“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?”Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining, Tori brags, “You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago. ”

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedmam. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(閑話). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic- breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out-that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? That answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor(傳言)can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.”In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(優(yōu)越感).

Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.

1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to ______.

A. introduce a topic B. present an argument

C. describe the characters D. clarify his writing purpose

2.In the author’s opinion, many people like to gossip because it ______.

A. gives them a feeling of pleasure

B. help them to make more friends

C. makes them better at telling stories

D. enables them to meet important people

3.Professor David Wilson think that gossip can ______.

A. provide students with written rules

B. help people watch their own behaviors

C. force school to improve student handbooks

D. attract the police’s attention to group behaviors

4.What advice does the author give in the passage?

A. Never become a gossiper B. Stay away from gossipers

C. Don’t let gossip turn into lies D. Think twice before you gossip.

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Research shows that childhood friendships are important indicators of future success and social adjustment. Children’s relationships with peers (同齡人) strongly influence their success in school, and children with fewer friends are more at risk of dropping out of school, becoming depressed and other problems.

Making and Keeping Friends Is More than Child’s Play

When 6?year?old Rachel returned to school on a recent Monday morning, her eyes immediately scanned the playground for her friend Abbie. “Though they were only separated by a weekend, the girls ran right into each other’s arms and hugged,” recalls Rachel’s mother Kathryn Willis of Gilbert. “It was like a scene from a movie.”

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A Skill for Life

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Researcher William Hartup states, “Peer relations contribute significantly to both social and cognitive (認知的) development.” Hartup concludes that the single best childhood predictor of adult social adaptation is not school grades or classroom behavior, but rather, how well a child gets along with other children.

The work of Arizona State University professor of Developmental Psychology Gary Ladd proves that being able to make and keep friends is beneficial to kids while the lack of friends is detrimental.

Good Friendships Don’t Just Happen

Experts agree that it is essential for children to establish high?quality friendships. But, researchers warn, these friendships don’t necessarily just happen. Often, a good friendship begins with involved parents.

Psychologist Dr.Lynne Kenney Markan believes kids should be taught social skills in much the same way they are taught math and reading.

Bad Company

Many parents worry about the quality as well as the quantity of their child’s friendships. “When she was in 1st grade, her supposed ‘best friend’ began calling her names and threatening to hurt her,” says Mindy Miller. “My daughter wasn’t allowed to talk to or even look at other girls in her class. It really crushed her spirit. I told my daughter she didn’t need a ‘friend’ like that.”

“I’ll bend over backwards(拼命) to help my son get together with a friend I think is good for him,” Adler?Tapia says. “I don’t look at it as manipulation (操縱)，just positive parental involvement.”

1.The example of Rachel and Abbie is used to indicate that ________.

A. childhood friendship is of great significance to their growth

B. a positive friendship helps children solve emotional and physical problems

C. it is a proven fact that peer friendship is the most rewarding experience throughout life

D. Rachel missed her friend Abbie very much because of their separation of one weekend

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A. aggressive B. disappointing C. ridiculous D. harmful

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B. school grades and classroom behaviors

C. academic success and social adaptation

D. positive parental involvement and social skills

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A. parents should regard making friends as something that just happens

B. it’s wise for parents to support and encourage healthy peer relationships

C. parents only need to help their children to cope with difficult social situations

D. parents are supposed to encourage their children to make as many friends as they can

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The death of languages is not a new phenomenon. Languages usually have a relatively short life span as well as a very high death rate. Only a few, including Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, Latin, have lasted more than 2,000 years.

What is new, however, is the speed at which they are dying out. Europe’s colonial conquests caused a sharp decline in linguistic diversity, eliminating at least 15 percent of all languages spoken at the time. Over the last 300 years, Europe has lost a dozen, and Australia has only 20 left of the 250 spoken at the end of the 18th century.

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A. Colonial conquests of Europe

B. The boom of human population

C. Advances in science and industrialization

D. The rise of nation-states

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B. To warn people of the negative aspects of globalization.

C. To call people’s attention to the urgency of language preservation.

D. To argue how important it is for people to speak more languages.

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B. First，you should get your schoolwork organized.

C. Add new things as you get assignments.

D. You will benefit a lot from a good habit.

E. What does it mean to be organized?

F. It takes some extra efforts to organize yourself and your stuff.

G. It means hanging your coat up instead of dropping it on the floor or throwing it on a chair.

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Good afternoon, everyone,

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2.A. still B. instead C. either D. though

3.A. tough B. vacant C. convenient D. remote

4.A. However B. As C. But D. Since

5.A. around B. beyond C. along D. outside

6.A. expected B. decided C. offered D. walking[

7.A. running B. going C. coming D. walking

8.A. often B. ever C. seldom D. even

9.A. runners B. players C. passengers D. riders

10.A. approve B. create C. prove D. accuse

11.A. formed B. wrote C. drew D. described

12.A. glance B. view C. call D. sign

13.A. demand B. request C. invitation D. scheme

14.A. importantly B. naturally C. obviously D. necessarily

15.A. destruction B. organization C. construction D. protection

16.A. interesting B. competing C. parking D. satisfying

17.A. match B. exercise C. play D. game

18.A. put up B. keep up C. end up D. turn up

19.A. discovery B. invention C. creation D. collection

20.A. deserves B. preserves C. reserves D. serves

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