1 . Many philosophers and psychologists have argued that empathy (共情) is a natural characteristic, hard-wired into our genes and brains. The reasoning goes that each of us has a “level” of empathy and—like our adult height—we’re stuck there for life. This is all well and good if you’re already empathetic, but also means that if you struggle with empathy, you’ll never improve no matter how hard you try.
Thankfully, this view is incomplete. Through the right practices, such as diverse friendships and even fiction reading, we can grow our empathy on purpose. Empathy is something like a muscle: left unused, it weakens; put to work, it grows.
No emotion is always useful, and that goes for empathy as well. This is especially true for nurses, doctors and other caregivers. These individuals are driven to their work by a deep desire to help others. Patients of empathetic doctors are more satisfied with their care. However, when healthcare professionals care too much, they are at high risk of burnout, tiredness and depression from over-empathizing with others’ suffering.
Some psychologists, including myself, are now exploring how people in these professions might empathize in more sustainable ways. For example, empathetic concern-—feeling for someone—is distant from emotional empathy—feeling as someone else does. If they can develop concern instead, for example, they can care without falling apart.
In another set of studies conducted with Carol Dweek, a Stanford professor of psychology, we found that merely believing empathy is a skill that can be developed inspired people to try harder at it. For instance, people who were encouraged to have a “growth mindset” around empathy, as compared to a fixed mindset, spent more time listening to the suffering of someone of another race and more energy towards trying to understand the opinions of someone from a different part of the political divide.
1. What view do many philosophers and psychologists have about empathy?| A．It grows when practiced often. |
| B．It is a result of individual experiences. |
| C．It is inborn and difficult to develop. |
| D．It varies depending on one’s upbringing. |
| A．Develop their emotional empathy. |
| B．Try to erase their patients’ concern. |
| C．Care for their patients as much as possible. |
| D．Work on improving their empathetic concern. |
| A．If they believe that empathy is flexible. |
| B．If they are given enough attention. |
| C．If they listen to the identical political views. |
| D．If they suffer racial discrimination. |
| A．Understanding yourself more. | B．Feeling for others. |
| C．Exploring genes and emotions. | D．Repairing broken relationships. |
China’s space station, Tiangong, is not only a symbol of national pride
In the past few decades, with the scientific development, we
The station offers
As Tiangong continues to welcome international partners, people throughout the world are amazed
In the small town of Elmsworth, there lived a boy named Daniel, who was often overshadowed by his more outgoing siblings（兄弟姐妹）. He was quiet and thoughtful, preferring the company of books to that of people. Yet, deep inside, there was a burning desire to prove himself, to step out of the shadows and into the light.
One day, a golden opportunity presented itself when his school announced a public speaking competition, an opportunity that Daniel knew he had to seize. The competition represented not just an academic challenge but a personal one. It was a chance to remove his self-doubts and show his true abilities to himself and others. But the thought of standing alone on a stage filled him with fear, a terrible feeling that always kept him in the shadows Daniel didn't tell his mother the news of the speaking competition when he got home after school that day. But his mother sensed his hesitation and pain. Instead of suggesting anything, she took him for a walk in the woods just beyond their backyard. There, among the towering trees, she showed him a tiny acorn（橡子）lying in the soil. “This small acorn,” she bent down and said, “has the potential to become a powerful oak（橡树）. It will push through the soil, fighting against the darkness seeking the light. It's the same with you, Daniel. The strength to grow, to reach for the sky, is already within you.” She paused, allowing the words to sink into his heart, her gaze filled with the belief that he too could achieve greatness.
Daniel looked at the acorn, then at his mother, and felt a spark of determination. It was as if the tiny acorn had whispered to his soul, “You too can rise above the ordinary.” With a newfound sense of purpose, he knew he would face the competition with the same strength that the acorn would one day display as a towering oak.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
With renewed courage, Daniel began to prepare for the competition.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
The day of the competition arrived.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Ever since Neil Alden Armstrong took one small step onto the moon, moon dust has proved to be a messy problem for astronauts, gathering on their spacesuits and being difficult to clean off. Scientists have come up with a new solution to this problem.
For their experiment, researchers dressed Barbie dolls in spacesuits constructed of materials similar to what NASA uses. Then they covered the spacesuits these dolls wore with a moon dust replacement — volcanic ash, collected from the 1980 eruption of nearby Mount Saint Helens in America, which is similar to moon dust. Then the team sprayed (喷) the dolls with liquid nitrogen (氮) to test how well liquid nitrogen could remove moon dust from the spacesuits.
They found that spraying the spacesuit-wearing dolls with liquid nitrogen not only removed more than 98% of the moon dust replacement but also caused little to no damage to the spacesuit material. This proved to be a better solution than the traditional method: Apollo programme astronauts would use brushes to wipe off moon dust from their spacesuits, which would eventually severely damage the material.
Not only is moon dust annoyingly clingy (黏附的) , but coming into contact with it can prove harmful to human cells and can lead to an illness that causes watery eyes, a sore throat and sneezing. “Moon dust is harmful, and it gets everywhere,” said Ian Wells, head of the research team. “It can work its way into spacesuits and make them unusable. It can also have a negative impact on astronauts’ lungs. That’s not exactly something astronauts would want to deal with while conducting an already risky mission to the moon.”
Ian Wells’s team presented their findings to NASA as part of their upcoming mission to the moon and they won the space agency’s Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge.
“We used the doll primarily because it’s a one-sixth-scale person,” Wells said. “However, it was also chosen as the Artemis mission, aiming to send the first woman to the moon.”
1. What’s the new solution to the moon dust on spacesuits?| A．Wiping it off with brushes. | B．Changing the material of spacesuits. |
| C．Covering spacesuits with volcanic ash. | D．Spraying liquid nitrogen on spacesuits. |
| A．It costs much less. | B．It uses devices easier to carry. |
| C．It almost does no harm to spacesuits. | D．It is friendlier to the space environment. |
| A．Its research value. | B．Its severe harmfulness. |
| C．Its physical feature. | D．Its formation process. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Supportive. |
5 . A Century of Change
The last 100 years have seen major transformations in news reporting. Print newspapers dominated the early 1900s, but in November 1922, the dawn (曙光) of radio news arrived when the BBC launched its first daily radio service. It marketed itself as news by and for social elites (精英).
In 2016, we witnessed an important moment for the news landscape. Following a US election dogged by dishonesty and misinformation spread largely on social media, Oxford Dictionaries announced “post-truth” as its international word of the year.
With so much information at our fingertips, the considerable volume of news can be irresistible. Besides, there is increasing uncertainty about what is true and what is not. So it is no wonder that recent years have seen the birth of the “slow journalism” movement, which was first coined in 2007 by Susan Greenberg.
| A．However, that can be dangerous. |
| B．Frequency of the word’s usage rose by 2,000 per cent that year. |
| C．Besides, it required broadcasters to use “received pronunciation”. |
| D．The creation of the World Wide Web in the 1990s changed things again. |
| E．So, the mark of a good story was how soon it was told after it happened. |
| F．It invites us to slow down and pay attention to what’s happening around us. |
| G．People still mainly rely on newspapers for local information. |
6 . When it comes to work, every one of us could be under pressure such as tight deadlines, busy work schedules, low salaries, etc.
Build your self-confidence. A successful person is the one who does not let one failure stop him or her from moving forward. Therefore, do not feel down when you are facing a failure in the workplace.
Do not fear gossip (流言蜚语).
Don’t be upset. Just ignore what they say about your failures because there are some people who try to make others feel down even though they make thousands of mistakes themselves. What you need to do is learn from your mistakes.
Treat each failure as an opportunity. Learn to admit your shortcomings, as this is the only way that you can avoid being affected by failures. Treat the failure as an opportunity that is given to you to adjust your style of working.
| A．Promise what you can deliver. |
| B．Cheer up, learn from it and move forward. |
| C．And sometimes, you may even face failures or criticism. |
| D．You may have been criticized by your leader for your mistakes. |
| E．Listen to their experiences and learn how they handled their failures. |
| F．And keep in mind that every failure teaches you to become a better person. |
| G．If you are unable to complete a project, find out the reasons behind the failure. |
7 . Camping in New York’s State Parks
Reservation & Rental Fees·Reservation Fee: $7.25.
·Campsite Rate: $15 per night. Out-of-state residents will pay an extra $5 per night for campsites.
Cancellations·Cancelling 8 days or more before arrival: The costs you are expected to cover include the reservation fee $7.25 plus the cancellation fee $7.25.
·Cancelling 7 days or less before arrival: The costs you are expected to cover include the reservation fee $7.25 and the cancellation fee $7.25, plus the fee of the first night’s campsites.
General Rules and Information·Reservations can be made 9 months in advance. Same-day reservations will be allowed until 3 pm on the day of arrival.
·Check In: 3 pm. The sites must be registered by 9 pm on the first night of the reservation.
·Check Out: Campers must leave their sites no later than 11 am on the day of leaving.
·14 continuous nights at most per stay.
·Rubbish must be placed in trash bags. Too much rubbish on sites may result in fees charged to the permit holder.
Camper Assistance Programme (CAP)CAP volunteers serve in various ways.
·Welcoming campers and helping enrich their camping experience.
·Familiarizing campers with park programmes and rules.
·Checking facilities.
CAP volunteers serve for at least two or at most four weeks. They are on duty for five days per week, including weekends and holidays. In return for their service, they receive a free camping site during their duty. Additional campers who come with the volunteer can enjoy the same treatment.
1. How much should an out-of-state resident pay if he cancels two days before check-in?| A．$7.25. | B．$14.5. | C．$29.5. | D．$34.5. |
| A．Booking a site in advance. | B．Paying for the removal of rubbish. |
| C．Arranging for an early morning checkin. | D．Checking out before 11 am when leaving. |
| A．They are required to take a helper. | B．They are expected to examine facilities. |
| C．They must work for at least four weeks. | D．They need to organise park programmes. |
8 . Humans make decisions using statistical information every day. For example, we weigh the likelihood of various factors when deciding what to bet in card games.
However, humans aren’t alone in using statistical inferences in decision-making. Until now, human cousins like monkeys and also some birds have been identified as the only animals to show evidence of reasoning based on probability and statistics, which requires advanced mental power. These animals have large brains relative to their body size, which is often associated with high intelligence.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona oppugned such statements and suspected that an animal with a small brain relative to its body size could perform statistical reasoning as well.
Giraffes were an ideal choice. But researchers had a concern: When we choose a checkout line at a grocery store, we typically just count the number of people in each line, not weighing the probability. Statistical reasoning is quite distinct from basic counting. Giraffes have already exhibited an ability to perform quantity discrimination, being able to tell a larger number of items from a smaller number, which poses a challenge for the researchers to confirm their suspicion.
So the research team settled on a special approach where they started with a mixture of carrots the animal desires along with zucchinis (密生西葫芦) they dislike and varied the number and proportion (比例) of both items.
The researchers placed different proportions of carrots and zucchinis into two plastic containers to test whether the giraffes could predict a higher likelihood of receiving a carrot. Each test consisted of 20 trials in which a researcher selected a piece of food from each container without showing it to the giraffes. The giraffes then touched the hand they wanted to eat from, using only the information they had from the containers.
In the first test, where one container had 20 carrots and 80 zucchinis and another had go carrots and 20 zucchinis, each giraffe chose the hand that had a higher probability of holding a carrot at least 17 times. In the following two tests, the proportion of carrots and zucchinis was changed. Yet again the giraffes chose correctly.
The combined results indicated that the researchers’ idea held water.
1. What can be inferred in paragraph 2?| A．Statistical reasoning is unique to humans. |
| B．Animals with larger bodies have larger brains. |
| C．Large animals are smart enough to perform reasoning. |
| D．Brain size is positively related to intelligence. |
| A．Declared. | B．Questioned. | C．Explained. | D．Applauded. |
| A．To test the giraffes’ ability to perform basic counting. |
| B．To determine whether giraffes prefer carrots or zucchinis. |
| C．To rule out the effect of giraffes’ quantity discrimination. |
| D．To observe the giraffes’ behavior in different situations. |
| A．Giraffes are capable of statistical reasoning. |
| B．Giraffes’ sense of proportion is relatively limited. |
| C．Giraffes rely on visual information to make food choices. |
| D．Giraffes’ food preferences can be changed through training. |
9 . We live in an interruption-based culture that can be damaging to productivity. Most of the time, information from electronic devices only adds to the distraction. Here are some tips to help you increase your focus and complete the things that count:
Turn off the distractions. Actively checking for information may distract you from work. Consider checking email only four times per day and handling each inquiry only once. Try to control your devices, instead of having that technology control you.
Get comfortable.
Set smaller goals. Big goals may be great for motivational speeches.
Take a walk.
| A．Put first things first. |
| B．Commit yourself to complete your task. |
| C．Achieving small goals can lead you to success. |
| D．This means something different for different people. |
| E．This may help reduce distractions and increase your focus. |
| F．However, they don’t help anyone focus on getting important things done. |
| G．Standing up and getting away from the office can help increase your focus. |
10 . Many people have a too rosy view of the beverage and are surprised when confronted with the facts about it on a nutrition label, according to our recent study.
Right now, people usually think of red wine as a “virtue” rather than a “vice”, thanks to popular belief about its health benefits. But requiring nutrition labels, which are currently voluntary, could change those views.
In our experimental research, which included nearly 800 participants, we found that American consumers aren’t used to seeing nutrition information on wine labels, and most are surprised by what they read since they don’t associate wine with calories, carbohydrates and sugar. People who were prompted to read labels viewed wine as less healthy than they did beforehand, and they were less likely to buy it.
We also found that people are more surprised by the sugar content of sweeter wines, such as Moscato, than by the number of calories. Sweet wines, in particular, may contain more sugar than consumers realize.
Nutrition labels don’t need to be bad news for the wine industry. Wine sales have recently declined among those aged 60 and younger, and greater transparency in labeling could help rekindle young consumers’ interest. Millennial and Gen Z consumers may especially appreciate clearer labels, since they could help them view wine as less mysterious and more accessible. They may also allow them to fit an occasional glass of wine into their personal health goals.
What’s more, there’s been a recent trend toward wine packaging including labels like “organic” and “sustainable”, which may appeal to consumers’ preference for sustainability. These labels have less to do with nutrition than with manufacturers trying to appear eco-friendly—but makers of natural wine would likely benefit most from offering nutrition information.
And there’s still more to learn about how nutrition labels affect behavior. Studies have shown mixed results, but on the whole, labeling appears to make people cut their calorie intake somewhat. Still, the U. S. put nutrition labels on foods in the 1990s, and that hasn’t stopped the obesity rate from rising.
1. What can be learned from the study?| A．People used to regard wine as a vice. |
| B．Wine labeling confirms wine as a virtue. |
| C．Nutrition labels go against the will of the public. |
| D．Nutrition labels change people’s views on red wine. |
| A．Wine stores. | B．The government. |
| C．Mass customers. | D．Natural wine producers. |
| A．The benefits of wine labeling. | B．Policy changes on wine labeling. |
| C．The downside of wine labeling. | D．People’s attitudes toward wine labeling. |
| A．To show their positive effect on behavior. |
| B．To give an example of changes on food labels. |
| C．To illustrate the serious obesity problem in America. |
| D．To present their uncertain impact on customers’ behavior. |
