1 . As social creatures, research has histoncally pointed us away from time alone. But recently, more people are spending time away from the crowd, and even seem to desire it. In Solitude (独处) — The science and power of being alone, a book co-written by Heather Hansen, an award-winning journalist and author, with the researcher Thuy-vy Nguyen, they set out to understand how everyday solitude affects people’s lives.
In the largest study of its kind, thousands aged between 13 and 85 participated in online surveys. For some, think of the word “solitude”, and they will think of a determined hiker alone in the wilderness. Most people described experiences of solitude achieved while, for example, walking in a park or writing in a journal. Surprisingly, some described solitude as having a psychological distance from others, but not necessarily a physical one.
In several separate experiments, Nguyen found that when people spend 15 minutes alone, there is a “deactivation effect”, meaning “high excitement” emotions like anxiety are decreased, while positive “low excitement” feelings like calmness are increased, which wasn’t seen when people spent 15 minutes with another person. One caveat is that sometimes solitude also increases the negative low excitement feeling of loneliness. However, a further experiment showed that this increase could be weakened when individuals chose to think about positive thoughts or when they were given a choice whether to spend time alone.
The list doesn’t end there, though. Several studies link time alone and creativity, but only when people avoid social interactions because of what is known as a “non-fearful” preference for solitude. On the other hand, there is no such link in those whose fear or anxiety prevents them from interacting with others, or because of avoidance, where people disliked social interactions.
Now think about the next time you will be on your own. Will you enjoy or suffer it? As evidence increases for how time alone can be a positive force in shaping our lives, Hansen and her colleagues recommend planning for it-and protecting it.
1. What is the survey in paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．When solitude is needed. | B．What solitude looks like. |
| C．How solitude affects people’s lives. | D．How people make the best of solitude. |
| A．Trap. | B．Bonus. | C．Warning. | D．Prediction. |
| A．prefer to take risks | B．choose to be alone without fear |
| C．dislike social interactions | D．enjoy negative emotions |
| A．The Power of One | B．Profit of Socializing |
| C．The Urge to Live Alone | D．Battle Against Solitude |
2 . Recent studies have found that good things really do come to those who wait. Some, of these science-backed benefits are detailed below, along with three ways to develop more patience in your life.
Patient people are better friends and neighbors.
Patience helps us achieve our goals. The road to achievement is a long one, and those without patience may not be willing to walk it. Patient people make more effort and progress toward their goals.
Patience is linked to good health. Patient people are less likely to report health problems like headaches and pneumonia.
And how to develop patience? Reframe the situation. Patience is linked to self-control, and consciously trying to regulate our emotions can help us train our self-control muscles.
Practice mindfulness. Taking a deep breath and noticing your feelings of anger or overload can help your respond with more patience.
| A．Practice gratefulness |
| B．Patience is a form of kindness |
| C．Patience can be achieved through training |
| D．As virtues go, patience is a quiet one |
| E．Patient people enjoy better mental health |
| F．They are also more satisfied when they realize them |
| G．But impatient people have more health complaints and worse sleep |
3 . 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 |
4 . Learning how to care for a sad person will help you be there for your loved ones and friends when they are down. However, knowing how to care for a sad person is not something an individual is born with.
Give a hug. Hugging someone shows your affection and care.
Use the right tone of voice.
Listen patiently. People ask lots of questions but they end up paying little attention to getting the feedback (反馈) that they wanted. Don’t be that person. After asking the questions, listen patiently to know what the sad person would appreciate at that time.
| A．Say kind loving words. |
| B．Make use of polite expressions. |
| C．Then choose to appreciate others too. |
| D．Remember that words do not stand alone. |
| E．It will help you know how to offer the best fitting help. |
| F．This knowledge is gained through research and practice. |
| G．When you do this to someone, they can feel your warmth. |
Mrowwwwl! The cat meowed angrily as she clawed at Jennifer’s arm, drawing a thin line of blood. Just as quickly as she struck out with her claw, the agile (灵活的) orange and-white cat leaped back to her hiding space under Jennifer’s bed. From the Avec underneath the bed, two green eyes produced bright light, staring back out at Jennifer.
Jennifer was starting to feel discouraged in a major way. She was never one for giving up; but it had been sevetal days like this since she adopted the cat—Darla—from the animal shelter, struggling to win over the young cat’s affection through treats and soft and gentle whispers. It was during her summer break, so she had plenty of time to keep trying to win over the animal. But it wasn’t time that was the issue — it was Jennifer’s emotions that were quickly fading.
It had been two years since Jennifer’s beloved brown tabby (斑猫)-Marlin-passed away. She never could quite get over the shock and emptiness which remained in her heart here childlike joy once thrived. Marlin had been Jennifer’s faithful friend and loving companion rough all the pains and trials of growing up. After Marlin died, things were never quite the same again for Jennifer. It was the first real death to pierce Jennifer’s heart and signaled the end of her carefree childhood.
She desperately wanted Darla to love her the way Marlin had and for ee to love Darla just the same; but what was Jennifer supposed to do now? The cut on her arm was all she had to how for her effort. Jennifer sat on the floor, burying her face in her hands, and her body trembled as she softly began to cry.
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
After a few minutes, Jennifer noticed a strange feeling - fur.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Jennifer then reached out her hand toward the cat.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . Like many people, public speaking once filled me with fear As a writer, I felt much more
You might have
According to a striking new study, however, these concerns may be
| A．anxious | B．comfortable | C．cautious | D．hesitant |
| A．exam room | B．video call | C．stage center | D．teacher’s desk |
| A．burden | B．loneliness | C．conflict | D．anxiety |
| A．besides | B．instead | C．therefore | D．otherwise |
| A．voice | B．appearance | C．attitude | D．routine |
| A．paused | B．rejected | C．assessed | D．warned |
| A．knowledge | B．experience | C．process | D．confidence |
| A．astonishing | B．terrifying | C．pressing | D．confusing |
| A．noticed | B．refreshed | C．mentioned | D．supposed |
| A．permit | B．declare | C．hide | D．deserve |
| A．practical | B．inaccurate | C．unpredictable | D．unnecessary |
| A．appealing | B．annoying | C．frustrating | D．convincing |
| A．warmly | B．apparently | C．curiously | D．casually |
| A．remind | B．require | C．wander | D．maintain |
| A．attention | B．expectation | C．emotions | D．appreciation |
The Right Thing
My mother worked as a housekeeper and she was often given used toys as well as many other goodies by her clients. My elder sister and I always loved sharing the recycled books and board games brought home by my beloved mom, which we considered great gifts life presented us.
The long-awaited Christmas finally approached. One December day, an old model toy car arrived in the load of goods. It was as long as my forearm and took both hands to lift. My sister didn’t want it, so it was all mine. I immediately set down to wiping it clean and polishing it to a bright candy-apple red. It turned to be a thing of beauty, and I became overjoyed at possessing it. My elder sister was amazed at the newly-polished, refreshing toy car, with a hint of regret and envy in her eyes.
As was planned, our relatives from France came to visit us that Christmas. It was a time when the family bond got strengthened. I shared the prized toy car with Alex, my young French cousin. Eyes glued to it, he fell in love with the wonderful, shiny red automobile the instant he saw it. It was a rare moment to see him feeling so relieved and happy. He’d been unlucky so far in life, suffering severe, life-threatening illnesses as a child, leaving him mentally and physically stuck and the family starved of cash. Of course, such lovely toys like my dear model car were unreachable dreams for him.
Seeing Alex’s consuming thrill brought by the red car, I was seized by immense joy as well. But contrary to Alex’s excitement, a voice inside me constantly reminded, “Watch out! He’d keep it for himself.”, which got me faintly worried. I followed my cousin for fear of something.
My mother also noticed Alex’s fondness for the car. Approaching me, she asked gently in a low voice, “Would you like to give it to Alex?”
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。
Giving or keeping? I struggled with myself.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In the moment of parting, my model car went with Alex.
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8 . On the night of the speech contest, I was worried about the shy girl. My heart
My palms (手掌) began to
But the moment that
| A．beat | B．sank | C．lost | D．broke |
| A．sure enough | B．worse still | C．above all | D．in addition |
| A．crying | B．warning | C．clapping | D．screaming |
| A．sweat | B．tremble | C．change | D．turn |
| A．try | B．pose | C．guess | D．slip |
| A．thought | B．admitted | C．ignored | D．noticed |
| A．confused | B．interested | C．surprised | D．challenged |
| A．loud | B．weak | C．tight | D．low |
| A．support | B．attention | C．vote | D．silence |
| A．determined | B．puzzled | C．relaxed | D．bored |
| A．crowded | B．hurried | C．bounced | D．flowed |
| A．started | B．ended | C．progressed | D．rested |
| A．sincerely | B．easily | C．wildly | D．eagerly |
| A．misted | B．hid | C．prevented | D．shaded |
| A．pushed | B．threw | C．pulled | D．lifted |
9 . Your emotion helps you make sense of the world. At the core of an emotion is a subjective experience of the valence of it — what emotion scientists call “affect” (情感). Generally speaking, affect is what we are most focused on. Do you have chocolate cake in front of you? That’s good! Do you see a spider on the table! That’s bad!
Your affective reactions tell you which experiences are desirable, and which aren’t, but the total emotional experience includes all you do and think. You can learn a lot by observing and describing them. You can also learn a lot by appreciating their secret life.
The problem is: the affective features of emotions tend to dominate. Our subjective valence of emotion is almost all we can see. When emotions are only about what is pleasant or unpleasant in subjective experience right now, the more important features of emotion disappear.
If you can slow down and expand; if you stop running or clinging (沉浸其中) and adopt a sense of curiosity, emotions become more subtle and different. When fear comes up, don’t walk away so that fear dissipates. Instead, stay. Allow yourself to feel the nervousness, the sweating, and everything else that comes along with it. It is one of the hardest things to do in life, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. If you run, you are telling basic parts of your brain, “I guess this threat really was real. I better stay away from it.” You are training yourself to fear, regardless of that situation. If you cling, you are saying, “Escape from this emotion is a threat”, and since it is not a happy experience, happiness slips through your hands like sand.
Note that you can not fool yourself. Just allow the full emotion. You will never enter into their secret life until you stop running or clinging. To control your life, you need to actively train your emotions to be your ally (同盟). Observe. Describe. Appreciate. Do that and you may find you have allies for healthy living that were there all along.
1. Why does the author mention “chocolate cake” and “spider” in paragraph 1?| A．To explain the complex response of emotions. |
| B．To show the subjective experience of emotions. |
| C．To indicate the goodness and badness of the world. |
| D．To emphasize the significance of emotions in life. |
| A．The present feelings are less obvious. |
| B．The subjective emotions are less powerful. |
| C．The overall picture of emotions is easier to ignore. |
| D．The observation and description of emotions are easier. |
| A．Deepens. | B．Spreads. | C．Disappears. | D．Sticks. |
| A．The secret of emotions. | B．The subjective experience. |
| C．The importance of allies in life. | D．Magical functions of emotions. |
My parents grew up poor. But as a family, we were comfortable, though we didn’t have much what would be considered luxuries. One year, my father went on a trip to Italy and brought my mother an opal ring. It was her favorite stone, and she cherished that ring. It represented Dad’s love for her.
Dad died at the age of 53 in 1980 after a grueling battle with cancer. Mom was working at Burlington Coat Factory Department store. She usually wore the ring to work. Over the years, the ring became impossible for my Mom to wear because of her swollen knuckles (指关节). I had the ring fitted with a clasp so that Mom could wear it again. She took great pride in the frequent compliments as she got on that ring.
One day during her shift, the ring slipped off. She didn’t realize it until the following day. Mom was sad. The ring did not have a high monetary value, but it meant as much to her as life itself. I decided to go and look for it.
I encountered Chloe, one of my Mom’s co-workers at my Mom’s workplace. She led me to the store where Mom worked, and then left. It was packed with clothes, racks and tables. I started row by row crawling on the floor to see if I could find the ring underneath all the clothes. When I got to the last row and hadn’t found the ring, the thought occurred to me that it might have fallen into the pocket of a coat as my Mom was hanging or rearranging the clothes. I started feeling around in the pockets of some of the coats, but quickly abandoned. There were at least 20,000 pieces of clothing in that department. The attempt seemed useless.
注意：续写的词数应为150左右;
I stood by a small table in disappointment when Chloe came in.
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I called my Mom and now I was choking back tears.
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