1 . How to prevent stress from turning into depression

A few years ago, I had a bad day at work. My boss and I disagreed on a major financial investment and the conversation escalated.     1     And I took those comments personally. The good news is that there are ways to prevent feelings of discomfort from turning into depression.

Change the scene

Go outside, go to the bathroom, call a friend, take a few deep breaths. I didn’t realize I had done this after my fight with my boss.     2     Just noticing the trees and the birds around me got me out of my head.

Recount what happened

    3     This can help discover what is exactly giving you depression and remember the details you may have overlooked that can add to the situation. Do this with a friend, a family member, a therapist, or even yourself. You can also talk out loud as you walk your dog.

Name your emotions

As you describe what happened, name your emotions. For example, instead of saying you simply feel “bad,” maybe you actually feel “indifferent.” I turned to a therapist to help me unpack my fight with my boss. She helped me realize that it wasn’t my boss or the argument that was making me upset, but the feeling of being dismissed and made to feel small.     4    

Identify your causes

Examine what gives you discomfort. For example, if you have terrible road rage, you may have a conversation with yourself about it. You might ask yourself. Why am I prone to being so angry on the road? Is it because I am in a rush? Or is it because I hate sitting in traffic?     5     To avoid being rushed, maybe leave the house a half hour early. To avoid traffic, ask your boss if you can work from home a couple times a week.

So now, when I find myself in this circumstance, I tell the other person that I need time and space to consider their feedback. And that I’ll come back to them when I’m ready. This helps me feel more in control of my feelings.

A．Then, find ways to improve the situation.

B．Go over your situation again and create a narrative.

C．That allowed me to see a different perspective on the issue.

D．I had trouble sleeping and focusing, and I felt like I was on high alert.

E．They criticized me and said that I just didn’t have enough experience.

F．When you are not feeling good, your body is trying to tell you something.

G．After our argument, I left the office immediately and went for a long walk.

2 . Getting the best deal

Bargaining is a difficult process. The buyer wants to purchase a product at its minimum price while the seller wants to maximize the potential for profit.     1    , and thus it is in the best interest of buyers to strategize exactly how they will convince sellers to lower their prices.

First, buyers should assume that the price tag represents the starting point of negotiations, not the final word on the matter. Buyers should begin by asking the salesperson whether any sales or discounts will soon be advertised.     2    , the salesperson probably will not volunteer to give one to them. Salespeople often work on commission, so it is frequently to their advantage to hide this information from their customers.

Second, buyers need to find out whether the seller has lowered prices in the past and, if SO, by how much.     3    , he or she can request a similar price. This step in the bargaining 2 process requires perseverance, but it can pay off financially. Also, it is important that buyers never let sellers know that they need their products because the seller is then less likely to lower the price.

Finally, buyers must be patient     4    , as buyers must collect a good deal of information about the product. Sometimes buyers might need to purchase a product at a more expensive price sim ply because they do not have the time necessary to shop further. The buyer’s time is important, too, and sometimes it is worth spending extra money if he or she needs the item immediately. However, sometimes simply by waiting for two weeks or two months, the buyer will save a considerable amount of money.     5    .

A．Even if customers really want the item

B．If customers do not request a special deal

C．Looking for bargains takes time and energy

D．It can be worthwhile to wait under these circumstances

E．The desires of the buyer and the seller oppose each other

F．Buyers must be prepared to walk away from an item when bargaining

G．If the buyer learns that the seller has offered discounts to other customers

3 . Is nearby neighbor better than a faraway cousin? An American lady, Anna Lane, believes it’s true. Her kind neighbors once helped her out when she was in a big trouble.

Mrs. Lane was living alone in a city in Texas, US. The woman is 75 and still could do a lot of housework herself. However, she was too old to cut the grass in her garden. Then a big trouble found her. The grass in her garden grew more than 18 inches high and it broke the law in her city. As a result, she was in danger of paying lots of money!

Luckily, her neighbors, the Adams brothers, heard the news about her on TV. They decided to do something to help her. “We haven’t met her yet, but she’s 75 years old and she needs some help,” said Sam Adams, one of the boys. “That’s the least we could do.”

The Adams brothers took their machines and came to Mrs. Lane’s house to help cut the grass without telling her. Once they got started, other neighbors saw what was going on and joined them.

Together they worked hard in the sun and finished cutting all the grass in about two hours. When Mrs. Lane saw what her neighbors did for her, she was surprised and moved to tears. “I cannot believe this,” she said “They were so kind to spend two hours helping me and I didn’t even know their names.” As for the Adams brothers, they said they would always be ready to help her.

1. What can we know about Mrs. Lane?

A．She was 70 years old.	B．She could do little housework.
C．She was living with her children.	D．She could not cut her grass by herself.

2. Why was Mrs. Lane in danger of paying lots of money?

A．She broke the education law in her city.

B．The grass in her garden was more than 18 inches high.

C．The news about her on TV was made by her.

D．She didn’t pay enough money to her neighbors.

3. Who cut the grass?

A．The Adams brothers.	B．Sam Adams and Mrs. Lane.
C．The Adams brothers and Mrs. Lane.	D．The Adams brothers and other neighbors.

4. How long did it take them to finish mowing the whole lawn?

A．For about two hours.

B．For about 18 hours.

C．For about 70 hours.

D．For about 75 hours.

5. What do you think of Mrs. Lane’s neighbors?

A．Warm-hearted.

B．Cold-blooded.

C．Well-educated.

D．Bad-tempered.

4 . Double rainbows are one thing, but a double aurora (极光)? They can happen, though some kinds are rare. One particular red-and-green aurora is especially confusing. Now, images taken by amateur astronomers may help reveal its secrets.

Citizen scientists living in Canada and Finland used cameras to document an unusual combination of auroras in the night sky. Physicists have studied those images to learn what may have caused the unusual light show.

Alan Dyer was outside his home in Strathmore, Canada, when the dancing Northern Lights caught his attention. He grabbed his camera and started filming. "I knew I had something interesting," says Dyer. At first glance, the double aurora looks like a floating slice of watermelon. The green aurora is well-understood. The fruity looking red st rip is more mysterious. Scientists have known about these red auroras for decades. But there's no agreement on how they form. One idea is that Earth's magnetic field can heat up certain areas of the atmosphere. That heat could knock particles (粒子) around, like in proton (质子) rain.

Researchers had seen these two types of auroras occur together before. But it was always mysterious, says Toshi Nishimura, a space physicist at Boston University. After looking at satellite observations along with the images taken by Dyer and others, Nishimura and his team concluded how the two phenomena might be related. The key is the thin rays in the red aurora. They mark the paths of electrons falling through the Earth's magnetic field. That means electron rain appears to cause the red aurora, just as proton rain causes the green one. Both get powered by the solar wind. But the electrons carry less energy than the protons, so they make for a more reddish color.

Electron rain might not be the only way to produce the stable red auroras, though. The results show that what's going on is more complicated than researchers had thought. The auroras Dyer saw could be danger zones for radio communication and GPS systems, says Nishimura.

The citizen scientists who took the photos were a critical part of the new findings, Nishimura says.

1. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A news report on astronomic discoveries.

B．A blog about sky phenomena.

C．A review of aurora research.

D．A brochure of aurora tours.

2. What can be inferred about red auroras?

A．They are fully understood by scientists.

B．They were first spotted by Alan Dyer.

C．They are related to Earth's magnetic field.

D．They are generated from proton rain.

3. What may affect the color of the aurora?

A．The path it travels along.	B．The energy particles carry.
C．The wavelength of rays.	D．The source of solar wind.

4. What does the author indicate by mentioning Alan Dyer's example?

A．Photography drives scientific research.

B．The double aurora is a threat to GPS system.

C．Satellite observations lead to aurora discoveries.

D．Citizen scientists help explain the double aurora.

5 . STEM Competitions for Students
NSTA ExploraVision

Are you interested in what the future holds? Consider Explora Vision’s STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics) competition. Working in teams of two to four, students will research a particular technology and assess the ways in which it may impact lives moving forward. Participants are required to write a paper and draw web pages communicating their vision.

Grades: 7th-9th and 10th-12th

Competition Type: Regional and national

eCyberMission

You can participate in this competition without leaving the house. eCyberMission is a web-based con test in which participants — working in teams of two to four students — use science, math and technology to solve problems facing their communities. First-place winners receive $1,000.

Grades:9th

Competition Type: Regional, state and national

TEAMS Competition

Held annually, TEAMS invites students to use their engineering talent to contribute to the community. Working in groups of two to four students, participants complete real-life engineering challenges. The competition includes multiple-choice questions, an essay and a design-build component.

Grades: 9th-12th

Competition Type: State and national

The Conrad Challenge

In this challenge, participants work in teams of two to five students to develop products or services in response to key issues facing people around the world. The Conrad Challenge empowers students to take control of their learning and apply it to real-life situations. Winners are eligible (有资格的) for scholarships, patent assistance and aid in creating companies.

Grades: 9th-12th

Competition Type: International

1. What does NSTA Explora Vision’s STEM competition focus on?

A．Engineering innovation.

B．Students’ paper writing skills.

C．New technology shaping the future.

D．Students’ ability in web page design.

2. What do the four STEM competitions have in common?

A．Winners will get a big cash prize.

B．They are all national competitions.

C．Participants are required to work in teams.

D．Participants must solve real-life problems.

3. Which competition involves foreign students?

A．NSTA ExploraVision.	B．eCvberMission.
C．TEAMS Competition.	D．The Conrad Challenge.

6 . Humor can help you connect with other people and make unpleasant situations more bearable. There are things you can do to make yourself and others laugh.

Read more

Get your hands on everything that is funny.     1    . Hopefully, reading good jokes might inspire you to start making up your own jokes. When reading them, try to analyse the elements that make them good jokes.

Be observant

While knowing a lot can increase your ability for humor, there’s no substitute for seeing a lot. Look for the humor in everyday situations.     2    .

Learn from funny people

Whether they’re professional comedians, your parents or your friends, learning from funny people in your life is a key step to being funny yourself.     3    . Keep a note of some of the funny things they say or do. This will help you develop a toolbox of techniques you can use to be funny.

    4    

Different things make different people laugh. When you’re in a group of people you don’t know, listen to what subjects they’re talking about and what’s making them laugh. The better you know them, the easier it will be to make them laugh.

Trust in your inner sense of humor

Being funny doesn’t come in a “one-size-fits-all” package. What makes you funny is unique to you and the way you observe the world. Trust that you do have a funny bone.     5     — you just need to bring it out.

A．It’s already in you

B．Know your audience

C．Make different people laugh

D．Look for what you admire most in them

E．There are a lot of funny things in comedies

F．You’ll become funnier by reading and practicing jokes

G．The unnoticed humor right before your eyes often has the most effect

7 . Living a healthy lifestyle is all about choosing to make healthy choices each day. Here are some tips on how to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Set specific and actionable goals to improve your health. When you have specific goals you want to achieve, you’ll be more motivated to implement (实施) healthy changes in your life.     1     And then set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound to better guarantee your success.

    2     It’s no secret that healthy eating is one of the keys to achieving a healthy lifestyle. When you follow a healthy diet, you reduce your risk for obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancers. Healthy eating can also improve your mood and make you happier.

Make a conscious effort to drink enough water throughout the day. Just like nutritious foods, water is essential to keeping your body healthy.     3     For adults, drinking around 13 cups of water a day is enough, but this amount can vary depending on your age, weight, environment, and physical activity level.

Aim for at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night.     4     It helps you maintain a healthy weight, and improve your overall mood. Most adults need at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night, and children need 8 to 13 hours depending on how old they are.

Find a type of physical activity that’s enjoyable for you. The benefits of physical activities are endless. Doing physical activities lowers your risk of things like stroke and high blood pressure, helps you lose weight, and improves your cognitive (认知的) function. .     5    

A．Consult the doctor about your physical condition.

B．Choose nutritious foods and create a well-balanced diet.

C．Identify what parts of your lifestyle you want to improve.

D．Choose activities that make you feel happy and confident.

E．Water benefits your digestion and keeps you from getting thirsty.

F．What’s more, being active can improve your overall mental health.

G．A good night’s sleep is good for your health and attention during the day.

8 . Gorgeous Mother’s Day Gift

If you’re stuck for a Mother’s Day gift, why not try something that tugs at the heartstrings? A company that specialises in turning life stories into long-lasting books has developed a simple way to show your mother or grandmother how much they mean to you.

The company has created a full-colour book that captures all your family memories. And it’s a gift that can be enjoyed over and over again by future generations. The company sends you a set of questions by email, and these help you make a personalised book that’s unique to your parent or grandparent

This hardbound (精装的) book is a bargain compared to a private autobiography, which can cost thousands of pounds and take ages to finish.

The company was started by two siblings. After their dad died young and they saw their grandma struggle with Alzheimer’s, they wanted to find a way to save life stories before it was too late. When you buy a photo book, the company will give some money to the Alzheimer’s Society charity. They help you make the book and keep your stories safe until it’s printed.

The photo book costs £149, but you can pay £50 more to get an extra copy for your family and friends. If the person who gets the book doesn’t like it, they can get their money back in 30 days.

As a cheaper alternative, you could get an £11. 99 scrapbook from the Internet and put your own pictures in it to save money. The company also sells different kinds of photo books, like the Mini Hardback Photo Book which is now only £20. 80, down from £26.

1. What does the company create?

A．The Alzheimer’s Society charity.	B．A photo book of family memories.
C．Someone’s private oral biography.	D．A personal story unique to each people.

2. What motivated the founders of the company?

A．Their concern for their family.	B．The popularity of family stories.
C．Their grandmother’s dying wish.	D．Their desire to cure Alzheimer’s.

3. How much will you spend on two copies of the book from the company?

A．£149.

B．£160. 99.

C．£199.

D．£257. 79.

9 . Digital reading appears to be destroying habits of “deep reading”. Amazing numbers of people with year of schooling are in effect illiterate (不识字的). Admittedly, some people have been complaining about new media since 1492, but today’s complaints have an evidential basis, Ljubljana Reading Manifesto says, “The digital area may lead to more reading than ever in history, but it also offers many attractions to read in a shallow and scattered (碎片化的) manner — or even not to read at all. This increasingly endangers higher-level reading.”

Digital literacy has changed reading. When you read a book on paper, you can be entirely inside the experience, absorbing hundreds of pages to capture the world’s complexity. Online, says Maryanne Wolf of UCLA, we are “skimming, scanning, scrolling”. The medium is the message: doing deep reading on your phone is as hard as playing tennis with your phone. Recently, a bright 11-year-old told me I was wasting time on books: he absorbed more information faster from Wikipedia. He had a point. But digital readers also absorb more misinformation. And they seldom, absorb nuanced (微妙的) ideas.

In the white paper that underlies the Ljubljana Reading Manifesto, experts catalogue the passive parts of digital reading: “Recent studies of various kinds indicate a decline of... critical and conscious reading, slow reading, non-strategic reading and long-form reading.” In the 2021 international PISA survey, 49 percent of students agreed that “I read only if I have to”, 13 percentage points higher than in 2000.

As professors from Northwestern University foresaw in 2005, we are returning to the days when only an elite (精英的) “reading class” consumes long texts — despite more people spending longer in education and book sales remaining robust.

People who lose higher-level reading skills also lose thinking skills. That’s horrible, because “higher-level reading” has been essential to civilization. It enabled the Enlightenment, and an international rise in sympathy for people who aren’t like us.

1. What is the advantage of the digital reading?

A．It makes more people start to read widely.

B．It makes more people begin to think deeper.

C．It helps the young to make use of the Internet.

D．It helps people take advantage of their spare time.

2. What is Maryanne Wolf’s attitude towards digital reading?

A．Supportive.

B．Opposed.

C．Objective.

D．Unconcerned.

3. What can be inferred about the teens now according to paragraph 3?

A．Teens should change the critical and conscious reading.

B．Nearly half of the teens never read at all.

C．They don’t believe what the experts indicate.

D．The trend of reading books is increasingly declining.

4. Which statement is fit for the underlined word in paragraph 4?

A．More and more books are purchased.

B．It’s unnecessary for people to buy books.

C．More and more people like to visit the bookstores.

D．The sales of books keep still for a really long time.

10 . Orienteering (定向越野) involves running, jogging or walking, and using a map and compass to move between places. It’s a great way to have fun outdoors with friends and family. The aim is to move between points, called controls, in a certain order in the quickest time. Events are usually held in parks, fields or forests but they can also happen in towns and cities and even school playgrounds. People can take part either as individuals or as a team.

Beginners’ events will have easier controls to find and cover less distance — perhaps a mile or two. For experienced orienteers, the length of the course could be much longer and take in hills and rough ground.

Orienteers are given a “control description sheet” to help them find each point. This sheet has details of features to look for, like paths and rivers, and a code that must match the code at each control. You will either mark your sheet at each control or check in with an electronic card.

When you start orienteering, you will learn map-reading skills. A helpful tip is to keep your thumb on the spot that shows your location on the map. Keep it the right way round: the features in front of you on the ground should be in front of you on the map.

Orienteering maps can have five or six colors. Black areas show human features, like buildings; brown shows the contour (轮廓) lines (height of the land); and blue shows water, such as lakes and rivers. White and green together show woodlands; yellow areas represent grass and open areas. On orienteering maps, a course consists of a triangle, circles, a double circle and sometimes connecting lines. The triangle is the start, the double circle is the finish, and all the circles in between are checkpoints.

As you run between points by what you hope is the quickest route, you can take in the scenery around you and have a great time choosing your path and trying to finish in a fast time.

1. What can we learn about orienteering at the beginning of the text?

A．Its route is random.	B．Its result is distance-based.
C．It groups orienteers by age.	D．It integrates various skills.

2. Which aspect of orienteering does paragraph 3 mainly focus on?

A．Tricks of saving time.	B．The use of control description sheet.
C．Methods of checking in.	D．The importance of codes.

3. Why do orienteers keep their thumb on their location on the map?

A．To track progress.	B．To mark the finish point.
C．To maintain direction.	D．To highlight checkpoints.

4. What do the colors on an orienteering map represent?

A．Geographical features.	B．Difficulty levels.
C．Routes for competition.	D．Stages of the orienteering race.