1 . Gifts are more than just an economic exchange of goods. They signal things about the giver, receiver and their relationship. It’s a sort of language that lets us communicate without words. Use the following little tricks to make gift-giving perfect.
Aesthetics (美学) of a gift shouldn’t be ignored and neither should presentation be. All the time and energy you spend picking the perfect thing for your receiver will fall short if you do. A gift should delight. It should be unique and easy on the eyes. So receivers often prefer appearance over function. This is why gift stores are filled with such gifts. These items are often low in their usefulness yet they make most gifts.
The price isn’t necessarily a priority. Even costly items can be considered as cheap sometimes. It’s better to pick an item from the top of an inexpensive sort than one at the bottom of an expensive sort. Even if you’re paying the same for both choices, the former will be received well.
A gift that feels heavier tends to be considered as of higher quality. Giving someone a hardcover book is better than giving them a paperback as a gift. You may also package it in a relatively heavy box. Anyway, pick items that aren’t too light.
Don’t present your gift without the wrapping (包装). It shows effort and devotion. Presentation expresses special thought on behalf of the giver. When they receive a gift, receivers process the exchange and analyze the giver in terms of thoughtfulness, which is communicated through gift presentation. If you want your receiver to think of you as thoughtful, make sure you wrap it in a good wrapping paper. Bad presentation can ruin a great gift. So it matters making a present more attractive to your receiver.
1. What kind of gifts are mostly sold in shops?| A．Strange objects. | B．Eye-catching items. |
| C．Useful things. | D．High-cost pieces. |
| A．Never choose any expensive gif. |
| B．The more expensive a gift is, the better. |
| C．Two gifts at a time are always better than one. |
| D．The best gift in the cheap kind is a better choice. |
| A．A hardcover book. | B．A paperback. |
| C．One in a light box. | D．One without wrapping. |
| A．The giver is generous. | B．The receiver is special. |
| C．The giver is thoughtful. | D．The receiver is attractive. |
I was a broke university student. I should have been going to university on a scholarship because I came from a low-income family, but a last-minute £100-a-year pay rise for my mum pushed my family over the threshold (门槛) for what defined “low-income” and I was suddenly no longer qualified for £15,000 a year in scholarship money. This news came after I’d been accepted by the university and signed the lease (租约) for my accommodation.
Despite my family not being labelled low-income anymore, I still wouldn’t receive any financial support from my family as all the income went toward taking care of my disabled brother and paying their own bills. It would be tight, but because I had savings from my part-time job, I decided to go to university anyway. After paying my rent, I had £10.20 a week for everything else including food, toiletries, and school supplies.
As I was in a new city, I really wanted to make friends, which was difficult when most of the social activities were expensive. Therefore, I jumped at the chance to do a relatively cheap coffee shop trip with my roommates who were pleasant to me.
I had £20 with me to get a cheap cup of coffee and my food shopping for a few weeks. So I headed for the coffee shop. While paying, I pulled out the note and a handful of change and realized I could pay without breaking the note, so I put it back in my pocket. It wasn’t until I arrived at the supermarket that I realized the note was gone. What should I do? I was desperate it was the equivalent (相等物) of two weeks of money. My roommates helped me look for the note. However, it was in vain. Finally, I went to school empty-handed.
注意：
(1) 续写词数应为150词左右；
(2) 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
P1: As a final attempt, I messaged the coffee shop’s Facebook page asking if they’d seen it.
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P2: I said, “Oh, ...This isn’t mine; my note was an old worn one.”
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“Daddy, I have something to tell you. I wanted to ask your permission to go to America.” I didn’t finish my speech as he shouted, “No!” “But why? What…”, I replied. “If this all is about money, then you may not worry, I got a scholarship …”
I didn’t know what to do. I felt a warm tear running down my cheek. I thought there would be no problem because he always knew how much I dreamt about studying abroad. I was so angry and said: “But why do I have to ask your permission? I am already 18 and I’m not a kid anymore. You can’t tell me what is right and what is wrong.”
I shut the door so hard that it staggered. I was so disappointed that all these years he couldn’t see what I was doing. The tears were flowing on their own. I realized how much my love for dad was, however, I just could not stay at my hometown anymore.
I left home and my eyes were full of anger and tears. I didn’t know what to do and what to expect, but I decided to go far away from home and start creating my dream life. I took a bus and went to the airport.
I closed my eyes and felt that something was wrong. Everything was so silent when suddenly I heard my phone ringing. It was a nurse from the local hospital:
“Hello! Are you the daughter of Kuat?”, she asked. “Your dad has had a heart attack and he’s in a coma now. The situation’s serious. We want you …”
I wasn’t listening to her anymore. Tears were flowing and I started to choke when all of a sudden I heard a man’s voice and opened my eyes. I realized that it was a nightmare.
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。
I started searching for my phone and wanted to hear my dad’s voice.
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“Here you are, my sweetie. I’m not letting you leave because I don’t want you to forget me.
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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.
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,
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.
Focus on what you learned, not the grades you received
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 . Shy Parents, Shy Children — Parent workshop Series
The workshop is designed for shy parents of shy children, with the unique emphasis on teaching specific methods of building your child’s self-respect and social comfort level, while at the same time building your own. Participants are chosen before being admitted to the workshop to help make sure the workshop is a good fit for your needs.
Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington
When: From 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, from November 8th to 12th
Fee: $435
Shake Your Shyness: Intensive Weekend
The workshop is intended to meet the needs of adults who are unable to attend the Parent Workshop Series due to distance or scheduling limits. It’ll help you learn the basic skills that help overcome shyness. Be prepared to come to class early and set aside time for homework on Saturday night.
Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington
When: Saturdays & Sundays in spring
Fee: $1,150
Parenting the Shy Child
Shy children need our help. In this class, we’ll cover the basics — the origins of shyness, methods of overcoming shyness, social skills you can teach in your home, and tips for working with teachers to help your child fit in at school, etc.
Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington
When: From 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, from November 16th to 18th
Fee: $95
Overcoming Shyness: Skills-Training for Adolescents: Workshop
This is a special class for adolescents designed to teach social skills shy people are afraid to use. We’ll cover everything from how to start conversations with strangers to ways to calm your nerves when you do. You’ll learn what makes some people more popular than others and simple things you can do to feel more like you fit it.
Where: Karman Executive Center, Bellevue, Washington
When: From 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, on December 18th
Fee: $75
1. What are the classes designed for?| A．Overcoming shyness. | B．Building confidence. | C．Scheduling time. | D．Starting conversations. |
| A．It focuses on language skills. | B．It is offered only at weekends. |
| C．It assigns a lot of housework. | D．It is designed for shy children. |
| A．$1,150. | B．$435. | C．$95. | D．$75. |
Mom poured herself a glass of orange juice. “I’m worried about your grandma,” she said. I asked, “Why?” “Well, before she moved to Florida, she was active. But now she sleeps most of the day or watches television. I can’t get her out of the house, and she won’t try to make friends,” Mom replied. My grandma wanted to go back to New York. But she couldn’t live alone anymore. That was why my mom let her come to live with us in Florida.
“I’ll find a way to make Grandma love Florida,” I thought for a minute and said. Mom smiled and said, “I wish you could.” After school, I saw Grandma watching television and figured she hadn’t moved all day. In my room, I took out my collection. I had found many beautiful and special seashells. My favourite one was called Baby’s Ear. It’s a beautiful white seashell. Looking at my seashells gave me an idea. I went into the living room and sat on the sofa.
“Did you ever go to the beach when you were little, Grandma?” I asked. “Once my mother took me there, but I didn’t enjoy it because I was afraid of the water and couldn’t swim. Even now, I’m a little afraid of the water,” she replied. I wished Grandma could feel the way I did about the beach. I loved to see seabirds and look for seashells. “Well, could you take me to the beach, Grandma? I need some new seashells for my collection. I’m not allowed to go by myself. Please!” I begged. Grandma finally agreed and took my hand as we left the house.
We walked to the beach. The sky was blue. I handed Grandma a plastic bag, and said, “This is for the seashells you find.” “Oh, you should take it,” she said. I shook my head. “No, Grandma. I need all the help I can get.” “All right,” she said.
注意：(1)续写词数应为150左右；(2)请按如下格式作答。
We walked side by side on the beach.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Wow! Look what I found!” Grandma shouted, standing in the sand and holding a pink seashell.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I like staying overnight at my Gramma’s house — that is, until Gramma starts telling me how wonderful my cousin Maya is. Then it’s Maya this and Maya that until I don’t ever want to hear another word about her.
That’s why I wasn’t too excited when Gramma called me on the phone to “come on over and bring your pajamas.” When I got there, it was worse than I’d expected. There, in Grandpa’s big leather rocker, sat Maya, all dressed up and formal-looking and wearing fancy shoes as if she’d just been to a party.
“Surprise, Kristen!” Gramma said. “Your cousin Maya and her parents have traveled in from the East Coast on business. Maya gets to stay with us this afternoon.” Gramma chattered away about how excited she’d been for this surprise get-together, and how cousins ought to get to know each other better.
I hung my baseball cap in the closet and set my backpack by the stairway, all the time smiling and nodding as if I’d been waiting forever for this chance to spend an afternoon with Maya. Grandpa’s chair squawked (咯咯叫) as Maya rocked back and forth. It’s the chair I like best in the house, the one I usually sit in. I sat down on the sofa across from her.
Shortly, Gramma went off to the kitchen to “see about some lunch,” she’d said. That left me stuck in the living room with rocking Maya.
She was still small but taller than I’d remembered her from her last visit four years ago. She was good at small talk, though, and was chatting away about how nice it was to see me again. But I could tell that she didn’t really think so. The last time she was here, we’d had hours of fun together building caves out of Gramma’s sofa pillows.
After that, I’d heard about her only through Gramma’s tales. Maya taking piano lessons. Maya learning math. Maya, Maya, Maya. Now Maya was here, looking great with the latest haircut and a fancy dress.
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。
Glancing down at my jeans and my old sneakers, I wished I hadn’t come.
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“How do you know all these things about me?” I asked.
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8 . My children had both left for college at the same time. I
A few months later, we all
And then my daughter, Emma, handed me a blessing box as a Christmas gift and told me to write down things I was
The holiday decorations
Now I write notes of thankfulness weekly and re-read them often. It has helped me deal with depression and
| A．frequently | B．suddenly | C．secretly | D．formally |
| A．ability | B．method | C．motivation | D．courage |
| A．returned | B．travelled | C．gathered | D．hesitated |
| A．excited | B．relaxed | C．confused | D．frightened |
| A．start out | B．come back | C．move around | D．pass by |
| A．empty | B．dirty | C．noisy | D．comfortable |
| A．regretful | B．responsible | C．thankful | D．eager |
| A．promise | B．cheat | C．warn | D．remind |
| A．invitation | B．notice | C．diary | D．note |
| A．came through | B．came down | C．came in | D．came over |
| A．hid | B．threw | C．found | D．placed |
| A．tore | B．unfolded | C．copied | D．cleaned |
| A．anxiety | B．curiosity | C．doubt | D．anger |
| A．reply | B．introduction | C．answer | D．attitude |
| A．enjoy | B．observe | C．quit | D．shorten |
9 . There is a definite link between gratitude and happiness.
What happens to our bodies when we’re grateful?
Much scientific evidence has shown that gratitude has far-reaching effects on our health. When people are thankful and are happy with things as they are, their physical health reflects that.
Activate gratitude regularly
The best way to make gratitude a habit is not to wait for special moments. Some people have been told by their specialists they can keep stress and anxiety at bay by keeping a gratitude journal, journaling every day is also correlated with an increase in happiness.
Do gratitude exercises
During busy workdays when we are pressed for time, there are doable ways to fit gratitude into your schedule.
| A．They’re more likely to exercise, eat better, and take care of their health. |
| B．Your goal is to add this science-backed habit to increase your happiness. |
| C．Gratitude has a strong positive impact on psychological well-being as well. |
| D．Happiness is about how good you feel and how satisfied you are with your life. |
| E．Choosing to be thankful may well be an accessible way to boost your happiness. |
| F．Apart from journaling, here are other possible activities to help you stay on track. |
| G．But if you’re not ready for that kind of commitment, there’s an easy way to begin on the road to being grateful. |
10 . While we enjoy the convenience the modern technology has brought to us, there has been a growing realization that while we may have innumerable followers and friends on social media, those in the real world are far more limited. Sharing feelings and problems in real conversations and confrontations is increasingly hard. Therefore, we feel lonely. The only way to break away from it is to reconnect with the self and the people who surround us.
Connect with your own self
Learning to say ‘no’ to the people and activities that are beyond your ability. Doing this does not mean you are being unfriendly or irresponsible. It is a necessary reallocation of energies to provide emotional help to oneself and others.
Do the things you love
Invest in yourself by engaging with your interests and passions.
Make time.
| A．Draw boundaries |
| B．Offer help whenever possible |
| C．Do not allow time to become something missing |
| D．This requires us to relook, reconsider and adapt |
| E．Life is always full of opportunities and challenges |
| F．Self-awareness is a key to understanding your needs and desires |
| G．It is significant to work towards being available for people around you |
