2．I've just got to talk about this problem I'm having with my postman．It all began a year ago，after the birth of his first child．Not wanting to appear rude，I asked him about the baby．The next week，not wanting him to think I had asked out of mere politeness the week before，I asked all about the baby again．Now I can't break the habit．I freeze whenever I see him coming．The words"How's the baby？"come out on their own．It holds me up．It holds him up．So why can't I stop it？The answer is that I want him to like me．Come to think of it，I want everyone to like me．
My sister had the same problem with the caretaker of her block of flats："All he ever does is complain； he talks at me rather than to me，never listens to a word I say，and yet for some reason I'm always really nice to him．I'm worried in case I have a difficulty one day，and he won't lift a finger to help．"
What about at work？Richard Lawton，a management trainer，warns："Those managers who are actually liked by most of their staff are always those to whom being liked is not the primary goal．The qualities that make managers popular are being honest with staff，treating them as human beings and observing common politeness like saying hello in the morning．"To explain the point，Richard mentions the story of the company chairman who desperately wanted to be liked and who，after making one of his managers fired，said with moist （湿润的） eyes that he was so，so sorry the man was leaving．The employee replied："If you were that sorry，I wouldn't be leaving．"The lesson being，therefore，that if you try too hard to be liked，people won't like you．
The experts say it all starts in childhood．"If children feel they can only get love from their parents by being good，"says Zelda West-Meads，a marriage guidance consultant，"they develop low self-confidence and become compulsive givers．"But is there anything wrong in being a giver，the world not being exactly short of takers？Anne Cousins believes there is．"There is a point at which giving becomes unhealthy，"she says．"It comes when you do things for others but feel bad about it．"
I am now trying hard to say to people"I feel uncomfortable about saying this，but…"and tell myself"Refusal of a request does not mean rejection of a person"and I find I can say almost anything to almost anyone．
51．Why does the author ask the postman about his babyB？
A．He is interested in the baby．
B．He wants to create a good impression．
C．He wants to be always polite to him．
D．It's a way to start a chat with great politeness．
52．What could we find out about the author's sister and the caretakerA？
A．She doesn't want to risk displeasing him．
B．She doesn't pay attention to him．
C．He often refuses to help her．
D．He is impatient of her overreaction．
53．Managers are more likely to be popular if theyD．
A．help the staff with their problems
B．make sure the staff do not lose their jobs
C．encourage the staff to be polite to each other
D．do not make too much effort to be liked
54．The underlined words，"compulsive givers"，in the fourth paragraph refer to the people whoC．
A．are willing to help others
B．couldn't bear to turn down requests
C．are unconfident of denying demands
D．are less selfish than takers
55．What is the author's intention of writing this passageC？
A．To show how to let others like you more．
B．To prove how to create a harmonious atmosphere．
C．To encourage people to have more self-confidence．
D．To suggest ways of dealing with difficult people．
分析 本文作者首先通过列举自己总想给邮递员留下好印象以及自己的姐姐也在讨好她的公寓管理员的实例，并陈述了管理培训师Richard Lawton的观点，旨在说明拒绝了他人的请求并不意味着拒绝了他人，我们不必为了赢得别人的喜欢而去刻意地讨好一个人；而是应通过建立自信，以人格魅力来赢得别人的认同．
解答 答案：
51．B 细节理解题 根据第一段"The answer is that I want him to like me．"可知，作者一见到邮递员就关心起他的孩子，主要是想让他喜欢自己，以给他留下好印象；故选B．
52．A 细节理解题 根据第二段"All he ever does is complain； he talks at me rather than to me，never listens to a word I say，and yet for some reason I'm always really nice to him．"尽管作者姐姐的公寓管理员对她的态度不好，但是她仍然对他很好；可知作者的姐姐不愿意惹得她的公寓管理员不愉快；故选A．
53．D 细节理解题 根据第三段"Those managers who are actually liked by most of their staff are always those to whom being liked is not the primary goal．"（那些被大多数员工所喜欢的经理不会总是把被别人喜欢当做自己的主要目标）可知，答案"D．do not make too much effort to be liked不会过于费力地去讨别人的喜欢"符合文意；故选D．
54．C 词义猜测题 分析第四段中的"they develop low self-confidence and become compulsive givers"以及根据最后一段"Refusal of a request does not mean rejection of a person"可知，总想讨别人喜欢的人缺乏自信，从而会导致他们成为强迫性的给予者；故此处指的应是那些由于缺乏自信而不会去拒绝别人请求的人；故选C．
55．C 观点态度题 通读全文可知，本文作者首先通过列举自己总想给邮递员留下好印象以及自己的姐姐也在讨好她的公寓管理员的实例，并通过陈述管理培训师Richard Lawton的观点，旨在说明应我们通过建立自信，以人格魅力来赢得别人的喜欢；故选C．
点评 做本题时，首先应快速浏览全文，把握文章的主旨大意以及作者的态度；其次，可以通过对相关细节的理解，以及通过内容归纳，概括段落大意，从而选出正确的答案．
