1 . Creativity Improves Your Health
Creativity helps us create works of beauty, solve problems, and refresh our bodies and our minds. Studies show that engaging in creative behaviors improves brain function, mental health and physical health.
You’ve probably heard of flow — it’s the state you get in when you’re completely absorbed in something. Have you ever been working on a project and completely lost all sense of self and time? That’s flow. It reduces anxiety, boosts your mood, and even slows your heart rate. But it’s not just being in flow that makes you happy. Repetitive creative motions like knitting, drawing, or writing help activate flow, and are all tasks that create a result. When you succeed in creating a result, your brain is flooded with dopamine, a natural anti-depressant that actually helps motivate you, whether or not you’re aware of your increased happiness.
Creativity reduces anxiety, depression and stress. Studies have found that writing helps people manage their negative emotions in a productive way, and painting or drawing helps people express their mental injury or hurtful experiences that they find too difficult to put into words. A creative act such as crafting can help focus the mind, and has even been compared to meditation (冥想) due to its calming effects on the brain and body.
What’s more, studies show people who write about their experiences daily actually have stronger immune system function. Writing, a creative work, increases your CD4+ lymphocyte (淋巴球) count, the key to your immune system. Playing music can also function well in your immune system. Our left brain is responsible for the motor functions, while our right brain focuses on melody. When the two parts work together, our cognitive (认知) function improves.
It’s pretty amazing that doing the activities is good for us. Get a pen and start writing or coloring. Get your hands dirty with pottery or gardening or pick up an instrument. Whatever you decide to do, it’s time to start getting creative!
1. Which situation shows that you are in flow?| A．You are absorbed in a work that interests you. |
| B．You are having a boring repetitive action. |
| C．You get lost and don’t know where to go. |
| D．You are working with a difficult task. |
| A．an awareness of how to be successful |
| B．a thought having calming effects on the brain |
| C．a material for the functioning of the nervous system |
| D．an activity to fight against your negative emotions |
| A．Repetitive actions can cure patients with mental diseases. |
| B．Telling others your hurtful experiences helps improve your health. |
| C．Meditation makes your anxiety, depression and stress disappear. |
| D．Creative activities help you build a stronger immune system |
| A．A novel on science. | B．A magazine on health. |
| C．A newspaper on technology. | D．A website on psychology. |
2 . Watching an ocean wave running against the coast is beyond magical. But there is one type of wave — the cross sea wave — that is beyond anything you may have ever experienced. Although still attractive, cross sea waves are dangerous and have been responsible for many ship accidents.
Before we get into the physics of cross sea waves, let’s get to know how ocean waves are generated. The wind is mostly responsible for the creation of ocean waves. As the wind blows, it moves energy to the surface of the water, creating a constant disturbance (干扰) that results in a wave crest (波峰) . Waves generally run parallel (平行地) to the shore, but a cross sea wave is different. It’s created when the wind from two weather systems — one old, the other new — runs against each other.
Cross sea waves generally occur along coastal areas, and they are rare. Yet, there is one place along the west coast of France, where cross sea waves occur quite often. Because of the geology (地质状况) of the Isle of Rhé, it’s perfectly situated for their creation. The sight of the waves brings thousands of tourists to the island’s lighthouse each year.
When a cross sea wave blows, it will be difficult for boaters to control their ships or boats, as well as swimmers. Part of the reason why cross sea waves are so dangerous is that they generate powerful waves, which can reach nearly 10 feet (3 meters) high, more than enough to turn over a large boat.
Cross sea waves are usually found in shallow waters, such as those off the Isle of Rhé, and Tel Aviv, Israel. Since it is so exciting to watch the cross sea waves, these places attract millions of visitors each year, making them famous tourist destinations on Earth.
1. What caused many ship accidents?| A．Cross sea waves. | B．Ocean waves. | C．Wave crests. | D．Wind systems. |
| A．Changed. | B．Increased. | C．Produced. | D．Challenged. |
| A．Because of the powerful ocean waves. | B．Because of different wind systems. |
| C．Because of the powerful wave crests. | D．Because of its special geological situation. |
| A．The creation of cross sea waves. | B．The danger of cross sea waves. |
| C．The sight of cross sea waves. | D．The height of cross sea waves. |
3 . When Adele released (发行) her 2011 single Someone Like You, this bittersweet song is popular with millions worldwide. More than a decade later, it remains one of her most popular songs. Her artistry, as well as that of many others who have mastered the art of making listeners feel moved with slow and emotional beats, has a way of managing the emotional pain of heartbreak and loss.
Listening to favorite songs could also reduce people’s feelings of pain, according to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Pain Research. And the most effective pain relievers were found to be sad songs detailing bittersweet and emotional experiences.
“It doesn’t take the place of medicine when you have a headache, but music can help reduce your pain,” said Patrick Stroman, a professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He didn’t join in the study. “Unlike other medications,” he noted, “there is no side effect or risk in listening to music (just keep the volume at a reasonable level).”
The small study invited 63 young adults to bring one of their favorite songs. The researchers also had the young adults pick one of seven songs that the team considered relaxing and were unfamiliar to the study participants. All the while, the researchers stuck a hot object — similar to the pain of a boiling hot teacup on the participants’ skin — to their left inner forearms. When rating their experiences, people were more likely to report feeling less pain when listening to their favorite songs compared with hearing the unfamiliar relaxing songs.
With millions of songs available, one person’s favorite song is likely not the same as another. After interviewing the participants about the song they brought and their rating of pain, the researchers found people who listened to bittersweet and moving songs felt less pain than when they listened to songs with calming or cheerful themes (主题).
“It’s a very cool result,” said lead study author Darius Valevicius, a doctoral student of neurosciences at the University of Montreal. “I think it’s why I myself and probably many people choose to listen to bittersweet or even spiritual music.”
1. Why does the author mention Adele in the first paragraph?| A．To reach a conclusion. | B．To lead in the topic. |
| C．To offer a suggestion. | D．To provide the background. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unclear. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．They reported their feelings of pain. | B．They interviewed many musicians. |
| C．They made various kinds of teacups. | D．They picked out the music they don't like. |
| A．When Is the Best Time to Listen to Music? |
| B．How Do You Create Popular Songs Quickly? |
| C．The Best Way to Reduce Pain Might Be to Write Music |
| D．Certain Types of Music Could Help You Feel Less Pain |
4 . Brian Everett from. Darlington, UK, has been traveling every day to raise money for different charities along the way. He started it for cancer research in
His wife’s death left a huge gap in his life. He said, “There’s a big gap in your life. It never
He
His family’s
He plans on looking for a new
| A．search | B．hope | C．memory | D．favor |
| A．cycling | B．speaking | C．working | D．struggling |
| A．shows up | B．goes away | C．gets along | D．comes out |
| A．Naturally | B．Generally | C．Finally | D．Clearly |
| A．lose | B．miss | C．remember | D．consider |
| A．gave up | B．met with | C．thought of | D．took on |
| A．had | B．broke | C．carried | D．put |
| A．task | B．distance. | C．course | D．activity |
| A．relationships | B．contributions | C．reactions | D．solutions |
| A．crazy | B．strong | C．patient | D．sick |
| A．arrive | B．change | C．suffer | D．improve |
| A．manages | B．asks | C．happens | D．aims |
| A．challenge | B．destination | C．direction | D．method |
| A．smart | B．energetic | C．active. | D．meaningful |
| A．idea | B．benefit | C．truth | D．plan |
One day last winter my best friend Bennet and I went to our ski class together with some other friends of ours. While we were skiing, at some point we got totally separated from the group, along with a couple of friends. We were racing down the hill when we saw a forest trail.
I stopped and asked our teacher, “Is it OK if we take this trail?” “Sure,” she replied. “Just meet us at the bottom of the slope (斜坡).”
“OK,” I said. So, Bennet, a couple of our other friends and I started going down the trail. There were quite a few forks (岔口) in the trail. Bennet fell down at one of them. The trail and fork he chose were too thin for anyone to stop and help him, though, So, everyone but me chose to go around him and expected him to catch up. He got up and skied down agạin. Soon he caught up with me.
“Let’s stop here for a while,” I shouted.
“OK,” replied Bennet.
We then both stopped and looked around. To our surprise, we found we were alone there. The others had already skied down a trail and we didn’t know which one they had taken. Since it was snowing, we couldn’t see the tracks, and my phone didn’t have a sign al this high up. I couldn’t send someone an online message, either.
We stayed calm. Finally, after a bit of exploring, we found an exit. But it turned out we were on the wrong side of the mountain. We went down to Golden Nugget, our favorite slope, since it had many ups and downs that allowed us to find a map. Once we found one, I asked Bennet, “Bennet, are you hungry?” He replied, “Ani, we’ve been in freezing snow at the top of the mountain without our teacher for about 15 to 20 minutes, so yes I’m hungry!” Luckily, I had a couple of brownies in my jacket, so we took a snack break.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
After eating some food, we felt better.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
When we finally got to that slope, we saw the others waiting for us at the bottom.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Students aged 6 — 12 in California will be required 56.
Cursive is 58.
Pamela Keller, 62.
7 . Over the years, movies and books have used tornadoes to sweep their characters off to magical lands, to destroy entire cities, or to defeat a superhero’s dangerous super villain (恶棍). All of these tornadoes have one thing in common: They are incredibly powerful. They can have wind speeds over 300 miles per hour (mph), grow over a mile wide, and travel over 50 miles. They are incredibly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
Scientists can’t go inside tornadoes, which means that they are extremely hard to research. As a result, we know surprisingly little about them. In order to tell how powerful a tornado is, scientists look at how much destruction it causes. Scientists then rank the tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (级别) (EF-Scale), which ranges from EF0 to EF5. For example, a tornado that only damages trees but doesn’t significantly damage buildings would be rated EFO with wind speeds between 65 and 85 mph. A tornado that blows away buildings and tears up sidewalks, on the other hand, would be rated EF5 with wind speeds over 200 mph.
The most powerful tornado in United States history occurred near Oklahoma City in1999. It had wind speeds over 310 mph, the highest wind speed ever recorded on Earth. A tornado with wind speeds that high can not only pick up and throw automobiles, but also knock over trains and tear up roadways.
Luckily for anyone living in an area that experiences the occasional tornadoes, they usually only last one to ten minutes. More powerful tornadoes can last over an hour in the right conditions, but they are very rare.
If you find yourself experiencing a tornado, find a safe place inside, like an interior hall, basement or closet. Stay away from windows and heavy objects that could fall on you, and lie on your stomach with your hands protecting the back of your head. Having a tornado emergency plan is extremely important as tornadoes can appear very quickly. Make sure to listen to the radio or television to stay updated on serious weather patterns in your area.
1. Which of the following is probably the wind speed of an EF4 tornado?| A．65 mph. | B．85 mph. | C．200 mph. | D．310 mph. |
| A．Tornadoes can do great harm. | B．American cars need developing. |
| C．Oklahoma City had no trains in 1999. | D．The strongest tornado occurred in the UK. |
| A．What a tornado is. | B．How a tornado forms. |
| C．Tips to survive a tornado. | D．How to recognize a tornado. |
| A．A guidebook to the USA. | B．An introduction to a historical book. |
| C．A review of famous movies. | D．An article on natural disasters. |
8 . The FIFA Women’s World Cup might be taking place half a world away — in Australia and New Zealand, from 20 July — but football-mad families can get a fix of the beautiful game far closer to home. If you are inspired to take a football- based break with the kids this summer, here are the cities to head to.
Liverpool
As the home of Liverpool FC since the club’s formation in 1892, Anfield is one of the best-known football stadiums on the planet. Young fans of the club will find plenty to enjoy on the stadium tour, with many photo opportunities, dressing room access and great views across the city from the top of the Main Stand. The museum, The Liverpool FC Story, includes the Boom Room exhibition, devoted to the club’s 2019/2020 Premier League win. The guided tour takes around 70 minutes.
Munich
Various ex-Premier League stars are currently on Bayern Munich’s books, and the club has long been a grand sporting presence. Six times champions of Europe, Germany’s most successful team regularly sells out the ultra-modern 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena. Tours include access to the FC Bayern Museum, where countless trophies (奖杯) are on display.
Milan
As the home stadium of both AC Milan and Inter Milan, and a regular venue for internationals, San Siro is a ground with bags of history. Having two resident clubs means double the matches, and a higher likelihood of getting tickets for a game — where the atmosphere can be intense. The guided tour takes around 80 minutes.
Paris
The 80,000-capacity Stade de France has hosted three Champions League finals, a World Cup final and a Euros final, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo winning trophies here. For sports-mad kids, however, the appeal doesn’t end there — the same stadium will be staging next year’s Olympic Games. The guided tour takes around 90 minutes.
1. Who is the text intended for?| A．A Chinese football fan. |
| B．A French mother with a kid. |
| C．A visitor getting to London. |
| D．A primary school student from Germany. |
| A．Attend a football match. |
| B．Buy dresses conveniently. |
| C．Overlook the city of Liverpool. |
| D．Enjoy the club’s newly-won trophies. |
| A．They offer a guided tour. | B．They have the same size. |
| C．They can seat a large audience. | D．They have hosted a World Cup final. |
9 . In 1957 a group of physicists gathered in a lecture hall at Princeton University to be addressed by a Chinese American woman. As she told the crowd about her recent experiment and its results, the response was dead silence for two minutes, then a thunderous applause (掌声) continued for ten minutes. The woman was Chien-Shiung Wu, known as the First Lady of Physics, who transformed nuclear science through her work on the Manhattan Project and other groundbreaking experiments.
Born in 1912 near Shanghai, China, Wu was influenced by her father, an engineer, and her mother, an educator. Unlike many Chinese women of her time, she received a formal education. Fascinated by new discoveries and the story of women scientists like Marie Curie, she entered National Central University to study physics and then began her scientific studies.
It was a time of rapid change in both the field of physics and China. Domestic unrest and a bad relationship with Japan made life at home uneasy. With the help of an uncle, she immigrated to the United States for graduate school.
Wu planned to go to the University of Michigan, but a tour of the University of California, Berkeley — and word that a student center at Michigan did not allow female students to enter through the front door — changed her mind. At Berkeley Wu was visible for her gender and race, and from the start her male colleagues commented as much on her physical appearance as her keen mind. She quickly gained a reputation and became an expert in the newly discovered phenomenon of nuclear fission (核裂变).
After graduation, she headed to Smith College to teach women physics. During World War Two Wu went to Princeton University, where she became the physics department’s first female instructor. But shortly after her arrival, her career took an unexpected turn in 1944. She ended up joining the staff at Columbia University on a top- secret research program now known as the Manhattan Project.
1. Which word best describes the lecture in Paragraph 1?| A．Boring. | B．Excellent | C．Humorous. | D．Common. |
| A．The background of her family. |
| B．The success of women scientists. |
| C．The formal education she received. |
| D．The rapid change in the field of physics. |
| A．She was looked down on at Berkeley. |
| B．She went to the University of Michigan at first. |
| C．She taught women physics at Princeton University. |
| D．She joined a top-secret research program at Columbia University. |
| A．A good beginning is half done. |
| B．Knowledge starts with practice. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．Positive thinking and action result in success. |
Tim Setty was by himself under the bright stage lights, feeling his heart beat fast as he got ready to say Iago’s important speech from “Othello”. It felt like the bright light was pushing down on him, and his forehead was wet with sweat from being scared. When he tried to say his speech, he forgot what to say, and his legs felt weak. He messed up his lines, trying hard to remember the words he knew before.
“Cut!” The director’s voice sliced through the silence, followed by the sound of footsteps as Mr. Frankle, the school’s Choral Director and the play’s director, approached the stage with his assistant, Monica. “Tim, we’ve practiced these lines. What’s happening up here?”
Tim, not looking directly at anyone, spoke quietly about where to move on stage and how to say his lines with emotion, but his words got mixed up because he was so nervous. Mr. Frankle became less patient and interrupted Tim while he was still speaking, touching his shoulder to show he should stop.
Tim couldn’t go on because the sound of people laughing from behind the stage reached him. Josh Rom a was laughing in a way that was clear and making fun of him. “He won’t be able to do it, Mr. Frankle. Have the backup actor take his place,” Josh said with a voice full of sarcasm (挖苦). Monica strongly disagreed, saying it wasn’t realistic to learn all of Iago’s long lines so quickly. Mr. Frankle made the laughing stop with a serious movement of his hand, ignoring Josh’s idea and telling Tim to rest for a moment before trying the part again.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When Tim returned to the stage, he was tripped (绊倒) by Josh.
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The next day, Tim came back to practice with a newfound determination.
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