Researchers who study relationships have discovered that a big difference between those who make new friends easily, and those who don’t, is that socially successful people tend to make eye contact with their conversation partners much more frequently than those who are less successful socially. In fact, you may be able to become much more socially successful by making this one simple change to your behavior.
Most Americans prefer to have a lot of eye contact when they are talking with someone. When a person doesn’t make eye contact with them, they tend to think that the person is hiding something or the person doesn’t believe in himself/herself.
When you are having a conversation and you want to leave a friendly impression, be sure to keep looking at that person frequently while you are talking. If it really bothers you to look directly into another person’s eyes, you can gaze generally at, not above, the eyebrow area or the bridge of the nose; this is close enough to the eye region that you will appear to be looking at the person’s eyes. But neither the hair or the shoulders have the same effect. Don’t stare at other people too intensely, otherwise, you will look aggressive(攻击性).
Keep the majority of your focus on the other person. If you glance around the room too much, or look too frequently at other people, your conversation partner may guess that you are looking around for someone else you would rather talk with.
You can lighten your nervousness by smiling more often, nodding, and by gazing at the entire face as well as the eyes. In addition, you can frequently look away for very short periods.
When people get the sense that you are really paying attention to them, they will be much more likely to want to have conversations with you!
1.Which of the following is NOT the impression left by those who don’t make eye contact during the talk?
A.They are not telling the truth. |
B.They are bored with the partner. |
C.They are lacking in confidence |
D.They are angry and ready to attack. |
2. Besides the eyes of the partner, during the talk, you can look at his/her ___________.
A.hair |
B.shoulders |
C.the bridge of the nose |
D.area above the eyebrows |
3. From the passage, we can learn that ____________________.
A.looking away during conversation should always be avoided. |
B.looking at a person frequently can give him/her a good impression. |
C.many Americans feel like being stared at for a long time. |
D.all successful people are good at making eye contact. |
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.How to make yourself socially successful |
B.How to use eye contact to make a good impression |
C.How to make friends with the people around you |
D.How to leave a good impression during a talk |
Dear Michelle,
My mother is not a good example for me and my sister. She smokes, stays out late, and she curses. I love her but I am ashamed of her. I do not want to bring home my friends because she does not act like any of the other mothers. She says I am a loser because I sit at home and I study. I wish I could live in another family that is normal, but that will not be for another 5 years when I am 18 and legal. What am I supposed to do until then?
Prisoner of a Crazy House
Dear 7th Grade,
I am glad that you love your mother because the rest of your feelings about her may change as you mature and get older.
While it is true that your mother’s smoking, partying and cursing bring you shame, the fact that you want to stay separate from her doing is notable and very smart. It shows that you are a winner, not a loser.
I am guessing, therefore, that you do not bring shame to yourself, and that is a good thing. So, keep it that way and keep away from your mother’s habits.
In the meantime, get the best grades as possible and join clubs and after-school activities. Offer social service on weekends and visit with your friends at their homes.
Unfortunately, you are not alone. Many teens live in homes with immature, misguided, selfish parents. Those kids often feel lonely and separate from the rest of their friends because of their parents’ terrible deeds.
Yet, despite this, some of these very teens grow up to be just fine. They develop good friendships with nice kids, do well in school, and often find a teacher of guidance advisor who makes all the difference!
Do it, Miss Winning 13-year-old, and keep looking forward to your own fine future. Maybe by then your mother may even see the light and realize how surprising you really are.
Best luck!
Michelle
1.The kids asks for advice on how to _________.
A.make her mother change |
B.grow up in her present situation |
C.get along well with her mother |
D.start a new family with her sister |
2. Michelle doesn’t call her letter receiver a “Prisoner of a Crazy House” possibly because she ________.
A.tries to be polite |
B.doesn’t write to that kid alone |
C.knows that’s a girl in Grade 7 |
D.wants to cheer up the kid |
3. Michelle advises the girl to ___________.
A.try talking to her mother |
B.get used to the habits of her mother |
C.stick to her attitude towards her mother |
D.improve her relationship with her mother |
4.What does Michelle express by the paragraphs beginning with “Unfortunately” and “Yet”?
A.Many parents act terribly |
B.You’re not speaking for yourself |
C.Parents’ manners make little difference |
D.Don’t worry too much about your problem |
Getting ready for a big test? Want to get some extra energy for your next sports event? Or do you just need to relax? Match the mood you’re in( or the mood you’d like to be in) to the descriptions below and find out what color may help.
Feeling tired: Red can help you meet the demands of a busy day. If you’ve got a tough day ahead, try wearing a red sweater or painting your fingernails a rich red to boost(增加) your energy.
Feeling tense or depressed: Green may give you a sense of peace. Take a long walk through a tree-filled park or read a book in a grassy area.
Wanting to use your creativity: Violet(紫罗兰色) helps increase creativity. Think of a creative project you’d like to start and use the color violet as your main theme.
Experiencing lack of interest: Yellow helps to improve thought process and mental sharpness. Start keeping a diary on yellow notepaper, and get some sunlight on your face.
Needing to boost your imagination: Indigo(靛蓝色) strengthens dream activity. Put on your favorite pair of jeans and a pair of indigo sunglasses.
Feeling sad, self-conscious, nervous: Orange may help start your emotions and make you more social. Buy yourself an orange book bag or purse and carry it with you on the days when you’re feeling low.
Having trouble sleeping: Blue helps calm your nerves and brings relaxation. Buy some blue sheets for your bed and curl up with your favorite magazines for a relaxing night.
1. If you’re trying to calm yourself down, you may ________.
A.wear a red sweater |
B.walk through green fields. |
C.put on a pair of jeans |
D.buy a yellow bag |
2.Which of the following is most helpful in producing unique artwork?
A.Red |
B.Green |
C.Violet |
D.Orange |
3.According to the passage, orange____________.
A.helps fire one’s imagination |
B.helps you deal with people easily |
C.helps have a good rest |
D.helps save energy |
4. If you want to be in high spirits, which colors may help?
A.Red and yellow |
B.Yellow and blue |
C.Green and violet |
D.Blue and green |
Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials to make the light bulb. When none worked successfully, his assistant __36_, “All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing.”
Thomas Edison replied very __37_, “Oh, we have come a long way and we have _38__ a lot. We now know that there are two thousand materials which we cannot _39__ to make a good light bulb.”
If you learn from your mistakes, then you are _40__. If you learn from someone else’s mistakes, then you are a genius. Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines __41__ daily and failure is nothing more than a few small __42_ repeated daily.
How __43_ the above lines are! Success takes __44_. We’ll make mistakes _45__ we do things in too much of a hurry. When we do not practice disciplines in life, we don’t build enough confidence to __46__ new and challenging tasks which are important and matter in life. Our confidence __47__ what we think of ourselves and whether we believe in ourselves. We are all born with exceptional __48__, but only a few really _49___ their true potentials and make efforts in life and the others just lead a(n) _50__ life. Do you want to be exceptional?
Success is a fruit which everyone wants to _51__, but it is not found everywhere and no one can __52_ it without serious efforts.
Those who want to succeed will find a way; those who don’t will find a(n) _53__!
Success depends on previous __54__, and without it we will end in failure.
When you are __55__, please enjoy it and give your hand to others who want to accomplish something.
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---Which of the three optional courses did you like best, Joe?
---To tell you the truth, I didn’t like _______ of them.
A.either |
B.both |
C.any |
D.neither |
Kate ________ on her new novel, which is supposed to come out next month.
A.has been working |
B.had worked |
C.will be working |
D.was working |