1 . 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. |
Christmas Day was coming. I was just a kid then, and my big sister told me there was no Santa Claus. I fled to my Grandma because she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told me the truth. Grandma was home, and I told her everything. “No Santa Claus?” She shouted. “Ridiculous! Don’t believe it. “Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”
“Go where, Grandma?” I asked. “Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. “Take this money, and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.
I was only eight years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people competing to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, holding that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy and who to buy it for. I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker, who was a kid with bad breath and messy hair. He sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock’s grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for break during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn’t have a cough, and he didn’t have a coat. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I chose a red one, which looked really warm, and he would like that.
“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid ten dollars down. “Yes.”
The nice lady smiled at me, put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap (包裹) the coat in Christmas paper.
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Paragraph2:
Grandma and I waited breathlessly for Bobby Decker’s front door to open.
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When it comes to volleyball, we can’t help
Lang Pingwas born in Tianjin in 1960. She began playingvolleyballas a teenagerand
In 1995, she returned to China to work as a coach. When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 WorldCup, her determination
4 . Anger is good for you, as long as you control it, according to new psychology research. A new study from Carnegie Mellon University shows anger may help people reduce the negative effects of stress and help you become healthier.
“Here getting emotional is not bad for you if you look at the case of anger,” said Jennifer Lerner of Carnegie Mellon. “The more people show anger, the lower their stress responses.”
Lerner studied 92 UCLA students by asking them to count back from 6,200. They must say out loud every thirteenth number. Researchers disturbed them by asking them to count faster or ask them other questions. If they made any mistakes, they had to restart from the very beginning. Many students felt upset about making so many mistakes or got angry.
Lerner used a hidden video camera and recorded all their facial expressions during the test. The researchers describe their reactions as fear, anger.
Other researchers recorded the students’ blood pressure, pulse and production of a high-stress hormone (荷尔蒙) called cortisol. People whose faces showed more fear during the experiment had higher blood pressure and higher levels of the hormone. Both can have lasting effects such as diabetes (糖尿病), heart disease, depression and extra weight gain.
When people feel fear, negative effects increase, but when they get angry, those negatives go down, according to the study.
“Having that sense of anger leads people to actually feel some power in what otherwise is a maddening (令人发狂的) situation,” Lerner said.
Lerner previously studied Americans’ emotional response to the 9·11 terrorist attacks (9·11 恐怖袭击) two months after the incident. She found people who reacted with anger were more optimistic. These people are healthier compared with those who were frightened during the event. So in maddening situations, anger is not a bad thing to have. It’s a healthier response than fear.
1. In what ways can anger be good to people?| A．By showing their optimistic side. | B．By reducing their stress. |
| C．By reducing high blood pressure. | D．By taking the place of fear. |
| A．recording their performance secretly |
| B．asking them to count to 6,200 again and again |
| C．disturbing them and making them start all over again |
| D．criticizing them when they made mistakes |
| A．Fear and anger. | B．Blood pressure and pulse. |
| C．Blood pressure and cortisol. | D．Higher blood pressure and higher levels of the hormone. |
| A．The findings of new psychology research. | B．What you can do with anger in certain cases. |
| C．Different effects produced by anger and fear. | D．Healthier responses in maddening situations. |
5 . I was never very neat while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but my always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Overtime, Kate got neater and I got my merriser. She moved to push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
Who broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! why under my bed!” Suddenly I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up. She quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, crying. Obviously. that was something she could not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy (同情) rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bad. Cleaned the suckers and swept the floor even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching. Her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. What made Kate so angry one evening?| A．She couldn’t find her books. |
| B．She heard the writer shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill. |
| D．She saw the writer’s shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．Because she was scared by Kate’s anger. |
| B．Because she hated herself for being so messy. |
| C．Because she wanted to show her care. |
| D．Because she was asked by Kate to do so. |
| A．By analyzing courses. |
| B．By showing differences. |
| C．By describing a process. |
| D．By following time order. |
| A．My Friend Kate. |
| B．Hard Work Pays off. |
| C．How to Be Organized? |
| D．Learning to Be Roommates. |
6 . Last year a group of friends and I began a project called The World Needs You. Its aim is to show how
“Do the children need anything else?” I asked the coordinator(协调人) when we sent our
“Umbrellas!” she said. “Most of our
Of course! I thought. It doesn’t snow much here,
| A．anxious | B．easy | C．wealthy | D．addicted |
| A．glasses | B．needles | C．gloves | D．bowls |
| A．rewards | B．pleasure | C．tips | D．style |
| A．common | B．scientific | C．simple | D．good |
| A．own | B．use | C．accept | D．afford |
| A．donations | B．screens | C．luggage | D．staffs |
| A．customers | B．kids | C．teachers | D．employees |
| A．concerned | B．angry | C．wet | D．nervous |
| A．but | B．so | C．and | D．or |
| A．candles | B．umbrellas | C．tickets | D．houses |
| A．weep | B．recover | C．work | D．understand |
| A．suffered from | B．made out | C．talked up | D．looked into |
| A．response | B．level | C．pay | D．height |
| A．in need of | B．in favor of | C．for lack of | D．in time for |
| A．Surprisingly | B．Hopefully | C．Interestingly | D．Luckily |
7 . Are they just playing? Or getting an education? The kids can do both at these wonderful museums.
The Family Museum, Bettendorf
This museum offers so much to do. Kids can walk through the town of Fox Hollow where they can shop, make pizzas, sell ice cream and more. Or see what life on the farm is like by picking fruits and vegetables and getting them to the market. Or use real tools, materials and their imagination to create in the Think Shop! Open daily except major holidays.
Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center, Clinton
It houses more than 20 exhibits. Kids can play with more than 10,000 KAPLA blocks, climb aboard the Brio Train Engine, make a bubble as tall as they are, play three holes of golf and more. Open Wednesday - Sunday.
Iowa Children’s Museum, Coralville
Kids are inspired to imagine, create, discover and explore through the Power of Play at the Iowa Children’s Museum in Coralville. Fifteen play areas give kids the opportunity to create what they want, build with Lego blocks, and play many kinds of musical instruments. Open Tuesday - Sunday.
Union Pacific Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs
Lots of hands-on, please-DO-touch exhibits mean parents can breathe easy as their kids explore the history of the Union Pacific Railroad in Council Bluffs. In the Building America exhibit, kids and adults can try their hands at driving a spike or explore timelines. The Lincoln Collection includes furniture from President Abraham Lincoln’s rail car, photographs, and more. Open Tuesday - Saturday.
1. What can kids do in The Family Museum?| A．Eat ice cream for free. | B．Play 10,000 KAPLA blocks. |
| C．Make things in the Think Shop. | D．Sell fruits and vegetables to visitors. |
| A．Union Pacific Railroad Museum. | B．Iowa Children’s Museum. |
| C．Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center. | D．The Family Museum. |
| A．Some presidents’ life. |
| B．Different musical instruments. |
| C．The history of President Abraham Lincoln’s car. |
| D．The development of the Union Pacific Railroad. |
1. What will the woman do this afternoon?
| A．Watch a movie. | B．Study. | C．Hang out with the man. |
| A．Laugh happily. | B．Cry sadly. | C．Feel terribly frightened. |
9 . Travel is one of the most exciting experiences a human being can have. Imagine how Italian traveler Marco Polo must have felt when he found himself on Chinese soil, seeing a way of life quite different from anything he’d seen before.
And how great must it have been to listen to Zhang Qian when he returned to China from his journey through Central Asia and West Asia? His brain must have been packed with everything he’d seen and heard, leading to the founding of the Silk Road.
Some people have traveled all over the world, and travel is a way of life to them. They perhaps know what to expect before they travel. That’s why the best travel is when it’s for the first time. Imagine a person who has always wanted to travel to the United States. Of course, they’ve probably seen the Statue of Liberty a thousand times on TV, and the White House, and all the other famous sights. But none of that would compare to the excitement of looking out of the window as the plane lands, watching the cities and streets of the real America come into view.
Although travel is often just for recreation, it’s also educational. We may not know that we are getting an education, but we still are.
We’re learning every day: new words in a new language, new people, and new ways of life. But this learning takes place in the school of the world, not the classroom. As we get to know foreign places, we come to understand that there are many different ways to live, and that the way we live isn’t necessarily the best way.
1. The author uses Marco Polo and Zhang Qian as examples to .| A．explain how the Silk Road was founded | B．present travel as an amazing experience |
| C．show how the way people travel has changed | D．describe important cultural exchanges in history |
| A．one’s first trip is usually the most challenging |
| B．no other trip is better than one’s first trip |
| C．there is always much to learn on one’s first trip |
| D．people usually make better preparations for their first trip |
| A．fun | B．risk | C．learning | D．knowledge |
| A．traveling should be included in formal education |
| B．traveling improves people’s confidence in their lifestyle |
| C．foreign journeys can enrich people’s knowledge of the world |
| D．foreign ways of life are better than our own way of life at home. |
10 . Your brain controls everything you do. It makes it possible for you to think, learn, create and feel; to blink(眨眼) and breathe and for your heart to beat--this fantastic control center is your brain. It is so amazing that a famous scientists once called it “the most complex (复杂的) thing we have yet discovered in our universe”.
Can this small gray organ(器官), which weighs less than one and a half kilos, really do so much? Amazingly, your brain contains about 100 billion neurons(神经元)--it would take you over 3,000 years to count them all. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the world. And although one neuron creates only a little electricity, all your neurons together can produce enough electricity to power a light bulb(灯泡).
So exactly how fast does your brain work? Well, imagine this: a bee lands on your foot. Neurons in your skin send this information to your brain at a speed of more than 240 kilometers per hour. Your brain then uses other neurons to send the message back to your foot to shake the bee off quickly. These neurons can send this information at more than 320 kilometers per hour. No computer has your brain’s unbelievable ability to deal with the amount of information coming from your eyes, ears and other sensory organs.
But how does your brain allow you to learn things that you will use in the future? The structure(结构) of your brain changes every time you have a new thought, remember or learn something. For example, riding a bike seems impossible at first, but soon your are able to do it. How? As you practise, your brain sends “bike riding” message again and again. Soon, the actions are learned and you are able to ride a bike easily from then on.
1. From the passage we know that neurons ______.| A．receive messages very slowly | B．are only found in your skin |
| C．send messages to your brain | D．need electricity to work |
| A．compare them with the human brain | B．show how fast computers have become |
| C．say that computers have no abilities | D．ask people to use computers more |
| A．your brain will power a light bulb | B．your heart beats fast |
| C．you remember something | D．the structure of your brain changes |
| A．all the steps when your brain learns things |
| B．what an unbelievable organ the human brain is |
| C．how the brain makes people smarter than computers |
| D．the things you can do to make your brain work faster |
