Small talk is stressful for even the most easy-going people. 1. Below, small-talk experts share their best advice on developing good chatting skills.
Ask questions.
The key to good small talk is asking the other person a lot of questions. But avoid rapid-fire questions. 2. Be sure to express your own feelings in response to what they share.
Avoid conversation starters like “How have you been?”
You could not ask a more awkward question. A better way to produce meaningful conversation is to add “What is new in your life since the last time I saw you?
Avoid one-word answers.
3. When someone asks you a question, give them something to talk about with you, not a word or two. Fine said, if someone asks you, “How was your summer?”, you can answer, for instance. My summer was great. I’m excited about my vegetable garden. That will give the person something else to ask you about.
4.
Your facial expression and body language should let the other person know you’re truly listening to them. A recent study showed that people who used hand or head gestures received responses to their questions faster than those who didn’t.
Small talk may help you connect with someone new with whom you want to have a more serious talk. 5.
A.You don’t have to be a reporter.
B.Don’t worry about it too much, though.
C.You could not ask a more inconvenient question.
D.It’s the first step to any meaningful relationship.
E.Use your hands to keep the conversation flowing.
F.Don’t be a disappointing person in a conversation.
G.You should make a conversation with people you like.
A team of over 30 Chinese surveyors left the base camp at Mount Qomolangma for a higher spot on its journey to the peak on Wednesday as part of the country’s mission to remeasure the height of the world’s highest mountain.
The remeasurement of the peak’s height is a part of China’s latest large-scale scientific survey of Qomolangma. Preparation of the project was started in early March, with 53 surveyors from the First Geodetic Surveying Brigade (大地测量旅) getting stationed near Qomolangma to carry out adaptive climbing and training in other technical skills, and they are going to the survey on the top of the mountain.
To ensure the accuracy of the measurement, and to work it in a more scientific way, experts from the Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, the Shaanxi Bureau of Surveying, and the China Geological Survey were invited to assist in the technical design and planning of the project from the beginning.
The technical innovation and breakthrough applied in the latest survey include the application of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System and advanced domestic surveying and mapping instruments.
The Chinese government has conducted six large-scale surveys and measurements on Qomolangma in the past few decades; it had successfully measured and announced the height the mountain in 1975 and 2005. Chinese mountaineers and researchers climbed Mount Qomolangma in 1975 to determine its height and concluded that the rock height of the peak was about 8,848.13 meters, and in 2005, the summit measured 8,844.43 meters (29,017 feet).
1.Where does the text come from?
A.A story book. B.A science fiction.
C.A news report. D.A travel guidebook.
2.What ensures the accuracy of the measurement according to Paragraph 3?
A.Inviting many experts to support.
B.Applying adaptive climbing skills.
C.Planning the project in early March.
D.Using the most advanced mapping instruments.
3.Which of the following about the survey is true?
A.83 surveyors worked for the remeasurement.
B.This is the 7th large-scale survey of Qomolangma.
C.30 Surveyors were stationed near Qomolangma.
D.The height of Qomolangma must be shorter than before.
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.The ways of remeasuring Qomolangma.
B.The results of measuring Qomolangma.
C.The technologies applied in remeasuring.
D.China’s remeasurement of Qomolangma.
Smart cities promise to bring better lives, faster transport, cleaner air and lower crime, all through the intelligent use of connected technology, said experts, and after huge investment in the field, China is leading the way.
“China’s smart cities market increases about 30 percent year-on-year in 2018, and all the provinces have begun development and construction for smart cities, with more to follow,” said an expert.
“Although most cities have started a smart city project, there is no globally unified thinking on the concept and operation of smart cities,” said Franco.
Alibaba is now involved in dozens of pilot projects across China, with its open AI (人工智能) platform Tianqing for the ET City Brain system officially launched in September. Set up by its cloud computing subsidiary (子公司), the Brain looks to make the city “think” through AI and cloud computing technologies, and help make the best of public services in real time.
Since introducing the technology, Hangzhou’s traffic jam has fallen from the fifth-worst in China in 2016, all the way to 57th place this year. “Now our experiments are mostly for government use, but we truly expect our open AI platform to enter more areas and help citizens live, work and entertain better,” said Hua.
In McKinsey Global Institute recent report Smart cities: Digital solutions for a more livable future, they find cities can use smart technologies to improve some key quality life by 10 to 30 percent — numbers that translate into lives saved, fewer crime incidents, a reduced health burden, and carbon emissions.
1.What can we say about the smart city?
A.Its concept has not been accepted by people.
B.It can be achieved only by lots of investment.
C.The worldwide standard for it has been established.
D.Its progress in China is among the best in the world.
2.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A.Traffic jam. B.Traffic flow.
C.AI platform. D.Public services.
3.Hangzhou is mentioned as an example to show that _______.
A.its traffic problem has been settled
B.the city has become more intelligent
C.its public services have greatly improved
D.it has made achievements in smart city construction
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Smart Cities are on the Way
B.Outline of the Future Smart Cities
C.Hangzhou’s Construction of Smart Cities
D.Alibaba Contributes More to Smart Cities
The first thing I can tell you about Thabo, my South Africa guide, was that he is the world’s worst driver. From the airport to the heart of the city, he did 100 km per hour, bypassing lorries, motorbikes and taxi-vans crowed with people. The second thing was that he knew everybody and everything about Cape Town. This was good for me.
On the first day, Thabo took me to the suburbs with unpronounceable names — ORanjezicht — from where you can watch the sun go down on Africa. The next day we went to Cape Flats, the run-down township where the buildings were made of cardboard and rusty (生锈的）iron. It was truly vast — nearly a million people live here, side by side. Skinny dogs slid out of the way as Thabo zoomed along roads of mud and rotting rubbish. Some people waved, others stared. Children ran barefoot by the car.
Later that night we walked around the busy Victoria, Cape Town’s most fashionable area. The contrast from the township could not be greater: the smells of cooking rose from the kitchens — Asian, French, Italian. The bars and restaurants were packed, and I soon found out why. Cape Town is a paradise for gourmets (美食家), seafood-lovers and people like me, who just like eating. We went into a charming little pubs, and Thabo told me I couln’t leave Cape Town without trying some Cape seafood, so I did. It’s delicious.
On my final morning, we spent an hour sitting outside a cafe. Then we were driving again, experiencing the diverse landscape — green valleys. It was a great way to say goodbye to a place I knew only too briefly. I promised myself, and Thabo, that I would be back.
1.Why was Thabo considered the worst driver at the beginning?
A.He was a real African guide.
B.He seemed to drive fast riskily.
C.He ignored any vehicle passing by.
D.He greeted whoever he knew while driving.
2.What is the author’s impression of Cape Flats?
A.It is a beautiful area.
B.It is a lovely country.
C.It is an old dirty town.
D.It is a fashionable city.
3.What ddi the author enjoy doing in Victoria?
A.Tasting some tasty sea-food.
B.Driving fast along muddy roads.
C.Observing the sun go down on Africa.
D.Visiting the buildings made of cardboard.
4.How did the author feel when he left Cape Town?
A.Excited. B.Uncaring.
C.Content. D.Disappointed.
Job description
• Teaching group ESL lessons online to Chinese kids 5-15 years old.
• Group classes from 3 or more (12 to 25) students are available for exceptional teachers with an excellent internet connection and computer hardware.
• A variety of courses available including Phonics, Science, STEM, etc.
• Work from anywhere with a computer and stable internet connection
• Set classes semester by semester and allow you to see your students’ progress
Requirements
• A Bachelor’s degree or above
• Must be a holder of TEFL/TESOL/CELTA or a valid teaching license
• Minimum 1-year teaching experience or ESL experience
• Wired, high-speed internet connection
• Responsible, good communication skills and easy-going
Work schedule:
Below times are all in Beijing Time (GMT+8)
Availability within the times shown below would be required
Mon-Fri: Between 5 pm-9 pm Sat-Sun: Between 8:30 am- 9 pm
Term of the contract:
At BlingABC, classes are arranged by semesters, so are the contracts offered to teachers. There are generally 4 semesters: Spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Each semester will come with a contract of different starting date and there will also be differences in the booking rate. Summer and Winter are the most popular semester with more bookings
Now we need teachers for the coming summer semester (starts in July).
1.What can you do in the job?
A.Learning computer skills.
B.Teaching children ESL lessons.
C.Studying different language courses.
D.Ensuring students’ progress in language.
2.If you want to apply for the job, you should ________.
A.have a valid teaching license
B.speak both English and Chinese
C.have rich online teaching experience
D.make the same contract in different semesters
3.What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To promote language courses.
B.To introduce Bling ABC group.
C.To make a summer plan for children.
D.To hire some online English teachers.
假定你是高三学生李华，你的英国朋友Sinan发邮件问你未来的职业规划。请你回复邮件，内容包括：
1. 你的职业规划；
2. 选择该规划的理由；
3. 询问对方的意见。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
