Habit formation is the process by which behaviours become automatic. People develop countless habits as they explore the world, whether they are aware of them or not. Understanding how habits take shape may be helpful in changing bad habits.
Habits are built through learning and repetition. A person is thought to develop a habit in the course of pursuing goals by beginning to associate certain cues(刺激) with behavioural responses that help meet the goal. Over time, thoughts of the behaviour and ultimately the behaviour itself are likely to be triggered(触发) by these cues.
A “habit loop(环)” is a way of describing several related elements that produce habits. These elements are called the cue, the routine, and the reward. For example, stress could serve as a cue that one responds to by eating, which produces the reward﹣the reduction of stress. While a routine involves repeated behaviour, it’s not necessarily performed in response to a deep﹣rooted urge, as a habit is.
Old habits can be difficult to shake, and healthy habits are often harder to develop. But through repetition, it’s possible to form new habits. The amount of time needed to build a habit will depend on multiple factors, including the individual and the intended behaviour. While you are able to pickup a new habit in a few weeks, it takes many months to build a healthy habit. Take some time to think about what leads to bad habits and re﹣evaluate what you get out of them (or don’t). Consider and keep in mind why you want to make a change, including how the change reflects your values.
1. How are habits built?2. In what way is a routine different from a habit?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Picking up a new habit takes a few week, while building a healthy habit takes a shorter time.
4. What benefit(s) have you got from one of your good habits?(In about 40 words)
2 . The 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago in China to guide agricultural production. They also reflect China’s rich history through the seasonal festivals, special foods, cultural ceremonies, family gatherings and even healthy living tips that correspond with each solar term.
Rain Water signals the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its arrival, lively spring-like scenery starts blossoming: the river water defreezes, wild geese move from south to north and trees and grass turn green again.
During Rain Water period, extra care is needed to deal with a returning cold spell and humidity, which is the amount of water in the air.
The wet and humid weather during Rain Water period is considered harmful for people’s spleen and stomach according to Chinese medical practice.
| A．With Rain Water coming, insects become more active. |
| B．A bowl of nutritious porridge is the best choice to nourish the body. |
| C．Therefore, Rain Water is considered as a key period to water the fields. |
| D．According to an old Chinese saying, the rainfall in spring is as precious as oil. |
| E．The temperature in most of the basin areas increases quickly during Rain Water. |
| F．One of the 24 solar terms, which is very important in spring, is called Rain Water. |
| G．The fast increase in air humidity due to rainfall can result in lower temperature and wet weather. |
3 . What Is Good Citizenship?
Good citizenship is generally defined as how a citizen performs a role to become a useful member of society. This involves duties and responsibilities that may be expressed through laws and regulations.
Citizenship, in its general sense, is being part of a community.
A good citizen is an important part of a progressive state. As covered by the social contract theory, a government is established to manage interaction among citizens, define an individual’s rights, enforce these rights, and make sure just compensation (补偿) is obtained when these rights are not obeyed.
| A．There are many characteristics of good citizenship. |
| B．Being a good citizen is important in improving the community. |
| C．Apart from these characteristics, a good citizen knows and obeys the laws of the land. |
| D．In turn, the citizens hand over to the government the powers that may limit some freedom. |
| E．This may also involve your behaviors expressed through the recognition of right and wrong. |
| F．As citizens, we care about others and being good members of our communities and our country. |
| G．Good citizenship lies in the recognition that members of a community work together to improve their lives and their relationship with one another. |
4 . Born with severe hearing loss, Li has found her way to communicate with the world—through painting.
Before learning to paint, Li always felt lonely in a silent world. She knew she was different from her peers because she could not hear. But a painting class in primary school opened for her a door to creativity and a way of expression.
“I still remember my first mural, which was to help a kindergarten to design and paint its wall,” Li says. “The project made me realize how happy I was immersing myself into painting.”
To pursue her passion for art, Li went to study advertising design at a vocational and technical school. “Painting brushes can help me create a colorful world in my imagination, telling my thoughts on paper, instead of through voices,” Li said.
Graduating from college in 2005, Li got a job as a typist at a public institute. But she could not communicate well with her other colleagues. Her husband understood how she felt because he lost his hearing due to medication when he was 1 year old. He is also an art lover. In March 2016, under her husband’s suggestion, Li quit her job and joined her husband’s company, which specializes in 3D wall and ground paintings.
Wall painting is a demanding job because it requires people to work outdoors, whether in extremely cold or hot weather. As all the people are hearing-impaired in their company, communication with clients is the most common challenge that the team faces.
Now in many parks and scenic spots, the couple have created large-scale murals and interactive pavement painting that make onlookers a part of the drawings.
“My husband and I want to introduce painting to more people like us and help them find their own way to make a living,” Li says. Now Li has an apprentice who just graduated from college. While coaching the newcomer, Li is exploring her own style and hopes to become an illustrator and open her own exhibition one day.
“They’re energetic young people with a passion to create new things, and you can feel that in their paintings,” one of their clients said. “They’re also a professional, dedicated team, often working late into the night on the designs for us.”
Li hopes that their stories can encourage more hearing-impaired people to build their own careers and achieve their goals, regardless of how tough it may be.
1. According to the passage, the painting class in primary school ________.| A．started Li’s first advertising design |
| B．helped Li find a new way to express herself |
| C．made Li learn about 3D wall and ground paintings |
| D．turned Li’s dream of opening an exhibition into reality |
| A．Li can communicate with her clients easily. |
| B．Li lost her hearing when she was I year old. |
| C．Li and her husband have created many wonderful paintings. |
| D．Li and her husband hope to become illustrators in the future. |
| A．Donate money to them. | B．Design painting gifts for them. |
| C．Inspire them to create their own careers. | D．Support them to complete college education. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Accepting what you have makes you happy. | D．Nothing is impossible to the man who will try. |
5 . Influenced by her family, Xu started to learn the craft of making Chinese knots at home, but didn’t expect the pastime to change her life at first. Xu became a city-level inheritor of this provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in 2009, and has been devoted to developing the craft since then.
As a fan of photography, she often took photos of dragonflies, butterflies and flowers around a lake not far from her home, then she made knots resembling them, and posted the photos on a website. That attracted the attention of some people.
As an advertising design major, she makes innovated knots based on her knowledge of design, and can use various threads to make small, exquisite designs. She has created many series of works based on traditional Chinese culture, such as festivals, tea and Peking Opera characters.
“Showing Chinese culture through traditional Chinese crafts—that is the original aspiration for me as an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage,” says Xu. She has made more than 3,000 designs, and even opened two offline branch stores. Her products include decorations of different sizes that can be put on walls, car ornaments, cellphone chains and jewelry. “I believe our intangible cultural heritage can be better developed and passed down when it meets people’s needs in daily life,” says Xu.
Chen, an online follower, has been teaching how to make knots in the United Arab Emirates. “Influenced by Xu’s work, I learn the craft to cultivate my temperament, and I also teach children to better understand Chinese culture,” says Chen. “Chinese culture is popular in the UAE, and I often make some knots with Chinese elements for local people as gifts.”
Xu has also been generous in helping others. She taught this art to workers who lost their jobs in her hometown, allowing them to master a skill from which they could earn an income. Students and people with disabilities were also beneficiaries. Indeed, more than 20 people with disabilities now actually work for her.
Despite the success of her career, Xu says working on the craft has benefited her more in a spiritual way. “Tying knots requires concentration, and you must not be distracted during the process. It has trained me to deal with matters in a calm, peaceful and rational way,” says Xu. “I believe the life of one person is short, and you have the right to decide how to spend it.”
1. With the knowledge of design, Xu can ________.| A．post plenty of attractive photos on the website |
| B．draw the Peking Opera characters more vividly |
| C．make many creative knots related to Chinese culture |
| D．take many professional photos of animals and flowers |
| A．She plans to open more offline branch stores abroad. |
| B．She designs products with a focus on people’s everyday needs. |
| C．She is well-known for teaching how to make knots in the UAE. |
| D．She wants to help disabled students improve their concentration. |
| A．Honest and easy-going. | B．Modest and strong-willed. |
| C．Humorous and hard-working. | D．Innovative and kind-hearted. |
| A．Traditional Chinese Crafts Go Global |
| B．Chinese Knot-making, a Skill Not to be Ignored |
| C．Traditional Chinese Culture Becomes Fashionable |
| D．Chinese Knot-making, a Chance for the Unemployed |
6 . Has anyone ever told you, “Stand up straight!” or scolded you for sitting lazily at a family dinner? Comments like that might be annoying, but they’re not wrong.
If your posture isn’t good enough, your muscles have to work harder to keep you upright and balanced. Some muscles will become tight and inflexible.
So what does good posture look like? If you’re sitting, your neck should be vertical, not tilted forward. Your shoulders should be relaxed with your arms close to your trunk. Your knees should be at a right angle with your feet flat on the floor. But what if your posture can’t be that great?
It’s also not enough to just have good posture. Keeping your muscles and joints moving is extremely important. In fact, being still for long periods with good posture can be worse than regular movement with bad posture.
| A．Try redesigning your environment. |
| B．You adjust your body unless you feel tired. |
| C．So if you sit a lot, get up and move around on occasion. |
| D．And the big one that we all experience every day is gravity. |
| E．Besides, poor posture leads to extra wear and tear on your joints. |
| F．Posture can even influence your emotional state and your sensitivity to pain. |
| G．Your posture refers to the way you hold your body when you’re sitting or standing. |
7 . One winter, a homeless dog called Shavi was left to die on the streets of south-west Russia after being
Due to work commitments, Nina couldn’t keep Shavi and instead found her a new
Two weeks later, while walking along the road outside her home, Nina felt something brush up against her leg. Realizing it was Shavi, she was so
The pair lived together and moved into a bigger apartment so Shavi had plenty of room to play. “Of course, she has now remained with us for good. I would never give this kind of friend away again.
| A．abandoned | B．adopted | C．caught | D．hit |
| A．treatment | B．food | C．weekend | D．comfort |
| A．collected | B．trained | C．walked | D．visited |
| A．patience | B．strength | C．growth | D．freedom |
| A．friend | B．toy | C．home | D．cage |
| A．recovered | B．suffered | C．wandered | D．disappeared |
| A．annoyed | B．relaxed | C．shocked | D．worried |
| A．Humans | B．Volunteers | C．Animals | D．Drivers |
| A．calmly | B．willingly | C．bravely | D．properly |
| A．beggar | B．child | C．leader | D．stranger |
8 . I glanced to my left and right as I got ready at the starting line. The sight of other competitors who had confident and fierce-looking faces got me goose bumps and I was even more
“On your mark, get set... Go!” shouted the race official. I pushed myself forward with all my
“No, it cannot end like this. I have to
Out of despair, I gazed up at the finishing line. Just then, a kind competitor
“Thank you...” I whispered
She lent me her shoulder for support, and I
Even though I never got the chance to learn her name, I will always remember her as the one who stepped forward to help me when I was in
| A．tired | B．confused | C．nervous | D．regretful |
| A．joy | B．might | C．trouble | D．shame |
| A．attempt | B．hesitate | C．wait | D．pretend |
| A．organize | B．evaluate | C．appreciate | D．complete |
| A．defeated | B．inspired | C．shocked | D．relaxed |
| A．waved | B．extended | C．showed | D．pointed |
| A．proudly | B．cautiously | C．awkwardly | D．gratefully |
| A．moved | B．fell | C．bent | D．looked |
| A．partnership | B．sportsmanship | C．leadership | D．friendship |
| A．anger | B．doubt | C．need | D．silence |
9 . Wang Yaping’s dream of becoming an astronaut was inspired by Yang Liwei’s 2003 space flight, which was China’s first manned space mission.
Born in a small village in Yantai, Shandong Province in 1980, Wang had been an enthusiastic long-distance runner since primary school, and competed in local sports meetings.
In 1997, Wang, a high school student, was encouraged to register for the pilot recruitment program by her classmates because she was good at sports and didn’t wear glasses. The 17-year-old had been considering applying to a teaching college, as her parents suggested.
Given her strong build and ability to stay calm under pressure, Wang passed all tests as well as physical examinations and became a female pilot in China. After four years of systemic education and tough training, Wang eventually learned to fly four different types of aircraft before graduation.
During her service as a military pilot, she accumulated 1,567 hours of flight time and was involved in major tasks such as the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake relief effort and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In May 2010, Wang became a member of China’s first batch of female astronauts. The joy of being selected did not last long as the hard training quickly sank in.
In the first year, Wang could not get the top level in the high-G training, during which she had to endure eight times the force of gravity in a spinning centrifuge. The training imitates the environment when the spacecraft takes off, enters orbit and returns. Wang improved her performance by doing extra core-strength exercises every day to strengthen her back and abdominal muscles. She got the top level at the end of 2011. Wang realized her space dream in 2013 as part of the Shenzhou-10 mission.
Over the past two years, Wang has logged in over 6,000 hours of strict training. The most tiring exercise was the seven-hour underwater training session during which she had to wear a special suit that weighed over 100 kilograms to simulate extravehicular activities in a weightless environment.
Wang has become the first female taikonaut to work in China’s Tiangong space station as well as the first Chinese woman to perform a spacewalk.
1. Why did Wang want to become an astronaut?| A．Because she was able to stay calm under pressure. |
| B．Because she was good at sports and didn’t wear glasses. |
| C．Because she was influenced by China’s first manned space flight. |
| D．Because she was advised to register for the pilot program by her parents. |
| A．Wang won a long-distance runner championship |
| B．Wang was the first Chinese female to take a spacewalk |
| C．Wang went to a teaching college encouraged by her classmates |
| D．Wang thought the seven-hour underwater training session was easy |
| A．She learned to fly four different types of aircraft. |
| B．She participated in the Shenzhou-10 mission of China. |
| C．She received four years of systemic education in university. |
| D．She got involved in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake relief effort. |
| A．Calm and friendly. | B．Warm-hearted and creative. |
| C．Modest and honest. | D．Hardworking and determined. |
10 . Of all the weird and wonderful creatures living under the sea, perhaps the strangest are jellyfish—those rubbery, cone-shaped creatures found floating in the water, their long tentacles trailing behind.
Some jellyfish species have a bad reputation for scaring away tourists, clogging up fishing nets, and even blocking power station pipes. But with more and more plastic rubbish ending up in the sea, these days you’re as likely to swim into a plastic bag as a jellyfish. Now scientific research is discovering that these rubbery sea creatures might provide an answer—a sticky solution to the problem of plastic pollution.
In recent years, tiny pieces of plastic called microplastic have been a significant problem for the world’s seas and oceans. These plastics are not visible to the eye and aren’t caught by seawater treatment plants due to their small size, so they enter our system and harm our health. They’ve been found in many places—in Arctic ice, at the bottom of the sea and even inside animals. Slovenian scientist, Dr Ana Rotter, heads GoJelly, a European research team of jellyfish ecologists looking into the problem.
Microplastics, plastics in general, are becoming an increasing problem. Dr Ana Rotter says when she was a child, people were more environmentally friendly—not harmful to the environment or having the least possible impact on it. At that time, there were very few single-use plastics—plastic items, like spoons and forks, designed to be used just once, then thrown away. The situation since then has changed dramatically. In fact, there’s been such an increase in microplastics that today the UN lists plastic pollution as one of the world’s top environmental threats.
But how do jellyfish fit into the story? Well, it’s the ‘jelly’ part of jellyfish, and specifically their sticky, jelly-like mucus that is key. Jellyfish produce a thick, sticky liquid called mucus. Dr Ana Rotter has discovered that this mucus has strong absorptive capabilities—it can absorb, take in liquids and other substances. One of the substances jellyfish mucus absorbs are the particles that make up microplastics.
Dr Rotter’s research is still in the early stages, but it’s hoped that jellyfish mucus could hold the key to a future free of microplastic polluted oceans. Scientists are hoping that the mucus’s absorptive properties—its abilities to absorb liquids and other substances and hold them, will allow it to trap particles of plastic floating in the sea. By trapping these, the mucus acts like a magnet—an object that attracts certain materials, like metal, but in this case, microplastic waste.
1. Paragraph 3 mainly talks about ________.| A．where microplastics can be found |
| B．why microplastics can harm our health |
| C．what problems the seas and oceans are facing |
| D．how the research was carried out by the scientist |
| A．Jellyfish species cause a great threat to the sea. |
| B．Jellyfish species like to swim and live in plastic bags. |
| C．Jellyfish mucus can attract metals and break them down. |
| D．Jellyfish mucus can absorb liquids and some other substances. |
| A．Qualities. | B．Substances. | C．Choices. | D．Materials. |
| A．To show the harm that sea and ocean pollution brings to human beings. |
| B．To introduce the living habits of the weird and wonderful creatures in the sea. |
| C．To provide a new method for collecting data on environmental threats in the sea. |
| D．To inform a promising scientific finding for dealing with plastic pollution in the sea. |
