Assertiveness is the ability to confidently express your opinions, feelings,attitudes, and rights, in a way that doesn't infringe（侵犯） the rights of others.

    Many of us are taught that it is not nice to consider our own needs above those of others. If someone says or does something that we don't like, we should just be quiet and try to stay away from that person in the future.

    Why is Assertiveness important?

     If you don't know how to be assertive, you might experience:

•Depression - Anger, a sense of being helpless, hopeless, or of having no　control over your life.

•Resentment - Anger at others for taking advantage of you.

•Frustration - Why did I allow that to happen?

     Most people find it easier to be assertive in some situations than in others. This　makes perfect sense. It's a lot easier to hold your ground with a stranger than with　someone you love. But the more important the relationship is to you, the more　ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔ it is to be assertive. Assertive behavior leads to increased respect from others！

      But before you decide to act assertively, you have to decide if you can live

 with the results. Although assertive behavior usually will result in a positive

 response  (积极的回应)，some people 　might react differently.

   How to be effectively（有效地） assertive:

 •Use "I" statements. Keep the focus on the problem you're having. "I'd like to be able to tell my stories without interruption." instead of "You're always interrupting my stories ! "

 •Use facts, not opinions. "Did you know that shirt has a hole?" instead of　"You're not going out looking like THAT, are you?"

 •Express ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions. "I get angry when he breaks his promises. " instead of "He makes me angry. "

 • Make clear and direct requirements. Don't invite the person to say no. "Will  you please?" instead of　'Would you mind．．．?" or "Why don't you．．．?"

•Keep repeating your point. Use a low level and pleasant voice. Don't try to explain yourself.

1.The writer probably agrees that­­­____________.

A. you should consider others' response before you act assertively

B. you should be assertive if you want to get good marks

C. assertiveness is the ability to infringe others' rights.

D. assertive behavior will bring you bad feelings

2.The expression "hold yourｇround" probably means “_________________”

A. reach an agreement

B. insist on your point

C. keep your word

D. keep on fighting

3.Which of the following helps you to be effectively assertive?

A. Explaining yourself in a soft and sweet voice.

B. Expressing ownership of others' thoughts.

C. Making requirements directly and clearly.

D. Using your opinions instead of facts.

Assertiveness is the ability to confidently express your opinions, feelings,attitudes, and rights, in a way that doesn't infringe（侵犯） the rights of others.
Many of us are taught that it is not nice to consider our own needs above those of others. If someone says or does something that we don't like, we should just be quiet and try to stay away from that person in the future.
Why is Assertiveness important?
If you don't know how to be assertive, you might experience:
?Depression - Anger, a sense of being helpless, hopeless, or of having no　control over your life.
?Resentment - Anger at others for taking advantage of you.
?Frustration - Why did I allow that to happen?
Most people find it easier to be assertive in some situations than in others. This　makes perfect sense. It's a lot easier to hold your ground with a stranger than with　someone you love. But the more important the relationship is to you, the more　ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔ it is to be assertive. Assertive behavior leads to increased respect from others！
But before you decide to act assertively, you have to decide if you can live
with the results. Although assertive behavior usually will result in a positive
response  (积极的回应)，some people 　might react differently.
How to be effectively（有效地） assertive:
?Use "I" statements. Keep the focus on the problem you're having. "I'd like to be able to tell my stories without interruption." instead of "You're always interrupting my stories ! "
?Use facts, not opinions. "Did you know that shirt has a hole?" instead of　"You're not going out looking like THAT, are you?"
?Express ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions. "I get angry when he breaks his promises. " instead of "He makes me angry. "
? Make clear and direct requirements. Don't invite the person to say no. "Will  you please?" instead of　'Would you mind．．．?" or "Why don't you．．．?"
?Keep repeating your point. Use a low level and pleasant voice. Don't try to explain yourself

1. 1.

   The writer probably agrees that______.

   1. A.
      you should consider others' response before you act assertively
   2. B.
      you should be assertive if you want to get good marks
   3. C.
      assertiveness is the ability to infringe others' rights
   4. D.
      assertive behavior will bring you bad feelings
2. 2.

   The expression "hold yourｇround" probably means “______”

   1. A.
      reach an agreement
   2. B.
      insist on your point
   3. C.
      keep your word
   4. D.
      keep on fighting
3. 3.

   Which of the following helps you to be effectively assertive?

   1. A.
      Explaining yourself in a soft and sweet voice
   2. B.
      Expressing ownership of others' thoughts
   3. C.
      Making requirements directly and clearly
   4. D.
      Using your opinions instead of facts

The pollution in our country is very serious, which is harmful to our health. If? we don’t take ???

to protect the environment, the earth will be destroyed. The earth is our home. No earth, no people! So we should think of some good ? to solve the environmental problems.

　　?? is one of the problems. But some rubbish can be ?? . So we should ?? the rubbish according to the materials instead of throwing them here and there. We should also ? the waste. For example, we can use ??? sides of the paper or we can bring a basket when going to the supermarket. Waste water shouldn’t be ?? into rivers and lakes directly(直接地). Dirty water may ?? some diseases(疾病).

In a word, ? is supposed to take an action at once. It is our duty to protect the environment and make our world more and more beautiful.

1.A. hair????????????? B. measures????????????? C. sky

2.A. purpose????????????? B. results????????????? C. ways

3.A. Rubbish????????????? B. Air????????????? C. Water

4.A. stored ????????????? B. recycled????????????? C. wasted

5.A. sell????????????? B. rise????????????? C. sort

6.A. reduce????????????? B. make????????????? C. stop

7.A. both????????????? B. neither????????????? C. none

8.A. poured????????????? B. discovered????????????? C. rained

9.A. shut????????????? B. cause????????????? C. prevent

10.A. no one????????????? B. someone????????????? C. everyone

Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you’ll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn’t enough for shoppers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don’t buy anything just because it’s cheaper than usual! Second, never let “New and Improved!” or “All Natural” on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of contents on the back. Third，compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands(品牌)and different sizes of the same brand.
Another suggestion for shoppers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don’t spend much money on packing or advertising. However, they are still of high quality. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren’t very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.
Wise shoppers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials(商业广告)，but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, will-informed shoppers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, shoppers can make a wise choice.
【小题1】 The author gives ________ suggestions to the shoppers in the passage.