Security guard, truck driver, salesperson—year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job unhappy, unusual hours, low pay, no chance for advancement — these three gigs stand out for another reason: a lack of small talk.
Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers eavesdropped(窃听) on undergraduates for four days, then cataloged each overheard conversation as either small talk (What do you have there? Popcorn?(Yummy!) or serious (So did they get divorced soon after?). They found that the second type related with happiness—the happiest students had roughly twice as many serious talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the least content students.
However, don't just consider chat worthless yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote linking. Chatting with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists gave Chicago travelers varying directions about whether to talk with fellow train passengers something they typically avoided. Those told to chat with others reported a more pleasant journey than those told to enjoy your being alone or to do whatever they normally would. None of the chatters reported being rejected. And the results held for introverts(内向者) and extroverts(外向者) alike which makes sense, since acting extroverted has a positive effect on introverts.
Small talk can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with, and briefly spoke with their Starbucks reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the business. Similarly, one not yet published paper found that when volunteers broke the silence of the Tate Modern to chat with gallery goers, the visitors felt happier and more connected to the exhibit than those who were not approached.
So go ahead, pry. Chitchat needn’t be idle. And nosiness isn’t all bad.
1.The author attributes the unhappiness felt by security guards, truck drivers and sales people to ________.
A. unusual hours and low pay
B. a lack of small talk
C. no chance for advancement
D. an absence of serious conversation
2.What was the conclusion of the study mentioned in the second paragraph?
A．Connecting with others is central to our well-being.
B．We require 30 minutes of conversation every day to be happy.
C．Serious conversation is linked to happiness.
D．Small talk cannot help make us feel happy.
3.The author used the Tate Modern example to demonstrate that ________.
A. connecting with others is key to our happiness
B. unserious conversation could promote bonding
C. small talk can help us feel connected to our surroundings
D. smiling can help people gain a great sense of belonging
4.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?
Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?
A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated.
B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.
C. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.
D. Move an object out of the way before it traps someone.
2.The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ________.
A. keep her appointment with the eye doctor
B. meet her father who was already an old man
C. join in the holiday celebration of the company
D. finish her work before the deadline approached
3.The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. avoidedB. lackedC. abandonedD. took
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Emotional Well-being
B. The Two Saddest Words
C. The Most Useful Rule
D. The Peace of Mind
为了使我们的校园更美好。作为学生会主席的你，向全校学生倡议要形成环保意识，让同学们明白保护环境是我们中学生应尽的责任。请根据下面内容写一份倡议书，要点如下：
1. 节电、节水；
2. 采用公共交通方式；
3. 不乱扔垃圾，拒绝使用一次性筷子及塑料袋，支持“光盘行动”。
注意：
1. 次数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：一次性筷子once-off chopsticks ; 光盘行动 “clear your plate” campaign
Dear friends,
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Thank you!
Student Union
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）,并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
This morning on my way to school I was deep moved by what I saw outside a bank. An old man was counting his money in the front of the bank. Suddenly a young man came running and knocked him down. To make things bad, his money was flying in all direction. In no time the people around rush to pick the money up while the old man stood there, not know what to do. Surprisingly, everyone gave back the money they had just picked up. The old man counted the money again and found that not a single bill was missed. To my great joy, there are now a lot nice people in your life. It’s true what honesty is more important than money!
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
The First World War postcard has1.(final) been sent after many years. It is a very old postcard. This postcard was from a 19-year old soldier, Alfred, during the First World War. He2.(write) this postcard and sent it to his lovely sister Nell3.January 1916. The postcard is dated 1916 and4.is a cartoon picture of a new solider on the front.
Alfred has written to his sister, “Dear Nell, just5.postcard to let you know I have not forgotten you. On the other side you will see our orders for next week. I will need your pity. Write to me, your brother Alfred.” Sadly, Alfred6.(kill) in a flight in 1918 before the card arrived. 7.(year) later, his sister died in 1964.
The postcard is marked 1916 and again September 2010 when it was stamped to arrive. But the postman couldn’t find the8.(receive) any more. The post office said it was out of the question that the card was with9.(they) all the time. They regularly cleaned out their offices and post boxes. The10.(postcard) history for the last 94 years is still a mystery.
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A, B, C, D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Rolling, dark clouds covered much of the sky. The warm wind suddenly became cold and picked up wildly, sending some dead leaves flying ________ across the sky. A few drops of rain mixed with ice began to fall, then into heavy ________.
Doug, my older brother, and I first rode the bus to a bus stop. Then we ________ off and began our long walk home. The wind was ________ the snow around us like a huge blanket, making it ________ to see clearly. The only sounds we heard were the ________ of the wind as well as the crunch of our footsteps on the snow. Slowly but ________, my brother and I were ________ to death. Looking to my left, I saw a pine tree and squatted down.
“What are you doing here, Bud? Come on!” said Doug, “There’s no ________ behind this little tree. If we rest here, we will die from the freeze.”
“You go on, and I’ll ________ soon.” I replied.
Doug was ________ for a moment. Then he spoke, “Bud, do you remember the four pine trees at the side of the road? ________ we get there, we can rest a while and get warm. You just stick your hand down the back of my ________, keep your head down and hold on.”
As we struggled through the snow, my hand ________ from my brother’s belt and I fell to my knees.
“Where are the trees?” I said, as the snow ________ up around me like a feather bed. Once again, Doug pulled me to my feet.
“Just a few more ________ and we’ll be home and warm,” he said.
As the darkness closed around us, we approached home, ________. I only heard a worried shouting not in the distance. Then someone took my hand and ________ me into a warm, bright light. And then I survived.
Now, I still think about the lesson learned from our winter ________ story: Never ________, no matter what will happen.
1.A. slowlyB. gentlyC. peacefullyD. fiercely
2.A. snowB. stormC. smogD. fog
3.A. cameB. brokeC. showedD. got
4.A. meltingB. rollingC. pollutingD. clearing
5.A. difficultB. simpleC. availableD. likely
6.A. callB. shoutC. toneD. whistle
7.A. surelyB. carefullyC. secretlyD. hardly
8.A. scaringB. freezingC. fightingD. starving
9.A. attractionB. recreationC. protectionD. radiation
10.A. catch upB. fall behindC. look onD. hang around
11.A. braveB. silentC. proudD. confident
12.A. BeforeB. UnlessC. AlthoughD. When
13.A. dressB. bootC. beltD. coat
14.A. slippedB. brokeC. separatedD. shook
15.A. wentB. clearedC. mixedD. folded
16.A. stopsB. stepsC. milesD. blocks
17.A. discouragedB. dynamicC. unconsciousD. enthusiastic
18.A. persuadedB. followedC. forcedD. pulled
19.A. survivalB. travelC. explorationD. research
20.A. hold onB. took offC. give upD. set aside
