1 . Emojis are everywhere. They offer effective and fun ways to interact with others. Used well, they can become an engaging and creative addition to communication.     1    

One well-chosen emoji can replace many words of text.     2     Or a thumbs-up emoji might save you from writing out your agreement to something in full.

    3     And when you can’t hear someone’s tone of voice or read their body language, an image can be particularly helpful for understanding their meaning.

Emojis are clear, colorful, and designed to convey a single message memorably — which has been shown to increase interest and engagement. They stand out among text, especially when the recipient is working quickly or on the move.

Many emojis mean the same thing to everyone, everywhere.     4     For example, a smiling face emoji will let anyone know that you’re happy, whatever language you speak!

Emojis can help you to show your human side, making you seem friendlier and more approachable. What’s more, the brain reacts to images of faces, and to real faces, in a very similar way.

Alongside all the potential benefits of emojis that we’ve listed above, there are also dangers you’ll need to guard against.     5     For example, a red-faced character could be angry, or embarrassed. Like any language, you need to “speak Emoji” with care. If not, you run the risk of creating confusion, conveying the wrong impression, or even causing serious offense.

A．Here are some of the reasons why emojis are so popular.

B．Many employees in some western countries are using emojis at work.

C．An emoji is often easier and quicker to understand than a written explanation.

D．So they can break through language barriers, and promote easy communication.

E．For example, you could select an emoji of a house to set your status as “working from home.”

F．A poorly chosen emoji can cause problems, because some of the images are not universally understood.

G．For example, the crossed fingers emoji means good luck in some places, but it’s seen as an impolite sign in others.

2 . If you’re an English learner or an English speaker looking to widen your vocabulary, a good dictionary app is a must.

Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster is a well-known and highly trusted dictionary. The app provides quality definitions, audio pronunciations and usage examples. It even lets you search for words by speaking them! This feature is perfect when you hear a word you don’t understand but aren’t sure how it’s written.

Oxford Dictionary of English

The Oxford Dictionary of English app is a comprehensive and reliable resource for English language reference. The app provides clear and concise definitions, along with audio pronunciations and example sentences. You can also access synonyms, antonyms and word origins. Additionally, the app offers offline functionality, allowing you to access the dictionary even without an internet connection.

Vocabulary.com

The Vocabulary.com dictionary app is excellent for English learners because it has very easy-to-understand definitions. The site says it’s “as if your favorite teacher were explaining it to you.” Each definition has explanations of what the word means and also when and how you would use it. It even turns learning into a game by letting you earn points!   

FluentU

FluentU takes real-world videos and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. It uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the English language and culture over time. You’ll learn English as it’s spoken in real life. The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It even reminds you when it’s time to review!

1. Merriam-Webster app can help English learners ________.

A．find right words to speak perfect English

B．search for a word even without an internet connection

C．learn difficult words by practicing more and reviewing

D．look for a word when they are unsure about its spelling

2. Which dictionary app proves English learners with simple definitions and interesting learning?

A．Merriam-Webster.	B．Oxford Dictionary of English.
C．Vocabulary.com.	D．FluentU.

3. What’s the main purpose of this passage?

A．To recommend useful dictionary apps.

B．To give suggestions on English learning.

C．To offer advice on how to use a dictionary app.

D．To introduce the sources of English vocabulary.

3 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

When I hurried to the store, I saw that the books were already being packed into     1     (box). I had a long chat with Casey, the store’s elderly owner. Sighing     2     (deep), he told me how it was becoming difficult to run an independent bookstore. More and more customers     3     (attract) by chain stores and online discounts. I tried to think of some words of sympathy,     4     I had to admit that the Rainbow Bookstore couldn’t stay in business much longer.

4 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

The Little Prince     1     (tell) us the importance of looking beneath the surface of things to uncover their real meanings. I like it because it is simple, and yet it really made me think a lot     2     life and death, love and responsibility, friendship and loneliness. One of the most memorable characters in the book is a rose,     3     the little prince fell in love with.

5 . 阅读短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

    1     (sit) back in my seat, I can’t quite believe that I’m about to travel along the railway that many foreign experts claimed was “impossible”. The train     2     (race) along steadily since it left Xining. All this time, the song “Sky Railway” has been playing inside my head. The words “railways like massive dragons are winding among the mountains” seem     3     (particular) vivid as I travel across the “roof of the world”.

6 . 阅读短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

During Darwin’s time, people believed that all species     1     (appear) on Earth at the same time, and had not changed since.     2     Darwin began to think differently. He noticed that some species of animals were very similar to each other. Maybe animals evolved as they adapted to     3     (they) changing environments? It was just an idea. But it was enough     4     (inspire) Darwin to look for more evidence.

7 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适与当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Studies show that laughter     1     (produce) chemicals to make people feel better, which means clown doctors can be helpful. We are specially     2     (train) clowns. I chose this career because of my experience of going to hospital when I     3     (be) a kid. Although the doctors and nurses did a great job, hospitals weren’t really designed     4     children. I spent much of the time when I was there feeling frightened and more than a little bored! Being a clown doctor means I can help people by entertaining them.

8 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适与当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Technology isn’t the only way     1     (forecast) the weather. Nature has its ways, too. Unusual animal behaviour, for example, can indicate whether it’s cold, wet weather that’s on the way or a hot, dry period. If fish are jumping     2     (high) than usual or frogs are croaking more loudly, it may rain. And next time you look up at the sky, don’t just look for rain clouds, but also for     3     (bird). If they are flying low, grab your umbrella.

9 . 阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。请在答题卡指定区域作答。

Last year, I baked biscuits for complete strangers to say “thank you”. I’d had to call 999 because I found my husband unconscious on the floor. Within minutes, a police car arrived and soon my husband received medical care in hospital.

A week later, when I dropped off still-warm biscuits and presented a thank-you note at the police station, the policemen thanked me for delivering gifts.

I drove away feeling light and happy. Later, I realized that my natural high might have been more than it seemed.Research has shown that sharing gratitude has positive effects on health. People who express gratitude will increase their happiness levels, lower their blood pressure and get better sleep.

What about people who receive gratitude?Research has confirmed that when people receive thanks, they experience positive emotions.“Those are happy surprises,”says Jo-Ann Tsang, a professor of psychology. When someone is thanked,he’s more likely to return the favor or pass kindness on, and his chances of being helpful again doubles, probably because he enjoys feeling socially valued.

The give-and-take of gratitude also deepens relationships. Studies show that when your loved ones regularly express gratitude,making you feel appreciated,you’re more likely to return appreciative feelings, which leads to more satisfactory in your relationships.

Nowadays,however,many people don’t express gratitude. Our modern lifestyle may be to blame. With commercial and social media, everything is speeding the younger generation to feel they’re the center of the world. If it’s all about them, why thank others?

Why not thank others? Just take a look at how many positive effects can saying “thank you”have on personal health—and the well-being of others.

If you aren’t particularly grateful, I strongly suggest you learn to be.People who are instructed to keep gratitude journals,in which they write down positive things that happen to them,cultivate gratitude over time.

1. What health benefits can people gain from expressing gratitude?
_______________________________________________________
2. How do people probably respond when they receive gratitude and feel socially valued?
_______________________________________________________
3. Please decide which part of the following statement is false, then underline it and explain why.
▷ Saying “thank-you”improves relationships,but nowadays some young people don’t want to do it because everything is making them feel blamed by the whole society.
_______________________________________________________
4. If possible, who would you like to express gratitude to most? Why? (In about 40 words)
_______________________________________________________

10 . How to Do a Proper Social Media Detox

Despite the involvement of dopamine (多巴胺), social media addiction is a psychological addiction. You need to stop rewarding your current dopamine triggers so that your brain can return to normal.    1     Plus, you’re more likely to continuously go back into addiction with little hits. Here are the simple steps to a true social media detox:

●Deactivate your accounts.    2     And it will also signal to your friends that you’ re on a detox. It is easy to find out how to deactivate Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

●Uninstall all social media apps. This will eliminate all of those notifications and alerts that play such a crucial role in social media addiction. And you won’t be as likely to pop one of those apps open in moments of boredom or stillness.

●Block all social media sites. This is for your computers, laptops, and tablets. Use one of these web filtering tools to restrict access to social media sites.    3     I also have OpenDNS on my router, which blocks sites for all devices connected to it.

●    4     It’s not enough to remove social media from your day. You need to fill that empty space with something else. Otherwise, you’re just going to claw your way back. I recommend learning new skills, whether creative hobbies, geeky DIY hobbies, or even hobby programming.

●Stick with the detox long enough. While studies are still limited on this, most experts agree that it takes approximately three months (or 100 days) for dopamine levels to return to normal. It may take longer depending on how long and how intensely you’ ve been addicted.    5    

One last word of advice: Don’t panic. A detox doesn’t have to be permanent — it just has to be long enough to rewire your brain and break you out of the endless dopamine cycle. You can always come back later.

A．Take a moment and search your heart.

B．My preferred tool is K9 Web Protection.

C．Replace social media with another activity.

D．This will serve as a fence against your sudden wish to check in.

E．You can’t do a detox if you’re feeding your appetite here and there.

F．So don’t be surprised if it takes upwards of six months or even a year.

G．Like most addictions, it takes hold of you long before you realize it even exists.