1 . Humans are social creatures, which is why we feel lonely from time to time, for example, after moving to a new school or when a child leaves for college.     1    . This persistent (持续存在的) emotion can harm their health and even change their brains.

How can a subjective (主观的) feeling like loneliness have such a great effect on the brain’s structure and functions? Scientists believe that long-term loneliness affects brain areas related to social thinking and emotions.     2    . Additionally, loneliness can raise blood pressure and heart rate, further affecting the brain. Loneliness might lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and lack of physical activity.     3    .

To fight long-term loneliness, experts suggest making new friends through activities like art classes, sports teams, support groups, or volunteering, and the goal is to put themselves in places where people come together.     4    . Additionally, cognitive behavioral therapy (认知行为疗法) can help by changing a person’s attitudes and thoughts about social interactions. This therapy get to the root of the problem, exploring what makes it hard for a person to interact with others.

    5    . However, understanding the deep reasons of long-time loneliness is crucial for maintaining brain health and overall well-being. By actively connecting with others and seeking support, people can improve their mental and physical health, leading to a more satisfying life.

A．The feeling is closely linked to sadness

B．Thus, loneliness significantly damages overall health

C．However, some people experience long-term loneliness

D．There is a connection between loneliness and mental illness

E．All in all, these skills are simple and effective in dealing with loneliness

F．These social situations work best when participants share a common identity

G．They also hold that loneliness causes stress and affects how our brains age over time

2 . One of the keys to doing well in school is staying positive. Positivity will make you feel better and give you some good attitudes to be more productive with your schoolwork. By staying positive, you can do well in your classes and earn the grades you want.

Be optimistic about school

    1     Instead, try to be positive about what you feel good about and are looking forward to in the future. You can create a list of things you are grateful for or write down one thing every day that you are looking forward to. These can help you appreciate the future and what it has to offer.

    2    

Sometimes taking the focus off yourself can help you to be more optimistic. Help make others feel better and often you’ll feel better as well. Try to share any encouraging thoughts if you have them. Then, you can give small, thoughtful gifts to your friends. People appreciate it when others are thinking of them. Even you can buy a coffee for your friend.     3    

Take feedback(反馈) positively

Though it may sometimes be difficult, it’s important to not get down when teachers offer you feedback. Take what they say and learn how to apply it to be better in the future. When you get any potentially negative feedback, you can take a deep breath. Take a minute to calm down your first response before you react. Be thankful for feedback.     4     Consider it as an opportunity to improve yourself.

Be around positive people when you’re at school

Positive friends can make you feel better about yourself.     5     Negative people can often waste your energy, especially in difficult environments like school. Pay attention to how you feel around people. Positive people should make you feel energetic and excited about the future.

A．Encourage other students.

B．Take advantage of extra help.

C．Don’t get tense by being too impatient.

D．Thank your teacher for giving you feedback.

E．It can encourage them to stay positive at school.

F．Make sure not to focus on the negative in every situation.

G．Seek out friends that are optimistic and positive about their lives.

3 . I once had a real show of what love is about from my son, Branton, who was then eight and totally unkind to his little sister, Susan.

One Autumn evening, I discovered Susan was ________. I thought she was in the house at first. By the time I ________ she was gone, Branton was comfortably on the sofa watching his favorite television program with a friend. After I’d searched every room for Susan, I began to be ________. It was dark by then, and she was only 5. Our house in the country had many ________ surrounding it.

Careful not to betray my ________, I announced, “Susan is gone.” There was a pause, then Branton ________ and looked at me. “I can’t find Susan,” I ________. “She isn’t in the house, and I don’t know where she is.” He was up as if a bomb had blown him off the sofa. “I’ll find her,” he said running to the door. Then he stopped and turned to his friend. “Get up, Jeff,” he ________, “We’ve got to find Susan. Hurry up.” Within two minutes he’d rung two doorbells to ask if the ________ knew where his sister was. Branton, still running at top ________, came up and passed me by, calling, “Susan, Susan.”

As we headed up the big path into the woods, I heard the sound of a child ________ out. It was Susan. I tried to comfort her we were coming — while attempting to ________ falling in the mud. Meanwhile, Branton ran on ahead, apparently ________ nothing. In another minute he had her in his arms. As I ________, I heard him saying repeatedly, “Susan, are you all right?” as tears streamed down his cheeks.

That night I told Susan, who frequently ________ Branton’s trick, that we all should know what Branton really felt about us.

1.

A．missing

B．injured

C．puzzled

D．asleep

2.

A．argued

B．realized

C．compared

D．agreed

3.

A．surprised

B．frightened

C．delighted

D．tired

4.

A．woods

B．villages

C．houses

D．mountains

5.

A．anger

B．secret

C．anxiety

D．doubt

6.

A．laughed

B．shook

C．shouted

D．turned

7.

A．repeated

B．prayed

C．announced

D．scolded

8.

A．persuaded

B．suggested

C．commanded

D．blamed

9.

A．teachers

B．classmates

C．workers

D．neighbors

10.

A．cost

B．height

C．speed

D．trip

11.

A．crying

B．going

C．leaving

D．dying

12.

A．imagine

B．risk

C．avoid

D．enjoy

13.

A．interested in

B．familiar with

C．crazy about

D．afraid of

14.

A．called

B．approached

C．greeted

D．discovered

15.

A．thanked

B．valued

C．accepted

D．suffered

4 . When you hear that your friend has passed an exam that you failed earlier, how do you react? Do you share in her happiness? If you do, congratulations!     1     Studies have shown that experiencing Freudenfreude can lead to acts of kindness, such as helping others. By celebrating the victories of others, we can bring more success into our own lives.

    2     Sometimes, the disappointment of our own failure can make it difficult to feel happy for others. If we were raised in an environment where winning was strongly associated with self-worth, we may mistakenly interpret someone else’s success as our own failure. Our mental health and overall well being can also affect our ability to share in someone else’s joy.     3    

One method to evoke positive feelings for others is through asking questions. We don’t have to wait for someone else’s good news to practice Freudenfreude. By inviting others to share their victories and genuinely listening to their stories, we can cultivate joy.     4    

Since emotions are contagious (有感染力的), expressing appreciation can also enhance Freudenfreude. We can think of Freudenfreude as something that can be shared when we are experiencing personal happiness.     5     Starting by sharing our own achievements and expressing gratitude can create a sense of shared joy, enhancing Freudenfreude for both parties involved.

A．To better understand Freudenfreude, it is important to realize that it is a win-win.

B．According to social scientists, finding pleasure in another person’s success is what they call Freudenfreude.

C．However, experiencing Freudenfreude is not always easy.

D．Despite these challenges, generating Freudenfreude is valuable, and there are ways to cultivate this feeling.

E．You might ask: “What’s the best thing that happened to you this week?”

F．It is a term that describes the joy we feel when someone else succeeds.

G．To do this, we can give credit to others for their support and acknowledge their contribution to our success.

5 . Often when we have an uncomfortable feeling,such as sadness,fear or shame,our first reaction is to reject that feeling. We may tell ourselves that it is a bad feeling we don’t want to have.     1     For example,some people try to push it away or use alcohol to feel better.

Certainly no one wants to feel emotional pain all the time,but when we reject our emotions,we may actually make things worse. Often emotions arise as they give us useful information about the,world.     2    

An alternative to pushing away our emotions is to accept them. Accepting means that we must practice allowing our emotions to be what they are without judging them.     3     When we’re happy,we have to accept not only that happiness is a short-term condition,but also that we won’t always be happy. This goes for every type of emotions.

Emotions help us decide what we should stay away from and what we should approach.     4     Therefore,accepting emotions is helpful,because when we listen to our emotions,we can actually learn important information.

    5     After all, it’s our instincts (本能) to avoid them. With practice, though, we can learn to accept our emotions. Meditation (冥想) and mindful breathing exercises can be helpful.

A．We have emotions for a reason.

B．Actually,it is vital to handle our emotions.

C．It isn’t easy to learn how to accept emotions.

D．It also means accepting that emotions will change.

E．Then we may do something to get rid of that feeling.

F．Therefore,pushing away emotions isn’t the best idea.

G．Without emotions,we would make terrible decisions all the time.

6 . 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

7 . Emotional pain is part of life.     1     Whether the pain is associated with loss, failure, or disappointment, you must develop a strategy to lessen and manage the struggle. By taking action you will learn to cope with emotional pain.

Seek help from those close to you. Asking for help can be awkward. However, if you let someone know that you are trying to make specific changes in your life, it will increase the likelihood of your success.     2     It is important for you to let others know what you are trying to achieve.

    3     Sitting around missing someone will only make you feel worse. Sometimes you need to occupy yourself with new, more interesting things to do. Have you ever thought about learning to play a musical instrument or becoming a master gardener? Now might be your time.

Volunteer your time to a cause. One way of coping with emotional pain is to volunteer your time, resources, or expertise to a worthy cause or individual. Volunteering will help you develop new skills, and begin or strengthen your connection with your community. It can also provide a boost to your self-esteem and personal development.     4    

Make a plan to build coping skills. Following a problem-solving model will give you a structure for creating change. You must determine clear objectives, carry them out, make adjustments as needed and monitor your progress.     5     You can lessen your strict adherence (遵守) to the steps of your plan and maintain positive outcomes.

A．Focus on the positive.

B．You will feel a “giver’s high”.

C．Fill your schedule with new agenda items.

D．Knowing that doesn’t seem to make it any easier.

E．Emotional pain, however, can take much longer to wear off.

F．Your new behaviors will build over time and become second nature to you.

G．A strong support network can help you cope with your pain more effectively.

8 . Expressing emotions is difficult as it's not always encouraged in society. People rely on comfort zones and a secure mask to get them through the day. You may wonder, "Why am I so sad?" and not know how to answer that question. We ignore warning signs of sadness, depression and other forms of suffering because we cannot be open about such feelings in society. It shouldn't be something we are afraid of. With the release of emotion, we find who we want to be and quickly to a previous good condition. Sadness is one emotion of many. But it is often the one most ignored. We don’t want to appear weak to others.

Sadness is different from depression. Typically, sadness comes and goes, while depression holds us down for long. When feeling sad, you are most likely feeling alone, helpless and hopeless. But depression lasts almost nonstop at a depth that can overrule your behavior.

We feel it our duty to be our own heroes. We feel like we need to hold on rather than let go and let others in. When this happens, sadness increases, and we are no longer engaged with those we love. When sadness hits, we have to tell someone and build a support system. You just need to allow others to see your weaknesses, which aren't even true weaknesses. Feeling sad is not a weakness. Holding back in an effort to appear strong is, however, a weakness.

When people know what you're going through, they can better assist you.

Our sadness does not show what we are worth. It only tells us the story we tell ourselves. And when we change that story, we can breathe. We start to realize we deserve to be happy. Self talk like "I am worth it" is sending message of love and hope to ourselves when the world fails to do so for you.

1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A．People tend to release bad emotions.	B．People express their emotions easily.
C．People usually hide their emotions.	D．People often lose control of emotions.

2. How is sadness different from depression?

A．Depression is easier to recover.	B．Sadness lasts for shorter periods.
C．Depression leads to hopelessness.	D．Sadness can overrule people's behavior.

3. What is a weakness according to the author?

A．Turning to others for help.	B．Pretending to be strong.
C．Admitting our weaknesses.	D．Telling the truth to someone,

4. What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?

A．Sending ourselves positive messages.	B．Asking others for advice.
C．Keeping the sad stories in mind.	D．Learning from our own past experience

9 . Nature has developed the emotional state we call anger to help us stay alive. Anger energizes us to prepare us for action. It can be used either in productive ways or just the opposite. When we feel energized by anger, we might ask ourselves how we put this energy to the most productive use.

Perhaps the most helpful thing to remember about anger is that it is a secondary emotion. A primary feeling is what is felt immediately before we feel angry. We might first feel afraid, attacked, offended, trapped, or disrespected. If any of these feelings are intense enough, we think of the emotion as anger. Generally speaking, secondary feelings do not identify the unmet emotional need. When all I can say is “I feel angry”, neither I nor any one else knows what would help me feel better. A helpful technique, then, is to always identify the primary emotion.

Assume someone wants us to do something we prefer not to do. At first we feel a little pressured, but not enough to get angry. When they keep pushing us, we begin to get irritated. If they continue, we get angry. Such anger damages relationships.

If we feel angry, it is evident that we feel strongly about something. Instead of saying, “I can’t believe how irresponsible she is. What a cold-hearted, evil witch she is.” A more productive response is: “Am I really upset by this? Why does it bother me so much? What specifically am I feeling?” From the answers, we can decide to pick the best one to calm the anger. As soon as we “upshift” and begin to think about our options and their consequences, we start to feel more in control and less threatened. We get out of the automatic stimulus-response mode and realize that we have choices.

There is a quote from Victor Frankl that goes like this: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lie our growth and freedom.”

1. What’s the author’s attitude towards anger?

A．Favorable.

B．Neutral.

C．Doubtful.

D．Negative.

2. What can we know about anger?

A．It reflects one’s intense feeling.	B．It refers to a minor emotion.
C．It can identify emotional need.	D．It surely causes a violent reaction.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly deal with?

A．What questions we ask about anger.	B．How we respond to the anger.
C．How we develop growth and freedom.	D．When we consider the consequence.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Ways to know about anger.	B．Reasons to arouse anger.
C．Managing anger in a good way.	D．Calming anger at the right time.

10 . Have you ever felt like others don’t understand your pain when they seem to be living a happy life? You’re not alone in feeling this way, but the truth is that happiness takes work.    1    

Live in the present moment

Your past is important to learn from.    2     At the end of the day, though, the only thing that exists outside of your head is the present. In order to ground yourself in the now, you can practise noticing what’s around you, how you’re feeling, why you’re feeling that way, etc.

Be kind to others

    3     While you may not be at a place to help them financially (经济上), offering a smile or a kind word can help them feel better about where they’re in life. When others see you show kindness, they’ll also be more likely to do so.

Keep your mind open

Having an open mind is important for your growth. You may be right about something, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to look at it.    4     You are sure to learn something as long as you stay open to difficult conversations.

    5    

You’ll hear people say “I had that idea” every time you see someone create something great. Everyone had the idea for Facebook first. The reason Mark Zuckerberg got rich off it is that he went out and did it, while everyone else was talking about it. Ideas are useless if you don’t act on them. Less thinking, more doing.

A．Decide what’s important to you.

B．Here are several ways you can try.

C．Take action for what matters to you.

D．Your future is important to work towards.

E．Every day you see someone who needs help.

F．Listening to ideas you don’t agree with keeps your mind open.

G．So find something new and set goals beyond what you believe possible.