1 . Women interpret emojis differently to men, research suggests. Scientists say this is because these small digital emojis, used to express an idea or emotion, can be ambiguous and be understood differently by different people.

The researchers recruited 523 adults (49% men and 51% women) to review 24 different emojis. Each emoji — taken from Apple, Windows, Android, and WeChat platforms — represented one of the six emotional states labelled by the team: happy, disgusted, fearful, sad, surprised, and angry.

They found women were able to more accurately interpret happy, fearful, sad and angry emoji labels compared to men. No gender differences were observed for surprised or disgusted emoji, the team said. Dr Ruth Filik, associate professor in the School of Psychology at The University of Nottingham, said: “What I found most interesting and surprising is that there are so many individual differences in how people interpret these emojis.

“It is important to note that the results reflect how often participants labelled the emoji in the same way as the researchers. So, we should think of the results in terms of there being differences across people in how they interpret emojis, rather than some people being better at it than others. We should keep these differences in mind when using emojis in our messages.”

The researchers said that those emojis can add both slight differences as well as potential ambiguity to messages sent via texts, emails or even social media. To understand more about how emojis are interpreted, the team recruited 270 people from the UK and 253 from China, who were aged between 18 to 84 years old.

Each emoji was assigned an emotion label by the researchers, which they say may not correspond exactly with the emoji as used in real life. In addition to gender, the team also found age to play a role in how emoji are interpreted, with younger adults faring better than the older ones in matching the emoji with their assigned labels. Those in the UK were also better at labelling the emoji in the same way as the researchers compared to their Chinese counterparts.

The researchers say ambiguity of emojis is worth further research, “especially when communicating across gender, age, or cultures.”

1. Which aspect of the team’s research is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2 and 3?

A．Its participants.

B．Its samples.

C．Its conclusion.

D．Its significance.

2. What lesson did researchers learn from their findings?

A．Researchers are not better at labelling emojis than participants.

B．Females are better at perceiving the meanings of emojis than males.

C．Proper caution is necessary when sending emojis to different people.

D．Males and females have different understandings of disgusted emojis.

3. What is the value of the research involving 523 people from UK and China?

A．To make ambiguous emojis have concrete and clear meanings.

B．To explore how emojis are interpreted by extending research angles.

C．To figure out how young adults do well in matching emojis with labels.

D．To prove that Britons are better at labelling emojis than Chinese people.

4. What is the suitable title of the passage?

A．Ambiguity of emojis deserves further research.

B．Age and culture play a role in how emojis are perceived.

C．Secrets behind different understandings towards emojis.

D．Pay attention to differences of emojis when sending messages.

2 . Anger has a bad reputation.     1     We temporarily lose our judgment, regaining it only after our anger dies down — often when it’s too late. It’s as if anger destroys us, overwhelming our best intentions.

But what if anger is a valuable-friend, not an adversary (对手) to be defeated?     2     It provides us with information about the world around us. Anger is an internal signal that identifies our unmet needs and presents us with opportunities for course correction, healing, and growth. It motivates us to act toward meeting our needs and reaching our goals.

Anger has one main purpose — to secure our safety and survival. We respond with anger when we are threatened or when our boundaries are violated (侵犯).     3    

What we need is a willingness to experience anger without suppressing it or discharging it immediately. When we have the courage to remain present with our anger, we can look directly at it. We can investigate and come to understand it, and we can extract its wisdom.

    4     Rather than identify with anger’s urge to act, or with its feelings of frustration and powerlessness, you now relate to its message of worth and efficacy. This change, in turn, frees you to grow through your anger.

Anger, like a fire, is a force. Left unchecked, it can be destructive.     5    

A．Uncovering the wisdom of anger begins with feeling it fully.

B．It gives us energy and power to overcome threatening situations.

C．Yet when it is used wisely, it can be powerful beneficial instrument.

D．When you come to see anger as a friend, you change your relationship with it.

E．While anger sometimes involves aggressive tendencies, it also carries great wisdom.

F．When we have the courage to remain present with our anger, we can look directly at it.

G．When it bursts out, it can take control of our body, our thoughts, our senses, and our actions.

3 . Higher levels of optimism (乐观主义) are related lo a longer lifetime. People with the highest levels of optimism have 11 % to 15% longer lifetime than those who practice little positive thinking. The optimists may live to age 85 or beyond.

Optimism doesn’t mean ignoring life’s stress. But when negative things happen, optimistic people are less likely to blame themselves.     1    . They also believe they can control their destiny and create opportunities for good things to happen in the future.

    2    . Research has found optimists have a 35% less chance of a heart disease. There’s a direct connection between optimists and healthier diet and exercise behaviors, as well as a stronger immune (免疫) system and better lung function.

Optimism can be improved by training. Studies have found only about 25% of our optimism is programmed by genes (基因).     3    . It turns out you can train your brain to be more positive. One of the most effective ways to increase optimism is called the “Best Possible Self” method. In this period, you imagine yourself in future, and you have achieved all your life aims and all of your problems have been solved.     4    . Another way is to keep a journal only to capture positive experiences you experienced that day.

It’s not easy to carry out optimism exercises. Like exercise, they will need to be practiced regularly to keep the brain positive.     5    . But isn’t a longer, happier, more positive life worth the effort?

A．It may also lengthen your life.

B．The rest is up to your attitude to life.

C．Being optimistic also improves your health.

D．The optimism exercises may be a hard process.

E．The focus on the positive can reshape your brain.

F．Practicing this daily can significantly improve your positive feelings.

G．They are more likely to see the barrier as a good chance to turn positive.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How does Alina look to the man?

A．Upset.

B．Curious.

C．Delighted.

2. Who picked up Alina's purse?

A．A little girl.

B．An old lady.

C．A boy.

5 . 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.

6 . 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

7 . 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。

Jack was a bright and curious child, always eager to learn new things and explore the mysterious world about science. However, he often found himself in disagreement with his mother. His mother was always busy with her work and she didn’t have enough time to learn about his interests and passions.

One day, Jack came home from school feeling particularly excited. He just found a sci-fi book about an adventure on the moon. Upon arriving at home, he couldn’t tear himself away from the book. He read and read until it was dark. Having finished reading it, he couldn’t wait to share it with his mother, only to be told that he should focus on more practical subjects like math and history, which would help him get into a good college and have a successful career.

Jack couldn’t understand why his mother didn’t see the value in what he was doing. He felt that she was holding him back and not allowing him to pursue his true interests. “Why can’t you see how important this is to me?” Jack asked his mother angrily. “I’m never going to be happy if I have to spend my life doing things that I show no interest in just because they are practical or make you proud.”

The once peaceful home was filled with tension and anger. His mother’s voice grew louder as she shouted, “You can’t just do whatever you want! You should be responsible for your future!” Jack, fueled by his own frustration, shot back, “I am tired of you always telling me what to do! I am not a child anymore! You only care about your own feeling! You never thought about my feeling!” They were so caught up in their own anger and hurt that they failed to see how their words and actions were affecting each other.

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。

Jack rushed into his bedroom and locked the door heavily.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When Jack heard his mother’s words, regretful tears rolled down his face.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . The characteristic (特征) of shyness is to feel frightened and nervous in new social situations or when being the center of attention. Whether shyness is part of your children’s personality or just something they feel when they are in front of a group of strangers, it is a common experience, according to a study.

To look at shyness, researchers brought 152 children aged 7-8 into a lab and told them they would give a speech, which would be filmed and shown to other children. The study showed that about 10% of the children showed a level of stress over time when giving the speech. About 25% of the children were not reported to be shy in the eyes of their parents, but in fact showed a level of social stress from giving the speech. This finding provides the fact that shyness may be a part of these children’s temperament (性情).

For children at this age, shyness may be a quite common and normal experience when they face a speech task. For a smaller group of shy children, however, being the center of attention may be stressful at different times and environments.

A shy temperament isn’t always valued by society like an outgoing personality, but that doesn’t mean there is something wrong. Everyone can feel shy at times depending on the environment. And those who are particularly shy often have happy social lives—they just aren’t likely to be the liveliest people in a crowded room.

Although shyness itself may not necessarily be a problem, parents should pay attention to signs of worry, particularly in their shy children. Importantly, however, we know that not all shy children are the same, and that many shy children grow up to be well-balanced adults.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A．Shyness is not an unusual characteristic.

B．Shyness is born with personality.

C．Shyness will appear when one is in public.

D．Shyness means not communicating with others.

2. What is the finding of the study?

A．Few kids like to give a speech to others.

B．Some kids can get shy while giving speeches.

C．Some kids appear less shy with their parents.

D．Some kids are stressed when being separated.

3. What does the author advise parents to do when facing shy children?

A．Bring them to crowded space.

B．Care for them and give them confidence.

C．Keep them away from shyness.

D．Let them be alone.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．When are people shy?	B．Ways of beating shyness
C．Why is shyness a bad thing?	D．The discoveries about shyness

9 . Everyone has bad days at work or studies. For example, you had an unexpected trouble with a project you had been working on for weeks.     1     Or you forgot to attend an important meeting on time and missed a good chance. Whatever the reason for your problem, the result is to make you feel more stressed and alone.

    2     According to a research, practicing gratitude can help make you happier. The next time you’re feeling troubled by a problem, take a minute and think of someone in your life that you’re grateful for.     3    

Why will that make you feel better? Gratitude is often a feeling when someone else does something helpful for you that they don’t need to do.     4     It might be a relative who took care of you when you were little, a guide teacher who helped you out, or a workmate who offered you a great chance.

Remember those people who helped you, and knowing why you’re grateful to them has two good points. For one, it gets you to think about something wonderful, which can cheer you up.     5    

A．In those moments, a little gratitude can help.

B．You felt as if only reading could relax yourself.

C．All of us have people in our lives who are helpful.

D．You are shouted at rudely by your partners in a discussion.

E．Then write a sentence or two about why you feel thankful.

F．There’s a reason gratitude is always showing up on tea bags and in self-help books.

G．It also makes you get on well with others so that you don’t feel quite alone anymore.

10 . Kyra Peralte thought keeping a diary during the pandemic (流行病) might help her sort out her feelings. In April 2020, the mother of two in Montclair, New Jersey, now 46, started writing about the challenges of work, marriage and motherhood during a global crisis. She invited women from near and far to fill the notebook with their own pandemic tales.She named the project The Traveling Diary.

Peralte created a website for people to add their names to the queue. Each person gets to keep the diary for three days and fill as many pages as she wishes. Then she is responsible for mailing it to the next person, whose address Peralte provides. So far, more than 2, 000 women from 30 countries have joined in.

The diary reached Colleen Martin in Florham Park, New Jersey, in November 2020. “I had just recently lost my brother. By the time I actually got it and wrote in it, it was much more of a relief,” she says. Adding to the diary, she says, helped her look for meaning and “the growth and development that occurs in terrible times.”

Martin shipped off the diary to the next person, and Dior Sarr, 35, received it at her home in Toronto just before the new year. “I wrote about my ambitions(抱负), my goals and how I wanted to step into the new year, ” she says, “It felt meaningful to pass on something so personal. It felt like these were women that I had known even though I didn’t know them at all.”

Like many of the women who wrote in her diary, Peralte feels a strong bond with the people who filled its pages, none of whom she would have otherwise known. Her idea, Peralte says, has had a great effect on her and, she hopes, the other women who were part of it.

1. Why did Peralte start the project “The Traveling Diary”?

A．To become famous online.

B．To offer women an emotion outlet.

C．To meet more people on the Internet.

D．To popularize medical knowledge of pandemic.

2. What did Colleen Martin get from writing the diary?

A．Achieving her goals.

B．Receiving timely help.

C．Promoting personal growth.

D．Improving her writing skills.

3. What does the underlined word“bond” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Connection.	B．Competition.
C．Impression.	D．Need.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Power of Unity

B．Warmth in a Global Crisis

C．The Sisterhood of the Traveling Diary

D．Friendship on the Internet