1 . John is a barber, running a very successful business. He has a large group of regulars, some of whom enjoy a daily shave in his shop, while others just come for the occasional haircut. They keep coming because John loves to laugh, and 30 minutes spent in his shop is a medicine that cheers everyone up. His loud, booming laugh is a trademark around his town.

But John wasn’t always a barrel of laughs. In his teens and early adulthood, he suffered from depression. He often had a long face and found it hard to even smile. It was his neighbor, Mrs. Lee, who was a psychologist, that helped him out. She showed him funny videos or read light-hearted books for him, guided him to focus on things he was grateful for, rather than on things that had been bothering him. Following her advice, he forced himself to laugh as wild as possible, even if it felt fake (假的). To his surprise, after a while, he turned his life around, and real laughter came back into his life again.

Researchers say that we’re all born with the ability to laugh and that finding more ways to bring laughter into our lives does not have to be complicated. In fact, the best advice they offer is “Fake it till you make it.” If you focus on finding ways to laugh and enjoy life and try to smile and laugh even when not feeling like it, you can genuinely change your mood and laugh happily.

John also says we shouldn’t hold back our urge to laugh, even at silly things. Next time you see a funny advertisement on television, making you laugh inside, focus on letting out that laughter. Laughter can be contagious, so you may help others around you, too.

1. Why do John’s regular customers keep coming to his shop?

A．Because he is a successful barber.

B．Because they want to buy a medicine.

C．Because his laughing can lift their spirits.

D．Because he can offer them best shave and haircut.

2. Who helped John solve the problem of his teens and early adulthood?

A．Himself.

B．Researchers.

C．His neighbor.

D．His customers.

3. What can be inferred from the researchers in the passage?

A．It is difficult to find ways to laugh.

B．Laughter can be faked and finally become real.

C．The ability to laugh should be developed after birth.

D．We can watch funny videos or read light-hearted books.

4. The underlined word “contagious” in the last paragraph probably means ______.

A．spread

B．heard

C．free

D．available

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Navigating human emotions can sometimes feel like walking through minefields(布雷区), especially when these emotions are negative.

Envy is one of such emotions with certain negativity when it     1     (direct) at our loved ones. However, just like all other emotions, envy is human and normal and its morality depends on     2     we do with the way we feel. It only becomes negative when it is handled     3     a weapon or an excuse for bad behaviour.

Envy could cause serious damage to relationships if     4     (leave) to worsen, because people dislike to admit they feel that way towards someone they love, which tends to get worse and transforms into     5     (hate) when you silently think over it.

It’s impractical to completely prevent envy, but it is possible to refine the way we process it. Envy is not something to hide away. Being honest with ourselves about the way we feel     6     (help) us better understand what exactly were envious of and makes communicating with our partners     7     (easy).

We have all     8     (collective) got better at processing our emotions but there’s still a lot of work to be done. The goal is to get to a point     9     discussing envy becomes as casual as discussing excitement and can serve as     10     motivator in our life.

3 . Self-esteem is the ruling view you have of yourself. This includes your beliefs about your inner qualities and how you think others see you.     1     Someone can develop low self-esteem even when they are highly functional and greatly skilled. Understanding this mysterious emotional currency might be the key to unlocking your own self-worth.

People with healthy self-esteem don't need to boast about themselves to others. People with low self-esteem may tell you how much everyone loves them, what a great job they do at work, and how amazing they are at pretty everything under the sun even though they really wonder if it's true. People may see them as obnoxious or “full of themselves”.     2     They are not shy about sharing ideas, including constructive criticisms of others. They also take care of themselves without second-guessing or apologizing. They are the people who we say seem “sure of themselves”.

If you're starting to think you may have low self-esteem, you can work on the way you talk to yourself. When you turn off negative self-talk, you can open the floor to positive reinforcements and access the courage to show different sides of yourself. It isn't going to feel good at first, though. Keep going until it becomes less and less and maybe even a few awkward laughs in the mirror may help.     3    

However, in serious cases of low or even non-existent self-esteem, you may want to call in a professional or a specialist. Good mental health is important, and professionals doing psychotherapy do not pass judgement or give corrections.     4     It is the best way to get at the roots of your real self-esteem problems.

    5     It will take some work but your entire life — from your relationships to your body image to your work habits — will be touched with the kind of power that only comes from someone believing in themselves. This is the hardest part, and the greatest leap. With some changes and support, you can improve your self-esteem and see how everything else changes as a result.

A．Self-esteem is not always rooted in reality, though.

B．You have the power to shape a new self-perception.

C．This encourages you to speak openly without worry.

D．The real test of character is whether they can learn from their mistakes.

E．Self-esteem refers to a person's overall sense of his or her value or worth.

F．People with a healthy level of self-esteem present themselves with a casual confidence.

G．With some practice and persistence, you will win this internal struggle to see your self-worth.

4 . 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。

Wide awake, I sat up in bed before dawn. I'd had another dream about Jennifer, my middle child. She's 38 now. Usually in my dreams she's still a little shy girl.

Jennifer had been five years old and her older sister seven, when the twins were born. Everything changed. The boys demanded much of my time and energy, so I hardly had any left for their older sisters. Sweet, quiet Jennifer, sandwiched between the others, required almost nothing from me. Eventually Jennifer had her own children and lived about an hour and a half away. But it seemed as though she were worlds away.

I often dreamed about her. In this one she was a grown woman and mixed in with a crowd. I waved hard, “Jennifer! I'm over here!” But she didn't notice me.

I longed to hear my daughter's voice and called, “Hey, I had a dream about you.” Then Jennifer surprised me. “I dreamed about you too. But it was terrible. I won't even tell you.”

“But I am eager to hear.”

Her words came out without thinking, “We were walking through a vegetable garden. A farmer shouted that I'd stepped on one of his tomatoes and asked for 43 cents. I didn't have any money and turned to you. You said no. I begged. I woke up in tears.”

The pain in her voice almost cut my breath off. “There were so many things I should have done for you. I overlooked you. You seemed so competent and independent. I forgot you were just a child.”

There was silence on her end of the line. The communication seemed broken again. I called an old friend and told her about Jennifer's dream and our awkward attempt to connect. “Your relationship probably broke down over a lot of little things,” she said.

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。

I realized what I should do to mend our relationship.

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The next day, my daughter called me excitedly.

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