1 . How to communicate effectively?

No matter your age or background, effective communication is a valuable skill. It’s also a skill that everyone can learn. Knowing how to communicate well comes in handy when it’s time for a heart-to-heart chat with a friend. Skillful communication can even turn a potential fight into a productive talk. The finest leaders have always been good communicators, whether in education, business or politics.    1    

Remove distraction.

Turn off the television, laptop and any other electronics that could distract from communication. If a call or text comes through on your cellphone when you are talking or listening to someone, turn it off without looking at it.    2     It can easily ruin your efforts to communicate.

    3    

Never try to be amusing at the expense of other people. Whether you mean to or not, disrespecting others will hurt the communication process. If you’re unsure if something is appropriate, you probably shouldn’t say it.

Communicate eye-to-eye.

Eye contact is the most important form of body language. It shows interest and helps convince people that you can be trusted. During a conversation, it is important to meet others’eyes, using just as much eye contact as feels natural.    4    Too much eye contact is seen as rude in certain cultures, and meeting eyes can cause some people who have autism to feel very uncomfortable.

Use “I” messages.

When raising concerns, try to start your sentences with “I” instead of “You”, stating clearly how you feel about the situation rather than blaming others. Instead of saying “You’re sloppy,” you might say, “I’m really uncomfortable surrounded by clutter like this. Is there something we can do to deal with it to keep it from being a problem?” “ I”messages improve the chances that listeners will consider your point of view.

Effective communication is a powerful tool that is useful in almost any situation.    5    

A．There are some exceptions, though.

B．Organize and clarify ideas in your mind.

C．Be respectful of other beliefs and cultures.

D．Interrupting a conversation shows a lack of respect.

E．With some practice, you can learn how to communicate well, too.

F．It’s important to choose a setting that makes everyone comfortable.

G．Developing this skill will improve your relationships everywhere you go.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Miyako want to do?

A．Make a call.

B．Send a card.

C．Hold a party.

2. Why does Amada suggest getting together again?

A．To continue the talk.

B．To greet Miyako warmly.

C．To finish the talk.

3 . 假定你是李华，最近你的班级就学生在学习和生活中面临的问题对班上的同学进行了调查。请根据图表，用英语写一篇短文向学校英文报投稿。内容包括：
1.学生面临困难的状况描述；
2.简单评论；
3.你的建议。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.稿件标题已给出，不计入总词数。

What Trouble We Have

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4 . “Shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life that you’d like to,” the Smiths once sang. However, research suggests that may not be the case when working as a team.

Researchers have found that when animals temper their personalities because of social rules, the efficiency of a group to undertake risky missions—such as foraging (觅食) for food—is boosted. “We see this phenomenon happening when we mix together a school of fish with wildly different personalities: the very fearless individuals and the very shy individuals tend to control what they would normally be doing when they stick with the rest of the group,” said Dr. Sean Rands, the lead author of the research at the University of Bristol.

Writing in the journal PLoS Computational Biology, the researchers reported how they built a computer model to investigate the impact of social conventions and animals’ personalities on the movement of individuals within a group. The model was based on an assumption in which a group of animals in a safe “home” set out to travel to a food foraging site some distance away.

The results revealed that when no social conventions were in place, their movements were governed by their personalities alone—in other words how fearless or shy they were determined how quickly they left home and arrived at the foraging site. However, when social conventions were introduced, so that the individuals had to keep an eye on each other and adjust their movements accordingly, the impact of personality reduced with less variation in how quickly they reached the destination. The team found where social conventions were present, the group foraged more efficiently than when individuals behaved independently. “We find that if individuals pay attention to the other members of the group, the group will tend to remain at the safe site for longer, but then travel faster towards the foraging site,” the team wrote.

Rands added that for many social animals, being part of a group can bring huge benefits, and these can outweigh the influence of personality.

1. Why are the Smiths’ words mentioned in paragraph 1?

A．To give an example.

B．To make a comparison.

C．To lead in the topic.

D．To introduce the background.

2. What will individuals do while staying with a group?

A．Adjust their behavior.

B．Take on risky missions.

C．Ignore social rules.

D．Travel to a distant foraging site.

3. What can we infer from the results?

A．Personalities alone determine movements.

B．Individuals prefer to behave independently.

C．Group work increases exposure to potential risks.

D．Social conventions contribute to working efficiency.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Part of a Group

B．Stay True to Yourself

C．Get Rid of Your Shyness

D．Control Your Personalities

5 . How to deal with silent treatment?

Is someone you know giving you the silent treatment? Maybe you did something wrong: you embarrassed or humiliated the other person; You let them down or failed to give them your support when they needed it.    1    .

Be clear about what happened

You probably already know what it was that you said or did.    2    . You could say, “ I feel like there’s a problem between us and that you might be upset with me.” If you do know what happened between you to cause this gap, ask if you can talk.

    3    

Explain that you know what happened between you wasn’t good and that you’d like to be friends again. Ask them what their thoughts and feelings are now about what happened. Acknowledge what they say about how they feel, and then say how you feel. For example, “ I understand why you are upset and that you are angry. I feel sad/upset/bad about what happened, and I’d like to put things right. ”

Take responsibility and apologize

This doesn’t mean taking all the blame.    4    . For example, “ I know you wanted our situation to be kept private and I’ve really upset you by telling other people about it. I’m sorry I did that. I thought that talking about it to others would help me make sense of what was going on.”

Try only once

    5    . You’ve done your best. Now, it is up to them. They may need more time to process what happened between you, so give them some space.

A．But if not, ask.

B．Share your past experiences.

C．Ask about thoughts and feelings.

D．It also means that we should keep it to ourselves.

E．No matter what it is, here’s a handful of ways that will set you in the right direction.

F．If the other person refuses to restart talking to you, there’s nothing else you can do.

G．It simply means admitting your part in any wrongdoing and expressing that you’re sorry.

6 . I moved into my house at the end of last year. I _______ that there was a tree in the front yard. My partner told me they _______ it was a fig (无花果) tree and _______, as the months went by, the tree grew huge leaves and _______ came to fruition. Figs the size of my fist! My partner and I were _______ but we didn’t know what to do with all the figs.

About a week ago, my next door neighbor came and properly introduced himself. He then asked if he could _______ some figs from my tree. Immediately, I _______ him to take as many as he liked. He told me that 12 years ago, the _______ owner of the house I live in now used to be very good friends with him and they planted this very fig tree way back then. I came home one day, to find a fruit box outside my front door. This _______ filled my heart with happiness and gratitude. It ________ me that there are still lively people in the world who want to do something nice for their neighbors.

1.

A．feared

B．noticed

C．believed

D．admitted

2.

A．forgot

B．discovered

C．decided

D．assumed

3.

A．at random

B．worst still

C．most important

D．sure enough

4.

A．constantly

B．temporarily

C．eventually

D．similarly

5.

A．confused

B．excited

C．disappointed

D．annoyed

6.

A．break up

B．tear down

C．pick up

D．make for

7.

A．encouraged

B．warned

C．advised

D．declined

8.

A．previous

B．punctual

C．transparent

D．voluntary

9.

A．friction

B．power

C．gesture

D．competence

10.

A．taught

B．warned

C．invited

D．reminded

7 . Why Talking to Strangers Is Good for You, Them and All of Us

In childhood, we’re told: “Don’t talk to strangers.” But this is short-sighted advice because after we finish high school and move out into the world, everyone we encounter is a stranger. And we’re a social species, which means we need each other.     1     Furthermore, we need to get good at interacting with them, both to get help when we need it and to be of use to them.

Let’s start with actual strangers-like the people you pass on the street. When you look right through someone as if they aren’t there, they feel a little bad.     2     When you give someone eye contact and a smile, it makes them feel good. And you feel good too when they do it back to you.

What about the humans you interact with regularly yet don’t really know, like the e servers at your coffee shop, the clerks at your grocery store, your postal carrier and so on? Show them that they matter by saying “How’s your day going?”     3     When you’re kind to someone, you, they and everyone who observes your interaction will get a lift from your act of kindness.

    4     For years, although it’s hard for me to admit this, I’d drive home after work each day and realize that I didn’t even know my neighbors. So I formed a monthly writing group with some of them in order to experience the real connections that form from hearing each others’ stories.     5     You have the power to make your community stronger like this, and meanwhile, it is good for you, it’s good for them, and it’s good for all of us.

A．The opposite is also true.

B．So we should not avoid strangers.

C．Then there are those like neighbors.

D．Not everyone can make eye contact or smile.

E．Learn their name so next time you can say, “Hey, Breonna. How’s your day going?”

F．But keep in mind that they came to work today and their work makes your life easier.

G．After doing this, we’ve been more able to do what neighbors do, like borrowing sugar or collecting mail when someone’s away.

9 . Each April Thais celebrate their “Thai New Year” with a great water fight on the streets. People throw water at everyone passing by and even block the road so they can enter buses and “paint the faces” of all the passengers. But there are a few people who don’t wish to participate in the fun. When I first experienced this celebration, I was one of them.

The first time our bus was stopped, 4 people coming into the bus intended to paint everyone’s face. I slowly shook my head to say “No, thank you.”, but a man came from behind me and quickly painted my face. Then the other three felt inspired and added a little more “paint” to my face. I didn’t actively stop them for fear that if I did, they would become more aggressive (好斗的) and throw even more water at me and possibly my backpack, which would damage whatever was inside.

Even though it happened only once, emotionally it was very frightening because I felt so powerless. The experience caused me to think a lot about respect and moral autonomy or individual judgment vs “permission” from the authorities. On this day, people of Thailand, including the police, give “permission” for these activities. So what about respect for the individual? If someone does not want to be painted, is it OK to do it anyhow because the majority is having a good time and sincerely believes it is harmless fun, or because the police allow it?

In my opinion, if someone does not want to have something done to them, then you’re supposed to respect their decision. You can’t rely on the authorities or some group to tell you if something is right or wrong or if you should or shouldn’t do something. I believe this is a much healthier way of living with one another in this world.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By raising a question.	B．By making an assumption.
C．By providing a comparison.	D．By supporting a celebration.

2. Why did the author inactively resist being painted?

A．He was afraid of causing conflict.	B．He wanted to protect things in his backpack.
C．The activity got official permission.	D．The majority were in favor of the behavior.

3. What did the author think of the experience?

A．It was unpleasant.	B．It was invaluable.
C．It was informative.	D．It was acceptable.

4. What is mainly conveyed in the last paragraph?

A．Do as you would be done by.

B．Fear always springs from ignorance.

C．When in Rome do as the Romans do.

D．Respect matters in interpersonal communication.

10 . When we hurt someone, we may be unwilling to acknowledge our fault and make an apology because it makes us feel guilty, conflicts with our beliefs about being a good person, or means accepting that we’re imperfect human beings. We may want to excuse our behavior and blame the other person, minimizing our role in hurting him or her.

Researchers carried out a study to find out how we can be better at apologizing. In the study, researchers asked 120 college students to recall a time when they’d hurt someone else and the conflict remained unresolved. Then, participants were randomly assigned to either a 15-minute guided mindfulness exercise focusing on their breath and having people think in the present moment or a guided mind-wandering exercise, where they were encouraged to let their minds wander.

Afterward, they were asked to report how much they felt like apologizing to the person versus not apologizing or offering excuses for their behavior. Then, they were asked to write a note to the person, without instructions to apologize or not. In analyzing the notes, the researchers found that participants who had practiced mindfulness were more likely to write statements like “I’m sorry” or “I apologize” in their notes than those who had mind-wandered.

“One way in which we can foster apologies is by having people think in the present moment,” lead author Sana Rizvi says. “We can teach individuals to be mindful of their present states, and it can be done in about 15 minutes.”

Why might this be the case? Rizvi isn’t sure, as there has been very little research on how being more mindful might affect us when we hurt others. Prior research has found that being more mindful helps victims of wrong doing to be more forgiving, and it seems to improve relationships generally.

Mindfulness makes us feel less defensive and, therefore, helps us consider the importance of the other person in the conflict more. It’s encouraging that teaching simple mindfulness techniques (like focused breathing) could increase apologies, especially in places that are often filled with interpersonal conflicts, like workplaces or other occasions. It could help improve interpersonal interactions and repair relationships helping people move more easily from a place of conflict to understanding and forgiveness.

1. What does the author want to convey in Paragraph 1?

A．It is difficult for us to apologize.	B．It is hard to put ideas into action.
C．It is normal for us to make mistakes.	D．It is useless to regret what we have done.

2. What can we know about the participants in the study?

A．They were bad at handling conflicts.

B．They were encouraged to discuss their trouble.

C．They did something hurtful to others in the past.

D．They received mindfulness training before the study.

3. What conclusion did the researchers draw from the study?

A．Mind-wandering tended to increase conflicts.

B．Mindfulness could help people apologize more.

C．College students are more likely to behave responsibly.

D．College students seem to have better emotional control.

4. What does the author think of practicing mindfulness in workplaces?

A．It is challenging to carry out.	B．It takes time to prove its effect.
C．It solves conflicts once and for all	D．It helps achieve better relationships.

5. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Necessity of apology.	B．Benefits of mindfulness.
C．Apology and mindfulness.	D．Understanding and mindfulness.