1 . Alicia Quarles has her hands full these days — both of them, at all hours of the day and night.

“Having a baby unexpectedly at 41 is one thing; having twins is a whole other beast, ” says the global entertainment editor.

Actually, until her pregnancy Quarles had been living at breakneck speed. It went so until last year. “I was exhausted,” she says. “I’d been working three jobs, doing my charity and going nonstop. I was afraid my mental health was getting worse.” In early August she took herself to the hospital, to see if she was OK. Doctors ran multiple tests and told her that she had had an anxiety attack, and she was 11 weeks pregnant.

“She was stressed and decompensated (代谢失调的), so everything just came to more than she could handle at the time,” explains doctor Miriam Barnes, who began treating her. “Fortunately, she tried to be positive and seek help from me immediately. I told her not to have any medication at that stage and advised her to take natural therapy (疗法).”

A week later Quarles learned that she was having twins. But instead of that news adding to her anxiety, “a total peace came over me, and it felt like it all made sense,” she says. Quarles, who did not take any medication, returned home to her loved ones in North Carolina, where she gave birth to Hudson and Harlow on Feb. 16. “There’s nothing like family,” she says. “I found out through working on myself in natural therapy that there were a lot of things I hadn’t dealt with. I just kept going.”

These days Quarles uses social media to document her joyful motherhood journey. Quarles has put her anxiety behind but remains in therapy — and wants to encourage others who feel stressed to get help. “At first I felt guilty and embarrassed,” she admits. “I don’t anymore. My message is you can fall down. But you can stand up, by yourself or with the help of others. It’s not a shame, and it’s a blessing.”

1. Which of the following best explains “breakneck” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Safe and slow.	B．Fast and dangerous.
C．Exciting and terrifying.	D．Gentle and comfortable.

2. Why did Quarles return to North Carolina?

A．To give birth and make some friends.

B．To have a break and treat her anxiety.

C．To take natural therapy and stay alone.

D．To look after her family and visit a doctor.

3. What does Quarles suggest people under pressure do?

A．Keep standing up.	B．Fall down if needed.
C．Face whatever comes.	D．Obtain assistance when necessary.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．An Anxious 41-year-old Mother

B．A Mother’s Astonishing Experience

C．An Interesting Taste of Motherhood

D．A Mother Fighting Her Mental Breakdown

3 . Like many people, public speaking once filled me with fear As a writer, I felt much more ________ expressing myself on the page, rather than on the ________. Strangely, I found that the feelings of ________ to be perfectly tolerable; ________, I was concerned with the ways that others would perceive my nervous energy. A slight change of ________, the unconscious biting of my lip — I assured that I’d be ________ for any nom-verbal signal that showed my lack of ________. I was experiencing anxiety about my anxiety—consequences that made the whole task feel much more ________.

You might have ________ this yourself before a job interview or important work meeting in front of senior colleagues. And the more you try to ________ your feelings, the more obvious they appear to others.

According to a striking new study, however, these concerns may be ________. Jamie Whitehouse, a research fellow at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, has shown that visible signs of stress are often ________, leaving others more likely to like us and treat us ________. If so, then we need not try so hard to ________ a calm-and-collected poker face, safe in the knowledge that people will relate well to our ________.

1.

A．anxious

B．comfortable

C．cautious

D．hesitant

2.

A．exam room

B．video call

C．stage center

D．teacher’s desk

3.

A．burden

B．loneliness

C．conflict

D．anxiety

4.

A．besides

B．instead

C．therefore

D．otherwise

5.

A．voice

B．appearance

C．attitude

D．routine

6.

A．paused

B．rejected

C．assessed

D．warned

7.

A．knowledge

B．experience

C．process

D．confidence

8.

A．astonishing

B．terrifying

C．pressing

D．confusing

9.

A．noticed

B．refreshed

C．mentioned

D．supposed

10.

A．permit

B．declare

C．hide

D．deserve

11.

A．practical

B．inaccurate

C．unpredictable

D．unnecessary

12.

A．appealing

B．annoying

C．frustrating

D．convincing

13.

A．warmly

B．apparently

C．curiously

D．casually

14.

A．remind

B．require

C．wander

D．maintain

15.

A．attention

B．expectation

C．emotions

D．appreciation

4 . Some people prefer to have a bite to eat before hitting the gym, known as a fed workout. Others would like to wait until after exercising to refuel their bodies, called a fasted workout.    1     Many experts say there’s no easy answer because it depends on the person.

If you want energy and strength for an ideal workout, you need fuel. A fed workout will provide your body with power. Eating before exercise may help you sustain longer sessions and lift heavier weights.     2     Muscle preservation is also an essential component of strengthening your body. Nitrogen (氮) is critical for processing protein that builds healthy muscles. People tend to lose less nitrogen during a fed workout than a fasted one.

Many fitness enthusiasts are not on board with this idea. They report feeling sick and inactive while trying to exercise after eating. With a fasted workout, you may not get the usual indigestion. Experts for fasted workouts further claim that eating afterwards makes your body use its fat reserves for energy, meaning you will burn more fat.     3     It can cause a sudden drop in your blood glucose (葡萄糖) levels, and you may feel dizzy. You may even be more likely to overeat.

    4     Not all foods are created equal. For example, if you choose a fed workout, you’ll probably lose a lot of water during an intense training, so you should consider drinking some beforehand. With a fasted workout, it would help if you had some nutrition right after your session is complete. Drink some water. Then, have a light meal or nutritional snack.

Deciding when to eat for an ideal workout is a personal choice. Both fasted workouts and fed activities have their benefits and shortcomings.     5    

A．However, a fasted workout might not work for you.

B．How your body will respond is based on your workout intensity.

C．These benefits can result in burning more fat and shaping a slimmer body.

D．To eat or not to eat, that is the question on many fitness enthusiasts’ minds.

E．Think thoroughly and discuss with your fitness instructor before taking a choice.

F．Knowing what to eat for an ideal workout is just as important as knowing when to eat.

G．A person doing a 30-minute session a day may not have a problem with fasted workouts.

5 . We journalists live in a new age of storytelling, with many new multimedia tools. Many young people don’t even realize it’s new. For them, it’s just normal.

This hit home for me as I was sitting with my 2-year-old grandson on a sofa over the Spring Festival holiday. I had brought a children’s book to read. It had simple words and colorful pictures — a perfect match for his age.

Picture this: my grandson sitting on my lap as I hold the book in front so he can see the pictures. As I read, he reaches out and pokes (戳) the page with his finger.

What’s up with that? He just likes the pictures, I thought. Then I turned the page and continued. He poked the page even harder. I nearly dropped the book. I was confused: Is there something wrong with this kid?

Then I realized what was happening. He was actually a stranger to books. His father frequently amused the boy with a tablet computer which was loaded with colorful pictures that come alive when you poke them. He thought my storybook was like that.

Sorry, kid. This book is not part of your high-tech world. It’s an outdated, lifeless thing. An antique, like your grandfather. Well, I may be old, but I’m not hopelessly challenged, digitally speaking. I edit video and produce audio. I use mobile payment. I’ve even built websites.

There’s one notable gap in my new-media experience, however: I’ve spent little time in front of a camera, since I have a face made for radio. But that didn’t stop China Daily from asking me last week to share a personal story for a video project about the integration of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province.

Anyway, grandpa is now an internet star — two minutes of fame! I promise not to let it go to my head. But I will make sure my 2-year-old grandson sees it on his tablet.

1. What do the underlined words “hit home for me” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Provided shelter for me.	B．Became very clear to me.
C．Took the pressure off me.	D．Worked quite well on me.

2. Why did the kid poke the storybook?

A．He took it for a tablet computer.	B．He disliked the colorful pictures.
C．He was angry with his grandpa.	D．He wanted to read it by himself.

3. What does the author think of himself?

A．Socially ambitious.	B．Physically attractive.
C．Financially independent.	D．Digitally competent.

4. What can we learn about the author as a journalist?

A．He lacks experience in his job.	B．He seldom appears on television.
C．He manages a video department.	D．He often interviews internet stars.

7 . Oscar Wilde once said, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Art provides a way to communicate experiences when people lack verbal skills.     1    Art therapy is founded on the assumption that everyone is creative and capable of self-expression.

    2     As a restorative practice, it allows people to express themselves in non-verbal ways, such as drawing and painting. Even a 45-minute creative activity can change a person's mental state. Working with an art therapist does even more:     3    

Young children typically draw and sing and dance without worrying about their abilities. Adults, however, often have complex feelings about art and art making. They begin to evaluate the quality of their art instead of focusing on self-expression itself.     4     However, art therapists can guide people in expressing themselves without concerning whether their artwork is technically brilliant, so that they can connect or reconnect with the artworks that help them deal with life challenges.

What are art therapists’ superpower? They can channel dangerous thoughts into imaginative artworks. For instance, people with violent tendencies might let out their anger by hitting another human being.     5     These artistic choices satisfy the brain's desire for novelty without compromising personal safety.

A．Art therapy is a double-edged sword.

B．Thus, the many benefits of creative self-expression are lost.

C．They develop art as an expressive skill for solving problems.

D．But, obviously, releasing their anger in this way isn't a good choice.

E．Art therapy, in its own ways, can influence a range of human functioning.

F．It can significantly enhance positive moods and boost measures of well-being.

G．However, with art therapists’ help, their energy could be changed into creative products.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Bing Dwen Dwen, a panda in an ice shell    1    (choose) as the official mascot for the Beijing2022 Winter Games back in 2019.

According to Cao Xue, the chief designer of Bing Dwen Dwen, the idea first came from a traditional Chinese snack bingtanghulu — fruit    2    (coat) in syrup (糖浆), which turned into the ice shell in his design. Later, Cao’s team decided to incorporate (结合) an animal or plant, finally    3    (settle) on a panda. “What else can    4    (well) represent China than our national treasure? ” said Cao. “We don’t need to explain anything to have it understood across different cultures.”    5    , there were already too many cartoon    6    (image) of pandas out there so the mascot needed to be    7    (total) unique and innovative. They visited Wolong Sichuan, to look for    8    (inspire). Cao then decided that it should be a baby panda    9    determined the body proportions (比例) of Bing Dwen Dwen — its body is of the same length    10    its head.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Hi Mum and Dad!

Well, here we are in Cairo at last. This morning, we explored an old market area. It was very atmospheric and filled with lots of interesting things. I    1    (buy) a beautiful necklace for you. Mum—it looks just like one    2    Queen Cleopatra would have worn! Anyway, we’re going out to eat some more of Egypt’s national dish now.