1 . Cope With Loneliness or Depression

My grandmother, Margaret lived to be 104, spending the last 16 years of her life in a nursing home. Although ______ kept in a wheelchair from severe arthritis(关节炎), she was mentally sharp until her ______. In fact, she was one of the very few residents there who could still think clearly. ______ the passing years, friends and family members died. Yet, when I had the ______ to visit her, she never seemed to be despondent or ______ of being lonely. After my visits, I ______ left thinking “If I lived that long, would I have the same ______? Was there something special or different in the way she thought that prevented her from becoming ______ ?”

By our very nature, human beings are relational. As social beings, we need some sense of ______ to the world around us, whether it’s through people or the ______ world. In what appeared to be the very ______world of my grandmother, she had ______ close relationships with the nurses on her floor. I’ve ______ a lot on the example my grandmother provided during her ______ years. I’ve asked myself many questions about aging and how to ______ a sense of well-being as our world ______ to narrow from the death of family and friends or major health issues. Perhaps what I’ve ______ will help you, too.

Being alone. What does that ______ bring into your mind? The way we feel about being alone has something to do with the way we frame it. For example, you ______ be in a large group of people and still feel very lonely. Yet, some people seem to recharge and actually energize by taking the time to be alone. Once your thoughts and feelings change, it will be ______ for your behavior to change as well.

1.

A．mentally

B．sadly

C．happily

D．physically

2.

A．recovery

B．death

C．victory

D．failure

3.

A．While

B．As

C．Until

D．With

4.

A．chance

B．honor

C．right

D．choice

5.

A．complained

B．reminded

C．informed

D．thought

6.

A．never

B．sometimes

C．always

D．seldom

7.

A．ability

B．luck

C．attitude

D．age

8.

A．depressed

B．disappointed

C．annoyed

D．excited

9.

A．achievement

B．direction

C．connection

D．humor

10.

A．amusing

B．amazing

C．different

D．natural

11.

A．small

B．huge

C．difficult

D．broad

12.

A．developed

B．invented

C．held

D．found

13.

A．regained

B．realized

C．reflected

D．recognized

14.

A．long

B．lonely

C．early

D．last

15.

A．organize

B．maintain

C．spread

D．broadcast

16.

A．promises

B．prepares

C．seems

D．starts

17.

A．calculated

B．collected

C．discovered

D．described

18.

A．phrase

B．word

C．sentence

D．passage

19.

A．would

B．can

C．must

D．should

20.

A．better

B．happier

C．harder

D．easier

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空格处填入适当的词或所给词的正确形式。

“Look on the bright side” is one of those     1    (suggest) that people always consider inspiring but less helpful. However, new research shows that finding something     2     interest in a terrible situation makes people quickly stop complaining. Besides looking at a challenge with humor is a good method,     3     may even be helpful in preventing depressed people     4     feeling sad.

In a study     5    (publish) earlier this year, researchers gave the participants some photos that show negative situations. Then they would describe these photos according to     6     request of researchers. Those using humorous words to describe the photos     7    (find) to have fewer negative emotions and more possibilities to go through a hard time in their life than those who described the photos     8    (direct).

So there appear to be no disadvantages to looking at difficult things in your life with humor and lightness. The conclusion from the study is that for those at higher risk of depression, humor can develop an ability     9    (control) negative emotions. What’s more, humor has an extra benefit of     10    (make) others around you smile. Therefore, when you feel stressed and couldn’t focus your mind on what you are doing, find something that can make you laugh first.

3 . What Really Drives You Crazy About Waiting in Line

Have you ever noticed the two main lines you encounter in daily life? Some businesses have many parallel lines that consumers have to choose from. Others have one long, serpentine line that everyone waits in, and when you reach the front of the line you are served by the next available register.

The systems each have advantages and disadvantages. The biggest obstacle to adopting the serpentine line is that you need floor space where the line can form, meaning it doesn’t work in all store designs. Often, the lines will snake around the entire store, blocking customers’ access to the shelves. Special line manager or automatic system is required for organization.

What about the time each line takes? According to Larson, the wait time is about the same. However, the variance is larger for the parallel line system than for the single serpentine line.

In practice, the system of many parallel lines also gives rise to inefficiencies — like when customers don’t notice that one checkout counter is open — which slows down service. “So, the many-line system can never have a mean queue time less than that of a single-line system,” Larson says.

Researchers argue that the serpentine line has more advantages. Namely, it seems socially fairer, because customers who arrive first are always served first. Because people waiting in line often value fairness more than efficiency, studies have shown that serpentine lines make customers happier than parallel lines, regardless of the wait time.

That guarantee of fairness eliminates a lot of stress and anxiety. You might not think about it much, but a system of many parallel lines, like at a grocery store checkout or toll booths, can be very anxiety provoking. There’s the stress of choosing the shortest line, and then there’s the possibility that, for unforeseen reasons, your line will grind to a halt. You can analyze the contents of people’s carts all you want, but the person in front of you may still pull out an envelope stuffed with coupons or a giant bag of pennies.

These lines are what Larson calls “slips and skips”, where people who enter the line first watch those who arrived later overtake them. He says these generate anxiety and uncertainty, and “the victim experiences more psychological loss than the perpetrator (犯罪者) enjoys benefit.”

When people later were given a choice of which line to repeat, a significant majority chose the latter one. Even though it lasted for a longer duration and clearly included more pain overall than the first one, people preferred it because it had a relatively better ending. So we can conclude that the duration of the experience doesn’t matter that much to people — what matters is the discomfort at the worst and final moments.

1. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Customers could be served very quickly, or have a very long delay.

B．Customers may meet with many unavoidable accidents.

C．There are a lot of variants contributing to the wait time.

D．There are no difference between the two types of lines.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Happy people will choose single-line systems rather than many-line ones.

B．Regardless of the wait time, people will choose serpentine lines.

C．Even choosing the shortest line, people may encounter unforeseen factors.

D．Parallel lines eliminate the actual existence of fairness.

3. What may be the outcome of parallel lines?

A．People switch to waiting in serpentine lines.	B．People want to use up all their coupons.
C．People start to analyze the items in carts.	D．People arrive later but checks out earlier.

4. What would be most probably talked about in the next paragraph?

A．People’s feeling of queuing is a matter of perspective.

B．The merits and shortcomings of waiting in line.

C．People should avoid the bad habits of queuing.

D．There are possible solutions to the craze of queuing.

4 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Dear Sally,

I recently became engaged, I love my fiancé a lot but we are getting into a lot of arguments     1     our Wedding plans. I would prefer a small wedding, just our immediate family and closest friends. I think it is such a special moment and I only want the people who are most important to be near us. I don’t want to be surrounded by people not really     2    (care) about us. He wants the whole world to be there--- the mail carrier, the baker, the butcher!!! My fiancé says a wedding day is     3    (important) day in anyone’s life. He wants to share his joy with everyone.

It’s not a question whether we can afford it although I     4     worry about how much a wedding costs and I would rather save the money for a house. I dislike fighting but I just don’t feel comfortable with his plans.

——Nervous

Dear Nervous,

Planning weddings     5     be very stressful. Each person has clear ideas about     6     his or her “perfect” wedding would be. Each person has dreams and hopes for that day. Now it is a good time to practice compromising (妥协) with your husband-to-be.     7     one of you should be unhappy on your wedding day. If you get your way, your husband will be unhappy. If he gets his way, it sounds     8     you will be unhappy.

Why don’t the two of you talk about     9     compromise? Perhaps a medium-sized wedding? Perhaps two weddings--- a small intimate ceremony and a large reception? You     10    (have) to compromise many times in your married life. You both can start now.

——Sally

5 . At a time when we are all experiencing an extraordinary level of stress, science offers a simple and effective way to bolster our own emotional health. To help yourself, start by helping others.

Our bodies and minds benefit in a variety of ways when we help others. Some research has focused on the “helper’s high”. Studies show that volunteering, donating money, or even just thinking about donating money can release feel-good brain chemicals and activate the part of the brain stimulated by the pleasure of food. Studies of volunteers show that do-gooders had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol on days they did volunteer work.

In fact, the act of giving advice has been shown to be more beneficial than receiving it. In a series of studies of 2,274 people, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago found that after middle school students mentored younger students about studying, they ended up spending more time on their own homework. Overweight people who counselled others on weight loss were more motivated to lose weight themselves.

Feeling responsible for other people also can help us cope with whatever challenges life brings. Emily A. Greenfield, an associate professor of social work at Rutgers University, studied a concept called ”felt obligation“, which is measured by asking people questions such as how obligated they would feel to give money to a friend in need, even if it meant putting themselves in a bind. Dr Greenfield analysed data collected from 849 participants in an ongoing study of health and well-being that asked about felt obligation as well as health-related declines they experienced over time, such as problems carrying groceries or walking a block.

As it turned out, the people who had higher levels of felt obligation—meaning they were the type of people to sacrifice for others—coped better with their own life challenges.

She noted that caring for others helps us to regulate our own emotions and gain a sense of control. “When we remind a friend that social distancing measures are temporary, and this too shall pass, we are also, in effect, reminding ourselves and serving to regulate our own emotions,” she said.

1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．Donating money can release brain chemicals making people feel good.

B．Giving advice is more beneficial than giving money.

C．Overweight people helping others on weight loss are discouraged from losing weight.

D．People having higher levels of felt obligation are less likely to help others.

2. The underlined word   “bolster” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “_________“.

A．improve	B．maintain
C．ruin	D．blow

3. Which one is NOT a benefit of helping others?

A．Better handling life difficulties.

B．Having lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

C．Expressing emotions more accurately.

D．Achieving a sense of control.

4. The best title for the passage is “________”.

A．The Challenge for Volunteering	B．A Beneficial Attempt
C．The Rapid Growth of Volunteer Work	D．The Science of Helping Out

6 . 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

7 . We have long imagined a world where we interact with computers and robots as if they were normal human beings. Science movies show computers and robots that think and feel just like humans. While these scenes exist only in the movies for now, we may be getting close to making technology emotionally intelligent.

The first step toward this is understanding what emotions are, Scientists are often unable to describe emotions in exact terms, even though we generally understand what people mean when they say they’re sad or happy.

Back in the 1950s, few scientists studied emotion. But American scientist Paul Ekman saw a lot of potential in this field. He began analyzing facial expressions, and gathered a list of over 5,000 muscle movements. These muscle movements combine to form our different expressions. His discovery of micro-expression—facial expressions that last only less than a second—allows us to read the emotions that people try to hide.

There are many possible uses of emotion-sensing technology. Dr. Chieko Asakawa, a researcher at IBM, has been blind since the age of 14. She has been developing a smartphone app that might be able to help people with disabilities. It recognizes people’s faces and facial expressions as they approach.

Another use of emotion-sensing technology can be shown through human-shaped robots like Pepper. It can comfort someone when it senses the person is sad, or tell a joke when the person is feeling playful. In Japan, Pepper is already serving customers in stores.

But as we walk on the streets, intelligent devices(设备)could record our facial expressions without our knowledge. This could allow many people to monitor(监视)or view our feelings without our permission. It may leave us with no control over who we share our feelings with. However, if we can deal with these challenges successfully, there could be many benefits for all of us if our devices become a little more human.

1. How did Ekman carry out the study?

A．By doing medical examinations.	B．By analyzing various robots.
C．By building new software.	D．By studying facial muscles.

2. Why does the author mention Dr. Asakawa’s app?

A．To present how IBM benefits from technology.	B．To describe the limitation of a new technology.
C．To show the value of Ekman’s work.	D．To praise what she has done.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph about intelligent devices?

A．They may create some problems.	B．They can take the place of humans.
C．They are of great benefit to humans.	D．They are useless in solving real problems.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Understanding other people’s emotions	B．New devices for the disabled
C．Robots that think like humans	D．Emotions in technology

8 . I happened to see my first butterfly of the spring today. I was carrying some groceries into my house when _______ the little lady flew right down in front of my face. She was so _______ that my heart beat with love and my eyes filled with _______. After she left I smiled, wiped my eyes, and_______ for the miracle of life and the miracle of butterflies.

Butterflies have held a(n) _______ place in my heart ever since I _______ my mum when she was only 55 years old. She used to _______ it when the butterflies would _______ near her while she tended her flower boxes. She would even speak to them gently in her musical _______. After she died I would think of her when I saw one of the wonderful angels ________by. I even told my young children that every time they saw a butterfly, it was their ________ saying “Hello” from Heaven.

When today’s butterfly ________ to say “Hi”, I once again felt a ________ beyond words. I felt like it was my mum showing her love. I felt like I was ________ on the clouds with her while a thousand angels sang.

Now some may say that I am just a ________ man, but I know this isn’t so. Delusions (幻觉) ________ your life with love. Delusions fill your heart with ________. The next time that you get your own “Hello from Heaven” then don’t ________it. Welcome it into your soul ________. Let it help you to be the people that the loving person wants you to be. Let its love ________ you.

1.

A．suddenly

B．sadly

C．clearly

D．quickly

2.

A．strong

B．tall

C．beautiful

D．intelligent

3.

A．expressions

B．words

C．games

D．tears

4.

A．learned

B．cared

C．shared

D．thanked

5.

A．special

B．usual

C．common

D．ordinary

6.

A．sent

B．lost

C．invited

D．enjoyed

7.

A．replace

B．love

C．force

D．guide

8.

A．sit

B．walk

C．climb

D．land

9.

A．voice

B．accent

C．gesture

D．wave

10.

A．waiting

B．flying

C．standing

D．going

11.

A．mother

B．father

C．grandma

D．grandpa

12.

A．called up

B．dropped in

C．got on

D．fell behind

13.

A．surprise

B．wonder

C．joy

D．hope

14.

A．crying

B．dancing

C．writing

D．leaving

15.

A．kind

B．selfish

C．rich

D．foolish

16.

A．cover

B．fill

C．meet

D．communicate

17.

A．happiness

B．peace

C．danger

D．money

18.

A．doubt

B．believe

C．recognise

D．open

19.

A．ago

B．later

C．then

D．instead

20.

A．inspire

B．determine

C．honour

D．please

9 . 语法填空

I bought a bottle of wine for my father and     1     beautiful sweater for my mother before Spring Festival. Every year, the moment I get on the train, I am surrounded by Shanxi     2     (accent)—I know that I am     3     (head) home to my family. When I get home my parents will fill me in on     4     has been happening and it’s great     5     (hear) what everyone’s been up to. We usually have hotpot. However, what we eat isn’t the most important thing. What’s important is who we eat with. It’s a     6     (wonder) thing to be back together with my family     7     talk of old times. When I     8     (be) a kid, Spring Festival was all about fireworks, sweets and decorations. As I get     9     (old), coming home and being with my entire family is the most important part of     10    .

10 . 语法填空

Today, the temperature in London is expected to reach 30 plus degrees, which is     1    (usual) for London because the average high temperature in July is only 22 degrees. Going     2     the stairs and onto the platform is like jumping into a volcano that’s erupting. Each summer in London definitely seems     3     (hot) than the last. I suddenly feel a bit scared and perhaps I should start planning     4     the future. I imagine putting my flat on the market and buying a boat. That way, when the Thames     5    (rise) and there is a flood in London, I’ll still be able to get to work. Later, I’m shocked by photos     6     (show) that a hurricane in Asia has destroyed a town. Experts say this bad weather has occurred due to climate change. News like this makes me feel nervous. This inspires me     7     (start) thinking about moving to space... “    8     next station is Bank!” comes the announcement. That’s my destination. I feel a fresh wind on my face     9     (immediate) I step out of the station. Well, maybe I have been worrying too much. After all, it’s only 30     10     (degree) outside!