1 . How to Feel at Peace

Is feeling truly peaceful a pipe dream? Nope! With a little work, you can feel calm, cool, and collected (just like you deserve to).    1     These work based on personal preference, so just find one that works for you!

Release what you cannot control.

This is the most important part of feeling at peace and the first place you should always start. 90% of the time, when we’re worried about something or stressed out, the source of our anxiety is really something that we have no control over.    2    If you can’t affect the outcome then there is no point in worrying about something.

Get an inspiration from nature.

Go sit out in an area nearby. Listen to the trees. Watch the animals. Do they seem worried about what their brother did last Christmas? Do the trees seem to notice when it starts to rain?    3    

Create goals.

Having a goal that you can work for can really help when you’re feeling lost and aimless in life.    4    Find something that you want for yourself and then figure out what you have to do to pursue it. You’ll find an inner peace when you’re working with all your soul devoted to a single goal.

    5    

When other people make us angry, it is usually because we cannot understand why they’re doing something that’s making us angry. Instead of blowing up at someone or stressing yourself out, try to see things from their side of the table. Think about why they did what they did... and remember that we’re all people with our own problems and our own dreams.

A．Forgive yourself.

B．Find the humanity in all people.

C．All you can do in life is to try your best and let fate take its course.

D．Happiness is on the horizon, and we’re here to show you what to do.

E．No. Nature adapts and embraces every twist and turn in life and you should too.

F．Really, what’s the point in life if you don’t have something to work towards, right?

G．A huge source of worry in our lives comes from when we beat ourselves up from inside.

2 . How do you express gratitude in your everyday life? For me, it sometimes feels worrying: hand-writing hundreds of thank you cards after an anniversary, or making sure to eat every last bite on my plate so my grandma wouldn’t think I was ungrateful for the meal.

    1    Here are some tips about how to be better at showing gratitude.

Start a gratitude journal or write a letter. Make it a habit to put down the things that you’re thankful for.     2     There’s also some evidence that it could lower your risk of heart disease and symptoms of depression for some people. Think of someone in your life who you have not had the chance to thank. Think of a specific instance when they helped you. Then, it’s a good idea to send them a letter.     3    

    4     Look around in your immediate space, and take notice of everything that makes up your environment: the sky, the cool wind, the warmth of your sweater. The act of simply noticing and naming things is a great way to stretch your gratitude muscle as well as obtain some clarity on the strength of all the unique connections in your life.

Bear in mind the difference between saying “thanks to” and “thanks for”. Being grateful “for” something can be a little unclear or general.     5     It encourages specificity and reminds you of your connection with and responsibility to that person or thing.

A．Stretch your gratitude muscle.

B．Notice the world surrounding you.

C．Better still, deliver it in person and read it to them.

D．A habitual gratitude journal will certainly benefit us.

E．But experts say it doesn’t have to be that complicated.

F．In fact, this habit reduces materialism and enhances generosity.

G．Being grateful “to” something or someone implies a direct relationship.

3 . 假如你是学生会主席李华，最近青少年学生心理健康引起了公众关注，请围绕这一主题，写一份倡议书，内容包括：
1. 简述现状；
2. 表示理解；
3. 发出倡议。
注意：
1. 词数80字左右，可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
2. 开头已给出，不计入总字数。请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear fellow students,

I’m Li Hua, president of the Students’ Union.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Students’ Union

November 17^th , 2023

4 . Math is a necessary skill that people use throughout their lives. Unfortunately, many children and adults feel stressed and anxious when they have to do math. They may be experiencing what is called “math anxiety”. Because of this, many people believe that they are bad at math and don’t like math.

A recent research has shown that some children as young as 6 years old may feel anxious about math. A team of researchers asked 154 children in grades 1 and 2 questions like “How do you feel when taking a big test in your math class?” The children expressed how nervous they felt by pointing to a position on a scale (刻度), where there were different faces from a very nervous face on the left to a calm face on the right. After answering these questions, the children took a math test. These researchers found that almost half of the children who participated in the study said that they were at least somewhat nervous about doing math. Also, children with higher math anxiety got worse scores on the math test.

Scientists have also found that math anxiety develops in children who experience certain kinds of social situations that influence their thoughts or feelings. This means that the child’s emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by things that other people say or do. For example, teachers with high math anxiety were more likely to have students with poorer math achievements at the end of the school year.

Good news is that researchers have found tools to help people with math anxiety. These tools are called interventions (干预). For example, researchers did an intervention where they asked children with math anxiety to write about their math-related worries. Then they found that children’s math test scores improved. Therefore, it is advised to talk to classmates and teachers about math anxiety. This is the first step toward helping to reduce the possibly harmful effects of math anxiety.

1. What does the underlined word “this” refer to in Paragraph 1?

A．Math ability.	B．Stressful life.
C．Math anxiety.	D．Painful memory.

2. How did the researchers measure kids’ anxiety?

A．By making a math project.

B．By recording math scores.

C．By asking kids questions.

D．By showing teaching problems.

3. What can be learned from Paragraph 3?

A．Anxiety determines math ability.

B．One’s math anxiety can affect others.

C．Students are born with math anxiety.

D．Children should avoid social situations.

4. What is suggested for students with math anxiety?

A．Talking about it.	B．Working harder.
C．Using math tools.	D．Attending lectures.

5 . Like many writers, I’m a supreme expert at procrastination (拖延症). When I ought to be working on an assignment, with the clock ticking towards my deadline, I’ll sit there watching pointless interviews or cat videos on YouTube.

According to traditional thinking — I, along with my fellow procrastinators, have a time management problem. By this view, I haven’t fully appreciated how long my assignment is going to take and I’m not paying enough attention to how much time I’m currently wasting on videos. With better scheduling, I will stop procrastinating and get on with my work.

Increasingly, however, psychologists are realizing this is wrong. Experts in the UK have proposed that procrastination is an issue with managing our emotions, not our time. The task we’re putting off is making us feel bad — perhaps it’s boring, too difficult or we’re worried about failing — and to make ourselves feel better in the moment, we start doing something else, like watching videos.

One investigation to inspire the emotional view of procrastination was published by researchers at Case Western Reserve University. They first prompted people to feel bad (by asking them to read sad stories) and showed that this increased their tendency to procrastinate by doing puzzles or playing video games instead of preparing for the test they knew was coming. Subsequent studies by the another team also showed low mood only increases procrastination if enjoyable activities are available as a distraction.

This fresh perspective on procrastination is beginning to open up exciting new approaches to reducing the habit. An approach, which is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, seems especially suitable. It argues that prioritizing choices and actions that help you get closer to get things done can keep you away from the unpleasant feelings. So the next time you’re going to procrastinate, make your focus as simple as “What’s the next action?”. Focusing on this one-step question takes your mind off your feelings and onto easily achievable action. “Our research and lived experience show very clearly that once we get started, we’re typically able to keep going. Getting started is everything.”

1. Which is true according to the traditional view of procrastinators?

A．They are usually irresponsible people.

B．They have difficulty in concentrating.

C．They enjoy watching videos while writing.

D．They can get work done with better schedules.

2. What can we know from paragraph 4?

A．Procrastination boosts your moods.

B．Procrastinators prefer puzzles to sad stories.

C．Test-takers can not escape bad emotions.

D．Negative emotions promote procrastination.

3. Why focusing on one simple question is suggested?

A．It shortens the process.	B．It inspires the wildest imagination.
C．It may relieve unpleasant feelings.	D．It can fix time management problem.

4. Which is the most suitable title of the text?

A．Prioritize Your To-do List	B．New Studies on Work Performance
C．Quit Watching Cat Videos	D．Tremendous Damage of Procrastination

6 . 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。

As the bell was about to ring, our teacher announced a special assignment for next Monday: to share our gratitude for someone instead of giving a daily report. Hearing this, anxiety crawled over my body as the last thing I would do was speaking in front of the entire class! I couldn’t help complaining to my best friend Jenny.

“You are the chief violinist in our school orchestra, aren’t you?” she said. “So what’s the point of being afraid of speaking to a few our own classmates since you can handle acting in front of a large audience?”

Her point made sense, but being in a performance meant being part of a team. I shook my head. Besides, there were so many people I was grateful to, and choosing just one seemed difficult. Even if I could pick someone, I wouldn’t know how to say thank you. And even if I figured out what to say, I was sure I’d stumble(结巴地说) on my words when speaking aloud! Standing there, with everyone’s eyes on me, I would feel the spot light was wholly on me, and there would be no place for me to hide! “Oh no!” I covered my face with my hands and said, “I can’t do it, just can’t!” Real friends, the ones who know you well, don’t just do exactly what you ask. Jenny, always supportive and helpful, wrote something on a piece of paper and gently removed my hands from my face. She had drawn a cute cat with the word “CALM” written below it.

“Nice meeting you; I am the ‘everything will be fine’ cat,” Jenny laughed and sounded exactly like a cat. Pretending to listen to the cat, she asked, “Well, kitty, you think my friend should come to my house tomorrow, so we can prepare our speeches together I laughed out loud and relaxed a lot. I have to say Jenny was there for me, always!”

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。

The next day, I went to Jenny’s house.       

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Before the speech, however, I changed my mind and wrote “Jenny” on the blackboard.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a large clock. When I was a child, the old clock_________me very much. I was surprised at how the clock would chime (敲) three times, six times or more, with a wonderful clear_________. I often paid attention to it instead of the foods when I had_________. And always the clock stood like an old family friend,_________the family. I found the clock comforting and familiar. Year after year, the clock became a part of my memories.

It was even more_________to me when my grandfather carefully wound up (上发条) that clock with a special_________each day. The key was_________to me. It kept the clock_________. It kept the clock chiming. How did it do that? I watched as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and_________the door in the old clock and used the key to wind it up. He never let that clock wind down and__________. When I got a little older, he taught me how to open the door, __________let me wind up the clock myself. I remember the__________time I did, I felt so excited…

After my grandfather__________, every time I saw the clock, I couldn’t help crying. Never could I see him again. The__________ on the clock were frozen. It stopped. I took the key with my__________hand and opened the door. All of a __________, I was a child again, watching my grandfather. He was there, smiling at me. I stood there,__________in the memories. Then slowly and__________, I wound up the clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock…The dining room and the house seemed to be filled with__________. In the image of the clock, my grandfather also__________again.

1.

A．disappointed

B．encouraged

C．interested

D．confused

2.

A．picture

B．sound

C．noise

D．time

3.

A．meals

B．homework

C．dreams

D．trouble

4.

A．beating

B．testing

C．heating

D．watching

5.

A．wonderful

B．strange

C．different

D．fearful

6.

A．pen

B．ring

C．clock

D．key

7.

A．small

B．colorful

C．beautiful

D．magic

8.

A．running

B．standing

C．speaking

D．laughing

9.

A．painted

B．opened

C．locked

D．repaired

10.

A．go

B．play

C．stop

D．leave

11.

A．and

B．but

C．or

D．so

12.

A．first

B．last

C．next

D．second

13.

A．gave in

B．passed away

C．turned over

D．took off

14.

A．face

B．door

C．hands

D．eyes

15.

A．wet

B．broken

C．dirty

D．shaking

16.

A．while

B．sudden

C．way

D．step

17.

A．closed

B．lost

C．waited

D．turned

18.

A．quickly

B．wrongly

C．carefully

D．angrily

19.

A．joy

B．excitement

C．fun

D．life

20.

A．cried

B．walked

C．lived

D．listened

8 . Worry is a natural emotion. Whether it’s health, a job, or a relationship, everyone has something that stresses them out and keeps them awake at night.    1    Here are some tips that can help you worry less and live more.

Keep your mind busy with activities you enjoy.

Maybe it’s playing an instrument, cooking, writing, or going for a walk in nature.    2     They connect you with something deeper than yourself so that your minds tend not to wander toward worry or anxiety.

    3    

Worrying is often a result of taking something out of context and blowing it up in your mind to be more than it actually is. So take a moment to objectively analyze the situation, look at the facts and weigh them against how things could turn out. Your worries and anxieties are only as powerful as you give them permission to be.

Learn how to manage your time more effectively.

One of the best ways to get rid of worries is to learn how to manage your time better.     4     Start by saying no. It’s necessary when you have too many commitments. You also need to prioritize what matters most.

    5    The good news is that worry is just a mental habit that can be overcome. You have the power within to create a happier life for yourself and live in a state of peace, joy, and gratitude.

A．Focus on the Present Moment.

B．Judge things in a reasonable way,

C．These activities are meaningful and fulfilling.

D．It can take over your life and hold you back from truly living.

E．This will help you make more time for yourself and reduce stress.

F．You can challenge your worries and anxieties by taking them apart.

G．Worrying does not rid tomorrow of its troubles but rids today of its strengths.

9 . On the morning of September 11th, my closest friend, Kevin Bowser, died in the World Trade Center. The sorrow was so awful, but I was determined to channel it into something with_________.

The next summer, I set off on a two-month bicycle tour to Philadelphia to _________ him. The whole nation was in deep sorrow and, as I travelled and _________ new people, we would inevitably (不可避免地) hug. I didn’t notice the _________ they brought at the time, but when I returned, a friend said that I often spoke about the hugs I shared with _________. The bike ride and the _________ I made enriched me, so I planned a second. I call it “Big Dave’s hug” .

Between 2002 and 2015, I _________ the stretches of North America three times. My Big Dave’s hug banner (横幅) introduced me and my _________. Some people were _________ about hugging me when they didn’t know the first thing about me. But when they saw my intention was__________ and I wasn’t asking for anything, they __________. Young people would reveal their childhood secrets and affairs, while elders always had great stories to __________. Every city would warn me that the next was less __________, but they never were.

It generated enormous joy. It was not just a hug, but also __________ and moments. People ask why I’m doing it and I say it __________ me, makes me smile and provides perspective.

1.

A．regret

B．purpose

C．reputation

D．profit

2.

A．amuse

B．check

C．honour

D．trick

3.

A．hired

B．met

C．avoided

D．treated

4.

A．pride

B．emptiness

C．sorrow

D．comfort

5.

A．strangers

B．volunteers

C．victims

D．consultants

6.

A．connections

B．schedules

C．donations

D．promises

7.

A．charted

B．studied

C．cycled

D．secured

8.

A．destination

B．achievement

C．mission

D．background

9.

A．particular

B．curious

C．positive

D．hesitant

10.

A．sincere

B．unclear

C．strange

D．awful

11.

A．got away

B．opened up

C．gave in

D．looked out

12.

A．share

B．type

C．edit

D．collect

13.

A．known

B．ambitious

C．civilized

D．friendly

14.

A．conversations

B．challenges

C．tensions

D．tolerances

15.

A．beautifies

B．publicizes

C．enriches

D．shelters

10 . How to practise emotional awareness?

What is emotional awareness? Emotional awareness is being able to identify and make sense of not only our own emotions but those of others. It’s absolutely essential in understanding our behaviors and changing our way of dealing with the problems. With emotional awareness, we can understand how this influences our behaviors.    1    

Of course, describing exactly how we feel can often prove difficult.    2    It’s not always easy to put a finger on exactly what’s wrong, without digging a little deeper. This is often because on some level we don’t want to know how we really feel.

    3     Unhealthy thoughts, behaviors and coping mechanisms that are hidden from our view. Perhaps you lash out(猛击)or withdraw when you feel overwhelmed or go into a flood of criticism and self-doubt when you receive negative feedback.

Mindfulness is the process of bringing our attention to the present moment and becoming more aware of our thoughts. It’s a state of calm, non-judgmental reflection.    4     We can quiet the mental chatter that often accompanies difficult emotions and instead sit with the physical sensation of the emotion in our body. Doing this regularly allows us to be more aware of the source of our emotions and enables us to carry out strategies to manage them more effectively.

Self-reflection develops emotional awareness and is key to understanding why you feel the way you do. Activities such as journaling can be really beneficial in learning about your thought processes.    5    It can be difficult to feel heard by others if we don’t have the language to describe how we’re feeling.

A．And in turn, change the way we respond to challenging situations.

B．Without emotional awareness, we may develop emotional blind spots.

C．It’s the very reason we turn to general phrases like “I’m not myself today”.

D．Sometimes what we really struggle with is putting our emotions into words.

E．There are many ways to be mindful, from practising breathwork to sitting in silence.

F．And for many of us, that means understanding how we feel and why can be incredibly difficult.

G．Research shows that being aware of your emotions is hugely beneficial to social and emotional functioning.