1 . Is future you? It might seem like a strange philosophical question. But the answer to how you think about your future self could make the difference between decisions you ultimately find satisfying and ones you might eventually regret.
The brain patterns that emerge on an MRI (核磁共振成像) when people think about their future selves most like the brain patterns that arise when they think about strangers. This finding suggests that, in the mind’s eye, our future selves look like other people. If you see future you as a different person, why should you save money, eat healthier or exercise more regularly to benefit that stranger?
However, if you see the interests of your distant self as more like those of your present self, you are considerably more likely to do things today that benefit you tomorrow. A paper in the journal PLoS One revealed that college students who experienced a greater sense of connection and similarity to their future selves were more likely to achieve academic success. Relationships with our future selves also matter for general psychological well-being. In a project led by Joseph Reiff, which includes 5, 000 adults aged 20 to 75, he found that those who perceived a great overlap (重叠) in qualities between their current and future selves ended up being more satisfied with their lives 10 years after filling out the initial survey.
So how can we better befriend our future selves and feel more connected to their fates? The psychological mindset with what we call ”vividness interventions“ works. We have found, for instance, that showing people images of their older, grayer selves increases intentions to save for the long term. Besides, you might try writing a letter to-and then from-your future self. As demonstrated by Yuta Chishima and Anne Wilson in their 2020 study in the journal Self and Identity, when high-school students engaged in this type of ”send-and-reply“ exercise, they experienced elevated (升高的) levels of feelings of similarity with their future selves.
Letter-writing and visualization exercises are just a couple of ways we can connect with our future selves and beyond, but the larger lesson here is clear: If we can treat our distant selves as if they are people we love, care about and want to support, we can start making choices for them that improve our lives-both today and tomorrow.
1. What’s the function of paragraph 2?| A．Generating further discussion. | B．Introducing a research result. |
| C．Showing the effect of the finding. | D．Concluding various viewpoints. |
| A．By offering relevant statistics. | B．By using quotations. |
| C．By referring to previous findings. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Benefits of befriending our future selves. |
| B．Ways of connecting with our future selves. |
| C．Methods of changing psychological mindsets. |
| D．Possibilities of us becoming our future selves. |
| A．Making future plans makes a difference. |
| B．Our future selves look like other people. |
| C．Getting to know your future self benefits. |
| D．Your choice affects the fates of strangers. |
1. 写信目的；
2. 事件经过及你的感受；
3. 请求帮助。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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3 . UNESCO World Heritage Sites were created to celebrate and safeguard the most unique places around the world. Below are my 4 favorite UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Cinque Terre, Italy
With cars banned here, you’ll really get to feel the unique history and character of the Cinque Terre’s five centuries-old coastal villages. The breathtaking views of harbors far below the wild coastline along with the rich colors will definitely make it a memorable holiday.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious (宗教的) monument and it contains impressive remains from the Khmer Empire (9th to 15th century). The site has dozens of iconic temples like Ta Prohm (a magnificent temple ruin hidden in the jungle). Hosting more than two million visitors annually, this artistic masterpiece is a must-see site.
Petra, Jordan
Petra’s rock-cut architecture has contributed to its nickname, the Rose City, based on the color of the stone it was carved from. The delicate constructions of temples and tombs along with the remains of churches and temples are only a couple of reasons why this world-famous site is a must-visit destination.
Yellowstone National Park, USA
Yellowstone’s vast wilderness includes mountain ranges, lakes and waterfalls. One of the main reasons for tourists to visit Yellowstone is to observe the amazing wildlife like grizzly bear, bison, bighorn sheep wander the plains and valleys.
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1. Where can tourists enjoy beautiful harbor views?| A．In Cinque Terre. | B．In Angkor Wat. |
| C．In Petra. | D．In Yellowstone National Park. |
| A．Colorful stones. | B．Religious relics. |
| C．Coastal villages. | D．Amazing wildlife. |
| A．A news report. | B．A wildlife brochure. |
| C．A travel blog. | D．An economic magazine. |
Being nearsighted is far more common than it once was. The case rate of myopia (近视) in Americans
Myopia results when eyeballs are
Some experts connect the myopia to the many hours young people spend in staring at
This new study shows that a lack of direct sunlight may damage vision. Strong correlations (关联) were found between current eyesight and
5 . One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap (包装).
On September 11th, 1958, Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying, “I promised you a gift, and here it is.” What an honour! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it.Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as “hopeless”, “pitiful”, and “dying”, which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. “Don’t expect any presents this year,” Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room.“If your baby brother lives, that’ll be Christmas enough.” As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I’d never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, “What? He’s all right?” He hung up and shouted upstairs. “The hospital said we can bring Richard home!”
“Thank God!” I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love!
1. What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?| A．He got a baby brother. |
| B．He got a Christmas gift. |
| C．He became four years old. |
| D．He received a doll. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring. |
| C．Difficult. | D．Fearful. |
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．A sad Christmas day. |
| B．Life with a lovely baby. |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family. |
6 . Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral
Chinese state media has praised a viral video series telling the story of a jade teapot coming to life and fleeing the British Museum to make its way back home.
The set of three short videos, entitled Escape from the British Museum, shows the teapot turning into a young woman in a green dress, who then engages a London-based Chinese journalist to help her reunite with her family. It appears to have struck a chord (弦) in China after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin. By Monday evening, it had reportedly received more than 310 million views. The plot line taps into growing Chinese criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, semi-precious stones and glass, were missing, stolen or damaged.
In August the state media Global Times called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. “The huge holes in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed by this scandal (丑闻) have led to the collapse of a long-standing and widely circulated claim that ‘foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum’,” it said. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s desiring for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics.”
State broadcaster CCTV also gave the short films a glowing review saying: “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition... We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displayed overseas.”
The museum scandal made headlines around the world and reawakened earlier demands by the Chinese media to restore the country’s relics. The new three-part show has triggered a wave of nationalism among viewers, with many praising the creative plot that reduced them to tears by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square.
1. What excuse does Britain give for keeping other nations’ cultural objects in its museum?| A．It has taken possession of these objects by all lawful means. |
| B．These objects are safer and taken better care of in its museum. |
| C．It is requested by other nations to protect their cultural objects. |
| D．These objects may come to life, flee their countries and go viral. |
| A．Repair. | B．Reflection. | C．Reserve. | D．Return. |
| A．China had already demanded the restoration of its cultural relics before the scandal. |
| B．The museum’s awful management and security systems are involved in the scandal. |
| C．The Britain Museum is under pressure to return the cultural relics to China sooner or later. |
| D．A London-based Chinese journalist has contributed a lot to the viral three-part video series. |
| A．To appeal to Britain to return China’s cultural objects. |
| B．To introduce a viral video series about a fleeing jade teapot. |
| C．To arouse readers’ concern about Chinese cultural objects abroad. |
| D．To praise Chinese young people’s passion for history and tradition. |
7 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.
For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.
Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”
Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.
1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?| A．By analyzing a mass of data. |
| B．By conducting genetic research. |
| C．By comparing various levels of activity. |
| D．By tracking the subjects for many years. |
| A．Physical activity betters medical treatment. |
| B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it. |
| C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same. |
| D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Complex. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Common. |
| A．To discuss a disease. |
| B．To introduce a method. |
| C．To analyze a genetic risk. |
| D．To explain a phenomenon. |
8 . Today, people use the Internet to shop, play games, make friends and read the news. Many young people can’t imagine life without it.
In 1957, the United States was in the middle of the Cold War. The Soviet Union (苏联) had sent up the first satellite (卫星), named Sputnik, into space. This meant the Soviets were ahead of the U. S. in technology. Americans were afraid.
The biggest change in the way that people use the Internet came in 1992. For the first time, the Internet was opened to the general public, creating what is now known as the World Wide Web.
| A．The network took more than ten years to develop. |
| B．Soon, people began finding all kinds of different things they could do on the Internet. |
| C．Most older people, on the other hand, think the Internet is only 10 or 15 years old. |
| D．People began to be fond of the Internet. |
| E．They didn’t know what to do. |
| F．The Internet then became available to colleges all over the United States and to scientists across Europe. |
| G．Scientists in the army of America started developing ideas for protecting the country. |
9 . My dad is easy-going and has a gift for chatting. He
One Saturday, we went
Dad said, “Hi, how are you today? This is my son. I have a restaurant, and we
Back in the car, Dad said to me, “The cashier was obviously
| A．owns | B．describes | C．visits | D．recommends |
| A．supermarket | B．hospital | C．restaurant | D．company |
| A．hiking | B．camping | C．exploring | D．shopping |
| A．imagined | B．believed | C．noticed | D．remembered |
| A．beautiful | B．unhappy | C．professional | D．polite |
| A．received | B．needed | C．avoided | D．offered |
| A．suitable | B．frightening | C．special | D．friendly |
| A．helped | B．refused | C．waited | D．forgot |
| A．problem | B．idea | C．hope | D．experience |
| A．talking to | B．looking after | C．going after | D．laughing at |
| A．work | B．play | C．tour | D．exercise |
| A．drive | B．tie | C．treat | D．lead |
| A．quitted | B．finished | C．missed | D．regretted |
| A．in peace | B．in danger | C．in a hurry | D．in low spirits |
| A．warmly | B．immediately | C．secretly | D．comfortably |
A funny thing happened to Arthur when he was on the way to work one day. As he walked along Park Avenue near the First National Bank, he heard the sound of someone trying to start a car. He tried again and again but couldn’t get the car moving. Arthur turned and looked inside at the face of a young man who looked worried.
Arthur stopped and said, “It looks like you’ve got a problem.”
“I’m afraid so. I’m in a big hurry but I can’t start my car.”
“Is there something I can do to help?” Arthur asked. The young man looked at the two suitcases in the back seat and then said, “Thanks. If you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble, you could help me get these suitcases into a taxi.”
“No trouble at all. I’d be glad to help.”
The young man got out and took one of the suitcases from the back seat. After placing it on the ground, he turned to get the other one. Just as Arthur picked up the first suitcase and started walking, he heard the long loud noise of an alarm.
It was from the bank. There had been a robbery (抢劫)!
Park Avenue had been quiet a moment before. Now the air was filled with the sound of the alarm and the shouts of people running from all directions. Cars stopped and the passengers joined the crowd in front of the bank. People asked each other, “What happened?” But everyone had a different answer.
Arthur still carrying the suitcase, turned to look at the bank and walked right into a young woman in front of him.
She looked at the suitcase and then at him. Arthur was surprised. “Why is she looking at me like that?” he thought. “The suitcase! She thinks I’m the bank thief!”
Arthur looked around at the crowd of people. He became frightened, and without another thought, he started to run.
注意：续写的词数应为150左右。Paragraph 1:
As he was running, Arthur heard the young man shouting behind, “Stop! Stop!” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:The taxi stopped in front of the police station. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
