1 . 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

2 . Learning how to care for a sad person will help you be there for your loved ones and friends when they are down. However, knowing how to care for a sad person is not something an individual is born with.     1     Here are a few tips that will eventually help you lift the spirit of a sad person.

Give a hug. Hugging someone shows your affection and care.     2     This can make them feel relaxed and open to you. This can also help them recognize that you are there to help them go through this moment. With no kind and loving words, your actions have already said a lot.

    3     Now, go on and say some kind words. Words like “I’m here”, “we are in this together”, “you’ll get over this”, “lean on me” and so on, can help a sad person feel better and know that you’re there to take him/her through the sad moment.

Use the right tone of voice.     4     They go along with tone to convey a meaning to the listener. To convey your words with faith that would create a positive effect on the sad person, you would need to say it with the right tone of voice.

Listen patiently. People ask lots of questions but they end up paying little attention to getting the feedback (反馈) that they wanted. Don’t be that person. After asking the questions, listen patiently to know what the sad person would appreciate at that time.     5    

A．Say kind loving words.

B．Make use of polite expressions.

C．Then choose to appreciate others too.

D．Remember that words do not stand alone.

E．It will help you know how to offer the best fitting help.

F．This knowledge is gained through research and practice.

G．When you do this to someone, they can feel your warmth.

3 . When reading, my mother likes to slice a paragraph or a sentence out and attach it to the wall of her kitchen. She picks boring sentences that puzzle me. But I prefer copying favorite bright lines into a journal in soft, gray No. 2 pencil, word by word.

She doesn’t know any of this. There's nothing shocking: for our chatting. we seldom begin certain conversations though we talk on the phone weekly, sometimes making each other laugh so hard that I choke and she cries. But what we don't say could fill up rooms. Fights with my father. Small failures in school. Anything that really upsets us.

My mother has never told me “I love you, Lisa.”—as if the four-word absence explains who I am—so I carry it with me, like a label on me. The last time she almost spoke the words was two years ago, when she called to tell me a friend had been in hospital. I said, “I love you, Mom.” She stopped for a while and then said, “Thank you.” I haven't said it since, but I've wondered why my mother doesn't until I've found a poem that supplies words for the blank spaces I try to understand in our conversations:

Don’t fill up on bread. I say absent-mindedly. The servings here are huge.

My son, middle-aged, says: Did you really just say that to me?

What he doesn’t know is that when we’re walking together, I desire to reach for his hand.

It's humble, yet heartbreaking. After copying it down in my journal, I emailed it to mom, adding “This poem makes me think of you.” My mother doesn’t read poetry—or at least, she doesn’t tell me, and I felt nervous clicking “Send”.

She never mentioned the poem. But the next time I went home for vacation, I noticed something new in the kitchen fixed to an antique board: the poem. The board hung above the heater, the warmest spot in the kitchen. The poem still hangs there. Neither my mother nor I have ever spoken about it.

1. What's the function of paragraph 1?

A．To stress the theme.	B．To establish the setting.
C．To represent the characters.	D．To create the atmosphere.

2. Which of the following best describes the mother daughter relationship?

A．Shaky.

B．Distant.

C．Reserved.

D．Intense.

3. Why did the author send the poem to her mom?

A．It reminded her of mom's love.

B．She wanted to apologize to mom.

C．It suited mom's taste of literature.

D．She needed an interpretation from mom.

4. What does the poem mean to mom?

A．A memory of golden days.

B．Daughter’s gratefulness to her.

C．A decoration in the plain kitchen.

D．Daughter's understanding of her.

4 . 阅读下面的材料, 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。

After 22 years of marriage, I have discovered the secret to keep love alive in my relationship with my wife, Peggy. I started dating with another woman.

It was Peggy’s idea. One day she said to me, “Life is too short, you need to spend time with the people you love. You probably won’t believe me, but I know you love her and I think that if the two of you spend more time together, it will make us closer.”

The “other” woman my wife was encouraging me to date is my mother, a 72-year-old widow who has lived alone since my father died 20 years ago. Right after his death, I moved 2, 500 miles away to California and started my own life and career. When I moved back near my hometown six years ago, I promised myself that I would spend more time with Mom. But with the demands of my job and three kids, I never got around to seeing her much beyond family get-togethers and holidays.

Mom was surprised when I called and suggested the two of us go out to dinner.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you,” I said. “Just the two of us.”

“I would like that a lot,” she said.

When I pulled into her driveway, she was waiting by the door with her coat on. Her hair was curled, and she was smiling. “I told my friends I was going out with my son, and they were all impressed. They can’t wait to hear about our evening,” Mom said.

注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段, 每段的开头语已为你写好：

Para 1: Minutes later, we arrived at a restaurant in the neighborhood.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Para 2:“How was your date?” Peggy asked when I got home.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . It’s certainly human nature to worry. Especially today, when many of us seem to have problems about money, family, career or health concerns, worry may seem unavoidable.     1     What can we do to stop worrying too much?

Some people find meditation a very helpful and relaxing way to stop worrying too much. But you don’t necessarily need formal. meditation techniques. By combining any reflective and calming techniques that work for you, you may find that you stop worrying soon.     2    

Even if you set aside a certain amount of time to really think about what’s worrying you, you may find that new ideas will come to you later when you least expect them.     3     It can help you stop worrying if you know you’ll probably be able to come up with ideas and options if you just give yourself time to think.

Sometimes, letting ourselves think of the worst thing that could happen can actually reduce our worries.     4     Even if it does seem bad, facing the possibility of it head-on (积极地) may even allow us to form a plan to prevent this worst-case scenario (设想) from happening.

    5     For example, talking to friends or a helping professional may be a good option if the worrying just won’t seem to go away and you’ve tried everything you can think of to stop worrying. Keeping a daily journal and writing down worries regularly may also help.

A．Many creative people experience this process.

B．Actually, the result would really not be that bad.

C．When things are out of your control, make peace with them.

D．There are also many other easy ways to help you stop worrying.

E．We all worry about different things at different points in our lives.

F．However, too much worry can make our stress level and health even worse.

G．Meanwhile, you will feel relaxed and think your problems over more creatively.

6 . Everyone gets angry. If you’re experiencing huge anger, though, it could be damaging your mental and physical health as well as your relationships with others. Uncontrolled anger can be potential problems, such as anger management issues or mental disorder.     1     To control your anger, you can try to take the following measures.

Take a break as soon as you recognize that you’re angry. You can take a break by stopping what you’re doing, getting away from what makes you annoyed or just take a deep breath.     2    

Visualize a happy place. If you still have a difficult time calming down, imagine yourself in a scene you find incredibly relaxing.     3     Focus on imagining every detail of this place: the light, the noises, the temperature, the weather, the smells. Keep thinking of your happy place until you feel completely immersed(浸没于) in it, and hang out there for a few minutes or until you feel calm.

Practice positive self-talk. Change the way that you think about something from negative to positive.     4     After you have given yourself a moment to calm down, “discuss” the situation with yourself in positive and relieving terms.

    5     Sometimes sharing your concerns with a close friend might help you vent(发泄) your anger. Clearly express what you want from the other person. If you just want to vent your anger, state at the beginning that you don’t want help or advice, just sympathy. If you’re looking for a solution, let the other person know.

A．Ask for the support of someone you trust.

B．Positive thinking can help you relieve your anger in a healthy way.

C．Keep exercising until you feel that you have regained control.

D．It could be any place that makes you feel at home and peaceful.

E．So it’s important to control your emotions and calm yourself down.

F．Remember that you do not have to respond to a situation immediately.

G．Getting away from what is upsetting you will make it easier to calm down.

7 . Emotional regulation (情绪管理) is taking any action that changes the intensity of an emotional experience.     1    . It refers to the ability to effectively control our emotions through various approaches. We are expected to manage our emotions in ways that are socially acceptable. There are a number of skills that can help us self-regulate our emotions.

    2    

Emotions happen fast. We don’t think “now I will be angry” — we just suddenly have fires in our eyes and become extremely angry. So the number one skill in regulating difficult emotions is to pause. Take a breath. Slow down the moment between trigger (触发) and response.

Noticing what you feel

An equally important skill involves the ability to become aware of what you’re feeling. Dr. Judson Brewer, MD Ph. D. recommends practices for becoming more curious about your own physical reactions. In what parts of your body are you noticing feelings? Is your stomach upset? Is your heart racing?     3    . Looking into what is happening to you physically can also draw away your focus and reduce the intensity of the emotion.

Naming what you feel

After noticing what you feel, the ability to name it can help you get control of what is happening. Ask yourself: What would you call the emotions you’re feeling? Is it anger, sadness, or disappointment?     4    .

Accepting the emotion

    5    . Rather than beating yourself up for feeling angry or scared, recognize that your emotional reactions are acceptable. Try to practice self-sympathy and give yourself respect. Recognize that experiencing emotions is a normal human reaction.

A．Creating space

B．Predicting what you feel

C．It doesn’t mean preventing or avoiding emotions

D．Emotions come and go so that you barely notice them

E．Identifying emotions will help you share your feelings with others

F．Emotions are a normal and natural part of how we respond to situations

G．Your physical reactions can reflect what you are experiencing emotionally

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why do the speakers have to be awake early?

A．They have a bus to catch.

B．They have a train to catch.

C．They have a flight to catch.

2. How did Gary feel about Moscow?

A．Satisfied.

B．Annoyed.

C．Disappointed.

9 . Anger is the most destructive emotion. When you are angry, you make ill-considered decisions that you will probably regret.     1     How to stop being angry? Here are ways that you can reduce the causes of anger.

You need to change your attitude to the way the world works. You have to accept that sometimes things go wrong and that people are not always lovely and perfect.     2     So realizing others may behave in an unproper way will help you prevent your annoyance.

    3     There are occasions when anger can be directed in such a way as to achieve great things. Martin Luther King was angry about the lack of civil rights and Gandhi was angry about British domination. They both used that anger to motivate themselves to fight against injustice.

It is beneficial to stop trying to manage your anger. Anger management used to be promoted as a way of dealing with anger.     4     A better way of facing anger is to identify the root cause. Once you know why you get mad, it is possible to deal with the cause.

Don’t take the easy way when you get angry. We would like to throw something, hit something, or scream when we are angry. A reaction like that is the easy way. It is much harder to stay calm, walk away and act normally. That, however, is what you must do if you are to stop anger from becoming your master. By learning control, you can become a much calmer and less violent person.     5    

A．Don’t regard anger as a bad emotion.

B．The trick is to manage your anger well.

C．Recognize that anger is something you can control.

D．However, all that happens is that anger is overcontroled.

E．You will also regret the language spoken without thought.

F．You will be better liked and better placed to influence others.

G．The actions of other people can be a significant cause of anger.

10 . “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.