Come Back to Me
I’d always wanted a dog. But the answer was always no. Then when I was eight years old, my aunt came back from her daily run with a saved puppy.
After weeks of unsuccessfully looking for the owner and begging to keep him, we finally made “Pepper”, a black-and-tan Beagle mix, a member of my family. And, like many children with a new thing, l became obsessed (着迷). Learning everything about a dog was at the center of my world.
Pepper was there for me as I grew up. When I felt sad, he cheered me up and gave me unconditional love. His tail uncurled (伸直) and recurled with every movement of the tail and made me smile. His welcoming “tippy-tap dance” let me forget all the sadness. The way he cocked his head when I talked to him made me feel as if he understood every word. He’d perform tricks to win a treat or two...or four.
Then, when Pepper was sixteen, I got the call that I’d hoped would never come. I was unhappily married, living hours away, barely making ends meet, and trying to balance (平衡) life with a newborn son. The phone rang with unexpected news that it was time to say goodbye to Pepper. I anxiously tried to save enough money so that I could drive home and see him one last time. But I couldn’t.
The realization that I wasn’t going to be able to say goodbye tore my heart apart. I imagined my Pepper wondering why I was not there for him when he had been there for me for so many years. Within days, he was gone. For years, I didn’t pardon myself. Every time I remembered it, the tears returned as if the wound in my heart was fresh. That old saying, “Time heals all wounds,” was a terrible lie. How could I heal? I didn’t get to say goodbye. The only thing I could do was cry, telling his picture, “I’m so sorry,” and “I love you so much.”
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。
When my son was eight years old, another dog, Preston, came into our lives.
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It was as if Pepper had come back to me again.
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1.对Mark给予的无私帮助，而使自己在竞赛中获奖表达感谢；
2.具体的帮助，如选材上，语言表达上及遇到困难时……
3.感谢和展望。
注意：1. 词数不少于100词；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mr Mark,
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Yours,
Lihua
3 . 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.
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.
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.
| 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. |
4 . Why We Hate the Feeling of Failure and How It Affects Us
Loss aversion is the idea that a potential loss has greater weight in a person's mind than the possible gain. People seek to avoid failure and the negative feelings they expect will come from such a loss.
More recently, social scientists have turned their at tent on to how loss aversion can hinder people from performing in their daily lives.
Sports and athletic performance was one of the first areas of focus. A study in May 2023 looked at how adult athletes were hindered by a fear of failure. It found that athletes who feared failure tended to approach an athletic event and appraise(评估) it for potential losses.
Losses weren't just related to the final numbers on the scoreboard. Rather, some athletes approached a practice or a game and saw it as a potential to perform poorly and lose standing with their coach, teammates or fellow athletes.
Not surprisingly, procrastination was shown to decrease academic performance.
While our fear of loss may impact our mindset and whether or not we pursue something new, if we let that fear take hold, then we’ve already lost. There for, don’t let fear of failure keep you from trying something new.
| A．Researchers have examined how fear of failure can lead to-procrastination. |
| B．The loss was seen as humiliating and something the athlete feared or wanted to avoid. |
| C．Research has found this fear of failure drives people to stop pursuing their passions. |
| D．However, the study found that it wasn't due to students prioritizing their social life or Netflix queue. |
| E．Doubt has killed their dreams than failure ever will |
| F．Loss a version has long been used to study consumer psychology. |
| A．She has a new laptop. |
| B．She won some money. |
| C．She was accepted by a university. |
As the weekend comes to an end, many of us are missing out on Sunday Funday and anxious about the upcoming week. Experts have nicknamed this worry the “Sunday scaries”.
Here’s how you can ease your end-of-weekend anxiety.
When structuring your Sunday, try not to arrange too many errands and chores. If you’re feeling more stress, it’s important to make space for some activities to relax yourself. And there’s no right way to do so — maybe a midafternoon shower or bath, maybe an engaging movie or show.
Anxiety is a normal human experience, and one of the main ways to manage it is to identify your personal triggers.
Getting rid of the Sunday scaries isn’t just about minimizing the gloom of the week ahead, either. Having something to look forward to gives you something pleasing to think about, rather than only focusing on the anxiety you feel.
Make Sunday nights about doing something for yourself to reduce your anxiety about Monday. Plan some favorite foods to enjoy or go all in for some self-care.
| A．It’s a form of shifting your thoughts. |
| B．This is an opportunity to give yourself a refreshing time. |
| C．Try to figure out what’s really causing you to fear the week. |
| D．It doesn’t mean you have to shift your thoughts to something fun. |
| E．But even though the Sunday scaries are common, they are manageable. |
| F．It can be whatever feels like a helpful distraction to relieve from the stress. |
| G．Instead of sitting on the sofa and watching the clock, do something that you enjoy. |
7 . 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.
Of course, describing exactly how we feel can often prove difficult.
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.
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.
| 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. |
8 . Happiness is subjective and can take on different meanings for various individuals.
Creativity is a crucial aspect for many artists worldwide as they seek to express themselves through different forms of art,
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.
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 |
9 . Emotions are inherent (固有的) in the human experience and play a significant role in children's lives. Emotional resilience is a critical component of success, helping children navigate life's inevitable ups and downs.
Step 1: Build an emotional toolkit
Children aren't born knowing how to manage and express difficult feelings, such as anger or hurt. They need to learn about various emotions and what behaviors are acceptable.
Step 2:
Helping children connect with their emotional lives includes all emotions, not just pleasant ones. For instance, well-intentioned adults may say, “Don't be angry” or“There is nothing to be sad about”, but this may shut down the exploration of those feelings rather than addressing them. When this avoidance is repeated, it interferes with the understanding and mastery of difficult emotions.
Step 3: Help children regulate and co-regulate
Children often need parents to help them navigate intense emotions.
Co-regulation does not mean parents should always rush in to“fix” children's discomfort,particularly if they don't want help. Children also need space to work through struggles on their own to build emotional competence.
| A．It is a potential superpower |
| B．Accept and validate all emotions |
| C．Children learn by observing adults |
| D．Be a good parent by always being there |
| E．Building an emotional toolkit is no easy task |
| F．Finding preferred coping skills is a personal process |
| G．They rely on adults' more mature nervous systems to find stability |
10 . Tips for you to overcome comparison
Identify your triggers (诱因) and avoid them. To stop comparing yourself to others, pay attention to the people or events that cause your behavior. Do you feel discontent with your life after looking at luxury goods?
Keep a gratitude journal. To start journaling, reflect on the little things that bring you joy and write down why you’re grateful for them. Keeping a gratitude journal can increase your chances of overcoming comparison, but you may forget about it if you have a busy schedule.
Work on improving your abilities. Instead of focusing on your “weaknesses”, reflect on the areas you can improve.
Appreciate others instead of envying them.
| A．Write down your positive qualities. |
| B．Do you set goals to achieve your dream? |
| C．Consider the advantage that others can bring you. |
| D．Recognize everyone’s circumstances are entirely unique. |
| E．Take classes or workshops to develop your skills and techniques. |
| F．Is there someone who constantly makes you feel bad about yourself? |
| G．Set a reminder to write at least once a week so you can actively express appreciation. |
