A fellow speaker from California named Geri flew to Japan, in her favourite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at Narita Airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Geri took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly.
When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Geri to tea in the lobby (大厅). While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, “Oh, it's beautiful！”
At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said “Sayonara” and left immediately. Poor Geri was left astonished. What did she do wrong?
Everything! Her jeans were the first gaffe. Even if you're coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet clients (客人) casually dressed. The second mistake was Geri's handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Geri put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other's cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safe keeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect.
Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Geri hadn't even given them a gift!In the four Japanese gentlemen's eyes, Geri took their cards ________．
| A．disrespectfully | B．embarrassingly |
| C．politely | D．excitedly |
Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly?
| A．Because they had finished the task. |
| B．Because they couldn't bear Geri's behaviour any longer. |
| C．Because Geri had something more important to do. |
| D．Because Geri felt embarrassed. |
What does the underlined word “gaffe” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．ignorance. | B．mistake. |
| C．sadness | D．carelessness. |
The third mistake Geri made was that she ________．
| A．used her own card as a conversation starter |
| B．took her clients' cards with one hand |
| C．met her clients in jeans |
| D．kept her clients' cards in a wrong place |
What lesson can we draw from this story?
| A．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| B．Think twice before you take any action. |
| C．Honesty is the best policy. |
| D．Don't claim to know what you don't know. |
It was 9:00 am already! Richard had to leave for work! Before leaving he hurriedly looked at the newspaper and stood still! Is he seeing it right? He rubbed his eyes and saw again… Yes,it was his name in the obituary (讣告)! He threw the paper in the bin and screamed.
Richard started to recollect. He remembered that last night when he went to bed he had a chest pain and he was rushed to hospital. Then he went into a sound sleep. But what happened after that?
He could suddenly see his living room filled with people… all in tears; his mom, his wife and his children. He also saw his best friend, the one he had a serious misunderstanding a few days ago. He wanted to say “Sorry” to him… but now no one could hear his voice.
He wondered how he could tell his mom that he felt so thankful to have her in his life! He wanted to tell his children how much he loved them. He wanted to tell his wife how much he loved her; he felt sorry to have hurt her sometimes.
Richard started crying and pleading to God for one LAST chance! “God, one last chance, please”, shouted Richard and opened his eyes.
Oh, this was a dream!
He woke up; looked around everywhere. He was on his bed; his wife lay beside him, deep in sleep. Richard whispered in her ears, “You are the best thing to have ever happened to me!”
He went up to the window, looking outside. Yes, everything was just the way he has been knowing so long. He decided to meet up his friends and clear all misunderstandings; he also decided to tell everyone who mattered to him all that has remained unsaid so far!When Richard saw his name in the newspaper, he felt _________.
| A．sad | B．worried | C．regretful | D．shocked |
Richard felt sorry to his wife because _________.
| A．he hurt her sometimes |
| B．he misunderstood her |
| C．they had a quarrel the other day |
| D．he didn’t love her |
After the dream, Richard would probably _________.
| A．demand an apology from his friend |
| B．express appreciation and thanks to his friend |
| C．be on good terms with his friend again |
| D．break up with his friend |
The writer of the story mainly tells us that _________.
| A．misunderstanding between friends is common |
| B．we should tell our family how much we love them |
| C．getting along well with friends is important |
| D．we need to see a doctor when having a chest pain |
Thoughts claim our attention continuously, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become unconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions.
While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is blocked, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated(不通风的) room.
It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study. We are also aware of them when we have worries or fears.
Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study something for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something.
You return to read, and then hear your people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book.
After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music. You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it.
When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything. And at this time, you feel you’re thinking.
This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished if you could control your attention and focus your mind!When can you feel you are thinking?
| A．While breathing. |
| B．While not reading. |
| C．When you need to concentrate. |
| D．When you waste your time. |
Why does the author put forward the exam situation?
| A．To explain the course of thinking awareness. |
| B．To show how to get ready for an exam. |
| C．To present an example of concentration. |
| D．To emphasize the importance of reading. |
Where can you most probably find the above passage?
| A．In a guidebook of natural science. |
| B．In the front page of a newspaper. |
| C．In an advertisement part of a magazine. |
| D．In the section of psychology of a magazine. |
This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the relationship between thoughts and breathing |
| B．how people’s thought and mind work |
| C．what happens when one wants to think |
| D．the ways to increase your thought |
①During the First World War, some Americans indirectly benefited because of the war. With two million white men fighting in Europe and no new immigrants entering the country, many jobs in the United States became available to blacks and women for the first time.
②Both groups proved their ability to do any kind of job. Women became railway conductors, brick layers, and factory workers. Their presence in traditionally male workplace produced many problems. Men were annoyed by women’s higher productivity and willingness to work for lower pay. Working mothers were often criticized for leaving their families. But many women welcomed the responsibilities. “It was not until our men were called overseas,” said one woman bank executive, “that we make any real onslaught on the realm of finance, and became tellers, managers of departments, and junior and senior officers.”
③Women who did not take jobs helped in the war effort in other ways. They made uniforms, rolled bandages, and campaigned for the sale of Liberty Bonds to help finance the war.
④American manufacturers offered jobs to large numbers of black Americans for the first time as a result of the war. Most factories were located in the North. To take advantage of these new job opportunities, many black families moved from their homes in the South to the Northern cities such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, and Detroit.
⑤White Americans were of two minds about the role of black Americans in the war effort. On the one hand, black workers’ ability to learn new jobs quickly and do them well strengthened the home front, and the black men’s fighting ability helped the Allies win the war. However, many whites did not want to acknowledge that blacks were capable, effective workers. White soldiers returning from the war had no desire to compete for jobs with blacks on equal terms. At the same time, many blacks were not willing to a lesser role once the war had ended.Why could American women and backs find jobs during World War I?
| A．They were taken to serve the war. |
| B．They had their equal right at that time. |
| C．Workforce was in great need. |
| D．They had better productivities. |
Which of the following is Untrue according to the above passage?
| A．Blacks women were not allowed to fight in World War I. |
| B．All American women went to work during World War I. |
| C．Northern cities applied more blacks during World War I. |
| D．Women and blacks earned a lot during World War I. |
Which of the following is the main idea of the whole passage?
A. Americans benefited a lot from World Ward I.
B. World War I had strong effect on America.
C. Some Americans benefited from World War I indirectly.
D. U.S.A. women and blacks contributed much in World War I.Which of the following shows the right structures of the above passage?
| A．①→②③→④⑤ | B．①→①→③→④→⑤ |
| C．①→②③→④→⑤ | D．①②③→④→⑤ |
It’s such a shame to lose a free throw. Playing in the court has pressure from the opponent, time, your teammates, the audience, and yourself. You have to shoot the ball despite all the pressures around. But with a free throw, you have the ball, no one will try to get it from you, and you have all the time to shoot the ball. But why is it that many players, even good shooters, miss most of their free throws? Maybe they need more practice or maybe they need to apply more ways to improve their free throw.
Improve your player or your free throwing skills by following the tips below:
Make it personal. The truth is, there is no rule on how one should handle and throw the ball in a free throw. What matters is that the player should shoot the ball from the free throw line no matter how he does it. So when trying to improve your free throw shooting, better stick to what works the best for you. Do not copy other people’s techniques. Make it your own and leave those techniques as theirs.
Formulate (公式化) a repetitive way of shooting the ball. A free throw should be personalized. But it should also be repetitive. You should be able to repeat your free throw techniques whether you are in your court or in another court, whether you are energized or tired. You can’t say you have a personal free throw technique if you can’t repeat it over and over again.
Shoot at the same position and distance for every free throw. Basketball courts may be located in different places or maybe marked with different paint colors. But all of these courts maintain the same distance from the ring to the free throw line. Familiarize your perfect position when making your free throws. That should help you do your perfect throw.Why do so many players fail to make a successful free throw?
| A．Because they don’t have any special skills. |
| B．Because they are lacking in practice and tips. |
| C．Because they are not so familiar with rules. |
| D．Because many of them are green hands. |
What can you do if you want to be a wonderful free thrower?
| A．Learn from others. |
| B．Form your own throwing skills. |
| C．Keep active in the court. |
| D．Learn to throw in different locations. |
The underlined word “ring” in the last paragraph may most probably mean “________”.
| A．sound | B．basket | C．ball | D．group |
Which of the following might serve as the best title of the above passage?
| A．How to play basketball successfully in the court. |
| B．How to improve your basketball throw skills. |
| C．How to gain more points in throwing. |
| D．How to improve your basketball free throwing. |
How did your friendships begin? Most start with a short conversation on a random day. Asking about a homework assignment in class or complaining about your painful legs after playing in a soccer game, you found your best pal by accident.
“Small talk is where all your relationships begin,” Forbes magazine summed up.
The following is a five-step guide to making small talk from Bernardo J. Carducci, the director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast, US. Let’s have a look.
Getting started
Begin by talking about the setting, such as the weather outside or the room you are in (“It’s cold in here, isn’t
it?”). The purpose of talking about the setting is to show the other person that you are willing to make a conversation.
②The personal introduction
You should mention something about yourself, such as your name. A good personal introduction helps move the conversation forward.
③Looking for topics
At this point, you and your conversation partner need to find common ground. This is a good time to ask questions or to refer back to things you’ve said or heard earlier. Don’t worry if it gets quiet. The other person is probably just thinking of something to say.
④Expanding the topic
The goal is to keep the conversation going. At every stage, you should be careful not to talk too much. But don’t let the other person dominate the conversation either. If that starts to happen, mention something about yourself when he or she takes a breath.
⑤A polite ending
When ending a conversation, let the person know you’ll be leaving soon, express gratitude for the conversation and set the stage for a future conversation. For example, you could say, “I really must be going soon, but I had a great time chatting with you. I really liked hearing your opinion about that new movie. Here’s my phone number. Call or text me if you know of any other movies you think I might enjoy.”According to the article, starting by talking about the setting is meant to ________.
| A．find common ground | B．impress the other person |
| C．make a conversation | D．make the room warmer |
What does the underlined word “dominate” mean in Tip④?
| A．interrupt | B．control | C．adapt | D．simplify |
When ending a conversation, you’d better ________.
| A．talk about how much you want to keep talking |
| B．show that you’ve not enjoyed the talk |
| C．mention a specific movie that you love |
| D．give your opinion about the other person’s earlier comments |
The main purpose of the article is to ________.
| A．encourage students to make more friends |
| B．give students tips on making small talk |
| C．introduce popular topics for students |
| D．teach students how to create friendships |