1 . When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of lonely self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn't until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn't emerge as a(n)
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of “indifferent relationships", a simple term that summarizes the fact that relationships at work can
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they're especially
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most
The other is
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional
A.burden | B.priority | C.obligation | D.coincidence |
A.long-standing | B.contractual | C.steady | D.interpersonal |
A.affecting | B.enhancing | C.measuring | D.restoring |
A.cause | B.reflection | C.consequence | D.reminder |
A.pretending | B.needing | C.promising | D.hesitating |
A.peculiarly | B.interestingly | C.reasonably | D.decisively |
A.dominant | B.rare | C.significant | D.intense |
A.preferred | B.compulsory | C.additional | D.likely |
A.engaging | B.casual | C.demanding | D.effortless |
A.traditional | B.cautious | C.flexible | D.helpful |
A.image | B.efficiency | C.profit | D.expansion |
A.self-respect | B.self-improvement | C.self-evaluation | D.self-control |
A.resistant | B.unique | C.open | D.essential |
A.feature | B.neutrality | C.reaction | D.conflict |
A.exhausting | B.meaningful | C.fun | D.popular |
2 . I don’t usually watch TV at night. Last Thursday night, I finished my homework early and
The program was about food waste (食品浪费). It asked cooks (厨师) to make meals from food that people threw away (扔掉). The cooks went to
From the program, I learned how much food people throw away every week. It is
People don’t want carrots when they are very big or very small,
The program showed people that food waste is a big problem. We must
A.waited | B.helped | C.decided |
A.activity | B.program | C.competition |
A.libraries | B.museums | C.supermarkets |
A.still | B.only | C.ever |
A.meat | B.fruit | C.cake |
A.terrible | B.difficult | C.expensive |
A.buy | B.pay | C.use |
A.price | B.color | C.size |
A.but | B.so | C.if |
A.save | B.share | C.fight |
3 . Several years ago, Jeremy Clarkson, presenter of BBC television programme discovered one of his guests was half German and half Irish. Immediately, he said, “That’s quite a strange
This joke played on
I recently read on a website that Irish business people were
So why do some people
By definition, a stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. A cultural characteristic, on the other hand, is a pattern of behaviour that is
So what does this really mean? Stereotype are simply overstated assumptions about groups of people. Imagine if a tourist visited a small town in Switzerland and saw a number of locals playing the alphorn instrument, and then
If however, this tourist were to say that the Swiss are very punctual, this could be seen as a cultural
All this raises important questions: Can making generalizations about groups of people be a
A.association | B.combination | C.connection | D.relation |
A.patterns | B.models | C.stereotypes | D.features |
A.understandably | B.extremely | C.deeply | D.enormously |
A.classified | B.specified | C.described | D.thought |
A.indirect | B.conservative | C.emotional | D.direct |
A.disapprove | B.assure | C.accuse | D.remind |
A.nose | B.mouth | C.eyelid | D.lip |
A.normal | B.typical | C.peculiar | D.critical |
A.ensured | B.guaranteed | C.announced | D.claimed |
A.overestimated | B.overstated | C.overused | D.overlooked |
A.characteristic | B.function | C.approach | D.essence |
A.alert | B.mindful | C.patient | D.concerned |
A.Therefore | B.Moreover | C.However | D.Otherwise |
A.humans | B.personalities | C.groups | D.individuals |
A.essential | B.social | C.positive | D.inevitable |
4 . The expression, “Everybody’s doing it,” is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a social influence applied on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a(n)
People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly
For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes a(n)
However, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends are good at contests may be
Although peer pressure is sometimes quite obvious, it can also be so
A.traditional | B.similar | C.peculiar | D.opposite |
A.understandable | B.believable | C.acceptable | D.surprising |
A.disapproval | B.failure | C.absence | D.independence |
A.uncertain | B.practical | C.impossible | D.vague |
A.promotes | B.prevents | C.simplifies | D.increases |
A.challenge | B.inspiration | C.promise | D.addiction |
A.recognize | B.abandon | C.decrease | D.define |
A.avoid | B.encourage | C.decline | D.punish |
A.pressured | B.respected | C.delighted | D.regretted |
A.catch sight of | B.stay away from | C.make fun of | D.keep up with |
A.taught | B.argued | C.urged | D.adapted |
A.knowledge | B.interest | C.assistance | D.influence |
A.specific | B.ridiculous | C.subtle | D.reasonable |
A.consciousness | B.motivation | C.instinct | D.encouragement |
A.motivation | B.danger | C.support | D.achievement |
5 . “Whenever I am in a group of people, I feel like everyone knows what to say except me. When I try to join in, I get anxious and have a struggle
Individuals experiencing this type of social
Fitting into groups of people requires
Some individuals are like chameleon (变色龙) in that they
A.reading | B.pronouncing | C.grasping | D.writing |
A.exposed | B.caged | C.perceived | D.judged |
A.remoteness | B.discomfort | C.event | D.reality |
A.transparent | B.rigid | C.urgent | D.disappointed |
A.insisting on | B.breaking with | C.sticking up | D.talking over |
A.critical | B.effective | C.contradictory | D.tentative |
A.contribution | B.requirement | C.assignment | D.socialization |
A.patience | B.honesty | C.curiosity | D.agreement |
A.sacrifice | B.claim | C.examine | D.present |
A.hobbies | B.approaches | C.views | D.promises |
A.naturally | B.partly | C.vaguely | D.merely |
A.explain | B.support | C.help | D.adapt |
A.conclusion | B.awareness | C.decision | D.point |
A.rewarded | B.removed | C.disconnected | D.connected |
A.resist | B.allow | C.miss | D.undergo |
6 . In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The
How did we
Another cause is our
Our appetite for new products also
All around the world, we can see the
Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions
A.key | B.reason | C.project | D.problem |
A.gifts | B.rubbish | C.debt | D.products |
A.face | B.become | C.observe | D.change |
A.hide | B.control | C.replace | D.withdraw |
A.Thanks to | B.As to | C.Except for | D.Regardless of |
A.safe | B.funny | C.cheap | D.powerful |
A.love | B.lack | C.prevention | D.division |
A.sensitive | B.kind | C.brave | D.busy |
A.ways | B.places | C.jobs | D.friends |
A.donate | B.receive | C.produce | D.preserve |
A.adapts | B.returns | C.responds | D.contributes |
A.tired of | B.addicted to | C.worried about | D.ashamed for |
A.newer | B.stronger | C.higher | D.larger |
A.pick up | B.pay for | C.hold onto | D.throw away |
A.advantages | B.purposes | C.functions | D.consequences |
A.show | B.record | C.decrease | D.measure |
A.technology | B.environment | C.consumers | D.brands |
A.However | B.Otherwise | C.Therefore | D.Meanwhile |
A.by | B.in favour of | C.after | D.instead of |
A.spending | B.collecting | C.repairing | D.advertising |