SLO Reading Assessment Level 7

Read the article. Then choose the correct answer. You have 15 minutes.

For questions 6-10, look at the words in bold.

EQ: Emotional Intelligence

Normally, coworkers Cindi and Xiaoling are good friends at work, but earlier this month, they started having problems. Cindi had been feeling very stressed about a family situation. Her father had been in a car accident, and the car was badly damaged. Her father had been taking her daughter to school so that Cindi could get to work on time, but now Cindi was often late. Because of her stress, Cindi snapped at Xiaoling more than once at work. Xiaoling took the impolite comments personally. She felt hurt and angry because she didn’t feel she had done anything wrong to Cindi.  Cindi and Xiaoling stopped speaking to each other, and the office environment was difficult for everyone sharing the space.

The manager arranged a meeting with Cindi and Xiaoling to discuss their difficulty getting along. She then required them to take a social communication workshop which focused on emotional intelligence, or EQ. They learned that emotional intelligence is the ability to manage your own emotions and understand those of other people.  Emotionally intelligent people can express their feelings clearly, are generally positive and upbeat, and are better able to manage difficult situations. During the workshop, Cindi and Xiaoling were able to discuss their problems and learned that having emotional intelligence could improve their daily lives.

What are the different components of emotional intelligence? This is what they learned.

Self-awareness -- “I know myself well.” Do I know what I want?  Do I think before I act?

Managing emotions -- “I am calm.” Can I control my emotions? Do I get mad easily?

Motivation -- “I am confident that I will achieve my goals.” Do I have realistic goals? Do I want to make people happy?

Empathy --“I know how other people feel.” Do I know when my friends are depressed? Do I show sensitivity toward others’ feelings?

Social skills -- “I get along with friends and colleagues.” Am I flexible when things don’t go   as planned? Am I honest with people? 

After the workshop, Cindi and Xiaoling understood each other and their relationship improved. Even though being emotionally intelligent takes a lot of practice and patience, they learned a lot. While Cindi learned she needed to stay calm when she is stressed and to be more aware of her behavior when she speaks to people, Xiaoling learned to be more empathetic toward others and to understand Cindi’s situation. Both of them were able to improve their social skills by being flexible and honest. Clearly, the training helped Cindi and Xiaoling improve themselves and the workplace environment.