1 . Self-criticism (自我批评) is a mental habit of negatively analyzing and judging ourselves and our actions. If we don’t find a way to overcome self-criticism, we won’t be able to live a happy and satisfying life.     1    .

Stop Negative Thoughts

Thought stopping is one of the best secrets of how to overcome self-criticism. Interrupting your thoughts helps you change how you think about yourself, thus helping you feel better.     2    . However, with enough practice, you will make it.

    3    

Another strategy is to replace negative self-critical thoughts with positive realistic statements. For instance, if you set a goal, be realistic about it by giving yourself enough time to achieve it. In fact, having a constant desire to achieve immediate success can ruin your confidence.

Avoid Perfectionism

Another secret is to let go of the need to be perfect. It’s all right to set high standards for yourself.     4    . In addition, desiring to be perfect in everything you pursue can prevent your progress.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

    5    . However, it’s important to note that comparing yourself to your peers, friends, or family can increase dissatisfaction and unhappiness. That said, the best tip on how to overcome self-criticism is to practice self-acceptance.

A．Be realistic

B．Focus on strengths

C．It’s normal to feel like that everyone has a better life than you

D．Remember it’s from your mistakes that you get to improve yourself

E．If you’ve been stuck in negative thoughts, here’s what you need to do

F．It’s important to note that changing your negative thought patterns can take time

G．However, falling short of your goals and expectations can make you feel worthless

2 . A new study warns that more than a fifth of all reptile (爬行动物) species are threatened with extinction, which may have a bad impact on the planet.

The largest ever analysis of the state of the world’s reptiles, published in Nature, has showed that 21% of the reptile species are facing extinction. The study says from lizards to snakes, such a loss could have disastrous impacts on ecosystems around the world.

Although many reptiles live in dry environments such as deserts, most species occur in forests, where they suffer from threats such as logging of land for agriculture.30% of the forest-dwelling reptiles are at risk of extinction, compared with 14% in dry habitats. Hunting is also a major threat to reptiles, especially turtles and crocodiles, many of which are at risk of extinction. Another major contributing factor is the introduction of invasive species.

“If we removed reptiles, it could change ecosystems fundamentally, with unfortunate knock-on effects, such as increases in pest insects,” said Neil Cox, co-leader of the study. “Biodiversity, including reptiles, supports the ecosystem services that provide a healthy environment for people.”

Our hope is that this first-ever assessment of the world’s 10,000-plus reptiles helps put them in the spotlight and goes some way to highlighting this diversity, and just how much we have to lose. As well as controlling rats, mosquitoes and other pests, reptiles deliver many other benefits. “They help spread seeds, especially in island environments,” said researcher Hoffmann. “We’ve also achieved many medical advances from studies of reptiles.”

The results of the study are not all doom and gloom. Scientists have found, surprisingly, that if they set out to protect places where threatened birds, mammals and amphibians (两栖动物) live together, they’ll meanwhile protect many more threatened reptiles.

1. Which is the main concern raised by the new study?

A．The overpopulation of reptiles.	B．The loss of reptiles.
C．The sharp increase in reptile species.	D．The disastrous influence of reptiles on nature.

2. How many factors causing the extinction of species are mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

D．Four.

3. What did Neil Cox and Hoffmann both say about reptiles?

A．Their benefits.	B．Their habitats.
C．Their living habits.	D．Their health problems.

4. What does the underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Disappointing.

B．Odd.

C．Satisfactory.

D．Amazing.

3 . Sarah was not an early riser. But what made the annoying early morning hours bearable was the comforting smell of fresh coffee floating in the air. Her favorite coffee shop was just a few minutes away from her apartment.

One sunny morning, Sarah rushed to get dressed. Having a job interview, she felt anxious, afraid to be late. She grabbed her car key, dashed out of the door and made her way to her familiar coffee shop as usual. As she joined the line of cars at the drive-through, the smell of roasted coffee beans and the thought of the first taste of coffee were her little daily luxury. The line inched forward, and soon, Sarah found herself at the drive-through window. She reached for her purse to pay, but before she could hand over her credit card, the coffee shop assistant smiled and said, “Your coffee has been covered by the car ahead of you.” Sarah was taken aback. “Really?” she asked, feeling astonished and grateful. The assistant nodded. The unexpected act of kindness put a smile on her face, making her upcoming interview feel a little relaxing.

As she exited the drive-through, Sarah glanced in her rear view mirror (后视镜) at the next car approaching the coffee shop window. An idea began to come into her mind. Maybe she could do the same and brighten someone else’s morning. She decided to return to the coffee shop. Inside, she approached the cashier and said, “I’d like to pay for the coffee of the person in the car behind me.” The assistant smiled and nodded again.

As Sarah eventually left the coffee shop, Sarah couldn’t help but wonder how the next driver would react. A wave of satisfaction washed over Sarah as she witnessed the continuation of the coffee chain. She knew she had just initiated a chain of generosity and kindness.

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

A．She led a life of luxury.	B．She used to get up early.
C．She was nervous about the interview.	D．She was new to the coffee shop.

2. Why did Sarah go back to the coffee shop?

A．To find out who paid for her coffee.	B．To order herself another cup of coffee.
C．To see what was exactly happening there.	D．To buy coffee for the driver behind her.

3. How did Sarah feel when she finally left the coffee shop?

A．Ambitious.

B．Content.

C．Awkward.

D．Suspicious.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A chain of coffee shops.	B．An unforgettable interview.
C．The kindness from an assistant.	D．The power of paying it forward.

4 . It was hard not to notice the 8-year-old boy Brooke across the street who stormed in and out of his own house. He did it so often that a neighbor, Chris, wondered what was going on in his life. So Chris asked him.

“He told me that he didn’t have a father,” says Chris, now 58, “and I realized there might be something I could do for him.”

That something was fishing, and Chris’s father taught him how to fish. “Fishing always brought me peace and it taught me how to be patient. When you’re on the water, you can forget about your problems and just appreciate the moment,” Chris said.

One Saturday afternoon on the water led to another, and soon he was teaching other kids in their neighborhood, Lakeland, Florida, how to fix a line, hold a pole, and roll in a big catch. That was 16 years ago.

Since then, Chris has taken groups of kids out almost every weekend to fish. Then, in 2018 he started the nonprofit Take a Kid Fishing Inc. He and a small group of volunteers have introduced more than 2, 500 kids — most without fathers around — to the calming peace found on the water and the excitement of catching a fish.

One of those kids was Jayden, who struggled emotionally when his father died in a car accident in January 2020.

“He was really close to his dad,” says Jayden’s mother, Terra. “And with two younger sisters, he felt he needed to take over the man-of-the-house role. He was trying to be strong for everyone and didn’t show his emotion. I was wondering what to do to help him, and then I learned about Take a Kid Fishing Inc.”

Jayden, now 13, has become a devoted fisherman and credits Chris with helping him mature.

“There’s nothing like feeling that first tug (猛拉) on the line and seeing a kid light up with a smile,” Chris says. “I feel lucky to witness that every weekend.”

1. What can we learn about Brooke from the first paragraph?

A．He tended to be restless.	B．He had an ambitious mind.
C．He longed to have a father.	D．He was interested in fishing.

2. Why did Chris setup Take a Kid Fishing Inc?

A．Because he enjoyed the company of children.

B．Because he had to raise some volunteers to help kids.

C．Because he wanted to light up fatherless children’s life.

D．Because he considered teaching children to catch fish fun.

3. What’s the purpose of the author mentioning Jayden?

A．To present the benefits of Chris’s act.

B．To show Jayden’s mother’s appreciation.

C．To promote the popularity of fishing together.

D．To make readers donate money to Chris’s organization.

4. What conclusion can be made from Chris’s work?

A．Fishing can strengthen family connections.

B．Fathers play an important role in kids’ life.

C．Family kids are the future of a strong nation.

D．Proper and timely guidance makes a mature kid.

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1. What makes Eagle Eyes unique?

A．Its price.	B．Its eye care function.
C．Its extra giveaways.	D．Its ability to improve vision.

2. What is the most reassuring thing for customers?

A．The price of sunglasses.	B．Full refund if not satisfied.
C．Receiving additional offers.	D．Getting a pair of glasses for free.

3. How much do you pay for two pairs of glasses at the insider price?

A．$ 119.80.

B．$ 98.

C．$59.90.

D．$49.

6 . Tomato plants are adaptable to less-than-optimal conditions, but meeting their preferred conditions yields the juiciest and most delicious fruit.

Light.     1     In extremely hot conditions, the morning sun and light afternoon shade are sufficient. Although the plants can grow in mainly shady areas, the production of fruit will be severely limited.

Soil and water. Tomato plants grow best when they have fertile soil and consistent moisture (水分). If it rains less than 25.4 millimeters per week, you need to water them yourself.     2     Placing much around your tomato plants discourages weeds, maintains soil moisture, and prevents diseases from splashing off the soil onto the leaves when it rains. Aim for a 3-to 4-inch-thick layer of organic covering, such as straw, chopped leaves or finely shredded wood chips.

Temperature and humidity (湿度).    3     Wait until the soil warms in spring before setting out plants. Tomato plants grow well when the temperature is about 25℃. Although they love the sun, when the temperature rises above 40℃, they will stop growing. Tomatoes like a relatively high humidity level of 65 percent to 85 percent. Levels higher than this range negatively affect the plants.

    4     Tomato plants grow best when fertilized at two specific times during the growing season: right after planting and just before the fruit develops. Apply balanced liquid plant food to them.

Pruning (打杈). Tomato plants don’t have to be pruned. However, removing any side shoots (新枝) growing between the main stem and a branch is a good idea.    5    

A．Fertilizer.

B．The planting area.

C．Tomatoes are warm-weather fans.

D．In general, tomato plants require the full sun.

E．However, to prevent diseases, avoid wetting the leaves.

F．To make them grow better, water them as often as you can.

G．They can influence the growth of main branches growing fruit.

7 . Inspired by living systems, researchers at Aalto University have developed a new material that can change its electrical behaviour based on previous experience, effectively giving it a basic form of adaptive memory. Such adaptive materials could play a vital role in the next generation of medical and environmental sensors, as well as in soft robots or active surfaces.

Responsive materials have become common in a range of applications, from glasses that darken in sunlight to drug delivery systems. But existing materials always react in the same way: Their response to a change doesn’t depend on their history, nor do they adapt based on their past.

This is fundamentally different from living systems, which dynamically adapt their behaviour based on previous conditions. “One of the next big challenges in material science is to develop truly smart materials inspired by living organisms. We want to develop a material that would adjust its behaviour based on its history,” said Bo Peng, an academy research fellow at Aalto University, who was one of the senior authors of this study.

The researchers synthesized(合成)micrometre-sized magnetic beads(磁珠)which were then stimulated by a magnetic field. When the magnet was on, the beads stacked up to form pillars. The strength of the magnetic field affects the shape of the pillars, which in turn affects how well they conduct electricity.

“With this system, we coupled the magnetic field stimulus(刺激)and the electrical response. Interestingly, we found that the electrical conductivity depended on whether we varied the magnetic field rapidly or slowly. That meant that the electrical response depended on the history of the magnetic field. The electrical behaviour was also different if the magnetic field was increasing or decreasing, explains Peng. In the future, there could be even more materials that are algorithmically(在算法上)inspired by life-like properties, though they won’t involve the full complexity of biological systems. Such materials will be central to the next generation of soft robots and for medical and environmental monitoring.

1. What is the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 1?

A．To introduce the topic of the text.

B．To give a definition to the new material.

C．To make a comparison with existing materials.

D．To stress the importance of the Aalto University’s research.

2. What does Peng’s words in paragraph 3 mean?

A．They want to develop better materials.

B．They depend on previous conditions too much.

C．They are facing challenges from other universities.

D．They can’t make truly smart materials from history.

3. What does the author want to show in the last sentence?

A．The method of making the new material.

B．The application of the new material.

C．The way of making the new material.

D．The complexity of biological systems.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Responsive materials that have become common

B．Next generation material that adapts to its history

C．The next big challenge that faces material science

D．The electrical behaviour that depends on the magnetic field

8 . With low or no-carbohydrate diets rising in popularity in recent times, the potato is now regularly overlooked in favour of other vegetables. In fact, research literature has previously indicated potatoes may have a detrimental effect on health, such as increasing the possibility of developing Type2 diabetes(糖尿病).

However, new research done by Edith Cowan University (ECU) has shown while potatoes may not have all the same benefits as some other vegetables, such as lowering risk of Type 2 diabetes, health issues associated with potatoes may actually be due to how people are preparing them and what they’re eating them with.

A recent analysis of this study led by Dr Nicola Bondonno from ECU’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute found people who consumed the most vegetables were 21 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who consumed the least amount of vegetables. PhD candidate Pratik Pokharel carried out work on the analysis and said while potatoes didn’t have the same impact on Type 2 diabetes, they also didn’t have any negative effect.

“In Denmark, people consume potatoes prepared in many different ways. In our study, we could distinguish between the different preparation methods. When we separated boiled potatoes from mashed potatoes(土豆泥), fries or crisps, boiled potatoes were no longer associated with a higher risk of diabetes: They had a zero effect,” said Pokharel.

“In our study, people who ate the most potatoes also consumed more butter, red meat and soft drinks-foods known to increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes,” said Pokharel. “We should separate potatoes from other vegetables in regard to messaging about disease prevention but replacing refined grains such as white rice and pasta(意大利面食)with potatoes can improve your diet quality because of fibre and other nutrients found in potatoes.”

1. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Magical.

B．Protective.

C．Fantastic.

D．Negative.

2. What may contribute to the bad reputation of potatoes according to ECU’s research?

A．The effects they have caused.	B．The ways they are consumed.
C．The places where they are planted.	D．The results previous studies have shown.

3. Which of the following have little effect on Type 2 diabetes?

A．Fries.

B．Crisps.

C．Boiled potatoes.

D．Mashed potatoes.

4. What is Pokharel’s attitude towards potatoes?

A．Critical.

B．Opposed.

C．Indifferent.

D．Objective.

9 . Geoff Banks and Celesta Byrne met as part of an educational project to put British and American students in contact and they still keep in touch with each other.

Centenarians (百岁老人), Geoff Banks from Devon, Britain, and Celesta Byrne, from the US, started writing to each other at the age of 16 in 1938. The former engineer Geoff even kept in touch with Celesta during WWII. They, now, can talk to each other on the Internet.

They recently had their first call giving Geoff a break from putting pen to paper that he said he found difficult at his age. Despite having chatted for decades, the pair have only ever met twice-first in 2002 while Geoff visited New York at the age of 80, and then again two years later. Celesta was living in New Jersey at that time, and then she moved to live near family in Texas.

Geoff said, “I had worked abroad for a number of years but had not been to the US for some time. Celesta was in New Jersey, so we decided to meet up in New York for a short Christmas trip. We just talked about daily lives and our families. In one of my early letters, I sent her a copy of a British paper in 1953 which had Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation (加冕) on the front of it.”

Despite having such a special relationship, the pair deny there was ever any romance there. Both have been married, with Geoff’s wife having passed away in 2011. Geoff is now a great grandfather, having sadly survived his daughter but still having three sons scattered across the world and many more grandchildren.

They felt grateful to the educational project, which gave them the chance of being friends. They are friends, like people who live next door. They value their friendship and think it’s nice to hear friends’ voices.

1. How did Geoff know Celesta?

A．By a friend.	B．By joining in a party.
C．By surfing the Internet.	D．By an educational program.

2. What was Geoff before he retired?

A．A teacher.

B．A mechanic.

C．An engineer.

D．A soldier.

3. Where did Celesta live when she met Geoff for the second time?

A．In New York.

B．In New Jersey.

C．In Texas.

D．In Devon.

4. Which word can best describe the friendship between Geoff and Celesta?

A．Lasting.

B．Odd.

C．Complex.

D．Ordinary.

10 . Here are some fantastic parks in San Antonio.

Brackenridge Park

The park was first established in 1899 and has been popular with both locals and visitors ever since. Towering trees and peaceful riverbanks will greet guests along the park’s paths, and the facilities include playgrounds, museums, a miniature train, a Japanese tea garden, and one of the oldest golf courses in the city.

Friedrich Wilderness Park

In the park, you’ll find about 10 miles of paved(铺过的)and unpaved trails(路线), with a little something for everyone. From rocky climbs to deep canyons, and enchanting forests to open views, there’s no shortage of natural beauty. The area is nationally famous for birdwatching.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

The park is the state’s only one on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers quite a large area, so it’s best to make it a full-day or at least a half-day trip so you can be sure to cover everything. While the Alamo is a separate attraction, you will get to enjoy the architectural wonders of Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. They’re all connected by a hike and bike trail, with plenty of stops along the way to picnic, climb trees, and refill water. Admission is free!

Eisenhower Park

Just a 20-to 30-minute drive from the city center, the park puts the best landscapes in the Texas Hill Country on full display, holding 6 miles of hiking trails, both paved and unpaved. Explore dried creek beds, look out over plunging canyons, and enjoy full views of San Antonio down below. You can also find playgrounds for the little ones, picnic tables, and barbecue facilities.

1. What is Friedrich Wilderness Park well-known for?

A．Birdwatching.	B．Ancient buildings.
C．A Japanese tea garden.	D．Unpaved hiking paths.

2. Which park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

A．Brackenridge Park.

B．Friedrich Wilderness Park.

C．San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.

D．Eisenhower Park.

3. What are some of the features of Eisenhower Park?

A．Golf courses and bicycle trails.

B．Museums and no entrance fee.

C．Birdwatching and playgrounds.

D．Hiking trails and barbecue facilities.