1 . When your best friends are upset, sad, or disappointed, all you want to do is lift their spirits. Here are some easy ways to cheer them up.
Help your friend clean their room.
Being surrounded by a mess doesn’t do much for your mental state.
Encourage them to talk it out.
Talking is effective. Teenagers usually want someone to talk to when they are stressed.
Practice gratitude.
Thinking about and focusing on the good things in your life can do wonders for lifting your spirits. Help your friend turn their attention to those things.
Staying active can help get depression (抑郁) away. Invite the person to join you in a dance class or anything else they may have mentioned before that they wanted to try out but never have. Fun time with friends is surely helpful.
Do an aimless act of kindness together.
| A．Try new things together. |
| B．Plan for your future together. |
| C．Just be there for them and listen to them. |
| D．Together, you can each list all the things you’re grateful for. |
| E．Science has shown just being in nature naturally improves one’s mood. |
| F．Meanwhile, having a tidy space can help you feel more in control and calmer. |
| G．Oftentimes when we do things for other people, we are the ones that benefit. |
I still remember how nervous I felt doing some things for the first time. You’d think that after a lot of first times the butterflies-in-stomach feeling would disappear. But here’s what happened a month ago.
“Please come to the chess club tomorrow,” Mareya said to me. “I know you’re going to love it!” “I’ve never even played chess(国际象棋),” I said. “It seems super hard.”
“I went last week, and it was extremely fun!” said Mareya. “Really?” I said, not convinced.
“Really. Also, the club needs more people to keep it going.” Mareya smiled.
“Listen. If you try it, I’ll do my silly rabbit dance in the middle of recess (课间休息).” I laughed. “In front of everyone? It’s a deal!”
When I arrived at home. I searched our game shelves. Finally, at the very bottom of the pile, I found a tattered (破旧的) box with a chessboard and plastic chess pieces. I read the instructions carefully. Knights, rooks, bishops, pawns, a king, and a queen — each piece had a special starting place and its own way of moving. My heart sank. I couldn’t possibly memorize all the rules in time. Everyone in the chess club was going to think I was inexperienced!
That night, I dreamed I was in a chess game, and the queens, kings, and knights were laughing at me. Even the knights’ horses were snickering (窃笑)! The next day, I told Mareya I was having second thoughts.
“Please don’t back out,” she said. “Remember our deal.”
“I would like to see your silly rabbit dance,” I said, smiling.
After school, I found the chess club’s meeting room and went inside. I looked around, but Mareya was nowhere in sight! To make matters worse, I didn’t know a single person in the room. Butterflies filled my stomach as I started to head toward the door.
“Hi!” said a friendly woman. “I’m Ms.Martinez.”
“I’m Arizona,” I said. “ I was supposed to meet a friend, but I don’t see her. I’d better get going.” “Well, as long as you ‘re here, why don’t you sit with Joe and Jess and watch their game?”
注意：
1. 续写短文的词数应为 150 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
I didn’t want to be rude, so I sat down.
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Paragraph 2:
The next day, at recess, Mareya ran up to me.
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3 . Ask most people which day of the week they fear the most and the answer is likely to be Monday. The first day of the working week can make us depressed.
The most depressing day of the year is the third Monday in January, when it’s cold and dark outside. This day was named “Blue Monday” by psychologist Cliff Arnall. Even if there was little science behind Blue Monday, it’s probably true that the sound of our alarm clock on any Monday morning means the coming of a new working week and possibly the end of our weekend of fun.
Apparently, Monday means the end of weekend lie-ins.
| A．But is Monday as bad as we like to think it is? |
| B．What exactly makes us feel down remains unknown. |
| C．Weekends are definitely happy days in all countries. |
| D．That’s why the feeling is described as the Monday blues. |
| E．There is a strong cultural idea that we don’t like Mondays. |
| F．Our Monday mood can be based on a direct comparison to the day before. |
| G．It’s back to the routine and the realization that there are five days of working ahead. |
4 . We’ve all heard the expression, “Money doesn’t buy happiness.” Since happiness is a side effect of laughter, shift your focus from the secret of happiness to experiences that bring you laughter. Instead of asking yourself “How can I be happy?”, ask “What makes me laugh?” This approach creates space for more actionable practices.
•Look at the situation through a child’s eyes.
When times get stressful, take a moment to think about how you saw things as a kid. The more we can experience that childlike wonder and enthusiasm, the less we sweat even the big stuff.
•Add laughter to your mornings.
•Learn to laugh at yourself.
Relieving yourself of pressure is the joy of learning to laugh at yourself. It also allows you to show more of your true self.
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There is no better way to practice laughing at yourself than going outside your comfort zone. From learning German to taking up rollerblading and Zumba, plenty of new activities will fuel your laughter. With so many ways to laugh more, why wait for your bit of happiness?
| A．Hang out with friends. |
| B．Take up something new. |
| C．Permit yourself to be silly. |
| D．Morning routines set the tone for the entire day. |
| E．Read on four ways to get your daily amount of laughter. |
| F．Money doesn’t buy happiness but it can help us find happiness. |
| G．Instead, try any of the ideas above, and start feeling better now. |
