In one study, college students who had important and reality-based conversations were more content than their peers who changed mere amusing remarks. But don't deny small talks just yet. Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is important to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers overheard undergraduates for four days, and then cataloged each overheard conversation as either "small talks" ("What do you have done? Popcorn? Yummy!") or "substantive" ("So did they get divorced soon after?"). They found that the second type correlated with happiness --the happiest students had roughly twice as many substantive talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talks, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of their conversation among the least content students. But don't deny small talks just yet. Scientists believe that small talks could promote bonding. Researchers found that a small talk maintains closeness with loved ones after studying ring-tailed lemurs' call-and-response conversations, similar to human small talks. Still, joking with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, those bus-takers told to chat with others are reported a more pleasant journey than those told to "enjoy your solitude" or to do whatever they normally would. Small talks can also help us feel connected to our surroundings. People who smiled at, made eye contact with, and briefly spoke with their Starbucks baristas reported a greater sense of belonging than those who rushed through the transaction. Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talks into something bigger. All the differences come to what researchers call "a curious mindset". So go ahead to talk and inquire. Small talks needn't be idle. And being curious about others' business isn't all bad. The benefits of small talks are the following EXCEPT _ . A) It can make the bonding between people much closer B) It can shorten the distance between strangers and make the journey pleasant C) It makes us feel connected with the surroundings D) You can get more free cups of coffee from Starbucks baristas
D
We start forming impressions of people we meet from the moment we set eyes on them. A large part of the first impression that you create comes from your body language. Your body language speaks louder than the words you say. Face The face is the most expressive part of the body. If you are feeling anxious then your facial expression may lead you to appear cold, or unhappy. You can break this _ by trying to smile. Your smile is one of the strongest tools you have in meeting new people. It will help you appear warm, friendly and confident. Eyes Our eyes give clues to our emotions. Making very little eye contact can either show shyness or fear. Looking at others says that you are interested, friendly, and at ease. Hands Your hands are also very expressive. Open gestures tend to make you appear open and honest. By pointing your finger, or moving your hands closer together, you can draw attention to what you are saying. Used properly, hand gestures can make you seem friendly. Making too many gestures can make you appear uncontrolled. Touching your sleeves, face, etc. can make you appear tense, nervous, and sometimes dishonest. Posture Your posture makes a big contribution to your body language and shows your level of self-confidence. By falling away from them or leaning back, you show a lack of interest. When we are feeling low in confidence and want to hide away, keep our heads down. Your posture gives not only signals about your interest in something but also clues showing your status within a group. In summary, our face, eyes, hands and posture express what is going on inside of us. Using good body language can bring up our level of self-confidence. Which of the following is the good effect for you to use your body language? A) Giving clues showing your status within a group. B) Expressing what you are really feeling inside. C) Bringing up your level of self-confidence. D) Giving signals about your interest in something.
C
Q: Indoor public spaces such as restaurants, workplaces, hospitals and public transport are supposed _ from Jan 9 in China. On that day five years ago, China approved the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. However with the deadline days away, the government still hasn't come up with a clear message for the ban. An editorial from "China Daily" urges China to speed up its effort to ban smoking in public indoors. Referring to numbers from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the articles says if China fails to reduce tobacco consumption, the number of people killed by cigarettes will double by 2025 and three times by 2050, which is about 1.2 million now every year. This would cut the productivity of the work force and places a heavy burden on the country's healthcare system. The article says China has let an opportunity slip to change these statistics for the better. The momentum , however was not strong enough to make the country's public places smoke free. The editorial suggests that China should strengthen its effort to tax heavily smokers as there are no national regulations on banning smoking in public areas. What is the main idea of this passage ? A) China should speed up effort to ban smoking in public indoors. B) China makes great efforts to ban smoking in public indoors. C) China approved the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. D) The government is criticized by the auther.
A: A
*Question*
They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him. They are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes . During the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikes that guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman's job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone. In all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb. However, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. "He knew that was how I got injured." Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training. Their climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend's life. "Your partner can save your life -- you can save your partner's life," Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. "There are real close ties." What do we know about Wellman? A) He climbed Half Dome by himself. B) He was disabled in a traffic accident. C) He stopped rock-climbing for some time. D) He was saved by Corbett during the climb.
**Answer**
C