1 . Saying no can be unsettling or unnatural since society often teaches us that a “no” can be considered as rude or insensitive. Many of us have been conditioned to say yes just to avoid confrontation and conflict.
But learning how to say no more frequently can yield many benefits including improving your general mental health, establishing clear boundaries, encouraging self-care and enhancing your self-worth and confidence.
According to Psychology Today, successfully using more healthy answers of “no” will mean finding a way that feels authentic for you. They suggest adopting the “sandwich method”, which means sandwiching something that may be considered negative between two positives. This could be as simple as saying something like “Thank you for inviting me, but I won’t be able to join you. I’d love to meet some other time and I’ll check my schedule and see what works.”
Honesty is key to making this work. You have to really check in with yourself and understand why you are saying no. The most important thing is to be aware of your personal needs and make decisions that reflect your self-respect and value your time and resources.
“Not being able to say no can be hard, and may even push you into a space where you’ re exhausted in every possible way. It’s difficult to be in this position, because you always end up prioritizing others’ needs and wants above yours, which in the long run isn’t healthy for you. It is arduous emotionally, mentally and physically,” psychotherapist Shaina Vasundhara Bhatia told Healthshots.
It might take a long time until this new thought model begins to take root, until then Synergy Health Programs recommends rehearsing(排练) in advance what your “no” will sound like, being honest about why what has been requested does not work for you, taking your time to think through the consequences of your decision and then offering your response.
With time, you will begin to gain the benefits of being true to yourself and you might find that by saying no when something doesn’t feel right, you are actually opening the door to a healthier you.
1. How does the text explain the “sandwich method”?| A．By using an example. | B．By referring to quotes. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By mentioning a magazine. |
| A．Beneficial. | B．Struggling. |
| C．Natural. | D．Unimportant. |
| A．It doesn’t come easy. | B．It doesn’t require tips. |
| C．It proves very harmful. | D．It is an immediate response. |
| A．To show the harm of “yes”. | B．To encourage us to be honest. |
| C．To tell the benefits of self-care. | D．To guide us to learn to say no. |
2 . Tash was waiting in line at the supermarket when she noticed the young mum in front of her struggling to pay her bill. Tash knew it was only a matter of time before the woman’s young child became fussy (难缠的), and she felt for the mum, who appeared upset and embarrassed.
Having been in a similar position in the past, Tash didn’t hesitate to jump in and pay for her shopping. Her reasoning was simple: “Pay it forward.” “It was just really nice to help her out,” Tash says. “It was only $ 50 or something like that, it wasn’t a huge amount. But afterwards, the woman gave me a hug and had tears in her eyes... and I got a bit emotional as well.”
“In today’s day and age, with what we’re all going through, just to get that feeling of, ‘Oh wow, there is good out there’... it’s nice to hear there is a bit of humanity,” Tash says.
People start to help others by doing things for other people. But you don’t have to break the bank, or even open your wallet, to give paying it forward a go. Psychologist Dr Lishman says offering compliments or praise to strangers, or hand-making items or food for those in need, can serve the same purpose. Alternatively, donating clothes or books to a charity or mentoring (指导) a student can also be considered ways to get involved. All you need is to set out with the intention of helping someone you don’t know, without any expectation of reward, acknowledgement or payback.
That can lead to an increased sense of connection and a rise in feel— good hormones, which floods us with positive emotions. Knowing that our good deeds can make a “massive difference” to someone else’s mental health and mood can also boost our own wellbeing.
1. What did we know about the young mum?| A．She felt annoyed in public. | B．She couldn’t afford to pay her bill. |
| C．She knew Tash before. | D．She bore burden of childcare and life. |
| A．Anxious. | B．Moved. | C．Confident. | D．Romantic. |
| A．Jenny donated clean clothes to a nursing home. |
| B．Bob received a reward for his part in the rescue. |
| C．Mary shared homemade food with her friends. |
| D．Tom charged me half price for unlocking the door. |
| A．Offering a helping hand is a must. |
| B．Tash is always willing to help others. |
| C．Good things often come out of bad situations. |
| D．Acts of kindness for strangers bring great joy. |
3 . The day that I will always remember is when I ran my first 10km.While putting my toe on the starting
That day the
Then came the fifth mile. My legs
I saw the finishing line and I felt like an Olympic
| A．point | B．sign | C．course | D．line |
| A．need | B．check | C．break | D．know |
| A．knowledge | B．ability | C．energy | D．money |
| A．situation | B．scenery | C．air | D．sunlight |
| A．shown off | B．made out | C．got through | D．set in |
| A．sound | B．power | C．action | D．result |
| A．carefully | B．gently | C．fast | D．freely |
| A．mistake | B．challenge | C．trouble | D．success |
| A．nervous | B．serious | C．strong | D．heavy |
| A．looked | B．tasted | C．felt | D．smelt |
| A．growing | B．going | C．talking | D．resting |
| A．heart | B．feet | C．legs | D．body |
| A．expect | B．see | C．accept | D．make |
| A．take off | B．give up | C．stay out | D．turn back |
| A．first | B．important | C．terrible | D．easy |
| A．stop | B．jump | C．turn | D．improve |
| A．coach | B．volunteer | C．supporter | D．runner |
| A．sometimes | B．ever | C．always | D．never |
| A．metal | B．model | C．medal | D．license |
| A．if | B．because | C．unless | D．though |
4 . At one point or another, you’ve probably heard someone speak with confidence on a topic that they actually know almost nothing about. This phenomenon is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect.
In a set of studies, researchers Justin Kruger and David Dunning asked participants to complete tests of their skills in a particular domain. Then, participants were asked to guess how well they had done on the test.
In other words, if someone knows very little about a particular topic, they may not even know enough about the topic to realize that their knowledge is limited. Importantly, someone may be highly skilled in one area, but be influenced by the Dunning-Kruger effect in another domain.
If people who know very little about a topic think they’re experts, what do experts think of themselves? Interestingly, Dunning and Kruger found that although experts typically guessed their performance was above average, they didn’t realize quite how well they had done. They often make a different mistake:
What can people do to overcome the effect? Dunning and Kruger once had some of the participants take a logic test and then complete a short training session on logical reasoning. After the training, the participants were asked to assess how they’d done on the previous test.
In short, The Dunning-Kruger effect suggests that we may not always know as much as we think we do.
| A．Researchers found that the training made a difference. |
| B．They assume that everyone else is knowledgeable, too. |
| C．This happens when people know much about a topic. |
| D．They found that participants tended to overestimate their abilities. |
| E．All of them had an accurate view of their performance. |
| F．This means that everyone can potentially be affected by the Dunning-Kruger effect. |
| G．In some domains, we may not know enough about a topic to realize that we are unskilled. |
| A．Dull. | B．Interesting. | C．Scary. |
6 . In my starting days of real-life practice, I took up a job in a direct sales firm as a door-to-door marketer. I
There were so many people who slammed (砰地关上) their
I remember such a
These experiences in my life made me a stronger person and made me
The lesson I learnt from door-to-door sales is that good doors are
| A．lost | B．offered | C．liked | D．refused |
| A．easy | B．ridiculous | C．complex | D．confusing |
| A．wrote | B．played | C．thought | D．practiced |
| A．salary | B．result | C．goods | D．partners |
| A．warning | B．comforting | C．magical | D．meaningless |
| A．books | B．doors | C．phones | D．windows |
| A．neighbor | B．stranger | C．salesman | D．beggar |
| A．threatened | B．forgot | C．expected | D．determined |
| A．Besides | B．Otherwise | C．Therefore | D．However |
| A．go away | B．stay up | C．carry on | D．pull out |
| A．report | B．novel | C．movie | D．situation |
| A．preferred | B．managed | C．failed | D．wished |
| A．cash | B．food | C．drinks | D．tickets |
| A．stop | B．return | C．trouble | D．complain |
| A．sell | B．walk | C．talk | D．stand |
| A．realize | B．imagine | C．doubt | D．dream |
| A．exercising | B．shopping | C．learning | D．trying |
| A．everywhere | B．anywhere | C．somewhere | D．nowhere |
| A．never | B．always | C．seldom | D．sometimes |
| A．open | B．repair | C．break | D．avoid |
7 . Take a look at your fingers. Would you believe me if I told you that the length of your fingers in relation to one another can predict your personality? I know that it sounds like one of those silly tests you see on Facebook, but I have to admit that it was spot-on for me.
Look at your three middle fingers of your left hand. Is your index finger (食指) longer than your ring finger? Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Or are the two the same length?
Category 1: A longer ring finger. If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, research shows that you’re likely a charming type, and you can probably talk yourself out of any situation. Others often find this personality type irresistible and will go to great lengths to help you. You’re more likely to take risks, and you’re good at problem-solving. People in this category make great engineers, soldiers and crossword-puzzle solvers.
Category 2: A longer index finger. If your index finger is longer than your ring finger, chances are you are full of confidence — possibly even to the point of being over-confident and too proud. You are not necessarily introverted, but you do enjoy time to yourself especially when you’re trying to complete a project. You are a determined go-getter who can make things happen, but you may be shy when it comes to taking the first step in building up a friendship. You are also probably happy with what you have, but you’re always wishing for more.
Category 3: The two are the same length. If your index finger and ring finger are roughly the same length, you are likely to avoid conflict at all costs and seek to keep the peace in your relationships. You are well-organized, faithful and sympathetic. But deep down under all of that caring and peace-loving, you also have a fiery core (暴躁的本质) and can lash out unexpectedly when you’re pushed too far.
How well did these descriptions match your personality? I was surprised at the accuracy in my case.
1. What does the passage mainly tell us?| A．Never believe the silly tests on Facebook. |
| B．The length of fingers can reveal personality. |
| C．Why your fingers are not of the same length. |
| D．How to find out about one’s personality accurately. |
| A．Very funny. | B．Quite easy. |
| C．Exactly correct. | D．Completely strange. |
| A．cautious | B．catching |
| C．hard-working | D．warm-hearted |
| A．The sweet talker. | B．The self-important one. |
| C．The introvert. | D．The peacemaker. |
8 . Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the poet, publisher, painter, social activist and bookstore owner, has been San Francisco’s honored poet. He turns 100 this month, and the city is making preparations to celebrate him in style. Readings and performances and an open house will take place at City Lights, the sacred bookstore he co-founded in 1953.
On March 24, 1919, Lawrence Ferlinghetti was born in Yonkers, New York. After spending his early childhood in France, he received his BA from the University of North Carolina, an MA from Columbia University, and a PhD from the Sorbonne.
He is the author of more than thirty books of poetry, including Poetry as Insurgent Art; A Coney Island of the Mind. He has translated the works of a number of poets, including Nicanor Parra, Jacques Prevert, and Pier Paolo Pasolini. In addition to poetry, he is also the author of more than eight plays and three novels, including Little Boy: A Novel, Love in the Days of Rage and Her.
In 1953, Ferlinghetti and Peter Martin opened the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco, California. It became a nerve center for the Beats and other writers. Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and other writers from that era were Easterners who dropped into San Francisco for a spell. In 2001 it was made an official historic landmark. Now City Lights is almost certainly the best bookstore in the United States. It’s filled with serious world literature of all kinds.
If City Lights is a San Francisco institution, Ferlinghetti himself is as much of one. He has loomed over the city’s literary life. As a poet, he’s never been a critical favorite. But his flexible and plain-spoken and often powerful work — he has published more than 50 volumes — has found a wide audience. His collection “A Coney Island of the Mind” has sold more than 1 million copies, making it one of the best-selling American poetry books ever published.
1. What can we learn about Ferlinghetti from Paragraph 2?| A．He had a happy childhood. |
| B．He received normal education. |
| C．He had a gift for writing novels. |
| D．He had written lots of poetry. |
| A．Flexible. | B．Optimistic. | C．Outspoken. | D．Productive. |
| A．Because it is a nerve center for the youth. |
| B．Because its collections have a long history. |
| C．Because it is an official historic landmark. |
| D．Because it has many modern world literature. |
| A．To speak highly of a great poet. |
| B．To introduce some English poetry. |
| C．To promote values of City Lights. |
| D．To celebrate the birthday of Ferlinghetti. |
9 . A major limitation in behavioral research is that scientists can either study animals under highly-controlled, yet often unrealistically simplified and small, environments in the lab, or in largely uncontrolled conditions in the wild. This has limited our ability to study many aspects of behavior, including collective behavior—the movements and interactions among animals that underlie their complex social lives. What is needed to address this?
To do so in a multidimensional way, researchers have developed a tool called SMART-BARN. “It’s a new tool that allows studying complex behavior characteristics of an individual or interactions between groups of animals like insects, birds, or mammals (哺乳动物),” says Hemal Naik. Together with Máté Nagy, co-speaker of the Cluster, Iain Couzin, and colleagues developed SMART-BARN. Biologists, physicists, engineers and computer scientists developed it together.
“SMART-BARN is designed to enhance the scale of typical indoor behavioral experiments in terms of experimental volume and measured behavior characteristics and group sizes,” computer scientist Hemal Naik says. The facility can—depending on the size of the animals—host hundreds of animals simultaneously and extend the possibility of experiments to novel species typically not studied in indoor environments. “In fact, we have now scaled this to work with many thousands of animals,” adds Couzin. “We recently conducted a study in the Imaging Hangar where we tracked 10,000 plague locusts. This would have been impossible without our SMART-BARN technology. ”
So far, SMART-BARN has been used within different experimental use cases involving subjects as diverse as pigeons, moths, bats, and humans. Naik says, “SMART-BARN offers the ability to track 3D stare and posture of birds in a group of ten or more while maintaining their identity. This technique is being used by researchers to explore the role of stare in decision making.”
The team imagines the facility to be a cooperative space where researchers from all over the globe can contribute to the exploration of behavioral questions. Therefore, the team invites researchers across the world to connect with them and plan experiments.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about concerning SMART-BARN?| A．Its limitation. | B．Its necessity. | C．Its popularity. | D．Its feature. |
| A．They engage in different areas of knowledge. | B．They are expert at studying biodiversity. |
| C．They have the same social background. | D．They base their study on previous data. |
| A．To rescue the endangered. | B．To protect the environment. |
| C．To study animal groups. | D．To keep track of birds. |
| A．How it will be tested. | B．What it will be used for. |
| C．Why it is so popular. | D．Where it can be used. |
10 . How to be a good neighbour
Do you know your neighbors? Like really know them? Their Orel names, the types of cars they drive, what holidays they celebrate?
According to a 2021Pevv Research study, roughly a quarter of adults under 30 report that they don’t know any of their neighbors.
Get to know your neighbors.
It may seem obvious, but getting to know your neighbors is the first step to becoming a kind neighbor.
It can feel so easy to just go home, close your door and turn on the TV without having to make small talk, but connecting with others is worth the effort. And if you take the first step, your small acts of kindness can encourage others to pay that kindness forward ——making even more people feel good.
Make small kind gestures a daily practice.
Another way to take care of your neighborhood is by making small acts of kindness a daily practice. Use the skills and resources available to you —maybe you aren’t a baker，but you have an amazing garden. You can ask your partner or kids to help you pick flowers from your garden to give your new neighbor a bouquet.
Check your implicit bias (偏见).
Actions speak louder than words, and your attitudes towards marginalized and vulnerable people also set an example for your kids. So be mindful of the different people in your community and actively remind yourself to treat everyone with respect and care.
| A．Remember, every small gesture counts. |
| B．Meet and engage with different people. |
| C．Remind yourself that being connected feels good. |
| D．Building a caring community is a valuable way to stay connected to the place you live. |
| E．It doesn’t take a lot of money or a grand gesture to be an active neighbor. |
| F．Looking out for your neighbors is an important part of being in a community. |
| G．Get out of your comfort zone and try to learn their names and what they do for work. |
