2 . I don’t usually watch TV at night. Last Thursday night, I finished my homework early and _________to watch TV for half an hour. To my surprise, there was a wonderful _________.

The program was about food waste (食品浪费). It asked cooks (厨师) to make meals from food that people threw away (扔掉). The cooks went to _________to find food. They found lots of bread. The bread was three days old but was _________very good. At some street markets they found bananas and strawberries. The _________was a little brown, but it was OK to eat!

From the program, I learned how much food people throw away every week. It is _________. We waste so much food because we _________so much and we can’t eat it all! The program also showed that some farmers throw away a lot of their vegetables because they aren’t the right _________for the shops!

People don’t want carrots when they are very big or very small, _________ the farmers throw them away or give them to pigs!

The program showed people that food waste is a big problem. We must __________food waste together. From now on, I will eat everything in the fridge (冰箱).

1.

A．waited

B．helped

C．decided

2.

A．activity

B．program

C．competition

3.

A．libraries

B．museums

C．supermarkets

4.

A．still

B．only

C．ever

5.

A．meat

B．fruit

C．cake

6.

A．terrible

B．difficult

C．expensive

7.

A．buy

B．pay

C．use

8.

A．price

B．color

C．size

9.

A．but

B．so

C．if

10.

A．save

B．share

C．fight

5 . I grew up 3 hours outside of Pittsburgh, with my _______ and 3 younger siblings. My mom was a single mother and worked a minimum wage job, so we _______ had much, but that was OK, we made _______ meet anyhow.

Freshman year of High School, I got a job at a local bakery and immediately started saving money for _______. I was accepted into the University of Pittsburgh and received some academic scholarships that _______ my tuition. Room and board were not covered, so I opted to pay for the meal plan but not the housing, _______ it was too expensive for me. I lived in my van for the next 2 years. Being homeless forced me to take _______ of everything the campus had to offer, I ended up spending most of my time throughout the week at the library. I _________ my professor office. I ended up getting really close to some of my professors because of this, and it really helped me excel in the classroom. I _______ a lot of social events, guest speakers, plays, charities, students’ life event around campus too, and this was really good for me, because I ended up ________ a lot of new friends by attending all these things. And I really developed an ________ personality because of it. But, prior to college I would have considered myself introvert.

Even after I moved out of the __________, I continued to spend hours at the library, working out every day, attending events, etc, and I really think that having to deal with the __________ that I had to go through really made me into a better person.

Since then I got a really good job and have been helping my ________ prepare for life and I’ve even been able to help my mother ________ a little bit. It just feels good.

1.

A．father

B．grandpa

C．mother

D．sister

2.

A．never

B．often

C．always

D．sometimes

3.

A．times

B．ends

C．money

D．foods

4.

A．campus

B．charity

C．community

D．college

5.

A．covered

B．met

C．got

D．made

6.

A．though

B．because

C．so

D．that

7.

A．luck

B．fortune

C．use

D．advantage

8.

A．interviewed

B．spotted

C．frequented

D．went

9.

A．attended

B．visited

C．organized

D．watched

10.

A．understanding

B．meeting

C．looking

D．knowing

11.

A．shy

B．friendly

C．serious

D．outgoing

12.

A．truck

B．dorm

C．van

D．camp

13.

A．disbelief

B．struggles

C．faiths

D．feelings

14.

A．siblings

B．myself

C．colleagues

D．classmates

15.

A．against

B．for

C．in

D．out

6 . I am a professor of clinical psychology. Some time ago, I got halfway through a day of teaching before a co-worker pointed out to me I was quite carelessly wearing a pair of different shoes, one red and one black. I felt so embarrassed and upset but I would have to go teach my course like this. When I noticed how much I wanted to disappear and avoid this situation, I was determined to face it instead. I walked into class and announced to the students that I was wearing two shoes from different pairs, and directed their attention to my feet. Everyone laughed and we went on with class. Years later, a student in that class told me that this was the moment she first thought that maybe, just maybe, she could be a professor, too.

I shared my mistake because I realized that trying hide it was interfering with my ability to concentrate my mind on my teaching — but I had no idea that it would also help shorten the psychological distance between my students and myself.

Many contexts may punish or shame people for making mistakes. Our efforts to avoid them result from our desires for success, and how others will respond to our mistakes. We might feel self-criticism and shame if we do make some.

However, mistake making is part of learning new things, and it can draw us closer to others. It opens up the possibility of accepting mistakes gladly, letting us be more open and engaged in what we are doing.

We can say words of kindness and self-compassion to ourselves: Mistakes are natural and human; we can be kind to ourselves for this error and still try to do better next time; noticing our own imperfections can help us to be kind to others when we notice they are imperfect, too. When we practice our mistakes in this way, they can become opportunities to open up to others, learn about ourselves, and connect even more with what matters to us.

1. How does the author develop paragraph 1?

A．By giving some examples.	B．By following time order.
C．By doing scientific experiments.	D．By sharing personal experience.

2. What was the result of the author sharing his mistake?

A．Shameful.

B．Unexpected.

C．Punishable.

D．Unaccepted.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．Intentions to avoid mistakes.	B．Advantages of making mistakes.
C．Possibilities of making mistakes.	D．Efforts to avoid making mistakes.

4. What can we know about mistakes from the last paragraph?

A．They interfere with what we are doing.

B．They draw too much attention from us.

C．They are big opportunities to get us improved.

D．They make us feel irresponsible and defeated.

7 . One day, my 12-year-old daughter participated in a school poetry reading event. All her classmates were invited to write a “lie poem” about how ________ they were and read them aloud. They were supposed to ________ untruths about themselves that made them sound ________ wonderful. As I listened to the poems, I realized that the children were actually ________ the picture of their future. By “lying” to themselves, they were creating a ________ of who they wanted to be in the future.

I couldn’t help admiring the school for ________ the children to dream big in such a special way, even if it might not be the first intention. In fact, most of us are ________ to see the truth of who we could be. My daughter’s school developed an unintended ________ to that difficulty: If it’s hard for you to imagine the ________ in yourself, then you might want to begin by expressing it as a ________, as did the children who wrote the poems.

Think up some stories about who you would like to be. In due course, this ________ exercise would help you build the necessary blueprint for ________ your achievements. Without a picture of your ________ self, you can’t live into that self. So ________ it till you make it. The lie will become the ________ in the end.

1.

A．rich

B．busy

C．great

D．smart

2.

A．point out

B．make up

C．hold back

D．rely on

3.

A．unbelievably

B．unconsciously

C．unacceptably

D．unreasonably

4.

A．exaggerating

B．restoring

C．admiring

D．clarifying

5.

A．sample

B．vision

C．message

D．principle

6.

A．forcing

B．requesting

C．motivating

D．warning

7.

A．unable

B．anxious

C．nervous

D．unwilling

8.

A．excuse

B．balance

C．solution

D．connection

9.

A．interest

B．courage

C．expectation

D．potential

10.

A．fantasy

B．fortune

C．benefit

D．reference

11.

A．healthy

B．creative

C．gentle

D．formal

12.

A．ensuring

B．informing

C．stretching

D．measuring

13.

A．highest

B．biggest

C．happiest

D．bravest

14.

A．stop

B．forget

C．hide

D．pretend

15.

A．dream

B．reality

C．memory

D．nightmare

9 . Whenever I get really depressed and anxious, my first impulse is to reach for my phone. Maybe I’ll get a message from a friend or discover some new distraction on social media. Unfortunately, during the past couple of years, one glance at my screen often makes me want to crawl back into bed.

That changed after I made friends with a strange creature named Webot. I’m finding that it makes me feel better-and it might work for you too. Like many apps, Webot sends me messages at random. But instead of tempting me into doom scrolling with shocking news alerts, Webot asks how I’m doing. When I text Webot my troubles, it asks me friendly questions, encourages me, and invites me to express some of my darkest thoughts. There is something intensely comforting about discussing your thoughts with a machine.

There are many therapy apps on the market, both free (like Webot) and paid for. But Webot is a particularly interesting case. Psychology researcher Alison Darcy at Stanford University created it after years of study. She says it was challenging on both a technical and artistic level because the chatbot is a character with its own personality. “It’s as careful a construction as you might find in a novel or poetry. Webot’s personality is humble, warm and wise, ”as Darcy puts it, “Webot isn’t an all-knowing authority. It is a mental health ally”.

Best of all, Webot is always there, even when I’m lying awake in the middle of the night. That’s exactly the point, according to Darcy. “Your therapist should not be in bed with you at 2 a. m,“ she laughs. But Webot can be. You can pull up Webot at the exact moment you need it most.

It is working. Last year, Darcy and her colleagues published a study showing that people like me are forming “bonds” with Webot. Bonding is a “meaningful“ process of “getting something off your chest, or managing your thoughts more objectively”.

And you know what? In the bizarre world of 2023, it might be healthier to bond with a robot than be “engaged“ on social media.

1. What does the underlined word “That” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．I lost interest in my phone.

B．I was tired of social media.

C．My phone didn’t understand my impulse.

D．My phone didn’t help me feel any better.

2. According to the text, what do we know about Webot?

A．It bonds with me through social media.

B．It is a creature that makes me feel better.

C．It communicates with me and offers comfort.

D．It is a therapist helping me manage my thoughts.

3. From Darcy’s perspective, why can Webot make us feel better?

A．Because it can build mental connection with us.

B．Because it is free and has a favorable personality.

C．Because it is carefully constructed in a novel or poetry.

D．Because it can keep us informed of shocking news alert.

4. What is the author’s purpose of writing this text?

A．To urge us to quit social media.

B．To show us the functions of Webot.

C．To propose us interacting with Webot.

D．To encourage us to share our thoughts.

10 . A man recently connected with me on LinkedIn and sent me this note: “Let me know if you ever need a writer. ”I guess he’s a writer? I don’t know. But I do know this phrase “Let me know if you ever need a…” shows up a lot, in my inbox and surely yours, too. I’ve come to think of it as the eight most deadly words in selling oneself because that phrase is the death of opportunity.

Let’s consider the approach. These people are being standoffish. Rather than selling themselves, they’re shifting the burden onto someone else to make the sale. If I need a writer, I should reach out to them. If I need a story, I should ask them for an interview. If I need a customer service solution, I should ask them for details. “Let me know if you ever need a…” sounds like an invitation, but it’s really a shrug.

Imagine the situation where I’d assign a story to the writer who used the nine words, “Let me know if you ever need a writer. ”Just anyone who can string words together. I would have needed to be in a panic, so desperate for someone to contribute to our magazine that I’d stopped thinking about great writers or good writers, or even serviceable writers and simply settled for: a writer. This isn’t a situation that exists. The world is full of good options! We are not living in times of shortage. If we need a job done, there are plenty of qualified people to do it. Our question is: Who’s the best?

If you want to create opportunity for yourself, answer that question convincingly. The first thing to do is show someone you are the opportunity. Hiring you can help them. We also need to stop hiding behind ourselves. Get out in front! Sell yourself and your amazing abilities. Understand someone’s problem, and explain exactly why you are the solution. Avoid saying “Let me know if you ever need a…”. Instead, start with: “Let me explain how I can help you.”

1. What do we know from the author’s experience?

A．We’d better start our own careers as early as possible.

B．The author prefers to hire his employees on LinkedIn.

C．The phrase “Let me know if you ever need a…” is useful.

D．Many people use the wrong opening sentence to sell themselves.

2. What does the underlined word “standoffish” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Frank and open.	B．Unfriendly and proud.
C．Unsure and sensitive.	D．Concerned and confident.

3. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．The author is in desperate need of a writer’s help.

B．There are very few great writers available nowadays.

C．Anyone who can string words together is a good writer.

D．The author isn’t interested in the writer using the nine words.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Ways of selling oneself.	B．Tips for job interviews.
C．Preparations for landing a job.	D．Requirements for common jobs.