1 . While socializing comes naturally for some, it can be a struggle for others. Shyness is a normal, common personality trait (特征).     1    . If you’re often hesitant to engage in social situations, you may interact with those around you in a more comfortable way. We outline four strategies for overcoming shyness in life.

Get Excited About A New Adventure

You may have been shy most of your life.     2    . Working through shyness and developing increased confidence may seem like a discouraging task for you, but viewing the journey as an exciting adventure to parts unknown can be exciting and, in turn, may boost your self-esteem.

Pay Attention To Your Words

    3    . Talking to yourself in a negative way when describing yourself can damage your self-confidence. Consider replacing phrases like “I am shy” with “I am learning to be more comfortable” in social situations. This can go a long way toward moving from shyness to confidence.

Practice Mindfulness (正念)

Mindfulness involves drawing your attention to the present and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.     4    . In one study, participants in a mindfulness program experienced an improved view of their self-worth.

Take Small Steps

Getting started can be the hardest part of learning how to be more social for those who are shy.     5    . You can start out small. Try chatting with the teller at the bank or the person ahead of you in the checkout line. This can help you build confidence and work your way up to more difficult challenges.

A．If so, that’s a part of you that you’re used to

B．Sometimes the best path toward addressing a fear is exposure

C．Mindfulness can help reduce symptoms of social anxiety disorder

D．Taking time to tend to your appearance can make a big difference

E．How we communicate and characterize ourselves can be powerful

F．However, shyness can make it hard for people to connect with others and achieve their goals

G．But engaging with people doesn’t have to be practiced as an important work presentation

2 . For many buyers, electric vehicles (EVs) are simply too expensive, their range is too limited, and charging them isn’t as quick and convenient as refueling at the gas stations. All these limitations have to do with the lithium-ion batteries (锂电池) that power the vehicles. They’re costly, heavy, and quick to run out of juice. To make matters worse, the batteries rely on liquid electrolytes (电解质) that can burn during crashes.

Making electric cars more competitive with gas-powered ones will require a breakthrough battery that overcomes those shortcomings. That, at least, is the argument of Jagdeep Singh, chief executive of QuantumScape, a Silicon Valley startup that claims to have developed just such a technology. The company says it did so by solving a chemistry puzzle: how to use lithium to boost the amount of energy that can be packed into a battery without posing a routine risk of fire or otherwise weakening performance. The company says it achieved this by developing a solid version of the flammable (易燃的) liquid electrolyte.

In an online presentation in December, QuantumScape displayed a series of charts showing that a single-layer lab version of the battery can be charged to more than 80% of its capacity in 15 minutes, last for hundreds of thousands of miles, and work fine at freezing temperatures. The company expects the batteries to be able to boost electric vehicles’ range by more than 80%: a car that can go 250 miles on a single charge today could drive 450 miles instead.

Indeed, the battery field is littered with examples of startups that promised breakthrough technologies but ultimately failed. And the challenges ahead of QuantumScape are enormous, particularly when it comes to turning its samples into commercial products that can be produced cheaply.

If the company succeeded, it could transform the EV marketplace. Cutting costs, boosting the range, and making charging convenient enough could broaden demand beyond people who can afford charging ports at home, and ease the anxieties of those who fear being left on longer trips.

1. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the first paragraph?

A．The high cost of electric vehicles.	B．The complaints of vehicle consumers.
C．The disadvantages of present batteries.	D．The inconvenience of charging cars.

2. What does Jagdeep Singh think of electric cars?

A．They consume more energy than gas-powered ones.

B．They should reduce performance to avoid the risk of fire.

C．They have gained an advantage over gas-powered ones now.

D．They need technology improvement in batteries’ performance.

3. How did QuantumScape present its achievement?

A．By showing lab data online.

B．By testing the battery capacity on site.

C．By challenging the previous range record.

D．By displaying the working principles of electric cars.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards QuantumScape’s breakthrough?

A．Dismissive.

B．Objective.

C．Doubtful.

D．Positive.

3 . A new Chinese app called “Miao A” or “Seconds” allows celebrities to sell their time to fans by the second. The app describes itself as the first time-trading platform that helps fans get access to their favorite celebrities.

The company buys time from stars or their agents and then sells it in one-second packets to the public. The platform charges a 3% service fee on all exchanges. An average month sees an exchange of 300 to 400 million Yuan worth of celebrities’ time.

China’s growing fan economy is the primary driver of Miao A, as every second can be cashed in for celebrity interactions. The available content includes online chat, voice, social media replies, video recordings and even face-to-face meetings. For example, buying one second of your favorite celebrity’s time gets you one line in a text-based chat with them. A live voice or video call costs at least 600 seconds, and scheduling a face-to-face meeting with your idol requires the purchase of at least 7,200 seconds. Over 3 million celebrity seconds have been purchased so far.

Over 500 celebrities are featured on the app, including actors, models, show hosts, musicians, athletes, and even a professional “League of Legends” female gamer, who offers fans a chance to play with her. An Olympic speed skater offers skating lessons, and famous businessmen offer business advice.

Fans can also choose to trade their celebrity seconds in an open exchange similar to a stock market, with trading hours set from Monday to Saturday. It is this aspect of the app that has raised concern among legal experts. Representatives of the app have responded to concerns, saying that they had introduced further measures to manage the burgeoning market, such as capping(限额)the maximum percentage that a second’s price can increase from its starting price.

Despite the critical media coverage, many users were impressed by s Miao A and the opportunities it provides for loyal fans. “This trading platform is too fantastic,” one reader wrote, and another commented, “Well, time is money.”

1. Which of the following available contents may cost most?

A．A short online chat.	B．A social media reply.
C．A video recording.	D．A face-to-face meeting.

2. What are some legal experts concerned about?

A．Only several celebrities are on the app.

B．More and more seconds are being purchased.

C．Fans can make a profit by trading the seconds.

D．The trading hours last from Monday to Saturday.

3. What does the underlined word “burgeoning” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Threatening.

B．Growing.

C．Rushing.

D．Attracting.

4. Why are the readers’ words mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To show the influence of Miao A.

B．To attract more attention to Miao A.

C．To instruct people how to use Miao A.

D．To show people’s dissatisfaction with Miao A.