LEEDS, England—A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.

"The hate we hold within us is a cancer, " Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

More than 70 people have become members in Hart's first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.

These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian- born Hart.

The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.

The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. "People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness," he said, "People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one."

Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.

"The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with," said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project.

Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people "want to get free of the past".

1.From this passage we know that________.

A．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hate

B．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors

C．without hate, people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart

D．people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies

2.If you are angry with somebody, you should________.

A．attend Hart’s course

B．never meet him or her any longer

C．persuade him or her to have a positive talk with you

D．treat him or her positively instead of negatively

3.In Hart's first 20- week workshop, people there can ________.

A．meet their enemies                     B．change their attitudes

C．enjoy the professor's teaching             D．learn how to quarrel with others

4.If you are a member in Hart's workshop, you'll________.

A．meet in eight or ten groups

B．get rid of the illness of cancer

C．attend a gathering twice a month

D．pour out everything stored in your mind

5.The author wrote this passage in order to________.

A．persuade Britons to go to Hart's workshop

B．tell us the news about Hart's workshop

C．tell us how to run a workshop like Hart's

D．help us to look at various kinds of angers

 

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships．One strength of the human condition is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances．Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily difficulties．People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties．Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people protect themselves from illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely．

         Social support cushions stress in a number of ways．First, friends, relatives and coworkers may let us know that they value us．Our self respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties．Second, other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to explain and understand our problems and find solutions to them．Third, we typically find social companionship supportive．Engaging in leisure time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distract（转移…注意力）us from our worries and troubles．Finally, other people may give us important support—financial aid, material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us solve and deal with our problems．

1.Research shows that people’s physical and mental health has much to do with       .

A．the social medical system

B．the amount of support they get from others

C．their strength for dealing with interpersonal ties

D．their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

2.The underlined word “cushions” probably means “     ”

A．adds up to                    B．decreases the effect of

C．gets rid of            D．lays the foundation for

3.Social companionship is beneficial in that it

A．helps strengthen our ties with relatives

B．enables us to get rid of our faults and mistakes

C．makes our leisure time activities more enjoyable

D．draws our attention away from our worries and troubles

 

Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. but sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.

It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍) yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!

46. You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.

A. dare to challenge yourself

B. feel it hard to change yourself

C. are unconfident about yourself

D. have a high opinion of yourself

47. According to the passage, our serf-images _________.

A. have positive effects

B. are probably untrue

C. are often changeable

D. have different functions

48. How should you change your serf-image according to the passage?

A. To keep a different image of others.

B. To make your life successful.

C. To understand your own world.

D. To change the way you think.

49. What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to prepare for your success.   

B. How to face challenges in your life.

C. How to build a positive self-image.

D. How to develop your good qualities.

50. Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A. Parents.

B. Adolescents.

C. Educators.

D. People in general.

A survey by an international temporary service agency found that U. S. managers believe that people with a sense of humour do better at their jobs, compared with those who have little or no sense of humour. In fact, about 96 percent of those surveyed said people with a sense of humour do better.

The survey went on to point out that the results suggest that a sense of humour may help light-hearted employees keep their jobs during tough times. And, what's more, it may push them up the corporate ladder past their humourless colleagues. Why? It seems that those with a sense of humour are better communicators and better team players.

Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive. In fact, a researcher at California State University found that humour could help the employees to release tension.

Research done by psychologist Dr. Ashton Trice at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia showed that humour helps us think. When people feel stuck on important projects, they tend to feel angry or depressed.  According to Dr. Trice's research, taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to return to a task or move on to another project unaffected by past defeat.

If humour is really this important, then why don't we use it more often on the job? Most likely, the main reason is that many people are unaware of the positive effects of humour in the workplace. However, it is important to realize that some humour is not suitable for the workplace, and that it is often used at wrong times.

Most people think a sense of humour can ________.

A. help you to do your work better

B. make you have a rich life

C. make you pleased with your work     

D. help you to make more friends

Many people don't use humour more in the workplace because __________.

A. they like keeping silent when working

B. they don't know the positive effects of humour

C. they think they should obey the rules

D. they don't like joking or laughing

A person without a sense of humour is easier __________.

A. to feel surprised

B. to get along with

C. to be worried

D. to be successful

What is probably the best title for the article?

A. People with a Sense of Humour.

B. Humour Is Important in the Workplace.

C. Humour and Humourless.

D. Everyone Likes Humour.

Studies show that laughter is something that makes you feel calm or relaxed for both physical and psychological wounds though it may seem futile to laugh in the face of pain and fear.

When Dan Rather interviewed comedian Bill Cosby just one week after his son, Ennis, was killed, Cosby said, “I think it is time for me to tell people that we have to laugh. You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it.”

Call it a flashlight for dark times: laughter just seems to adjust attitude better than anything else. Inspirational speaker Steve Rizzo recalls a TV interview with an injured firefighter a few days after 9.11．The man had fallen more than 30 stories in one of the towers and had broken a leg. Everyone was crying, and the reporter asked, “How is it that you’ve come out of this alive?” He looked at her and without missing a beat, said, “Look, lady, I’m from New York and I’m a firefighter; that’ all you need to know.”

“Everyone laughed and though the laughter was only a couple of seconds,” says Rizzo. “Sometimes that’s all you need to catch your second breath. Laughter gives you that couple of seconds. You’re sending a message to your brain, and the message is: If you can still laugh even a little among the pain, you are going to be OK.”

Of course, there is a difference between laughing off a serious situation and laughing off the fear that results. The firefighter was doing the latter, states Rizzo, the author of Becoming a Humorous Being, and so should we. “If there is anything we have learnt from 9.11, it’s how precious life really is,” she says. “We have to send a message that our spirit won’t die. One important thing that unites us is our ability to laugh.”　

60．The writer uses the examples of the comedian and the firefighter to show　　　　　　 .

　 A．laughter is a good way to get rid of pain and fear

　 B．laughter is the best way to cure psychological wounds

　 C．it is your attitude that decides whether you can survive the pain or not

　 D．laughing off a serious situation is different from laughing off the fear that results

61．We can infer from the passage that Steve Rizzo is　　　　　　　　　　　 .

　 A．a reporter B．a soldier　　 C．a firefighter　　 D．a doctor

62．The underlined word futile in the first paragraph means　　　　　　　 .

　 A．hopeless　　　　　　 B．useless

C．careless　　　　　　 D．worthless 　

63．From the passage, we can know that Americans are　　　　　　　　 .

　 A．really inspired after 9.11　　　　　　　　　　 B．hardly united after 9.11

C．nearly surprised by 9.11　　　　　　 D．greatly hurt by 9.11