1 . Will your happiness differ if you are doing a kind action without any expectation of rewards or with an expectation of rewards? A study by University of Sussex, headed by Dr. Daniel CampbellMeikeljohn, tried to answer that question. He and his partners analyzed over 1, 000 brain scans from other studies related to reactions to making a decision based on kindness. They split the studies based on who was making a decision for altruistic (无私的) reasons and who was making a decision due to the expectation of an obvious reward. The results were interesting.
In both instances, the reward center of the brain lit up on the MRI scans (磁共振成像扫描). Yet, for those who made their decision without any rewards, other areas of the brain lit up as well. Specifically, it lit up the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (前扣带皮层区域), which scientists believe plays a role in emotional regulation. Also, it might aid in maintaining excitement related to an event that creates a positive emotional state.
In one study about the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, it is believed that this brain region could be related to depression if it isn’t developed properly or is dysfunctional. The fact that this part of the brain lights up during acts of generosity and caring without expectation of rewards shows that the altruistic individuals are getting more sustainable pleasure than those motivated by rewards. It also could aid in explaining how it helps depressive individuals feel happier after doing a kind deed.
We live in a society, and no man is a lonely island. We all need each other. For those who genuinely desire to help others regardless of repayment, maintaining a balance of helping others and yourself is very important. It is healthy and necessary to be kind to yourself, as well as to others.
1. Why did the author think the results interesting?A.There are no differences as to the litup area of the brain. |
B.The reward center of the brain lit up in one case alone. |
C.The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex makes no difference. |
D.The reward center of the brain lit up in both cases. |
A.It might help keep calm. | B.It may make a difference to controlling emotion. |
C.It can create positive emotion. | D.It has nothing to do with depression. |
A.Help others regardless of yourself. | B.Treat others and yourself with kindness. |
C.For the sake of yourself, lend a hand. | D.Practise kindness at all costs. |
2 . Living in a modern society has its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you often have to live closer to other people than you would like to. Sometimes, your neighbours make noise that you are not comfortable with.
The best way to solve this problem is to talk with your neighbour first. You should be very polite and ask your neighbour if he knows how thin the walls of your homes are. This way doesn’t criticise (批评) his behaviour; it simply points out that he may not realise how far his sound travels. Tell him that you know that sometimes you make noise as well, but that you do your best to keep it down. Often this will solve the problem right away, but sometimes the neighbour may become angry.
If your neighbour becomes angry with you, there are some more steps you can take. You might write a letter to the neighbourhood committee. Make sure you write down the source of the noise and the time in the letter. They will review the situation and decide whether your neighbour is out of line. Some noise is considered to be reasonable, even if it bothers you. So you may prepare a good pair of earplugs (耳塞).
Even if your neighbour makes too much noise, you don’t have to live your life in discomfort. It’s always a good idea to be friendly with your neighbours. You may clean the rubbish in front of his door. He’s sure to appreciate behaviour like this and be more open to your suggestions about the noise level.
1. What is the first step to deal with the noisy neighbour?A.To buy a good pair of earplugs. |
B.To offer suggestions to the neighbour. |
C.To ask the neighbourhood committee for help. |
D.To tell the neighbour how bad his behaviour is. |
A.terrible | B.loud |
C.proper | D.useful |
A.You should control your noise as well. |
B.You can live comfortably even if there is noise. |
C.Your neighbour may be more friendly than you think. |
D.You should offer some suggestions to your neighbour. |
A.why we should get on well with neighbours |
B.how to relax ourselves in modern society |
C.how to become known among neighbours |
D.what we should do with our noisy neighbours |
3 . How To Stop Bein g A People Pleaser
As a recovering people pleaser, I spent much of my life keeping others happy. Breaking this habit meant stepping on a few toes. However, I’ve become a happier person as a result. Here are some tips I used to stop being a people pleaser.
Identify your priorities. Take a moment to think about why you are trying to learn how to stop being a people pleaser.
Just say “no”. One reason why people pleasers say “yes” to everything is that they fear disappointing others.
Accept yourself. Many people pleasers are insecure about who they are.
Remember that you cannot please everyone. No matter what you do there will always be someone who is unhappy with your choices.
A.Learn to set healthy boundaries. |
B.Don’t mix up your boundaries with others’. |
C.Who are the people that you feel the need to please? |
D.Spend some time learning to love yourself for who you are. |
E.So why bother trying to please everyone if it isn’t possible? |
F.But saying “no” is the best way to take care of your own needs. |
G.That is why the more you seek security, the less of it you have. |
4 . Researchers set up an experiment in which 5-year-olds were tested with their fellows under different circumstances of transparency (透明) and different audiences. They set up a sticker machine that in some settings was transparent, and other settings in which only the giver of stickers knew how many stickers he could give. They had children give out stickers in both settings. The results were striking: children were consistently generous only when the receiver and audience of the stickers were fully aware of the donation options. Children were notably ungenerous when the receiver of stickers couldn’t see the options.
The researchers said, “Children only showed consistently pro-social behavior in our study in the condition when they could see the receiver and their allocations (分配物) were fully visible; in all other conditions, children were statistically ungenerous, giving the receiver the smaller amount of stickers.”
They made the conclusions that at a very early age, children are learning how to position themselves socially. Well before they apprehend the sociology of their networks and what social reputation really means, they think strategically about giving as a function of how they can gain a reputation with a peer as a generous citizen or pro-social agent when the receiver observes them.
Children change their behavior in response to having an audience. Help children give to others in full view, delivering meals to families, and in private, dropping off treats or surprises for those who need support without signing their names. Also, children should be reminded that thank-you notes are lovely but unnecessary to receive. When we give gifts or lend help to others, try to help children remember why—to provide something for another. It really doesn’t have to be recognized. When a thank-you card doesn’t come, it doesn’t make a gift any less valuable or meaningful for those who were lucky enough to receive.
1. What did the researchers discover?A.The givers’ behavior greatly inspired the receivers to help in return. |
B.The children gave out an equal number of stickers in both settings. |
C.The presence of an audience affected children’s decisions to give. |
D.Donating helped children to become more generous in the future. |
A.Observing the givers. | B.Donating more stickers. |
C.Gaining a reputation. | D.Receiving more allocations. |
A.Share. | B.Predict. | C.Confirm. | D.Understand. |
A.To suggest recognizing others’ kindness. | B.To acknowledge the giver’s contribution. |
C.To confirm the benefits of being grateful. | D.To advise inspiring generosity in children. |
5 . Having a good sense of humor makes you more enjoyable to be around.
●Surround Yourself with Humor
You learn more effectively when you fully expose yourself to a subject. Similarly, you can improve your sense of humor by surrounding yourself with humor. Watch stand-up comedians. Listen to programs that amuse you.Read humorous books.
●Learn What Amuses You
●Think About Timing and Audience
You don’t have to be funny all the time, so don’t expect that of yourself. When you catch yourself trying to be funny, slow down. Simply speak slower so you’re not as likely to stop and repeat yourself. Try speaking at 60-70 % of your usual rate.
●
You don’t need to seize every single opportunity to be funny. If you’re in the middle of a bad joke, just end it. “You know what, now that I’m telling it, it’s not as funny as it sounded in my head,” can be a bit of an awkward end and hurt your pride a little bit, but it saves everyone time and patience. In the long run, they’ll respect your taste.
A.Be Creative, Not Silly |
B.Pause in between sentences |
C.There’s a lot of fun out there |
D.You might also do better at work |
E.Know When to Pull the Plug on Yourself |
F.You can also try your hand in the real world |
G.A lot of times, we say things purely to please others |
6 . 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. |
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 . Building Trust in a Relationship Again
Trust is a learned behavior that we gain from past experiences.
Unfortunately, we’ve all been victims of betrayal. Whether we’ve been stolen from, lied to, misled, or cheated on, there are different levels of losing trust. Sometimes people simply can’t trust anymore.
●Learn to really trust yourself. Having confidence in yourself will help you make better choices because you can see what the best outcome would be for your well-being.
●
● You didn’t lose "everything". Once trust is lost, what is left? Instead of looking at the situation from this hopeless angle, look at everything you still have and be thankful for all of the good in your life.
A.It is putting confidence in someone. |
B.Believe in yourself. |
C.Here are some tips for you. |
D.Stop regarding yourself as the victim. |
E.They’ve been too badly hurt and they can’t bear to let it happen again. |
F.Seeing the positive side of things doesn’t mean you’re ignoring what happened |
G.This knowledge carries over in their attitude toward their future relationships. |
As a child, Obaida Omar
About 250 guests attended the dinner, the proceeds(收益) of
“Children did not create this conflict,
“We
On the whole, the dinner was a success. The audience was also full of praise.
10 . Jake and Max Klein are twin brothers who have a passion for volunteering. Their family have always done community
So, Kids That Do Good was
Jake and Max are
A.surveys | B.services | C.duties | D.businesses |
A.sort out | B.play with | C.give up | D.put away |
A.travelling | B.volunteering | C.cooking | D.recycling |
A.Unfortunately. | B.Happily | C.Honestly | D.Gratefully |
A.shy | B.awkward | C.weak | D.young |
A.task | B.ability | C.chance | D.determination |
A.public | B.similar | C.sharp | D.direct |
A.joked | B.blamed | C.denied | D.praised |
A.advised | B.allowed | C.named | D.created |
A.judgment | B.difference | C.comment | D.decision |
A.plan | B.effort | C.project | D.experiment |
A.pleased | B.satisfied | C.amazed | D.interested |
A.connected | B.exposed | C.contributed | D.attracted |
A.familiar | B.patient | C.busy | D.content |
A.remembering | B.describing | C.celebrating | D.building |