1 . The nature of compassion fatigue (同情疲劳) means that many working in traditional care-giving roles are likely to experience its symptoms. This includes first responders, medical professionals, social workers, journalists, and lawyers specializing in family law or criminal law.

Kelli Collins, a licensed family therapist, remarks “Think about muscle fatigue—if you work out too hard, your muscles might simply give out. In the same way, compassion fatigue means your ability to offer compassion to others is dramatically affected.”

Collins herself experienced compassion fatigue as a young therapist working in a community mental health setting, where she “had the strong desire to help” but quickly realized some things were out of her “rang of influence”. She felt herself becoming easily annoyed with loved ones, sleeping very little, and fantasizing about changing careers. It was an overwhelming time, during which she felt she was failing her clients.

“I thought that by giving endless compassion to my clients, I was ‘leaving it all on the field’. In fact, bearing the responsibility for my clients’ pain without consideration for my own needs and limits meant that I wasn’t a particularly effective therapist,” she says.

Lynne Hughes, who founded Comfort Zone in 1999 and now serves as CEO, lost both her parents as a child, experiencing first-hand the lack of resources and support for grieving children. Hughes expresses similar feelings about the challenge of compassion fatigue, stressing the importance of looking inward.

“Suffering from compassion fatigue does not mean you’re bad at helping or caring, it only means the scale between caring for others and caring for yourself is no longer balanced,” she says. “When you’re in a role where you’re nurturing and caring for others — it’s crucial to extend that nurture and care to yourself so that ‘your well’ does not run dry.”

But both Hughes and Collins emphasize that it’s not only traditional caregivers who experience compassion fatigue. “It is applicable to anyone in a caring role,” says Hughes, while Collins believes it is a uniquely human condition, occupational or not.

1. Why does Collins mention the muscle fatigue?

A．To describe she is in a bad mood.

B．To show she is eager to give a hand.

C．To suggest she has limited pity for others.

D．To explain she is much tired of her customers.

2. Which of the following do Hughes and Collins agree with?

A．Care for yourself while caring for others.

B．Compassion fatigue has nothing to do with career.

C．Those with compassion fatigue are poor at helping.

D．Shy persons always tend to suffer compassion fatigue.

3. What does “your well” in Paragraph 6 refer to?

A．Pity.

B．Nurture.

C．Symptoms.

D．Occupation.

4. How does the author develop the text?

A．By giving examples.	B．By quoting arguments.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By analyzing reasons and causes.

2 . COVID-19 changed a lot—how we socialized, where we went, and even what work looked like. A new study shows the pandemic (流行病) may have changed our personalities as well.

Psychologists have long believed that a person’s characters stayed pretty much the same, even in the wake of stressful events. But by looking at pre-pandemic levels of neuroticism (神经质), extraversion (外向), openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness (勤奋而细心) and comparing that to data collected in 2021 and 2022, researchers found clear personality changes among the United States population.

“The pandemic was an opportunity to see how a collective stressful event may impact personality,” said lead study author Angelina Sutin, a professor of medicine at Florida State University.

Extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness all declined in the US population in the years following the start of the pandemic, particularly in young adults, according to the study, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.

Why were younger adults more impacted? We don’t know for sure, Sutin said, but there are theories. “Personality is less stable in young adults. Then at the same time, the pandemic disturbed what young adults are supposed to be doing. They’re supposed to be in school or starting their careers. Then, everything was changed. However, the results didn’t hold true for each person.”

Researchers examined the data through the five-factor model, which hypothesizes (提出假说) that the various personality characters can come down to five important qualities: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

Over the entire population they examined, researchers found a declining trend in neuroticism in 2020, but the changes were small. Once they took 2021 and 2022 data into account, researchers saw a more significant decrease in extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. Neuroticism also increased over this time. That is especially significant considering how important those characters are, Sutin said. For example, conscientiousness is important for academic and work outcomes, as well as relationship and physical health, she added.

1. How do researchers get their study results?

A．By comparing data collected in different periods.

B．By collecting data from different people.

C．By making experiments in a university.

D．By building a five-factor model.

2. Which of the following would Sutin probably agree with?

A．Personality is more stable in old adults.

B．The study results hold true for every person.

C．Younger adults are less impacted during the pandemic.

D．American people are more likely to be influenced.

3. Which one of the qualities is important for relationship and physical health?

A．Neuroticism.	B．Extraversion.
C．Openness.	D．Conscientiousness.

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Pandemic Has a Great Impact on People’s Life

B．Young Adults Adapted Quickly During the Pandemic

C．Different Personality Characters Influence Social Relationships

D．People Experienced Personality Changes During the Pandemic

3 . My husband gave me a surprise gift for Christmas-a gift that, at the time, seemed odd. It was a little, a cute, colourful bird, conure(锥尾鹦鹉). She liked biting at first, but she quickly became the sweetest little creature, and she _________ every day. I was looking forward to every morning to seeing her.

Before I would never have _________ myself owning a bird but now she had _________ her little self firmly around my heart. _________, three days ago, she seemed not quite herself. She was _________ to fly. So, I brought her to the vet(兽医), and she was much more _________ than I could have imagined. It was touch and go, but she _________ it through the night. But when it was starting to look like she was almost out of the woods, we _________ her quite suddenly.

I was overwhelmed. I cried all the way to the vet to _________ her little body. When I walked into the clinic, they brought my little conure out in the travel cage I’d __________ her in. She was placed in a felt pouch(毡袋), with a flower tied to it with a ribbon(丝带). I settled my bill while wiping __________ off my cheeks.

When I turned around to leave, I was __________ to see a girl standing in front of me. She looked at me right in the eyes with a look of sincere __________ and asked me if I wanted a hug. I __________ on her shoulder because that’s exactly what I __________ . It was the kindest gesture that I’d never expected.

1.

A．brightened up

B．flew away

C．dropped by

D．got up

2.

A．set

B．imagined

C．enjoyed

D．kept

3.

A．covered

B．showed

C．wrapped

D．gathered

4.

A．Generally

B．Particularly

C．Ridiculously

D．Unfortunately

5.

A．learning

B．struggling

C．managing

D．expecting

6.

A．ill

B．cheerful

C．active

D．willing

7.

A．left

B．hid

C．made

D．lived

8.

A．missed

B．lost

C．sold

D．trained

9.

A．feed

B．attend

C．raise

D．collect

10.

A．brought

B．bought

C．threw

D．fought

11.

A．spots

B．colours

C．tears

D．signs

12.

A．upset

B．frightened

C．nervous

D．surprised

13.

A．apology

B．sympathy

C．welcome

D．passion

14.

A．broke down

B．caught on

C．spoke out

D．woke up

15.

A．believed

B．recognized

C．needed

D．doubted

4 . Developing an optimistic outlook can be good for both your physical and mental health. Here are some ways to make thinking positive thoughts easy.

●Spend time with positive people

If you surround yourself with constant complainers, their negativity is likely to rub off on you. Spend time with positive friends and family members to increase the likelihood that their positive thinking habits will become yours too.    1    

●Recognize and replace negative thoughts

You won’t be successful at positive thinking, if you’re still stuck in frequent negative thoughts.    2    If you find yourself thinking something such as, “I always mess everything up”, replace it with something more realistic such as, “Sometimes I make mistakes but I learn from them.”

●Consider the consequences of negativity

Spend some time thinking about the consequences of negative thinking.    3     For example, a person who thinks, “I probably won’t get this job interview,” may put less effort into the interview. As a result, he may decrease his chances of getting the job.

●Create a daily gratitude list

If you start keeping a daily gratitude list, you’ll start noticing exactly how much you have to be thankful for.    4     And you focus on the positive in your life instead of thinking about all the bad things that have happened in the day.

●Look for silver lining

When something bad happens, look for the silver lining.     5     While it may be difficult to find good in a tough situation, it is always there if you look hard enough. Focusing on the positive helps you to stay hopeful and optimistic even when things are tough.

A．Often, it can become a self-fulfilling prediction

B．This will help you look for the good in other people.

C．Learn how to surround yourself with positive people.

D．Your past mistakes are not there for you to hold on to.

E．This means looking for the positive side of a negative event.

F．Learn to recognize and replace thoughts that are overly negative.

G．Generate ideas on limiting the time you spend with negative people

5 . Mindfulness meditation(冥想) is a practice used to achieve mental quiet and a sense of calm. It is a series of steps used to encourage reflection and deep breathing and to increase self-awareness.

A mindfulness meditation course may be as effective at reducing anxiety as a common medication(药物), according to a new study. The research, published on November 9 in JAMA Psychiatry, involved a group of 276 adults with untreated anxiety disorders. Half of the patients were randomly selected to take 10 to 20mg of escitalopram, the generic form of Lexapro, a common medication used to treat anxiety and depression. The other half were assigned to an eight-week course in mindfulness-based stress reduction. The results were stunning: Both groups experienced about a 20% reduction in their anxiety symptoms over the eight-week period.

The patients assigned to the meditation group were asked to attend a mindfulness meditation group class in-person once a week. Each class was around two-and-a-half hours long and held at a local clinic. They were also asked to meditate on their own for around 40 minutes per day. Hoge, the lead author on the study, compared the time commitment to “taking an exercise class or an art class”.

But according to Joseph Arpaia, an Oregon-based psychiatrist specializing in mindfulness and meditation, the daily time commitment is likely too much for many patients dealing with anxiety.

Arpaia says that he has worked to find less time-intensive mindfulness methods to help patients manage their anxiety. One technique he teaches is called a “one-breath reset” that helps patients calm themselves over the course of a single breath.

But despite his reservations, “It’s always interesting to see meditation work, and it works as well as medication,” he said. “My hope would be that people realize that there are things other than medication that can work.”

“My other hope would be that they realize that if sitting and following your breath makes you feel relaxed, great, but it doesn’t make everyone feel relaxed. Find something that does. Read a book, go for a walk, spend time gardening,” he said.

1. What’s the main feature of mindfulness meditation?

A．It works in removing anxiety.	B．It makes people’s mind empty.
C．It drives people to keep calm.	D．It focuses on thoughts and awareness.

2. What can we know about the new study?

A．Its result is hard to understand.

B．Its participants should attend courses face to face.

C．Its function is like an exercise class or an art class.

D．Its participants are divided into two equal groups freely.

3. Which word can best describe the author’s attitude to the new study’s result?

A．Objective.

B．Skeptical.

C．Conservative.

D．Approving.

4. How does Joseph Arpaia expect people to reduce anxiety?

A．They learn more about meditation.

B．They can bring a “one-breath reset” into focus.

C．They choose a proper way to relax besides meditation.

D．They can read books to develop mind instead of medication.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

One of the most common emotions we all feel while pursuing a goal is frustration. How do you deal     1     frustration? Before I get into that, let me make sure we are on the same page in terms of the definition.

Frustration is     2     (simple) a feeling of being stuck or overwhelmed. Either way, it’s a situation     3     makes us feel like we don’t have enough resources to move forward. What causes this feeling     4     (be) that things don’t work out as we planned. So how should we deal with frustration?

We deal with it by picking our battles. If the thing     5     (cause) you to feel frustrated is something you can’t change, you should focus on something else. Besides focusing on what you can change, you need to slow down and break everything into bit sized pieces. In other     6     (word), take the issue, figure out what’s the main reason it didn’t work out as you planned     7     focus on fixing the outcome by taking action on things you can control.

By taking these two simple steps, you can save     8     (you) a lot of energy on things you have no control over. When you pursue any goal, you will surely hit some road blocks. When this     9     (happen), it will be frustrating, but if you focus on solving the issue and getting past the setback, you will be one step     10     (close) to achieving your goal.

7 . If you’ve ever felt a rush of intense emotion, then you’ve probably also experienced the crash that comes when those emotions gradually become less strong. Although we usually think of exhaustion (精疲力竭) in physical terms, it can also be mental. One of the contributors to mental exhaustion is high-intensity emotions. Too many of these high-intensity emotions, whether they are positive or negative, can lead to burnout.

Psychologists divide emotions into two dimensions, which includes high and low intensity, as well as positive and negative. High-intensity positive emotions include excitement or elation, while low-intensity positive emotions include calmness, or contentment. When it comes to negative emotions, high-intensity emotions include anger, anxiety, and fear, while low-intensity emotions include sadness, boredom, and tiredness.

It’s easy to see how high-intensity negative emotions like anger can be exhausting. What we don’t think about as much is the fact that high intensity positive emotions are also exhausting, although in a way that feels very different.

Excitement, even when it is fun, involves what psychologists call “physiological arousal”-- activation of our sympathetic system. High-intensity positive emotions involve the same physiological arousal as high-intensity negative emotions. Our heart rate increases, and our sweat glands (腺) activate. Because it activates the body’s stress response, excitement can deplete our system when sustained over longer periods. In other words, high intensity -- whether it’s from negative states or positive states- exhausts the body.

About 15-20% of people are thought to be highly sensitive. As they cycle through the highs and lows of life, the increased amount of intensity leaves them more exhausted than others.

This isn’t to say that we should never feel intense emotions. Emotional variety is an essential aspect of life, one that adds a depth and richness that we need. However, what we need to be mindful of is balance. There will be the exciting days, as well as the days when stress and anxiety are what push you through the tough times, but there are other, lower-intensity emotions that will serve us well in many other situations.

1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?

A．The functions of emotions.

B．The definition of emotions.

C．The categories of emotions.

D．The expression of emotions.

2. What does the underlined word “deplete” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Set off.

B．Build up.

C．Stand for.

D．Burn out.

3. How can we manage the stress of high-intensity emotions?

A．Enrich our daily lives.

B．Avoid intense emotions.

C．Create emotional balance.

D．Detect the cause of anxiety.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Why psychologists are more exhausted

B．How high-intensity emotions wear us out

C．Why high-intensity negative emotions are tiring

D．How psychologists explain the effects of emotions

8 . My husband Mike waved a stick in my face, pulling my attention back to the very important task at hand. As I looked up, I saw our dog Bagel's _______ commanding to make the next move.

From our first encounter, Bagel's stare has said everything that she could not _______ out. Twelve years after _______ Bagel, we understood each other better than ever. This summer we decided to _______ the occasion with a road trip.

We _______ ourselves on a Vancouver Island beach, more than 1,500 miles from our _______ in Northern Colorado. Maximum _______ required the whole family's involvement and participation. Bagel reminded me as she waited for me to _______ our game of fetch. Holding my eyes with hers, she threw her head back and sent her _______ directly to me: "Hey lady, you're supposed to be ________ too. It's your turn!” I took the ________ from Mike and as far as I could, ________ it into the water. Within seconds she ________ dropping the stick at my feet with a bark, “________! ”

As I watched my aging dog walk around like a puppy, I knew we had made our decision ________ but when we planned this ________ we realized that it could be one of her last. For the last couple of years, old age had finally begun to ________ energy and strength.

As she ages, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ________ the fact that Mike and I will almost ________   outlive her. And consequently, it feels more important than ever that we should celebrate, rather than ________ the limited time we have left.

1.

A．eyes

B．head

C．heart

D．figure

2.

A．jump

B．kick

C．speak

D．turn

3.

A．examining

B．seizing

C．adoring

D．adopting

4.

A．equip

B．celebrate

C．decorate

D．provide

5.

A．adapted

B．abandoned

C．found

D．exposed

6.

A．home

B．destination

C．hotel

D．exit

7.

A．level

B．fun

C．preference

D．movement

8.

A．update

B．lose

C．change

D．continue

9.

A．bark

B．whisper

C．silence

D．tune

10.

A．teaching

B．sitting

C．playing

D．hiding

11.

A．panel

B．stick

C．ball

D．bone

12.

A．guided

B．rolled

C．pushed

D．threw

13.

A．returned

B．hesitated

C．appeared

D．passed

14.

A．No

B．Sure

C．Again

D．Fine

15.

A．patiently

B．wisely

C．directly

D．hopelessly

16.

A．party

B．match

C．visit

D．trip

17.

A．rob her of

B．warn her of

C．show interest in

D．give way to

18.

A．ensure

B．ignore

C．forget

D．suspect

19.

A．bitterly

B．simply

C．certainly

D．hardly

20.

A．face

B．treasure

C．witness

D．mourn