1 . Many of us are lonelier than ever. We can go shopping and avoid speaking to a single person. Automated voice son phones and machines suck the contact and relational element out of day-to-day life, so much so that experts say that we are experiencing a loneliness disease.
According to Dr. Lalitaa, loneliness is the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. But loneliness is not always the same as being alone. Loneliness is a state of mind linked to wanting human contact but feeling alone. People can be alone and not feel lonely, or they can have contact with people and still experience feelings of loneliness.
Loneliness is a universal human emotion that is both complex and unique to each individual. There are many contributing factors to loneliness, such as illness, relationships breaking down, moving country, changing jobs or not being understood by co-workers, retiring, starting university, etc.
We cannot underestimate the impact loneliness can have on our physical and mental wellbeing. According to research, loneliness has comparable health risks to smoking 15cigarettes a day, and people who feel lonely are more likely to die earlier and suffer from heart attacks. Dr. Lalitaa says, “People often say to me, ‘It’s too late to meet new people as an adult.’ Having human connect ion can look different for each person, but this can become a block, stopping them going out, trying new things and connecting with new people. Remember, it is never too late to make good, meaningful connections.”
However, don’t put pressure on yourself. A meaningful relationship takes time. It is not just created overnight. Also, take some time to sit with yourself and venture (冒险) into some of the things that you like doing. “The first thing I would say is not to deny or distance the feeling. Acknowledge it and then you can choose to focus on ways to help yourself,” says Dr.Lalitaa.
1. How does the author clarify what loneliness is?| A．By stating arguments. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By employing figures. |
| A．To explain the causes of loneliness. |
| B．To illustrate the harm from loneliness. |
| C．To overestimate the impact of loneliness. |
| D．To emphasize the universality of loneliness. |
| A．Lack of appealing reward. |
| B．Dependence on the network. |
| C．The regret for the passing youth. |
| D．The idea of being too late for new relations. |
| A．Having new experience. |
| B．Telling it from being alone. |
| C．Being aware of and recognizing it. |
| D．Making friends from all walks of life. |
2 . A major emergency can create hundreds of thousands of refugees (难民) overnight. The most immediate way in which organizations like UNHCR and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) can help these refugees is by setting up refugee camps. Refugee camps are designed to be temporary, but they often remain in place for decades. In some parts of the world, children have grown up and had children of their own without ever leaving their camp.
Critics argue that they force refugees to be entirely dependent on donations. One journalist who visited the Nyadeou camp in the south of the Republic of Guinea A (Africa) in 2001, described how normally peaceful people were reduced to fighting with each other when the food truck arrived.
Refugees camps can easily become dirty, overcrowded and are overrun with disease or crime. In many camps, drug dealers hide themselves among the majority of innocent refugees.
One alternative for refugees is to settle in a town or village, making them become part of the local population. This is known as the “self-settlement”. Several aid agencies argue that the self-settlement is a better option in many cases than refugee camps. They say that self-settled refugees can start to rebuild their lives straight away, and are freer and safer than refugees in camps. Oxfam, the ICRC and many other international aid agencies support programs in which refugees are helped to self-settle.
Representatives of UNHCR argue that refugee camps are the best way of saving the greatest possible numbers of lives. They point out that it is much easier to help people if they are all gathered in one place. This is certainly true of emergency relief, for example the distribution of food, water, shelters and medical supplies. It is also true that long-term aid programs, such as family tracing, orphan support and, perhaps most importantly, education, can all be carried out much more easily when refugees are all living together in one place.
1. Who are responsible for the refugees’ dependence on donations?| A．Critics. | B．Children. | C．Refugee camps. | D．UNHCR and the ICRC. |
| A．More personal aid. | B．More living space. |
| C．Better training programs. | D．A better sense of security. |
| A．It can help save much land. | B．It’s easier for them to get schooling. |
| C．It can reduce the number of orphans. | D．It allows families to better help each other. |
| A．The advantages of refugee camps. | B．The disadvantages of refugee camps. |
| C．The advantages of the self-settlement. | D．The disadvantages of the self-settlement. |
3 . For every one article on some positive aspect, some positive element of life, wellbeing, satisfaction, joy, happiness, you get 21 articles on depression, anxiety and so on. Ratio of 21 to 1. Studies focus primarily on what doesn’t work. And this is not a new phenomenon. The science of psychology (心理) has been far more successful on the negative than on the positive side. It has revealed to us much more about man’s shortcomings, his illnesses, but little about his potentialities, his virtues or his psychological height. We study a lot of depression and anxiety, misjudgments and errors, very much focusing on this aspect and very little on the positive. If you had a person who 21 hours in a day was depressed and one hour in a day felt good or one day feeling good and then 21 days feeling anxious and depressed, you would say that this person would need help. And I think psychology needs help.
Today depression is 10 times higher than it was in 1960. Now part of it is because there’s more awareness, because we measure better. But that’s not all. It’s also simply because objectively there’s more depression. The average age for depression today is less than 15. Kids at very young age are introduced to the “information highway”. And very often, they are not prepared, not able to deal with it in an effective way.
As a result, when we look at this data, we say we do need more research to help people overcome depression or anxiety. And there seems nothing wrong about that.
According to the studies, 47% Harvard students over the past year have experienced depression to the point of not functioning. So they couldn’t leave home. They were really struggling to just basically get through the day. Now this is not unique to United States. We have a global epidemic here. And once again going back: Is the 21: 1 ratio good? How can we even think about studying happiness and well-being and love and joy?
What I’m going to argue for is that we do need to also focus on the positive. I am going to talk about three reasons why we should do that. The first reason is that it is important to focus on what works, because what works or what we focus on rather creates reality. If we focus on what is working, we’ll have more working in our world, more working in ourselves, more working in our relationships. The second reason why positive psychology as an independent field of study is important is that being happy is not just the negative statement of depression. It doesn’t mean just getting rid of depression or anxiety that I am experiencing so I spontaneously (自然而然) become happy. That’s not the case. That’s not how it works. And finally, prevention, which is the most effective way of preventing hardship, is actually realized by focusing on and cultivating the positive. So for these three reasons, we need positive psychology.
1. By using the ratio of 21 to 1, the author means in fact that ________.| A．on an average a person is depressed 21 hours a day and feels good one hour |
| B．most articles and studies focus primarily on what goes wrong |
| C．the science of psychology has revealed human’s nature |
| D．nearly half of Harvard and nationwide students suffer from depression |
| A．The reason for more measures. | B．The need for doing with depression. |
| C．The reason for more depression. | D．The need for taking some measures. |
| A．Prevention by focusing on and cultivating the positive feelings. |
| B．Offering various ways of overcoming the negative feelings. |
| C．Focusing on what is working to have more working in our life. |
| D．Being happy is not equal to avoiding being unhappy. |
| A．It is essential for our research to focus more on the bright side. |
| B．There is no need for the science of psychology to deal with the negative side. |
| C．The conflict between the negative psychology and positive one can’t be avoided. |
| D．We have to remove depression completely for the purpose of being happy. |
4 . After years of observing human nature, I have decided that two qualities make a difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance — curiosity and discontent. I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either. And I have never known an average man who had both.
Together, these deep human urges (驱策力) count for much more than ambition. Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground. Like Galileo, all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent, “Why? Why? Why?”
Fortunately, curiosity and discontent don’t have to be learned. We are born with them and need only to recapture them. “The great man,” said Mencius, “is he who does not lose his child’s heart.” Yet most of us do lose it. We stop asking questions. We stop challenging custom. We just follow the crowd. And the crowd desires only the calm and restful average.
Most of us meet new people, and new ideas, with hesitation. But once having met and liked them, we think how terrible it would have been, had we missed the chance. We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake.
How should you start? Modestly, so as not to become discouraged. I think of one friend who couldn’t arrange flowers to satisfy herself. She was curious about how the experts did it.
The way to begin is to answer your own excuses. You haven’t any special ability? Most people don’t; there are only a few geniuses. You haven’t any time? That’s good, because it’s always the people with no time who get things done. Harriet Stowe, mother of six, wrote parts of Uncle Tom’s Cabin while cooking. You’re too old? Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel, and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78.
However you start, remember there is no better time to start than right now, for you’ll never be more alive than you are at this moment.
1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to ________.| A．present an argument | B．make a comparison | C．reach a conclusion | D．propose a definition |
| A．Scientists tend to have varied ambitions. | B．Trial and error leads to the finding of truth. |
| C．Creativity results from challenging authority. | D．Greatness comes from a lasting desire to explore. |
| A．Observe the unknown around you. | B．Develop a questioning mind. |
| C．Lead a life of adventure. | D．Follow the fashion. |
| A．Gaining success helps you become an expert. |
| B．The genius tends to get things done creatively. |
| C．Lack of talent and time is no reason for taking no action. |
| D．You should remain modest when approaching perfection. |
5 . Most parents are worried the first time they catch their kids out in a lie. According to child and teen psychiatrist Gayani DeSilva, lying can actually be a sign of healthy development in young children. “Kids lie for many reasons, and much of it is normal,” DeSilva says. “People are not born with the knowledge of communicating with others and getting their needs met. They’ll experiment with different communication styles and techniques until they find the ones that work best for them. Lying is one of those techniques.”
As kids get older, they become more aware of how their actions affect others, and many will lie less frequently. In spite of this, parents still need to lead their kids to form a habit of not lying. According to DeSilva, when children lie, look at them directly and ask what they need. After they tell you, gently remind them that telling you directly will be more effective than lying.
It’s also a good idea to model the behavior you want to see in your kids. In other words, don’t lie to your children. This will set you and your children on a course of open communication and trust.
In some cases, lying is a sign of a deeper issue. A child who is neglected will lie more than a child who has attentive and responsive parents. He’s not sure whether he’s loved. He may lie to please others. The same goes for a child who has experienced something unpleasant. He may lie to try to hide his shame, avoid admitting his needs, or to control his surroundings to ensure his safety.
By paying attention to the reasons behind a lie, parents can figure out what need to be done. For example, while Jack might lie about completing his homework in order to play video games, he also might be trying to avoid negative feelings connected with school work, and this is just where parents should start, says therapist Gideon Javna.
1. What can be inferred about lying from DeSilva’s words?| A．It has certain benefits for the healthy growth of kids. |
| B．It shows the understanding between kids and parents. |
| C．It can be an effective means of communication for kids. |
| D．It is so common for kids that parents can completely ignore it. |
| A．By pretending to trust them at first. |
| B．By encouraging them to admit their needs. |
| C．By telling them directly the harm of lying. |
| D．By punishing them for their lying in a safe way. |
| A．It’s common for children to lie |
| B．It’s important to be a generous parent |
| C．lying can damage family relationships |
| D．lying is a reflection of one’s mental trouble |
| A．Ask him to avoid playing video games. |
| B．Turn his attention to other positive things. |
| C．Give him a second chance to finish homework. |
| D．Listen to and help solve his problem related to school work. |
6 . Buying clothes for special events, hiding the price tickets and returning them to the store the next day has for years been the method of money-saving shoppers. Today people are doing it just for social media.
A survey conducted by the credit card company Barclaycard showed that nearly one in ten UK shoppers admits to buying clothing only to post photos on social media for likes. After the “outfit (装束) of the day” (OOTD) makes it online, they return it back to the store. According to Barclaycard, the “try before you buy” policy of online retailers (零售商) — where people pay for clothing they order online after they try it on at home — could be leading to this rising trend.
But the rise of social media means that everyone, not just superstars, expects to build and maintain a personal brand. Since we’re recording our lives and posting them online for public judgement, getting caught in the same outfits more than once should be avoided. And the cost of all those outfits of the day adds up, which makes returning a popular way.
There are brands that make clothes specially for social media shoppers, like Fashion Nova. “These are clothes made for social media: meant to be worn once, photographed and abandoned,” Allison P. Davis wrote in her report about the brand. Another favourite of the social media age is Rent the Runway, which lets customers rent designer clothing for a fee.
Some, however, are moving in the opposite direction. Groups promoting “work uniforms” have increased greatly in recent years, aiming to free women from “the trouble of clothing decisions”. The concept of the “capsule wardrobe (胶囊衣橱)”, which calls for purchasing a small number of high-quality pieces instead of lots of trendy throwaway clothes, is also making a comeback.
1. What does the survey by Barclaycard suggest?| A．Britons follow the fashion stars closely. |
| B．Some Britons over-order and return clothes. |
| C．Britons try on clothes before online purchases. |
| D．Some Britons send outfits back after taking pictures. |
| A．Renting top designers’ clothes. |
| B．Offering customers single-use clothes. |
| C．Creating unique shopping experiences. |
| D．Helping shoppers improve their clothing style. |
| A．Better fewer, but better. | B．Less addition, but more enjoyment. |
| C．Less uniform, and more freedom. | D．More choices, and less trouble. |
| A．To compare different wearing trends. |
| B．To introduce Britain’s new wearing trend. |
| C．To support buying high-quality clothes. |
| D．To criticize the “try before you buy” policy. |
7 . "While extroverts (性格外向者) often make great first impressions with their outgoing manner and lively personalities in interviews, that value and reputation at work diminish (削减) over time,” says Corinne Bendersky, an associate professor of management.
“Extroverts disappoint us over time when they're part of a team,” Bendersky says. “On a team you're expected to work hard and contribute a lot. But they're often poor listeners, and they don't collaborate.”
“On the other hand, introverts (性格内向者) work hard on a team because they care what others think of them. They don't want to be seen as not pulling their weight or contributing 100%,” Bendersky says.
So while companies may be attracted to hiring extroverts because they impress managers greatly in job interviews, bosses also may want to consider whether the extrovert they are considering will be a valuable team player, Bendersky says.
Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, two writers, agree and say managers should recognize the strengths of introverted employees, such as their ability to put themselves in someone else's shoes.
“These team members are often easygoing, which can make them exceptional mentors (良师益友) to more junior staff or particularly good sounding boards when you interact with them in one-on-one situations,” Su says.
“Managers must try to help introverts find their voice,” Wilkins says. “Help them see that speaking up is not about self-promotion or being in conflict but rather about offering the team key insights, making better decisions or increasing the efficiency for all.”
What about those extroverts who never seem to be at a loss for words? Should managers cut them off? Managers definitely should weigh in on how an extrovert is affecting others. Wilkins suggests saying something in private to make adjustments.
1. What do we know about outgoing people according to Bendersky?| A．They are good listeners. | B．They are good at cooperating. |
| C．They often make great contributions. | D．They tend to perform well in interviews. |
| A．Trusting others. | B．Making good choices. |
| C．Doing their full share of work. | D．Trying to share their thoughts. |
| A．Critical. | B．Tolerant. | C．Doubtful. | D．Approving. |
| A．Promote more introverts. | B．Learn to work more efficiently. |
| C．Encourage introverts to speak up. | D．Avoid conflict among employees. |
| A．By providing examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. | D．By following the order of importance. |
8 . In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic(官僚主义的)management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-equipped factories and piped music, and by psychologists and “human-relations” experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and he is bored with it. In fact, the blue-collar and the white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management.
The worker and employee are anxious, seemingly because they might find themselves out of a job or they would say that they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. In fact, they feel desperate as they live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.
Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness and independence. From the moment on they are tested again and again by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.
Am I suggesting that we should return to the pre-industrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities - those of all love and of reason - are the aims of social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.
1. By “a well-oiled cog in the machinery”, the author expresses the idea that man is _________.| A．an essential part of society though individual’s function is negligible |
| B．expected to work in reasonable harmony with the rest of society |
| C．a replaceable component of society, though functioning smoothly |
| D．responsible for the smooth running of society and business operations |
| A．they are filled with well-founded fear of being unemployed |
| B．they don’t have any genuine satisfaction or being unemployed |
| C．they have to face the fundamental realities of human existence |
| D．they are deprived of their independence |
| A．hold well-paid and life-long jobs | B．enjoy high social status and reputation |
| C．outperform their fellow-competitors | D．stay away from over-competitiveness |
| A．resort to the production mode of our ancestors |
| B．offer higher wages to workers and employees |
| C．enable man to fully develop his potentialities |
| D．escape consumerism and embrace humanism |
9 . Before you throw that old cell phone in the trash, or hide it away in a drawer, think again. There are actually many ways to deal with a mobile phone that you are no longer using.
First, you should be aware that in many places, throwing away cell phones is actually illegal because the batteries, especially in very old phones, can contain poisonous metals.
Many schools and local charities now have recycling programs. And they do make a little bit on each donation.
You might also want to hang onto any accessories(配件)that you have.
| A．You certainly don’t need to pay to recycle an old cell phone |
| B．There are better places to get rid of them than your trash can |
| C．Things like chargers or covers can often be used with your new phone |
| D．Local charities have contributed a lot in repairing unwanted phones |
| E．As people move to bigger and better phones |
| F．The saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure certainly applies |
| G．If you can’t find a large cell phone recycling program in your area |
10 . A friend sent me an email, asking if I’d consider writing about educational apps for children to watch while on road trips. The email said, “Many are turning to road trips. And often with long car rides comes the use of on-screen entertainment. These educational apps should also develop their art, math and design skills.”
While I realize the intention is well-meaning, and doubtless would lead to a quieter car ride for the parents, the thought of sticking kids in front of screens on a road trip makes me queasy. You see, if they’re glued to a screen for hours on end, they will miss everything that’s going by outside the window. And that means they’ll miss out a major part of the trip and the opportunity to engage in conversation with family members, but to be alone with their own thoughts, or simply to be bored.
There is so much to see on a road trip! Cars, trees, faces, building, markets, airplanes landing — the entire world is out there, and staring at it from the backseat of a car familiarizes a child with what is going on.
I have a theory that paying attention to one’s surroundings while traveling by car helps children develop an internal compass. If they don’t pay attention during all those years when they’re being driven, they’ll struggle to know where to go and how to locate themselves once they’re independent. This doesn’t mean they have to be alert (警惕的) for the entire journey, but not being on a screen naturally allows for a higher level of engagement with one’s surroundings. When you listen to music, you’ll look up occasionally; you’ll pay attention to landmarks.
What can children do on the trip? Actually, there are plenty of off-screen activities.
1. What was the author’s friend’s intention to develop apps?| A．To play games. | B．To make some extra money. |
| C．To entertain and educate children. | D．To improve the relationship in the family. |
| A．uncomfortable. | B．tired. | C．unsafe. | D．lonely. |
| A．It can raise children’s environmental awareness. |
| B．It can help children develop a sense of direction. |
| C．It can give children the courage to learn to drive. |
| D．It can enable children to become more independent. |
| A．Take the Chance of Traveling to Relax Yourself. |
| B．Say Goodbye to Educational Apps on Your Holiday. |
| C．Learn to Look up from Your Screens from Time to Time. |
| D．Leave the Screens Alone on Your Next Family Road Trip. |
