．Offer suggestions.
C．Present some facts.	D．Give some warnings.

6 . Honesty is important. However, not everyone seems to think so. Lies and the hiding of truth are commonplace. But when examining the case for honesty, you realize it’s a better option. Here are the reasons why the value of honesty is beyond measure.

It is easier to understand.     1     The other person doesn’t have to second guess what you really mean. And with clarity comes a better understanding of your expectations of them. They know what you would actually like them to do.

You are more likely to get what you want. We often hide our true desires or preferences rather than speak out the truth. But when we are completely honest with ourselves and others, we encourage the right actions that lead to what we want.     2     You may not get your way every time. But at least you’ll get your way sometimes or a middle ground will be reached that suits you both.

    3     There is no need to remember what you lied about and to whom. You can be confident that you have said what was true in the moment you said it. Now, don’t confuse simple with easy. Being honest is not always easy.     4    

It is better for your inner peace. Lying doesn’t come easy for most people. When you cheat others, it can feel like you are going against your values. Not only that, but as soon as you lie, you will live with the fear of that lie being discovered. That’s a mentally tiring thing.     5     Of course, you may feel slightly bad if you have to tell someone an uncomfortable truth, but that won’t last long.

A．Telling the truth is simple.

B．It is the best way to prove your honesty.

C．Instead, it is so hard that no one can do it.

D．When we speak up, the other person is more likely to listen.

E．Honesty, though not always easy, doesn’t carry such burdens.

F．When you are clear in what you think, there’s no grey area for confusion.

G．Actually, it can be hard when you tell others what they don’t want to hear.

7 . Everybody wants to hang out with fun people. Nobody wants to be classified as “boring”. It’s just that some of us need a little help in this department. Being fun to hang out with fun people starts with developing healthy self-esteem (自尊) , an adventurous spirit, and a kind personality.     1    .

Be confident.     2    . Before you even begin trying to become a fun person, you have to believe you can be a fun person. Nothing is wrong with believing in yourself, and it’s looked up to but never looked down on. Most confident people have insecurities.

Show interest. Listen and show kindness to others during conversation. If people think they can talk to you about anything, they’ll invite you to hang out more often.     3    . If you ignore people or always talk about yourself, they won’t invite you anymore.

    4    . Focus on the positive aspects of your life, what you are looking forward to, or what you want to do. We all know that sadness needs company, but if you are unhappy all the time, others won’t want to hang out with you.

Smile. Looking the part of a fun person is half the battle, and it’s not even really much of a battle because once you get the hang of it, smiling just becomes a reflex, and an attractive one at that.

Learn how to “hang out”.     5     . Some people like to just sit around casually, watch TV, play games, or just talk. For others, hanging out can mean doing interesting activities outside the home. Figure out what your friends consider hanging out to be and then tailor your interests to that crowd.

A．Be positive

B．Hold the conversation

C．Don’t control the conversation

D．Have a healthy sense of self or good self-esteem

E．Hanging out means the same thing to every person

F．All of this will make you an ideal person to hang out with

G．Hanging out can mean different things to different people

8 . Handling difficult co-workers in an office environment is a headache. Avoiding them at work is sometimes not an option, so many people wonder how to deal with them, and perfect solutions can’t come too soon.     1    .

Go to H.R.

Whether you have a formal Human Resources department or just one person who supervises everyone, there should be someone who’s in charge of employee peace-keeping. You can talk to this person.     2    . For example, don’t say, “This person is driving me crazy!” Instead, you should say, “This person habitually asks me to do her work while she visits chat rooms.”

Address the offending party directly.

If your co-workers do something that you object to, speak up. Politely but firmly say that you don’t want to do their extra work, or tell them whatever else is on your mind.     3    , but you may if you keep trying. And you’ll also get the benefit of speaking your mind.

Let it roll off your back.

    4    , you may choose to get better at ignoring them. This may seem difficult at first, but there’s something more serious for choosing your battles. If you are dealing with someone who tells your secrets around the office, stop sharing them. If you’re dealing with someone who has offensive manners, stay at a comfortable distance.

    5    .

If you’ve tried the tips above but they don’t work, you may consider changing jobs. It’s sad if things have to come to this, but you wouldn’t have to seek a job if you didn’t have a difficult co-worker prompting you to make a change. Maybe, there are potential positives in your new position. The trick is to find them.

A．Look for a new job

B．Try to seek jobs in a creative way

C．If your co-workers realize their problems

D．You may not get a positive response at first

E．If the co-workers don’t affect you too much

F．If you do, be specific about what is upsetting you

G．Fortunately, there are some basic ways that can work

9 . 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