1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What got the speaker to study psychology?

A．Her observation of adults.

B．Her university education.

C．Her unhappy childhood.

2. What kind of people did the speaker study first?

A．Wealthy people.

B．Creative people.

C．Ordinary people.

3. What has the speaker discovered in her study?

A．Creative people are happier than other people.

B．People are happier when they concentrate hard.

C．People’s happiness depends on where they are.

4. How does the speaker feel about her study?

A．Satisfied.

B．Surprised.

C．Disappointed.

2 . You might have heard of the expression “a guilty pleasure”—maybe it’s the chocolate bar you buy on the way home from work, or the new clothes that you don’t really need.     1     . Perhaps we don’t feel we deserved it, or we don’t think it was a responsible way to spend our money. But should we feel like this? Do we really have to feel guilty about treating ourselves?

Perhaps not. Psychologists have suggested that buying things for yourself can make you feel better as it provides an opportunity to take control of your situation.    2     . It may be that as well as lifting your mood, when you buy a treat, you might just be looking after yourself.

Of course, there are also examples of people turning to destructive behaviour when faced with stressful circumstances. People might spend money that they don’t have or turn to dangerous addictions. Psychologist Leon Seltzer considers the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurturing.    3     , while self-nurturing is taking responsible decisions to satisfy our needs and take care of ourselves in ways that don’t have a significant impact.

    4    . So, many universities publish guides with advice for coping with exam stress. Reflecting the difference between self-indulgence and self-nurture, they recommend rewarding yourself for your efforts, doing things that you enjoy and are good at so that you can feel accomplishment.    5     . Thus, perhaps, as long as we make responsible decisions, we shouldn’t feel guilty about our guilty pleasures.

A．Exams are vital for students.

B．Self-indulgence can have negative consequences

C．The difference becomes evident when students manage exam pressure

D．They also recommend embracing activities that could dampen your spirits

E．Besides, you should avoid things that may make you feel worse afterwards

F．It comes from the idea that when we treat ourselves, it can sometimes leave us feeling guilty

G．It can give you social contact as well as a confidence boost from changes you make to your self-image

3 . Act Your Shoe Size, Not Your Age

As adults, it seems that we are constantly pursuing happiness, often with mixed results. Yet children appear to have it down to an art and for the most part they don’t need self-help books or methods.     1     Children’s way is usually more effective than grown-ups’. Perhaps it’s time to learn a few lessons from them.

What does a child do when he’s sad? He cries. When he’s angry? He shouts. Scared? Probably a bit of both.     2     So they don’t influence our behavior. But too often we take this process too far and end up suppressing ( 压 抑 ) emotions, especially negative ones. What we need to do is find a way to acknowledge and express what we feel appropriately, and then again, like children—move on.

    3     If we adults could be obsessed with a bit of silliness and giggling like them, we would reduce the stress hormones (荷尔蒙), improve blood flow to our hearts and even have a greater chance of fighting off infection. All of them would, of course, have a positive effect on our happiness levels.

A couple of Christmases ago, my daughter, who was nine years old at the time, got a Superman T-shirt for Christmas. It cost less than a five but she was overjoyed, and couldn’t stop talking about it. However, too often we adults believe that a new job, bigger house or better car will be the magic silver bullet that will allow us to finally be content.     4    

Having said all above, it’s necessary to add that we shouldn’t try too hard to be happy.     5     Overthinking it will make it more difficult for us to gain happiness. We need to look to the example of our children, to whom happiness is not a goal but a natural byproduct of the way they live.

A．Scientists tell us this can have the opposite effect.

B．Have you ever noticed how much children laugh?

C．As we grow up, we learn to control these emotions.

D．Instead, they look after their well-being unconsciously.

E．Actually, being grateful for small things is a better way.

F．Indeed happiness consists in the possession of a lot of money.

G．People laughing without cause can find the true meaning of happiness.

4 . Soothe the Sunday scaries

Most of us look forward to the weekend as a time to relax, connect with friends and family, and deal with tasks from a to-do list that gets neglected during the workweek. But as the weekend comes to an end, many are missing out on Sunday Funday and instead experiencing an overwhelming sense of anxiety and even dread about the upcoming week.     1     Some people describe it as a heaviness they can feel in their body, while others feel so unsettled that they could jump out of their skin.

Even though the Sunday scaries are common, they are manageable. Here’s how experts say you can ease your end-of-weekend anxiety.

Structure your Sunday.     2     You might still go through that sense of dread, but that feeling is harder to hold on to when you’ re engaging in something that makes you feel good.

Don’t forget to relax. If you’re feeling more stress, it’s important to make space for relaxing activities to ground yourself. Maybe a midafternoon shower or bath, maybe an engaging movie or show, whatever feels like a helpful distraction to reground from the scaries.

Identify your anxiety sources. Try to figure out what’s really causing you to dread the week.     3     Even if there’s not a single reason behind your Sunday anxiety, organizing the stress into small parts can help make it all more manageable.

    4     Getting rid of the Sunday scaries isn’t just about minimizing the gloom of the week ahead. Have something to look forward to. This gives you the opportunity to shift your thoughts to fun and will help improve your mood.

End your Sunday with the right energy. Sunday night is a proper wind-down time. Maybe you want to journal, do a face mask, read a few pages of a good book. Do your best to honor this time and make Sunday night all about you.     5    

A．Is it a deadline, meeting or presentation?

B．Create some excitement for the week ahead.

C．Experts have referred to this worry as Sunday scaries.

D．Sunday scaries come from tiredness after a really busy weekend.

E．Then you feel empowered and confident that you’ll be ready for the next day.

F．Instead of sitting on the couch and watching the clock, go to do something that you enjoy.

G．Anxiety is a natural response that happens in preparation for anything that causes pain or discomfort.

5 . “Mom!” a girl calls out in a busy store. I turn toward it, so do several other women. It doesn’t matter that I’m in the store alone or that my two daughters are much older than this helpless little voice. When I hear “Mom!” I am ready for action and rescue.

Mom is defined in the dictionary as a female parent. But through the years my children have used the word to mean much more.

Jessica, at 7, screams “Mo-hom” in an accusing tone, for she can’t find a matching sock.

For Sarah, at 13, on a morning when she’s already late for school, “Mom!” means “I am desperate for new clothes. I can’t believe I’ve existed in these rags.”

“Mom?” Sarah is almost 17 and rarely knocks on my door in the morning anymore. Yet I recognize the vulnerability in her voice.

“Do you want some help?” I ask her, sleep-blurred.

She nods, and then bursts into tears. “John’s mad at me, and I don’t know why. He won’t talk tome. What should I do?”

I put my arm around her. I want to protect my child from the cruel beasts who make her weep so, but I’ve got a hot potato of my own just now. I feel the disability of being responsible for myself and for my daughters. I talk to my friends and they empathize(共情). I talk to my brother and he solves problems. I need more.

So I dial the familiar number I once called from college.

“Hello?” The voice is crackly, uncertain. It has lived through so much already that it’s cautious about another blow.

“Mom?” I say.

“Honey, are you all right?” my mother asks.

Somehow, that is everything I want to hear.

1. What does the underlined word “vulnerability” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Tension.

B．Delight.

C．Weakness.

D．Curiosity.

2. Why can’t the writer help her daughter this time?

A．She has no clue who John is.	B．Her work takes all her attention.
C．She is too mentally exhausted.	D．She is too sleepy to stay focused.

3. What can best describe the writer?

A．Ambitious and faithful.	B．Enthusiastic and humorous.
C．Brave and independent.	D．Sensitive and responsible.

4. What can we learn from the text?

A．The mother’s mind is the child’s classroom.

B．A mother always cares for the youngest child.

C．The world’s all glory and pride all come from the mother.

D．The most beautiful voice in the world is the call of mother.

6 . During my first year in college, I was silent. I was too afraid of saying something wrong.

I declared a religion major as a sophomore and took a class from Barbara, a young theologian. My mind was split open by a range of new thinkers and writers and by the quality of Barbara’s questions, I finally had something to say and the energy to say it. I was a frequent visitor during Barbara’s office hours, a rocket of words. She listened and calmly responded, a perfect contrast to my feverish ramblings. I loved what she saw in me, which was a range of abilities I had never seen in myself. In the following years, our relationship gradually deepened, but I was always conscious of a teacher-student dynamic.

This changed fundamentally when I became a parent. I had my son in March 2010, and Barbara was one of the first to congratulate me. When, nine months later, my child was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease, a rare and always terminal illness with no treatment and no cure, she sent me a letter-handwritten on a white legal pad. For the next two and a half years, Barbara wrote me regular, sometimes weekly, letters, remarkable letters that are revealing, loving, and kind.

The letter written right before my son died, when he was three, was the most personal and perhaps the most profound. “I think he’s made you better by opening up the great fire of your love,” she wrote, “with his small but magnificent existence.” I have never in my life read a more deeply comforting sentence, one that spoke to my grandest hopes, my deepest fears, and the only faith that remains to me, which is a belief in chaos. Our love had bloomed and deepened from a guarded mutual respect to a richer, deeper friendship.

Mentors are meant to lead those in their charge into fresh understanding, help them sort and filter new experiences, assist in the project of making sense out of the chaos that is human life. Mentors observe and accompany the darkest despair, the wildest sorrow, and the most unexpected joy.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．The author took the class because she excelled1 in theology.

B．Their relationship changed significantly beyond a teacher-student mode.

C．The author was a frequent visitor to Barbara’s home after working hours.

D．Barbara’s peaceful exterior was a contrast to the author’s overexcited talk.

2. What does the underlined word “This” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The way Barbara treated her students.	B．The fact that the author kept silent in class.
C．The role of the author as a college student.	D．The relationship between Barbara and the author.

3. What transformed the relationship between Barbara and the author from a mutual respect to a deeper friendship?

A．Barbara’s efforts to solve the problem.

B．Barbara’s sympathy shown in the letter.

C．The author’s in-depth understanding of Barbara.

D．Barbara’s congratulations on the birth of the author’s son.

4. What does the author think of Barbara?

A．Demanding and dedicated.	B．Responsible and reasonable.
C．Insightful and inspiring.	D．Aggressive and ambitious.

7 . The Healing Power of Music

Since Mom died and Dad lived alone, he was often angry, and lately he was getting more and more confusing. Today _______ to be worse than usual. He had a new aid named Linda, from our home country of Lithuania. The _______ of a stranger was bound to make Dad even more _______ .

Sure enough, Dad started _______ as soon as I got in the door. “This new girl doesn’t know anything,” he whispered with dissatisfaction.

“It’ll take some time for her to learn how to help you,” I _______ him.

The three of us sat _______ in the living room. I wished I could think of something to say. Lord, please help us feel more comfortable with this arrangement.

Linda _______ to her feet. Walking over to Dad’s record player, she _______ a Lithuanian folk record onto the turntable (转盘). The familiar accordion (手风琴) music played. Dad started _______ along to it. Liuda smiled.

The music seemed to drive all the ________ from the room. We chatted about Lithuania. It was one of the ________ visits Dad and I had ever had.

When I left, he hugged me good-bye and asked me to ________ old photos with him and Linda next time. ________ , I had a look at the old Dad, the man I’d always loved ________ time with.

I’d come to Dad’s house expecting the ________ . But with Linda’s help and a little music from the old country, I’d found what I would always love.

1.

A．promised

B．tended

C．planned

D．needed

2.

A．choice

B．presence

C．name

D．assistance

3.

A．absent-minded

B．ill-tempered

C．light-hearted

D．heart-struck

4.

A．shouting

B．warning

C．remarking

D．complaining

5.

A．advised

B．directed

C．comforted

D．informed

6.

A．impatiently

B．anxiously

C．awkwardly

D．boringly

7.

A．sprang

B．went

C．struggled

D．came

8.

A．threw

B．placed

C．grabbed

D．played

9.

A．laughing

B．singing

C．clapping

D．smiling

10.

A．tension

B．atmosphere

C．sound

D．warmth

11.

A．longest

B．strangest

C．nicest

D．rarest

12.

A．check out

B．hang on

C．get through

D．look at

13.

A．For a moment

B．At a time

C．By the way

D．On the whole

14.

A．treasuring

B．wasting

C．saving

D．spending

15.

A．best

B．commonest

C．worst

D．happiest

8 . During a job interview, you’re so nervous that it’s hard to think. And afterwards, when someone asks you how it goes, you actually can’t remember. You might feel that you’re losing your memory, but according to Dr Ira Fischler, this “blackout” is probably not a loss of memory at all. It’s more likely that you didn’t even have the memory in the first place.

Fischler is a professor of psychology at the University of Florida. “When memories of specific emotional events appear to be lost, it’s most often because our attention during the event is not on the interaction itself,” he told Global News. Instead, it’s common for a person to be engrossed in how they present themselves or their inner emotional state during the interaction—especially at the stressful moments. This would explain why some people struggle to recall the questions asked during a job interview, for example. They are instead concentrating their attention on how they’re presenting themselves to the employers at that moment.

When we’re in a situation that causes nervousness or anxiety, a “fight or flight” reaction is caused, which sends certain hormones (荷尔蒙) out into the body. “It can cause several side effects, like feeling light-headed and dizzy and affect the way our brain remembers situations that we’ve been in,” said psychologist Laura Bloom. She thinks of the hippocampus (海马结构), a part of the brain responsible for memory, as the brain’s library and each memory as a card with all the information about what happened on it.

“When something stressful happens, the experience of trauma (精神创伤) causes our brain not necessarily to keep all of the details properly,” she said “Therefore, it will be extremely important and beneficial for you to replace the ‘fight or flight’ response with calmer and more peaceful approaches.”

1. What does the first paragraph serve as?

A．A background.

B．A comment.

C．An explanation.

D．An introduction.

2. Which can replace the underlined part “be engrossed in” in Paragraph 2?

A．Work out.

B．Focus on.

C．Make for.

D．Go over.

3. What is the author probably going to discuss next?

A．Tips on dealing with stressful events.

B．Harm of the “fight or flight” response.

C．Things that affect people’s memory.

D．The importance of details to the brain.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．How Senses Affect Your Memory

B．How Your Body Responds to Stress

C．Why You May Lose Memory Under Stress

D．Why Your Brain Occasionally Fails to Learn

9 . If you’ve ever felt like you can’t do anything right, you might think you’re the only one who has experienced that feeling.     1     Fortunately, there are ways to cope with it.

    2     When you’re feeling like you can’t do anything right, take a moment and just let yourself feel that. Once you’re feeling a little calmer, try to search deeper into where the feeling is coming from. This can lead you to understand if there is a large issue that you need to deal with.

Practice self-care. Self-care is a great stress reliever.     3     It is anything you do for yourself that makes you feel good. It can be physical, such as taking a bath, or emotional, like lying down and listening to relaxing music.

Do a good deed. Acts of kindness toward others aid our emotional well-being, and when you’re feeling more positive, chances are you’ll realize you do plenty of things in life right. Additionally, a kind act is also something you did right!     4    

Take a break.     5     That’s because we all need breaks and we all benefit from taking them! Taking a break reduces stress, makes us more productive overall and clears our heads. When you’re feeling like you can’t do anything right, just pause, and ask yourself if you’d like to take a few minutes off, and see where that leads you.

A．Let yourself feel this way.

B．Get past a feeling and fight with it.

C．It’s not a failure in life if you just need one.

D．It also helps you feel more positive about yourself.

E．And most of us do not share this feeling with others.

F．The truth, though, is that it’s perfectly common to feel this way.

G．Everyone wins when you practice being charitable toward other people.

10 . Speaking of self-improvement, perhaps you want to become more productive, read more books, take regular exercise or learn something new.     1     Here we’ve put together this guide to help you.

Observe your emotional reactions.

Our emotions can often overwhelm (击败) us and make us behave in ways we’d rather not. The first step in dealing with your emotions is to recognize your current feelings.     2     You can sit for a few minutes each day and just observe how you feel.     3     However, learning to be with yourself without distractions is an essential part of meaningful self-development. You could be surprised by what you discover.

Develop a way to express your emotions.

Chris Martin, the singer-songwriter and frontman of the band Coldplay, once said, “You've got to express yourself in life, and it's better out than in. What you reveal, you heal.”

    4     You can try art, music and sports. Or you can get a piece of paper and a pen and start a healthy outlet. A talk with your close friend, relative, or partner can also help you get peace of mind.

    5    

Sometimes emotions can be overwhelming even if you undertake all other steps to manage them. In this case, the only left option is to find a therapist (治疗师). Many successful, respected people like J. K. Rowling, Emma Stone, and Michael Phelps all promote therapy’s benefits. Turning to these professionals is one of the best ways to improve yourself. These trained professionals can provide guidance and support when it comes to coping with your emotions.

A．Work with a licensed therapist.

B．Receive professional training as therapists.

C．This can feel incredibly uncomfortable at first.

D．There are so many ways to let out your emotions.

E．Remember you can’t manage what you don't know.

F．It will help you improve your concentration.

G．Have you thought of learning to control your emotions?