1 . The Science of Recreational Fear

From peek-a-boo to Halloween haunted houses, research shows that recreational fear can teach us to face scary situations. The “paradox of horror” is that being scared, under the right circumstances, can be fun.     1    

Having fun with fear is an “extremely important tool for learning,” said Mathias Clasen, director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark. “We learn something about the dangers of the world. We learn something about our own responses: What does it feel like to be afraid? How much fear can I take?”

Horror movies have gotten more popular. And in one survey of more than 1,000 Americans, conducted by Clasen, 55% described themselves as horror fans.     2     Many people who would not consider themselves fans of fear enjoy true-crime podcasts and novels featuring violence and murder. Others may enjoy nature documentaries about top predators (捕食性动物) such as sharks and bears.

Even babies like being a little spooked (惊的). Peek-a-boo is “an infant jump scare,” Clasen said.     3     “I don’t think I’ve yet come across a person who did not enjoy some kind of recreational fear,” he said.

    4     It is a combination of an adrenaline (肾上腺素) rush and an opportunity to learn about dealing with scary situations in a safe environment, researchers say. When we are afraid, our endocrine system releases adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol to help prepare our body for physical action. We know the “Halloween” movie Michael Myers is not real, but our brain still responds as if he were a burning threat. One brain imaging study found that watching horror movies activates threat-response brain regions such as the amygdala (扁桃腺), prefrontal cortex and insula as if the danger were real.

After this rush, many people experience an uplifted mood. One study examined how 262 adults felt before and after they entered an extreme haunted house.     5     Brain recordings before and after showed that those whose mood improved had a smaller neural response to subsequent stressors, which is associated with the post-haunt high.

A．So why do we like it?

B．Fifty percent of people said they felt better after the visit.

C．And recreational fear, as it is rightly named, could benefit us, too.

D．Playing with fear helps us learn what our body does under pressure.

E．Horror, though, is not the only genre of what people find scary fun, he said.

F．We define recreational fear broadly as a mixed emotional experience of fear and enjoyment.

G．Classic childhood games of tag and hide-and-seek are just like the real scenes of predator vs. prey.

2 . Walter Benjamin, the German philosopher, once noted that boredom was the “dream bird that hatches the egg of experience”. However, the creative flights of fancy which often arise from having little to do are being killed off by social media, researchers argued. Viewing mindlessly through attention-grabbing posts and videos prevents “profound (深层的) boredom” that can drive people on to new passions or skills. Instead, people find themselves in a state of “superficial boredom”, which does not motivate creative thought.

Dr Timothy Hill, leader of the research team at the University of Bath, said, “The problem we observed was that social media can ease superficial boredom. But that also consumes time and energy, and may prevent people progressing to a state of profound boredom, where they might discover new passions. Profound boredom may sound like a negative concept but, in fact, it can be intensely positive if people are given the chance for undisturbed thinking and development.

Researchers interviewed 15 people during the pandemic (流行病), when boredom was more likely because of restrictions. Many described being trapped in regularly daily walks and watching television, with many turning to social media to pass the time. But although the participants said that social media provided a temporary escape from superficial boredom, it also appeared to exacerbate it, leaving them feeling they had wasted their time.

The pandemic was a painful and consuming experience for thousands of less fortunate people. But there are stories of those in lockdown who found new hobbies, careers or directions in life. Switching off devices could help people reach the state of boredom which pushes them on to new hobbies or achievements.

This research has given us a window to understand how the “always-on”, 24/7 culture and devices that promise an abundance of information and entertainment may be fixing our superficial boredom but are actually preventing us from finding more meaningful things.

1. Why are Walter Benjamin’s words mentioned?

A．To call for attention to the research on boredom.

B．To comment on the strategies to face loneliness.

C．To offer advice on developing creative thinking.

D．To clarify the problem caused by social media.

2. Which of the following may Dr Timothy Hill agree?

A．Profound boredom is of value.

B．Social media can fuel passions.

C．The research has some limitations.

D．Creative thought is easily disturbed.

3. What does the underlined word “exacerbate” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Avoid.	B．Break.
C．Inspire.	D．Worsen.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Why people enjoy boredom

B．How boredom helps kill time

C．Why being bored may be good for you

D．How social media blocks creative ideas

3 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

I like staying overnight at my Gramma’s house — that is, until Gramma starts telling me how wonderful my cousin Maya is. Then it’s Maya this and Maya that until I don’t ever want to hear another word about her.

That’s why I wasn’t too excited when Gramma called me on the phone to “come on over and bring your pajamas.” When I got there, it was worse than I’d expected. There, in Grandpa’s big leather rocker, sat Maya, all dressed up and formal-looking and wearing fancy shoes as if she’d just been to a party.

“Surprise, Kristen!” Gramma said. “Your cousin Maya and her parents have traveled in from the East Coast on business. Maya gets to stay with us this afternoon.” Gramma chattered away about how excited she’d been for this surprise get-together, and how cousins ought to get to know each other better.

I hung my baseball cap in the closet and set my backpack by the stairway, all the time smiling and nodding as if I’d been waiting forever for this chance to spend an afternoon with Maya. Grandpa’s chair squawked (咯咯叫) as Maya rocked back and forth. It’s the chair I like best in the house, the one I usually sit in. I sat down on the sofa across from her.

Shortly, Gramma went off to the kitchen to “see about some lunch,” she’d said. That left me stuck in the living room with rocking Maya.

She was still small but taller than I’d remembered her from her last visit four years ago. She was good at small talk, though, and was chatting away about how nice it was to see me again. But I could tell that she didn’t really think so. The last time she was here, we’d had hours of fun together building caves out of Gramma’s sofa pillows.

After that, I’d heard about her only through Gramma’s tales. Maya taking piano lessons. Maya learning math. Maya, Maya, Maya. Now Maya was here, looking great with the latest haircut and a fancy dress.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Glancing down at my jeans and my old sneakers, I wished I hadn’t come.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“How do you know all these things about me?” I asked.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . “Are you OK, Cassie?” Jonah asked, from the doorway of the Sea Holly Cafe.

Cassie had been sitting on a chair outside for the past 10 minutes, but not really taking in the beauty of the sea.

“Oh, I should be getting back to work.” She rose hurriedly.

“We’re not busy, take your time.” Jonah came with a cappuccino for her. “Thanks.” She accepted the coffee, “Everything’s fine.” Then Jonah nodded, revealing a comforting smile, and went back inside.

He was a great boss, but Cassie didn’t feel like telling him what was wrong.

Cassie had gone to study fine art hopefully but dropped out after only a year due to the unbearable homesickness. Since then, she hadn’t touched her paints for a whole year. Today was doomed to be a sad date, the anniversary of her exciting plans turning to dust. She felt a crushing sense of disappointment. In her painting, she had captured a good likeness of the cloudy sky and the reflection of the dying light upon the water, but the picture did have a sad, dreary (沉闷的) quality.

About 20 minutes later, she was shocked by a voice at her shoulder, “That’s beautiful.”

Cassie turned, and there was a woman wearing a blue coat. The woman eyed it again. “You have talent, but there is much sadness in it, for one so young.” Cassie’s eyes were filled with tears. “My name’s Willow,” the woman said kindly, “Why not try painting the sunrise instead, my dear? You might find it helps.”

With Willow’s words echoing in her brain, Cassie rose an hour earlier the next day, caught a bus to the beach and began to paint again.

When she finished, Jonah was just opening up. He picked the painting up and appreciated it at eye height. “Hey, this is good. It’s really —“For a moment he struggled for the word, then found it and turned to her, beaming, “Optimistic!”

In her picture the sun was powering into the sky, casting a clear, golden pathway across the sea.

1. Which of the following best explains “He was a great boss” underlined in paragraph 5?

A．Jonah offered a coffee to Cassie.

B．Jonah ran a successful cafe business.

C．Jonah figured out what was wrong with Cassie.

D．Jonah was considerate of Cassie’s emotional upset.

2. What led to Cassie’s low spirits?

A．That her paints were covered with dust.

B．That her homesickness was aroused again.

C．That her original plan was abandoned midway.

D．That her painting was full of a sorrowful and dull quality.

3. Why did Willow advise Cassie to paint the sunrise?

A．It was more beautiful.	B．It might cheer Cassie up.
C．It had artistic inspiration.	D．It made a difference to Willow.

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

A．The Sun Always Rises	B．Every Man Has Its Price
C．Strike While the Iron Is Hot	D．A Good Medicine Tastes Bitter

5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。
The Right Thing

My mother worked as a housekeeper and she was often given used toys as well as many other goodies by her clients. My elder sister and I always loved sharing the recycled books and board games brought home by my beloved mom, which we considered great gifts life presented us.

The long-awaited Christmas finally approached. One December day, an old model toy car arrived in the load of goods. It was as long as my forearm and took both hands to lift. My sister didn’t want it, so it was all mine. I immediately set down to wiping it clean and polishing it to a bright candy-apple red. It turned to be a thing of beauty, and I became overjoyed at possessing it. My elder sister was amazed at the newly-polished, refreshing toy car, with a hint of regret and envy in her eyes.

As was planned, our relatives from France came to visit us that Christmas. It was a time when the family bond got strengthened. I shared the prized toy car with Alex, my young French cousin. Eyes glued to it, he fell in love with the wonderful, shiny red automobile the instant he saw it. It was a rare moment to see him feeling so relieved and happy. He’d been unlucky so far in life, suffering severe, life-threatening illnesses as a child, leaving him mentally and physically stuck and the family starved of cash. Of course, such lovely toys like my dear model car were unreachable dreams for him.

Seeing Alex’s consuming thrill brought by the red car, I was seized by immense joy as well. But contrary to Alex’s excitement, a voice inside me constantly reminded, “Watch out! He’d keep it for himself.”, which got me faintly worried. I followed my cousin for fear of something.

My mother also noticed Alex’s fondness for the car. Approaching me, she asked gently in a low voice, “Would you like to give it to Alex?”

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Giving or keeping? I struggled with myself.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the moment of parting, my model car went with Alex.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Understanding Your Feelings Helps You Name And Tame (驯服) Them

We all experience various feelings all the time. Some of them feel great, some feel unpleasant, and it’s helpful to be able to recognize and understand how you’re feeling so you know how to deal with it.

    1     They can include anger, sadness, worry, loneliness and shame, as well as surprise, happiness, courage and hope, among many others.    2     All feelings are there to be felt and some can be more uncomfortable than others. It’s OK and natural to experience different emotions – and that includes emotions that might not feel nice.

To deal with your feelings you need to recognize what they are.     3     Are your fists clenched (攥紧)? Does it seem like there’s a knot in your stomach? Next, pay attention to what you’re thinking at this time.     4     Or are you thinking that you really don’t want to do something? Once you have identified how you’re feeling, you can label it by saying, for example, “I’m feeling angry” or “I’m feeling lonely” .

You can understand a difficult feeling and help yourselfto handle it.     5     If you’re upset about a difficult feeling, like “I’m feeling angry”, you might count to ten to calm down. Perhaps you notice “I’m feeling nervous”, and you might talk to someone about it. The person you talk to may be able to give you reassurance, more information, a different point of view, or even help you take action to deal with the cause of your difficult feeling.

A．Experts call this “name it to tame it” .

B．How can you deal with different feelings?

C．Perhaps you have the thought, “It’s not fair” .

D．Feelings are how people experience emotions.

E．First of all, notice what’s going on with your body.

F．They are shown through various body movements, to begin with.

G．Feelings are sometimes labelled as good or bad but that isn’t helpful.

7 . This morning, a former student sent me a message, telling me he is living a happy life. He said he often thinks of me and that he especially misses my _________ classes.

My thoughts went back to that shy, overweight boy who _________ to our school in his fifth grade. He was quiet and _________. Some of the boys teased him about his lack of _________ ability. When they played games, Gibby would often be left standing alone. Several times I went to the playground and asked to _________ a team. I would call out several _________ and then, around the fourth or fifth spot, I would call Gibby and a few others who never seemed to get _________ by their peers. My team may not have been the best, but we were the happiest and definitely the most _________ and loyal.

That spring I decided to give my students more _________. We began by running, but after one or two circles around the playground, Gibby would lag far behind, __________. However, after a month, he lost a few pounds and could __________ the group easier. Then we added floor exercises to the program. Gibby was still there, stretching and bending, lifting and kicking, as __________ as ever. He never gave up or made __________. Many students admired his __________ and in time, he gained confidence and began to smile and talk more. He was no longer the new kid.

Messages of this kind always call up sweet memories. Yes, as a (n) __________ teacher, I love all my students and help them become what they can be.

1.

A．literature

B．exercise

C．language

D．physics

2.

A．transferred

B．turned

C．applied

D．belonged

3.

A．careless

B．curious

C．friendly

D．withdrawn

4.

A．logical

B．expressive

C．athletic

D．calculating

5.

A．join

B．make

C．coach

D．inspect

6.

A．names

B．numbers

C．teachers

D．helpers

7.

A．abandoned

B．promoted

C．caught

D．selected

8.

A．modest

B．creative

C．committed

D．respected

9.

A．encouragement

B．training

C．concern

D．assistance

10.

A．out of breath

B．out of sight

C．out of practice

D．out of shape

11.

A．get along with

B．put up with

C．fit in with

D．keep up with

12.

A．flexible

B．relaxed

C．enthusiastic

D．intelligent

13.

A．mistakes

B．excuses

C．changes

D．comments

14.

A．determination

B．potential

C．optimism

D．competence

15.

A．ambitious

B．professional

C．confident

D．caring

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

We’ve all heard that laughter is the     1     (good) medicine, and it’s true. Laughter makes you feel better and it’s also good     2     your relationships. Laughter brings people closer, and is a     3     (power) tool for making you relax when feelings are running high. Whether with your friends and family, or co-workers, you can learn to use humor     4     (solve) disagreements, lower everyone’s stress levels, and communicate in a way that deepens the relationships.

Humor plays     5     important role in all kinds of relationships. In new relationships, humor can be a useful tool not just for attracting the other person but also for getting over any awkwardness (尴尬)     6     (arise) when we get to know each other. In old relationships, humor can keep things more exciting and fresher.

Sharing the pleasure of humor     7     (create) a sense of closeness and connection between two people—    8     (quality) that are signs of strong and successful relationships. When you laugh with one another, you create a positive relationship between you,     9     acts as a strong buffer (缓冲剂) against stress, disagreements and disappointments in your relationship. And laughter is spreading—just hearing someone laugh often makes you smile     10     (happy) and join in the fun.

9 . “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention,” Frank Sinatra chanted in his 1969 hit “My Way”. The song’s idea is attractive: that anyone can just declare what’s done is done and move on. Some take the declaration a step further and claim they have no regrets at all. Whether a boast or an actual attitude, “no regrets” suggests that life can and should be lived without looking through the rear-view mirror.

Easier said than done, though. In 2020, author Daniel H. Pink launched the World Regret Survey, the largest ever survey on the topic. With his research team, Pink asked more than 15,000 people in 105 countries, “How often do you look back on your life and wish you had done things differently?” 82% said regret is at least an occasional part of their life; roughly 21% said they feel regret “all the time.” Only 1% said they never feel regret.

If you are of the “no regrets” type, you might think that all this regret is a recipe for unhappiness. But that isn’t the case. True, being overwhelmed by regret is indeed bad for you. But going to the other extreme may be even worse. To rid yourself of regrets doesn’t free you from shame or sorrow; it leads you to make the same mistakes again and again. To truly get over our guilt requires that we put regret in its proper place.

As uncomfortable as it is, regret is an amazing cognitive (认知) achievement. If today your relationship with your partner has soured, your regret might mentally take you back to last year. You would remember your being mean and sensitive, and then imagine yourself showing more patience, being kind instead of hurtful at key moments. Then you would fast-forward to today and see how your relationship could be progressing instead of languishing.

But regret doesn’t have to be left unmanaged. The trick is to acknowledge it and use it for learning and improvement. You can be honest with yourself about what went wrong and use that knowledge to enjoy better relationships in the future.

1. What should we do if we have had a bitter quarrel with a close friend according to Frank Sinatra?

A．Attract more people to your argument.

B．Send him/her a letter of apology.

C．Boast about being more reasonable.

D．Forget about it and just let it go.

2. Which of the following statements about regret may the writer agree with?

A．We can do nothing about regret.

B．Unhappiness results from regret.

C．Ignoring regrets is missing the opportunity to improve.

D．Ridding yourself of regrets helps free you from sorrow.

3. What does the underlined word “languishing” in paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Improving.

B．Healing.

C．Showing up.

D．Breaking up.

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

A．Regret to become smarter-if you let it.

B．Long for a different past? Regret it!

C．Regret? Not my way!

D．Stay away! Regret will heal itself.

10 . There are countless articles online that will give you advice on how to deal with homesickness. Here are some of my favorite tips that have helped me.

    1    

Learn to cook with your friends or find new places to eat. Eating with friends makes things so much better. It’s a way to bond and an excuse to get closer. You even get rewarded for it.

Call home—but not every minute of every day.

I saw so many online sources express it in this way, “Talk to your parents—but not too much. Call home—but not too often.”     2     However, it’s a problem when you’re talking to them so much that it’s stopping you from having real experiences in this new place.

Explore.

    3     It took me a while to do this because I focused so much on my studies, but it’s really important. To me, being homesick was a sign that I needed to organize my time better. So I could take a break and go for a walk.

Find a way to deal with your emotions.

I got a guitar during my sophomore (大学二年级) year of university because that’s what I like doing when I’m by myself. I keep a journal because it makes me feel better and productive if I need time by myself but I don’t want to feel lonely.

An outlet(发泄方式) for your emotions can take any shape or form. Whatever it is, it’s important that you find a way to deal with your emotions. Don’t avoid them, but try to understand them.     4     If you focus too much on the negatives, you might forget to see the positives.

Talk to someone.

There is nothing wrong with finding someone to talk to about how you’re feeling.     5     Or it may mean talking to a counselor(顾问) if that’s what you think you need.

There is nothing wrong with being homesick. It’s normal. It’s part of the experience. We all feel things differently, but everything you learn while you are abroad will help you grow.

A．Make food from your home country.

B．Going abroad may cost you a lot of money.

C．It’s good to keep in touch with your family and friends.

D．It’s also a good way to distract(使分心) you in a healthy way.

E．After the first few weeks abroad, many students will feel a little worse.

F．On that line of thought, truly try to explore the city that you’re studying in.

G．It can be friends, family, mentors or professors who you feel can understand you.