1 . Gifts are more than just an economic exchange of goods. They signal things about the giver, receiver and their relationship. It’s a sort of language that lets us communicate without words. Use the following little tricks to make gift-giving perfect.

Aesthetics (美学) of a gift shouldn’t be ignored and neither should presentation be. All the time and energy you spend picking the perfect thing for your receiver will fall short if you do. A gift should delight. It should be unique and easy on the eyes. So receivers often prefer appearance over function. This is why gift stores are filled with such gifts. These items are often low in their usefulness yet they make most gifts.

The price isn’t necessarily a priority. Even costly items can be considered as cheap sometimes. It’s better to pick an item from the top of an inexpensive sort than one at the bottom of an expensive sort. Even if you’re paying the same for both choices, the former will be received well.

A gift that feels heavier tends to be considered as of higher quality. Giving someone a hardcover book is better than giving them a paperback as a gift. You may also package it in a relatively heavy box. Anyway, pick items that aren’t too light.

Don’t present your gift without the wrapping (包装). It shows effort and devotion. Presentation expresses special thought on behalf of the giver. When they receive a gift, receivers process the exchange and analyze the giver in terms of thoughtfulness, which is communicated through gift presentation. If you want your receiver to think of you as thoughtful, make sure you wrap it in a good wrapping paper. Bad presentation can ruin a great gift. So it matters making a present more attractive to your receiver.

1. What kind of gifts are mostly sold in shops?

A．Strange objects.	B．Eye-catching items.
C．Useful things.	D．High-cost pieces.

2. What can be learnt from Paragraph 3?

A．Never choose any expensive gif.

B．The more expensive a gift is, the better.

C．Two gifts at a time are always better than one.

D．The best gift in the cheap kind is a better choice.

3. Which book will make a good gift?

A．A hardcover book.	B．A paperback.
C．One in a light box.	D．One without wrapping.

4. What does a gift with good wrapping reflect?

A．The giver is generous.	B．The receiver is special.
C．The giver is thoughtful.	D．The receiver is attractive.

2 . Many people feel anxious in situations that are stressful to them. For example, they may feel anxious about taking tests, meeting new people, or speaking in class.     1     But it’s best to learn how to cope. Here are several tips that can help you through anxious moments:

Start with a “growth” mindset. Some people have a fixed mindset. They might think, “This is how I am.”     2     They think they are the way they are. But brain science has shown that with a growth mindset, people can get better at just about everything—with effort and practice. That includes reducing anxiety.

    3     When you’re anxious, you might tell yourself things like, “I can’t do this!” or “What if I mess this up?” Instead, plan to tell yourself something that could help you face the moment with a bit of courage like, “I can do this!” or “It’s OK to feel anxious. I can do this anyway.”

Notice how anxiety affects your body. When you’re anxious, do you feel “butterflies” in your stomach? Sweaty palms? Shaky hands? A faster heartbeat? These physical feelings can be uncomfortable but they aren’t harmful. You can cope. You don’t have to push the feelings away.     4    

Face the situation—don’t wait for anxiety to go away. You might think that you’ll put off speaking in class or talking to that new person until you no longer feel anxious about it. But it doesn’t work that way.     5    

Learning to cope with anxiety takes time, patience, and practice. Most of all it takes being willing to face anxiety. Start with one small step. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at lowering anxiety.

A．Talk yourself through it.

B．Tell a parent or another adult you trust.

C．It’s facing the anxiety that helps you lower it.

D．Try to pay attention to anxious thoughts and feelings.

E．Try to notice them without getting upset that they’re there.

F．With a fixed mindset, people don’t think things can change.

G．If you feel anxious in situations like these, you’re not alone.

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 was a broke university student. I should have been going to university on a scholarship because I came from a low-income family, but a last-minute £100-a-year pay rise for my mum pushed my family over the threshold (门槛) for what defined “low-income” and I was suddenly no longer qualified for £15,000 a year in scholarship money. This news came after I’d been accepted by the university and signed the lease (租约) for my accommodation.

Despite my family not being labelled low-income anymore, I still wouldn’t receive any financial support from my family as all the income went toward taking care of my disabled brother and paying their own bills. It would be tight, but because I had savings from my part-time job, I decided to go to university anyway. After paying my rent, I had £10.20 a week for everything else including food, toiletries, and school supplies.

As I was in a new city, I really wanted to make friends, which was difficult when most of the social activities were expensive. Therefore, I jumped at the chance to do a relatively cheap coffee shop trip with my roommates who were pleasant to me.

I had £20 with me to get a cheap cup of coffee and my food shopping for a few weeks. So I headed for the coffee shop. While paying, I pulled out the note and a handful of change and realized I could pay without breaking the note, so I put it back in my pocket. It wasn’t until I arrived at the supermarket that I realized the note was gone. What should I do? I was desperate it was the equivalent (相等物) of two weeks of money. My roommates helped me look for the note. However, it was in vain. Finally, I went to school empty-handed.

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

P1: As a final attempt, I messaged the coffee shop’s Facebook page asking if they’d seen it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

P2: I said, “Oh, ...This isn’t mine; my note was an old worn one.”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Mike Veny was walking to his truck one afternoon when he received an email from a colleague _________ that some information he needed for a project wasn’t available. Immediately, he became _________ and thought about a growing list of complains: a coworker who _________ him, people on the street were looking at him funny, his dad hadn’t _________ him all week... Veny, who works in a company that _________ mental wellness (心理健康), recalled, “Bad feelings stormed faster and faster until things _________ 10,000 times.”

_________, Veny had a plan for dealing with these. He _________ in the middle of the street to collect himself and then got into his _________. He thought about the answers to three __________: What do I feel? Anger, but also sadness at losing work and fear of whether I would get the motivation by going to the __________. Where do I feel it? In my chest and stomach. What do I need now? Time to feel the emotions rather than suppress (压制) them.

Next, he went to the gym. The music was loud and he became relaxed while he __________. When he got home, he did yoga, which he says helps him let go of his __________ emotions. In bed that night, Veny __________ he had a smile on his face. He said, “I felt like I was in __________ again, like I had taken my power back.”

1.

A．stating

B．stressing

C．proving

D．learning

2.

A．excited

B．regretful

C．angry

D．depressed

3.

A．thrilled

B．annoyed

C．qualified

D．interested

4.

A．supported

B．treated

C．persuaded

D．called

5.

A．provides

B．produces

C．discovers

D．invents

6.

A．worsened

B．cleared

C．touched

D．kept

7.

A．Unfortunately

B．Frequently

C．Luckily

D．Relatively

8.

A．paused

B．failed

C．volunteered

D．crashed

9.

A．car

B．truck

C．shop

D．flat

10.

A．tests

B．principles

C．questions

D．wonders

11.

A．cinema

B．company

C．office

D．gym

12.

A．worked out

B．acted out

C．cleared out

D．cried out

13.

A．interesting

B．positive

C．negative

D．confusing

14.

A．determined

B．realized

C．ignored

D．demanded

15.

A．effect

B．fashion

C．shape

D．control

5 . What’s the secret to happiness? Although that answer won’t be the same for everyone, you can follow daily practices to develop joy from within.

Letting Go

    1     Bad thoughts, habits, and bad relationships may hold you back from discovering true joy. Some people believe they have found true happiness when they get promotion (晋升), buy a dream house, or find that special someone. Yet, within a few years, they may find themselves back to the past or suffering.

Getting Up Early

Waking up a bit earlier and practicing your morning life can guide you towards happiness and success.       2     And how you choose to spend those early hours will set the tone (基调) for the rest of the day. By getting up early, you’ll look forward to rising each day and doing the things that make you feel good, putting a smile on your face.

Mindful Eating

Good, healthy food can bring joy into your days if you choose to practice mindful eating. There is no doubt that your food choices affect your overall physical health.       3     As the old saying goes, you really are what you eat! Each food group influences you differently.

What’s more, being mindful when eating can also bring happiness as you become present in the moment and focus on joy.     4    

Living in the Now

The secret to happiness is to live fully in the here and now.     5     And they often let fears and desires hold them back. That’s where living in the now comes to light. If you want to discover true happiness and joy, then in each moment, try to embrace (拥抱) endless presence to achieve inner peace and freedom.

A．Yet each has unique benefits.

B．A great morning results in a great day.

C．You’d better try it the next time you eat.

D．Most people can’t focus on living in the present.

E．However, some foods can also affect your feelings.

F．Discovering a form of movement that you love is most important.

G．Forming happiness begins with giving up what no longer serves you.

6 . As the trees drop their leaves and frosts advance in, we prepare our homes and ourselves for the winter months.     1     When the seasons change, we know that we have to change our behavior to keep ourselves safe and warm. Our feelings change like the seasons. Laughing, joyful and positive like summer; sad, angry, and hopeless like winter.     2     However, it would not be practical to feel wonderful all the time.

The phrase “emotional wintering” was popularized by Katharine May. She mentions emotional wintering asks us to see our difficult or uncomfortable feelings as winters which we can get ready for and live through.     3    

Sometimes the emotional winters are caused by an event that makes us feel as though we want to withdraw into ourselves.     4     We need to take time to replenish (补充) them while accepting that we are sad. Whatever the cause, emotional wintering encourages us to accept that our emotional seasons are normal and we should manage them as best we can.

    5     To manage through challenging times, we need to adjust our habits, reassess our expectations of ourselves, and ensure that we sustain ourselves appropriately. This process gives us the space to explore the full range of emotions that make us human, and allows us to safely sit with a feeling, in relative comfort, until it passes.

With the management, we believe we will be well by the time the next summer rolls around.

A．It prepares us for the coming spring.

B．Different emotions come to all of us.

C．Emotional wintering asks us to change.

D．We can grow from challenging experience.

E．Thick socks and cosy blankets are brought out.

F．We expect to always live in our emotional summers.

G．At other times we simply use up our supplies of positivity.

7 . Life can be busy or stressful at times. Usually, we forget how important it is to listen ourselves.     1    .

Sparing room for good things in your life

Life gets much simpler and more enjoyable when you clear your physical and emotional bad things. And there’s so much you can let go of in life without losing a thing. It’s called growth.     2    . You cannot discover new oceans unless you build up enough courage to lose sight of the old.

Putting your purpose and passion (热情) into the things you do

    3    . So learn to believe in your heart that you’re meant to live each day full of purpose and passion—that every moment is worthy in its own way. Too often we wait because we think we need to “find” something new or different to be fond of. But that’s not true. If you want more passion in your life right now, act accordingly right now. Put your whole heart into the things you do.     4    , but the chance right in front of you. Not into tomorrow’s tasks, but today’s tasks. Not into tomorrow’s run, but today’s run.

    5    

All the small things make a big difference. Every step is important. Life isn’t about a single moment of great success. It’s about the trials and errors (试错) that slowly get you there—the sweat, tears, and all the small things you do on a day-to-day basis. They all matter in the end—every step, every regret and every decision.

A．Choosing to start today

B．Not into tomorrow’s chances

C．Remembering that every step matters

D．Letting go of the old makes way for the new

E．So what you need to remember most right now is to share

F．Purpose is the reason you journey and passion is the fire that lights your way

G．Here below are some things in life that you have to keep on doing to change that

8 . 每年的 12 月 5日是国际志愿者日(International Volunteer Day)。作为校志愿者协会(School Volunteer Association)主席，请你用英语在志愿者日发表国旗下讲话，内容包括：

1. 向校志愿者表示感谢；

2. 志愿服务的好处；

3. 发出呼吁。

注意: 1. 词数 80 左右；

2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear teachers and schoolmates,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . It makes the world go round. It teaches lessons, makes people feel warm, and sometimes causes pain.     1     That’s right — we’re talking about the knee shaking, palm sweating, heart pounding feeling of love!

There are many types of love. Most people feel love for members of their family—this long-term connection is often called attachment. They may feel this same emotion toward friends or even pets.     2     These feelings are quite different from those people feel for family and friends. Sometimes, these initial feelings grow into long-term love similar to that felt in families.

Why do people feel love? Many experts believe it’s rooted in survival. After all, most people first feel love for family members or caretakers.     3     Especially for children, this is a major advantage for survival. Later in life, when people start to love romantic partners, this is driven by similar needs.

    4     It can reduce stress and lower blood pressure. Spending time with loved ones can also lead to a longer lifespan. In fact, close family and community relationships is one factor that may help people live longer.

With all this talk about love, maybe someone, you care about is on your mind. How can you show someone you love them? There are plenty of ways! You can convey love by showing appreciation, giving praises, and being a good listener. Sharing, doing small favors, or giving a hug can also show a person you care.     5     If you care about someone, tell them so. Making a card or writing them a letter can also be great ways to share love. If you’re not sure what to do, just ask yourself: What actions make you feel loved?

A．Of course, words work just fine, too!

B．Many people say it’s all they need in life.

C．Seeing someone you love can cause increased heart rate.

D．Families and close friends take care of and protect each other.

E．Scientists have found that love may also have several health benefits.

F．A different type of love exists between romantic couples and life partners.

G．That may explain why people in love sometimes describe less desire to eat or sleep!

10 . WHY A DOSE OF FEAR IS GOOD FOR YOU

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “Do one thing every day that scares you.” She was onto something. Science has shown that feeling fear — in the right doses (量) — has several benefits.

·Feeling fear is fun and exciting. Many people scare themselves on purpose.     1    

When you step outside your comfort zone, it is fear that makes you feel alive, which is fun and exciting. The excitement generated can also help reduce depression by increasing adrenaline (肾上腺素), which in turn increases excitement and glucose (changed into energy).     2     A dose of fear is an “eraser” for the mind.

·    3     Being afraid of something can remind you of an area of your life that is limiting you. For instance, if you’re afraid of flying but face the fear and gather up the courage to step on an airplane, you can travel the world. Adding to your experiences means that you’ll create a varied life. You’ll also have fewer regrets.

·Fear makes you aware of what’s really important in life. How often have you said to yourself: “When I have more time, I’ll spend it with my family, pursue my passion, eat healthier or exercise more”? Fear makes you realize that “now” is the only time you have to achieve and follow through what is most important.    4    

Some say where fear meets courage is the sweet spot in which mountains get scaled and rivers are run.       5     We should all embrace our fear. Not the big fears that are life-threatening but the helpful fears that come in small doses.

A．Fear helps you succeed.

B．“Later” is never ensured.

C．Fear allows you to live life to the fullest.

D．They watch scary movies, ride roller coasters or go skydiving.

E．And every time you come through a challenge, you feel empowered.

F．Most of all, fear can be the birth place of change, creativity and innovation.

G．Actually, it’s nearly impossible to be thinking of your worries when you are experiencing fear.