1 . How We Talk about Fear Matters

Lately, there seems to be plenty to fear in the world. How we talk about what we fear might offer clues to how we perceive that emotion socially and culturally.

Get the root of fear.

    1    . In Anglo Saxon times, “fear” primarily referred to sudden danger. The root of the word dates back to “pēr” from Indo-European about 6,000 years ago. This root suggests that fear developed from a sudden (frightening) experience you passed through.

Figure out the emotional meaning of fear.

Whether emotions are viewed positively or negatively varies from culture to culture.    2     . For instance, in English, the word “anxious” can be used to mean “worried” or “eager”. But the word meaning “anxious” just means “regret” in Dargwa. Therefore, many English speakers may not view anxiety as negatively as Dargwa speakers.

Find out a fearful pattern.

In looking at such patterns across the major language families, researchers found that the word “fear” was often associated with anxiety, envy and grief in Indo-European languages. But in Austronesian languages, “fear” more often was associated with surprise.     3     .

    4    

How we talk about fear changes how we react to it. When we talk about what frightens us, it may be useful to disrupt associated meanings. In addition, how our language categorizes an emotion seems to impact whether we perceive those emotions negatively or positively.

In conclusion, fear is something that can be changed by cultural and linguistic experience.    5     . Perhaps Roosevelt was right when he in famously said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

A．Talk more about fears

B．Change our perception of fear

C．The word fear has a long history in English

D．There seemed a fearful pattern across the major language families

E．This is based on what people have learned to associate with emotion words

F．It opens the door to potential ways to change how we talk about and react to it

G．This makes speakers of the latter languages associate this emotion with a less negative sense

2 . Encouraging children to think about the feelings of others improves their creativity, new research suggests.

The findings are from a year-long study with Design and Technology (D&T) year 9 students (aged 13 to 14) at two London schools. Students at one school spent the year following course-required lessons, while the other group’s D&T lessons used some thinking tools which are aimed at developing students’ ability to have empathy, while solving real-world problems.

Both groups of students were judged for creativity at both the start and end of the school year using a perfect test.

The results showed a significant increase in creativity among students who use the thinking tools. At the start of the year, the creativity scores of the students who followed the required curriculum, were 11% higher than those following D&T lessons. By the end, however, the situation had completely changed: creativity scores among the D&T group were 78% higher than the required-course group.

The researchers also examined specific types within the test: such as “emotional expressiveness” and “open-mindedness”. Students from the D&T group again scored much higher in these types, showing that obvious progress in empathy was improving the overall creativity scores.

Nicholl, Senior Lecturer in D&T Education, said: “When I taught Design and Technology, I didn’t see children as someone who would one day do good to society; they were people who needed to be ready to go into the world at 18. Teaching children to understand another person’s feelings and experiences is about building a society where we appreciate each other’s point of view. Surely that is something we want education to do.”

1. What’s the purpose of adopting the thinking tools?

A．To understand the feelings of others.

B．To develop students’ creativity.

C．To design new technologies.

D．To deal with realistic problems.

2. Which of the following is true about the study?

A．Both the groups took courses required by the curriculum.

B．The two groups of students were tested twice during the one-year study.

C．Students from the required course scored much higher in these specific types.

D．Creativity among the students from the D&T lessons has been slightly improved.

3. What can be inferred from Nicholl’s words?

A．He is indifferent to whether the children benefit society.

B．The D&T lessons can be an effective way to improve grades.

C．Education is expected to build a society with different opinions appreciated.

D．The D&T lessons surely need to be taken before the children go into the world.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Emotional Education Matters

B．Teaching Students to Be Better

C．Creativity Offers Great Chances

D．Empathy Significantly Improves Creativity

3 . How to Work out Your Worries by Writing

Something troubling you?

You should write about it.

Research shows that people who write about a difficult situation often show improved mental and physical health.

    1     It is a specific technique, and it’s different from writing in a journal. The idea is to reflect honestly and thoughtfully on a particular challenge.

Hundreds of studies over several decades have looked at the potential benefits of expressive writing. It can strengthen the immune system, including for people with illnesses such as flu, cancer and depression.     2    

Expressive writing works because it allows you to make meaning out of a painful experience, experts say.     3     Then translating that experience into language forces you to organize your thoughts. And creating a narrative gives you a sense of control.

But expressive writing isn’t a magical cure-all solution.     4     And people coping with a severe injury or depression may not find it useful to do on their own, without therapy(治疗).

Yet it can be a powerful tool for many, in large part because it helps prevent the secrecy people often feel about an injury, as well as their reluctance to face emotions.

    5     Thinking or talking about an event can lead to reflecting, where you become lost in your emotions. Writing forces you to slow down. The mere act of labeling a feeling—of putting words to an emotion—can lessen the nervous activity in the threat area of the brain. Writing can increase someone’s acceptance of his experience, and acceptance is calming.

A．Why write?

B．What if you don’t write?

C．Expressive writing gave people the courage to face fears.

D．It shouldn’t be used as a replacement for other treatments.

E．It can also help reduce pain and improve mood, sleep and memory.

F．The first important step is to recognize what it is that is bothering you.

G．Psychologists refer to writing about an unpleasant experience as ”expressive writing“.

4 . A recent study showed that Dutch teens are the happiest in the world. The study surveyed 48 countries that represented nearly 7,000 teenagers. The survey asked a range of questions about body image, life satisfaction, and school environment.

Out of the 48 countries, the U.S. was fairly low on the list for teen happiness. America has experienced an increase in depression rates. So, what exactly makes Dutch teens happier and less anxious about life?

“I think Dutch children have generally positive reactions from their families and schools,” said Dr. Simone de Roos, a researcher. “They have a supportive environment at home, with friends and also at school. Dutch parents give a lot of support and have mild control. There’s a very good climate, teachers accept the feelings of pupils, and pupils trust teachers.”

The study also shows that Dutch teens’ daily habits have a huge effect on their overall health. According to the report, Dutch teens are five times more likely to eat breakfast during the week and have kinder classmates. Dutch teens are less likely to experience bullying (欺凌) and reported fewer rates of obesity. Prof. Ruut Veenhoven, director of World Happiness Day, said that across Europe young people do not feel anxious about living up to high expectations.

“If you look across Europe, the Dutch and the Danes are the most generous and they prefer to have their children develop self-independence rather than force them to obey others,” he said. Children have more freedom to do what they want, and in doing what they want, they develop an idea of what they really like as well as social skills. A happy boy may be sometimes not a very good boy.”

Actually, there are many more benefits to a Dutch childhood: they have comparatively little homework in school and experience regular family meals. Dutch kids are also more likely to be educated than their parents, and grow up in one of the most peaceful countries in the world. Maybe it’s high time that the U.S. took a page out of the Netherlands’ playbook.

1. What do we know about American teens?

A．They are satisfied with their school life.	B．They are the most active in the study.
C．They feel less happy than Dutch teens.	D．They have scored lower than others.

2. What accounts for Dutch teens’ happiness according to Dr. Simone de Roos?

A．Good social surroundings.	B．Their positive attitudes.
C．Comfortable living conditions.	D．Their good body images.

3. How is a Dutch teen’s childhood?

A．Ambitious.

B．Dependent.

C．Creative.

D．Free.

4. What are American parents advised to do?

A．Learn from the Dutch.	B．Play together with kids.
C．Develop teens’ social skills.	D．Guide kids to live a happy life.

5 . In 1998, I found myself in need of a lock to use on an exercise room locker where I work. My oldest daughter had one that she had been using for her middle school locker.     1     It was just an ordinary lock. It is always tied to a loop (环) on my workout bag and gets moved to a locker each day, then moved back when I leave the exercise room after a run outside or exercise inside. Since 1998, the lock has seen three different locker rooms. I guess I have locked and opened it 10,000 times.     2    

On a few occasions I left it unlocked on a locker but it was always there when I returned the next day. Generally, people around here are very honest.     3    

The lock is a small thing, not worth much in monetary terms.     4     Funny how you can get attached to something that becomes part of your life without your even realizing it. When I die, I will give it back to the daughter who never asked for the lock back.     5    

A．It is still in good working order.

B．My daughter lost her lock somewhere.

C．Many people ask me where I get my lock.

D．I hope she will keep it to remember me by.

E．Some people don’t even lock their lockers.

F．But it has come to be one of my most prized belongings.

G．But since it was summer time she didn’t need it and gave it to me.