1 . Forgiveness is often defined as a deliberate decision to let go of feelings of anger toward someone who you believe has wronged you.     1    . The following advice may help you learn how to forgive yourself.

Understand your emotions. Becoming aware of the emotions you are experiencing is an important part of learning to forgive yourself.     2     and can help you better regulate emotions.

    3     Forgiving yourself is about more than just putting the past behind you and moving is about accepting what has happened, which is the first step toward self-forgiveness. It’s also the hardest step. Do not make up excuses to make your actions seem acceptable.

Treat yourself with kindness and compassion (同情). The key to self-forgiveness lies in treating yourself with the same kindness that you would show to another person.     4    . Instead, be compassionate while still acknowledging that you made a mistake and want to do better in the future.

Express regret for your mistakes. As a result of taking responsibility, you may experience a range of negative feelings, including guilt and shame.     5    . They can serve as a springboard (跳板) to positive behavior change. Understand that making mistakes that you feel guilty about does not make you a bad person but help you do better in the future.

A．Accept responsibility for your actions

B．Make an effort to do better in the future

C．You should try to avoid being self-critical

D．It’s completely normal to have such feelings

E．A little self-forgiveness also goes a long way

F．Research has found that identifying your emotion helps reduce its strength

G．However, while you may be quite generous to forgive others, you may be much harder on yourself

2 . It was July 15, 2021, and my friends had helped me celebrate my 31st birthday.

Earlier in the day I had prepared for the _________ event of a flood. We are about a third of a mile from the banks of the Ahr River. It had been raining heavily that week, and the government had issued a flood _________, though not for where I was. _________, I’d placed sandbags on the floor outside my garden door just in case _________ got through. Before my friends left, they _________ me for doing that, but I thought, why take a chance?

As I drifted off to sleep, I was awakened by the _________ of rushing water, as if I were lying beside a waterfall instead of in my bedroom. When I moved my legs off the bed, I was _________ by the touch of cold water lapping against my knees and rising fast. Trembling and in darkness, I _________ my cellphone and turned on the flashlight. I saw water was shooting through the gaps of the garden door.

I admit it, I began to _________. The Ahr, usually such a __________, slow-moving river, had violently burst its banks. And now I had to get out—fast!

Any effects of the celebratory drinks I’d had earlier were now gone. I heard the garden door starting to crack under the __________ of the flood. In bare feet, I started to move to my only __________: the door that leads to the hallway. All around me things were breaking, and the cupboards were being __________.

I tried to pull the door open, but the force of the water wouldn’t __________ me. Finally, I __________ to make a gap of about a foot, just wide enough to squeeze through and make it into the __________.

If I had __________ just a few minutes later, I would have drowned. Many of the houses around us were destroyed, including, __________, a home for the disabled. Not everyone got out.

I came close to drowning that day. But rather than keep thinking about that, I prefer to __________ what my mother told me afterward: “Christian, don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you __________.”

1.

A．unimportant

B．unlikely

C．unnoticed

D．unbearable

2.

A．warning

B．report

C．challenge

D．statement

3.

A．Besides

B．Moreover

C．Therefore

D．Still

4.

A．air

B．sand

C．water

D．someone

5.

A．laughed at

B．appreciated

C．blamed

D．shouted at

6.

A．coldness

B．push

C．sound

D．fear

7.

A．moved

B．excited

C．inspired

D．shocked

8.

A．grabbed

B．lost

C．forgot

D．left

9.

A．operate

B．reflect

C．panic

D．cry

10.

A．powerful

B．quiet

C．broad

D．winding

11.

A．guidance

B．control

C．protection

D．pressure

12.

A．equipment

B．belongings

C．surroundings

D．escape

13.

A．thrown away

B．cut up

C．torn apart

D．broken into

14.

A．help

B．let

C．stop

D．influence

15.

A．managed

B．tried

C．determined

D．expected

16.

A．bedroom

B．backyard

C．hallway

D．basement

17.

A．woken up

B．jumped down

C．moved away

D．run out

18.

A．secretly

B．tragically

C．accidentally

D．possibly

19.

A．request

B．recall

C．realize

D．research

20.

A．survived

B．recovered

C．matured

D．refused

3 . Authentic Is Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023

The Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.” Authentic food. Authentic voice. Authentic self Look ups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary eampany’s site but were put to new heights throughout the year, editor at large Peter Sokolowski told The Associated Press.

“We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of authenticity,” he said before the announcement of this year’s word on November 27. “What we realize is that when we question authenticity, we value it even more.”

Sokolowski said that this year interest in the word authentic did not increase suddenly at any particular time, but that the word was a constant object of interest. This was the year of Al, and also of a moment when ChatGIPT-maker Open AI suffered a leadership crisis. Taylor Swift and Prince Harry looked for authenticity in their words and deeds. Elon Musk, at February’s World Government Summit in Dubai, requested the heads of companies, politicians and other leaders to “speak authentically” on social media by running their own accounts(账号).

“Can we trust whether a student wrote this paper? Can we trust whether a politician made this statement? We don’t always trust what we see anymore,” Sokolowski said. “We sometimes don’t believe our own eyes or our own ears. We are now recognizing that authenticity is a performance itself.”

Merriam-Webster’s entry for authentic provides several definitions. There is “not false or imitation(模仿): real, actual.” There’s “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.” There’s “worthy of acceptance or belief as based on fact.” And there is “made or done the same way as an original(原版).”

1. Which of the following is the reason why authentic is chosen the word of the year?

A．A good many significant events are related to the word.

B．The word is looked up on the online dictionary routinely.

C．The word was voted out by many netizens questioning it.

D．The searches of the word reached a high level this year.

2. Why are the examples in paragraph 3mentioned?

A．To introduce those who have lost authenticity.

B．To emphasize continued attention to the word.

C．To highlight the importance of being authentic.

D．To prove the sudden popularity of the word.

3. Which of the following statements would Sokolowski agree with?

A．Few people are trustworthy nowadays.

B．Students are expert at cheating with AI.

C．Authenticity can be created on purpose.

D．People are more likely to be tricked by eyes.

4. In which of the sentences authentic means “made or done the same way as an original”?

A．He is a man of authentic charm.

B．I don’t know if the painting is authentic.

C．This is an authentic description of the situation.

D．This is an authentic model of the ancient town.

4 . New Year’s resolutions have a bad reputation, at least in part, because people tend to grade themselves pass or fail when, in reality, they’ve made key improvements in various areas of their lives by mostly sticking to a resolution, experts say.     1     Of those surveyed who made resolutions, about 16 percent kept all their resolutions and about 44 percent kept at least some but not all of them by the end of the year — meaning nearly 2 out of 3 people achieved some level of success. Try these tips to increase your chances of success.

    2    “When we plan for the future, there is often what we refer to as the ‘empathy gap.’ We don’t quite imagine what it would feel like to be hungry when we’re full or sweaty when we’re not sweating,” said Ayelet Fishbach, a professor of behavioral science and marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and author of the book “Get it Done.” “If your New Year’s resolution is going to involve a lot of sweating, make the plan while you are exercising.”

Make a detailed plan for achieving your goal.     3     If your resolution is to exercise more, make a plan now for which days you will exercise, where you will do it and how you will get there, as well as how to deal with child care and meals.

Choose a goal you’ll enjoy. You’re more likely to succeed if you pick something you like to door if you can find a way to make it more fun. Research shows that people have more success achieving goals if they use a method known as “temptation bundling.”     4     If you’re trying to eat more healthfully, take a cooking class or make a plan to prepare a healthful recipe (食谱) with a friend.

Forgive failures. Don’t define success as pass or fail.     5     “If you’re setting tough goals, there will always be failure,” Milkman said.

A．Set your New Year’s resolutions at the right time.

B．Give your New Year’s resolution a cheerful start.

C．A survey showed that about 4 in 10 made New Year’s resolutions.

D．Other holidays, birthdays and even Mondays can be fresh starts.

E．This includes thinking through ways to get over potential difficulties.

F．Celebrate small successes even if you don’t achieve 100-percent success.

G．If your goal is to get more exercise, do it with your favorite music on.

5 . Stepping outside the railway station early on an morning, visitors are met with the view of the cold air joining the water, forming a thick, soft blanket of fog over the Grand Canal (运河), the “main street” of Venice. The church of San Simeone Piccolo and the neighboring buildings appear to be floating on the water of the lagoon. It’s a sight that has welcomed millions of visitors from all over the world since the great days of the Serenissima, when the city ruled as one of Europe’s economic superpowers.

Yet, the breath-taking beauty that inspired countless painters, writers and artists over the centuries remains at risk of being lost forever. Like the Abu Simbel temples, the city’s survival is threatened (威胁) by rising water levels. The increase in sea level has caused flooding to be a regular thing.

After 1966, the year of the worst flooding in Venice’s history, UNESCO and the Italian Government started a major project to save the city. Huge movable flood gates were used to protect the lowest areas from flooding. Thirty years later there is agreement on the successful results both of the technical achievements and international cooperation.

But Venice still needs attentive care, and its continued survival calls for careful watch. The city remains threatened on several aspects -mass tourism, the potential damage of city development and the steady stream of large ships crushing its weak foundations.

International pressure around the status of Venice led to the Italian Government’s decision in2021 to ban large ships from the city center. This decision came a few days after UNESCO announced its decision to put the city on its World Heritage in Danger list. Until a suitable docking place (码头) is developed, large ships will be allowed to pull up in Marghera, an industrial suburb of Venice. Such decisions show the difficulty of protecting historic cities and cultural heritage urban centers, which in this particular situation called for specially-made measures and techniques different from those made for the safeguarding of the Egyptian temples.

1. What can we learn about Venice from the first two paragraphs?

A．Venice is Europe’s economic superpower.	B．Many artists are natives of Venice.
C．The lagoon is a church in Venice.	D．The “main street” of Venice can be foggy.

2. Which of the following can best describe the project mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．A celebration of life.	B．A painful lesson for all.
C．A reflection of human nature.	D．A result of joint efforts.

3. Which of the following is threatening the survival of Venice?

A．Technological advancements.	B．Tourism overload.
C．The popularity of water sports.	D．Rising local population.

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The safeguarding of Venice is in process.

B．UNESCO called for immediate Venice Ship Ban.

C．Italian government was struggling for protection measures.

D．The measures to protect Egyptian temples are copied in Venice.

6 . A series of frog like crouches (蹲). A personal best time of four hours on a typically 15-minute road. This is how Julya Hajnoczky describes her slow and unusual way of hiking. For weeks each year, the photographer walks along footpaths in some of Canada’s most amazing wild spaces. She takes a close look at moss (苔藓) or mushrooms while other visitors speed by. “It must be how cyclists feel on the highway when they’re getting passed by trucks,” she says. Sometimes, though, hikers stop and ask what she sees that they don’t. She’s happy to explain-after all, that’s the point of her project.

In 2017 Hajnoczky designed and built an eight- foot-long movable “home”, which was named the Alfresco Science Machine. Painted forest green, it houses almost everything needed for fieldwork: a bed, a camp kitchen, binoculars and hand lenses, collection permits, field guides, small bottles and specimen (标本) — collection tools, sunscreen, bug repellent. Also Hajnoczky’s searching rules: Pick a minimal amount of plentiful, dead, or abandoned things—never rare species or live animals—and return them when finished.

The resulting photos are the small models of Canadian landscape and make up her ongoing project: At the Last Judgement We Will All Be Trees. Deeply worried about humanity’s relationship with the environment, Hajnoczky describe the images as “elegiac, dark, sorrowful,” as still lifes (静物) created while there’s still life. Yet they’re also fascinating. Slow down, they seem to say. Look with amazement at the natural world and see the importance to protect it.

1. Why are cyclists mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To highlight the popularity of cycling.	B．To vividly show her pace of hiking.
C．To suggest an unusual way of life.	D．To stress environmental protection.

2. What does Hajnoczky do in her project?

A．Record the lives of rare species.	B．Collect as many plants as possible.
C．Feed the live animals along the way.	D．Take pictures of a forgotten part of nature.

3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word in the last paragraph?

A．Deep.

B．Sad.

C．Delightful.

D．Bright.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．An Insightful Documentary of Wilderness	B．Speedy Adventures in Canada’s Wild Spaces
C．The Benefits of Hiking in Nature	D．A Slow Journey through Nature’s Wonders

7 . Zoo Teen Volunteer Program

The Maryland Zoo’s Zoo Teen Program is an exciting way for high school students aged 14-17 to learn about zoos and animal protection, explorer opportunities, gain leadership skills, earn service learning hours, meet lifelong friends and so much more.

This is a year-round volunteer program. All teen volunteers will start as Zoo Guides, who make sure that a zoo visit starts on a pleasant, comfortable, and informative note by answering general questions about the zoo in a helpful and enthusiastic way, and by pointing out all the great exhibitions, events, and programs available. After successfully completing summer volunteer requirements as a Zoo Guide, Zoo Teens may choose the volunteer task(Guest Engagement and Education or Conservation and Research) that they would like to join in.

Zoo Teen Program Requirements
·Hand in a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
·Attend a group interview and be accepted into the program.
·Complete the Zoo Teen Volunteer Boot Camp.
·Meet a monthly requirement of 4 shifts(轮班)for at least one year(shifts will be scheduled on the same days each month).
·Attend at least 3 preservation service projects.
·Attend end-of-summer off-site preservation field trip project.
Important Dates
·January 31: Zoo Teen Program Application Opens
·April 14: Zoo Teen Program Application Closes
·May 6,7,13,21: Interview Dates
·May 30: Choices Made
·June 19 -23: Zoo Teen Volunteer Boot Camp(9: 00am -4: 00 pm daily)
Questions? Please contact the Volunteer Office at volunteers@marylandzoo. org or call 443-552-5266.
1. What do volunteers do at first?

A．Help organize exhibitions.

B．Choose their preferred volunteer task.

C．Go on a field trip with experts

D．Provide information for zoo visitors.

2. What is required of Zoo Teens?

A．Joining a 5-day Boot Camp.

B．Having a one-on-one interview.

C．Working at least 3 days a month.

D．Attending a monthly preservation project.

3. When will the applicants know whether they are accepted into the program?

A．On April 14.

B．On May 21.

C．On May 30.

D．On June 23.

8 . Being a Good Holiday Party Guest

When attending holiday parties hosted by friends and loved ones, many of people really want to be “good” guests. But sometimes well-meaning “helpers” can sometimes cause more trouble and stress for a host.     1    

Reply the invitation quickly.

    2     If the invitation (whether it comes in the mail, over email or through text) asks you to reply, do so well before the host has to reach out to confirm your participation.

    3    

Respect the event’s start time and arrive within 10-15 minutes of the time on the invite. If the invitation says 7:15 p.m., guests should arrive between 7:25 and 7:30. If you turn up early, the hosts may not yet be dressed or be trying to take a 10-minute break after last-minute preparations.

Offer help respectfully.

It’s fine to offer help during the event, but don’t insist.     4     A true host wants their guests to enjoy themselves and not be working, so the insistence might make your host uncomfortable.

Don’t stay for long.

At the end of the evening, you can make one last offer to help the host tidy up the space. But if they refuse, don’t stay. Many hosts are too polite to tell people it’s time to go. Watch out for clues that the hosts wish to end the evening’s enjoyment, like yawning, turning off the music, turning up the lights.     5    

A．Don’t turn up early.

B．Create a positive schedule.

C．Respect the host’s wishes if they refuse your help.

D．Being a good guest begins long before the party begins.

E．Here are some tips to ensure you leave a good impression.

F．They can suggest that the happy gathering is coming to an end.

G．By following these guidelines, they can spare some time helping the host to stay lively and fun.

9 . A Florida pet owner threw her cat to the Humane Society of Broward County late last month because the cat, known as Jerry, was too affectionate and noisy, according to reports.

The society posted a video of Jerry on TikTok that started with a letter titled, “TOO AFFECTIONATE!”in all caps and in blue.

“Yup that’s the reason why my owner put me here,” the letter read.“She said that I annoyed her and how sweet, loving and affectionate I was. But it was too much for her. She said I waited at the door for her and talked too much. I loved her, but she didn’t love me back.”

“I’m hoping somebody will love me for who I am,”the letter ended and was signed, “Jerry.”

At the bottom of the letter, there was a P.S. that read, “I’ve been waiting a long time for a home,” with an unhappy face emoji.

The video was viewed 9.1 million times, as of Sunday evening, was liked 1.6 million times and had nearly 30,000 comments.

The TikTok video was put to the organization’s page on Jan. 26, and the next day there were four families waiting at the shelter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ready to meet the 4-year-old black and white domestic short haired cat.

“His new mom saw his video on our social media pages and was here first thing when we opened the next day,” an official from the society said on Sunday.

By 2:45 p.m, the society updated everyone who reached out from across the country, saying Jerry was adopted.

“Sweet and loving Jerry has found a sweet and loving forever home where he can be as affectionate as he wants,” the Humane Society said in a new post.“Thanks to all of the shares on social media, Jerry’s video was seen by just the right person, and she ran to the shelter first thing this morning to adopt him. We couldn’t have done this without you all.”

1. What do we know about Jerry from the passage?

A．He annoyed his owner by waiting for a home.

B．He was a four-year-old cat with short black hair.

C．He was disliked by his old owner for his character.

D．He received little attention by writing a letter on line.

2. What do the numbers in paragraph 6 show?

A．The wide concern on the video.	B．The great challenges that Jerry met.
C．The anxiety of the Humane Society.	D．The appreciation that the TikTok expressed.

3. How did Jerry’s new owner learn about him?

A．Through posters from the Humane Society.

B．By seeing Jerry’s video on social media.

C．By seeing Jerry’s picture in a newspaper.

D．Through Jerry’s former owner’s introduction.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph of the article?

A．Social media’s support had no effect on Jerry’s adoption.

B．Jerry was adopted, but there’s no mention of social media’s role.

C．The Humane Society expresses anger towards Jerry’s previous owner.

D．Jerry found a new home, and appreciation is expressed for social media support.

10 . Recently, economist Francisca Antman makes a convincing case that the explosion of tea as an everyman’s drink in late 1700s England saved many lives. This would not have been because of any beneficial substances of the leaf. Instead, the simple practice of boiling water for tea, in an era before people understood that illness could be caused by water-borne pathogens (病原体), may have been enough to keep many from an early grave.

Between 1761 and 1834, the annual death rate decreased considerably, but wages didn’t seem to have risen much and standards of living arguably didn’t increase. Actually, with the rise of the industrial revolution, many people crowded into towns whose sanitation (卫生条件) left much to be desired. Some historians suggested that boiling water for tea might have played a role in this decrease.

“With people coming into cities to work, given the level of sanitation they have, the big killer is water.” says Antman. Using data from over 400 English districts, relating water sources and quality with death rates, she found the key date is 1785 when tea suddenly became affordable for the majority of Britons. There were many things to recommend tea as a drink of the common people: you could make a satisfying drink with just a few leaves, which could be reused for multiple pots, and tea was potentially cheaper than beer, which became expensive both by the complex making process and by a tax on malt (麦芽). She found that deaths dropped in all districts, but those with bad water saw death rates drop 18% more than those with good water.

Interestingly,while there wasn’t a noticeable decrease in deaths among children aged two to five — who typically didn’t consume much tea — there was a slight fall in infant deaths, perhaps reflecting the fact that if tea-drinking parents had less diarrheal (腹泻) disease, their very young children might have been protected a bit as well.

1. What might contribute to decreased death rates according to some historians?

A．Desirable sanitation.	B．Less water-related disease.
C．Industrial revolution.	D．Beneficial substances in tea.

2. Why did the majority of Britons in 1785 turn to tea?

A．Because it tasted better than beer.	B．Because it was less costly and reusable.
C．Because people needn’t pay any tax on it.	D．Because people enjoyed its making process.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Drinking tea has tittle influence on young children.

B．Children can also drink tea to protect themselves from diarrheal disease.

C．Parents’ tea-drinking habits may have a positive effect on their children.

D．Death rates of children didn’t drop due to their lack of tea-drinking habits.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Why people need to boil water to make tea.

B．Why British develop a love for drinking tea.

C．How tea gains increasing popularity in Britain.

D．How Britain’s taste for tea may have saved lives.