1 . Bad thoughts can trouble you for days, weeks, or months. While you should always seek help if you constantly suffer from bad thoughts, you can work through them on your own in many cases.
Think about what makes the thought “bad”. Why are you upset about it?
Literally “throw your problem away”. This may sound strange and unusual, but people who write down their bad thoughts and throw the paper away have a better self-image than people who keep the paper. By doing this, you can tell your body that it is time to move on.
A.What is making it stick in your head? |
B.How can you solve it as quickly as possible? |
C.Remember that occasional bad thoughts are normal. |
D.Talk through your bad thoughts with someone you trust. |
E.Even if a situation isn’t ideal or is difficult, you can still be okay. |
F.Also, someone with similar anxieties may offer you valuable advice. |
G.Just emptying your computer’s trash bin (垃圾箱) has the same effect. |
2 . Self-criticism (自我批评) is a mental habit of negatively analyzing and judging ourselves and our actions. If we don’t find a way to overcome self-criticism, we won’t be able to live a happy and satisfying life.
Stop Negative Thoughts
Thought stopping is one of the best secrets of how to overcome self-criticism. Interrupting your thoughts helps you change how you think about yourself, thus helping you feel better.
Another strategy is to replace negative self-critical thoughts with positive realistic statements. For instance, if you set a goal, be realistic about it by giving yourself enough time to achieve it. In fact, having a constant desire to achieve immediate success can ruin your confidence.
Avoid Perfectionism
Another secret is to let go of the need to be perfect. It’s all right to set high standards for yourself.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
A.Be realistic |
B.Focus on strengths |
C.It’s normal to feel like that everyone has a better life than you |
D.Remember it’s from your mistakes that you get to improve yourself |
E.If you’ve been stuck in negative thoughts, here’s what you need to do |
F.It’s important to note that changing your negative thought patterns can take time |
G.However, falling short of your goals and expectations can make you feel worthless |
1. 感谢帮助;
2. 学习收获;
3. 期待保持联系。
注意:写作词数应为80左右。
Dear Mr Smith,
I’m writing to express
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely yours,
Li Hua
4 . How to Practice Gratitude (感激) in Your Daily Life
Gratitude is a positive emotion. Learning how to practice it is an effort to remind yourself of the good in life and to show an internal appreciation for yourself and others.
Create a gratitude list. The intense stress of life can get you so caught up that we may fail to recognize the positive events or interactions we encounter on a daily basis.
Make a gratitude jar (罐). Make the jar fun and personable by decorating it and placing it where you can always see it. Every day, write down what you’re grateful for on a slip of paper and put it in the jar.
In conclusion, engaging in daily gratitude exercises can make a great difference. Showing gratitude helps you connect with positive emotions, focus on acknowledging the good, and shift your focus to positive aspects of life.
A.Share your gratitude with others |
B.Seek out opportunities to help others |
C.There are several gratitude activities and exercises |
D.As you fill it, it serves as a good reminder of good times |
E.It is better to keep track of whatever happens in your life |
F.You’ll also harvest the greatest rewards when it becomes a habit |
G.Writing down the positive moments helps put life into a better perspective |
5 . My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass — I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的,粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small treehouse, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before my father’s death.
This house is special — maybe only to me — but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists: the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.
1. Why did the author’s mother decide to move?A.Because she hated the countryside. |
B.Because Grandpa was on constant move. |
C.Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind. |
D.Because she thought a city flat more fit for them. |
A.The treehouse. | B.The green grass. | C.The big trees. | D.The cold floors. |
A.By arguing whether the house was standard. |
B.By explaining why the house suited their needs. |
C.By describing the small things related to her house. |
D.By comparing the differences between country and city life. |
6 . When you begin to face your fears, you unlock limitless opportunities to live your best life. By conquering your fears, you can finally break free. At first, you may find it difficult to face them. The following steps will help you face them effectively.
● Identify your fears. To face your fears, you must first identify them. Identifying the related factors will help you overcome them. Take a moment to identify the specific sources of your fears. Ask yourself: What are you actually afraid of?
● Understand the root cause clearly. After identifying what your fears are, it’s time to explore what causes them. Spend some time exploring the nature of your fears.
●
● Take action.
A.Accept it as a universal emotion. |
B.Establish clear and achievable goals. |
C.And thus you can have a brighter future. |
D.Handle the least fearful aspect of your fear. |
E.Analyze the experiences that lead to these fears. |
F.Spend a few moments thinking about your answers. |
G.Fighting fear bravely can speed up your personal growth. |
7 . Staying in on a Friday might feel like a good idea—you could really use the “alone time” after a busy week—until you get on Instagram. You see your friends eating at that new restaurant you have been wanting to try, and then you start watching another friend’s story before they set out on an exciting road trip.
Suddenly, that alone time you chose doesn’t feel so good anymore. You feel like it’s boring to stay at home—you may even question the purpose of your very existence. Don’t worry, that anxiety is common—and not that new. You are experiencing FOMO, or the fear of missing out.
We are always comparing ourselves to people around us, but sometimes that self-comparison can lead to some pretty bad feelings. “FOMO” is about having thoughts on missing out on opportunities which might increase our happiness,” says Dr. Aarti Gupta. “Humans are social beings and depend on each other to survive, and being left out or not being in the know could have, once upon a time, been a matter of life or death.”
If you find yourself comparing yourself to others in a way that doesn’t feel productive, Gupta recommends practicing an abundance mindset: “This means remembering that there are plenty of opportunities to go around for everyone, and just because someone else found success doesn’t mean that you won’t.” So next time you see someone else win, try congratulating them instead of feeling unhappy.
So the next Friday night you decide to stay in, keep in mind that we are always missing out on something. Choosing one activity or path simply means you’ll miss out on others.
“I think the irony of all of it is that it’s called FOMO, the fear of missing out. But actually, what it is doing is that it’s making you miss out on today and that comfortable bed that you are in right now, or the job that you’re in right now or the relationship that you are in right now because you are so worried about what else is out there,” says Gupta. You can fight FOMO simply by being more fully present and invested in the life you have today.
1. What would make you experience FOMO when staying at home?A.Having dinner alone. | B.Having nothing to do. |
C.Hearing friends’ bad news. | D.Seeing friends’ colorful life. |
A.The effect of FOMO. | B.How to avoid FOMO. |
C.The reason for FOMO. | D.How to deal with FOMO. |
A.Being more creative. | B.Being less competitive. |
C.Being less self-doubting. | D.Being more self-dependent. |
A.Making more new friends. | B.Living in the here and now. |
C.Following your own feelings. | D.Taking part in more activities. |
8 . High school life, especially in the senior year, is a rollercoaster of emotions filled with challenges and pressures. The constant demand for academic excellence, combined with the expections of college applications, and managing extracurricular (课外的) activities can lead even the best students to feel the weight of stress. However, it’s not only possible but essential to find moments of joy and strategies to reduce the pressure efficiently.
Understanding the nature of stress is the primary step. Stress isn’t just a state of mental unrest; it’s a physiological response.
Interestingly, not all stress is harmful. We often overlook the distinction of different stress. Acute (急性的) stress, in contrast to the chronic (长期的), can act as a force.
However, long exposure to stress leads to chronic stress. This kind of stress, if left unchecked, can cause various health issues ranging from mental health problems like anxiety and depression to physical ailments like high blood pressure and even heart diseases.
To reduce the effects of stress, mindfulness and meditation have proven effective. Even on a busy day, sparing just a few moments to focus on one’s breathing or practicing guided meditation can significantly reduce stress levels.
Pursuing hobbies or activities that one is passionate about can also be a good way. Whether it’s painting, reading, playing a musical instrument, or engaging in sports, these activities not only divert the mind but also release endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters.
Another aspect is communication.
So, with the weight of expectations, deadlines, and too many responsibilities, remember to prioritize mental well-being.
A.When channeled correctly, stress can be our friend. |
B.This response is a swift, automatic sequence designed for survival. |
C.Prioritizing self-care isn’t a luxury (奢侈品); it’s a necessity. |
D.Every challenge, it approached with a positive mindset, can be an opportunity for growth. |
E.Seeding external help or just talking to a friend can be incredibly therapeutic. |
F.They attach us to the present, clearing the mental disorder and lifting the spirit. |
G.These parts often provide processes adjusted to individual needs. |
1. Who is the speaker aimed at?
A.Those who feel depressed. |
B.Those who need some rest. |
C.Those who are music lovers. |
A.Talk to Tessa. | B.Play some music. | C.Hang out with friends. |
A.She's a hostess. | B.She's a musician. | C.She's a psychology teacher. |
10 . For some it is the sound of a bouncing basketball. For others the clearing of a throat. For Dr. Jane Gregory the list includes pigeons, ticking clocks and the sound of popcorn being eaten. “I cried on the plane the other day because I couldn’t figure out the volume on my new headphones and so I couldn’t block out the sound of a guy sniffing,” she says. Gregory is among those who experience misophonia, a phenomenon in which particular sounds can prove unbearable, triggering(引起)emotions from anxiety and panic to shame and anger. Now in her book, Sounds Like Misophonia, the academic is on a mission to explore what’s behind it, and to help those affected cope.
Gregory, a clinical psychologist at the University of Oxford, suggests misophonia is far from being a simple sensitivity to sound. It can be fed by a complex interplay of factors, including a lower ability to filter out certain noises, the association of negative meanings with particular sounds, and the burden of feelings associated with an emotional response to them.
Yet, the phenomenon was largely unknown until the 2010s. In one study, researchers asked people with high and low traits of misophonia to listen out for a “trigger” sound in the presence of a masking sound. Both groups detected the trigger just as easily. “The person with misophonia had a more intense reaction, but only after they identified what the sound was,” adds Gregory. Those results, she says, suggest that people with misophonia are not inherently better at detecting particular sounds, such as a sniff or a rustle—rather they might be listening out for them more, or not be as good as others at tuning them out. This is a trait, Gregory speculates, that might have offered our ancestors an evolutionary advantage, such as helping them to detect hiding predators. Another implication of the research, Gregory says, is that it is not just the auditory features of the sounds that cause negative reactions but the meaning attached to them. An example would be a reaction to the jingling of a dog’s collar after being frightened by an aggressive dog.
Gregory hopes her book will support those too often told to ignore sounds. She says: “The emotional reaction is much more complex than just being annoyed... They feel trapped and helpless when they encounter these sounds. If you think it’s nothing, then you’re not experiencing what this person is experiencing.”
1. Misophonia is a phenomenon where ________.A.people fail to recognize particular sounds | B.specific sounds cause negative emotions |
C.different feelings are mixed up together | D.people lose control of their emotions |
A.Trigger sounds of similar origins. | B.Disability to ignore certain sounds. |
C.Understanding of particular sounds. | D.Inborn ability to tell certain sounds. |
A.To detect certain sounds is a solution to misophonia. |
B.People with misophonia are well understood by others. |
C.People can benefit from misophonia in some situations. |
D.Objects related to sounds may trigger negative reactions. |