We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What’s the problem? It’s possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It’s more likely that none of us start a conversation because it’s awkward and challenging, or we think it’s annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it’s an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can’t forget that deep relationships wouldn’t
even exist if it weren’t for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. ＂Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,＂ he explains. ＂The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.＂
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. ＂It’s not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,＂ says Dunn. ＂But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.＂
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. ＂Small talk is the basis of good manners,＂ he says.
1.What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?
A. Addiction to smartphones.
B. Inappropriate behaviours in public places.
C. Absence of communication between strangers.
D. Impatience with slow service.
2.What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?
A. Showing good manners. B. Relating to other people.
C. Focusing on a topic. D. Making business deals.
3.What does the coffee-shop study suggest about small talk?
A. It improves family relationships. B. It raises people’s confidence.
C. It matters as much as a formal talk. D. It makes people feel good.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. Conversation Counts B. Ways of Making Small Talk
C. Benefits of Small Talk D. Uncomfortable Silence
My daughter Kelly is a cautious person. She needs to warm up to situations, and is hesitant to try new things. But this has been a year of firsts for my girl that has filled her with a new sense of confidence. This year she moved to lap lane in swimming where she was preparing for a swim team. This year she learned to ride a bike without training wheels. And this year she completed her first kids’ triathlon (三项全能).
On Saturday, with a thunderstorm coming soon and my son’s birthday party later in the day, we all went out in the dark of the morning for Kelly to participate in her first triathlon. We practiced transitions from swim to bike to run with her, we got all the equipment she’d need, and we kept talking about the race. But as we waited the two hours for the older kids to finish before her turn, she held my leg a little harder and told me she loved me a few too many times. She was nervous but trying to keep it together.
And then it was her turn. From the second she jumped into the water, my heart soared. My daughter transformed into the most confident human being I had ever seen. She dominated that swim, crushed that bike ride and ran to the finish with the biggest smile on her face.
I can honestly say that I never felt so proud of someone in my entire life. It wasn’t because she did a sport or anything like that. It was because she was afraid of something and conquered that fear with confidence and a fire I hadn’t seen before.
I kept looking at her with smile. She might be wearing the finalist medal but I felt like I won that day. I won the chance to see my girl shine.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?
A.The race began in the early morning.
B.Kelly prepared for her brother’s birthday party.
C.Kelly was eager for her turn in the race.
D.The whole family gave Kelly support.
2.Seeing Kelly’s performance in the race, the author felt_________.
A.worried and hesitant B.excited and proud
C.anxious and uneasy D.curious and concerned
3.In Paragraph 4, the underlined word “conquered” probably means_________.
A.to succeed in dealing with or control something
B.to take control of an area and its people by force
C.to become very popular or successful in a place
D.to defeat someone especially in a competition
4.In the ending paragraphs the author felt like “I won that day” because Kelly___________.
A.expressed love to her B.won the gold medal
C.overcame the fear D.took part in the sport
Coronaviruses(冠状病毒) are a large group of viruses. They consist of a core of genetic material(遗传物质) surrounded by an envelope with protein spikes(蛋白棘突). This gives it the appearance of a crown. Crown in Latin is called “corona” and that’s how these viruses get their name. In this text, we’ll take a quick look at what’s currently known about the virus.
Covid-2019
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, first reported December in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, has quickly spread across the country and around the world. It initially occurred in a group of people with pneumonia(肺炎) who’d been associated with a seafood and live animal market in the city of Wuhan.
Intermediate hosts: The Covid-2019 may originate in bats, a team led by renowned Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli said earlier, while the intermediary host remains unknown.
Incubation period(潜伏期): usually 1-14 days.
Infection: Virus may spread before symptoms show.
SARS-CoV
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus was first identified in China in 2003 .
Intermediate hosts: Bats are the original host. Civet cats serve as an important intermediary that carries virus from the winged mammal to humans.
Incubation period: 2-7 days.
Infection: Virus spread after symptoms show.
MERS-CoV
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS中东呼吸综合征) coronavirus was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
Intermediate hosts: MERS-CoV was travelled from dromedary camel to humans.
Incubation period: 2-14 days.
Infection: Virus may spread before symptoms show.
1.What might be the intermediate hosts of the Covid-2019?
A.Bats. B.Mosquitoes C.Camel. D.Unknown yet.
2.Which kind of coronaviruses spreads after symptoms appear?
A.SARS-CoV. B.MERS-CoV.
C.The Covid-2019. D.All Coronaviruses.
3.What can we learn about coronaviruses ?
A.Bats are to blame for the outbreak of all the three coronaviruses.
B.The Covid-2019, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are all listed as coronaviruses.
C.Mers-Cov were first identified in China.
D.SARS-Cov has a longer incubation period than Mers-cov.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who can join the Road Safety Team?
A.Students in Junior 1 and 2.
B.Students in Senior 2 and 3.
C.Students in Senior 1 and 2.
2.What can students get from Miss Mailer?
A.A book. B.A letter. C.A picture.
3.What activity is the team also organizing?
A.A short quiz.
B.A writing competition.
C.A poster design competition.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What probably is the man?
A.A doctor.
B.A lawyer.
C.An architect.
2.How will the man get to the bus station tomorrow morning?
A.He will walk there.
B.He will go there in his car.
C.His wife will take him there.
3.When will the man take the return bus tomorrow?
A.At 6:30 p.m.
B.At 8:00 p.m.
C.At 9:30 p.m.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the woman say about the sports centre?
A.It was small.
B.It was noisy.
C.It was expensive.
2.Why didn’t the woman stay in the café?
A.It was not clean.
B.The service was bad.
C.She had an appointment.
3.What does the man suggest doing right now?
A.Playing tennis.
B.Going to a club.
C.Swimming in the river.
