1 . Do you think you need to shout at yourself to force yourself to finish your homework? If so, think again.    1     Research shows that practicing self-compassion (自我关怀) improves our mental and physical well-being and supports long-term success.

Self-compassion is the practice of being kind and supportive to ourselves. The opposite is being self-critical and mean to ourselves when we make a mistake.     2     These negative responses are related to depression, stress and reduced quality of life.

A 2017 study found people who practice self-compassion tend to handle stress better. Their bodies have less of a stress response when, for example, they meet with difficulties at work or school.     3     Let’s say they do poorly on a geometry test. Self-compassion helps them use the experience to make changes going forward, like seeking out a math tutor.

    4     We can start with mindfulness. First of all, practice observing our thoughts — are they understanding or critical? Don’t judge ourselves too severely then. Rather than getting caught up in how we could have done better, forgive ourselves and think about what to change while remaining respectful, and loving to ourselves.     5     We can read a novel, play a musical instrument or kick around a soccer ball with friends.

With practice, we can learn to treat ourselves with kindness and unconditional love — not tough love.

A．So how do we develop self-compassion?

B．It may be more effective to be kind to yourself.

C．It includes letting go of your strict self-criticism.

D．Mindfulness is the key to practicing self-compassion.

E．But this approach does not make us feel or perform better.

F．They have more confidence to look for areas where they can improve.

G．Also, show ourselves kindness in ways that nourish (滋养) our spirit and body.

2 . It’s natural for people to compare themselves with their peers. Peer pressure is a force that nearly everyone has faced at some point. If it’s not well handled, there might be some destructive consequences.    1     Below are tips on how to deal with peer pressure and avoid making tough decisions that may trigger unfavorable outcomes.

Find positive influence

At any age, it’s beneficial to stay involved with extracurricular activities like sports, music, art, or other hobbies. Team building activities can help increase self-confidence and create a support system that allows an individual to succeed. Additionally, enjoying hobbies and other harmless pastimes like exercising can release feel-good hormones.    2    

Plan ahead

Experiencing peer pressure, especially when in an unfriendly environment, can cause a person to panic and make impulsive decisions.    3     Think of different situations that spark discomfort and think about how to deal with peer pressure. It’s ok to give excuses to avoid making decisions that you may feel are not right for you.

    4    

Positive influences, usually parents or siblings, can teach you how to deal with peer pressure directly. Having a trusted friend, family member, or another resource to call on can relieve some of the everyday life stresses. They can be there to give advice or just support the decisions you’ve made that you feel are right for you.

Convey feelings and emotions

Honesty goes a long way in reducing the harmful effects of peer pressure. Speak to the person or group of people who may be causing feelings of unease or uncertainty and kindly ask them to stop.     5    

A．Talk to a trusted resource.

B．Don’t be afraid to find new groups.

C．Unfortunately, peer pressure is difficult to avoid.

D．Therefore, it’s essential to know how to deal with it.

E．So, it’s best to have a plan that can help map out a response.

F．They can help reduce anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

G．It’s ok to distance yourself from those who are not serving you in a positive aspect.

3 . Comparison is the thief of joy, which has become more pronounced with the rise of social media. In the past, you may have envied your neighbour when they bought a new car. Today, the rise of social media has had many benefits but also given rise to social media envy when users perceive the perfect lives of others.

Research has shown that social media users post carefully chosen information to present a better image of themselves and social media allows them to do so. This can lead to social comparison, which is where we think about information about other people in relation to ourselves. Our own lives are for the most part ordinary, but social media can make it appear that everyone else’s are not. This can make us feel different emotional responses.

These emotions can be positive or negative. For example, sometimes envy can lead to self-improvement. Researchers have found that students studied for longer, and their academic performance improved, when they were envious of their successful peers.This is referred to as benign envy. But some envy can lead to negative emotions. You might feel low and have negative thoughts towards the envied person who you perceive to be in a better position than you. This is referred to as malicious envy.

As envy is a natural response, it is important to allow yourself to feel the emotion. The real trick is making sure you stop malicious envy and harness benign envy. By accepting that you are envious of someone when you have viewed a post on social media, you have made the first step to adopt a healthier response. You can then make the decision to use this feeling to fuel self improvement.

Therefore, try to identify role models as well as people to avoid or unfollow. Role models can be anyone that encourages a sense of benign envy and promotes wanting to improve. This could be friends, family or a celebrity. Identifying those that you feel malicious envy towards is equally as important. Unfollowing these people may be beneficial.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?

A．By giving a definition.

B．By explaining a theory.

C．By making comparisons.

D．By justifying assumptions.

2. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Freedom of expression.

B．Selected information online.

C．Social media users' preference.

D．Widespread use of social media.

3. What should you do first in making right response to envy?

A．Post your envy online.

B．Acknowledge your envy.

C．Stop viewing harmful posts.

D．Reject this negative emotion.

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

A．Comparison—the thief of joy

B．Stay away from social media

C．Envy—a barrier to progress

D．Get over social media envy

4 . It was Mother’s Day. Our teacher Amelia said each of us would get a mug (马克杯) later and that we would_________mugs for Mother’s Day. They were white, saying “world’s best mom” on the side. I couldn’t read it at first, but I _________the words quickly. Dad had taught me them.

When Amelia_________a mug to me, I told her I didn’t want one. She didn’t seem to have_________my answer and asked me why. I replied, “Mom _________ two years ago. Even if we missed her, Dad said she wouldn’t come back, so I was _________to give her a mug.” Amelia seemed a little_________about my unlucky experience, touching my head_________. And next to me, Amy had already_________sunflowers all over her mug. It__________me that Dad preferred others to secretly prepare gifts for him and that I also could do one for Dad. In these two years, he was more than Dad. He had been making great efforts to learn to be a__________. Even my nice braids (辫子) were all his works. He__________a gift.

So I told Amelia about my__________and took a mug out of her hands, Amelia hugged me and said in a quite__________voice, “You and your dad both are great!” Her eyes looked full of water. Later, after school, I__________the mug at the bottom of my schoolbag__________I knew how much Dad loved a__________and how long he hadn’t had one. When I met him, I__________presented the mug to him and told him it was a Mother’s Day mug. My behavior was obviously beyond his__________. Dad just stood there, opening his mouth but saying nothing. His seven-year-old girl has learnt to give back with__________to Dad.

1.

A．make

B．appreciate

C．exchange

D．decorate

2.

A．spelt

B．recognized

C．copied

D．memorized

3.

A．sent back

B．turned in

C．gave out

D．showed off

4.

A．expected

B．supported

C．refused

D．avoided

5.

A．arrived

B．left

C．escaped

D．disappeared

6.

A．unwilling

B．supposed

C．honored

D．unable

7.

A．upset

B．angry

C．helpless

D．confused

8.

A．calmly

B．gently

C．hurriedly

D．secretly

9.

A．colored

B．cleaned

C．printed

D．drawn

10.

A．persuaded

B．warned

C．reminded

D．informed

11.

A．father

B．mother

C．friend

D．teacher

12.

A．deserved

B．valued

C．owned

D．replaced

13.

A．adventure

B．hobby

C．thought

D．habit

14.

A．familiar

B．strange

C．normal

D．hopeful

15.

A．picked

B．hid

C．lost

D．tied

16.

A．since

B．unless

C．if

D．once

17.

A．shock

B．story

C．gift

D．surprise

18.

A．naturally

B．carefully

C．suddenly

D．completely

19.

A．power

B．belief

C．limit

D．expression

20.

A．love

B．trust

C．pride

D．kindness

5 . Life can be busy or stressful at times. Usually, we forget how important it is to listen ourselves.     1    .

Sparing room for good things in your life

Life gets much simpler and more enjoyable when you clear your physical and emotional bad things. And there’s so much you can let go of in life without losing a thing. It’s called growth.     2    . You cannot discover new oceans unless you build up enough courage to lose sight of the old.

Putting your purpose and passion (热情) into the things you do

    3    . So learn to believe in your heart that you’re meant to live each day full of purpose and passion—that every moment is worthy in its own way. Too often we wait because we think we need to “find” something new or different to be fond of. But that’s not true. If you want more passion in your life right now, act accordingly right now. Put your whole heart into the things you do.     4    , but the chance right in front of you. Not into tomorrow’s tasks, but today’s tasks. Not into tomorrow’s run, but today’s run.

    5    

All the small things make a big difference. Every step is important. Life isn’t about a single moment of great success. It’s about the trials and errors (试错) that slowly get you there—the sweat, tears, and all the small things you do on a day-to-day basis. They all matter in the end—every step, every regret and every decision.

A．Choosing to start today

B．Not into tomorrow’s chances

C．Remembering that every step matters

D．Letting go of the old makes way for the new

E．So what you need to remember most right now is to share

F．Purpose is the reason you journey and passion is the fire that lights your way

G．Here below are some things in life that you have to keep on doing to change that

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

“He is a fool who cannot be angry, but he is really a wise man     1     won’t.” The habit of keeping pleasant is indeed better     2     an income of a million dollars a year. The life without cheerfulness is like the severe winter without     3     sun. We all love cheerful company,     4     we tend to forget that cheerfulness is a habit which can be developed by all.

We find     5     very difficult to be happy when we are in sorrow. It requires great courage. We should never forget that to be cheerful when it is not easy shows greatness. Thorns(荆棘) may be in     6     (we) way, but how happy the conqueror’s(征服者) song is!

The perfection of cheerfulness     7     (lie) in the happy frame of mind(愉悦的心情). It is displayed in good temper and kind behavior. It comes     8     (main) from personal goodness and from belief in the goodness of others. It can make people see the glory in the grass and the sunshine on the flower. It encourages happy thoughts, and lives in an atmosphere of peace. It costs nothing, and yet it is     9     (value). It blesses its possessor(祝福它的拥有者) and affords a large measure of enjoyment to others. To light up others’ heart, one’s own heart must     10     (light) first.

7 . Do you ever worry about your study? Your health? These kinds of worries are quite common. However, for some people, worrying may become constant (连续发生的).     1     If so, understanding how to stop worrying can be a key step towards a more satisfying life.

Realize your styles of thinking

    2     Do you tend to focus on only some details instead of the whole picture? Or do you exaggerate (夸大) things so that relatively small events seem very bad? If so, try to notice when you get into these styles of thinking.

    3    

Another step you can take to reduce your worries is to consider what aspects (方面) of a situation you can control. Once you have considered this, focus on what you can control, For example, if you are worried about your health, focus on lifestyle changes that you can make. If you are worried that you may fail an exam, focus on studying well.

Practice mindfulness (正念)

When we worry a lot, it often means that we are caught up in our past or our future.     4     Therefore, practicing it can help you live in the present instead of being caught up in the past or future.

Exercise more to help you stop worrying

Exercise such as running or going to the gym can help give you a break from your thoughts and worries.     5     It may help you deal with stress and handle your worries. Therefore, regular exercise is a great habit to have if you want to worry less.

A．Are you one of them?

B．Why do I worry too much?

C．Talk to someone about your worries.

D．It also has many useful effects on the brain.

E．Focus on changes you can make to worry less.

F．Mindfulness is a practice of focusing on the present moment.

G．You now need to have some understanding of your styles of thinking.

8 . 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。

When the final school bell rang, Eli walked home as usual. His trip took him across the playground, past the T-shirt factory, and across the main street. From there, Eli often cut through a blank lot (空地) where a house used to be. The house burned down years ago, but there were still flowers and trees to show that people used to live there. Everything was usual, but everything was immersed (沉浸在) in Eli’s sadness.

At that time, Eli watched a blue jay (蓝松鸦) fly into the old maple tree at the blank lot. The bird sat on a low branch and screamed loudly. It was as if the blue jay knew that he was sad, for he had failed his math test again. And he wrote a letter to Aunt Lucy. But Aunt Lucy did not reply to him.

When he got home, there was something in his mailbox. He found it was from Aunt Lucy, who lived in a different town. Upon opening it, his eyes widened with delight. It was a letter he looked forward to and a book! Eli read the letter.

Dear Eli, You told me that you didn’t do well in math. I hope you don’t give up and don’t get discouraged by a few failures. Because you once told me that you wanted to be a math teacher when you grew up and helped more children. I gave you a book. It’s about a great scientist you liked, I hoped you, like him, had been studying hard and sticking to your dream.

Love,

Aunt Lucy

After reading Aunt Lucy’s letter and receiving her encouragement, Eli’s sad mood improved a lot. Eli took the book and rushed to show it to his father, saying that it was the best gift he had ever received. His father smiled, noting Eli’s happy smile. Touched by Aunt Lucy’s thoughtful present, Eli felt an immediate urge (强烈的欲望) to thank Aunt Lucy right away. So with his father’s help, he decided to call Aunt Lucy.

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。

Eli called Aunt Lucy but couldn’t get through.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . 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。续写的词数应为150左右注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

My dear father is an ordinary man I respect, love and admire very much. No one in my life can replace him, it is his physical features and unique personality that make him a gentleman. In my eyes, he is a perfect father. He is not only a great painter, but also good at cooking, singing and repairing small machines in the house. I want to be a man like my father.

Paragraph 1:

Cooking is one of the greatest talents that my father has.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

I am greatly influenced by him.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . You may look nice or just fine; however, you will never be happy with your looks if you don’t feel good about them. Here is how you can feel better about yourself and the way you look.

Know what is attractiveness

We are told from a young age what is attractive and what isn’t.     1    . Then we feel bad about our looks. So this needs to change. It isn’t possible to change society’s ideas on beauty, but it is possible to change your own ideas. Who do you respect in real life?     2    .

It’s not just about looks

Your overall confidence does not need to depend on the way you look. You should care about your inner quality too. Those qualities include your abilities and what you are good at, your personality, how you look at the world, and the relationships you have within it.     3    .

Remember to smile

Smiling always makes people look more attractive. This might seem like an easy thing to do, but for some people their “resting” faces always look sad, even they really aren’t.     4    . People are attracted to those who smile, and doing so can also lift your spirits.

Have less stress

The more stressed out you are, the more it will show on your face. This can make you look less attractive.     5    . These happy thoughts can change the way you look as well as the way you feel.

A．Looking bad is nothing unusual.

B．Just keep things the way they are.

C．So try to relax and think about pleasant things.

D．We usually don’t meet these standards of beauty.

E．So it will take practice to make sure you smile as much as possible.

F．They are the beautiful ones, not the people in photoshopped pictures.

G．These things will last over time while good looks will disappear slowly.