1 . Random acts of kindness can affect people’s well-being significantly more than expected, according to an August study co-authored by a University of Texas researcher. Based on experiments ranging from giving someone a cup of hot chocolate to delivering cupcakes in the park, the recently published study found that random acts of kindness affected both the giver and receiver significantly more than anticipated. The researchers conducted a total of eight experiments involving students to assess the effects of the acts.

Amit Kumar, the study’s co-author and an assistant marketing and psychology professor at UT, said that although researchers know kindness significantly improves a person’s well-being, people underestimate the effect it will have on the receiver. “One of the interesting questions becomes why people often don’t act in ways that are likely to make them feel better,” said Kumar. “What we were interested in studying here was this belief that these seemingly small pro-social acts can actually make a significant difference in people’s lives.”

Kumar said because people underestimate the positive effects of these acts, more often than not, people don’t perform them.

One of the experiments included UT students engaging in an exercise in which they performed different acts of kindness for others, such as baking cookies or offering a peer a ride home, and then filled out a questionnaire afterward. At the same time, the recipients were contacted and asked how they felt. The researchers found that in all of the experiments, both the recipients and performers ended up in better moods than normal after the act.

Co-author Nicholas Epley said the research is part of a broader research program of people avoiding human connection and not reaching out to others despite its positive impact.

“People do act in line with their expectations, but those expectations can be off,” Kumar said. “If you’re underestimating the positive impact that you’re having on other people, that can prevent you from being kinder more often in daily life,” Kumar remarked. He hopes this research helps people become more aware of their impact on others and be kind when they have the opportunity.

1. What did the recently published study find about random acts of kindness?

A．They affect the giver more than the receiver.

B．They affect the receiver more than the giver.

C．They are good for interpersonal relationships.

D．They can greatly affect people’s happiness.

2. What does the underlined word “pro-social” mean?

A．Negative.

B．Kind.

C．Dangerous.

D．Active.

3. According to Nicholas Epley, what does the broader program research?

A．People escaping human contact.	B．People showing random kindness.
C．The positive impact of kindness.	D．The importance of human connection.

4. What’s important if you want to show more kindness in daily life?

A．Realizing the power of your kindness.

B．Acting in line with expectations.

C．Having a good opportunity.

D．Reaching out to others.

2 . Why volunteer with STA Travel?

It’s a sad truth that many well-intentioned volunteer projects can be mismanaged for profit rather than helping. We will only work with projects that have a positive impact, satisfying the needs of the host communities while also meeting the desires of travellers to make real contributions, train their mind to think creatively, and gain skills for future study and work.

We support projects in more than 30 countries. Whether you’re looking to teach English, work with communities, animals or clean up our planet, there’s something for everyone.

Our featured voluntourism projects

Teach Children in Nepal

Join the project lasting over three weeks to assist with English lessons and homework and choose to stay at a shared volunteer house. Optional activities include a trip to Pokhara, the second largest city in the country and cooking demonstrations.

Thai Elephant Conservation

Experience one of our best-selling volunteer projects which offer a peaceful home to more than 30 neglected and previously abused elephants — with options ranging from seven days to four weeks. Play an important role by preparing food, feeding them and assisting in maintenance of the park.

Make a Difference in Indonesia

Work alongside local communities to arrange beach clean-ups and monitor and nurse newborn animals in their living areas for four weeks. There are also two-month options including teaching in local schools and community visit opportunities.

Experience Borne o & Conserve Orang-utans

This one-month project is designed for volunteers to experience and help with rehabilitation (复兴) of orang-utans in Sarawak, which are large arboreal animals and the only great apes in Asia. What’s more, take part in a long adventurous walk into the rainforest to meet the Iban and experience a unique stay in traditional longhouses.

1. What is the feature of STA Travel?

A．Its services are all over the world.	B．It provides free training for volunteers.
C．It focuses on domestic communities.	D．Its projects leave a far-reaching influence.

2. Which project is suitable for those who want a short-term trip?

A．Teach Children in Nepal.	B．Make a Difference in Indonesia.
C．Thai Elephant Conservation.	D．Experience Borne o &Conserve Orang-utans.

3. What is a common aim of the projects in Indonesia and Sarawak?

A．Taking part in adventurous walks.

B．Bringing harmony between man and nature.

C．Tracking wild animals in their living places.

D．Arranging clean-ups in traditional longhouses.

4 . A couple, Jake Williams and Charlotte Sinclair, were absolutely done with the long isolation (隔离), following a few years of COVID-19, and then they decided to launch (发起) a community plan. They started Talk the Walk and managed to make people get together, explore London on foot, and get to know each other.

The number one mission was to have fun — even if only a few people showed up for the free events. That’s what they expected when they started on Meetup.com. Suddenly they were getting hundreds of people responding with excitement.

200-300 people of various ages now regularly attend each event, which opens with the playing of icebreaker games. The couple designed the games to be easy for shy people, too, with “fun questions” breaking the nervousness. They picked interesting places to visit. Attendees were even surprised with an offer of chocolate.

“I’ve done some crazy things in my time working from home to stop loneliness, like dog sitting for people and joining gyms just so I can have more conversations with people,” Jake said.

“I think that it’s hugely impactful for people who have been affected by COVID-19, by being forced to work from home and having that isolation,” he continued.

They’ve seen older people talking with younger people, and people becoming friends — so much so that the strangers are now meeting on their own after becoming familiar.

Talk the Walk organised their last event last year, but said they’ll be back once it starts to warm up again.

Nearly 2,000 members in their Meetup community and followers on their Facebook Page are waiting for that day, but at the same time, this young couple might serve as your very own inspiration to connect people in your own communities.

1. What is the couple’s purpose in starting Talk the Walk?

A．To reduce the effect brought by COVID-19.

B．To encourage people to do physical exercise.

C．To find interesting activities in and around London.

D．To end loneliness and bring communities back together.

2. How did Talk the Walk manage to attract more people?

A．By giving attendees amazing presents.

B．By arranging easy games and activities.

C．By making the organised events enjoyable.

D．By choosing famous destinations to explore.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Talk the Walk is really needed.

B．New events will take place in no time.

C．Talk the Walk is popular with young people.

D．The couple moved people in the community.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be active to get in touch with people

B．Take part in events after the long isolation

C．Couple answers loneliness with organised walks

D．Thousands of people show up for interesting events

5 . A Virginia family whose home was destroyed by a fire last week recently received the gift of some old-fashioned Christmas cheer from “Santa Claus” (圣诞老人).

In the spirit of Christmas, the Ferrum Volunteer Fire Department delivered presents to the family who lost their home and belongings in a house fire on Thursday.

“It was a working structure fire and unfortunately the family lost everything. We as volunteers knew that we couldn’t let this mom and her three kids go through Christmas without anything,” the fire station wrote on Facebook. “Yes, they’re OK but it’s Christmas, right?”

The fire station officials delivered Christmas gifts to the mother and her three children the following day at the local church shelter they were staying at, and in photos posted on the site, the children appeared joyful.

“We brought gifts and more gifts! The kids were overjoyed and very grateful.” the station said on its post.

“They were very happy to see all the gifts and the fire trucks that we brought the gifts in,” the department told USA TODAY. The kids received Barbies, Pokémon, artworks, remote control cars, blankets, clothes and shoes. The mother also received a gift card.

The Facebook post was flooded with what seemed to be comments from community members touched by the generosity. “The best Christmas gifts are the ones you give! Thank you all for your wonderful service and your big hearts!” one user commented.

“So thankful they are alright! We are truly blessed to live in such a giving and helping community, and our fire department and rescue teams are amazing! Great job! So proud!” another user wrote.

1. What can we learn from the text?

A．The Fire Department provided the family with shelter.

B．The volunteers saved some belongings for the family.

C．The family went through Christmas in sorrow.

D．Receiving a Christmas gift is a traditional joy.

2. What’s the comments’ attitude towards the fire station?

A．Ambiguous.

B．Unconcerned.

C．Appreciative.

D．Sympathetic.

3. How does the author develop his idea?

A．By giving examples.	B．By using quotation.
C．By making comments.	D．By analysing causes.

4. What’s the best title of this article?

A．Firefighters or Santa Claus?	B．Firefighters Safeguarded Us
C．A Fire Brought Gifts	D．Love Can Cure

6 . Summer volunteer chances for students

Finding a summer volunteer chance is easier than you think. There are national programs all over the US that you can take part in. Check out these volunteer chances for students.

UN Volunteer Program

If you are an 18-year-old high school student, you might choose to volunteer in a UN organisation. The UN Volunteer Program (paid) is looking for excellent adults aged 18 to 55. Volunteer projects explore peace-building, climate change and disaster management (气候变化和灾害管理). Those looking for a summer program will also receive training before and after a short-term task.

National Park Service

Teens aged 15-18 can take part in National Park Service and get paid. The volunteers work outdoors on several different projects including cleaning up campgrounds, improving wildlife habitat (栖息地), environmental education planning and teaching, and more! You’ll also take part in educational field trips where you’ll be able to see wildlife before your eyes.

Habitat for Humanity

You can find a lot of summer volunteer fun through Habitat for Humanity. Not only can you help build houses, but you can join in improving your community and helping out at the donation (捐赠) center. Youths aged 16 or older may take part in this program, and must have turned 16 by the first day of the project.

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is always looking for youth volunteers. Its Red Cross youth programs offer students and young adults meaningful chances of leadership training and community service. The chances are given to all junior and senior high school students.

1. What is special about the National Park Service?

A．It allows its volunteers to camp.	B．It offers chances to see wild animals.
C．It offers job-related training to volunteers.	D．It allows volunteers to explore new interests.

2. What can high school students do at Habitat for Humanity?

A．Clean up houses.	B．Enjoy some fun games.
C．Make money to help people in need.	D．Make their community better.

3. Which program can you choose if you are 14 years old?

A．UN Volunteer Program.	B．National Park Service.
C．Habitat for Humanity.	D．American Red Cross.

8 . I was the only kid in college with a reason to go to the mail box, because my mother never believed in email, or cell phones in general. I was literally waiting to get a letter to see how the weekend had gone, which was usually the warmest comfort for me.

So when I moved to New York and got sucker-punched in the face by depression, I did the only thing I could think of — writing letters like my mother for strangers. I blogged about those letters and crazily promised I would write you a hand-written letter if asked to.

Overnight, my inbox became this harbor of heartbreak — a single mother in Sacramento, a girl being bullied (恐吓) in rural Kansas…, all asking me to write them a letter and give them a reason to wait by the mailbox. And this is how the act The World Needs More Love Letters was born, fueled by those trips to the mailbox. But the thing about these letters is that most of them have been written by people, who have grown up into a paperless world where some best conversations happen swiftly on a screen.

I’ve been carrying this mail crate (大木箱) with me these days, which is a magical icebreaker. So I get to tell total strangers about a woman whose husband was traumatized (受精神创伤) from war in Afghanistan, and how she left love letters throughout the house as a way to say, “Come back to me.” And the man, who had decided to take his life, tonight slept safely with letters just beneath his pillow, handwritten by strangers who were there for him.

These are the kinds of stories that convince me that letter-writing will always be needed, even in these days, because it is an art now.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．The efficiency of write letters.

B．The author’s care for her family.

C．The author’s attachment to letters.

D．The author’s love for the college life.

2. What inspired the author to launch the act?

A．The letters’ comforting effect on people.

B．Her intention of providing professional aid.

C．The positive influence of modern technology.

D．Her mother’s fear of modern communication.

3. Why does the author call the mail crate “a magical icebreaker”?

A．It is capable of doing magic tricks.

B．It starts a conversation with passers-by.

C．It helps people to recover from traumas.

D．It is hot enough to melt ice on a cold day.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Love for Writing

B．Priceless Family Letters

C．Love Letters to Strangers

D．The Art of Writing Letters

10 . When Mark Anthony Gonzales saw a police officer in need of assistance, every element of the moral code installed in him through his Brazilian jiu-jitsu (巴西柔术) training — morality, courage, benevolence (仁爱) — told him to stop his car and lend a hand, even though his wife, Rachel Ortiz, and his four kids were in the car.

The suspect, a balding man of medium build, was running from a police officer in San Antonio, Texas. Gonzales slowed down. So did the man being chased — to avoid running into Gonzales’s minivan. That hesitation allowed the officer to catch up and take the suspect to the ground. But Gonzales quickly realized that the officer did not have control of the situation with the suspect struggling fiercely.

Gonzales put his vehicle in park and jumped out, as did Ortiz. The first thing Gonzales did was identify himself and spell out his intention to make it two-on-one in the officer’s favor and not the other way around.

Then, with the man on his back and the officer struggling to control the man’s upper body, Gonzales put his weight on the man’s legs. Seconds later, when the suspect rolled onto his stomach, Gonzales used techniques he’d learned in the gym: digging his knee into the suspect’s el bow and pulling the suspect’s head toward him to maintain control from the side. He then applied an underhook — a jiu-jitsu move where the hands are placed under the opponent’s arm to control the shoulder and upper body — and tugged until, after a few seconds, the suspect’s shoulder gave out. The officer clicked on the handcuffs and the threat was over.

Gonzales had asked his wife to record everything to protect him just in case anything was called into question. But Ortiz posted the video on Facebook, where it attracted over 56 million views.

Among those awed by the video was Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Rener Gracie, a fourth-degree black belt, who stated: “The combination of Gonzales’s technique and his calm communication with both the officer and suspect is the stuff of legends!”

1. Why did Gonzales stop his car?

A．To protect his family.	B．To uphold justice.
C．To show his courage.	D．To perform jiu-jitsu.

2. What did Gonzales do first when he came to the officer?

A．He joined in the two-on-one fight.	B．He persuaded the suspect to give in.
C．He warned the policeman of danger.	D．He declared his identity and intention.

3. Why did Gonzales ask Ortiz to shoot the video?

A．To record his heroic deeds.	B．To avoid getting in trouble.
C．To attract views on Facebook.	D．To expose the suspect’s behavior.

4. What’s the best title of the article?

A．Jiu-jitsu Makes A Legend	B．A Victory Of Two-on-one
C．Lending A Well-Trained Hand	D．Justice Has Long Arms