“I can’t believe that you forgot to come to study with me last night!” shouted Sherri to her best friend Taylor. “Because of you, I failed today’s math test. You’re so thoughtless.”
“You’re being silly, Sherri,” said Taylor. “ I didn’t come because I had to stay late at baseball practice. I called and told your dad. I guess you didn’t get the message.”
Have you ever been really angry with one of your friends or family members for letting you down? Everybody feels like this sometimes, but the key to controlling (控制) your anger is knowing what you are feeling and why, as well as understanding what you can do about it.
Sherri was angry. But if she looked at her feelings, she’d understand that the person she was angry with was herself. It wasn’t Taylor’s job to make sure she studied for the math testꎻ it was hers. When she didn’t do well in the test, she blamed (埋怨) her friend because that was easier than saying she had made a mistake. She thought she was angry at Taylor, but what she was really feeling was guilt (内疚).
Learning to know your true feelings is the first step in knowing what to do with them. Once you understand your true feelings, it’s time to work them out with some communication skills.
Really listening to what the other person is saying is important. It’s part of understanding how the person is feeling and what the problem actually is. To give your full attention, you can keep eye contact (接触) and ask questions if you don’t understand.
Before you start talking, try doing a “ reality check” , a skill that makes sure you understand what you’ve just heard. You can paraphrase the person’s words to show that you are listening and that you are trying to understand his or her side of the story. For example, imagine if Taylor said, “ Sherri, you are feeling really angry at me because I didn’t show up last night and help you study for the math test. You didn’t do well in it, and you think that it’s my fault.” Do you think that Sherri would have got so angry if she had realized that Taylor was truly listening to her?
Now, it’s your turn to express your feelings. Start your sentences with “I”. This will let you express how someone’s behavior makes you feel. Instead of “You are so thoughtless,” you might say, “I felt really sad when you didn’t come over.” Messages that start with “you” will make a person feel uncomfortable, while “I” statements express a feeling.
It’s important to realize that your life will be full of emotions (情绪). However, understanding what you are really feeling and then learning how to deal with it are even more important.
1.What is the first step to deal with your emotions?
A. Understanding how you really feel.
B. Trying to understand the other side of a story.
C. Listening to what the other person is saying.
D. Controlling your feelings when you are angry.
2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A. The result of Sherri’s anger.
B. The explanation of Sherri’s emotional problems.
C. The reason for Sherri’s failure in her math exam.
D. The importance of understanding Sherri’s real feelings.
3.What is the writer’s main purpose in writing the passage?
A. To express how important listening is.
B. To teach how to communicate feelings.
C. To explain why emotions can control our lives.
D. To show why people’s lives are full of emotions.
八年级英语阅读单选中等难度题