1 . Have you ever felt nervous or afraid to take time off from work to look after your mental health?

Marisa Kabas, a writer and political strategist, recently posed a similar question on Twitter (推特网), inspired by Simone Biles, who stopped taking part in Olympic events this week to protect her mental health.

“It was so shocking to so many people,” Ms. Kabas said on Wednesday in an interview. “Because the whole mentality (心态， 思维方式) is to be strong, and push through the pain.”

If you’re unlikely to use sick days for mental health reasons or are scared of being punished for doing so, I experts say it’s time to start thinking about how to protect your mental well-being. You should take a “sad day”.

There’s no official definition for a “sad day,” also known as a mental health day. Typically, it is paid time off drawn from sick days(or personal days) to help employees who aren’t feeling like their usual selves, offering an opportunity to refresh their minds, do something meaningful; or simply take a break from daily stressors. The “sad day” is only a temporary (暂时的) fix, and not meant to address deeper problems, but sometimes a little time away can make a big difference.

In most situations, just say that you need to take a sick day, and leave it at that, the experts advised. “I think the safe advice is not to be honest and frank,” said Andrew Kuller, a clinical psychologist. Not everybody values mental health, he added, and “unless you’re close with your boss, it is a risk. But say you work at the type of organization where you can tell the truth without fear of being punished. In that case, you still don’t need to reveal why you want to take a sick day.”

Whatever you do, don t spend the mental health day feeling guilty. So instead of thinking, “I should be at work right now, try to reframe your thinking in a more positive way. For example, try saying: “It would be great; if I could be at work right now. But today is a day that I need to take care of myself, so that’s what I’m going to do.”

1. Why were so many people shocked in the eyes of Ms. Kabas?

A．Simone Biles posed questions on Twitter.

B．Simone Biles was interviewed by Ms. Kabas.

C．Simone Biles inspired sports fans greatly in the Olympics.

D．Simone Biles pulled out of Olympic events due to mental health.

2. What can we know about a “sad day”?

A．It is only short-term relief.

B．It has an official definition.

C．It is of no value in reducing stress.

D．It is a perfect solution to big problems.

3. What are you advised to do in Paragraph 6?

A．Face punishment bravely.

B．Try your best to please your boss.

C．Ask for a sick day without much explanation.

D．Tell your boss about the importance of mental health.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Don’t be too serious about a “sad day”

B．When work weighs you down, take a “sad day”

C．Don’t be afraid to talk about your mental health

D．When you feel burnt out, tell your manager openly

2 . My adult son walked to the table this morning for breakfast. As he did he opened his _________ to me. I did the same and gave him a big _________ just like I do every morning. And this time a beautiful _________ came back to me.

My Italian grandma had been a big hugger when I was a boy, but my mom had _________ in a more reserved (保守的) family and didn’t hug me often as I grew into my teenage years. My dad seemed to _________ the gender roles of the day back then and didn’t hug me much as I got older. By the time I was a teenager then, _________ grandma, I didn’t hug anyone.

When I was sixteen, I went on a trip with a group of boys to _________ a college. We visited a _________ on our way, where we were _________ by the largest monk (和尚) I had ever seen. He gave each of us a HUGE HUG. My own __________ came at last. Though I felt a bit __________, I stepped in and hugged him back. I sensed a __________ in my heart as he shared his loving kindness. It was amazing. Later that day I began to wonder why I had __________ giving and receiving hugs when they brought so much joy. When my own children were born, I __________ never to stop hugging them and telling them I __________ them, no matter how big they grew or how old they got.

1.

A．lips

B．arms

C．ears

D．eyes

2.

A．smile

B．kiss

C．hug

D．surprise

3.

A．memory

B．impression

C．sight

D．opportunity

4.

A．stood out

B．got along

C．settled down

D．grown up

5.

A．follow

B．challenge

C．acquire

D．understand

6.

A．along with

B．because of

C．except for

D．instead of

7.

A．establish

B．tour

C．occupy

D．promote

8.

A．museum

B．school

C．hospital

D．temple

9.

A．relieved

B．greeted

C．awarded

D．tricked

10.

A．turn

B．decision

C．concern

D．stage

11.

A．proud

B．unlucky

C．scared

D．faithful

12.

A．wisdom

B．shame

C．justice

D．warmth

13.

A．practiced

B．enjoyed

C．stopped

D．remembered

14.

A．determined

B．regretted

C．hesitated

D．applied

15.

A．needed

B．loved

C．believed

D．supported

3 . Most of us spend a lot of time inside our own mind—worrying about the future and focusing on the parts of life that leave us dissatisfied. Although they are common, negative or unwanted thoughts can prevent you from enjoying experiences, distract you from focusing on what’s important, and drain your energy.     1     The good news is that with practice, you can replace negative thinking patterns with helpful thoughts. Try these four ways to manage your negative thoughts:

    2     Our minds may convince us of something that isn’t really true. These misleading thoughts intensify negative thinking. If you can recognize them, you can learn to challenge them.

Take a break from negative thoughts. It is possible to learn how to separate from negative thoughts.     3     Then take a break from focusing on them and move on with your day.

Release judgment. We all judge ourselves and others, usually unconsciously. Constantly doing those leads to dissatisfaction. Be able to let go of judgment, and you will feel more relieved. Some ways to decrease judgmental thoughts include recognizing your own reaction, observing it, and then letting it go. Another helpful technique is to “positive judge.”     4    

Focus on your strengths.     5     If you find yourself trapped with negativity, take a moment to smile and think about something you like about yourself.

A．They can also make you feel anxious and depressed.

B．The more you can focus on your strengths, the easier it will be to feel positive about yourself.

C．Recognize inaccurate thoughts.

D．Always give others positive comments.

E．When noticing you are negatively judging a person or yourself, observe positive qualities, too.

F．One way to do this is to allow yourself a certain amount of time with the thoughts.

G．Taking a break from negative thoughts is a little difficult.

4 . Anger may seem unappealing, but this emotion is a necessary part of your well-being. As with joy and sadness, expressing anger over a broken promise, a lost opportunity, or other inconvenience is healthy. However, if anger is frequently expressed, it will be harmful. Learning to deal with this emotion then becomes important.     1    .

Try positive exercises.

When you feel the unmistakable signs of your anger building up, try to focus on positive practices like deep breathing to calm yourself down.     2    . Repeating this exercise until your anger is under control can help to prevent an outburst and the negative outcomes that accompany it.

    3    .

Just as you open up to loved ones over the pain of heartbreak or the joy of a promotion, calling loved ones when you’re about to lose control of your anger is a healthy way of dealing with the emotion. Your friends and family can act as a support group, calming you until the worst is over.

Keep a mood journal.

A recommended way to deal with anger and recognize how frequently you embrace this emotion is keeping a journal to track your emotions.     4    , you can understand your feelings better. Then you can easily find a proper way to control your anger.

See a therapist (治疗师).

    5    , seeking professional guidance is always a welcome way to get things under control. A licensed mental health professional can help you recognize and control the negative thoughts that may lead to an angry outburst.

A．Turn to your loved ones for help

B．Share something good with your loved ones

C．However, you can try some practices to express your anger

D．So let’s take a look at some ways to help you manage your anger

E．If you feel that your anger is too strong to be contained through self-help

F．Supporting your breathing with comforting words can help to control your anger better

G．If you note the causes that push you to outbursts and the thoughts that run through your mind

5 . Coursework, quizzes, and activities can all get you, a high school student, too stressful sometimes.     1     If you’re worried about your exams, try and turn a negative into a positive and follow these steps:

i. Find out why you’re worried about your results.

Think you’re not prepared? Don’t know how you’re going to learn everything in time? Or do you just get nervous in test conditions?     2     It’s important to figure out what exactly is making you have negative thoughts; you can start doing something about it.

ii. See the improvements to ease your worries.

Are you already doing hours of revision and are still worried? Maybe you’re not seeing the results of your revision.     3     Make a list of all the topics you need to revise and tick them off when you’ve learnt them, turning that “I know nothing” feeling into an “I am ready” feeling.

iii.     4    

While it’s great to realise that all people are having a hard time with revision, it’s important you don’t get used to thinking negatively about your results. Positive thinking has been shown to build up confidence and reduce anxiety. So even if you’re talking about your fear for the results, make sure you’re imagining yourself passing with success.

iv. Study now!

    5     If you hate some of your topics then those topics might be causing you stress-revise those until you’re more comfortable and your revision will be better.

A．You probably have some scary thoughts about your final results.

B．The best way to stop worrying is to take action.

C．Talk to other people who are being negative.

D．You may get worried about examinations for different reasons.

E．Keep testing yourself with past papers to track how your work helps.

F．Try to take the negative energy away from your thoughts.

G．The good news is that these emotions are entirely normal.

6 . In the back of my closet, there is a small cardboard chest that has followed me to every one of my new addresses. Until now, the only _________ contents in it are three wrapped _________ marked in my mother’s tidy handwriting: “Engagement”, “Wedding” and “First Baby”.

When I was three, my mother learned that she had advanced breast cancer. When I was seven, she had begun _________ a gift box for me. Inside, she packed presents and letters for the _________ of my life she was going to be missing — driver’s license, graduation, and every birthday until the age of 30.

My mother died ten days before our _________ birthday. That morning, when I turned 12 and she would have turned 49, I woke up early and opened the package _________ “12th Birthday”. A white card curling around the present _________: “I always _________ a birthstone ring when I was a little girl. Your Granny finally bought me one and I loved it more than I can say. I hope you like it, too.” I put on the ring and _________ her writing with my fingertip.

On the morning of my high school graduation, a __________ of pearls appeared as I opened the wrapped present. Her note read: “There seemed to be a __________ in my family that when girls graduated from high school, they received pearls.” I wore the pearls that afternoon as I took the stage to accept my diploma.

Year after year, my mother __________ forward in time to meet me. When I was a child, opening the next package felt like a treasure __________. As I grew older, her message met me like guideposts in a dark forest. If her words couldn’t point the way, at least they offered the __________ of knowing that someone had been there before and that I have been __________, wildly loved.

1.

A．following

B．remaining

C．entire

D．full

2.

A．plastics

B．products

C．pieces

D．presents

3.

A．working

B．preparing

C．writing

D．receiving

4.

A．milestones

B．majors

C．purposes

D．centers

5.

A．individual

B．usual

C．shared

D．national

6.

A．marked

B．celebrated

C．created

D．made

7.

A．read

B．sounded

C．found

D．signed

8.

A．called for

B．stood for

C．paid for

D．longed for

9.

A．tackled

B．traced

C．revealed

D．confirmed

10.

A．list

B．string

C．matter

D．variety

11.

A．member

B．problem

C．impression

D．tradition

12.

A．put

B．looked

C．traveled

D．stepped

13.

A．house

B．box

C．map

D．hunt

14.

A．property

B．sorrow

C．comfort

D．value

15.

A．deeply

B．temporarily

C．unfortunately

D．simply

7 . Today, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issues in the US, affecting 30% of adults. In 2021, a survey of 8,000 children led by Oxford University Press named anxiety as the Word of the Year. “It’s the word on everyone’s lip, the challenge of the moment,” Dr. Tracy Dennis Tiwary says, a professor of psychology, immersed in research — evaluating which mental health treatment worked and why.

The idea that anxiety is something to manage or eradicate, a habit to be broken, is wrong and actually doing us harm. It’s literally a recipe for more anxiety. This is central message in Dennis Tiwary’s new book, Future Tense. She concludes that the problem isn’t anxiety itself, but our belief about it and our attempts to avoid it, which are not only destined to fail, but make us weaker and more fragile. It’s a vicious cycle.

To help reframe anxiety as an ally not an enemy, Dennis takes a deep dive into the emotion itself. Anxiety is different to fear, which is the certainty that something bad is happening to you. Anxiety is about uncertainty; it’s the feeling that something bad could happen, but might not. Unlike fear, anxiety contains hope. Anxiety can focus the mind, drive you to revise harder, to see a doctor, to seek new pathways towards your chosen career.

Anxiety helps us forge forwards with creative solutions, but there are times when there is little we can do to address a future uncertainty. Dennis suggests many ways of coping with it. Connecting with friends and family is a soothing first step. Cultivating things that immerse you in the present moment is also helpful. Our emotional systems are like immune systems. If it isn’t exposed to germs, it remains weak. It’s only by feeling our anxiety, listening and acting on it that we cope better next time.

1. What is a common misunderstanding of anxiety?

A．Anxiety is wrong and doing us harm.

B．Anxiety is the challenge of the moment.

C．Anxiety is difficult to change, as a habit.

D．Anxiety is something to manage or eradicate.

2. What does the underlined word “vicious” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Panic.

B．Complex.

C．Difficult.

D．Severe.

3. How does the author mainly develop the last but one paragraph?

A．By giving an example.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By making a definition.	D．By making a suggestion.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How to Cope with Anxiety.

B．Anxiety can be Good for You.

C．Anxiety should be managed

D．Dennis Tiwary’s New Book — Future Tense.

8 . Some people mistakenly think that some people are born emotionally strong while others are not, but that is totally wrong. The truth is that emotional strength can be built by anybody. Below are some of the important suggestions.

·Learn to face a serious problem

What do you do when you face a serious problem?    1    If you react to problems in this way then you will never develop emotional strength. When you only keep yourself busy without taking any action to solve your problem, your mind will start to believe that you are unable to solve your problems.

·Surround yourself with positive energy

    2    In the same sense, people who bring negative energy and strike you down every chance they have can emotionally make you feel helpless and weak. In that case, it is better to cut off these people and keep yourself away from negative energy instead.

·Know better about yourself

If you were anxious to receive positive comments and got a negative remark instead, then you will feel really bad.    3    Most often, being too needy is connected to other psychological factors like low self-esteem (自尊).

·Give up limiting beliefs

Limiting beliefs like “I can’t do it, I’m a loser…” do not only make you psychologically weak but can also make your life unhappy. If you believe you can’t achieve some important goals in your life, you won’t try to fight for them.    4    Failing once or twice can break you if you had a limiting belief.

A．Most often success does not happen at the first attempt.

B．Do you try to keep yourself busy in order to forget about it?

C．The more you demand acceptance, the more you will get easily hurt.

D．It isn’t unusual to see someone struggle to become stronger emotionally.

E．Family and friends who bring positive energy is a necessity to one’s life.

F．It is better to learn and try to forgive others, even though it may feel hard.

9 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．By offering thanks orally to the loved ones.

B．By showing gratefulness on a regular basis.

C．By developing good sleeping and eating habits.

D．By taking exercise with close friends regularly.

2.

A．Noticing the positive helps cure eating disorders.

B．Practicing gratitude can lengthen your sleep cycle.

C．Showing thankfulness contributes to your career promotion.

D．Admiring others’ value can improve relationship in workplaces.

3.

A．It is a blessing that we are valued.

B．Extending gratitude has multiple benefits.

C．We should stop counting sheep or calories.

D．People can learn to be appreciative by heart.

10 . 假设你是红星中学高三学生李华。你因为是新冠病毒的密接人员而居家隔离了一周，隔离期间，社区的外国志愿者Jim给予了你很多帮助，你打算给Jim写一封感谢信，内容包括：
1. 感谢所帮你做的事情;
2. 对你的意义和你的感受。
注意：新冠病毒的密接人员: a close contact with COVID-19;
隔离：quarantine v./n.
1. 词数100左右;
2. 信的开头与结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua