1 . As social creatures, research has histoncally pointed us away from time alone. But recently, more people are spending time away from the crowd, and even seem to desire it. In Solitude (独处) — The science and power of being alone, a book co-written by Heather Hansen, an award-winning journalist and author, with the researcher Thuy-vy Nguyen, they set out to understand how everyday solitude affects people’s lives.

In the largest study of its kind, thousands aged between 13 and 85 participated in online surveys. For some, think of the word “solitude”, and they will think of a determined hiker alone in the wilderness. Most people described experiences of solitude achieved while, for example, walking in a park or writing in a journal. Surprisingly, some described solitude as having a psychological distance from others, but not necessarily a physical one.

In several separate experiments, Nguyen found that when people spend 15 minutes alone, there is a “deactivation effect”, meaning “high excitement” emotions like anxiety are decreased, while positive “low excitement” feelings like calmness are increased, which wasn’t seen when people spent 15 minutes with another person. One caveat is that sometimes solitude also increases the negative low excitement feeling of loneliness. However, a further experiment showed that this increase could be weakened when individuals chose to think about positive thoughts or when they were given a choice whether to spend time alone.

The list doesn’t end there, though. Several studies link time alone and creativity, but only when people avoid social interactions because of what is known as a “non-fearful” preference for solitude. On the other hand, there is no such link in those whose fear or anxiety prevents them from interacting with others, or because of avoidance, where people disliked social interactions.

Now think about the next time you will be on your own. Will you enjoy or suffer it? As evidence increases for how time alone can be a positive force in shaping our lives, Hansen and her colleagues recommend planning for it-and protecting it.

1. What is the survey in paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．When solitude is needed.	B．What solitude looks like.
C．How solitude affects people’s lives.	D．How people make the best of solitude.

2. What does the underlined word “caveat” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Trap.

B．Bonus.

C．Warning.

D．Prediction.

3. According to the studies, time alone will boost creativity for those who__________.

A．prefer to take risks	B．choose to be alone without fear
C．dislike social interactions	D．enjoy negative emotions

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

A．The Power of One	B．Profit of Socializing
C．The Urge to Live Alone	D．Battle Against Solitude

2 . The teenage years are a transformative period marked by great physical, psychological, and emotional changes.     1     They refer to the feelings that arise during interactions with others, such as gratitude, shame, sympathy, guilt, and pride.

Understanding and managing social emotions can help develop teenagers’ identities. Teenagers experience a wide range of emotions from social interactions, which significantly influences their self-understanding and social awareness. In the process, they learn to understand, and appropriately respond to both their own emotions and those of others.     2    

In academic settings, social emotional competencies like self-regulation, motivation, and social awareness directly impact a teenager’s ability to learn, participate, and engage in school activities.     3     Teenagers with strong social emotional skills are better equipped to handle stress, resist peer pressure, and avoid risky behaviors, reducing the likelihood of developing mental health issues.

Learning social emotions involves a combination of personal experience, guidance, and formal education.     4     This environment influences teenagers’ earliest understanding of how to communicate and manage their emotions. They feel safe and supportive to express their emotions freely and learn to manage them without fear of judgment. Schools also play a significant role through social emotional learning programs that teach these skills in a structured environment. Community involvement, extracurricular activities, and peer (同伴) interactions offer additional opportunities for teenagers to practice and refine their social emotional skills.

    5     It contributes to a teenager’s ability to manage their own emotions, understand others’ emotions, and face social complexities. This learning is a cornerstone for shaping their identity, influencing their interpersonal relationships, academic success, mental health, and future life outcomes.

A．What exactly are social emotions?

B．The journey into mature emotion is quite easy.

C．Social emotion learning for teenagers is essential.

D．Central to this phase is the concept of social emotions.

E．This helps shape their own personal principles and beliefs.

F．Families play a crucial role in modeling and developing these skills.

G．Moreover, social emotional skills are closely linked to mental health.

3 . 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。

My dad was more than a father to me; he was my friend and confidant (知己) and one of the most amazing people in my life. So when he passed away suddenly from a stroke at the age of 51, my world fell apart. I was lost, along with my mother who had been with my father since age 16, two brothers, and everyone who knew him. We were thrown into a thick fog of anger, sadness, and shock.

I cried every night and tried to hold onto all my memories of him. I replayed every moment I could remember — writing down thoughts, printing out old e-mails, reading old birthday cards — anything I could hang on to because I didn’t want to forget. As I was going through all these old memories, I began to wonder about all the things I had missed. My dad was a quiet man who was known for his listening skills, his patience, his humor, and his smile. He was often the one listening instead of telling stories. I wanted to know what stories I had missed by losing him so soon. So I decided to compile (编纂) a memory book as a surprise Christmas gift for my mom and brothers.

I started my project in November, contacting everyone I knew who was close to my dad or had been in the past. I sent e-mails and letters asking for friends and family of Gary Force to send me their thoughts and memories of him. I asked them specifically to share funny stories about my dad and the stories that maybe no one had ever heard or had long forgotten. I told them to respond no later than one week before Christmas. I waited and waited and got very few responses by December. I began to wonder if this was a horrible idea or if anyone even cared.

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。

And then the responses started pouring in.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I gave it to my family as the last gift on Christmas Day.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . In order to grow and be better than before , you must learn to be emotionally intelligent. Here are some strategies to help you become emotionally mature!

You cannot change others. Everyone else is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions. It is completely normal. Keeping that in mind, it is better if you understand that you cannot change others, no matter how hard you try. Even if you try changing others and their feelings, you will only be hurting yourself in the process.     1    

People interact with us like we are mind readers sometimes.    2     This can be extremely painful. You need to communicate your needs to the other person, and they need to do the same with you. Never rely on expectations, which will only make you feel disappointed. Share your needs with your loved ones and see the positive changes. So communicate your needs.

It is necessary to take responsibility for your actions. Just like your words, you need to take full responsibility for your actions. Many people make silly excuses and don’t take responsibility for their actions. That is where they hurt others and themselves.    3     It won’t bring your self-respect down, and it will actually raise you as a person.

    4     So it is wise to avoid negative people. If you are surrounded by negative people that only bring others down, then you will always feel uncomfortable. If you are surrounded by happy people, you will always be delighted. Keep away from people who emotionally control others.    5     In order to be emotionally intelligent, you must have a supporting partner by your side.

A．You need to mind whatever you do.

B．You are known by the company you keep.

C．Just as you try to be a mind reader, others expect so.

D．The best course of action would be to change yourself.

E．Whenever you feel something like that, cut ties with them.

F．Your partner would want you to know exactly what they want.

G．If you make a mistake and affect others negatively, apologize immediately.

5 . Everyone can experience loneliness from time to time, which causes concern about our health and well-being.     1    ? There are some possible courses of action, depending on who you are and where you live. Below are some suggestions on how to fight loneliness.

    2    

Some of us are lonely because we don’t have close relationships in our lives. But if that’s not the case for you, by all means let your friends or family know how you’re feeling and ask for support. Calling or texting can be an active way to shift your mood and help relieve loneliness.

Adopt a pet

There are many reasons to have pets.     3    . And these are especially helpful for people who may be isolated from other humans and feel lonely. One study finds that people who walk dogs are considered friendlier — something that's bound to help you connect if you’re looking to meet new people.

Try loving-kindness meditation (冥想)

Not everyone likes to engage in loving-kindness meditation. But it has been found to reduce loneliness, perhaps because it helps you to accept negative emotions more easily.     4    . Even when they are not around, loving-kindness meditation could help fight feelings of loneliness.

Count your blessings

    5    , its also possible to practice gratitude on your own and feel less lonely. In one study, older adults who were assigned a daily gratitude journaling exercise felt less lonely over time — and felt healthier, too.

A．Reach out to friends or family

B．Be kind to the relatives around you

C．What can you do when you feel lonely

D．Even though this practice can help you feel much happier

E．It can also help you increase a sense of connection to others

F．While expressing gratitude toward others can fight loneliness directly

G．One of them is that they can provide companionship and unconditional love

6 . An apology tells someone that we’re sorry for the hurt we caused — even if we didn’t do it on purpose. It’s a way of saying we’re aware of what we did and we’ll try to do better in future.

    1    . Sometimes we hurt people’s feelings without wanting to. Sometimes, we do it on purpose and feel bad later on. So we apologize.

Apologies are one of the tools that we use to get along better with other people. Saying that you’re sorry is more than just words.     2    . Apologizing shows you can understand the other person’s feelings as if they were your own. What’s more, after apologizing, you might feel a little better. The other person probably will, too.     3    , you can feel good because you are trying to make things right again.

Everyone needs to apologize when they do something wrong. For example, if someone is irritated because of something you did, you need to apologize. If you say something that hurts someone, even if you don’t mean it, then you should apologize.     4    .

When someone apologizes to you, you may welcome it and be ready to forgive.     5    . If a person keeps hurting you and apologizing without making an effort to change, you might not want to hang out with that person anymore. However, it’s always good to accept an apology.

A．When you apologize in a caring way

B．When you accept an apology in a desirable way

C．It’s difficult to mend a relationship if we don’t apologize

D．Or you might not feel like being friendly again right away

E．It isn’t always easy for us to get along well with everyone all the time

F．If you lose or break something belonging to someone else, you should say sorry

G．You’re also saying that you respect and care about the other person’s feelings

7 . 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。

Essie’s heart races as she hears Hannah is searching for her after four decades. Hannah’s account on social media reveals her troubled past and the profound impact Essie had    1    her life. Now a trauma therapist, Hannah expresses gratitude for Essie’s love and     2     (guide). Reconnecting over the phone, their conversation is full of nostalgia and     3     (share) memories. Essie’s fostering story, spanning nearly 30 years, continues to inspire. In their reunion, the enduring power of love and compassion     4     (shine), reaffirming the profound impact of human connection across time.

8 . If you recognize yourself as someone who often experiences social anxiety and are wondering what steps you can take to reduce the frequency of these experiences, the key lies in being proactive.     1     Thus the focus should be to learn how to deal with them.

    2     By acting as a protective buffer (缓冲物) against disease and psychological disturbance, doing workouts is one reliable way to strengthen your mind. Workouts promote the experience of positive emotions, which in turn helps build us up.

Mindfulness is another superpower that can help restore your mind. If engaging in a regular practice, users can expect a series of positive outcomes. Even 10 minutes a day of mindfulness practice can dramatically improve both physical and psychological functioning. The beauty of mindfulness is that it does not have to be practiced only in a formal way.     3    

Sometimes, in order to reduce the negative effects of anxiety, you might want to look more closely at patterns of thinking. When we consider that the autonomic nervous system is enabled and symptoms of anxiety occur, we interpret an event as being stressful.     4     When this happens, engaging in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be a real game changer. CBT, one of the most effective treatments for mental health problems, is often used as a treatment for anxiety.     5     Useful CBT techniques include writing down thoughts and then gently challenging the truth of them, and learning positive ways such as cognitive reframing (认知重建).

A．However, this may not always be on point.

B．It’s impossible to avoid stressful events, actually.

C．You can experiment with it to make a final decision.

D．Regular exercise benefits both physical and mental health.

E．By building internal resources, we can control stressful events with ease.

F．Rather, it can take many forms, including forest bathing and listening to music.

G．It works by challenging thinking patterns and helping change individuals’ mindsets.

9 . Panic attacks cause a sudden intense fear when no danger is present or there is no identifiable trigger (诱因). This fear activates the body’s emergency system, causing the physical fight or flight reactions.     1    

Learn to be flexible.

If you are sitting on the couch watching TV and you start to feel a panic attack, don’t continue to sit there and think about it. Get up and do something else! Leave your desk and apply some cold water to your face. Call a friend. Or just leave the house to get some fresh air.     2    

Work out.

When feeling panic, it can be effective to match the intensity of the anxiety with physical exercise. Just go outside, walk energetically around the block, or walk up and down the stairs until the feeling passes. Gentle exercise is less effective while intense exercise can make it difficult to think about anything else.     3     People tend to tense their muscles when having anxiety and panic.

Breathe properly.

    4     Naturally, people may breathe deeper and then make the situation worse. So do it slowly through your nose by pushing your abdomen (腹部) out for 5-7 seconds. Hold your breath for a few seconds and then breathe it out through your mouth slowly.

    5    

Pick something objective and study it deeply, Then describe every detail of it. When you finish one item, move on to describe other items. For example, What is the leaf like? Does it have smooth edges? What is its color? Are some new leaves coming out? This exercise can help bring you back to the moment and away from focusing on physical sensations.

A．Shift your focus.

B．Enhance muscle building.

C．Incorrect breathing can lead to shortness of breath.

D．Physical exercise can also help your muscles relax.

E．If not controlled, they can be terrifying and life-changing.

F．So use these tools to measure it when a panic attack starts.

G．In a word, don’t remain in the same environment whenever possible.

10 . Children and adolescents require support from adults, especially parents and teachers. Such support builds a healthy environment for their emotional growth and brain development.     1     Here are a few tips for offering them the guidance they need during adolescent development.

Teens need to gradually work toward independence. Caregivers can help adolescents gain independence by allowing them to make their own choices. You may also practice showing your teen love and compassion when they make mistakes to teach them that failures can be helpful growth Opportunities.     2    

Even if they don’t act like it, your teen likely looks up to you. It’s normal for young people to look to adults in their lives for how to behave.     3     Seeing you put these things into practice first can help them fill their toolboxes with these tools, which will be useful to them throughout the rest of their lives.

    4     In this way your child feels they can come to you with challenges or concerns. It’s true that your teens may think it unnecessary or even annoying to communicate with you.     5     However, your positive relationship with your children remains important for them to feel safe.

In a word, proper guidance from parents and teachers can equip adolescents with the tools to handle challenges later in life as adults.

A．In this way, you can encourage their independence.

B．Your definition of children or adolescence may vary.

C．Remember to keep the lines of communication open.

D．Seeking the support of a mental health doctor is needed.

E．However, you may not know exactly how to provide this.

F．You can support them simply by modeling healthy behaviors.

G．Instead, they may rely more on peers and friends for connection.