1 . When you have to cancel your Thanksgiving plans due to the spread of the COVID-19, you may find yourself craving companionship as much as that pumpkin pie. That’s because parts of the brain respond to loneliness much like they react to hunger, according to a study in Nature Neuroscience.

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology scanned the brains of 40 healthy, social young adults after 10 hours of either fasting (禁食) or social isolation (隔离). They found that after being alone, participants’ neurological responses to social signals were similar to hungry people reacting to food — that is, certain areas of the brain linked to desire were turned on to start working.

For an isolated person, a picture of people laughing together caused the same areas of the brain to light up as when a hungry person looked at a big plate of pasta.

“Just like hunger is an unpleasant sensation that motivates us to seek out food and thirst motivates us to seek out water, loneliness is a biological need that motivates us to reconnect to others,” Holt-Lunstad told Insider.

Researchers were surprised to find that people who were prevented from socializing became much more focused on that need, and less reactive to hunger. As their loneliness increased, they became less responsive to images of food.

These latest findings suggest that the relationship between food and loneliness might be more complicated than we thought, despite the popular opinion of stress-eating to cope with social isolation. More research is needed to understand the complex ways people deal with loneliness.

Studies like this can help scientists understand how the brain processes loneliness, and possibly reduce the negative consequences. However, although loneliness may be similar to hunger, fixing it isn’t as easy as serving someone a hearty dinner because people are unique and they need varying levels of social interactions to meet their needs.

1. The underlined word “craving” in the first paragraph can be replaced by          .

A．avoiding

B．desiring

C．preferring

D．ignoring

2. Researchers scanned the brains of the young adults                        .

A．to find their brain responses to both loneliness and hunger

B．to provide explanations for their feeling lonely and hungry

C．to find how loneliness can have a negative impact on health

D．after they have been hungry and socially isolated for 10 hours

3. What conclusion can be drawn from what Holt-Lunstad said in Paragraph 4?

A．Hunger is an unpleasant sensation.

B．Hunger and thirst motivate us to feed ourselves.

C．Socializing is supposed to be basic human need as it is.

D．The effects of loneliness on health are comparable to other factors.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．Loneliness may be fixed just as hunger is satisfied.

B．Situations of loneliness are complicated and hard to cope with.

C．Scientists have understood how the brain processes loneliness.

D．Loneliness is such a common and serious problem that we all have to suffer.

2 . Four best scenic paths near London

Goring Gap and the Thames Path
Length: 5 miles
Start: Goring & Streatley station
End: Pangbourne

This path is far from boring for a rural walk. The footpath follows the curve of the river as it flows south, winding past wildflower grassland, and the Hartslock Nature Reserve, which is home to red kites and rare orchids.

Post-walk pub: The Swan serves these days. Order a table or keep warm by one of its open fires.

Box Hill
Length: 6.8 miles
Start and end: Westhumble station

Admire the glorious views and escape the crowds. But first you’ve got to climb 272 steps to the top of Box Hill. The endorphins are definitely pumping—maybe that’s how it got the nickname “Happy Valley”.

Post-walk pub: The spacious Tree on Box Hill has an enticing menu and huge beer garden.

The Kentish Coast
Length: 9.8 miles
Start: Ramsgate
End: Margate

Following the path, you’ll pass plenty of former smugglers’ (走私者) caves and there are beachside cafes dotted along the route at regular intervals.

Post-walk pub: Order a pint of beer at Xylo, a pub with wonderful views over Margate Sands.

Chess Valley in the Chilterns
Length: 9.9 miles
Start: Chorleywood station
End: Chesham station

It isn’t home to any chess masters, but it did used to produce n lot of watercress, fed by its sparkling chalk stream. This walk follows the river, whose bank is covered with the rolling grass and woods.

Post-walk pub: The George & Dragon is an old coaching inn with a log fire and real beer.

1. Which path is a circular route?

A．Goring Gap and the Thames Path.	B．Box Hill.
C．The Kentish Coast.	D．Chess Valley in the Chilterns.

2. What do Goring Gap and the Thames Path and Chess Valley in the Chilterns have in common?

A．They serve beer all the time.	B．They include different animals.
C．They provide river scenery.	D．They are of the same length.

3. What can you experience in The Kentish Coast?

A．Drink coffee at the seaside.	B．Relax yourself in The Swan.
C．Learn from famous chess masters.	D．Meet smugglers along the way.

3 . Imagine a school where students are taught by the best teachers in every subject, regardless of location. Imagine a school where students could go on safe field trips to the Amazon rainforest or Everest base camp. Well, such schools are already being built: in virtual(虚拟的)reality.

Last year, Optima Academy Online, an all-virtual school, delivered courses that aim to improve the hearts and train the minds of young people. These courses are of different levels, attracting 170 full-time students from all over Florida. In the progress of home-schooling, students use headsets for about three hours a day for formal lessons and then do course work independently with digital check-ins.

Future versions(版本)of VR will doubtless be widely used in education, but the only questions are: for what purpose and at what speed? There are enough reasons to doubt whether VR schools represent the future of education. Sticking a child in their bedroom with a heavy VR headset fastened to their face and no physical social interaction with other kids will fill many of them and their parents with horror.

A recent report concluded that digital education could significantly improve the quality and equality of schooling systems. But if managed poorly, it could have the opposite effect, turning a digital divide into an educational one. There is growing evidence to suggest that is happening. In Mexico, only 24 percent of 15-year-old students in poor schools have access(使用)to a home computer for schoolwork compared with 87 percent in rich ones.

Used properly, technology can be great for enabling self-motivated students to access learning resources and connect with fellow students and teachers all over the world, says Beeban Kidron, a member of the UK’s Digital Futures Commission. The trouble is that Edtech is too often seen as a shiny new toy that will solve all problems and save money rather than being viewed as a different way to learn, she adds.

1. What can we learn about Optima Academy Online?

A．It has been widely accepted.

B．It holds faraway outdoor field trips.

C．It provides various online courses.

D．It requires parents to help with check-ins.

2. What does paragraph 3 focus on about VR in education?

A．The development.	B．The concerns.
C．The advantages.	D．The popularity.

3. Students in Mexico are mentioned to show________．

A．Mexican schooling quality has been improved

B．local schooling systems are not fully developed

C．technology access gaps may cause education inequality

D．family backgrounds shape people’s views on education

4. What does Beeban Kidron think of digital education?

A．It enriches learning.	B．It’s irreplaceable.
C．It needs improving.	D．It’s undervalued.

4 . The Power of Insensitivity

Highly sensitive(敏感的)person, or HSP, is a term invented by psychologist Elaine Aron. HSPs can come with many challenges. They may find it hard to adapt to new surroundings, and easily become uncomfortable in response to certain feelings or others’ opinions.     1    

The power of insensitivity can be explained as “slow power”. Usually, people connect “insensitivity” with something bad, but indeed, it stresses the ability to keep doing something difficult without complaining.     2     It is not a weakness but an approach to winning a better life.

    3     Knowing yourself is difficult, and knowing yourself correctly is undoubtedly an excellent ability. The successful people clearly know where their strengths are, what they can do and what direction to go.

There are some ways to practice “insensitivity”: Don’t pay too much attention to the ups and downs of life at the moment.     4     Don’t get involved in other people’s lives and don’t let others affect yours. Regarding relationships, learn to view problems as two parts: One part is what you need to face and solve. The other part is the responsibility of others, which is not your business.

Everyone can gain the ability to be insensitive.     5     And the world will also be a better one if we focus on major goals and stay insensitive to something else.

A．Insensitivity plays a significant role.

B．Rather, you should be looking forward.

C．That’s where the need to be insensitive comes from.

D．Once you slow down the pace, you will feel more comfortable.

E．Those not easily affected are the people who care less about others.

F．That is, calmly facing the downtime in life and moving towards one’s own direction.

G．One reason why insensitivity allows people to better survive is the strong self-awareness.

5 . 你校英文报正在开展以Satisfaction with Your Looks为话题的调查，请结合图表中的数据写一篇短文投稿，内容包括：

1. 满意度情况描述；

2. 简单评论；

3. 你的建议。

注意：

1. 写作词数不少于80；

2. 开头已给出，不计入总词数。

Attitudes towards whether we are satisfied with our looks vary from person to person.

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6 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

When our youngest sister was born, my little brother Tom was six and I was eight. I had always been the “Big Sister” and he had always been “The Baby”.

Our sister’s arrival was a complete surprise to both of us. In those days no one worried much about sibling rivalry (兄弟姐妹间的较劲), and no “experts” told us how to deal with another child in the house. We had wise and loving grandpa and mom, however.

I was excited about the baby and loved to hold her and help care for her. Tom’s feelings were quite different! He just looked at her and left, preferring to spend the evening in his room. When I went to his room to talk to him and try to get him to play games with me, he just looked away. “Why did they have to get that baby?” Tom asked.

Later that night, Grandpa came over to see the new baby. As he held her, he said to Tom, “You know, she’s a lot like the baby lamb I’m raising on the bottle. I have to take care of her and feed her often, just the way your mom does with the baby.” Tom said, “I’d rather have the lamb.”

Grandpa heard and said, “Well, if you’d rather have a lamb, maybe we could trade your little sister for it. I’ll give you a day to think it over, and if you still want to trade tomorrow, we’ll do it.” I thought I saw him wink at Mom, but I knew I must have been mistaken because Grandpa never winked at anyone.

After Grandpa left, Mom read to Tom for a long while. Tom kept looking at the baby, and Mom asked him to hold our little sister while she went to the bathroom. When Mom came back. Tom was gently touching the baby’s smooth black hair, and as he held her hand, she took hold of his finger.

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。

“Mom, look! She’s holding my hand!” Tom smiled.

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“She’s a day older now. I think she’s worth five lambs now,” Tom said.

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7 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

I always hope for some student who possesses that unusual capability to convey feeling， insight, and passion through art. It doesn’t happen often, but it did one summer holiday - and from a wonderfully unexpected source.

That summer, I volunteered to teach a summer school art class for high school freshmen. When I arrived on the first day, the students were grouping in the center of the classroom, except for a red-haired girl named Emma who took a desk in the back row. I looked over what would be my workspace for the following days. There were large windows with plenty of light and I spotted several kinds of trees outside that would serve as models.

Emma was always the earliest to get to our classes，and I could feel her effort. However, she kept her seat in the back row as though being ignored was something to hope for. I asked one popular girl, who said, “She is an orphan. We try to be friendly, but she acts like she’s in another world.” I said, “All right. Let’s try to make this summer the good part of Emma’s life, OK?” There was no answer in words but she nodded, telling me she understood and empathized - good kid, at heart.

During the following days, I could feel other students’ kindness to Emma. Sometimes, Emma even talked and drew with them, but she still kept a certain distance from me. When I asked to see her work, she leaned forward covering it with her forearms. Treating her in any special way only seemed to emphasize her painful dissimilarity, so I limited my communication with her to a good morning smile.

The summer went by quickly and everyone got much better at drawing. So did Emma’s behavior. We had a lot of fun in the process, but the last day came at the right time. The kids filed in and watched me write the assignment on the whiteboard: Draw a picture titled: “A Place I Love”.

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 walked around, watching the drawings develop.

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It was Emma’s turn to show her drawing.

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8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Wushu, the Chinese martial art form known as kungfu in the West, is a     1     (value) cultural heritage of Chinese people and contribution to human civilization.

Wushu, often     2     (use) in the form of combat (搏斗), consists of several different kinds of movements. The Chinese people’s determination to win and strong characteristics     3     (reflect) in the intense body combat.

Wushu reflects the character of Chinese people and they apply their unique understanding of theory and principle to combat. It differs from European and American boxing. Wushu is a particular balance between external and inbuilt values,     4     not only shows the beauty of one’s figure, but also the meaning of profound     5     (elegant). Apart from simple combat techniques, martial arts are rooted     6     Chinese philosophy, containing ancient Chinese philosophers’ understanding of life and the universe.

Wushu, which aims to improve health and self-defense,     7     (begin) by promoting one’s moral character. The martial art movements are     8     (physical) demonstrated while internal thoughts are static (静态的). Like still waters, peace and quiet is considered     9     highest level of martial arts.

Having survived the difficult situations of life while     10     (maintain) all of its strength and vitality, Wushu is even believed to be the model of Chinese traditional culture and national spirit.

9 . There are many examples of everyday kindnesses we often take for granted.

Last night, during my eldest son’s basketball game, we ________ to be sitting next to a lady with a young son. The little boy turned to my youngest son, smiling at him, and ________ said, “Wanna be my ________?” During the next 20 minutes, the two boys played together happily. It was a ________ scene, and reminded me how ________ it can (and should) be to make new friends.

A few hours earlier, we went to a downtown cafe for an afternoon treat. There were no open tables for four, so we ________ a table for two, and crowded into the small space. Just at that time, one young lady came over and ________ to trade her larger table with us. It was a simple act but showed us a ________ heart.

Just a couple of days ago, I sold my first book to a friend of mine. She paid the amount I charged and asked, “Is that enough? It doesn’t seem like it will ________ shipping.” Truthfully, I had not ________ correctly for the shipping charge. After that, I received a(an) ________ sum of money. I was so deeply humbled by her act of ________ and desire to encourage me.

Though often ________, these small acts of service, friendliness, and human care are what it takes to make the world go round. With everyday difficulties ________ us, these small gestures of goodwill can easily ________ a spark of positivity.

1.

A．happened

B．intended

C．refused

D．decided

2.

A．urgently

B．adorably

C．thoughtfully

D．maturely

3.

A．brother

B．teammate

C．assistant

D．friend

4.

A．breath-taking

B．normal

C．heart-warming

D．strange

5.

A．risky

B．amusing

C．awkward

D．easy

6.

A．grabbed

B．left

C．prepared

D．laid

7.

A．hesitated

B．offered

C．agreed

D．begged

8.

A．heavy

B．nervous

C．selfless

D．lonely

9.

A．cover

B．afford

C．change

D．produce

10.

A．planned

B．accounted

C．paid

D．applied

11.

A．enormous

B．expected

C．total

D．additional

12.

A．carelessness

B．bravery

C．kindness

D．duty

13.

A．praised

B．overlooked

C．discussed

D．criticized

14.

A．surrounding

B．pleasing

C．stimulating

D．reminding

15.

A．control

B．pursue

C．hide

D．light

10 . As we dive into the New Year with fresh resolutions, a big question is: How long are we going to stick with them?     1     But there is a strategy known as SMART can help both in setting goals and sticking with them.

Specific. In daily life, we’re driven by our habits, which come easily. We can drive, listen to the radio and chew gum at the same time.     2     We need to get rid of distractions and stay focused. Mastering a new skill is slow going, so it’s best to be clear on our aim.

Measurable. When it comes to goals, there’s often a divide between intention and action. One way to bridge this gap is to track what we’ve achieved each day.    3     So, if you’re learning to play the piano, log your practice. If your aim is to eat better, journal your meals.

Achievable.     4     It’s a reality check on how much time and resources you have to devote to it. And, it sometimes begs a bigger question: Why should I commit to this goal?

Relevant. Goals and values should be connected. We may spend years living out other people’s dreams for us. If you’re extrinsically (外在地) motivated, you may power through. But you may not be happy with the outcome, even if you’re very successful.     5    

Time-bound. It’s important to set goals that have clear time frames. Map out an action plan, and throughout the year you can refer back to the plan.

Set concrete goals and plan a pain forward. When you’re filling your days with tasks and activities in line with your goals, it’s time well spent.

A．But working toward a new goal can require a lot of brain power.

B．We know it matters to eat healthier, but it is hard to follow through.

C．Break your goal down into smaller pieces and think whether it’s doable.

D．People who regularly monitor their progress are more likely to succeed.

E．If you pick a goal you really care about, you’ll get it done and feel better.

F．We often start with determination and quickly find our passion decreasing.

G．To keep you on track, write down your goals and share them with your teachers.