1 . Walter Benjamin, the German philosopher, once noted that boredom was the “dream bird that hatches the egg of experience”. However, the creative flights of fancy which often arise from having little to do are being killed off by social media, researchers argued. Viewing mindlessly through attention-grabbing posts and videos prevents “profound (深层的) boredom” that can drive people on to new passions or skills. Instead, people find themselves in a state of “superficial boredom”, which does not motivate creative thought.
Dr Timothy Hill, leader of the research team at the University of Bath, said, “The problem we observed was that social media can ease superficial boredom. But that also consumes time and energy, and may prevent people progressing to a state of profound boredom, where they might discover new passions. Profound boredom may sound like a negative concept but, in fact, it can be intensely positive if people are given the chance for undisturbed thinking and development.
Researchers interviewed 15 people during the pandemic (流行病), when boredom was more likely because of restrictions. Many described being trapped in regularly daily walks and watching television, with many turning to social media to pass the time. But although the participants said that social media provided a temporary escape from superficial boredom, it also appeared to exacerbate it, leaving them feeling they had wasted their time.
The pandemic was a painful and consuming experience for thousands of less fortunate people. But there are stories of those in lockdown who found new hobbies, careers or directions in life. Switching off devices could help people reach the state of boredom which pushes them on to new hobbies or achievements.
This research has given us a window to understand how the “always-on”, 24/7 culture and devices that promise an abundance of information and entertainment may be fixing our superficial boredom but are actually preventing us from finding more meaningful things.
1. Why are Walter Benjamin’s words mentioned?| A．To call for attention to the research on boredom. |
| B．To comment on the strategies to face loneliness. |
| C．To offer advice on developing creative thinking. |
| D．To clarify the problem caused by social media. |
| A．Profound boredom is of value. |
| B．Social media can fuel passions. |
| C．The research has some limitations. |
| D．Creative thought is easily disturbed. |
| A．Avoid. | B．Break. |
| C．Inspire. | D．Worsen. |
| A．Why people enjoy boredom |
| B．How boredom helps kill time |
| C．Why being bored may be good for you |
| D．How social media blocks creative ideas |
I like staying overnight at my Gramma’s house — that is, until Gramma starts telling me how wonderful my cousin Maya is. Then it’s Maya this and Maya that until I don’t ever want to hear another word about her.
That’s why I wasn’t too excited when Gramma called me on the phone to “come on over and bring your pajamas.” When I got there, it was worse than I’d expected. There, in Grandpa’s big leather rocker, sat Maya, all dressed up and formal-looking and wearing fancy shoes as if she’d just been to a party.
“Surprise, Kristen!” Gramma said. “Your cousin Maya and her parents have traveled in from the East Coast on business. Maya gets to stay with us this afternoon.” Gramma chattered away about how excited she’d been for this surprise get-together, and how cousins ought to get to know each other better.
I hung my baseball cap in the closet and set my backpack by the stairway, all the time smiling and nodding as if I’d been waiting forever for this chance to spend an afternoon with Maya. Grandpa’s chair squawked (咯咯叫) as Maya rocked back and forth. It’s the chair I like best in the house, the one I usually sit in. I sat down on the sofa across from her.
Shortly, Gramma went off to the kitchen to “see about some lunch,” she’d said. That left me stuck in the living room with rocking Maya.
She was still small but taller than I’d remembered her from her last visit four years ago. She was good at small talk, though, and was chatting away about how nice it was to see me again. But I could tell that she didn’t really think so. The last time she was here, we’d had hours of fun together building caves out of Gramma’s sofa pillows.
After that, I’d heard about her only through Gramma’s tales. Maya taking piano lessons. Maya learning math. Maya, Maya, Maya. Now Maya was here, looking great with the latest haircut and a fancy dress.
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。
Glancing down at my jeans and my old sneakers, I wished I hadn’t come.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“How do you know all these things about me?” I asked.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . As both a parent and a college professor, I have witnessed the destructive effects of test anxiety. Students with it can say quickly the material and explain complex content in a relaxed environment but fail in an exam. When it matters the most, students with test anxiety can convey the least.
Some students turn to drugs. With any medicine, there is a concern for safety, particularly when it is with the brain, the body’s most complicated and important organ. A new study suggests there may be a choice to these drugs for students: an open-label placebo (安慰剂).
Placebos have long been known to effectively reduce symptoms for different illnesses. Traditionally, service of a placebo treatment requires some tricks, in that people believe they are receiving an active, effective treatment, but in reality, they are taking a sugar pill or an activity that has no medical help. An open-label placebo is different: people are told from the start that they are receiving a placebo that contains no medication. And yet Schaefer’s findings indicate that people may still benefit from it.
Why did the placebo work? At this point, scientists are not entirely sure. Human mental processes can be changed by environment. Taking the pills each day may have encouraged participants to think about test anxiety and may have also provided a sense that they were doing something to deal with it.
Finally, although participants taking the placebos did show improvement on a number of self-report measures, they had no benefit over the control group with respect to scores on their final exams. They may have felt better about taking their exams, but those feelings did not change into improved test scores.
Despite these limits, the present findings are appealing and suggest a low-cost, low-risk way for reducing an all-too common problem among students.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．Test anxiety prevents some students perform normally in exams. |
| B．Test anxiety can improve some students’ performance after exams. |
| C．A relaxed atmosphere helps students bring out their best in exams. |
| D．Some students’ performance in exams is connected with environment. |
| A．Because people feel it necessary psychologically. |
| B．Because people’s psychological feelings are at work. |
| C．Because placebos are made from sugar and taste sweet. |
| D．Because placebos are an open choice for the people taking it. |
| A．Taking placebos can reduce test anxiety. |
| B．Taking placebos can improve test scores. |
| C．Taking placebos is not as effective as taking drugs. |
| D．Taking placebos can increase sense of achievement. |
| A．Drug, a public concern for brain safety. |
| B．Test anxiety, a destructive factor in exams. |
| C．Open-label placebo, a free choice for students. |
| D．Placebo, a likely way to deal with test anxiety. |
4 . If you have been diagnosed with panic disorder, then you have likely experienced constant fear and anxiety. Research has shown that using relaxation techniques can help reduce nervousness.
Some common techniques include breathing exercises or yoga.
Similar to daydreaming, visualization is accomplished through the use of your imagination. There are reasons why visualization can help you cope with panic disorder or panic attacks.
Before visualization, make sure your environment is set up for your comfort. To better relax, get rid of any distractions (干扰), such as phones, pets or TV.
| A．Take your time and slowly open your eyes. |
| B．Then you may begin your visualization exercise. |
| C．If the scene doesn’t fit you, try your own visualization. |
| D．They are relatively easy to learn and can be practiced daily. |
| E．Consider how your thoughts wander when you feel panic or anxiety. |
| F．Try to find a quiet place where you will most likely be undisturbed. |
| G．To get better at visualization, try practicing at least several times a day. |
5 . 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.
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”.
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.
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.
| 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. |
