1 . How many times have you found yourself in conversations with friends, family members or loved ones and discovered that you had completely tuned out to what they were saying? How much of our attention are we truly giving to the people who are supposed to be important to us?

According to research cited by Wright State University, while most people believe they are good listeners who don’t need to improve their listening skills, the average person only listens at about 25 percent efficiency.

So why aren’t we better listeners? As a society, we may be growing more narcissistic (自我陶醉的). A 2007 study found a rise in self-centeredness and narcissism among college students. If we, as a culture, are becoming more self-centered, how can we, as individuals, work to become more caring and compassionate communicators?

We can begin by changing our attitudes toward conversations. As Stephen R. Covey wrote in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand but to reply.” A dialogue is an opportunity to learn, to see things from a new perspective, to open your eyes to new information and possibilities. Yet, too often we engage in conversation as if it’s a debate. We speak to hear our own voices — our own pre-existing opinions. In doing so, we tend to space out when spoken to. We wait, perhaps even patiently or politely, for the other person to finish, so we can say something we feel is of value.

Playwright Wilson Mizner said, “A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while, he knows something.” Listening doesn’t just expand our knowledge on an intellectual level; it enables us to have a more personal, in-depth understanding of our closest friends. Relationships are truly enriched by an equal back-and-forth exchange in communication. When these dynamics become more one-sided, we tend to lose interest and create distance in our friendships, with less trust established, less honesty exchanged.

Thankfully, we can all improve our listening skills. Maybe we aren’t as good a listener as we believe. Do we tend to focus too much on ourselves — both in positive and negative ways? Do we get distracted by an inner coach, rather than living in the moment and really engaging in what’s being said? As we learn to quiet that inner voice in our minds, we can start to open ourselves up to others, becoming better listeners, thinkers, lovers and friends.

1. What is the author’s purpose in showing the social phenomena in Paragraph 1?

A．To show most people are confident about their listening skills.

B．To express his concerns about people’s lack of attention when talking.

C．To introduce the fact that people have low efficiency of listening in life.

D．To provide some information about how people behave in conversation.

2. Why does the author cite the research data from the year 2007?

A．To prove college students have become more self-cenfered and narcissistic over time.

B．To show the belief in people’s listening skills is outdated and needs to be updated.

C．To provide an example of how society’s narcissism affects personal relationships.

D．To support the argument that society is becoming more self-centered and narcissistic.

3. Based on the views of Stephen R. Covey and Wilson Mizner, which of the following statements is true?

A．People should listen to learn and see things from a new perspective.

B．A good listener is popular but does not necessarily know everything.

C．Most people listen with the intention to understand, not to reply.

D．We should speak to hear our own voices and pre-existing opinions.

4. What does the underline phrase “space out” in Paragraph 4mean?

A．Become focused.	B．Feel confused.
C．Be absent-minded.	D．Remain anxious.

5. Which of the following titles best captures the main idea?

A．The Decline of Listening in Modern Society

B．Improving Listening Skills for Better Relationships

C．The Impact of Narcissism on Social Communication

D．Why We Should Listen More and Speak Less

2 . While choosing your major, you need to _______ your strengths and follow your heart.

A．identify

B．expand

C．advocate

D．suit

3 . As usual, I went to work on foot that day _______ it was raining heavily.

A．so that

B．as though

C．in case

D．even though

4 . _______ reading, there is a saying that there are a thoud Hamlets in a thousand people’s eyes.

A．In honor of

B．In response to

C．In regard to

D．In memory of

5 . Many parents of both boys and girls have witnessed striking differences in the way their kids use technology, with their sons generally gravitating to videogames and their daughters often spending more of their screen time scrolling through social media. Emerging research indicates that brain differences between males and females help account for the split.

Marc Potenza, a professor at Yale University, teamed up with researchers at universities in China to find out why. Using functional MRIs, which measure brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, the team studied neural responses in young male and female gamers, particularly in the parts of the brain associated with reward processing and craving --a motivating factor in addiction. When the men and women were shown photos of people playing videogames, those parts of the men’s brains showed higher levels of activation than those parts of the women’s brains.

Brain regions that have been implicated in drug-addiction studies also were shown to be more highly activated in the men after gaming. The researchers said the results suggest men could be more biologically prone (有倾向的) than women to developing internet gaming disorder.

But girls and women aren’t free from problems when it comes to digital media. Data from Pew shows that, in general, women use social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest far more than men. Many girls and women are drawn to those photo-sharing sites because they like to form bonds and find similarities, says Rosanna

Guadagno, a social psychologist at Stanford University. Some recent studies show that girls feel the ill effects of too much social media use, such as depression and anxiety, more than boys do.

Researchers at the University of Zurich looked at how differences in brain functioning can help explain why women tend to be more prosocial—that is, helpful, generous and cooperative—than men. In the 2017 study, they hypothesized that the areas of women’s brains related to reward processing are more active when they share rewards and that those areas in men are more active when receiving, selfish rewards. Brain scans conducted on men and women, in which they chose between receiving a monetary reward only for themselves or one that involved sharing money with others, supported their theory.

Scientists say understanding those differences is critical to parents’ ability to help kids navigate the fast-changing world of tech.

1. Boys and girls differ in the way they use technology in that _______.

A．boys like using technology while girls don’t

B．boys prefer photo-sharing sites to video games

C．girls use social platforms far more than boys

D．girls tend to suffer from the use of technology

2. Which is true about Professor Potenza’s research?

A．The team conducted the research in Yale university.

B．There were no changes in blood flow in female games.

C．Women’s brains showed higher levels of activation than men’s.

D．They focused on the brain’s responses to the part related to addiction.

3. Why do girls spend more time on social media?

A．Because they are afraid of developing internet gaming disorder.

B．Because using social media helps them drive away depression.

C．Because it functions as a way of establishing and keeping relations.

D．Because they are more active when exposed to social media.

4. The 2017 study is mentioned in the last but one paragraph to illustrate _______.

A．women are more likely to share money with others

B．men are more active when receiving selfish rewards

C．women are more helpful, generous and cooperative than men

D．women’s brain function influences their prosocial behaviors

5. What will the passage probably talk about next?

A．The importance of understanding these differences in brain.

B．The proper ways for teenagers to make use of technology .

C．The reasons why women are far more generous than men.

D．Other factors that might account for technology behavior.

6 . Back in high school, I loved nothing more than going bowling. From freshman to junior year, starting and leading my school’s bowling club helped me come out of my ________. As time went on, our team began winning local and even ________ tournaments. These victories not only ________ my popularity but also allowed me to form meaningful connections. Man, life was great back then.

Still the bowling memory that really stuck out to me was ________ I met Leroy. I was already a junior by then, and he was still a young freshman. The strange thing about it, ________, was how he would always ________ in the back, watching others play. ________ his regular presence, he seemed too nervous and shy to play or even talk with others.

Then one evening something remarkable happened. During a game, I ________ Leroy actually picking up a bowling ball for the first time. He ________ to lift the lightest ball up, and with each throw, the ball ________ in the gutter lane (边沟), resulting in straight zeroes across the board.

That’s, when I finally went over to say hi to Leroy. ________ to see me, Leroy nervously cracked a smile and murmured with ________, “I just can’t manage the ball...” Reassuringly, I responded, “It’s no big ________. Everyone was a green hand once.” My words seemed to ________ his tension, and in the following hours, he ________ as I taught him how to bowl step by step. From his words, I realized how ________ he had desired to join the bowling club and how lonely he felt without friends.

That was the beginning of our friendship. Since that night, playing together and sharing our life stories has become our weekly ________. I was delighted to see Leroy’s significant progress through ________ efforts. He was a fast learner and soon ________ a spot on the team. What’s more, Leroy gained confidence to try new things. It was through practising bowling that his brand new life journey ________. As bowling enthusiasts, we’ll always cherish the sincere friendship and get the ball rolling forever.

1.

A．way

B．zone

C．shell

D．place

2.

A．school

B．town

C．community

D．state

3.

A．boosted

B．affected

C．formed

D．enjoyed

4.

A．when

B．how

C．that

D．because

5.

A．instead

B．though

C．otherwise

D．rather

6.

A．hang out

B．turn over

C．show off

D．slip away

7.

A．Besides

B．Against

C．Despite

D．Beyond

8.

A．prevented

B．witnessed

C．suggested

D．imagined

9.

A．determined

B．struggled

C．desired

D．hesitated

10.

A．ended up

B．ran away

C．set off

D．turned out

11.

A．Disappointed

B．Relieved

C．Excited

D．Surprised

12.

A．confusion

B．embarrassment

C．eagerness

D．anger

13.

A．deal

B．matter

C．problem

D．mistake

14.

A．ease

B．increase

C．defeat

D．break

15.

A．held back

B．gave in

C．broke down

D．opened up

16.

A．helplessly

B．hopefully

C．desperately

D．thoroughly

17.

A．routine

B．meeting

C．experience

D．recreation

18.

A．temporary

B．consistent

C．subsequent

D．prosperous

19.

A．captured

B．seized

C．earned

D．found

20.

A．went along

B．started off

C．gave out

D．carried on

7 . 假设你是晨光国际中学的学生李津。在不久前举行的海棠花节活动中，你带领外国同学游览了五大道，和大家在五大道文创市集将亲手制作的手工艺品进行义卖并将所得捐给学校。请你根据以下内容提示向英文校报投稿：
(1)简要介绍海棠花节活动；
(2)描述义卖情况；
(3)表达对此次游览和义卖活动的感受。
注意： (1)字数不少于 100；
(2)题目已给出，不计入总词数；
(3)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：海棠花节 Crabapple Flower Festival   五大道 the Five Great Avenues   文创市集 cultural and creative market

A Memorable Experience at the Crabapple Flower Festival

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . It is believed that gunpowder was invented in the Tang Dynasty and used _______ in the Song Dynasty.

A．fundamentally

B．extensively

C．potentially

D．additionally

9 . There is a river near my home, into which large quantities of waste water _______ poured every day in the past.

A．were

B．have been

C．was

D．has been

10 . When you are concerned about your uninspiring exam grades or sporting performance, psychologist Adam Grant has some good news. “_________ is less a matter of natural talent, but more of nurturing (培养) hidden potential,” he says. Grant has experienced this__________.

As a(n) _________ in multiple fields now, it is hard to believe Grant has ever been anything less than highly________. As a child, his body wasn’t _________ to touch his toes as a teenage diver; he was told he _________ remedial (辅导的) classes for writing; he was too _________ to speak publicly. However, his father always cheered him up, “I believe you have hidden potential in all these areas.”

Despite these _________, his father’s firm belief in his potential and Grant’s determination _________his continuous pursuit s pursuit of excellence. _________, he made it to be on the US Junior Olympic diving team, write five best-selling books and speak to _________audiences. Overtime, he discovered that talent could be nurtured through _________. Grant’s transformation also serves as a _________ to the power of belief in one’s potential.

Much of our _________ to discover hidden potential lies in underestimation. When someone struggles with something, we _________ that’s not for me, and that I don’t have that talent, rather than trying to nurture something we’re yet to _________ in. Consequently, we _________ ourselves.

“I used to believe that you could _________ where you would land from where you start,” Grant says_________to that, Grant’s transformative journey demonstrates the profound ________ of being encouraged and hard work on one’s path to success.

1.

A．Concept

B．Success

C．Security

D．Belief

2.

A．on the whole

B．in a sense

C．in the flesh

D．on no account

3.

A．individual

B．junior

C．trainee

D．celebrity

4.

A．impressive

B．intense

C．dependent

D．efficient

5.

A．tough

B．sensitive

C．curious

D．flexible

6.

A．created

B．needed

C．ignored

D．escaped

7.

A．cautious

B．energetic

C．awkward

D．enthusiastic

8.

A．barriers

B．chances

C．efforts

D．characters

9.

A．recalled

B．banned

C．abandoned

D．fueled

10.

A．Respectively

B．Unfortunately

C．Ultimately

D．Logically

11.

A．alarmed

B．packed

C．disappointed

D．puzzled

12.

A．availability

B．probability

C．restriction

D．devotion

13.

A．proof

B．warning

C．rule

D．desire

14.

A．purpose

B．ability

C．failure

D．decision

15.

A．detect

B．assume

C．promise

D．deny

16.

A．shine

B．cheat

C．delight

D．delay

17.

A．enjoy

B．limit

C．hurt

D．conduct

18.

A．differ

B．separate

C．judge

D．defend

19.

A．Equal

B．Similar

C．Blind

D．Contrary

20.

A．impact

B．reaction

C．regret

D．performance