1 . John is a barber, running a very successful business. He has a large group of regulars, some of whom enjoy a daily shave in his shop, while others just come for the occasional haircut. They keep coming because John loves to laugh, and 30 minutes spent in his shop is a medicine that cheers everyone up. His loud, booming laugh is a trademark around his town.

But John wasn’t always a barrel of laughs. In his teens and early adulthood, he suffered from depression. He often had a long face and found it hard to even smile. It was his neighbor, Mrs. Lee, who was a psychologist, that helped him out. She showed him funny videos or read light-hearted books for him, guided him to focus on things he was grateful for, rather than on things that had been bothering him. Following her advice, he forced himself to laugh as wild as possible, even if it felt fake (假的). To his surprise, after a while, he turned his life around, and real laughter came back into his life again.

Researchers say that we’re all born with the ability to laugh and that finding more ways to bring laughter into our lives does not have to be complicated. In fact, the best advice they offer is “Fake it till you make it.” If you focus on finding ways to laugh and enjoy life and try to smile and laugh even when not feeling like it, you can genuinely change your mood and laugh happily.

John also says we shouldn’t hold back our urge to laugh, even at silly things. Next time you see a funny advertisement on television, making you laugh inside, focus on letting out that laughter. Laughter can be contagious, so you may help others around you, too.

1. Why do John’s regular customers keep coming to his shop?

A．Because he is a successful barber.

B．Because they want to buy a medicine.

C．Because his laughing can lift their spirits.

D．Because he can offer them best shave and haircut.

2. Who helped John solve the problem of his teens and early adulthood?

A．Himself.

B．Researchers.

C．His neighbor.

D．His customers.

3. What can be inferred from the researchers in the passage?

A．It is difficult to find ways to laugh.

B．Laughter can be faked and finally become real.

C．The ability to laugh should be developed after birth.

D．We can watch funny videos or read light-hearted books.

4. The underlined word “contagious” in the last paragraph probably means ______.

A．spread

B．heard

C．free

D．available

2 . When you left us, it was the end of a long, painful road. Since then, I was_______my favorite memories of you.

I remember us taking our family dog for walks together on the _______ sand dunes (沙丘). I remember sitting on your knee, watching candlelight _______ inside. Once I bought you a gift — a _______ printed on a glass board, titled “Walking With Grandpa.” _______, you wrote me your own poem, too. I imagine how you must have taken time finding the right words, how you printed it out and cut the paper to _______ before placing it in the frame.

However, Alzheimer began its _______ through your life. In your last few days of life, I was _______ when sitting by your bedside silently, feeling very worried and afraid. I didn’t know what to do or how to _______.

Now, I am an adult, I wish I had been ________ — that I had come close to you and told you how deeply I loved you, how you filled the ________ which was the absence of my father in those 10 years of my life, so that I didn’t realize anything was ________. It’s only now that I am aware that when I ________ a relationship with my father, the reason why he fell short of ________ is that he wasn’t you. I really hope you know how much you ________ to me.

1.

A．reflecting on

B．searching for

C．taking over

D．setting up

2.

A．messy

B．rainy

C．towering

D．burning

3.

A．increase

B．dance

C．foil

D．produce

4.

A．story

B．book

C．picture

D．poem

5.

A．After all

B．In return

C．By accident

D．On earth

6.

A．edge

B．length

C．size

D．side

7.

A．direction

B．harm

C．procedure

D．march

8.

A．frightened

B．humble

C．frozen

D．cautious

9.

A．say

B．act

C．do

D．move

10.

A．brave

B．grateful

C．energetic

D．patient

11.

A．room

B．need

C．life

D．hole

12.

A．puzzling

B．boring

C．missing

D．discouraging

13.

A．had

B．sought

C．enjoyed

D．continued

14.

A．performances

B．targets

C．demands

D．expectations

15.

A．mean

B．treasure

C．count

D．value

3 . Tips for you to overcome comparison

Identify your triggers (诱因) and avoid them. To stop comparing yourself to others, pay attention to the people or events that cause your behavior. Do you feel discontent with your life after looking at luxury goods?     1     Write down your comparative thoughts as soon as they happen so you can limit your exposure to these situations or avoid them altogether.

    2     When you minimize your abilities, it becomes easier to compare yourself to others. To avoid this negative behavior, make a list of your strengths and talents. By acknowledging your best qualities, you can learn to love yourself.

Keep a gratitude journal. To start journaling, reflect on the little things that bring you joy and write down why you’re grateful for them. Keeping a gratitude journal can increase your chances of overcoming comparison, but you may forget about it if you have a busy schedule.     3    

Work on improving your abilities. Instead of focusing on your “weaknesses”, reflect on the areas you can improve.     4     Besides, don’t be afraid to ask other people for help along the way. By prioritizing yourself, you can boost your self-confidence and find your place and value.

Appreciate others instead of envying them.     5     If you have friends who are highly achieving people, you might consider that their networks are full of people who might be able to help you become more successful in your life. Instead of envying their success, be supportive and use their success to your advantage.

A．Write down your positive qualities.

B．Do you set goals to achieve your dream?

C．Consider the advantage that others can bring you.

D．Recognize everyone’s circumstances are entirely unique.

E．Take classes or workshops to develop your skills and techniques.

F．Is there someone who constantly makes you feel bad about yourself?

G．Set a reminder to write at least once a week so you can actively express appreciation.

4 . Being highly critical or talking down to yourself are examples of self-criticism that highlight your own weaknesses. You may feel you don’t meet your own personal standards or expectations. Fortunately, you can improve this pattern of self-criticism by changing your thought patterns and practicing positive affirmations (情感上的支持或鼓励).

●What is self-criticism?

Self-criticism is the act of thinking negatively about yourself. Individuals with self-critical tendencies face self-created problems due to their tough standards and internalized social values for self-evaluation.     1     For some individuals, self-criticism can have a negative effect on day-to-day mood and may be a factor for depression and other forms of mental illness.

● Can self-criticism be good?

    2     If people use personal criticism in a way that’s useful to complete tasks and achieve goals, it can be beneficial. They can use it as a way to examine their decisions and behaviors and evaluate whether they need to make any changes.

●     3    

People with avoidant (回避反应的) attachment styles avoid closeness. This may prevent them from developing relationships for how to show compassion (同情) for themselves and others. Self-criticism is also likely to arise from shame, insecure attachments, and having low self-esteem.

● Examples of self-Criticism

When individuals engage in negative self-assessment, they create an inner dialogue that uses demeaning (贬低的) and demotivating language.     4     They may say, “I am easily disappointed with myself.” “I can’t accept failures and setbacks without feeling inadequate,” and “I stop caring about myself.”

● How can self-criticism be overcome?

To overcome self-criticism, it’s helpful to be honest with yourself about the role you play. You can start to identify how your self-criticism impacts your mood and daily routine.     5    

A．Self-criticism isn’t always bad.

B．Where does self-criticism come from?

C．If so, please step outside your comfort zone.

D．Self-criticism is associated with little progress.

E．It’s also important to seek professional help as needed.

F．Examples of self-criticism include phrases and negative self-talk.

G．As a result, they’re unsure of their thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

5 . How to Live a Fulfilling Life

How awesome would it be to get out of bed each morning feeling purposeful and happy about your day? What about going to sleep each night with a grin(露齿的笑)of satisfaction on your lips?     1    Here are some tips that may help you.

●    2            

To lead a more fulfilling life, you first need to know what part of your current life is troubling or unsatisfactory. Reflect on different aspects of your life to figure out which are upsetting you the most. Try closing your eyes and questioning “What part of my life dissatisfies me the most?” Whatever comes to mind first is probably where you’ll want to start.

● Building good habits.

One of the best ways to build good habits that support a fulfilling life is by doing something each day that challenges you. Identify one thing you can take action on that pushes you beyond your comfort zone and do it. This might be sharing ideas with your boss when you typically stay quiet.    3    For example, if you’ve been trying to lose weight, but you spend too much time on the couch, reduce your time on TV or do an exercise while you watch.

● Having good health and well-being.

    4    You’ll have trouble feeling fulfilled if your energy only goes out. Just as you pour love and support into others, you must return that love and support to yourself. Take time to improve your own self with passions or self-care. Fulfillment also translates to perfect mental and physical health, so make time to exercise regularly. Schedule it into your day.     5    

A．Addressing your dissatisfaction.

B．Learning to avoid dissatisfaction.

C．It’s important to set aside “me” time.

D．End each day by reflecting on your daily challenge.

E．Replacing your bad habits with good ones is also suggested.

F．That way, it will be just like any other task on your to-do list.

G．This may seem difficult, but leading a more fulfilling life is entirely possible.

6 . Emotions help you communicate and connect with others, and they drive your behaviors or decisions in everyday life as well. However, not all emotions are positive or easy to deal with.     1     Here are four “S-word” life skills you can turn to.

The first “S” goes for self-awareness.     2     Physical sensations can influence your emotional state. Be aware of these feelings associated with different emotions. For example, feeling tension in the chest having butterflies in the stomach or simply getting nervous, can help you better understand how emotions influence your bodies and minds.

The second “S” is self-acceptance. This is often linked to greater well-being, while the experiential avoidance of emotions is linked to more negative emotions and symptoms of depression.     3     But it does mean you acknowledge them without judgment or criticism. Of course, it requires your tolerance and patience.

The third skill comes from self-compassion(自我同情). It is crucial to use this when things just don’t go well.     4     When things go wrong, treating yourself with kindness and calming your nerves with gentleness can bring the lower level of anxiety and depression.

    5     It is helpful to protect your emotional well-being and maintain healthy relationships. As a human being, you should have dignity, principles and the bottom line. You can build your fence by saying “no” when necessary, or saying your needs and feelings out beforehand to prevent situations or people that you would not like to see again.

A．The last one is about setting boundaries.

B．The fourth one refers to personal forgiveness.

C．Remember to practise some self-care activities.

D．Especially, mixed emotions can be challenging to manage.

E．Accepting emotions never means you have to like bad ones.

F．It is the key to fully understanding your own emotions and others’.

G．Self-acceptance means tolerating all emotions, healthy or unhealthy.

7 . A Way Out of Social Anxiety: Volunteering and Acts of Kindness

As a socially anxious introvert, I can attest(证明)to the benefits of serving others through volunteering in my community.

A volunteer job doesn’t need to require stepping into a busy room full of 100 people at a school or hospital.     1     This kind of work is much more suitable and agreeable for introverts.

    2     When I help elders or people with disabilities who are more isolated and lonelier than I am, I feel my nervousness and self-consciousness disappear. My social awkwardness loses its grip on me when I’m focused on helping someone else rather than myself or my social performance. Unlike showing up at a job interview, business meeting, or speaking engagement, working as a volunteer with people in need takes the spotlight away from being measured or judged.     3    

Social scientists have an apt name for stressful social situations where we need to perform and would likely be judged or evaluated. The “social-evaluative threat” is particularly threatening for people with social anxiety as stress hormones rapidly increase. Any time we are in evaluative situations where we are judged by others, we face this social-evaluative threat and endure a sudden rush of stress hormones that increase anxiety.     4     Yet when we are in situations where we are offering casual acts of kindness or nurturing others we tend to feel less threatened or judged by others. Helping others and sharing simple acts of kindness does not pose such a social-evaluative threat, but instead, calms and soothes us. Neuroscientists have studied the warm glow of doing good that makes us feel good.

“Kindness may help socially anxious people,” says Dr. Lynn Alden, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia.     5     She found that acts of kindness may help to counter the socially anxious person’s fear of negative evaluation by promoting more positive perceptions and expectations of how other people will respond.

A．Some people are naturally reserved while others are rather outgoing.

B．In social anxiety disorder, fear and anxiety lead to avoidance which can disrupt our life.

C．Indeed, my own act of kindness has always been a sure bet to bring me out of my shell.

D．Instead, my volunteer service consists of quiet one-on-one visits with isolated older adults.

E．When I am giving my free time to help others, I feel truly liberated in my mission to serve.

F．High-performance events such as public speaking or job interviews can be really unbearable.

G．She and her colleagues conducted a study with 115 undergraduate students who had reported high levels of social anxiety.

8 . It’s normal for us to feel nervous in some social situations.     1     But for people suffering from social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia (恐惧症), even everyday communication causes significant anxiety, self-consciousness and embarrassment. It’s because they fear to be judged negatively by others.

Feelings of shyness or discomfort in certain situations aren’t necessarily signs of social anxiety disorder, particularly in children. Comfort levels in social situations vary, depending on individual personality. Some people are naturally reserved (矜持的).     2    

In contrast to everyday nervousness, social anxiety disorder includes fear, anxiety and avoidance that affect relationships, daily routines, work, school and other activities.     3     However, it can sometimes start in younger children or in adults.

    4     Children who experience teasing, bullying, rejection or humiliation (羞辱) may be more prone (易于遭受的) to social anxiety disorder. In addition, other negative events in life, such as family conflict, trauma, or abuse, may be associated with this disorder.

There’s no way to predict what will cause someone to develop social anxiety disorder, but you can take steps to reduce its impact. One approach is to get help early. Anxiety, like many other mental health conditions, can be harder to treat if you wait.     5     Continually tracking and recording your personal life can help you and doctors identify what’s causing your stress and what helps you feel better.

A．And you can also keep a journal.

B．And others can be more outgoing.

C．Left untreated, social anxiety disorder can control your life.

D．Social anxiety disorder typically begins in the early to mid-teens.

E．There are some typical signs appearing on your body or in your mind.

F．Several factors can increase the risk of developing social anxiety disorder.

G．For example, going on a date or giving a speech may make you feel uneasy.

9 . Feeling upset is a normal part of life. Something stressful may occur everywhere, and make you angry or anxious. We can’t control what is happening around us.     1     Here are some useful ways to keep our cool when we feel frustrated.

    2    

Conflicts with others can be difficult to deal with. Sometimes we need to leave from the unpleasant condition. It is OK to say, “I’m going to take a break” and go for a walk or find a quiet place to sit and cool off. The goal is to give yourself some space to calm down and consider what to do next.

Do breathing exercises to relax

When we’re upset, our nervous system will speed up our heart rate and muscles tense. It prepares the body as if to meet an attack.     3     If possible, find a safe place, sit comfortably and focus on your breath, breathing deeply and evenly. Mindful breathing helps us calm our feelings.

Lift your mood with laughter

Laughter relieves the tension we feel when depressed. We can think of a joke or watch a video that always makes us roar with laughter. Afterward, you may be able to lift the fog of frustration. Make sure what you use is not mean-spirited, though.     4    

Change your language

Once things appear disappointing, many of us might punish ourselves with unkind words. In fact, it doesn’t have to be this way.     5     For example, instead of saying “I always mess things up,” we could say, “I made a mistake, but I’ll do it better next time.”

A．Keep yourself away from the noise

B．Remove yourself from the situation

C．We should turn negative thoughts into positive statements.

D．Those kinds of humor can actually make us feel more down.

E．Thus, we can be physically and mentally entertained from that.

F．You can soften such physical reaction by using practical techniques.

G．However, we can decide how we behave and react to the troubles we face.

10 . 假定你是李夏，最近，你的英国朋友Chris 因向你校广播站投稿未被采纳而失落，请你写一封信，通过讲述一个小故事，安慰并鼓励他不要灰心。
写作内容：
1.表达写信意图。
2.讲述你熟知的小故事。
3.鼓励他不要灰心，继续投稿。
写作要求： 1.邮件词数100左右。 2.开头和结尾部分已写好，不计入总词数。 3.可根据情况增加细节，使行文连
贯。4.不能使用真实姓名和学校名称。 词汇：稿件 contribute
Dear Chris,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Xia