1 . Ways to Embrace Solitude (独处)

For many, being alone is something they shy away from because it’s like loneliness. But loneliness and solitude are not the same.    1    . The latter offers a chance to direct attention to self-care and self-discovery without outside influences or expectations from others. It sharpens your concentration and helps you focus on your tasks and also boosts your creativity regularly.

Psychologists even consider solitude as important as relationships and view the ability to be alone as a sign of healthy emotional development.    2    , just as people learn social skills to guide themselves in the world of relationships successfully. And some specific strategies may make it a constructive, enjoyable experience.

Enjoy solitary activities

People who enjoy solitude find satisfaction and meaning when getting absorbed in a hobby, reading for pleasure, or getting out in nature. They rarely experience boredom when they’re alone and genuinely enjoy themselves while doing something interesting.

    3    

In solitude, buried feelings, memories, or problems can surface. Rather than avoid being discouraged by them, you can learn to engage in the regulation with curiosity, using the private time to explore your feelings without judgment. Accepting and expressing them safely helps you self-regulate and release stress.

Be self-reflective

People who enjoy solitude are willing to self-reflect.    4    , reflecting on their values, or considering the bigger picture. Instead of going round about situations you can’t control, self-reflection invites self- awareness, bringing you closer to insight about who you are.

Know when to exit solitude

    5    , if you begin to feel lonely or your thoughts turn to self-harm. It is equally important to know when it’s time to leave solitude and seek the company of others.

A．Protect your privacy

B．Feel and regulate your emotions

C．They prefer listening to solitude signals

D．Break your solitude and turn for support

E．The former is marked by negative feelings

F．There are skills associated with its capacity

G．They spend time considering behavior patterns

2 . 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.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Tiffany Hammond and her son Aidan communicate in some familiar ways, like hand gestures and body language. But when Aidan wants to ______ himself with words, he uses a tablet (平板电脑).

Aidan is autistic (患孤独症的) and does not speak, so when his mom asks ______ , he can press a button on the screen to answer them. The family has designed routines around his autism, but people outside the household don’t ______ .

“Every single time we go outside the house, there’s something bad happening. There’s a______ , and there’s a mean stare,” Hammond said. “And he feels lonely a lot.”   However, that loneliness and those reactions from outsiders ______ Hammond to find a way to ______the ways in which people with autism can express. They just communicate in a(n) ______type of way. The result of this experience is a children’s book from Hammond titled A Day With No Words. The book followed Aidan through a regular day, showing his ______routines.

Hammond also wrote about the ______ of the book to want people to give kindness and the goal she hoped to ______ with the writing.

In an interview, Hammond said,   “I want to ______ all the things that I see in him. He loves being outside and swings, and he loves life. He is ______ like other people. I want to______ the regular life that I have with my son, and it is supposed to ______ a loving letter to him.”

______, a day with no words can be full of meaningful communication.

1.

A．express

B．enjoy

C．persuade

D．change

2.

A．chances

B．questions

C．roles

D．fantasies

3.

A．imply

B．inquire

C．understand

D．bother

4.

A．saying

B．witness

C．cheat

D．comment

5.

A．pushed

B．elected

C．warned

D．begged

6.

A．avoid

B．represent

C．ignore

D．refuse

7.

A．necessary

B．cold

C．different

D．equal

8.

A．daily

B．weekly

C．monthly

D．yearly

9.

A．cover

B．significance

C．price

D．time

10.

A．imagine

B．notice

C．defeat

D．achieve

11.

A．record

B．teach

C．doubt

D．celebrate

12.

A．nervous

B．strange

C．dangerous

D．hopeful

13.

A．create

B．organize

C．share

D．build

14.

A．look for

B．pick up

C．stare at

D．serve as

15.

A．Immediately

B．Fortunately

C．Actually

D．Finally

4 . When your best friends are upset, sad, or disappointed, all you want to do is lift their spirits. Here are some easy ways to cheer them up.

Help your friend clean their room.

Being surrounded by a mess doesn’t do much for your mental state.     1     Helping your friend straighten up their room gives you something productive to do together. Plus, when they’re on their own, they can relax in a clean, peaceful space.

Encourage them to talk it out.

Talking is effective. Teenagers usually want someone to talk to when they are stressed.     2     If they aren’t interested in talking, invite them to do an activity with you and they will likely start talking.

Practice gratitude.

Thinking about and focusing on the good things in your life can do wonders for lifting your spirits. Help your friend turn their attention to those things.     3    

    4    

Staying active can help get depression (抑郁) away. Invite the person to join you in a dance class or anything else they may have mentioned before that they wanted to try out but never have. Fun time with friends is surely helpful.

Do an aimless act of kindness together.

    5     So go out, do things, even small things (e.g., opening a door for someone, paying for someone’s drink, smiling at and greeting a stranger. etc.), for others and see how your day changes.

A．Try new things together.

B．Plan for your future together.

C．Just be there for them and listen to them.

D．Together, you can each list all the things you’re grateful for.

E．Science has shown just being in nature naturally improves one’s mood.

F．Meanwhile, having a tidy space can help you feel more in control and calmer.

G．Oftentimes when we do things for other people, we are the ones that benefit.

5 . Four Habits That Lead to Emotional Security

Can you become more emotionally secure by doing certain things differently?     1     Doing what emotionally secure people do creates results. What follows is a list of good habits.

●   Be willing to apologize.

Do you know that refusing to apologize may actually increase your ego (自负)?     2     This creates insecurity because you then must defend your ego. Since nobody is perfect, it seems important to learn to apologize, admit when you are wrong and confess your limitations.

●   Be willing to accept failure.

Emotionally secure people can recognize and accept failure. This may be why two top schools in England teach failure as part of their curriculum.     3    

●   Learn to manage self-criticism.

Self-criticism is a usual stumbling block (绊脚石). It may be the most common psychological hang-up (障碍) in existence.     4     Constant self-criticism creates a lot of insecurity. Emotionally secure people handle the critical inner voice and do not allow it to control them.

●       5    

Taking a more objective viewpoint on your own life gives you access to the big picture. Emotionally immature people tend to lack thinking and make poor decisions, which will only create more problems to feel insecure about. One solution is to step back and consider the big picture before making decisions.

A．Learn to accept.

B．Take a big step back.

C．You need more help than this.

D．Research suggests that yes, you can.

E．It gives you a false sense of moral superiority (优越感).

F．The critical inner voice is common and almost without exception.

G．Losing or at least losing gracefully is a vital skill for students to learn.

6 . How to talk to your child about current events

Nowadays, exposure to worldwide events is easily accessible.     1    . Providing a safe, calming space to open a conversation with your child can help ensure that they are getting accurate information, and allows them to talk about the many fearful and upsetting emotions they may be feeling. The following tips may help you when discussing current events with your child.

Educate yourself before speaking to your child

    2     By understanding what is happening, you will be able to offer simple, clear, and appropriate knowledge to your child in a way that also addresses any misconceptions they may have.

    3    

Give your child a chance to voice what they believe has happened and why. This will allow you to listen for any misinformation, address areas needing clarification, and hear what concerns or fears your child is currently processing.

Ask questions, and encourage your child to ask too

It’s important that you allow your child to absorb the information you’re giving them and give them time to respond. Asking your child questions about how the event made them feel can give your child the opportunity to talk about their emotions without your influence.     4    .This will encourage them to speak freely about their concerns without judgement, while establishing trust for future conversations.

Share your feelings and experiences

It is often helpful to share your own feelings and responses surrounding the events. If you have experienced discrimination, discuss that experience, how it made you feel, and what you did to overcome it.     5    .

A．Ask your child what they know

B．Look at current events together

C．Additionally, allow your child to raise questions

D．For this reason, it’s important to use language your child understands

E．This can give them confidence that they will get through these feelings and fears

F．Before speaking with your child, try to ensure that you have accurate information

G．Children can see and hear about current events from the media without any difficulty

7 . How to Handle an Argument with Your Family Members

We’ve all been there. A relaxed evening with our family members. A lot of laughing. And then, as if someone had sat on the TV remote and changed the channel, the mood shifts. No more warmth. Suddenly there’s shouting, a ping-pong of accusations(指责), deadly stares, and hostility(敌意) streaming from eyes like red laser pointers. Having a conflict with your family members is frustrating, and you may feel sad and depressed.     1    

Do remember that as much as it might feel this way, you’re not in a court of law with your family members.     2     .It is to restore kindness and connection. Think of it this way —if somebody wins, both parties lose.

Do try to be an advocate of others’ feelings.     3     try to stand in the shoes of your family members. Try to understand their immature ways.

    4     .This might frighten your family members, making them feel accused and in turn, act defensively. Example: “I was on the phone with my sister and then suddenly you started acting like crazy out of the blue.” Talk about the way you felt instead. Example: “I was on the phone with my sister and then I suddenly felt scared when I saw you looking at me like I was in trouble.”

Don’t try to explain yourself. You often want to explain yourself when having conflicts with your family members, but you don’t have time. You’re being cut off and attacked again.     5     .The more you talk, the less your family members seem to understand and the further away you get from an agreement.

A．If you are looking for a new relationship

B．Don’t attempt to prove yourself in the face of your loved ones

C．The point of an argument isn’t to prove the others guilty or to win

D．Rather than going in circles about what you think and how you feel

E．Each accusation strikes deeper and deeper into your sense of justice

F．Don’t talk about what happened as though you’re simply stating the facts

G．Here are the do’s and don’ts when you are arguing with your family members

8 . 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

9 . 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.

2. What can be known about Shake Your Shyness: Intensive Weekend?

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.

3. How much would a teenager pay to learn to overcome shyness?

A．$1,150.

B．$435.

C．$95.

D．$75.

10 . 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.