The Teens & Self-Image survey organized by USA WEEKEND attracted an unprecedented 272,400. The majority of teens say they feel good about themselves, but many express misgivings about who they are, especially about their appearance. The results show that looks are key. Only 4 in 10 respondents consider themselves attractive. Half the girls want to lose weight. It is found that problems typically associated with girls are now becoming more visible in boys. Teen respondents believe good looks matter when it comes to personal achievement, specifically making friends, winning the respect of others, and succeeding in life. Teens find lots of imperfections. Almost 85 percent cite ways they'd like to improve. After losing weight and toning up , the top three are their grades, doing better in sports, and having a better relationship with their parents. Only 15 percent like themselves "the way I am." Faith is central in many students' everyday lives. When asked about the most important influence in their lives, survey respondents picked religion second only to their parents. Depression is common. More than half say they occasionally are "really depressed"; 1 in 5 often feel despondent . And 1 in 3 have friends who have talked about or actually tried to commit suicide--the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds. Last year, about 2,000 teens committed suicide, and the rate of adolescent suicide has greatly increased in the past 10 years, studies show. Teens show a healthy self-respect. Asked to choose from a list of qualities, 8 in 10 say they are kind, 3 in 4 say they are honest, and 7 in 10 say they have a good sense of humor. Slightly more than 6 in 10 say they are smart, self-confident or creative. Least admired of a dozen qualities they were asked to rank: being popular, rich or tough. Which of the following is TRUE according to the survey? A) Almost all teens are satisfied with themselves. B) What teenagers would like to improve most is their grades. C) The results show only 15% students are satisfied with themselves. D) American teenagers admire being popular, rich or tough very much.
C
Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we haven't listened carefully enough. We get things wrong because we haven't listened carefully enough. We get things wrong because we haven't quite understood what someone meant when they were talking to us. Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know how hard it is to remember-- despite the benefit of notes-- exactly what everyone said. But success depends on getting things right--and that means listening. Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effort actively. It demands attention and concentration. It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification------ it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong. However, if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you'll miss what the speaker is saying------ probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical. And not having heard, you won't know you've missed anything until it's too late. The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject long before the other speaker has finished. We then stop listening. Even worse, this often adds rudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you will interrupt to say it. Good listeners don't interrupt. In fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is offended by this and it shows that you have listened well. Above all be patient and accept that many people are not very good communicators. It's helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying. Equally important you should put yourself in the other person's place, both intellectually and... Which is the best title for this passage? A) Don't be too clever B) Be a good listener. C) Don't miss anything critical D) Think of the speaker
B
*Question*
The writers of murder stories go to a great deal of trouble to keep up guessing right up to the end. In actual fact, people often behave more strangely in real life than they do in stories. The following advertisement once appeared in a local newspaper: "An opportunity to earn $ 250 in a few minutes. A man... willing to chances, wanted for an out-of-the-ordinary job which can be performed only once. "A reader found this offer very nice and write to the advertiser. But being a bit suspicious , he gave a false name. Soon afterwards, he received a reply. Enclosed in the envelope was a typed note instructing him to ring a certain number if he was still interested. He did so and learned on the telephone that the advertiser wanted him "to get rid of somebody" and would discuss it more fully with him the next day. But the man told the police and from then on acted under their instructions. The police saw the two men meet and watched them as they drove away together. In the car the advertiser came to the point at once; he told the man he wanted him to shoot his wife. The reason he gave was that he was suffering from a serious disease and wanted to live in a warmer country, but his wife objected to this. Giving the man some money, the advertiser told him to buy a gun and warned him to be careful of the dog, though it would not bite, it might attract attention. He also gave him a photograph of his wife so that he would be able to recognize her. After that, the advertiser suggested that the man should "do the job" the next morning. At the same time he would prepare his wife by telling her that a young man was going to call. After the murder they would meet again outside a railway station and the money would be paid as arranged. The second meeting never took place, for the advertiser was arrested shortly afterwards and charged with attempting to persuade someone to murder his wife. The reader gave a false name when he answered the advertisement because _ . A) he did not want the police to suspect him B) he did not fully believe the advertiser C) the offer of the advertiser was only $250 D) the advertiser did not want to discuss the job fully on the phone
**Answer**
B