1 . 上周五是你的生日，父亲送了你一份生日礼物。下面就是对这份特殊礼物的描述。请你以“Father’s Gift for My Birthday”为题，以第一人称用英语讲述这个故事。要点如下：
1. 上周五早晨，父亲带我到家乡的一所农村学校；
2. 唯一的教室里有21名学生，教室小而昏暗(dim)；
3. 虽然那儿的条件很差，但学生学习努力；
4. 你的感想……
注意：
1. 除要求的内容外，可酌情自由发挥；
2. 词数80左右。

Father’s Gift for My Birthday

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2 . Anxiety is a sense of worry, fear, or unease which might make your hands sweat or your heart race. It’s a normal response to stressful situations.    1    Or going on a date. Or performing in a concert.

A bit of anxiety can work up your energy and focus.    2    Feeling anxious about an upcoming test, for example, can push you to study. Techniques like deep breathing can help you power through the unpleasantness of anxiety.

But for some people, anxiety can become too much to bear. They might have frequent, intense fears about everyday situations. Or they might feel worried or afraid for no reason at all. If this high level of anxiety lasts long, it can make it hard to focus or fall asleep, bringing about health problems.    3    

    4    People with social anxiety have intense fears of being judged by others. People with phobias(恐惧症), meanwhile, are very afraid of things that do not pose much real danger, such as spiders or heights. And people with panic disorder experience panic attacks in the absence of any real danger. Other examples of anxiety disorders include obsessive-compulsive(强迫性的) disorder and post-traumatic(创伤后的) stress disorder.

Anxiety disorders are common. An estimated one-third of all U.S. teens have experienced one. And there are many factors that may heighten someone’s risk of developing an anxiety disorder. People with a family history of anxiety may be at higher risk.    5    People with other mental-health conditions, such as depression, often have anxiety, too. But there’ re treatments that can help manage anxiety.

A．There are many types of anxiety disorders.

B．So are those who have experienced trauma.

C．Take, for instance, giving a class presentation.

D．This, in turn, can help you deal with stressors.

E．Living with anxiety disorder can be a long-term challenge.

F．Such intense ongoing anxiety can be an early sign of a disorder.

G．Anxiety disorder likely arises from a complex interaction of different factors,

3 . I had been saying goodbye to my mom for ten years. That was how ______ she had breast cancer. At first, there was the fear that she would die. But as she ______ series of treatments, life took ______ a new normal. But cancer is an unrelenting (冷酷无情的) foe. It was a journey from ______ to hope again and again, and only painkillers could keep her ______ . At 66, my mom was dying, but we could do nothing. I ______ praying for God to heal her but rather to take her. I learned that dying is the ______ healing. How brokenhearted when a patient or family is ______ a death.

My mother showed me how to fight her foe with knowledge, humor and ______ . And when the time came, she showed me how to die with grace, dignity, humor and wisdom. ______ , while it is hard to escape from the ______ , I want to anticipate the joy of the day when all the pain and hurt of this world will be over. One day, I will die and ______ those I love. One day, those I love will die as well. I don’t want it to envelop me to the point where I cannot enjoy life and make ______ that will last not only in this life, but hopefully into the next.

In those ten years watching my mother die, I learned that we cannot ______ avoid grief in this life. But we can seek out and remind ourselves to anticipate the joy, no matter how ______ things are.

We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.

1.

A．soon

B．long

C．often

D．many

2.

A．survived

B．suffered

C．sustained

D．strengthened

3.

A．in

B．out

C．on

D．up

4.

A．decrease

B．demand

C．despair

D．desire

5.

A．comfortable

B．suitable

C．bearable

D．adjustable

6.

A．stopped

B．suggested

C．sought

D．searched

7.

A．unacceptable

B．unintentional

C．ultimate

D．unselfish

8.

A．experiencing

B．explaining

C．exploring

D．expecting

9.

A．drugs

B．exercises

C．strength

D．faith

10.

A．Instead

B．So

C．However

D．Moreover

11.

A．sorry

B．sorrow

C．scene

D．sob

12.

A．leave

B．abandon

C．forget

D．remember

13.

A．progress

B．memories

C．fortunes

D．influence

14.

A．initially

B．similarly

C．totally

D．gradually

15.

A．optimistic

B．cruel

C．positive

D．bad

4 . You’ve just received your final grades and they’re not exactly what you were hoping for. To make matters worse, your BFF’s grades have got you green with envy. Try not to panic. We’ve put together some tips to help you manage.

Be happy for them

First things first, make sure you start things off right by congratulating them for doing well this semester (学期). We’re not going to lie. This can be hard when you’re overwhelmed with jealousy (忌妒), but your BFF has worked for it and they deserve to be celebrated. Don’t hate them for their achievements.    1    .   Just ask what kind of friend you want to be—one who is proud of their bestie’s achievements or one who lets jealousy get in the way?

Confront (正视) your feelings

In saying that, being happy for your BFF doesn’t mean you should repress your feelings. Jealousy is natural. Jealousy can quickly become a problem for both your friendship and your mental health when it’s repressed. So,     2    . Ask yourself where this jealousy is coming from and whether your BFF getting a better grade than you actually matters in the long run. Getting to the root of these feelings is an important first step to overcoming your jealousy.

Use it as motivation

Feeling jealous doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The fact that you’re envious of your friend’s grades means that you care about your studies. One of the best things to do in this situation is to use your jealousy as motivation to do better. Figure out where you went wrong and learn from your mistakes. Don’t focus all your energy on feeling upset.    3    .

Focus on what you learned, not the grades you received

    4    . Rather than worrying about your grades, try to focus on the knowledge and skills you learned throughout the semester and how they helped you improve as a person. Either way, your time at school has helped you grow in a way that can’t be measured by your GPA(Grade Point Average).

    5    

The fact that your BFF received a higher grade than you doesn’t mean you’re a failure. We need to stop using other people’s successes as a benchmark for our own self-worth. Life isn’t a competition. Focus on your own strengths, appreciate yourself more, and soon enough your jealousy will just melt away.

A．Try not to compare yourself to others

B．Attempt to be honest with how you’re feeling

C．While grades are important, they aren’t everything

D．Focus on them, and soon your jealousy will melt away

E．Allow yourself to feel genuinely (真诚地) happy for your friend

F．Instead, try to setting new goals and creating better study habits

G．However, envy can quickly become a problem for your friendship

5 . Symptoms of Culture Shock and Their Stages

Like any new experience, there’s a feeling of euphoria (兴高采烈) when you first arrive in a new country and you’re in awe of the differences you see and experience.     1    During this stage, you still feel close to everything familiar back home.

The Distress Stage

Everything you’re experiencing no longer feels new; in fact, it’s starting to feel like a thick wall that’s preventing you from experiencing things. You feel confused, alone, and realize that the familiar support systems are not easily available.

Re-integration Stage

During this stage, you start refusing to accept the differences you meet.     2    You start to idealize life “back home“ and compare your current culture to what is familiar. You dislike the culture, the language and the food. You throw it as inferior. You may even develop some prejudices (偏见) towards the new culture. Don’t worry. This is normal. You’re adjusting.

Autonomy Stage

This is the first stage of acceptance. It’s the emergence stage when you start to rise above the clouds and finally begin to feel like yourself again. You start to accept the differences and feel like you can begin to live with them.     3    You no longer feel isolated and instead; you’re able to look at the world around you and appreciate where you are.

Independence Stage

    4    You embrace the new culture and see everything in a new, yet realistic light. You feel comfortable, confident, and able to make decisions based on your preferences. You no longer feel alone and isolated. You appreciate both the differences and similarities of your new culture. You start to feel at home.

A．You are yourself again!

B．You feel excited, stimulated, and enriched.

C．You feel more confident and better able to handle any problems that may arise.

D．You are still what you are and there is no change at all.

E．You are like a baby.

F．You’re angry, frustrated, and even feel hostile (敌对的) to those around you.

6 . Paul Ekman(2003), a leading researcher on the study of human emotions and expression, posits that there are six basic human emotions found throughout the world, across gender, age and culture. These include: anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise. Another theorist, Izzard, argues that we have ten basic emotions including: anger, contempt, distress, fear, guilt, interest, joy, shame and surprise.     1    However, these are the most robust.

So for those of us who can, and do, feel emotions on a regular basis, what impact do they have on our life, our thinking, behaviours and overall well-being and why do we have them in the first place? Well, the evolutionary benefits of negative emotions are clear: they narrow our thought-action repertoires (储备)(or, simply speaking, what we think about and the range of actions we are engaged in)to those that best promoted our ancestors’ survival in life-threatening situations.     2    Thus, fear makes us want to run, and anger makes us want to thrash out (打击) at the aggressor.

The human brain’s ability to hone in one real or potential danger is a left-over by-product of evolutionary and adaptive tendencies.     3    Thousands of years ago, people survived if they were able to selectively attend to danger or dangerous situations that could lead to extinction of their genetic line. Although once useful, this selectivity can lead us to narrow in consciously on what is wrong, rather than what is right with ourselves and the world around us. However, recent studies have shown that people who score high on self-reported experiences of positive emotions have an attention bias toward positive information(Strauss and Allen, 2006).

But what use are positive emotions and do they have any action repertoires?     4    Fredrickson started work on her groundbreaking and widely accepted theory of the broaden-and-build functions of positive emotions in the early 1990s. Her research, in several laboratory-controlled experiments, has demonstrated that positive emotions broaden our thought-action repertoires, undo negative emotions and build resilience.

A．These include intellectual resources, physical resources and social resources.

B．Of course other researchers have offered alternative theories.

C．Humans and animals have a tendency of bias towards attending to negative rather than positive stimuli.

D．This led us to the“broaden-and-build” theory of positive emotions.

E．They are also associated with specific action tendencies.

F．Emotions do not occur in the same way.

7 . Happiness is subjective and can take on different meanings for various individuals.     1    , others may find joy in creating something unique.

Creativity is a crucial aspect for many artists worldwide as they seek to express themselves through different forms of art,     2    . Matt Jacob, the founder of MOOD Studio and The MOOD Podcast, shares his personal experiences and joys on his platforms.

The arts that bring people happiness vary widely, depending on their environment, culture, and opportunities. For creatives like Matt, happiness takes on a distinct meaning, as it involves finding your niche (定位/舒适的生活), connecting with a community, and leaving a legacy and imprint on the world. Developing an original style plays a significant role in Matt’s happiness, but a style is not all that — his work and approach to it continues to evolve.     3    following professionals in the field, and adding one's unique artistic touch to capture timeless moments.

    4     and not necessarily in the way that everyone thinks. When one is self-employed or starting a new business, money can be a significant barrier and photography, or the creative world, is no different. To succeed, there are many factors, but marketing, networking and the ‘hustle’ are at the forefront. For Matt, being money-minded and being motivated by money are two very different things, with extremely different outcomes if pursued. He believes that being money-minded is essential,     5     .

Ultimately, what brings Matt happiness is the people that are close to him — being able to hopefully inspire and enjoy with others, and most importantly give back, in any way possible. By creating beautiful environmental, cultural, and portrait art, he not only makes himself happy but also brings joy to those around him, and hopefully those that are far away too.

A．He emphasizes the importance of exploring different styles and genres

B．including photography, painting, and other mediums

C．and now resides in Bali, Indonesia, where he also found a love and community

D．The people around him and his wife give him a sense of belonging

E．but being motivated by money can hinder one's quality of work and chances of success

F．While some may equate it with wealth or influence

G．Another crucial aspect contributing to happiness is finances

8 . How to deal with frustration

From time to time terrible things occur. When something awful happens in our life, we always feel sorry for ourselves and it is natural to fall into a negative feeling of frustration.

    1     In this post, we will share some approaches that will help relieve your frustration in a positive manner where you can subsequently learn and grow.

When you feel frustrated by life it can be hard to feel thankful for the blessings in your life.     2     Numerous studies in positive psychology show that having an attitude of gratitude is the number one indicator of life satisfaction and happiness.

    3     Every day you can try to list three good things in your life you are grateful for. By doing so you will be surprised how much this decreases your feelings of frustration.

Another lesson of positive psychology is that your own problems are often relieved when you make an effort to help others. When you’re volunteering your time, doing random acts of kindness, or simply trying to make a positive difference in the lives of others, your brain will produce more dopamine(多巴胺), which gives you a sense of pleasure.     4    

Finally, I am sure you have heard the old saying, “    5    ” This old saying has lasted for so long because it is true. You may envy what other people seem to have, but you do not know what they are going through. So, if you want to stop feeling sorry for yourself, you need to only compare yourself to yourself. Stop envying what you believe other people have and learn to be happy with the things you do have in life.

A．Don’t judge a book by its cover.

B．The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

C．But that is when you need to feel grateful the most.

D．You should set aside some “me time” to rest and restore.

E．It hurts us and keeps us from making the proper decisions.

F．You can actually relieve your own frustration by doing others a favor.

G．The most practical way to feel grateful is to start a gratitude journal.

9 . 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.

10 . 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.