1 . Why do we choose to help one another? There are many reasons. You may be a selfless person or lending a hand may be a cultural expectation.
Now, researchers are raising the possibility that good sleep may be a wonderful ingredient that promotes the alacrity to offer help between human beings. Indeed the better sleep you have, the more willing you will be to lend a hand. And a surprising new set of research studies have found that sleep loss may affect our generosity at different levels.
Researchers at University of California, Berkley, led three small studies to explore generosity. In one study, they exposed a group of healthy adults to a night of 8 hours of sleep and a night with no sleep. Researchers scanned the participants’ brains after each night. After a sleepless night, areas of the brain involved in empathy and helping behavior were less active. In fact, when the study participants were sleepless at night, 78% of them demonstrated a reduction in the desire to help others.
In the next study, researchers tracked 136 people through online questionnaires and sleep diaries for a few days. They wanted to see if nightly variations in sleep affected their desire to help others. They found that, when sleep quality worsened from one night to the next, there was a major decrease in “helping choices” and vice versa.
The third study looked at how sleep loss affected generosity on a larger scale. The researchers analyzed data from over 3 million charitable donations made in the U.S.. They focused on donations during the transition to Daylight Saving Time(DST)in spring each year. During the spring time change, we lose an hour of sleep.
Interestingly, researchers found a 10% drop in donations in regions that change their clocks. This drop wasn’t seen in regions that didn’t observe the time change. It showed that insufficient sleep triggered by the time change impacted donation behavior.
All these results suggest that insufficient sleep makes us less compassionate and helpful. Throughout the world, more than half of adults don’t get enough sleep during the workweek, but we should all start valuing adequate sleep rather than treating it like something optional or unproductive. If so, it will enable us to be more helpful and to be the best versions of ourselves.
1. What’s the writing purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To start a heated discussion. | B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To present a social phenomenon. | D．To show the author’s conclusion. |
| A．Understanding. | B．Ability. |
| C．Awareness. | D．Eagerness. |
| A．People observing DST are likely to donate less. |
| B．People change their clocks to have more empathy. |
| C．Sleep quality determines the desire to give a hand. |
| D．Sleep loss can severely affect helping behavior. |
| A．Sleep Triggers Behavior | B．Adequate Sleep: A Healthy Person |
| C．Sleep Influences Generosity | D．Sound Sleep: A Productive Person |
2 . AirTag, a small Bluetooth-and-GPS-enabled device, was released by Apple in April 2021. This small device aimed at making our lives easier was originally designed to end the trouble of losing keys, wallets or other little objects. However, it may become the “perfect” tracking tool if in the wrong hands. My ex-husband was an early adopter of the AirTag. He and I had a falling out, leading to a divorce battle. In order to win custody battle, he used the little device to track me.
As a tech giant, the Apple company brought great convenience to the users, including me. I had never given a thought to tracking via AirTag until it happened to me. So I started scanning stories about AirTag. I was surprised to find that I was not alone. There were so many people tracked by these seemingly innocent electronic tags in their daily life. AirTag which was originally launched for a better life should have such a dark side in the wrong hands.
People have found that the digital device has the potential for abuse. What matters is how to avoid its danger. Apple has released updates to the AirTag’s functionality very quickly since they hit the market. Meanwhile, Apple has also improved its customer service to deal with the bugs of this kind. If you find an unwanted AirTag following you, don’t panic. Just disable it. You can follow the prompts on your Apple device to learn more about disabling the device. Once you’ve completed the above step, the tag’s original owner can’t keep track of you any more.
Almost every digital technology creates security issues. Nobody can go and live in a cave to remain unaffected. While enjoying its convenience, you need to be aware of the risks it poses, and know how to deal with them. Prevention is more effective in security issues than fixes. After all, a stitch in time saves nine.
1. What is the original function of AirTag?| A．To track one’s location secretly. | B．To help find one’s easily lost items. |
| C．To locate one’s phone accurately. | D．To ensure the safety of one’s phone. |
| A．Her ex-husband tracked her via AirTag. |
| B．Many people suffered from security problem. |
| C．AirTag was a newly released electronic device. |
| D．She intended to know about its great convenience. |
| A．Have it updated. | B．Make it unable to work. |
| C．Pay no attention to it. | D．Contact its original owner. |
| A．People should keep pace with the times. |
| B．People should use technology in a proper way. |
| C．People should handle potential digital risks actively. |
| D．People should bear the responsibility to fix the bugs bravely. |
3 . Family: Poems—by Mr. Keith Keenan
·Kindle $0.00, Hardcover $12.50, Paperback $7.00
The poet describes personal thoughts and feelings in a lyrical journey to understand and celebrate his family. “Family” looks at living honestly in places, not illusions. Figurative language, a love of metaphor and sharp images all make the poems work.
Time to Heal—by Alexandra Vasiliu
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $21.94, Paperback $12.64
From the bestselling author comes an inspirational poetry book about love, healing, and growth. It is a reminder to strive to change for the better. Featuring more than 130 uplifting poems and black-and-white illustrations, it’s a great companion when you need to embrace self-love and personal transformation.
Seeds from a Birch Tree —by Clark Strand
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $26.80, Paperback $16.95
Seeds From a Birch Tree makes nature into a spiritual path. Its message was simple: Haiku teaches us to return to nature by following the seasons—seventeen syllables at a time. With its mix of poetry and memoir(回忆录), the book guides us to the joy hidden in plain sight, leading us to get into a good state of body and mind.
A Poem for Every Day—by Allie Esiri
·Kindle $9.99, Hardcover $28.05, Audio CD $18.05
This audio book is a collection of 366 poems which link to events on key dates—funny for April Fool’s Day, festive for Christmas. This is the perfect gift for poetry lovers of all ages. These poems are informative, peaceful, and energetic!
There are a large number of poetry collections on Amazon. More information, please click here.
1. How much will you pay if you are to buy a hardcover edition of haiku?| A．$12.50. | B．$21.94. | C．$26.80. | D．$28.05. |
| A．Family: Poems features plain language. |
| B．Time to Heal features colorful illustrations. |
| C．Seeds from a Birch Tree focuses on human nature. |
| D．A Poem for Every Day focuses on festive celebrations. |
| A．A website. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A book review. | D．A travel brochure. |
4 . Two British teachers have broken the world record for the longest journey in a tuk-tuk after pulling their failing vehicle for 43 miles. Richard Sears and Nick Gough traveled 37,500 kilometers around the world and passed through 37 countries. They did this to support grassroots education project in Africa, Asia and South America.
The pair, who set off from London, thought their expedition was over when the vehicle started to fail. When the tuk-tuk broke, they were only 70 kilometers from their destination. They decided to pull it the rest of the way. The tuk-tuk, which weighs 800 kilograms, was pulled in turns by Richard and Nick over three days. On arrival in Chepen, Peru, they discovered a mechanic who specialized in tuk-tuks and managed to fix it.
The pair were back on the road and aiming for their next goal. Along their journey they had to tackle deserts and jungles. They also survived close encounters with elephants in Uganda and Botswana and an accident in Malaysia. The greatest hardship on the tuk-tuk was the mountain ranges lying in their path, including the Alps, the Himalayas and the Andes.
Nick and Richard uncovered some inspirational projects across Africa, Asia and South America. They witnessed firsthand the educational challenges facing these areas today. They joined street children in the slums of Cairo, Khartoum, Kampala, Mumbai and Phnom Penh. They visited Congolese refugees (难民) in camps in Eastern Burundi. They witnessed how education could free sex-workers in Delhi and victims of human trafficking in Nepal.
The pair established the Tuk-Tuk Educational Trust, a U.K. registered charity.
Talking about their motivation, Richard said, “The world’s leaders have made a commitment to achieving universal primary education but in spite of this pledge (承诺), over 57 million primary-aged children worldwide are still out of school; many more are in school, though still cannot access quality learning opportunities.”
1. Why did the two teachers travel the world?| A．To support an education project. |
| B．To create a new world record. |
| C．To entertain themselves. |
| D．To challenge themselves. |
| A．A little more than 23 kilometers. |
| B．About 14 miles. |
| C．43 miles. |
| D．70 kilometers. |
| A．How they realized their next goal. |
| B．Their exciting experience on the road. |
| C．The beautiful scenery of famous mountains. |
| D．The difficulties and dangers they faced in the journey. |
| A．Curious and brave. |
| B．Humorous and generous. |
| C．Courageous and responsible. |
| D．Efficient and honest. |
5 . From chocolate toothpaste in the Philippines to salt and vinegar potato chips in the UK, products popular in one place often receive a cool reception elsewhere. It of course poses a challenge to food companies seeking to export their brands.
The snack-food company Frito-Lay addresses the issue by discovering the best-loved flavours in each of their markets. So while cheese, spicy chilli and barbecue are popular flavours in the USA, Turkey goes for yogurt. The French prefer olive and Japan likes sushi flavours. But all of them are sold under the globally familiar Doritos brand. Frito-Lay’s understanding of local tastes around the world-and the successful adaptation of their product-has made Doritos one of the world’s most popular snack foods.
Everyone everywhere loves ice cream, it seems. The Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever sells it in over 40 countries. The company used to sell their ice cream under a lot of different brands, which created the sense that the companies were local. In 1998, the company launched the ‘Heartbrand’ logo (标志) to increase international brand awareness, but kept the familiar local names for the ice cream products. This helped avoid the problem of some names not sounding good in other languages. So in Bulgaria and Greece, you buy Algida, but in China, Malaysia, Singapore and the UK, it’s Wall’s.
There are some products that will always remain at home, such as the durian (榴莲), known as the ‘the king of fruits’ in its homeland of Southeast Asia. The fruit’s most notable feature is its strong smell, described by some as that of rotten onions and by others as old gym socks, though it is said to taste delicious by its fans. Though some durians are grown outside of Southeast Asia, the only place the fruit enjoys any wide popularity at all is in Southeast Asia and even there, some people can’t stand it! So don’t expect to see durians in your local supermarket any time soon.
1. What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph I refer to?| A．The snack culture. |
| B．The cold welcome. |
| C．The food preference. |
| D．The global popularity. |
| A．They provide chips of high quality. |
| B．They make snacks to suit local tastes. |
| C．They unite markets of different countries. |
| D．They use advertising to build new brands. |
| A．Anglo-Dutch. | B．Algida. | C．Heartbrand. | D．Wall’s. |
| A．Durians’ sales dilemma. |
| B．Durians’ nutritional value. |
| C．Durians’ smell problems. |
| D．Durians’ attractive features. |
6 . I work at a company that has a large number of employees. I can’t say that I know them all by name, but I know my fair share of them and almost all of them know me. I’d say that’s the reason I’ve been able to reach this far in my career. It’s all based on one simple principle: I believe that every single person should be recognized, however small or simple that greeting is.
When I was about ten years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee while I was busy throwing a rock towards the stop sign. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any time around the neighborhood, so I didn’t pay any attention to him. After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, “Promise me this will be your last time to walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street.” That phrase sounds simple, yet influential enough to shape who I am.
At work, I always used to say hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. After a few years of passing by the founder, I had the courage to ask him how far he thought I could go in his company. He said, “If you want to, you can get all the way to this seat.”
Now I’ve become vice president, but that hasn’t changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother’s advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I’ve learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too. The day you speak to someone who has their head down but lifts it up and smiles, you realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say, “Hello.”
1. Why did the author pay no attention to Mr. Lee?| A．He had rude manners. |
| B．He could meet Mr. Lee regularly. |
| C．He was shy with adults. |
| D．He focused on throwing a rock busily. |
| A．It was necessary to bring a dog. |
| B．Never speak to strangers on the street. |
| C．It was worthwhile to befriend Mr. Lee. |
| D．Never pass anybody without greetings. |
| A．An empty seat in the office. |
| B．An important business deal. |
| C．The post of vice president on the board. |
| D．The position of the founder of the company. |
| A．The Power of Hello |
| B．My Road to Success |
| C．The Influence from My Mom |
| D．My Advice on Career |
7 . It’s no secret now that the more time we spend on social media, the more we feel dissatisfied with ourselves. We tend to compare ourselves to influences and celebrities- so it’s easy to understand how that can affect our confidence.
But, how often have you found yourself comparing your life to your friends? Engaging with social media shared by our friends can be more damaging than looking at content shared by celebrities, new research has found.
The study looking at how social media affects body image found that any social media engagement was significantly associated with lower “appearance satisfaction”. Additionally, it found that engaging with content posted by people the participants knew was more than twice as damaging as looking at content posted by strangers, including celebrities.
Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University, believes this is partly because we know it’s hard to attain the lives of celebrities or influences, but when we’re comparing ourselves to our friends, it feels like we should- or could-live the way they do.
“One possible explanation is that people may perceive a post showing appearance as being much more attainable if it comes from someone they know, adding expectation or pressure on the person engaging in the post, ” he said. “At the same time, people may be more critically engaged with posts by the likes of models and celebrities, and therefore perceive the images they share to be more unrealistic."
This is not just confined to body image though. We all have one area in our lives that triggers(触 发)us. Maybe you’ve been searching for a new job for months and you find yourself on social media, envying your school friend who just landed their dream role. Maybe. . .
All this is to say the obvious: we only see part of people’s lives -and if it’s getting you down, you’re probably comparing your insides to other people’s outsides. Everyone has their struggles and life is indeed not perfect for anyone. So, put down your phone, get offline, be thankful and try to live your own life.
1. What did the new study find?| A．Social media invites unfavorable comments. |
| B．Friends’ posts affect us more than celebrities’. |
| C．Celebrities have a negative influence on our life. |
| D．Body image causes more concern than social life. |
| A．They serve as role models. |
| B．We know the way they live. , |
| C．Their lifestyles are accessible. |
| D．We are curious about their life. |
| A．Restricted. |
| B．Related. |
| C．Devoted. |
| D．Exposed. |
| A．Find your dream and fight for it. |
| B．Stop comparing and be yourself. |
| C．Be grateful and lead a perfect life. |
| D．Stop complaining and get down to work. |
8 . Sometimes the simple act of being outside every day can be good to you. We often forget about what nature has to offer by staying inside too much. Going outside, you’ll probably be exposed to numerous sensations. You might hear the crinkle of leaves under your feet, concentrate on how the breeze cools your skin, and feel the sun offering its natural warmth.
Time outside also reminds you how you share your time on Earth with countless creatures and that you must live in harmony with them. The more often you encounter animals in their natural habitats, the easier it will be to recall why it’s so important to treat the outdoors with respect. After coming in contact with a squirrel, for example, you may be especially careful to throw your trash away in the nearest garbage can in case of some harmful leftover food. That’s because you’ve just been reminded that you’re not the only living thing to come in contact with what’s now rubbish.
Spending too much time indoors may cause us to become too isolated from others, especially if we use up much time in front of computer screens. It seems that a computer connected to the Internet allows you to share parts of your world with other people, but actually it can also make us feel more disconnected from others for lack of face-to-face communication. The time outside with a loved one allows you to take part in a shared experience. For instance, you can call attention to a type of flower that’s just started blooming and allow your companions to marvel at its beauty. That’s a similar shared experience.
Anyhow, it is not as hard as you might imagine. You may just decide to start an outdoor practice that takes you outside for a certain amount of time, preferably every day. The last 15 minutes of your lunch break strolling outside with a friend and some after-dinner family time discussing your days can be good options. Get off the computer and head outside! You’ll feel how your choice pays off.
1. According to paragraph 1, going outside offers an opportunity for people to ________.| A．enjoy sensory experience | B．bring back distant memories |
| C．achieve better concentration | D．participate in simple activities |
| A．To present the means of feeding animals. |
| B．To show the consequence of littering trash. |
| C．To stress the significance of experiencing nature. |
| D．To discuss the possibility of encountering wildlife. |
| A．attention disorder | B．loneliness attack |
| C．Internet addiction | D．communication barrier |
| A．Time Outside Involves A Shared Experience |
| B．Too Much Time Indoors Does Great Harm |
| C．Going Outdoors Gives A Different Perspective |
| D．A Daily Exposure to Nature Makes a Difference |
9 . The courses below bring together heart and mind expanding materials designed to inspire your personal growth and expand your awareness of all that is happening in our world.
The Hidden Knowledge
It is designed for those who want to dive into the deep cover-ups in our world. This course inspires learners to make a difference and build a better world, yet unlike the other courses here, the focus is largely on exploring and exposing all that is hidden and secret in our world. This eye-opening course is careful to present only reliable materials.
The Transformation
Have you ever felt that you are here to help transform our planet to a new way of living based on love? If so, this course may be the choice for you. This profound course harmonizes the light and inspiring aspects of life with the more challenging shadow sides of existence.
The Inspiration
While the other courses include materials on the challenging aspects of our lives sometimes referred to as the shadow, this course focuses almost exclusively on the lighter side. Every page of the course will touch and inspire you to open to more love and deeper connections in your life. With all of the violence in the media today, this course is like a fresh mountain breeze-so rich and fulfilling!
The Insight
Are you ready to be the change you want to see in your life and in our world? This journey will enhance your awareness and provide tools enabling you to build a better life and world. Course lessons in this new academic year will deepen your insight and embolden you to be the change you want to see in the world. To begin this journey, click below.
See our quick guide to help you decide which course is best for you.
1. The Hidden Knowledge encourages learners to ________.| A．spread the truth | B．create positive impacts on the world |
| C．show their courage | D．offer reliable materials to the course |
| A．The Insight. | B．The Transformation. |
| C．The Inspiration. | D．The Hidden Knowledge. |
| A．A course notice. | B．An academic magazine. |
| C．A school website. | D．An entertainment guide. |
10 . Mirroring body language is a way to bond and to build understanding. It is a powerful tool that we use without even knowing it.
The most obvious forms of mirroring are yawning and smiling. When you see someone yawn, you are likely to yawn immediately. Smiling is also pretty contagious—seeing a smiling person makes you want to smile too.
Mirroring body language is a nonverbal way to say “I am like you or I feel the same”. Research shows that people who experience the same feelings are likely to trust, understand and accept each other. Women have the natural ability to pick up and understand body signals. Therefore, it is not surprising that a woman is more likely to mirror another woman than a man is to mirror another man.
That’s why women are regarded as better talkers, even if they might not really have more close friends.
Mirroring body language is an excellent way to build trust and understanding quickly. If you want to set up a connection with others, mirror their gestures, sitting position, tone of voice and talking pace. This will make them feel that there is something about you that they like.
While mirroring body language gains you acceptance, you still need to take into consideration your relationship with the person you are mirroring. If you are in a lower social position and are mirroring the body language of your boss, he will view you as rude. However, if you want to defeat those who are trying to prove superior to you, mirroring their body language will help defeat them and change their position.
1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Affecting each other. | B．Showing one’s feelings. |
| C．Attractive to the others. | D．Gentle to people around. |
| A．They don’t like mirroring others. |
| B．They tend to have more close friends. |
| C．They are naturally gifted in building trust. |
| D．They are good at interpreting body language. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Curious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．The Common Forms of Mirroring |
| B．The Excellent Method of Mirroring |
| C．Mirroring Body Language:A Useful Tool |
| D．Nonverbal Communication:A Special Bond |
