1 . Ever since I was a child, I’ve been frightened by the idea of disappointing people.     1     From preschool through my master degree years I was always the first in my class. But obviously, I’m not a genius. Sometimes, I brought home a nine out of ten grade and my parents would ask me where the other point had gone.

Of course, the explanation was simple: I’d made a mistake. But for a perfectionist, that’s a very dangerous thought, which can cause a chain of abusive self-talks. After all, that mistake was so stupid.     2    

What hides behind my perfectionism is the illusion (幻觉) of control, the idea that if I work hard and do my best, I’ll be perfect and protected,     3     Everyone is allowed to make mistakes, except me; everything is a competition, and anything I can’t win is a dead loss.

    4     It can even make you physically sick with headaches, stomachaches, muscle cramps and so. on. In some cases, it leads to self-harming behavior, such as eating disorders and addiction. The other dark side of perfectionism is that you become unable to truly appreciate your success — you only focus on what you could’ve done better.

Despite the problems, perfectionism has allowed me to complete a lot and become who I am today. “To see perfectionism as a uniquely negative thing is actually to deny a part of yourself,” said the perfectionism coach Yasmina Hajoui.     5     But that desire needs to be balanced and come from a healthy place.

A．Perfectionism is a survival mechanism.

B．There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do things well.

C．The problem is that perfectionism brings more than stress.

D．I should have studied more, worked harder and focused better.

E．In perfectionism, we tend to believe that only our achievements define us.

F．And if something isn’t perfect, that means it’s my fault and that I’m awful.

G．My solution to that anxiety was to achieve perfectionism-and mostly, it worked.

2 . When Posten walked outside to her car, she saw something that looked like a note or receipt stuck to the windshield.

She grabbed it and saw it was a black and white photo of a woman holding a little boy. On the back, it said, “Gertie Swatzell & J.D. Swatzell 1942.” A few hours later, Posten discovered that the photo had made quite a long journey — almost 130 miles on the back of terrible winds.

Posten had been tracking the tornadoes that hit the middle of the U.S., killing dozens of people. They came close to where she lives in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. So she figured it must be from someone’s damaged home.

“Seeing the date, I realized that was likely from a home hit by a tornado. How else is it going to be there?” Posten said. “It’s a well-kept photo.”

So she posted an image of the photo on Facebook and Twitter and asked for help. She said she was hoping someone on social media would have a connection to the photo or share it with someone who had a connection.

“A lot of people shared it on Facebook. Someone came across it who is friends with a man with the same last name, and they tagged him,” said Posten.

That man was Cole Swatzell, who commented that the photo belonged to family members in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, almost 130 miles away from New Albany. Cole Swatzell on Sunday didn’t respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.

Posten plans to return the photo to the Swatzell family sometime this week.

“It’s really remarkable, definitely one of those things, given all that has happened, that makes you consider how valuable things are — memories, family heirlooms (传家宝), and those kinds of things,” Posten said. “It shows you the power of social media for good. It was encouraging that immediately there were tons of replies from people, looking up ancestor records, and saying ‘I know someone who knows someone and I’d like to help.’”

1. What helped Posten know the photo had made quite a long journey?

A．Learning about a home hit by a tornado.

B．Looking into the information of the photo.

C．Making tracks for the process of the tornadoes.

D．Recognizing the person in the photo at first sight.

2. What do we know about the photo?

A．It’s a damaged photo.

B．It belongs to Cole Swatzell.

C．Its owner lives in New Albany, Indiana.

D．It travels 130 miles away from Kentucky.

3. How did Posten get information of the photo’s owner?

A．From Twitter.	B．From Facebook.
C．From her friend.	D．From ancestor records.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Valuable things should be kept well for good.

B．Common item sometimes is also very valuable.

C．We should encourage each other on social media.

D．Posten thinks highly of the function of social media.

3 . Behavioral scientists have found that good listening is one of the most important things we can do to improve our relationships.     1     At its core, listening in a one-on-one conversation is about taking an interest in another person and making him/her feel understood.    2     But some recurring (重复出现) features include attentiveness, conveying understanding, and showing a positive intention towards the speaker.

In addition to actively attending to a speaker’s words, good listeners also use questions and body language that indicate their understanding and their desire to understand. This might feel awkward at first, and what’s most effective might depend on your relationship with the speaker.    3     Another great way to show your understanding is by summarizing what you just heard and asking if you have missed anything. Summaries like this show the speaker that you’re truly trying to understand him/her rather than just waiting for your turn to talk. But while a good conversation requires back and forth, planning out your response while the speaker is talking is a common way to miss what’s being said.    4     This might feel embarrassing, but asking for clarification actually shows that you’re committed to understanding.

    5     It’s okay to ask for a moment to formulate your response and taking a beat to think can help speakers reflect on their speech as well.

These might seem like small changes, but together they make a big difference. And when people feel heard, they report more satisfaction, trust, and connection in their relationships.

A．Finally, don’t be afraid of silence.

B．So, what can we do to become better listeners?

C．It’s possible to know what truly excellent listening looks like.

D．But with time and practice, you can internalize these basic behaviors

E．There’s no universally agreed-upon definition of high-quality listening.

F．Researchers have found that smiling and nodding at set intervals doesn’t quite work.

G．So try to stay present and if you lose focus, don’t be shy about asking the speaker to repeat what you missed.

4 . Independent will is what really makes effective self-management possible. It is the ability to make decisions and choices and to act in accordance with them. It is the ability to act rather than to be acted upon.

The human will is an amazing thing. Time after time, it has won against unbelievable difficulties. The Helen Kellers of this world give dramatic evidence to the value, the power of the independent will. But as we examine it in the context of effective self-management, we realize it’s usually not the dramatic, the visible, the once-in-a-lifetime effort that brings enduring success. Empowerment comes from learning how to use independent will in the decisions we make every day.

The degree to which we have developed our independent will in our everyday lives is measured by our personal integrity. Integrity is, fundamentally, the value we place on ourselves. It’s our ability to make and keep commitments to ourselves—to “walk our talk.” It’s honor with self, a fundamental part of the character ethic, the essence of active growth.

Effective management is putting first things first. While leadership decides what “first things” are, it is management that puts them first, day-by-day, moment-by-moment. Management is discipline, carrying it out.

Discipline stems from disciple (追随者) —disciple to a philosophy, disciple to a set of principles, disciple to a set of values, and disciple to an ultimate. purpose. In other words, if you are an effective manager of your self, your discipline comes from within; it is a function of your independent will. You are a disciple, a follower, of your own deep values and their source. And you have the will, the integrity, to place your feelings, your urges, your moods after those values.

That placement requires a purpose, a mission. It also requires independent will, the power to do something when you don’t want to do it, to be a function of your values rather than a function of the urge or desire of any given moment. It’s the power to act with integrity to your first creation.

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning “the Helen Kellers” in paragraph 2?

A．To explain a reason.	B．To highlight a point.
C．To make a prediction.	D．To give a definition.

2. What do the underlined words “walk our talk” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Put words into deeds.	B．Display confidence.
C．Stop talking big.	D．Strike a balance.

3. To achieve effective self-management, what will the author probably recommend?

A．Seeking external support.	B．Undertaking more missions.
C．Sticking to one’s own values.	D．Following one’s desires.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Secret Behind Self-discipline	B．The Magic of Personal Integrity
C．The Power of Independent Will	D．The Road to Effective Management

5 . Travel Apps That Will Make Your Next Trip Better in Every Way

Kayak

A flight-price search engine, Kayak makes it simple and convenient to price out different flight options heading virtually anywhere in the world. You can filter (筛选) by airline, time of departure or arrival, number of stops and other variables as well. As a flight-comparison engine, it offers a quick way to determine available trip choices. It also helps you find a new flight if you’ve encountered a delay.

TripIt

TripIt is a handy app that helps keep jet-setters more organized by pulling together important information in one spot. Simply forward your trip-related reservations in the form of emails, photos and other media formats to plans@tripit.com. and the service creates a custom route that you can view online, or share with your friends and family. It’s one of the best travel apps for detail-oriented travelers, and it can save you the trouble of having to remember flight times, hotel confirmation numbers and more.

Hotel Tonight

If you’re hunting for a hotel room, Hotel Tonight is one of the best travel apps for you. It doesn’t just offer savings and deals on budget. luxury and vacation properties in thousands of cities, and it also offers steep discounts on rooms that are booked for the very same evening. Whether you’re looking for a motel or hotel, you can quickly search for and select comfortable places to stay on the fly. These features make the app a handy tool to have when you’re feeling adventurous.

If you’re traveling to a new or unfamiliar city, Google Maps can provide an overview or step-by-step directions of your surroundings. There are plenty of Google Maps tricks, but one helpful feature is the ability to download maps and access them offline, always a plus when you’re a tourist who’s out and about exploring overseas with no ready Internet connection. Real-time GPS navigation and traffic updates make it simple to track your movements or route your way to destinations.

1. What do Kayak and TripIt have in common?

A．Providing savings on budget.	B．Helping travelers deal with the delay.
C．Offering available plans for flight.	D．Giving directions of the circumstance.

2. What is a great advantage of Hotel Tonight?

A．A discount for booking online.

B．Finding a hotel room very soon.

C．A handy app for adventurous athletes.

D．To compare thousands of hotels at a time.

3. Which app best favors people who are offline?

A．Kayak.

B．TripIt.

C．Hotel Tonight.

D．Google Maps.

6 . You are what you think. Whatever you are doing right now is determined by your thinking. All your emotions and desires are influenced by your thinking. The problem is that when you are not aware of your thinking, you have no chance of correcting it if it is poor. When thinking is subconscious, you are in no position to see any problems in it. And, if you don’t see any problems in it, you won’t be motivated to change it. What’s worse, few people realize the powerful role that thinking plays in their lives, so they don’t gain significant command of it. As a result, most people are in many ways victims of their thinking.

Consider your success as a student. The single most significant variable in determining your success as a student is the quality of your thinking. Your instructors will play a role in your learning, but even the best teachers cannot get into your head and learn for you. If you lack the intellectual skills necessary for thinking well through course content, you will not be successful in school.

Here is the key question we are putting to you in this book. If the quality of a person’s thinking is the single most significant determinant of both happiness and success, why not take the time to learn from the best thinkers?

This book will inform you of the tools that the best thinkers use and will illustrate the activities and practice you can use to begin to emulate them, and take control of your destiny as a thinker. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of these thinking aids, helping you discover the power of your own mind and of your potential to think systematically about your thinking.

This book, as a whole, introduces you to the tools of mind that will help you reason well through various challenges you face. If you take these ideas seriously and practice using them, you can improve the quality of your thinking and ultimately, the quality of your life.

1. Why do many people lack motivation to change their poor thinking?

A．They are victims of emotions.	B．They are unaware of the need.
C．They think highly of themselves.	D．They lack the academic guidance.

2. What plays the most crucial role in school success?

A．The course content.	B．The school environment.
C．The commitment of teachers.	D．The quality of an individual’s thinking.

3. What does the underlined word “emulate” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Make friends with.

B．Win over.

C．Follow the example of.

D．Look up to.

4. The book is organized according to ________.

A．types of life challenges	B．varieties of thinking tools
C．determinants of life value	D．ideas of different thinkers

7 . For most of history, people lived in small groups of up to 150 people. Then villages and small towns developed, offering safety and support through the sharing of resources. As time passed, urban living brought additional advantages such as better jobs, schools and healthcare. Larger towns also gave people more chances to meet and interact. This is important.     1    

Today, over half of the world’s population currently lives in towns and cities. But this has resulted in a strange paradox (悖论). Although social opportunities are one reason people choose to live in large cities, research suggests that city life can be lonely.     2     People from all over the world can join online communities and make virtual friends without leaving their home.

The development of virtual communities can be traced back to the 1860s. Back then, telegraph operators exchanged messages and gradually formed friendships over long distances.     3    

Later, in the 1960s, radios started to provide a means of short-distance communication and developed communities with their own unique language and usernames.

    4     Computers were not very powerful yet, so people could post messages and share news and stories but not music or photos. Still, people loved being able to make friends online and then hang out with them. As technology became more powerful, online communities for fun, education and business emerged, where people could explore a virtual 3D world, have online lessons, and even buy things with virtual money.

These days, there are thousands of virtual communities and that number keeps growing. Many people believe they will become more important.     5     Particularly, they’re concerned that posting personal information online might lead to a loss of privacy. So perhaps the future will be more like the past. People will spend most of their time in real communities.

A．This trend, however, is not likely to continue.

B．As Aristotle said, the nature of humans is to be social.

C．That may explain why virtual communities are so popular.

D．The first popular online communities developed in the 1980s.

E．Before cell phones existed, radio was an easy way to communicate.

F．Nevertheless, others worry about problems with these communities.

G．This is among the earliest examples of virtual community interactions.

8 . Human history is full of horse stories like guiding cowboys home on foggy nights and taking wounded soldiers through battle zones. Such sensible and highly trained horses made Elina Jatel, a computer scientist and roboticist, think of robots. “A horse that can take a rider home on its own would be the highest level of autonomy,” Jatel says. “You trust them with your life.” She was drawn to learning how such relationships form and if it could help improve human-robot interactions.

For a year, Jatel engaged herself in the horse world. She watched classes in horse training, and she also talked with students, instructors, trainers and horse owners. Along the way, Jatel even learned to ride.

Horses learn signals from their trainers on how to comfortably interact with people. People, too, must learn their part. Riders must learn what a horse wants or feels based on its behavior, and what signals to use to direct horses to perform in desired ways. Jatel found some similarities, here, to working with robots. People must learn how to direct robots to do specific tasks. They also must learn what to do when robots don’t perform as planned. The goal is to program robots that will respond predictably to inputs from people. But like horses, autonomous robots also should be able to respond on their own as conditions change. For example, a self-driving car must stop to avoid hitting something, even if some human mistakenly tells it to keep going.

Trainers and riders work with horses to build respect. Horses show that respect by matching their pace to a human or giving someone who is leading them a safe degree of personal space. Trainers begin their work with a horse by getting them to show signs of respect in basic interactions, Jatel says. Later, trainers will develop more complex interactions. Gradually, a horse’s respect can grow into trust.

But that trust is not given. And there may be a similar limitation with robots. What would it mean for robots and people to respect and trust each other? For now, she adds, this is largely uncharted territory. But she’s looking to build a path.

1. What drew Elina Jatel’s attention to horses?

A．Horses’ amazing performance.	B．Long history of horse training.
C．Horse-human interdependence.	D．Her horse-riding experience.

2. What are the robots of the highest autonomy designed to do?

A．To act like real horses.	B．To show respect to humans.
C．To follow instructions from humans.	D．To make independent and sensible decisions.

3. What will Jatel’s future research most probably focus on?

A．The limitations of robots.	B．Trust between robots and humans.
C．Path toward higher robot efficiency.	D．Similarities between horses and robots.

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

A．History of Human-Horse Relationship	B．Secrets of Human-Animal Interactions
C．The Role of Trust in Human-Robot Partnerships	D．Horses as the Inspiration for Autonomous Robots

9 . Some beaches are perfect for relaxing, while others offer activities like hiking and water sports. Visit these beautiful beaches for an unforgettable vacation.

Cannon Beach

If your perfect beach vacation spot features postcard-worthy scenery and peace, look no further than Cannon Beach. In this Pacific Northwest town, you can even build a fire on the beach to relax beside while watching the sun set. When you need a break from the beach, grab a bike and head downtown to explore its art galleries, shops and restaurants.

Horseshoe Bay Beach

For a one-of-a-kind beach experience, head to Horseshoe Bay Beach on Bermuda’s South Shore. Known for its pink sand, this beach is a popular destination for families looking to play in the calm blue-green waters and build blush-colored sandcastles. Adventure seekers can also take part in the self-guided island bicycle tour or engage in exciting water sports.

Mohegan Bluffs

This beach is famous for its natural beauty. Upon arrival, pause to admire your surroundings and learn about its ties to the native people, their ancient traditions, and connection to the land, adding depth to your beach experience. Then, take the 141 steps down to the sand to sunbathe. After that, climb back up to visit the Southeast Light for an up-close view of its 18th-century lighthouse.

South Beach

This tropical district on Florida’s Atlantic Coast is world-renowned for its powdery white sand. Although technically part of the Miami Beach area, South Beach stands out due to its Art Deco architecture seen in everything from the beachfront lifeguard towers to the high-rise buildings along the famed Ocean Drive.

1. What similarity do Cannon Beach and Horseshoe Bay Beach share?

A．The chance to cycle around.	B．Their lively artistic scene.
C．The unique water sports.	D．Their distinctive sand color.

2. Who is most likely attracted to Mohegan Bluffs?

A．Those seeking water sports.	B．Fans of modern lighthouses.
C．Those interested in local culture.	D．Enthusiasts of mountain climbing.

3. What sets South Beach apart from the rest of the Miami Beach area?

A．Its beach sand.	B．Its architectural style.
C．Its ocean drive.	D．Its high-rise buildings.

10 . Nature’s beauty is all around you. Wild flowers shine in bright blues, yellows, and reds. Trees, with unique shaped branches, and leaves, decorate the horizon. Under your feet, pine needles, leaves, and grass give their natural beauty on the earth’s surface. But how many of you take the time to notice all of nature’s wonders?

Hannah Bullen-Ryner is an artist who not only takes the time to “smell the roses”, but she uses them as a medium to craft stunning portraits of birds. Bullen-Ryner, a photographer by trade, began her artistic hobby shortly after her twin daughters were born. The young mother suffered from depression and anxiety. To seek a solution, she turned to nature.

Bullen-Ryner started spending time alone in the woods, foraging for materials: flowers, branches, leaves, and grass. On an impulse (冲动), she started forming a portrait of a bird with the items she had gathered. When her picture was finished, Bullen-Ryner realized that she felt calmand hopeful. The process had been healing and therapeutic (有疗效的).

Bullen-Ryner tells My Modern Met, “Finding the medium of land art has allowed my art and soul to connect to the earth. As a full-time Mama of nearly three-year-old twin girls, and someone who suffers from anxiety, my art is my quiet time, my peace.”

When Bullen-Ryner creates her artwork on the forest floor, she never uses glues or any other material to bond the foraged items. This means that a single breeze is able to carry away or scatter her portrait.

“People often ask me why I don’t make something more permanent or they say it’s such a shame that it’s temporary,” Bullen-Ryner explains. “But for me,” she continues, “it is the short-lived nature of what I do that has become therapy for my soul. I get to put down all my anxieties, my fears, and all the chaos from my brain and turn it into something beautiful to honor Mother Nature. I take some photos and then walk or cycle away, leaving it all behind and feeling calmer, more connected, and truly lighter.”

1. Why did Bullen-Ryner take up her artistic hobby?

A．To kill time.	B．To make more profits.
C．To serve as a treatment.	D．To entertain her daughters.

2. What does the underlined word “foraging” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Making.	B．Answering.
C．Providing.	D．Seeking.

3. What do we know about Bullen-Ryner’s artwork?

A．It is well received with customers.

B．It cannot be preserved for a long time.

C．It stimulated the local tourism industry.

D．It won her widespread praise domestically.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Bullen-Ryner is grateful to nature.

B．Bullen-Ryner regrets what she has done.

C．Bullen-Ryner is into going to work by bicycle.

D．Bullen-Ryner persuades more people to participate.