1 . Tricks To Becoming A Patient Person

Here’s a riddle: What do traffic jams, long lines and waiting for a vacation to start all have in common? There is one answer.     1    .

In the Digital Age, we’re used to having what we need immediately and right at our fingertips. However, research suggests that if we practiced patience, we’d be a whole lot better off. Here are several tricks.

●Practice gratitude (感激)

Thankfulness has a lot of benefits: Research shows it makes us happier, less stressed and even more optimistic.     2    . “Showing thankfulness can foster self-control,” said Ye Li, researcher at the University of California.

● Make yourself wait

Instant gratification (满足) may seem like the most “feel good” option at the time, but psychology research suggests waiting for things actually makes us happier in the long run. And the only way for us to get into the habit of waiting is to practice.     3    . Put off watching your favorite show until the weekend or wait 10 extra minutes before going for that cake. You’ll soon find that the more patience you practice, the more you start to apply it to other, more annoying situations.

●     4    .

So many of us have the belief that being comfortable is the only state we will tolerate, and when we experience something outside of our comfort zone, we get impatient about the circumstances. You should learn to say to yourself, “    5    .” You’ll then gradually become more patient.

A．Find your causes

B．Start with small tasks

C．Accept the uncomfortable

D．All this adds up to a state of hurry

E．It can also help us practice more patience

F．This is merely uncomfortable, not intolerable

G．They’re all situations where we could use a little extra patience

2 . Finland was known as a rather quiet country. Since 2008, the Country Brand Delegation (国家品牌代表团) has been looking for a national brand that would make some noise to market the country as a world-famous tourist destination. In 2010, the Delegation issued a “Country Brand Report,” which highlighted a host of marketable themes, including Finland’s famous educational system. One key theme was brand new: silence. As the report explained, modern society often seems intolerably loud and busy. “Silence is a resource,” it said.

Silence first appeared in scientific research as a control or baseline, against which scientists compare the effects of noise or music. Researchers have mainly studied it by accident, as physician Luciano Bernardi did in his study of the physiological (生理学) effects of music. “We didn’t think about the effect of silence,” he said. Bernardi observed two dozen test subjects while they listened to six musical tracks. He found that the impacts of music could be read directly in the bloodstream, via changes in blood pressure, carbon dioxide, and circulation in the brain. “During almost all sorts of music, there was a physiological change with a condition of arousal (兴奋),” he explained.

This effect made sense, given that active listening requires attention. But the more striking finding appeared between musical tracks. Bernardi and his colleagues discovered that randomly added stretches of silence also had a great effect, but in the opposite direction. In fact, two-minute silent pauses proved far more relaxing than either “relaxing” music or a longer silence played before the experiment started. The blank pauses that Bernardi had considered irrelevant, in other words, became the most interesting object of study. Silence seemed to be heightened by contrasts, maybe because it gave test subjects a release from careful attention. “Perhaps the arousal is something that concentrates the mind in one direction, so that when there is nothing more arousing, then you have deeper relaxation,” he said.

This finding is reinforced by neurological (神经系统的) research. Relevant research shows when our brains rest quietly, they integrate external and internal information into “a conscious (意识的) workspace.” Freedom from noise and goal-directed tasks, it appears, unites the quiet without and within, allowing our conscious workspace to do its thing to discover where we fit in.

Noora Vikman, a consultant on silence for Finland’s marketers, knows silence well. Living in a remote and quiet place in Finland, she discovers thoughts and feelings that aren’t detectable in her busy daily life. “If you want to know yourself, you have to be with yourself, and discuss with yourself, and be able to talk with yourself.”

1. Why does the author mention the Country Brand Report in Paragraph 1?

A．To present how Finland viewed silence.

B．To highlight the need of noise in Finland.

C．To explain why Finland issued the brands.

D．To indicate the authority of the Delegation.

2. What can be inferred about Luciano Bernardi’s discovery?

A．It challenged the calming effect of music.

B．It emphasized the role of silence between sounds.

C．It illustrated the loss of attentiveness after silence.

D．It stated brains’ information processing in the quiet.

3. As for Noora Vikman’s attitude to silence, the author is ________.

A．doubtful

B．supportive

C．disapproving

D．unconcerned

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Silence: A Limited Resource	B．Silence: A Misunderstood Tool
C．Silence: The Unexpected Power	D．Silence: The Value by Contrasts

3 . While socializing comes naturally for some, it can be a struggle for others. Shyness is a normal, common personality trait (特征).     1    . If you’re often hesitant to engage in social situations, you may interact with those around you in a more comfortable way. We outline four strategies for overcoming shyness in life.

Get Excited About A New Adventure

You may have been shy most of your life.     2    . Working through shyness and developing increased confidence may seem like a discouraging task for you, but viewing the journey as an exciting adventure to parts unknown can be exciting and, in turn, may boost your self-esteem.

Pay Attention To Your Words

    3    . Talking to yourself in a negative way when describing yourself can damage your self-confidence. Consider replacing phrases like “I am shy” with “I am learning to be more comfortable” in social situations. This can go a long way toward moving from shyness to confidence.

Practice Mindfulness (正念)

Mindfulness involves drawing your attention to the present and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.     4    . In one study, participants in a mindfulness program experienced an improved view of their self-worth.

Take Small Steps

Getting started can be the hardest part of learning how to be more social for those who are shy.     5    . You can start out small. Try chatting with the teller at the bank or the person ahead of you in the checkout line. This can help you build confidence and work your way up to more difficult challenges.

A．If so, that’s a part of you that you’re used to

B．Sometimes the best path toward addressing a fear is exposure

C．Mindfulness can help reduce symptoms of social anxiety disorder

D．Taking time to tend to your appearance can make a big difference

E．How we communicate and characterize ourselves can be powerful

F．However, shyness can make it hard for people to connect with others and achieve their goals

G．But engaging with people doesn’t have to be practiced as an important work presentation

4 . Soothe the Sunday Scaries

As the weekend comes to an end, many of us are missing out on Sunday Funday and anxious about the upcoming week. Experts have nicknamed this worry the “Sunday scaries”.     1    

Here’s how you can ease your end-of-weekend anxiety.

When structuring your Sunday, try not to arrange too many errands and chores. If you’re feeling more stress, it’s important to make space for some activities to relax yourself. And there’s no right way to do so — maybe a midafternoon shower or bath, maybe an engaging movie or show.     2    

Anxiety is a normal human experience, and one of the main ways to manage it is to identify your personal triggers.     3     Is it a deadline, meeting, or presentation? Even if there’s not a single reason behind your Sunday anxiety, organizing the stress you expect from the week ahead into small pieces can help it.

Getting rid of the Sunday scaries isn’t just about minimizing the gloom of the week ahead, either. Having something to look forward to gives you something pleasing to think about, rather than only focusing on the anxiety you feel.     4     Instead of focusing on the awful things you expect from the week, build excitement over a lunch date with a friend.

Make Sunday nights about doing something for yourself to reduce your anxiety about Monday. Plan some favorite foods to enjoy or go all in for some self-care.     5     Do your best to honor this time and make Sunday night all about you—leave the work emails for Monday morning.

A．It’s a form of shifting your thoughts.

B．This is an opportunity to give yourself a refreshing time.

C．Try to figure out what’s really causing you to fear the week.

D．It doesn’t mean you have to shift your thoughts to something fun.

E．But even though the Sunday scaries are common, they are manageable.

F．It can be whatever feels like a helpful distraction to relieve from the stress.

G．Instead of sitting on the sofa and watching the clock, do something that you enjoy.

5 . 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。

Jack was a bright and curious child, always eager to learn new things and explore the mysterious world about science. However, he often found himself in disagreement with his mother. His mother was always busy with her work and she didn’t have enough time to learn about his interests and passions.

One day, Jack came home from school feeling particularly excited. He just found a sci-fi book about an adventure on the moon. Upon arriving at home, he couldn’t tear himself away from the book. He read and read until it was dark. Having finished reading it, he couldn’t wait to share it with his mother, only to be told that he should focus on more practical subjects like math and history, which would help him get into a good college and have a successful career.

Jack couldn’t understand why his mother didn’t see the value in what he was doing. He felt that she was holding him back and not allowing him to pursue his true interests. “Why can’t you see how important this is to me?” Jack asked his mother angrily. “I’m never going to be happy if I have to spend my life doing things that I show no interest in just because they are practical or make you proud.”

The once peaceful home was filled with tension and anger. His mother’s voice grew louder as she shouted, “You can’t just do whatever you want! You should be responsible for your future!” Jack, fueled by his own frustration, shot back, “I am tired of you always telling me what to do! I am not a child anymore! You only care about your own feeling! You never thought about my feeling!” They were so caught up in their own anger and hurt that they failed to see how their words and actions were affecting each other.

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

Jack rushed into his bedroom and locked the door heavily.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Jack heard his mother’s words, regretful tears rolled down his face.

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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 . One of the primary goals of cognitive behavioral therapy (疗法) is finding effective ways to channel your anxiety into productive action. The best possible one is under the care of an experienced mental health care provider. Still, if you are hoping to stop being paralyzed (麻痹) by anxiety and use this energy to fuel and improve your life, you can.     1    

Set a goal. Goal-setting is one way to use your anxiety as fuel. Take notice of your anxious thoughts and worries. What are you most concerned about?     2     Instead of shaking in your boots, get to work developing a plan that allows you to overcome these fears.

Challenge yourself regularly to build resilience. Think of your resilience to anxiety as a muscle.     3     Rather than avoiding those situations that cause anxiety, gradually expose yourself to them more often. When you do this, you will find that, over time, they lose their power. For instance, if you hate public speaking, you might benefit from signing up for a local Toastmasters club. Doing so will allow you to practice speaking in front of a group more often, which will reduce your anxiety.

    4     Anxiety can feel like a live wire in your body. You can’t sit still or focus. Exercise is a great activity to make use of this spare energy. Exercise offers a host of benefits like fighting off illness and helping you manage weight. One of the benefits most helpful to you, however, is its ability to neutralize anxiety and improve your mood.

Perform reality testing. You don’t have to become a slave to your anxious thoughts, giving them permission to get you all worked up.     5     Reality testing involves assessing a situation for errors in thinking. To assess the reality of this situation, you want to ask what evidence is there that says this is true. Did your friends actually call you lame? Are they avoiding you?

A．Put them to the test instead.

B．What are your biggest fears?

C．Burn off nervous energy with physical activity.

D．When you find yourself becoming anxious, check your thought patterns

E．Just transform anxiety into action by using positive strategies.

F．How can you deal with getting fired if it does happen?

G．The more you use the muscle, the stronger it becomes.

8 . There are so many ways to explore in regard to finding new happiness. Below you’ll find some tips to help you find your idea of happiness.

Find a new hobby. When it comes to hobbies, the possibilities are endless. You can be as adventurous, creative, or outgoing as you want. You can try out a new hobby alone or with friends. Hobbies can help reduce stress and put our focus on what is fun and different.     1    

Put yourself first. A lot of people forget to take care of themselves because of a busy work schedule, marriage, kids and family. But remember when you put yourself first, your happiness will shine through for sure.     2     This way, you can not only be your best self but also possibly take better care of people around you.

Exercise. Not everyone is a fan of exercise, but it does have so many benefits.     3     All it takes is 30 minutes of movement to gain those “feel-good chemicals” to better your mood (心情) and health.

Eat a balanced diet. There is a relationship between food and mood.     4     A healthy balanced diet will make you stronger and happier. If you eat poorly, your organs (器官) will react negatively. As a result, you suffer from illnesses or have mood swings — you anger easily and find it hard to concentrate.

    5     Having a good support system is known to help improve our well-being. Unfortunately, not everyone means well. So it’s important to be aware of that and make it your priority only to allow people beneficial to your mental health in your life.

A．Choose your social circles wisely.

B．Know that people are always there for you.

C．You are doing your body a service by working out.

D．Happiness is based on how much you can do for others.

E．The key is to find something that will do just that for you.

F．What you put in your body determines how your body responds.

G．Taking time out for yourself daily improves your emotion and performance.

9 . The characteristic (特征) of shyness is to feel frightened and nervous in new social situations or when being the center of attention. Whether shyness is part of your children’s personality or just something they feel when they are in front of a group of strangers, it is a common experience, according to a study.

To look at shyness, researchers brought 152 children aged 7-8 into a lab and told them they would give a speech, which would be filmed and shown to other children. The study showed that about 10% of the children showed a level of stress over time when giving the speech. About 25% of the children were not reported to be shy in the eyes of their parents, but in fact showed a level of social stress from giving the speech. This finding provides the fact that shyness may be a part of these children’s temperament (性情).

For children at this age, shyness may be a quite common and normal experience when they face a speech task. For a smaller group of shy children, however, being the center of attention may be stressful at different times and environments.

A shy temperament isn’t always valued by society like an outgoing personality, but that doesn’t mean there is something wrong. Everyone can feel shy at times depending on the environment. And those who are particularly shy often have happy social lives—they just aren’t likely to be the liveliest people in a crowded room.

Although shyness itself may not necessarily be a problem, parents should pay attention to signs of worry, particularly in their shy children. Importantly, however, we know that not all shy children are the same, and that many shy children grow up to be well-balanced adults.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．Shyness is not an unusual characteristic.

B．Shyness is born with personality.

C．Shyness will appear when one is in public.

D．Shyness means not communicating with others.

2. What is the finding of the study?

A．Few kids like to give a speech to others.

B．Some kids can get shy while giving speeches.

C．Some kids appear less shy with their parents.

D．Some kids are stressed when being separated.

3. What does the author advise parents to do when facing shy children?

A．Bring them to crowded space.

B．Care for them and give them confidence.

C．Keep them away from shyness.

D．Let them be alone.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．When are people shy?	B．Ways of beating shyness
C．Why is shyness a bad thing?	D．The discoveries about shyness

10 . I was sitting at my kitchen table the other day with a pen, notebook, calculator and a pile of bills. I was doing my monthly budget. There were bills for electric water, rent, insurance, the car payment, the phone bill, and the cable bill. Plus money needed to be set aside for food, gas, clothes and hopefully a little left over to save for those unexpected bills that always seemed to show up. When I was done, I shook my head, closed my eyes and thought of a time long ago when I would regularly get treasures.

When I was a boy, we lived across the road from Camp Caesar. It held week long camps all through the summer and my grandma who I lovingly called “Nanny” worked in her big kitchen. I remember slipping there getting a smile, a hug, a kiss and a hot roll from Nanny. Then she would always take deep in her pockets and pull out a treasure, a shiny quarter. She would give it to me and I would run down the hill to either get an ice cold can of coke from the pop machine or I would head to the camp’s swimming pool where I could buy a warm cup of cherry coke for 15 cents and a tiny 10 cent bag of chips from a stand. I took my time because it was always a big decision. It was nice too feeling so rich for a few minutes.

Looking back now I can see that the real treasure was not the quarter at all. It was the love with which Nanny gave it to me. I would have still visited her at work every day if I had never gotten a single quarter. It was her smile, hugs, and kisses that were priceless in my heart then and now.

The old saying is true, “With your work you can make a living, but it is with your love that you make a life.” You can always welcome love into your heart, soul and mind. And you can always share your love with others. It is that one treasure that lasts forever.

1. According to Paragraph 1, what was the author trying to figure out?

A．Where to get treasures.	B．What food and supplies to buy.
C．How to sort out these bills at hand.	D．How to balance the money available.

2. What does the underlined word “roll” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A kind of bread	B．A kind of act.
C．A sound.	D．A greeting.

3. Which of the following best describes Nanny?

A．Considerate.	B．Generous.
C．Affectionate.	D．Enthusiastic.

4. Why does the author mention the old saying in the last Paragraph?

A．To change people’s heart and soul.

B．To show what we should value in life.

C．To explain work and love can make a life.

D．To advise more love and sharing in childhood.