Put a group of strangers in a room together, and they'll probably start a conversation. "Hot today, isn't it?"one might say. "You said it." another replies.

       Why do we talk so much about the weather? When we meet new people, we don't begin by telling them our life story. We start with small talk, a polite conversation about something like traffic or weather.

       Research suggests that small talk can build new friendships. When we begin conversations with new people, we want to feel comfortable, and so do they. We use small talk to find common interests. Once we have a common interest, a friendship can begin.

Small talk even helps people get hired. In order to impress at a job interview, you need to bond with the interviewer right away. Proper small talk can make that first impression get you the job.

        So, how can you make small talk lead to a new friendship or job? First off, find common ground. Select something around you that you share with the other person.

        Next, keep the conversation going. Compliment (赞美) the other person to make himor her feel comfortable, and ask questions to show interest.

        Third, keep eye contact (接触). When you look people in the eye, they feel you appreciate what they are saying. It makes you appear honest and builds trust.

         Naturally, shy people might not have enough confidence to start up conversations with strangers. Talking to someone you don't know is not the easiest thing to do! Some experts say with more practice, small talk does get easier.

         Some people avoid small talk because they dislike discussing things like traffic or weather. For them, they are just too small. However, when you think about it, small talk is anything but small. In fact, it is actually a very big deal!

                                                                          Section A (10 marks)

          Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

                          Not all print dictionaries are the same, as you will notice when you select one. To make a wise selection, you should know how to distinguish 

among three kinds of print dictionaries: pocket, desk, and unabridged. You should also know the copyright date of your dictionary, and

 check is special features.

          A pocket dictionary is small. Generally, it contains no more than 75000 entries, making it hardly to carry to class and efficient to use. 

However, a pocket dictionary doesn't contain enough entries to be adequate for college reference homework. In addition, the information 

about each word in a pocket dictionary is generally limited. A desk dictionary is medium sized, generally containing over 100,000 entries

 as well as extra features. For college work, you should own a current desk dictionary. An unabridged dictionary is a complete dictionary. 

Abridged dictionaries, such as pocket and desk dictionaries, are shortened. Because unabridged dictionaries contain nearly all English words,

 they are large and heavy. They are often used by schools and libraries.

           If the copyright date of your current dictionary shows that it was published five or more years ago, consider investing in a more recent 

edition. English is a dynamic language that admits new words and recognizes changes in meaning, spelling, and usage of familiar words.

 This is reflected in an up-to-date dictionary.

         In selecting a dictionary, check the features it offers besides vocabulary definitions. Many editions contain signs, symbols and foreign words.

 Some also contain CD-ROMs and access to special online features.

根据内容，在对应的空格写上正确的答案！

1、{#blank#}1{#/blank#}2、 {#blank#}2{#/blank#}3、 {#blank#}3{#/blank#}4、 {#blank#}4{#/blank#}5、 {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 

6、{#blank#}6{#/blank#}7、 {#blank#}7{#/blank#}8、{#blank#}8{#/blank#}9、 {#blank#}9{#/blank#}10、 {#blank#}10{#/blank#} 

    Do you want to take time to get in touch with yourself, your feelings, your dreams, and a good, healthy life? Here are some tips:

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Sometimes it seems as if our culture has begun to view the need for sleep as a sign of weakness. But your body was genetically(基因地) programmed to spend a third of its life on sleep, and this affects thinking, memory, growth, your immune(免疫的) system and even your weight.

    Begin the day in thankfulness. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Name each person and hold them in your thoughts. The sense of thankfulness you experience will set a peaceful tone for the entire day, and reduce a day's stress that can lead to sleeplessness that night.

    Strike a balance. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Think about tai chi, prayer, yoga(瑜伽)—any daily activity that allows you to develop a peaceful center and a sense of balance.

    Play with friends. The "tend and be friend studies", as they are called, conducted by UCLA researcher, Shelly Taylor, Ph.D. indicate that when women are stressed, they tend to their children and play with other women. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Use guided imagination. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} The tone of your voice, pacing, music, and pictures will persuade your nervous system that it's time to calm down.

Parents Model Healthy Eating

    It should come as no surprise that the more stressed parents are at work, the greater the burden on their family is{#blank#}1{#/blank#} After all, the more time parents spend working, the less time and energy they have to plan and prepare healthful meals.

    For years, most studies have focused on the role of working mothers while fathers were ignored. They didn't look at the family as a whole{#blank#}2{#/blank#} adds a new wrinkle（褶皱）to the relationship between work stress and family nutrition.

    Mom's work related stress is still a central factor in low well families eat because they typically do most of the food shopping and cooking{#blank#}3{#/blank#} The study found that when mom or dad experience high levels of work related stress, their families are eating one-and-a-half fewer family meals per week, and the parents themselves report eating fewer fruits and vegetables, more fast food, and are less likely to eat breakfast regularly.

    It's worth nothing that the study looked mainly at low income families who belonged to ethnic（民族的）or minority groups{#blank#}4{#/blank#} But the implications are wide ranging.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Teaching kids, especially teenagers, to help with grocery shopping and to cook actual meals, instead of just putting a frozen pizza in the microwave, could be an important piece of the puzzle in helping families improves their eating habits.

A. And the role of fathers in particular

B. But dad's work related stress has a large impact, too.

C. Yet, the kids' stress may influence the families' nutrition, too.

D. So the findings don't necessarily apply directly to other types of families.

E. When it comes to family nutrition, the entire family plays a role even kids.

F. It's also probably not a surprise that this can negatively affect a family's nutrition.

G. It is parents who give their kids a good model to develop a good eating habit.

What Teenagers Can Do To Earn More Respect

    As teenagers continue to grow and develop into young adults, the transition(过渡) into adulthood has begun. With so many physical and emotional changes going on, certain manners are often forgotten and other adult traits(特点) are not yet accepted as a way of life. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}By doing the following things, you will earn more respect.

    Contribute to the household(家庭)

    At the very least, clean up after yourself. As a teenager, you are old enough to clean up after yourself. When you make a mess, clean it up. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} All chores(家务) that you do help to reduce the load of the person who did them before. Now that you're old enough and capable, why shouldn't you contribute to the household? {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Be responsible

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whether they are basic things, like brushing your teeth or doing your homework, or more involved chores that contribute to the household, simply fulfill (履行) your responsibilities on time. When adults know that they can rely on you, their trust and respect for you will increase.

    Solve more of your own problem without asking for help

    Instead of taking the easy approach and asking for help, make an effort to solve your problems on your own first. The "easy way" is only easy for you, but it is an extra task for the person from whom you are seeking help. Seek help only after you have make an honest effort to solve your own problems. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} When you become a good problem solver, you increase your valve to the community.

A. Everyone has certain responsibilities.

B. By being aware of these manners and traits, you can manage them sooner.

C. The people doing the chores before will greatly appreciate the help.

D. This includes, but is not limited to, your dishes and your room.

E. It will make your life more pleasant.

F. Depending on the problem, 15 minutes of effort is usually a good guideline.

G. When speaking to a group, speak loud enough.

Taping and bracing ankles

    Ankle sprains(踝关节扭伤) are the most common sports-related injuries in the United States. If there was an easy way of decreasing the number and severity of these injuries, that would be great. For this very reason, the practice of taping and bracing ankles was introduced decades ago.

    How, then, do taped or braced ankles decrease the incidence and severity of sprains in athletes? One explanation for how it works comes from a study which found that taped athletes had improved proprioception(本体感受), which is the body's ability to know how fast the ankle and foot are moving and if they are starting to roll over or not. When they were compared, the athletes with taped ankles had better proprioception both before and after exercise compared with athletes using no tape. The tape's traction(拉力)or pressure on the skin of the foot and ankle helped improve sensitivity and proprioception, resulting in fewer ankle sprains.

    Another common concern often expressed by the public is that lengthened practice of taping or bracing ankles results in weak ankles that then tend to get injured more easily; this would be a strong case against taping or bracing ankles. However, a scientific study looked at the effects of consistent ankle brace use on the peroneus longus muscle. It is an important stabilizer(稳定装置)of the ankle, particularly against inversion, the most common type of ankle injury. This study showed that the peroneus longus muscle's ability to do its job was not changed by the long-term wearing of an ankle brace.

    Many studies have been completed to compare taping ankles and bracing ankles to try to determine which one is better. Most have shown that braces are slightly more effective than tape, but that both are better than no support at all. One study found that simply wearing high-top sneakers instead of low-tops prevented some ankle injuries and that high-tops plus tape had more than 50% fewer injuries than low-tops plus tape.

    So whether it's on the field or on the court, the tape or brace is an important piece of athletic equipment just like your helmet or mouth guard.