1 . Confidence is a quality that can be highly beneficial in life. You may believe that confidence is something people are born with, and you either have it or you don’t.
According to Psychology Today, confidence can be nurtured (培养), and it is possible to build it and let it grow at any given time in your life. It is true that some people have an easier time with this than others, but don’t let that discourage you.
So where do you start? You start, according to a blog on Psych Central, with self-acceptance. Being honest with yourself and practicing self-love and self-acceptance is what it is all about. There is nothing to achieve from pretending and there are no easy paths to success.
The good news is that it’s up to you. Sit with yourself, meditate and journal (冥想和记日记). Think about your strengths and weaknesses, who you are and who you aren’t. Get to know yourself better. And be kind to yourself, like you would be kind to others.
Sometimes when working towards a goal, getting some additional help can play an important role.
Remember that building confidence is a journey. There isn’t necessarily a destination or an end goal. Accept yourself and be proud of who you are.
| A．This needs lots of practices. |
| B．That’s not necessarily true. |
| C．You should let go of perfection. |
| D．These practices can be beneficial. |
| E．You can benefit from talking to others. |
| F．It’s a muscle that can be strengthened and worked on. |
| G．It’s about where you came from and how far you’ve come. |
2 . Great Libraries for Kids in Los Angeles
Buena Vista Branch LibraryPhone: 818-238-5600
Hours: Mondays — Thursdays: 10 am — 9 pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am — 6 pm
Sundays: 1 pm — 5 pm
The children’s room at the library hosts baby and toddler (学步的幼儿) story times and — excitingly — a “sensory story time” designed especially for children with special needs. Plus, their computers have educational computer games, a great tool for kids who need help with learning.
Los Angeles Central LibraryPhone: 213-228-7000
Hours: Mondays — Thursdays: 10 am — 8 pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 9:30 am — 5:30 pm
Sundays: 1 pm — 5 pm
This LA landmark is a must-visit for any local, especially those who have kids. The library offers outstanding features, such as a new theater, murals (壁画) showing California’s history, regular craft (手工艺) and story times, and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) class for kids.
Beverly Hills Public LibraryPhone: 310-285-1000
Hours: Mondays — Thursdays: 9:30 am — 9:30 pm
Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am — 6 pm
Sundays: 12 pm — 6 pm
With a redesigned children’s area that they somehow keep white, the Beverly Hills Public Library welcomes children to regular story times and special events. Also attached to the library — a coffee and fudge (软糖) shop!
Pico Rivera LibraryPhone: 562-942-7394
Hours: Mondays & Sundays: Closed
Tuesdays & Wednesdays: 12 pm — 8 pm
Thursdays — Saturdays: 10 am — 6 pm
Besides the usual books and story times, the library’s free events for kids include great options for all ages. Fun events currently happening include a teen comic book club, a parent-child workshop, and an ancient Egyptian art activity.
1. In which library can one enjoy wall paintings about California’s history?| A．Buena Vista Branch Library. | B．Los Angeles Central Library. |
| C．Beverly Hills Public Library. | D．Pico Rivera Library. |
| A．818-238-5600. | B．213-228-7000. |
| C．310-285-1000. | D．562-942-7394. |
| A．They have coffee bars. |
| B．They offer story times. |
| C．They are closed on Sundays. |
| D．They are for disabled children. |
Not only does work benefit us
A Fresh Turkey before Thanksgiving Day
Margaret hadn’t bought herself a new dress for years. As a homemaker with health issues that kept her from working, she raised the kids while her husband worked at the nearby factory and brought home just enough for them to get by.
As Thanksgiving Day neared, Margaret cut costs and saved money. Her goal was to have enough money to buy a fresh turkey for the first time ever, instead of a frozen one. Every year Margaret would find herself staring longingly through the glass case at the local supermarket at the “fresh turkeys,” wishing she could afford one.
With the day of thanks fast approaching, Margaret took her shopping list and money over to the store and went to the meat counter to inquire about the birds. As Sal showed her the price of a fresh turkey, she realized her dream was impossible.
Sal found himself looking at her weathered shoes and faded coat. He was moved by her situation, saying, “These fresh birds are expensive, but the day before Thanksgiving, we mark them down to half‐off.” Margaret’s eyes lit up and she said, “Then I’ll see you the day before Thanksgiving.”
As Turkey Day crept closer, Sal noticed his fresh birds selling much faster than usual. The birds would surely run out before the big day. He knew it would take a special Thanksgiving act of kindness to make sure Margaret got one. So, he took one out of the case and hid it in the freezer in the back.
On the day before Thanksgiving, Margaret showed up to see if any fresh turkeys remained. Sal marched to the back and brought her the one he had saved. Delighted, Margaret headed for the checkout. But the grocery store manager didn’t know about Sal’s Thanksgiving act of kindness, warning him that he’d broken the rules by storing a fresh turkey in the back freezer.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
“I did set it aside, but not for me,” explained Sal.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
She was short of four dollars.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1. 中学生心理压力现状及原因；
2. 缓解心理压力的方法。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
How to Relieve Psychological Pressure
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________There is always new knowledge to acquire and new skills to develop in our lives, so
7 . Last Sunday, Jake Snelling and his friends went up to the mountains to do some exploring. Feeling quite proud of their achievement, they decided to
Unaware that something was
At that time, waiter Sheakh Nazmul Hasan Rifat spotted the group and sprang into action to
Jake hugged Rifat and
Despite the event, Jake was not put off the rest of his
| A．treat | B．trust | C．test | D．teach |
| A．made | B．broke | C．washed | D．ordered |
| A．reality | B．disaster | C．challenge | D．failure |
| A．stuck | B．lost | C．missed | D．changed |
| A．crazy | B．stolen | C．wrong | D．damaged |
| A．explain | B．escape | C．balance | D．breathe |
| A．childish | B．unusual | C．dangerous | D．unacceptable |
| A．hurting | B．working | C．burning | D．moving |
| A．guide | B．comfort | C．save | D．protect |
| A．calm | B．curious | C．confused | D．careless |
| A．hug | B．cake | C．welcome | D．clap |
| A．paid | B．helped | C．encouraged | D．thanked |
| A．immediately | B．suddenly | C．eventually | D．hardly |
| A．task | B．action | C．meal | D．trip |
| A．gap | B．tip | C．message | D．mark |
8 . Last week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres coined a new term. The time of global warming has ended, he announced, and the time of “global boiling” has arrived.
You can see why he said it. July was the hottest month on record globally. High temperatures and serious wildfires have swept across the Northern Hemisphere. Oceanic heatwaves are damaging the world’s third-largest coral reef, off Florida. And as the levels of greenhouse gases continue to increase, it means many even hotter summers lie ahead.
But critics have strongly disagreed with the phrase. At one level, “global boiling” is clearly an overstatement, but “global warming” is now far too weak a description. Many climate scientists have pushed for the term “global heating” to be used in preference. Similarly, phrases such as “climate crisis” haven’t received enough attention. That’s because many of us still feel we haven’t seen this crisis with our own eyes.
But that is changing. In the past few years, extreme weather and related events have struck many countries. Australia’s Black Summer brought wildfires that burned an area the size of the United Kingdom. Germany suffered serious flooding in 2021. The 2022 flood in Pakistan flooded large parts of the country. China has seen both droughts and floods. Terrible droughts have hit the Horn of Africa for many years. India has stopped rice exports due to damage from heavy rain.
Critics of climate action often complain about what they see as the overuse of “crisis talk”. If everything is a crisis, nothing is a crisis.
When Guterres uses deeply impactful phrases, he’s not inviting us to imagine a Hollywood-style disaster. What he’s hoping is to make people listen — and act — now we can see what climate change looks like.
Are there better phrases to describe this? Possibly. Take the challenge yourself: can you think up a brief, correct phrase to cover worsening local- and regional-scale (区域级的) droughts, fires, typhoons and floods; damage to crops and food safety; water shortages; existential threats to coral reefs and low-lying communities? You can see how hard it is.
1. What made Guterres use the phrase “global boiling”?| A．The reviews from critics. |
| B．The new scientific findings. |
| C．The present serious situation. |
| D．The future course of climate change. |
| A．None of these phrases reflect the truth. |
| B．Fewer crises have happened in recent years. |
| C．Many phrases haven’t been mentioned publicly. |
| D．Certain climate disasters haven’t happened to us. |
| A．But climate crises are worsening. |
| B．But several crises will be solved. |
| C．But people will face food shortages. |
| D．But people are taking effective measures. |
| A．It is beyond reality. | B．It is just to scare people. |
| C．It is reasonably acceptable. | D．It is just to comfort the public |
9 . I’ve bought many things without thinking too much in my life, but the first one that I found uneasy was a pair of Nike VaporMax shoes. It was in July 2018, and I was mindlessly tapping through Instagram updates while waiting for friends. That’s where I saw the advertisement for the shoes.
The order took maybe 15 seconds. Almost as soon as I’d paid, I quickly shook off the excitement that had briefly overtaken me, $190 poorer but with one pair of shoes on their way to my apartment. I had completed some version of the online checkout process a million times before, but never could I remember it being quite so thoughtless.
That experience wasn’t the result of any just-to-the-market technology. Instead, a handful of small changes to online shopping had grown into something meaningful: Advertisers were collecting stores of personal information with which to target their advertising. Retailers (零售商) were offering free shipping and free returns on everything — buy now, decide later. The widespread use of online payment shortcuts such as Apple Pay was making it unnecessary to create a new account. “Buy now, pay later” services were beginning to appear at more retailers to soften the blow of spending.
In the consumer system, friction refers to anything that slows down a potential buyer on the path toward completing a buying journey. About 70 percent of online shopping carts (购物车) are left unfinished without a sale, which suggests that potential buyers can easily derail their plans to buy. Sometimes, the realization that you’ll need to get up and get your wallet is enough to prevent you from ending up with a new T-shirt.
When buying something feels like making a real choice, you have more opportunities to slow down and consider whether it might be the wrong one. Even with the smoothest shopping experience, there’s still the risk of waste, of future inconvenience, of money lost in the fine print. Frictionless shopping might be convenient, in a sense, but it’s a bad system for making good decisions.
1. What happened after the author paid for the pair of Nike shoes?| A．He felt a bit regretful. |
| B．He decided to live a healthy life. |
| C．He became very picky about shoes. |
| D．He shared his excitement with his friends. |
| A．Its variety. | B．Its convenience. |
| C．Its personalization. | D．Its competitive pricing. |
| A．Make. | B．Show. | C．Discuss. | D．Stop. |
| A．Shop online to save time. | B．Only shop online for future use. |
| C．Save money by shopping online. | D．Think twice before shopping online. |
1. What is the woman dissatisfied with?
| A．The living room. | B．The bedroom. | C．The kitchen. |
| A．New and modern. | B．Small but well-furnished. | C．Big and bright. |
