Have you ever wondered when people will make up their minds to become friends? Dr. Leon answered the question in his book, “During their first four minutes together! Whenever you meet someone in a social situation, remember to focus your undivided attention on him for four minutes. That would change a lot of people’s whole lives.”
When you are introduced to new people, you are supposed to appear friendly and self-confident to attract them. Generally speaking, “You like those who like you.” On the other hand, it’s unwise to make others think you are too sure of yourself.
You may not sure about such advice, saying, “But In reality, I’m not either friendly or self-confident. That’s not my nature. Wouldn’t it be dishonest for me to behave that way?” For that question, Dr. Leon would tell you that a little practice can help you feel comfortable about changing your social habits. You will get used to any changes you choose to make in your personality(性格). “It’s like getting used to a new car. It may be unfamiliar at first, but it goes much better than the old.”
However, you may still wonder if it’s dishonest to give the appearance of friendly and self-confidence while you don’t actually feel that way. Perhaps, but according to Dr. Leon, “Entire honesty” is not always good for social relationships, especially during the first few minutes of two strangers’ being introduced to each other. There is a time for a certain amount of play-acting may be the best choice for the first few minutes of contacting a stranger. That is not a suitable time to complain about one’s health or to mention shortcomings you find in other people. It is not the right time to tell the whole truth about one’s opinions and impressions.
The author also makes it clear that that interpersonal(人际的) relations need to be regarded as a required course in every school, along with reading, writing, and mathematics. In his opinion, success in life depends mainly on how you get along with other people. That is at least as important as how much you know.Introduced to a new person, you are supposed to _______.
| A．be sure of yourself without caring about the other’s feelings |
| B．be honest and always tell the whole truth even if it hurts |
| C．look friendly and confident at least for the first few minutes |
| D．directly point out faults you find in the other person |
The author will probably agree that interpersonal relations ________.
| A．should be treated as a required course in schools |
| B．are more important than other courses in school |
| C．play an equal part as other courses in some schools |
| D．are the only secrets to lead you to success in life |
The underlined word “play-acting” in Para 4 means _________.
| A．being totally honest |
| B．being a little dishonest |
| C．acting out what one feels |
| D．acting a role in a play |
The best title for the passage could be __________.
| A．The Key to Success |
| B．Best Ways to Make Friends |
| C．Personal Relations |
| D．The First Four Minutes |
Few people realize that there is a big difference between formal English and informal English. Formal English is used for most writing, and often in public speaking and formal meetings. It pays close attention to grammar rules, because if we use proper grammar, our meaning is often more precise. Also, on important occasions, we do not want to appear uneducated or to offend (冒犯) others, so we are very careful about how we speak. Informal English is used in speaking or writing to our friends and family. It often does not pay such close attention to grammar rules, because when we speak or write to them, we want our words to flow quickly. Also, with our friends and family, we are usually not so worried about appearing uneducated or about offending them by how we write or speak.
A big difference between formal and informal English is the use of contractions. A contraction is where we make a word shorter or where we put two words together and take away some of the letters. For example, instead of saying “do not”, many people say “don’t”. Using contractions in our speech is fine because it sounds natural, especially when we speak to our friends. In formal writing, however, contractions are usually avoided because people might think that you have made a mistake, or that you do not know proper grammar.
In the same way we might make words shorter, in informal English we often make sentences shorter as well. For example, if someone asks you your name, you will likely answer with one word: your first name. However, in formal English we usually use complete sentences. For example, we might write “My name is John”. In most speaking, we may not need to use every word in a sentence because the person we are speaking to will probably still understand us. In most writing, however, every word in a sentence must be written out in order to make sure that we can be understood. When we use formal English, _______.
| A．we will offend others |
| B．we will appear educated on important occasions |
| C．we needn’t pay more attention to grammar rules |
| D．we can express ourselves more directly and more quickly |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “precise”?
| A．simple | B．direct | C．puzzling | D．clear |
Contractions are best used when we are _______.
| A．speaking at a formal meeting | B．speaking to our friends |
| C．speaking in public | D．writing an application (申请) letter |
In speaking, we do not always use complete sentences because ______.
| A．we do not care about grammar | B．we do not want to sound stupid |
| C．we can still be understood | D．we don’t want to waste time |
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (愤慨地说出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.
| A．his father had a terrible accident |
| B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
| C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
| D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
| A．Because he didn’t go along with his father. |
| B．Because he was rude to his father that morning. |
| C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident. |
| D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital. |
The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.
| A．he had a poor memory |
| B．he didn’t want to forgive his son |
| C．he just wanted to comfort his son |
| D．he lost his memory after the accident |
What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
| A．Don’t treat your parents badly. |
| B．Don’t hurt others with rude words. |
| C．Don’t move the injured in an accident. |
| D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things. |
Books for Children
 Fleabag and the Ring's End Beth WebbMore stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back07459 44116, ￡3.99 |
The little White HouseElizabeth GoudgeA fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal.Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back07459 45783, ￡4.99 |
| My Very First Christmas BookLois Rock and Alec AyliffeA big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children.Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board07459 40560, ￡4.99 |
First Festival: ChristmasLois RockAn all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs.Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback07459 39074, ￡8.99 |
| Star of WonderPat AlexanderA wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy.Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback07459 39323, ￡4.99 |
The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem（伯利恒）and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback.07459 38922, ￡8.99 |
If you want to make a Christmas plan together with your children, which book do you prefer？
| A．Star of Wonder | B．The Not-So-Wise Man |
| C．First Festival: Christmas | D．My Very First Christmas Book |
Which number would you dial if you want to order a book for your 2-year-old child?
| A．07459 40560. | B．07459 38922. |
C．07459 45783. | D．07459 44116. |
If your child wants to read stories of animals, whose book will be your choice?
| A．Pat Alexander. | B．Beth Webb. |
| C．Lois Rock. | D．Elizabeth Goudge. |
In Britain today, is it possible to tell a person’s class just by looking at him? Physical details alone tell us about health, diet and the type of work a person does. A hundred years ago the working class often looked unhealthy, small and they were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often tall, sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy. Today living and working conditions have improved, and such descriptions are no longer true. People are taller now than a hundred years ago. Everyone in Britain today is able to have free medicine, a good diet, acceptable working conditions and enough rest and leisure. WWW.K**S*858$$U.COM
The clothes people choose to wear, however, do provide information about their backgrounds. Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer is rich. Clothes can provide other clues as well. The upper classes appear to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colours, made of natural material like wool, leather and cotton. Lower working-class people often choose clothes in bright colours, made of man-made materials. A sociological explanation for this would be that colour and interest are missing from their lives, and therefore any opportunity to produce this is taken.
Clothes are available at a price within most people’s reach. New clothes make the wearer feel good and show some degree of wealth to the outside world. Today it is the younger people who spend most money on clothes. Fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. Young people from all social classes spend a lot of money on clothes. Some new fashions are started by working-class people who want to look different and feel important. They want people WWW.K**S*858$$U.COMto look at them.In the past, a person’s appearance could not tell other people about his ________.
| A．health | B．diet | C．occupation (职业) | D．habits |
The clothes people choose to wear tell us about their ________.
| A．education | B．richness | C．backgrounds | D．hobby |
A working-class person may start a new fashion because ________.
| A．she wants to draw the attention of other people |
| B．she wants to look different and healthy |
| C．she wants to show their wealth |
| D．she wants to show their taste |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Expensive clothes look expensive and show the wearer is rich. |
| B．Working-class people prefer clothes in bright colours because they lack colour in their lives. |
| C．Today, it is still the upper class people who spend most money on clothes. |
| D．Today, fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. |
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers (梦游者). People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Massachusetts, a hundred policemen searched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, WWW.K**S*858$$U.COMa student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three-quarters of a mile to the Lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims (声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty-five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers (应征者).”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes look quite fantastic (怪诞的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded. Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who ________.
| A．climb on roofs | B．walk through windows |
| C．do fantastic things during their sleep | D．walk in a half-awake state |
It was reported that a boy ________.
| A．was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there |
| B．slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room |
| C．lost his way five hours after he left home |
| D．was searched for by policemen when he lost his way |
There was a college student who got into the habit of ________.
| A．getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river |
| B．walking three-quarters of a mile every day |
| C．swimming in the Lowa River before going to bed |
| D．walking about before he went to bed |
Why do people think sleepwalking is nothing but a fantastic thing which doesn’t have any explanation?
| A．It is so common that it needn’t be recorded. |
| B．Scientists take no interest in it. |
| C．Most sleepwalkers do not seek help for their problem. |
| D．No records about it have been made. |