1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use ONE word that best fits each blank.

Coping With the Sunday Scaries

A few years ago, I was in the kitchen of a friend’s house preparing a meal. When we all sat down to eat, my friend’s wife wolfed down her supper and then disappeared into another room to do some work. He smiled and said, “Sunday nights are the new Monday mornings around here.”

I was surprised at the time. Now, I find myself     1    (behave) in exactly the same manner. Every time I open up my calendar on Sunday evening, a subtle sense of dread comes over me. I feel as     2     I am behind before the week has even begun.

Apparently, my Sunday-night anxieties and Monday-morning blues are not unique to me alone. A new study led by Ilke Inceoglu from the University of Exeter found that this phenomenon often takes the form of mental concerns about the week ahead, as well as feelings of nervousness and difficulty with sleeping. “It’s as if your mind moves away from     3     has been experienced over the weekend as the general sense of relaxation or enjoyment, and quickly shifts towards whatever worries you have about everything you’ve got to do in the work week ahead,” said one of Inceoglu’s respondents.

Inceoglu found that these Sunday scaries were particularly pronounced     4     people who frequently checked their emails during the weekend, had tasks left over from the previous week, and had unreasonably high expectations of themselves. These matters seem     5    (make) worse as a result of the pandemic, where the rise of working from home     6    (blur) the boundaries between work and leisure.

What should we do about the “Sunday scaries”? Researchers have offered some useful suggestions that     7     help us make Monday less depressing. One is to change     8     you think about the weekend. One U.S. study found that when participants were asked to treat their weekend as a mini-vacation, they tended to do more cheerful activities and returned to work on Monday satisfied with their jobs.     9     second way is to redesign our Monday so that it has some of the features that make us feel good during the weekend. Introducing simple changes, such as starting the day with something you are good at, setting aside a little unstructured time where you are able to do what you want, or setting up a lunchtime date with     10     you find enjoyable to be around, could make all the difference.

2 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Dear Sally,

I recently became engaged, I love my fiancé a lot but we are getting into a lot of arguments     1     our Wedding plans. I would prefer a small wedding, just our immediate family and closest friends. I think it is such a special moment and I only want the people who are most important to be near us. I don’t want to be surrounded by people not really     2    (care) about us. He wants the whole world to be there--- the mail carrier, the baker, the butcher!!! My fiancé says a wedding day is     3    (important) day in anyone’s life. He wants to share his joy with everyone.

It’s not a question whether we can afford it although I     4     worry about how much a wedding costs and I would rather save the money for a house. I dislike fighting but I just don’t feel comfortable with his plans.

——Nervous

Dear Nervous,

Planning weddings     5     be very stressful. Each person has clear ideas about     6     his or her “perfect” wedding would be. Each person has dreams and hopes for that day. Now it is a good time to practice compromising (妥协) with your husband-to-be.     7     one of you should be unhappy on your wedding day. If you get your way, your husband will be unhappy. If he gets his way, it sounds     8     you will be unhappy.

Why don’t the two of you talk about     9     compromise? Perhaps a medium-sized wedding? Perhaps two weddings--- a small intimate ceremony and a large reception? You     10    (have) to compromise many times in your married life. You both can start now.

——Sally

3 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Crying is a natural response to emotions. Regardless of     1     causes the tears to flow, the physical reaction is usually the same with puffy cheeks and tight eyes     2     (lead) to streaming tears down one’s face. Despite its stigma (污名), crying can be an act     3     relieves tension and clears feelings of negativity and sadness. Crying can communicate our emotions to others and foster greater understanding and compassion. Ultimately, crying is a powerful tool we ought to use to free ourselves     4     negativity.

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

We’ve all heard that laughter is the     1     (good) medicine, and it’s true. Laughter makes you feel better and it’s also good     2     your relationships. Laughter brings people closer, and is a     3     (power) tool for making you relax when feelings are running high. Whether with your friends and family, or co-workers, you can learn to use humor     4     (solve) disagreements, lower everyone’s stress levels, and communicate in a way that deepens the relationships.

Humor plays     5     important role in all kinds of relationships. In new relationships, humor can be a useful tool not just for attracting the other person but also for getting over any awkwardness (尴尬)     6     (arise) when we get to know each other. In old relationships, humor can keep things more exciting and fresher.

Sharing the pleasure of humor     7     (create) a sense of closeness and connection between two people—    8     (quality) that are signs of strong and successful relationships. When you laugh with one another, you create a positive relationship between you,     9     acts as a strong buffer (缓冲剂) against stress, disagreements and disappointments in your relationship. And laughter is spreading—just hearing someone laugh often makes you smile     10     (happy) and join in the fun.

5 . 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。

Putting down the mobile phone, talking about negative feelings with friends or seeking professional advice are some of the methods to help tackle depression and     1     (anxious) during the COVID-19 outbreak, experts said.

    2     the virus continues to circulate and lockdowns trigger mental stress, experts have also called for greater investment in mental health services nationwide.

The World Health Organization said in March that the prevalence of depression around the world     3     (increase) by 25 percent in the first year of the pandemic.

Lu Lin, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of the Peking University Sixth Hospital, said at     4     conference this month that China is no exception to the     5     (globe) trend.

From March 2020 to March 2021, the prevalence of depression and insomnia(失眠)in China had risen and repeated COVID outbreaks, quarantine requirements and the high risk of exposure     6     the virus could all contribute to     7     (worsen) people’s mental condition, according to data shared by Lu during the event.

In an interview with People’s Daily, Lu said that some misinformation circulated online during the epidemic     8     (magnify) people’s sense of panic.

The public should pay closer attention to information released by authoritative outlets, he suggested. People should also reduce the amount of time     9    they spend in front of screens and instead chat with friends or family, listen to music or exercise to relax     10     (they).

6 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1 个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you”. Gratitude is a deeper appreciation for someone or something. Expressing gratitude makes us feel a positive emotion. Over the past thirty years, there    1     (be) many studies showing that writing a gratitude letter to another person offers us an opportunity    2     (escape) from negative emotions. Even if we don’t share our writing with anyone, the act of completing the exercise alone makes us happier and    3     (satisfied) with life. The more we express gratitude, the more positive we feel.

7 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Laughter can help us to feel more    1     (relax) and comfortable when we are feeling anxious or worried. Even if you    2     (study) for a long time and feeling sleepy and bored, laughing can make you feel energized as if you had just had a nap! There are so many    3     (benefit) of laughter that I hope you all try and find a way to add more fun and laughter to your daily life.

8 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct.
Hi, everyone.

Traditionally,     1     the year winds down, it’s a time for reflections—to give thanks, reconnect with loved ones, and cherish the more meaningful parts of life, removed from our usual day-to-day distractions.

Of course, the events of 2020 haven’t shown a lot of respect for our traditions. In a year of so much tragedy, it can be tough to give thanks when you’re doing your best to get by. And far too many of us will have to gather around a table with an empty chair, if we were able to gather together at all.

One thing, though, we can say about 2020 is that it forced us all to cherish what is most important, what’s most meaningful in our lives. To stop taking things for granted,     2     truly matters. To be grateful for what we have, and to be alive to the pain of those     3     (fortunate).

Throughout this challenging year, I’ve been moved, again and again, by the sacrifices so many were willing to make on behalf of others. The healthcare professionals who risked their lives to save ours. The workers who have kept our lights on and our shelves stocked, always essential to our economy, but finally     4     (recognize) for it. The protesters of every race and age who saw injustice in their streets and their institutions and demanded change. And the less heralded leaders, the quiet change-makers who saw need in their own communities and leapt to address it. They checked in on their neighbors, delivered food and PPE to seniors and those experiencing hardship, offered mental health support to those     5    (recover) from trauma.     6     holes this pandemic tore wide in our social fabric, these emerging leaders stepped forward to patch it up.

These are exactly the leaders Michelle and I started our Foundation to support. We always thought they     7     (lead) us into a bright future, if only we     8     empower them, connect them with each other, and give them a dose of inspiration when they needed it.

What we learned in 2020 is that these emerging leaders aren’t just building a brighter future, they’re safeguarding our present. In hard times, they are the ones who’ve given me solace. It’s     9     sacrifice in which I found hope. And as we begin to close the chapter on a difficult year with encouraging news on the horizon, it’s their leadership     10     will guide us today and tomorrow.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody.

—Quoted from Barack Obama’s Christmas speech in 2020

9 . 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。

One of the most common emotions we all feel while pursuing a goal is frustration. How do you deal     1     frustration? Before I get into that, let me make sure we are on the same page in terms of the definition.

Frustration is     2     (simple) a feeling of being stuck or overwhelmed. Either way, it’s a situation     3     makes us feel like we don’t have enough resources to move forward. What causes this feeling     4     (be) that things don’t work out as we planned. So how should we deal with frustration?

We deal with it by picking our battles. If the thing     5     (cause) you to feel frustrated is something you can’t change, you should focus on something else. Besides focusing on what you can change, you need to slow down and break everything into bit sized pieces. In other     6     (word), take the issue, figure out what’s the main reason it didn’t work out as you planned     7     focus on fixing the outcome by taking action on things you can control.

By taking these two simple steps, you can save     8     (you) a lot of energy on things you have no control over. When you pursue any goal, you will surely hit some road blocks. When this     9     (happen), it will be frustrating, but if you focus on solving the issue and getting past the setback, you will be one step     10     (close) to achieving your goal.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填人1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Dear Dad,

Growing up being the farmer’s daughter has been very interesting. It has made life challenging, fun and     1    (occasional) lonely. It has helped me grow as a person     2     have a whole new respect for all the farmers who most people just don’t pay attention to. It takes a special person to be a farmer, and even     3     (much) special people to be the farmer’s family.

I have always had a love for animals. Thank you     4     bringing me to the turkey and pig berms to see the cute little animals. Every time I see anything about pigs or turkeys I think about you,   just like when I     5     (buy) those plastic pig noses for you.

Every time I pass a field of corn, I think about how I grew up     6     (visit) you at fields just like that. I can even tell apart some of the     7     ( difference) crops. My farming vocabulary is pretty good    8    (compare) to a lot of other people. I also realize how important every little aspect of it is. The weather, bugs,a new type of seed or variety of plant - all of those play    9     part of a much bigger operation. I have a much bigger understanding of the world .

I’m proud to have a farmer dad. Although there were some     10     (struggle), I would never trade the way I grew up. You have worked so hard, and I appreciate everything you have done for me.

I Love you,Dad!