1 . The joy of giving is real, according to a study. Research presented in the Journal of the Association for Psychological Science shows that those who give gifts are happier — and happier for longer — than those who receive gifts.
Researchers conducted two studies last year. In one，participants were given $5 every day for five days and were required to spend the money on the same thing each day. Some participants were required to spend the money on themselves, while others were required to give to make a donation to charity. In a second experiment that was done online, participants played 10 rounds of a word puzzle game and each won 5 cents per round, which they could keep or donate.
In both experiments, participants reported their overall happiness. Those who donated their money showed that their happiness declined at a much slower rate than those who kept the money or spent it on themselves.
The researchers note that when people focus on an outcome, they can easily compare outcomes, which may diminish their sensitivity to each experience. When people focus on an action, they may focus less on comparison and instead experience each act of giving as a unique happiness-inducing event. Further analyses ruled out some potential alternative explanations, such as the possibility that participants who gave to others had to think longer and harder about what to give, which could promote higher happiness.
The results are especially interesting because according to one of the researchers, Ed O’Brien of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, they conflict with past research. “If you want to sustain happiness over time, past research tells us that we need to take a break from what were currently consuming and experience something new. Our research reveals that the kind of thing may matter more than assumed: Repeated giving, even in identical ways to identical other，may continue to feel relatively fresh and relatively pleasurable the more we do it,” O’Brien said.
So for all the holiday gifts you give this season, expect to feel happy and know that feeling is going to stick around for a while.
1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead to the topic. |
| B．To highlight the importance of the study. |
| C．To recommend a journal. |
| D．To persuade people to give gifts regularly. |
| A．To challenge the past research. |
| B．To rule out different experimental data. |
| C．To show the benefits of donation. |
| D．To make the conclusion more convincing. |
| A．Develop. | B．Show. | C．Reduce. | D．Lack. |
| A．Gift giving will result in longer happiness than receiving. |
| B．Thinking longer and harder on giving will promote higher happiness. |
| C．The feeling of happiness will disappear soon if people just give holiday gifts. |
| D．Taking a break from what were currently consuming will sustain happiness. |
2 . A retired postman from Turkey and a beautiful white swan have been inseparable for nearly four decades, and the story of their amazing friendship has melted the hearts of millions.
When Recep Mirzan spotted a wounded swan in a field in Turkey’s Edirne province, in 1984, he had no idea that he was about to meet his best friend. He was in a car with a group of friends, when he spotted a swan that appeared to have a broken wing in an empty field. Mirzan quickly realized that leaving the bird there was the same as signing its death sentence, as predators (捕食者) would have most likely eaten it, so he stopped the car and took the bird with him. He took it home and started nursing it back to health.
“Since I love animals, I took her home instead of leaving her as food to foxes,’’ Mirzan told The Associated Press. We got used to each other. We never separated. Even after the female swan's broken wing healed, it didn’t try to fly away. Instead, it befriended the other animals on Recep’s farm in the Karaagac region, and decided to stick around. Recep named her Garip, and she has been with him for the last 37 years.
“She comes when I call. Since 1984, she has never left me, not even during the river floods,” the retired postman told Anadolu News Agency. “She used to be more vigorous, but she has grown old now. If she dies, I will make her a nice grave here, but I hope we live more together.”
Garip has her own coop on Mirzan’s farm, but she mostly spends nights in it. During the day, she is busy following her human friend around, either during his daily chores, or on his evening walks.
After his wife died a few years ago, Recep Mirzan started spending more time with his animals, and since he has no human children, he regards Garip as his child.
Whooper swans can live for decades in protected environments, but Garip has long surpassed the average lifespan for her species.
1. Why did Recep save the swan according to the passage?| A．He felt extremely lonely. |
| B．The swan was a rare animal. |
| C．He was a real animal lover. |
| D．The swan was being followed by foxes. |
| A．the swan stayed with Recep at night after the death of his wife |
| B．Garip lived a longer life probably because of the care of Recep |
| C．Recep’s friends directly signed the wounded swan death sentence |
| D．Recep was sure to meet a lifelong friend when he spotted the wounded swan |
| A．A Retired Postman’s Story Has Melted the Hearts of Millions |
| B．Man and Swan Have Been Best Friends for the Last 37 Years |
| C．A Wounded Swan Has Befriended the Other Animals on a Farm |
| D．Humans Have Made Efforts to Protect the Environments for Swans |
3 . As a high school student, I learned this the hard way last year,when a student I didn't expect to bested me on the math PSAT. He soon admitted the secret to his success: the CAS calculator. He made clear that the CAS was able to solve all of his SAT equations (方程式). He claimed all he needed was his knowledge of seventh-grade math and the calculator did the rest.
From experience, I know it isn't that simple. A fancy calculator that costs about ＄150 is not that useful if you don't understand what the question is asking. But it does feel like cheating. Aside from being financially out of reach of many students， CAS calculators have the potential to misrepresent math ability and problem-solving skills.
It's unfair to allow such an incredibly helpful advanced calculator unless every student has access to it. Especially when the test has the potential to affect a student's educational path. In response to an email asking whether the College Board, which owns the SAT, is aware that the CAS is seen as greatly helping those who use it and whether it has considered banning such calculators, a communications officer sent a link to the SAT calculator policy, which spells out the permitted calculators, CAS among them.
If all students had access to a better calculator, how many could improve their test scores enough to get into their dream school? How many students get into better schools because of this privilege hack? It isn't right and shouldn't stand.
The simplest solution would be to leave out the math section that allows calculator use or permit test-takers to use only the most basic calculators, provided by the College Board. The equation for fairness is simple: You know it when you see it, and this calculator inequity (不公) isn't it.
1. The example of a student doing better than the writer in the math PSAT is used to________.| A．introduce the topic |
| B．compare their math achievements |
| C．show the writer's envy |
| D．blame his cheating in the exam |
| A．Because every student can not use one in SAT. |
| B．Because he didn't use one as early as others. |
| C．Because his model was less powerful than others'. |
| D．Because the College Board didn't provide one to him. |
| A．Favorable. |
| B．Disapproving. |
| C．Ambiguous. |
| D．Cautious. |
| A．CAS calculators-cheating in SAT |
| B．Solution to stopping cheating in SAT |
| C．Calls on banning the calculators |
| D．Calls on using basic calculators |
4 . We all feel anxious from time to time. For many, these uncertain times are a contributor to stress and concern. Anxiety is a normal reaction to a stressful situation, but if feelings of anxiety last a long time or keep returning, you might be experiencing an anxiety disorder.
Dave Smithson from Anxiety UK explains that there are three different aspects of anxiety: physical (how you feel), psychological (what you think), and behavioral (what you do). ” Physical symptoms include an increased heart rate or muscle tension, breathing heavily or dizziness. Psychological symptoms include feelings that you might lose control, faint or think people are looking at you and noticing your anxiety. Behavioral aspects include avoiding the situation that makes you feel anxious. “Those who are usually outgoing may become withdrawn, or those who are reserved may become erratic,” he says. “Everyone’s different, and anxiety can be caused by a range of things.”
Stephen Buckley, from mental health charity Mind, says talking to someone you trust can be helpful. If this isn’t possible, you could call a confidential helpline such as Mind’s Infoline, or those run by Anxiety UK and Samaritans.
Learning to relax through breathing exercises and other techniques can help manage anxiety. “Keeping a record of what started the anxiety and what helps it to pass, such as slowing your breathing or getting outdoors for a walk, can help you understand and spot patterns early on,” Stephen says. Relaxation techniques can include exercises to release tension in your body by relaxing your muscles. Drawing calming circles on paper with coloured pencils or pens is a way to distract you from worrying thoughts.
Other recommendations from Mind include connecting with other people. “This is a vital way of maintaining wellbeing” Stephen adds. “Have regular chats with friends and family over the phone. Talking to people in the same boat can be reassuring. Many people find it helpful to share ideas about how to stay well, connect with others and feel less alone.”
1. What symptom do people with an anxiety disorder have in common?| A．A strong tendency to avoid meeting people. | B．A temporary decline in thinking ability. |
| C．A lasting feeling of tension and worry. | D．A violent reaction to a tense situation. |
| A．By predicting conditions that may cause anxiety. | B．By communicating with people they rely on. |
| C．By relieving tension through hard work. | D．By maintaining their routine life. |
| A．To introduce the strategies of dealing with anxiety. | B．To analyze the contributors to mental disorder. |
| C．To distinguish anxiety from anxiety disorder. | D．To clarify different categories of anxiety. |
5 . As California gray whales wind their way south along North America's Pacific coast, researchers are watching, worried about another year of unexplained die﹣offs.
Last spring and summer, 215 whales inexplicably (说不清地) washed up along North America's West Coast. Concerned, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called for an investigation, bringing together researchers from the Arctic to Mexico to explore the strandings (搁浅) in a uniform manner.
According to the scientists involved with the investigation, it's still unclear what caused the 2019 die﹣off and whether the whales will fare better this year.
California gray whales migrate 5, 000 miles every year from the Arctic to Mexico's Baja. Their journey is the longest migration, and full of dangers such as ships and plastic rubbish. The journey back north is particularly dangerous because gray whales only eat while in the Arctic; therefore, they are running on empty as they make their return trip from Baja.
Data and observations collected this past summer by researchers based at NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center have raised more questions than answers. For instance, 15 gray whales were spotted in one day in the eastern Beaufort Sea-a rare sighting for a species usually seen getting fat at their feeding grounds. But with the sea ice forming later in winter and breaking up earlier in summer, scientists wonder whether gray whales will continue to move farther east to new feeding areas.
In addition to changes in food availability, as sea ice decreases, whales are running into more and more ship traffic in these remote waters. Ship strikes and being trapped in fishing gear are common causes of whale injury and death.
Maggie Mooney﹣Seus, spokeswoman for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, said, "We are working to determine future whale research plans that may help shed light on this and other relevant questions."
1. The reason for the die﹣offs of the California gray whales is________.| A．lack of food. |
| B．too much plastic rubbish. |
| C．heavy ship traffic. |
| D．still under investigation. |
| A．They probably were looking for a new migrating path. |
| B．They probably were avoiding the noises of fishing gears. |
| C．They probably were exploring their new feeding grounds. |
| D．They probably were escaping from being hunted by the ships. |
| A．Clarify. |
| B．Solve. |
| C．Improve. |
| D．Research. |
6 . In many cultures, it is considered unlucky to spill salt. Fortunately, many cultures also have a solution to the problem, which usually involves throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder. It may seem confusing to modern humans, but knowing that salt was once incredibly valuable can change this perspective.
For thousands of years, salt was an extremely rare commodity. It was difficult to obtain so that the price was very high. Many trading routes were set up to carry salt, people were paid in salt, and salt was sometimes worth more than its weight in gold. Therefore, spilling salt was considered wasteful.
Because of its high value, salt was also associated with friendship and good fortune. Offerings of salt were included in many religious ceremonies, and people might bring salt to a new home for good luck. These associations would have suggested that it would be bad luck to spill salt, since it would seem to violate salt’s fortunate properties.
Salt is also an excellent preservative. It prevents food from going bad. As such, it came to be linked with health and longevity. In some cultures, spilling salt was thought to reduce one's well-being. In Britain, for example, each spilled grain was said to represent a tear, while in Germany spilled salt awakened the devil, bringing misfortune.
The fear of spilling salt was also adopted into the Christian faith. It is said that Judas spilled salt at the Last Supper, and since he later turned out to be the betrayer of Christ, spilled salt is considered unlucky by many Christians.
Should you be unfortunate enough to spill salt, you might throw a pinch over your left shoulder to blind the Devil.
1. Spilling salt was probably thought to bring bad luck because ________.| A．it was a Christian faith | B．salt was linked with misfortune |
| C．it would decrease one’s lifespan | D．salt was always expensive than gold |
| A．Protector. | B．Flavor. | C．Medium. | D．Solution. |
| A．To introduce the history of salt. | B．To show ways to avoid misfortune. |
| C．To explain the beliefs about spilling salt. | D．To entertain readers with some anecdotes. |
7 . The public nowadays has a misunderstanding of forest fires, believing that fires should be kept out of every type of forest. Many of us can recall Smoky the Bear's famous warning: “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires”. However, that's not always the case. Under the right conditions, and when conducted safely, fire can create many environmental benefits as well as help prevent larger, uncontrollable wildfires.
After a forest fire, many wildlife species will move into recently burned areas to feed on these newly available foods. Some reptiles and amphibians such as the pine (松树） snake prefer forests frequently burned by fire. As Herbert Stoddard put it, “One of the most harmful things modern man has done to birds has been his attempt to exclude fire from fire-type pine forests. Within a few years most forests choke up with bushes, lose their prairie-like vegetation (草原般植被） and can no longer support birds dependent on periodic burning for their food supply and proper cover.”
If you are asked to picture the forest floor, what do you see? Pine needles, cones, leaves, branches might come to mind-all sources of fuel. If these fuel sources build up without any type of removal, the 'fuel load' can lead to fires catastrophic to forests and people alike. In contrast, prescribed fire can be used by forest professionals every couple of years to keep forest fuels at an appropriate and manageable level. They can also minimize the spread of pest insects and disease and remove unwanted tree and plant species. Plus, they can create and maintain important wildlife habitats rich in grasses and promote the growth of trees, wildflowers and other various plants.
Many organizations and agencies work to promote fire on the landscape when and where appropriate. Smokey Bear even has an updated warning: “Only You can Prevent Wildfires,” as the Forest Service has over the last few decades developed policies and procedures to include prescribed fire as a management tool, as well as continuing their work to prevent and fight wildfires.
1. Why did the author mention Smoky the Bear's warning?| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To clarify a misunderstood concept. |
| C．To show the significance of fire prevention. |
| D．To raise people's awareness of forest protection. |
| A．Forest bushes. |
| B．Fuel sources. |
| C．Pine forests. |
| D．Periodic burning. |
| A．To put out wildfires. |
| B．To keep the forest balance. |
| C．To remove tree and plant species. |
| D．To keep the fuel rich in the forest. |
| A．One Match Can Start A Forest Fire |
| B．Where There Is Smoke There Is A Fire |
| C．Not All Forest Fires Are Created Equal |
| D．Why Not Keep The Forest Fire Burning |
8 . Fractional ownership is a percentage ownership of a specific asset (资产）. It has often been used to share the ownership of expensive assets such as expensive boats, private planes and so on. When the value of the asset increases, the ownership shares do as well. Co-owners also share equally the costs carried by the asset. Most recently, the same concept of fractional ownership was applied to art as well. The logic is the same. Multiple people own one artwork and share the benefits and the costs of the asset. Galleries and artists, instead of selling one artwork to one person, they can sell it to more than 1000 art lovers.
Co-ownership of art gives the possibility to everyone to participate in the art market. The potential market for artworks is suddenly way bigger. Only a few people can afford artworks that cost more than £100,000. But everyone can afford to buy some shares priced at £10 each. On top of this, all co-owners share the costs involved with the acquisition of an artwork. For art lovers that are just starting to collect art for investment (投资） reasons, co-ownership of art can be a great tool to start learning and understanding the market without risking too much capital. For big collectors instead, sharing the ownership of an artwork is an easy way to diversify their portfolio (投资组合） without having the burden of managing the asset.
For many years only wealthy people could afford to buy expensive artworks. Because of this, most artworks are hidden in private collections and dark storages since decades where the public has no access to. And, if we think that art is supposed to deliver important messages and topics and is the representation of our past and present, it seems incredible that art has become something that few people can fully enjoy. Fractional ownership of art, by giving everyone the possibility to co-own art, has the power to greatly change this. Suddenly, art becomes an asset available to everyone and, by being more accessible, it starts to attract way more people.
1. Which of the following is a kind of fractional ownership?| A．A wealthy businessman owns a private ship. |
| B．A museum event is attended by 1000 art lovers. |
| C．Galleries and artists sold one artwork to one person. |
| D．10 friends bought a house priced at S10,000 together. |
| A．The potential market for artworks. |
| B．The source of capital for investment. |
| C．The benefit of fractional ownership. |
| D．The development of fractional ownership. |
| A．Art contributes greatly to social economy. |
| B．Co-ownership of art benefits the general public. |
| C．Only wealthy people could afford expensive artworks. |
| D．Fractional ownership is a way to invest without risk. |
9 . When you hear the name Leonardo da Vinci, what comes to mind? Maybe his paintings, Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Maybe it's his flying machine invention. When I think of this great man, I think of the term “Renaissance Man”. Why? The term “Renaissance Man” comes from fifteenth-century Italy and refers to the idea of a person with knowledge and skills in a number of different areas. Perhaps, no single individual defines the idea of a Renaissance man better than Leonardo da Vinci-an artist, scientist, architect, engineer and inventor.
Leonardo da Vinci will most likely go down in history for his famous works as an artist. But,did you know that he spent a significant amount of time working on his endeavors in science and technology? Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most productive inventors in history. Some of his most famous inventions are the flying machine, the parachute and the revolving bridge. Leonardo has also been given credit by historians for many more inventions.
Once in the courtyard of Senor Ludovico, Leonardo da Vinci constantly invented various “labour-saving devices” for use in the kitchen. At the same time, he began to keep notebooks. The funny thing was that most of the drawings found there, which for several hundred years were considered by researchers to be mechanisms for military (军事） operations, in fact, turned out to be quite peaceful meat grinders, dishwashers, mechanical devices for cracking nuts. The restless Leonardo invented the manual garlic press, which has remained virtually unchanged to our day, a foot-operated napkin dryer, an egg cutter, and many other useful things.
But his most important discovery is the invention of spaghetti. Of course, pasta (意大利面食） has existed in Italy since ancient time. But it was a hard and very broad substance, like a heavy lump of lasagna (面块）. Leonardo changed the shape of the pasta, making a machine that cut it into long thin strips, which after boiling turned into spaghetti.
1. Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned as “Renaissance Man” for his _| A．individual ideas |
| B．diverse talents |
| C．representative works |
| D．birth time and place |
| A．They were practical for everyday use. |
| B．They reached record high at that time. |
| C．They have remained unchanged to our day. |
| D．They were intended for military operations. |
| A．Taste. |
| B．Color. |
| C．Fragrance. |
| D．Shape. |
10 . What defines (定义) a generation? Often, experts say, members of a generation are defined by the events that shaped their lives as young adults.
“World events like wars, pandemics (大流行病) and racial unrest can be especially formative,” says Meg Jay, a psychologist and author of “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter — and How to Make the Most of Them Now”. Because our 20s are often when we have our first jobs and first relationships and first moves and first real-world experiences, these big events become important parts of our life stories.
In 2020, it was a pandemic.
For the last three months of 2020, the Monitor followed twelve 2l-year-olds from around the world. We wanted to understand how this global health crisis is encoding itself in the cultural DNA of a generation coming of age in its shadow. Their lives and circumstances as they rolled into 2021 varied wildly. But the lives of the 2l-year-olds we met had many obvious similarities. Separately, for instance, the internet was their collective lifeline to the world. In Mexico, an art student isolating in her family home posted a daily piece of art to Instagram to remind herself that time had not stopped altogether. In Germany, a labor organizer negotiated contracts and planned strikes via Zoom.
By the end of 2020, many of the world’s 21-year-olds had lost jobs; others wondered if they’d ever find one. In the U. S, youth unemployment doubled between July 2019 and July 2020. Also, the pandemic opened fault lines, and stressed old ones. In India, Jordan, and South Africa, our 21-year-olds wondered how they’d collect enough money for mobile data for online studies. In Mexico, Canada, and Germany, 21-year-olds reflected on loneliness as a privilege — that they were alone because they could isolate, their lives not dependent on doing otherwise.
We found a generation suspended (悬停) between the world they’d grown up in and uncertain arrival of their future.
1. According to Meg Jay, what determines the future of the people in their twenties?| A．Their fundamental changes of working circumstances. |
| B．Their great efforts of coping with uncertainties in life. |
| C．Their first experiences of the major events then. |
| D．Their deep reflections on the attitudes to life. |
| A．Significant employment challenges. | B．Potential social problems. |
| C．Special individual privileges. | D．Global health crises. |
| A．Approving. | B．Negative. | C．Critical. | D．Concerned. |
| A．The World Children Have Grown up in Defines a Generation |
| B．A Young Generation Was Suspended But Ready to Start |
| C．A Great Pandemic Has Brought Various Global Crises |
| D．World Events Changed the Lives of Young Adults |
