2020年高考英语真题分类汇编专题08：任务型阅读

    Some individuals are born with a gift for public speaking.Do you want to be a good public speaker? Here are some principles you must master.

    People want to listen to someone who is interesting, relaxed and comfortable. Too often when you stand up to give a speech, you focus on the "public" at the expense of the" speaking." Focus on the speaking. Talk directly to your audience, be yourself and make a connection.

    Even the most successful public speaker will make mistakes. Yet, the only one who cares about any mistake is the one who is speaking. People's attention wanders constantly. In fact, most people only absorb about 20 percent of a speaker's message. So, don't stop speaking when you make a mistake unless it's a truly serious one.

    Your goal is not to be a perfect public speaker.And like everything else in life, that takes practice. Remember, even world champion athletes practice their skills on a consistent basis.

    It's rare to hear someone say, "I wish that speaker had spoken longer. "On the other hand, you probably can't count the times that you've thought, "I'm glad that talk is over. It seemed to go on forever! "So surprise your audience. Always make your presentation just a bit shorter than anticipated. It's better to leave your listeners wishing for more than shifting restlessly in their seats waiting for your speech finally to end.

A. Do the opposite.

B. You want to be an effective public speaker.

C. You don't need to apologize for a minor slip.

D. When it comes to public speaking, less is usually more.

E. The objective of most speeches is to benefit the audience

F. Take the fear out of public speaking by focusing on your listeners

G. However, the majority of people are effective speakers because they train to be.

    As any younger brother will tell you, having a big brother involves a lot of walking in someone else's shadow, especially when you have a brother who is a typical example of "cool". For years I wanted to do everything my elder brother Tyson did, but no matter how hard I tried, I was always the neglected (被忽略的) one. My legs just weren't made to run like his. I could never play football or basketball well.

    I probably would have continued trying to keep up with him for the rest of my high school career, but when my family moved, everything changed. Tyson left for college, so I had to start at a new school all by myself. This new start gave me an opportunity to redefine myself and discover an entirely new version of "cool".

    I don't know what made me decide to try some new activities at the new school, but one day I chanced to show up for an after-school meeting of the Science Olympiad team. I had always been fascinated with chemistry, biology, and math, but since those interests hadn't fit Tyson's definition of "cool", I had never pursued them. On this day, for some reason, I did.

    As we organized teams, prepared resources and practiced answering questions, I felt more connected than I ever had to any sports team. I didn't feel as though I needed to keep up with anybody else; I was finally with peers who understood me. It was so good to feel accepted for what I'm good at. For the first time in my life, I actually felt cool. Now I know who I am! I'm Tyson's little brother, but that's only part of my identity. I'm a cool guy in my own way, too. I'm relieved to know that "cool" has a much broader definition than what I used to think.

    I experienced years of loneliness as a child.  His friends teased him about babysitting his sister and his interests were far different from mine. With no other kids of my age in the neighborhood, I had to spend hours by myself.

    A bright spot for me turned out to be reading. My love of the written word began early as my mother read to me every evening.  I started reading books on my own before age 5 and my mother took me to the public library once a week to borrow several books. I quickly graduated from typical children's books to ones with fewer pictures and longer chapters. Reading opened new worlds to me.

    My mother also encouraged me to make what I wanted. I tried making toy cars with cardboard boxes and constructing buildings from leftover cardboard and bits of wood my father gave me. When my mother saw my creations, she told me how creative my designs were.  I learned a lot about how to extend the life of objects and transform them into something new and useful. It was a trait(特点) others found helpful, and I soon had friends who wanted to make things with me.

    My parents made it a point for their two kids to spend time outside, no matter the weather or season. My brother, of course, raced off to be with his friends, while I had plenty to do myself. There was making leaf houses in autumn, ice skating in winter, and so much more. They're all memories I treasure today.

A. I wasn't alone any longer.

B. I enjoyed reading stories aloud.

C. I was invited to play with another kid.

D. I loved the colorful photographs in the books.

E. Another habit I formed early was being outdoors.

F. Thus, I began my lifelong interest in making things.

G. My older brother couldn't be bothered to play with me.

Humor

    If you see humor as an optional form of entertainment, you're missing some of its biggest benefits: Humor makes average-looking people look cute and uninteresting people seem entertaining. Studies show that a good sense of humor even makes you seem smarter.

    Best of all, humor raises your energy, and that can have an effect on everything you do at school, at work, or in your personal life. The increase of energy will even make you more willing to exercise, and that will raise your overall energy even more.

    Humor also transports your mind away from your daily troubles. Humor lets you better understand life and sometimes helps you laugh at even the worst of your problems.

    In my experience, most people think they have a sense of humor, and to some degree that's true. But not all senses of humor are created equal. So I thought it would be useful to include some humor tips for everyday life.

    You don't have to be the joke teller in the group in order to show your sense of humor. You can be the one who directs the conversation to fun topics that are ripe for others to add humor. Every party needs a straight person. You'll appear fun and funny by association.

    When it comes to in-person humor, effort counts a lot. When people see you trying to be funny, it frees them to try it themselves. So even if your own efforts at humor fall short, you might be freeing the long kept humor in others. People need permission to be funny in social settings because there's always a risk that comes with humor. For in-person humor, quality isn't as important as you might think. Your attitude and effort count a lot.

    Some people--and I was one of them--believe that humorous complaints about the little problems of life make humor, and sometimes that is the case. The problem comes when you start doing too much complaint-based humor. One funny observation about problem in your life can be funny, but five is just complaining, no matter how smart you think you are. Funny complaints can wear people out.

    Self-deprecating(自嘲式) humor is usually the safest type, but here again you don't want to overshoot the target. One self-deprecating comment is a generous and even confident form of humor. You have to be at least a bit self-assured to laugh at yourself in front of others. But if you do it too often, you can transform in the eyes of others from a confident joker to a Chihuahua dog.

    A housewarming party is a special party to be held when someone buys or moves into a new apartment or house. The person who bought the house or moved is the one who throws the panty. The party is a chance for friends and family to congratulate the person on the new home.  And it is good time to fill the new space with love and hopefully presents.

     Some people register a list of things they want or need for their new home at a local or store or stores. Some common things people will put on a gift registry include kitchen tools like knives and things like curtains. Even if there isn't a registry, a good housewarming gift is something to decorate the new house with, like a piece of art or a plant.

     This is often appreciated since at a housewarming there isn't a lot of food served. There are usually no planned activities like games at a housewarming party. The host or hostess of the party will, however, probably give all the guests a tour of their new home. Sometimes, because a housewarming party happens shortly after a person moves into their new home, people may be asked to help unpack boxes.  

    Housewarming parties get their name from the fact that a long time ago people would actually bring firewood to a new home as a gift.  Now most homes have central heating and don't use fires to keep warm.

A. This isn't usual though.

B. It is traditional to bring a gift to a housewarming party.

C. You can also bring food or drinks to share with the other guests.

D. If you're lucky enough to receive gifts, keep them in a safe place.

E. It also gives people a chance to see what the new home looks like.

F. The best housewarming parties encourage old friends to get together.

G. This was so that the person could keep their home warm for the winter.

A Few Tips for Self-Acceptance

    We all want it to accept and love ourselves. But at times it seems too difficult and too far out of reach.  Here's a handful of ways that will set you in the right direction.

    ● Do not follow the people who make you feel not-good-enough. Why do you follow them? Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own; you are the only you in this world.

    ●Forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made. We are often ashamed of our shortcomings, our mistakes and our failures.  You will make mistakes, time and time again. Rather than getting caught up in how you could have done better, why not offer yourself a compassionate (有同情心) response? "That didn't go as planned. But, I tried my best."

    ●Recognize all of your strengths. Write them down in a journal. Begin to train your brain to look at strength before weakness. List all of your accomplishments and achievements. You have a job, earned your degree, and you got out of bed today.  

    ●Now that you've listed your strengths, list your imperfections. Turn the page in your journal. Put into words why you feel unworthy, why you don't feel good enough. Now, read these words back to yourself.  Turn to a page in your journal to your list of strengths and achievements. See how awesome you are?

A. Feeling upset again?

B. Where do you start?

C. Nothing is too small to celebrate.

D. Remember, you are only human.

E Set an intention for self-acceptance.

F. Stop comparing yourself with others.

G. When does the comparison game start?

    Emoji (表情符号) and Workplace Communication

    In Asia, messaging platforms are growing rapidly, with users in the hundreds of millions, both at work and play. . It's been reported that 76 percent of employees in some western countries are using emojis at work.

    Written communications can often read as cold and dull. Using emojis can add humor and feeling, keeping intention clear. , encouraging better and more frequent communication.

    In any given office, employees can range from age 22 to 70 and beyond, and finding common ground in communication style can be a challenge. . While the younger generations prefer to communicate visually, for those used to working with traditional tools like email, it may feel like a learning curve (曲线). The good news is that it's simple to learn and can be worth the effort.

    There is also the matter of tone (语气). Who hasn't received an email so annoying that it ruined an entire day? . Emoji can help communication feel friendlier, and even a serious note can be softened with an encouraging smile.

    , and emoji can contribute directly to that positive outcome. And when your employees begin adding smiling emojis to their business communication, you'll know you have succeeded in improving your work culture.

A. Message with emojis feel more conversational

B. Even a formal email can seem cold and unfriendly

C. Sending smiling faces to colleagues may seem strange

D. The popularity of these platforms is spreading globally

E. Giving employees the tools enables them to communicate honestly

F. Studies show that friendlier communication leads to a happier workplace

G. An easy way to bring all work generations together is with a chat platform