The first four minutes
When do people decide whether or not they want to become friends? During their first four minutes together, according to a book by Dr. Leonard Zunin. In his book, "Contact: The first four minutes," he offers this advice to anyone interested in starting new friendships: __1__. A lot of people's whole lives would change if they did just that.
You may have noticed that average person does not give his undivided attention to someone he as just met.__2__. If anyone has ever done this to you, you probably did not like him very much.
When we are introduced to new people, the author suggests, we should try to appear friendly and self-confident. In general, he says, "People like people who like themselves."
On the other hand, we should not make the other person think we are too sure of ourselves. It is important to appear interested and sympathetic, realizing that the other person has his won needs, fears, and hopes.
Hearing such advice, one might say, "But I'm not a friendly, self-confident person. That's not my nature. It would be dishonest for me to at that way."
__3__. We can become accustomed to any changes we choose to make in our personality. "It is like getting used to a new car. It may be unfamiliar at first, but it goes much better than the old one."
But isn't it dishonest to give the appearance of friendly self-confidence when we don't actually feel that way? Perhaps, but according to Dr. Zunin, "total honest" is not always good for social relationships, especially during the first few minutes of contact. There is a time for everything, and a certain amount of play-acting may be best for the first few minutes of contact with a stranger. That is not the time to complain about one's health or to mention faults one finds in other people. It is not the time to tell the whole truth about one's opinions and impressions.
__4__. For a husband and wife or a parent and child, problems often arise during their first four minutes together after they have been apart. Dr. Zunin suggests that these first few minutes together be treated with care. If there are unpleasant matters to be discussed, they should be dealt with later.
The author says that interpersonal relations should be taught as a required course in every school, along with reading, writing, and mathematics. __5__ that is at least as important as how much we know.
A. In reply, Dr. Zunin would claim that a little practice can help us feel comfortable about changing our social habits.
B. Much of what has been said about strangers also applies to relationships with family members and friends.
C. In his opinion, success in life depends mainly on how we get along with other people.
D. Every time you meet someone in a social situation, give him your undivided attention for four minutes.
E. He keeps looking over the other person's shoulder, as if hoping to find someone more interesting in another part of the room.
F. He is eager to make friends with everyone.
参考答案:
1. D. 分析：空格前后句中出现了代词的呼应-- this advice--- that， 结合空格后句意(如果他们那样做的话，很多人的整个生活都会发生改变)判断that指代的内容是前句中提到的“这条建议”，所以判断空格处出现表意为“建议”的句子可能性最大，结合被选项的内容和用词判断D是答案。
2.E.分析：后句中的句意在对具体细节进行描述，句子中代词this的出现，暗示前句中出现的this指代的内容，而且该内容应该让你不高兴， 因此判断E(他的目光不断地越过对方的肩膀，好象希望在房间的另一个角落里找到让他更感到有趣的某个人)是答案。
3 A。分析：空格后句中出现了代词We，而被选项中只有A和C中有代词与We呼应。但A中还有changing our social habits与空格后句中的 become accustomed to any changes在语意上呼应，所以答案是A。
4. B。分析：前文中出现了“关于如何‘对待陌生人’的描述”，而且在下文中提到了“家庭成员(husband and wife or a parent and child)”，因此判断B是答案。
5 C。 分析：后句中的代词we在C中才有呼应的代词，而且在文章最后出现观点句是通常论述文的发展特点，因此判断C正确。
