1 . Living a joyful life does not mean denying painful emotions. Instead, it means cultivating a mindset(心态) that prefers an optimistic view of the world. At the same time, it means developing healthy ways to deal with difficult emotions. Here are five reasons why joy is a powerful life choice.
Joy Improves Physical Health. In recent years, science continues to prove the link between emotional well being and physical health. According to a study in BMC Cancer, researchers found that happiness and optimism may protect against breast cancer.
Joyful People are More Productive.
Joy Boosts Creativity. Perhaps the typical miserable image of artists has led some to feel that misery may inspire art, yet this is not the recipe for creativity.
Joy Creates More Joy!
| A．Joy strengthens relationships. |
| B．Joy determines the quality of life. |
| C．The same goes for heart disease. |
| D．You have probably heard the phrase “misery loves company.” |
| E．Making joy a priority can pay off when it comes to your career. |
| F．Clinic practices show that cancer patients can be cured. |
| G．If you really want to inspire your creative side, you should inspire joy. |
2 . Anger is often regarded as a “negative” emotion we should be ashamed of. But what are we so afraid of? Every emotion can teach us something about ourselves, how we’re really feeling, and whether there’s something wrong that we need to address.
Start with curiosity. Imagine an iceberg; 90% of it is under the water, out of sight.
Look into your anger. Anger is one word that covers so many feelings. To really understand various emotions, it is worth searching online for a “wheel of emotions” diagram, which reveals a full range of feelings. Use this as inspiration to write down the words that matches your current state. Bitter? Frustrated? Aggressive?
Explore further. Take a piece of paper and write “I am angry because…” and then fill in the blank space. Every time you finish a sentence, add “because” and continue to write. Re-read what you’ve written down and start a new section with “I will change this anger to action by…”. Every time you finish a sentence, add “then” until you’ve run out of stream!
Scream, shout and let it out! Anger that remains unacknowledged can lead to unproductive interactions.
| A．Get a clear description of your anger. |
| B．But you have the power to change that. |
| C．This exercise will provide you with an action plan. |
| D．Therefore, anger empowers us every now and then. |
| E．This can be a great indication of exploring emotions. |
| F．So rather than shying away from our anger, it’s time we accepted it. |
| G．Keep writing until you feel you have everything out of your mind. |
3 . I am a big laugher. I’ve been told that even in a room of a thousand people, you can always hear me laughing over the crowd. For me, laughter is the ultimate form of embodied joy. And by “embodied”, I mean that my whole body is involved when I laugh. On the inside, it’s like a bubbling fountain of joy spilling out all over the place.
But what is joy, anyway?
Life can be terrible, but if you decide to follow the sound of the joy-fountain, you will find joy showing up in all kinds of places: pets playfully bouncing around, kindness, or even in nothingness.
How can joy be found? A friend moved into a new apartment and needed some help, so I helped him. Afterwards, he was obviously so much happier and at ease. I noticed that playing even a small part in his happiness brought me great joy, and I took a moment to let this feeling of embodied joy in. We can practice letting joy in by noticing how it feels to smile. Where does your body light up when you smile? When I smile, it makes me want to take a deep breath, and I notice my shoulders and belly relaxing. When I embody caring and loving, it feels great!
Sadly, many of us are unaware of joy, or suspicious of it. Maybe you are afraid to open up to joy, or maybe you are so unfamiliar with what joy feels like that you ignore or resist it when it comes knocking. No one, other than you, owns your happiness, but you might unknowingly block feelings or experiences that help you embody joy. The fact is that when you can’t embody joy, you miss out on one of life’s essential vitamins.
Want more joy? Don’t be afraid to look silly. Silliness helps us take things less personally. It helps us see the world the way a kid does. When we can find more joy in the smalls of everyday life, we can embody happiness, rather than just pursuing it.
1. How is the topic of joy introduced at the beginning of the passage?| A．By highlighting a joyful experience. |
| B．By stressing the importance of laughing |
| C．By sharing the author’s understanding of joy. |
| D．By presenting an ultimate form of satisfaction. |
| A．Taking a deep breath. | B．Smiling to your friends. |
| C．Reflecting on nothingness. | D．Doing small acts of kindness. |
| A．That many of us refuse it on purpose. |
| B．That many of us are insensitive to joy. |
| C．That many of us lack life’s essential vitamins. |
| D．That many of us are likely to take joy for granted. |
| A．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| B．Happy people are happy in childhood. |
| C．Worry does not seek, but man seeks it. |
| D．Love of joy is belief; the creation of joy is life. |
4 . Last Friday, Emma, my 11-year-old, decided to thank our local mailman Doug, for the service he provides for us.
Usually, a letter from her is likely to
Saturday, Doug
To our amazement, these letters are so deeply human, filled with family
With dozens of
| A．enjoy | B．provide | C．include | D．admire |
| A．gave | B．left | C．work | D．pick |
| A．delivering | B．reading | C．protecting | D．receiving |
| A．honest | B．polite | C．important | D．familiar |
| A．returned | B．handed | C．accepted | D．mailed |
| A．came out | B．got off | C．slowed down | D．showed up |
| A．flowers | B．toys | C．notes | D．stamps |
| A．arrived | B．traveled | C．disappeared | D．went |
| A．photos | B．hobbies | C．books | D．jokes |
| A．kindness | B．humor | C．justice | D．duty |
| A．hardly | B．slightly | C．mildly | D．really |
| A．inform | B．convince | C．remind | D．warn |
| A．collections | B．workplaces | C．colleges | D．friends |
| A．strange | B．familiar | C．new | D．close |
| A．nature | B．connection | C．life | D．contribution |
5 . Charlotte (the spider) and Wilbur (the pig) were alone.Wilbur lay resting after the excitement of the ceremony. His medal still hung from his neck.
“Charlotte,”said Wilbur,“why are you so quiet?”
“I like to sit still,”she said.“I’ve always been rather quiet...”
“Yes,but you seem different today.Do you feel all right?”
“A little tired,perhaps. But I feel peaceful. Your success in the ring competition this morning was, to a small extent, my success. Your future is assured. You’ll live, secure and safe, Wilbur. Nothing can harm you now. These autumn days will shorten and grow cold. The leaves will shake loose from the trees and fall. Christmas will come, and then the snow of winter. You’ll live to enjoy the beauty of the frozen world, for you mean a lot to Zuckerman (the owner) and he’ll not harm or kill you, ever. Winter will pass, the days will lengthen and the ice will melt. The sparrows will return and sing and the frogs will awake. All these sights and sounds will be yours to enjoy, Wilbur - this lovely world,these precious days...”
Charlotte stopped and a tear came to Wilbur’s eye. He then said.“Charlotte,when I first met you, I thought you were cruel!”
When he recovered from his emotion,he spoke again.
“Why did you do all this for me?”he asked. “I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.”
“You are my friend. That in itself is a big thing.” replied Charlotte. “I made my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while and we die. A spider’s life can’t simply trap and eat flies. By helping you, I was trying to lift up my life a little.“Well,”said Wilbur.“I’m not good at making speeches. I haven’t got your gift for words. But you’ve saved me, Charlotte, and I’d gladly give my life for you-I really would.”
1. How did Charlotte feel towards Wilbur’s performance in the competition?| A．Proud. | B．Unsatisfied. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Excited. |
| A．Charlotte was anxious about Wilbur’s future |
| B．the sparrows and frogs could protect Wilbur from harm |
| C．Charlotte was eager to go out and play with other animals |
| D．Wilbur would make it to the next year to enjoy the beautiful world |
| A．It helped Charlotte to trap more flies. |
| B．It deepened Charlotte’s love for Wilbur. |
| C．It enabled Charlotte to make more webs. |
| D．It made Charlotte’s life more meaningful. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Grateful. |
| C．Thrilled. | D．Confused. |
6 . At a time when we are all experiencing an extraordinary level of stress, science offers a simple and effective way to bolster our own emotional health. To help yourself, start by helping others.
Our bodies and minds benefit in a variety of ways when we help others. Some research has focused on the “helper’s high”. Studies show that volunteering, donating money, or even just thinking about donating money can release feel-good brain chemicals and activate the part of the brain stimulated by the pleasure of food. Studies of volunteers show that do-gooders had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol on days they did volunteer work.
In fact, the act of giving advice has been shown to be more beneficial than receiving it. In a series of studies of 2,274 people, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Chicago found that after middle school students mentored younger students about studying, they ended up spending more time on their own homework. Overweight people who counselled others on weight loss were more motivated to lose weight themselves.
Feeling responsible for other people also can help us cope with whatever challenges life brings. Emily A. Greenfield, an associate professor of social work at Rutgers University, studied a concept called ”felt obligation“, which is measured by asking people questions such as how obligated they would feel to give money to a friend in need, even if it meant putting themselves in a bind. Dr Greenfield analysed data collected from 849 participants in an ongoing study of health and well-being that asked about felt obligation as well as health-related declines they experienced over time, such as problems carrying groceries or walking a block.
As it turned out, the people who had higher levels of felt obligation—meaning they were the type of people to sacrifice for others—coped better with their own life challenges.
She noted that caring for others helps us to regulate our own emotions and gain a sense of control. “When we remind a friend that social distancing measures are temporary, and this too shall pass, we are also, in effect, reminding ourselves and serving to regulate our own emotions,” she said.
1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?| A．Donating money can release brain chemicals making people feel good. |
| B．Giving advice is more beneficial than giving money. |
| C．Overweight people helping others on weight loss are discouraged from losing weight. |
| D．People having higher levels of felt obligation are less likely to help others. |
| A．improve | B．maintain |
| C．ruin | D．blow |
| A．Better handling life difficulties. |
| B．Having lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. |
| C．Expressing emotions more accurately. |
| D．Achieving a sense of control. |
| A．The Challenge for Volunteering | B．A Beneficial Attempt |
| C．The Rapid Growth of Volunteer Work | D．The Science of Helping Out |
7 . Life can be wonderful, but realistically, it isn’t always so, no matter how hard you try.
Resilience is the ability to adapt to adversity (逆境) in a positive way. Resilient people are those who can become strengthened by difficult situations.
Another great thing about resilience is that it is not determined by genetics or personality.
To maximize your resilience, you need to know which factors influence it, both personal and environmental. That way, you can work on each factor and learn how to adapt to adversity in a positive way.
Next, it’s important to be able to see the good side of the situation. In other words, be optimistic — just don’t forget to be realistic. You shouldn’t focus on the negative things and forget about the positive,
Lastly, having a sense of humor can help to improve your resilience greatly. Being able to laugh at yourself or the situation is a worthwhile tool that helps you adapt to different obstacles.
| A．but nobody is born knowing how to adapt |
| B．Some good things will happen purely by chance |
| C．First of all, you have to accept what has happened |
| D．Firstly, you should keep all external factors in mind |
| E．But it’s more than just “seeing the good side of things” |
| F．That is, you’re not born with a limited capacity for resilience |
| G．but you also shouldn’t elevate the positive to an impossible level |
8 . Two managers in the same organization were coming into conflict when having disagreements in their work. After thinking about a particularly troubling issue throughout the night, the first manager wrote a letter to the other one, outlining his thoughts as reasonably as possible. He gave it to the other person and asked him to read it later and suggested that after working through their anger, they discuss it again.
The following day the first manager stopped by the office of the other and asked how it would go. The second one admitted that he was very upset at first, but after thinking it over he realized that most of their disagreements were for a lack of understanding. He stated that he felt if they could discuss it without losing their tempers, they could work things out. That is exactly what they did later and got the issue settled with flying colors (成功地).
American president Abraham Lincoln was known for writing two letters when he needed to communicate with someone else who had made him angry. He first wrote a letter that severely conveyed just what he thought. Then he tore up that letter and wrote a second one that was appropriate and reasonable, and sent the letter out.
Effective communication is the key to any relationship. When we allow ourselves to become emotional and react immediately to what we feel without thinking, emotions overwhelm (压倒) the situation and prevent true communication. Step back, think evaluate what happened or what was said, and ask to clarify questions if it is needed. Then, you can respond appropriately.
Don’t let overwhelming emotion control your life. Instead, choose to think and process internally whatever comes your way before externally responding. That is when you can communicate with others effectively and you will be able to keep good relationships with them.
1. What did the first manager do in his letter?| A．He expressed his general ideas reasonably. |
| B．He explained why the issue was troubling. |
| C．He apologized to the second manager sincerely. |
| D．He invited the second manager to discuss the issue. |
| A．Any great man can get angry. |
| B．Making plan B is necessary in work. |
| C．Writing letters was very popular in the past. |
| D．We should deal with matters after calming down. |
| A．A bad first impression. | B．Ineffective communication. |
| C．The high chance of failure. | D．The breakdown of a relationship. |
| A．Learn to answer questions indirectly. | B．Avoid anger to keep good relationships. |
| C．Never be overwhelmed by your emotions. | D．Think reasonably before making a decision. |
Our wedding anniversary(纪念日)had arrived and like every other day of the year, I was very busy. My husband, Roy. sent me a beautifully wrapped present before the day and he even made a reservation at an expensive restaurant. After a hard day at work, I hurried home, ran into the house and jumped into the shower. When my sweetheart returned, I was already dressed in my finest clothes.
Just at the very moment the babysitter(保姆)arrived and we were ready to go. We were on the point of walking out of the house when the smallest member in our family came over to us with an unhappy look.
“Daddy, didn’t you mean to take me to buy Mamma a present?” Becky, my eight-year-old daughter said.
Roy looked at his watch and realized that if we were to make our reservation, we had to leave right away.
“Sorry, I was late getting home, honey,” he said.
“That’s OK,” Becky replied. “I understand.”
The entire evening was bittersweet. I couldn’t help being concerned about the disappointment in Becky’s eyes. I remembered how the joyful look had left her face, just before the door closed behind us. She wanted me to know how much she loved me. She didn’t realize it, but I already knew it very well.
Today, I can’t remember what was wrapped in that beautiful box, but I’ll never forget the special gift which I received when we arrived back home. Becky was asleep on the bed, holding a box. When I kissed her face, she awoke. “I’ve got something for you, Mamma,” she said, as a giant smile covered her tiny face. The little box was wrapped in newspaper. As I tore the paper off and opened the box, I found the sweetest gift that I have ever received.
注意：
1. 续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
After Roy and I left for our date, Becky got busy.
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My wonderful gift is still kept in a special place in my bedroom today, some thirteen years later.
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10 . As a little kid I always asked to be held up in the air. So I could
My love of washing clothes only
What I learned from my professors were not just the
| A．sit | B．look | C．fall | D．come |
| A．lines | B．groups | C．pairs | D．circles |
| A．sewed | B．sorted | C．washed | D．made |
| A．developed | B．awoke | C．changed | D．recorded |
| A．care for | B．watch for | C．pay for | D．seek for |
| A．formed | B．deepened | C．faded | D．returned |
| A．teens | B．adulthood | C．babyhood | D．honeymoon |
| A．differently | B．directly | C．regularly | D．patiently |
| A．schedule | B．bend | C．deadline | D．budget |
| A．exact | B．belief | C．frank | D．fair |
| A．all in all | B．after all | C．above all | D．first of all |
| A．how-tos | B．what-ifs | C．follow-ups | D．break-ups |
| A．exchange | B．express | C．explain | D．expect |
| A．foods | B．rooms | C．clothes | D．cars |
| A．calmer | B．longer | C．brighter | D．slower |
