“I’m sorry, but visiting hours are over,” the nurse said apologetically. “You can come back in the morning.”
My husband Eric had just got out of the operating room and was still struggling with being sick from the anesthesia (麻醉). I really wanted to stay with him until he was more comfortable, but I knew that the hospital’s visiting policies must be followed.
“I’ll take care of him before you get back, I promise.” The nurse handed me a piece of paper. “That’s my cell number. You can call or text me anytime tonight if you’re worried or just want an update.”
I thanked her and then turned to Eric. “Can I do anything for you before I leave?” He shook his head slightly without opening his eyes, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. “I can’t believe I have to leave while you’re like this,” I said, tears filling my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
He patted my hand and signaled to me to leave. “I’ll be right here in the morning.” I said and headed to my car, still fighting tears. In my head, I knew that Eric wasn’t in danger, and he would be physically okay when I returned in the morning, but it still broke my heart that I couldn’t be with him when he needed me.
The hospital was a few hours from our house, so I was spending the night in a hotel. When I got to my room, I texted Eric’s nurse. She texted back, saying he was still sick to his stomach.
I sighed, feeling the worry rush in. What if getting sick caused his stitches (缝线) to break open? How much of the pain medicine was still in his system? What if he was in pain from his incision (切口)?
注意：1.续写词数应为 150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
I turned on the TV to shift my focus, but it didn’t work.
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Around midnight, I heard my phone receive a message.
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What Color Is a Hug?
When my daughter Bernadette was 10 years old, I found myself very worried about her. Her mother had passed away before she turned one, and I, needing to provide for our livelihood, had to work long hours, leaving little time for her. Although she was close to her grandparents, unfortunate circumstances took them away as well. The series of losses implanted unbearable pain on her young soul.
A merciless series of losses like that is hard on anyone, especially a child. But it was particularly hard on Bernadette because of her sensitive and loving nature. Prolonged periods of isolation and silence led her into a deep depression. The sparkle in her eyes faded, and her face lost the once-present smiles. She lost interest in playing, learning, and even declined invitations from friends. She often lost in her own thoughts without uttering a word for a long time.
Witnessing my daughter’s suffering, I felt a deep sense of guilt and helplessness. I knew she needed more than just companionship; she needed a healing of the soul. I began reading more about child psychology, attempting to understand how to guide her out of this situation.
Over the next few months, I adjusted my work schedule to spend more time by her side. I tried to communicate with her, stepping into her inner world. I encouraged her to join some extracurricular classes, developing new friendships. Slowly but surely, Bernadette began to regain her interest in certain things, and smiles started to reappear on her face.
Meanwhile, I started using hugs to comfort her. Each embrace conveyed my love and support, providing her with warmth and a sense of security. Gradually, she became more cheerful and confident. She initiated social interactions, sharing her thoughts with friends. Her mood gradually lifted, and life regained its brilliance.
After years of effort, Bernadette finally stepped out of depression. Our habit of hugging has persisted to this day, becoming the most sincere bond between us. Now, as my daughter is about to enter university, and I am approaching my fiftieth birthday, she has promised me a special gift.
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。
Paragraph1:
As her summer vacation began, she seemed even busier than before.
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Paragraph 2:
Before us was a warmly decorated studio, with a sign reading “Heartwarming Embrace Association.”
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3 . “Lonely” is defined in the dictionary as “unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to”. However, in my perspective, “being alone” can also be meaningful and enjoyable. In other words, “being alone” isn’t equivalent to “loneliness”. Actually, we can literally enjoy our time when staying alone.
Think of loneliness as the “tunnel phase” of our lives. It’s a time when we don’t have a group of friends around to keep us company; when we are away from the hustle and bustle (熙熙攘攘) of the outside world; when we get the chance to tune in to our inner monologue (独白); when we are given the time to recharge ourselves on our own so that we can focus entirely on ourselves. It is during these periods that, without being disturbed and distracted, we are able to discover the things we truly want from our lives. This process is like digging a tunnel, through which we improve ourselves, achieve our goals and get a jolt of power to prepare for the or darkness we may meet with in our future lives.
A distinguished figure skater (花滑冰运动员) once said in his interview that he often felt lonely, but the external environment would to some extent affect his mind and body, making it difficult for him to concentrate during his practice and performance, and thus he was actually willing to be alone and at times would rather be isolated from the world. This type of “loneliness” must be one of the reasons why he has been able to deliver so many elaborate and splendid performances throughout his career.
So don’t be frightened by the temporary void or unhappy feeling when you have to he alone. Instead, cherish and enjoy the sense of loneliness you get when you are completely free. Spend time with yourself.
We become more independent in loneliness. We grow stronger in loneliness. Most importantly, we find our complete selves in loneliness. When we learn to embrace the feeling of “loneliness” and enjoy the time in which there is no other, loneliness itself ceases to exist.
1. What’s the author’s opinion about “being alone”?| A．Being alone is as something shameful |
| B．Being alone means being lonely and helpless |
| C．There is no point in being alone. |
| D．We appreciate our time more when we are alone. |
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By analyzing causes. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By listing figures. |
| A．To show athletes always feel lonely. |
| B．To demonstrate the factor of the success. |
| C．To indicate solitude (独处) is as important as practice. |
| D．To confirm the positive effect of “loneliness”. |
| A．Time spent with yourselves is more enjoyable than that with others. |
| B．People will always feel depressed when faced with being alone. |
| C．Loneliness can benefit us a lot in many aspects. |
| D．Loneliness can exist all the time, so we should change our attitude toward it. |
| A．To illustrate different opinions on staying alone. |
| B．To encourage people to learn to value and enjoy their time of loneliness. |
| C．To persuade people into staying away from others. |
| D．To offer some suggestions on how to spend time alone. |
4 . To improve your confidence and set yourself up for sunnier times ahead, try these strategies:
Big yourself up. Rather than focusing on the negatives, make an effort to recognise your plus points. Make a list of the things you like about yourself and compliments people pay you.
Try something new. Stepping out of your comfort zone will give you a sense of achievement and help your self belief.
Spot your own talent.
Honestly speaking, building self-esteem is a journey that takes time and effort. Be kind to yourself and practice these strategies consistently.
| A．Always fancied paddle boarding? |
| B．Make plans with positive people. |
| C．Would you engage in outdoor exercise? |
| D．Refer to it when you’re doubting your worth. |
| E．Spend time outdoors, preferably in green spaces. |
| F．Do you ever think about your strengths and skills? |
| G．Even a humble shower can give your self-image a lift. |
5 . As the trees drop their leaves and frosts advance in, we prepare our homes and ourselves for the winter months.
The phrase “emotional wintering” was popularized by Katharine May. She mentions emotional wintering asks us to see our difficult or uncomfortable feelings as winters which we can get ready for and live through.
Sometimes the emotional winters are caused by an event that makes us feel as though we want to withdraw into ourselves.
With the management, we believe we will be well by the time the next summer rolls around.
| A．It prepares us for the coming spring. |
| B．Different emotions come to all of us. |
| C．Emotional wintering asks us to change. |
| D．We can grow from challenging experience. |
| E．Thick socks and cosy blankets are brought out. |
| F．We expect to always live in our emotional summers. |
| G．At other times we simply use up our supplies of positivity. |
When advising children and adolescents who are learning to regulate their emotions, experts explain that how they think affects how they feel. After children learn to use some basic techniques to regulate their emotions, a greater sense of internal control arises. Thereafter, people start to notice the power they can feel in their minds by changing their thought patterns.
“I believe that changing our thinking patterns helps engage different parts of the brain,” said Ran D. Anbar, the author of Changing Children’s Lives with Hypnosis: A Journey to the Center, “For instance, we may find ourselves habitually thinking in a particular way that predictably makes us feel poorly, for example angry, anxious, or sad. People can become angry when they feel that they have been treated poorly or have not gotten their way. The anger occurs because the person focuses on the perceived (察觉到的) injustice. When we shift our thinking, we can more easily create new, healthier thought patterns.”
For instance, 14-year-old “Sarah” became angry with her parents for restricting her use of social media. While discussing why her parents did so, Sarah recognized that they were attempting to protect her from some of the ill effects of overusing social media. Sarah let go of her anger. She switched from thinking about her frustration with her parents’ restrictions and instead focused her thoughts on how to solve the dilemma (困境) regarding her overuse of social media. She was able to recognize that her parents were her valuable friends rather than her opponents.
Frequently, people explain to themselves and others that their poor mood is related to unfortunate circumstances. While holding such a belief, people sometimes take comfort in the idea that since they cannot change their circumstances, there should be no expectation that they take charge of improving their feelings.
However, as demonstrated in this post, our emotional response to unfortunate circumstances can be brought under our control and improved through a change in our thinking patterns. Sometimes, that change can even help us figure out new ways to act that also will improve our situation.
1. What happens after children regulate their emotion?2. Why does the author mention the example of Sarah in the 3rd paragraph?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
People always believe their poor mood is due to unfortunate circumstances, so they will try to change their situation in order to have a good mood.
4. Besides changing thinking patterns, do you have other way(s) to control your emotions? (In about 40 words)
7 . 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
Careful not to betray my
As we headed up the big path into the woods, I heard the sound of a child
That night I told Susan, who frequently
| A．missing | B．injured | C．puzzled | D．asleep |
| A．argued | B．realized | C．compared | D．agreed |
| A．surprised | B．frightened | C．delighted | D．tired |
| A．woods | B．villages | C．houses | D．mountains |
| A．anger | B．secret | C．anxiety | D．doubt |
| A．laughed | B．shook | C．shouted | D．turned |
| A．repeated | B．prayed | C．announced | D．scolded |
| A．persuaded | B．suggested | C．commanded | D．blamed |
| A．teachers | B．classmates | C．workers | D．neighbors |
| A．cost | B．height | C．speed | D．trip |
| A．crying | B．going | C．leaving | D．dying |
| A．imagine | B．risk | C．avoid | D．enjoy |
| A．interested in | B．familiar with | C．crazy about | D．afraid of |
| A．called | B．approached | C．greeted | D．discovered |
| A．thanked | B．valued | C．accepted | D．suffered |
8 . Whatever your reason for feeling blue, know that occasional feelings of sadness are completely normal and to be expected in life.
● Spend time with loved ones
Call or visit a friend or family member that you know you can count on. Since moods are contagious (传染的), try to choose someone with a positive perspective on life.
●
Take a trip if you’re able to, even somewhere close by. If that’s not in the cards, try something simple like changing your hairstyle, eating dinner at a new restaurant, taking a different route to work, switching up your gym routine, or visiting a local museum. It doesn’t have to be anything significant. Even a small shift in your daily activities can improve your outlook.
● Do a good deed
It may sound counterintuitive (反常的), but perhaps one of the easiest ways to beat the blues is to do something for someone else.
●Change your environment
Your surroundings play a significant role in how you feel. If possible, a change of scenery can help you feel better. Rearrange your furniture, add plants or other pleasing decor to your home. You might also consider who you spend your time with since moods and attitudes are contagious. Negative people can bring you down, and positive people can uplift you.
| A．Change your routine. |
| B．Do something creative. |
| C．And it doesn’t cost a cent to just be nice. |
| D．There’s nothing wrong with you for feeling down. |
| E．Otherwise, you risk feeling worse than you already do. |
| F．You may try taking a walk or listening to a calming song. |
| G．Surround yourself with positive people and things to feel your best. |
1. How does Alina look to the man?
| A．Upset. | B．Curious. | C．Delighted. |
| A．A little girl. | B．An old lady. | C．A boy. |
Sarah couldn’t really remember when she and Laura became best friends. But they had been really close. They had lunch together in the school cafeteria, they went to the same book club, and they even had parties in each other’s house several times. As a matter of fact, the two girls had quite different personalities. Sarah was always confident and straightforward. In comparison, Laura was a bit quiet, but she was definitely the sweetest person Sarah had known.
On the first day of the new semester, Sarah couldn’t wait to meet Laura and tell her everything about her summer vacation. However, the moment she saw Laura enter the classroom, she was surprised. What could have happened to Laura? Why did she gain so much weight? Sarah knew it would be inappropriate if she raised the questions but she couldn’t resist the curiosity. “Since we are best friends, she knows I don’t mean any harm,” she thought. Thus, she asked, “Why did you get so fat?”
The instant Sarah said it, she realized she had made a mistake. People standing by began to laugh and point. Poor Laura, apparently shocked and offended by the question, stood still, tears welling up in her eyes. When she came to herself, she ran out of the classroom.
The next few days was very hard for Sarah. Whenever she reached out to Laura, Laura would walk away on purpose or pretended that she hadn’t seen Sarah. At first, Sarah was truly sorry for hurting Laura’s feelings. But as she tried several times in vain to make up with Laura, Sarah became angry. “Enough is enough,” she thought. However, Sarah couldn’t help feeling regretful because deep down she knew it was her fault.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150个左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
One day after school, Sarah stopped Laura.
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Touched by Sarah’s sincere words, Laura was hesitant.
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