Believe it or not, one of the most important communication skills is listening! 1., but if you don't listen carefully when others speak, you're losing out in a big way. Good communication requires not only speaking your piece, but the exchange of ideas is an essential component.
Many people fail to recognize the importance of improving listening skills in making friends. 2.It's only natural—we all have a lot to say about ourselves and our interests, right? But asking questions of another person and then listening carefully is a good way to break the ice and make friends. And it's also an excellent way for you to learn something new.
3.. Make a point of going and talking to the girl wearing a Save the Whales T-shirt. Although this person may be shy, try to draw her out of her shell. Ask her a question about the whale's plight（困境）and listen to what she says. It's likely you'll make a new friend as well as learn several new facts.
In the class that you're sure will put you to sleep, try listening closely to what the speaker is saying. Chances are good that you only find it dull because the speaker doesn't communicate well or you are simply not interested.4.You'll not only find your listening skills improving, but you'll also benefit the speaker and probably receive a better grade!
5. Focus your mind on learning what others think and you'll gain a reputation as a great conversationalist. You'll not only make some new acquaintances, but you'll also be truly amazed at what you learn!
A.They usually tend to show kindness by talking warmly
B.Let's say you're at a party where you know few of the guests
C.So, asking questions in class can benefit students a lot academically
D.You may be the finest speaker around
E.In short, the best way to improve listening skills is to engage yourself in conversation
F.Ask a question that makes him want to clarify his point
G.They love to talk about themselves
The human eye can physically perceive(感知) millions of colours. But we don't all recognise these colours in the same way.
Colour perception is less about seeing what is actually out there and more about how our brain interprets colours to create something meaningful. The perception of colour mainly occurs inside our heads and is closely related to personal experience.
Different languages and cultural groups carve up the colour spectrum differently. Some languages like Dani, spoken in Papua New Guinea, and Bassa, spoken in Liberia, only have two terms, dark and light. Dark roughly translates as cool in those languages, and light as warm. So colours like black, blue, and green are cool colours, while lighter colours like white, red, orange and yellow are warm colours.
Remarkably , most of the world's languages have five basic colour terms. Cultures as diverse as the Himba in the Namibian plains and the Berinmo in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea employ such five term systems. As well as dark, light, and red, these languages have a term for yellow, and a term that represents both blue and green. That is, these languages do not have separate terms for “green” and “blue” but use one term to describe both colours, a sort of “grue”.
Historically, Welsh had a “grue” term, namely “glas”, as did Japanese and Chinese. Nowadays, in all these languages, the original “grue” term has been restricted to blue, and a separate green term is used. This is either developed from within the language—as is the case for Japanese—or through lexical borrowing, as is the case for Welsh.
The way we perceive colours can also change during our lifetime. Greek speakers, who have two fundamental colour terms to describe light and dark blue (“ghalazio” and “ble”)，tend to see these two colours as more similar after living for long periods of time in the UK. There, these two colours are described in English by the same fundamental colour term: blue.
This is because after long term everyday exposure to an English-speaking environment, the brain of native Greek speakers starts interpreting the colours “ghalazio” and “ble” as part of the same colour category.
1.Which of the following can be best used to describe colour perception?
A.Subjective. B.Realistic.
C.Reliable. D.Helpful.
2.What did the original grue term in Chinese represent?
A.Glas. B.Green.
C.Blue. D.Green and blue.
3.What is the probable reason that there are no terms for light and dark blue in English?
A.English speakers can hardly perceive the color blue.
B.The two colours make little difference to English speakers.
C.There is no need to distinguish between the two colours.
D.The two colours are not so important to English speakers.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Colour Terms Vary from Country to Country
B.Languages Change What Colours We See
C.Languages Influence the Ability to Perceive Colours
D.Colours Change with Language Development
People who volunteer because they want to help others live longer than people who don't volunteer at all. But on average those who volunteer mainly for some sort of personal benefit live no longer than non-volunteers, University of Michigan researchers found.
“On the surface, volunteering seems to be a purely selfless act. But, in fact, people volunteer for a wide range of reasons," said Sara Konrath, the lead author of the study.
Konrath and his colleagues analyzed the data that were collected in 2014 and included 3,376 men and women who were about 65 years old at the time. Overall, they found that 57 percent of those surveyed reported doing at least some volunteer work in the past 10 years.
Participants were contacted again four years later, in 2018. Researchers found that just 2.3 percent of the volunteers had died, compared to 4.3 percent of non-volunteers.
What really made a difference were people's motives for volunteering, the researchers found. The more people wanted to help others, the more likely they were to be alive after four years. Those who considered motives related to personal benefits more important were more likely to die. In fact, those who volunteered for personal benefits were just as likely to die as those who didn't volunteer at all. These reasons included volunteering because they enjoyed the social contact, to get out of the house, to escape their own problems, or to explore their own strengths.
“Our analysis clearly shows the importance of motives when considering the health benefits of volunteering, Konrath said. “And research has shown that concern about others helps us tap into the same system that operates in mothers and other caregivers. Basically, this system restores physiological function and promotes well- being."
In the meantime , Konrath says the current finding suggests it may be a poor idea to encourage people to think of volunteering as an exchange rather than something you do for other people.
“Of course, it's reasonable for volunteers to expect some benefits for themselves, but the potential health benefits of volunteering are significantly reduced if self- benefit becomes a person's main motive," she said.
1.Why did Konrath and his colleagues conduct the survey?
A.To see how volunteering affected one's health.
B.To give the participants volunteering opportunities.
C.To teach the participants how to live longer.
D.To contact the participants again four years later.
2.According to the text, how much people benefit from volunteering depends on__________.
A.how many people they help B.how much they do for others
C.how many personal benefits they get D.how much they want to help others
3.What does the underlined word “exchange” in Paragraph 7 refer to?
A.Help from others. B.Thanks from others.
C.Personal benefits from volunteering. D.Communication between volunteers.
4.Which of the following may have an effect on our health?
A.Ages for volunteering. B.Motives for volunteering.
C.Ways of volunteering. D.Decisions about volunteering.
Laughter fills the room as Claire Conza distributes balls of wool to a bunch of women gathered in a Birkenhead cafe on a Wednesday morning.
Conza, 34, is the founder of Make Give Live, a social enterprise that’s brought together about 40 women in five groups to knit(编织)hats. Her “makers” meet each week or fortnight. “We swap finished hats for new wool and patterns to keep them busy until the next catch up,” she says.
Since starting up last year, Make Give Live has sold more than 400 woollen hats on a “buy one—give one” model, so another 250 hats have been given to the homeless or elderly people through partnerships with Lifewise and Age Concern, with more donations to come.
But for Conza, the movement is about more than making hats—she sees Make Give Live as a way to connect communities, share good times and improve well-being. “There’s a magical interaction between the generations within our groups. Our older members are enriched by using their knitting skills to teach younger people. Our younger members have new methods to share and get to create something for their community.”
Makers are also enjoying the health benefits of knitting, which Conza says offers many of the same benefits as meditation(冥想). “The rhythmic movements and sense of focus can help keep from symptoms of anxiety, pressure, and stress.”
“I found so many benefits in the mindful process of knitting and the joy of creating something useful and beautiful, at a time when I wasn’t able to do much else. I decided if it worked for me, others would also benefit, and Make Give Live was born,” she says.
“A social enterprise is a hybrid of a charity and a business,” says Conza. “It’s about having the head of a business, the heart of a charity and the hands of the community. The key to its existence is recognizing people for their efforts so they are able to stay involved.
1.Which of the following best explains how the “buy one—give one” model works?
A.A new hat will be made when one is sold.
B.A buyer buys one hat and gets one free.
C.One hat is bought to give it to a person in need.
D.For each hat sold one is given to a person in need.
2.Why does Conza consider Make Give Live more than making hats?
A.It provides warm hats for people of all ages.
B.It helps to develop the members' knitting skills.
C.It creates a good relationship in the community.
D.It introduces new methods for creating better hats.
3.According to the text, what effect does knitting have on people?
A.It makes them relaxed. B.It makes them hopeful.
C.It makes them energetic. D.It makes them courageous.
4.What does the underlined word “hybrid” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.Branch. B.Standard.
C.Mixture. D.Boundary.
Find Your Liberal Arts College (文理学院)
Smith College
Smith is a liberal arts college where women's minds matter. Our small classes, picturesque campus and open curriculum attract students from all over the world.
Smith College began more than 140 years ago and is a distinguished liberal arts college committed to providing the highest quality undergraduate education for women to enable them to develop their talents and to participate effectively and fully in society.
Shimer College
For 150 years Shimer has prepared students with a classical liberal arts education. Consider the differences： All original sources. All discussion classes of twelve or less. No lectures. No tests. Classes follow the Socratic Method—professors ask questions that challenge students to express and support their ideas. Learning is a constant dialogue where every opinion, every position is questioned and analyzed.
Swarthmore College
A liberal arts college of 1,500 students near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is recognized internationally for its climate of academic excitement and commitment to bettering the world.
Aside from offering valuable academic experiences, what's unique about learning at Swarthmore? Your first semester is pass-fail, so you can learn for learning's sake. We have a one-of-a-kind Honors Program. And where else can you explore a liberal arts curriculum paired with an engineering program?
Pine Manor College
Minutes away from downtown Boston, Pine Manor College consistently ranks among the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the nation and among the top 15 for small class size among liberal arts colleges. Affordable private education for women, Pine Manor College offers students a personalized education grounded in the liberal arts tradition. At PMC, students receive individualized academic, social, and financial support to achieve their goals.
1.Which college would you like to go to if you enjoy learning through talking?
A.Pine Manor College. B.Shimer College.
C.Swarthmore College. D.Smith College.
2.What is special about Swarthmore College?
A.There is an engineering program for students.
B.Students needn't worry about failing a test.
C.It is larger than any other liberal arts college.
D.Students can learn engineering instead of liberal arts.
3.What is the similarity between Pine Manor College and Smith College?
A.They are small colleges. B.They are expensive colleges.
C.They are women's colleges. D.They have the same history.
假设你是学生会主席李华，为了鼓励同学们爱国读书，向优秀榜样学习。学校委托你邀请优秀校友，第24届中国青年五四奖章获得者Ms. Wei 回校演讲以激励同学们激扬青春，逐梦前行。请你写一封邀请函。
内容需包含以下几点：
1. 对其获奖表示祝贺。2. 说明邀请其演讲的目的。3. 告知演讲的时间和地点。
注意：1. 字数100字左右。2. 可适当增加细节，以便行文连贯。3. 开头和结尾已经写好，不计入字数。
参考词汇：National May Fourth Youth Medal中国五四青年奖章
Dear Ms.Wei,
I am Li Hua,president of the students union of our school.
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Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
