1 . Gamba has a lifelong fear of dentists. “It was much easier to accept the toothache,” he says.

    1    , there are times when you have to seek proper dental care. Fortunately, many dentists are specially trained in handling fearful patients. A variety of methods are also available to reduce pain and fear when you are in the dentist’s chair.

The best dentists use simple methods to create a feeling of control. They gently explain what the patient will feel, and for about how long. They frequently ask the patient for permission to continue.    2    . Their working places are barely recognizable as a dentist’s office. Free of posters showing the horrors of dental diseases, some even have a fireplace in the waiting room and some have a treatment room overlooking a waterfall.     3    , your body may still fear that chair. Here are some tips that may help you:

➢   Go to the dentist with someone you trust, such as a close relative who has no fear of dentists. If possible, ask him/her to sit with you during the treatment.
➢       4    . Listen to your own music on headphones — a new CD, not one you’ve heard a lot, so you’ll be a little more interested in it. Or find a dental clinic with a TV in the treatment room.
➢   Try relaxation techniques. Controlled breathing — I taking a big breath, holding it, and letting it out slowly — will slow your heartbeat and relax your muscles.

As the pain from Gamba’s wisdom teeth worsened, he found support online through a forum for people with dental fear. He also found a dentist, who advertises his skill with fearful patients. “    5    ,” Gamba says before going. But the dentist put him so at ease that he agreed to receive treatment right away. And it was painless, he says.

A．Add your favorite songs to the playlist

B．Shift attention while in the dentist’s chair

C．It wouldn’t be possible without the dentists’ support

D．I convinced myself that I was just going to talk with the dentist

E．Even if your mind tells you you’ll be just fine in such circumstances

F．Although you would never look forward to a spell in the dentist’s chair

G．Some dentists even go out of their way to create a nonthreatening environment

2 . For most of us, it's pretty easy to stand up for someone else.     1    . So how do you go from being everyone else' s advocate to learning how to stand up for yourself? These steps come from 16 years of coaching my clients.

·Define your boundaries

The definition of a boundary is a line that marks the limits of an area; it's both a line of containment (keeping you in) and a line of protection (keeping others out). Boundaries are not complaints, threats or demands.     2    . They are your rules for who,what,how and why you feel comfortable being close to someone else, helping others know who you are and how to interact with you.

    3    

The next time someone asks you for a favor, consider if you can afford to say yes. What I mean by this is, think about what this “yes” will cost you in terms of finances, energy, health and time. Do you have an excess of these resources that you can give after you've already cared for yourself?

·Stop people-pleasing

People-pleasing is often motivated by fear. It's easy to fall into the habit because you tend to get praised for it. People-pleasing pleases people. But its effects over a long period of time can be disastrous.     4    

·Ask for what you want

It's not easy to figure out what you want. But the more time you spend getting clear on your own

desires, the easier it is to defend what you need. Your desires are the forces that lead you into life's unknown frontier.     5    . Stand up for them and yourself.

A．Get comfortable saying no.

B．Think twice before refusing.

C．They deserve attention, energy and respect.

D．You will not end up exhausted and depressed.

E．To break this habit, start leaning toward courage and inner strength.

F．They are guidelines that help to clearly define what needs to be protected.

G．But when the tables are turned, we often feel guilty for giving priority to our own needs.

3 . A television writer is responsible for writing scripts (剧本) for television shows. There are numerous types of shows to which a TV writer can contribute his or her talents.     1     A scriptwriter often writes stories for television dramas, comedies, and soap operas.

Some television writers start out as assistants before working their way up to filling writing positions on shows.     2     As a television writer, success requires a combination of talent, hard work, and determination.

    3     Depending on their role and the show they are working on, they might work individually in the writers’ room or other remote locations. They also spend time on the set, working closely with the production team and actors to ensure the scripts are brought to life as intended.

A television writer might develop their material using a variety of methods. This involves researching and gathering information to ensure the show is accurate and true. A piece of advice given by professionals is to watch all kinds of TV shows. TV writers should note which ones are successful.     4    

A formal college degree is usually not required to be a television writer as educational requirements vary by positions. Writing talent and practical work experience are generally considered just as valuable as a college degree. There are numerous opportunities to learn how to be a TV writer.     5     Continuing education opportunities are also suggested as well as reading reviews and comments.

A．Job titles of a TV writer can change.

B．The workplace of a TV writer can vary.

C．So they learn from them and accept suggestions to create better work.

D．It’s helpful to be located in cities known for their television production.

E．Many TV writers read books and begin self-study to improve their skills.

F．For instance, a TV writer can be a journalist, focusing on news programs.

G．Others may work in other areas, such as film or theater, before turning to television.

5 . If you struggle to meet new people or join in a conversation at social events, it might be that your body language is sending the message to others to stay away.     1    ? Below are some tips to get you started.

Smile. Although it is possible to overdo smiling, generally it is better to smile than frown (皱眉). Try to find things that really make you happy or laugh and your smile will come across as natural rather than forced.

    2    . Make sure that you aren’t using objects to shield (遮住) yourself from others. At a party, hold your drink at your side instead of close to your chest (胸膛). Keeping objects between you and others makes you appear guarded and closed.

Use eye contact. When you do end up talking with someone, be sure to maintain eye contact. Avoiding eye contact makes you appear untrustworthy or disinterested. If direct eye contact feels hard, try looking at only one eye at a time, or at a part between a person’s eyes.     3    

Avoid nervous habits. Even though you might be nervous, avoid the habits that go with it.     4    . Don’t play with your pen or the change in your pocket. Keep your hands relaxed at your sides or use them to gesture (做手势) when making conversation.

    5    . Say nice things about other people instead of mean things. Approach others and include those who seem to be left out. Be a positive person and you will attract other positive people to you.

Although it may feel unnatural at first, with time you should start to feel more open and confident as a result of changing your body language.

A．Avoid blocks

B．Use objects on hand

C．They won’t be able to tell the difference

D．Apart from body language, always be positive

E．Stop touching your face or playing with your hair

F．How can you read different types of body language properly

G．How can you improve your body language to appear more approachable

6 . What does the term “dinosaur” actually mean? What Beatles’ song stayed in the US singles chart for the longest? Who was the president of the United States when Uncle Sam first got his beard?

These are not just questions from a particularly difficult public test.     1     After asking a group of twenty-four volunteers these questions, they asked each of them to rate how much they cared about the answers to each question, from “low-curiosity” to “high-curiosity”. And then they let the questions stay in the minds of the participants (参与者) for a while. The answers, by the way, are “terrible lizard”, Hey Jude’ and Abraham Lincoln.)

    2     For one thing, the researches assumed that when people were curious about something, they remembered the details better. They were right. The study showed that people were 20 percent more likely to recall an interesting fact.

But what was perhaps more surprising was what was going on in people’s brains at the point that they recalled these facts.     3     They seemed to receive a hit of dopamine (多巴胺). Dopamine is one of our feel-good hormones and activates the part of the brain responsible for learning and forming memories. So, for the study participants, appealing to their curiosity made them feel good.     4    

Making full use of your curiosity is an important method for building adventure into your life.     5     It also allows us to focus longer. After thorough researching the biographies of some of history’s most pioneering minds, from Leonardo da Vinci to Steve Jobs,the writer Walter Isscson summarized his findings thus: ‘Being curious about everything not only makes you more creative. It enriches your life

A．Curiosity doesn’t simply make our lives more enjoyable.

B．They are used by researchers in a pioneering experiment.

C．Feeling good is a normal thing, not something unusual.

D．When given a brain X-ray examination, their brain activity was quite different.

E．They are three of the most interesting questions worldwide.

F．The researchers tried to figure out what effect curiosity had on people’s minds.

G．They in turn become better at receiving information.

8 . HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY BOOK YOU READ

Reading books can be one of life’s greatest pleasures and learning experiences.     1    . Especially if you’re reading a book for more than just the pleasure of it, you have to do more than just turn over its pages. Here we will explore actionable ways to maximize the benefits of reading.

Set clear goals before reading

Understanding why you’re reading a book can significantly impact how you approach it. The right goal will help you pay attention to what’s most important. If you’re reading a book about photography, you may want to pay particular attention to the images.     2    .

Make summaries for every chapter

After finishing a chapter, take a few minutes to summarize it in your own words.     3    . It also creates a handy reference guide for the future. Summarizing can be a creative process, too. Try using bullet points, mind maps, or one-liners to capture the essence of each chapter.

Apply what you’ve learned

    4    . If a book teaches you a new approach to time management, try implementing it in your daily routine. If a novel provides a moral lesson, reflect on how it applies to your life. This active application ensures that the book leaves a lasting impact.

    5    

The process of reading doesn’t end when you turn the last page. Regularly revisiting your notes, summaries, and reflections keeps the material fresh and relevant. Consider setting aside time each month to review previous reads and reflect how they’ve shaped your thoughts and actions. Not for every book, of course, just for the most impactful ones.

A．Repeat reading for deeper insights

B．Review and reflect

C．You may notice details, themes, or ideas that were hidden during your first reading

D．This exercise deepens your understanding and helps identify the central themes and ideas

E．So spend some time reflecting on what you hope to achieve and let that guide your reading process

F．However, many of us struggle to remember and apply what we’ve read

G．Taking action on what you’ve read transforms theoretical knowledge into practical wisdom

9 . The teenage years are a transformative period marked by great physical, psychological, and emotional changes.     1     They refer to the feelings that arise during interactions with others, such as gratitude, shame, sympathy, guilt, and pride.

Understanding and managing social emotions can help develop teenagers’ identities. Teenagers experience a wide range of emotions from social interactions, which significantly influences their self-understanding and social awareness. In the process, they learn to understand, and appropriately respond to both their own emotions and those of others.     2    

In academic settings, social emotional competencies like self-regulation, motivation, and social awareness directly impact a teenager’s ability to learn, participate, and engage in school activities.     3     Teenagers with strong social emotional skills are better equipped to handle stress, resist peer pressure, and avoid risky behaviors, reducing the likelihood of developing mental health issues.

Learning social emotions involves a combination of personal experience, guidance, and formal education.     4     This environment influences teenagers’ earliest understanding of how to communicate and manage their emotions. They feel safe and supportive to express their emotions freely and learn to manage them without fear of judgment. Schools also play a significant role through social emotional learning programs that teach these skills in a structured environment. Community involvement, extracurricular activities, and peer (同伴) interactions offer additional opportunities for teenagers to practice and refine their social emotional skills.

    5     It contributes to a teenager’s ability to manage their own emotions, understand others’ emotions, and face social complexities. This learning is a cornerstone for shaping their identity, influencing their interpersonal relationships, academic success, mental health, and future life outcomes.

A．What exactly are social emotions?

B．The journey into mature emotion is quite easy.

C．Social emotion learning for teenagers is essential.

D．Central to this phase is the concept of social emotions.

E．This helps shape their own personal principles and beliefs.

F．Families play a crucial role in modeling and developing these skills.

G．Moreover, social emotional skills are closely linked to mental health.

10 . Problem-solving skills are increasingly valuable in the workplace and could help you achieve more in your personal life too. Mastering these skills involves adopting effective approaches that enhance your ability to face challenges and find solutions.     1    

Develop analytical thinking

Analytical thinking is a very important skill. It breaks down big issues into smaller, more manageable components.     2    Begin by clearly defining (定义) the problem at hand, finding out its key components and recognizing the interconnections between them. In the end, individuals can tum challenging problems into manageable insights.

    3    

Clear and simple communication is the key to effective problem-solving. Effective communication begins with clearly defining the problem statement. This involves choosing the right words, structuring information, and being mindful of the audience to ensure that your message is broad. Also, active listening is the skill of receiving information with focus. It involves not just hearing words but understanding the differences, emotions and ultimate messages.

Promote cooperation.

Effective problem solving often develops rapidly in a cooperative environment, where diverse opinions fuel innovation.     4    By acknowledging and valuing the differences, the team can create a cooperative environment. The whole s truly greater than the sum of its parts. Also, the atmosphere is powerful to effective problem-solving.

Stay informed.

    5    Staying informed about current events and relevant information equips individuals with a broader understanding of potential challenges. It requires a sharp eye for credible sources of information. And staying informed involves continuous learning and a devotion to keeping up with developments in your field.

A．Listen to others attentively.

B．Improve communication skills.

C．The following strategies are worth a try.

D．Improving this skill requires a structured approach.

E．Regularly updating your knowledge keeps you sharp.

F．The process will equip you with the skills to succeed.

G．It begins with recognizing the strengths of teammates.