1 . How to Break a Habit

We all form habits we perform automatically in response to a cue or a trigger (诱因). Habits can be good or bad. The good ones produce beneficial results without requiring too much brain power. But some can have negative effects in the long term and often need to be broken.

    1     There are three strategies: Stop the behavior, stop subjecting yourself to the trigger, or associate the trigger with a new, similarly satisfying behavior. For example, maybe you experience a desire for popcorn as soon as you walk into a movie theater.     2     Popcorn buying and eating are the behaviors. To break this habit, you have these options: One, tell yourself “no popcorn” each time you go to the movie theater; two, avoid going to the movie theater at all; three, replace popcorn with a new snack that better fits your nutritional goals. Another example, like nail (指甲) biting, is subconscious and done frequently throughout the day, so you might not even know what’s triggering it. While it’s good to figure out the underlying cause, it might be difficult to catch yourself biting your nails at every moment of stress or boredom.     3     Alternatively, you could use a stress ball to increase your awareness of the nail-biting habit.

The key to the replacement strategy is to make sure that the new habit is appealing. Replacing daily smartphone time with a daily run just won’t work in the long term. You might try to create a new habit at the same time.     4    

Whichever strategy you choose can help break a habit.     5     A study of 96 people showed that individuals took between 18 and 254 days to form a habit, a useful tip to know if you’re using the replacement strategy to get rid of a habit.

A．But how do you break a habit?

B．The movie theater is the trigger.

C．The key is to do it over and over.

D．An after-work walk is a better change.

E．Is building new habits challenging and difficult?

F．It’s better to replace it with another physical stress response.

G．Forming a good habit is fundamental to one’s success and achievements.

3 . Meeting people is the first step to make friends. But how do you actually become friends with someone? Here are some useful tips.

1. Make small talk even if you don’t feel like it

Small talk can feel false and meaningless. But it does have a purpose. By making small talk, you show that you’re friendly and open to communicating. In that way, small talk helps you to make the first connection with potential new friends. If someone doesn’t make any small talk, we might assume that they don’t want to make friends with us, that they don’t like us, or that they’re in a bad mood.

2. Figure out what you might have in common

When you talk to someone new and realize that you have things in common, the conversation usually goes from stiff to fun and interesting. Therefore, make it a habit to find out if you have any mutual interests or something in common. You can do this by mentioning things that interest you and seeing how they react.

3. Don’t write people off until you know them

Don’t judge people too quickly. Try not to assume that they are shallow, boring, or that you have nothing to talk about. If everyone seems uninterested, it might be because you keep getting stuck in small talk. If you only make small talk, everyone sounds shallow.

4. Make people like being around you

When you try to make people like you, it will become easier for you to make friends. When you make sure that people like being around you, they will like you. If we are with someone with a positive experience, we like that person more.

1. What is the purpose of small talk?

A．To show that you are in a good mood.

B．To show you have something in common.

C．To show you are friendly and want to talk.

D．To show you are a potential new friend.

2. According to the passage why do you think people around you are boring?

A．Because you don’t have a deep chat with them.

B．Because they have nothing in common with you.

C．Because you don’t make a small talk with them.

D．Because you don’t like to make friends with them.

3. What will you do if you want to make it easier to make friends?

A．To avoid being stuck in small talk.

B．To judge people by what they do.

C．To stay with people with a positive experience.

D．To make people willing to stay with you.

5 . In a popular TikTok video, Emily McDonald, a neuroscience consultant, discusses three things she does each day to protect her brain staying off her phone in the morning, thinking positively, and avoiding junk food.     1    . But there’s more to the health of the brain and the science behind it.

Catch some z’s.

Practicing good sleep hygiene (卫生), as well as getting six to eight hours of sleep each night, is one of the best things you can do for your brain health. Sleep helps the brain form memories, reinforce new concepts and ideas, and remove the buildup of bad proteins in the brain.     2    . With enough sleep, you can preserve your brain’s functionality even when you get older.

Get your heart pumping.

    3    . And a strong heart helps pump enough blood to the brain to maintain its performance. The official recommendation is to have 150 minutes’ moderate exercise a week which is not limited to certain types of physical activities. Walking your dog a couple miles a day counts as well. Remember that anything is better than nothing.

    4    .

Exposing yourself to new people, places, and challenges can keep your mind sharp, and improve brain plasticity. But trying new things doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend money traveling or take up a new hobby. It can be as simple as trying a crossword you haven’t done before. If you can keep using your brain in new ways, you’ll have better mental outcomes as you age.

Stick to a healthy, well-rounded diet.

Many studies have shown highly processed foods, like packaged goods, can increase the risk of health problems, like diabetes and high blood pressure.     5    , including your brain. To keep your brain healthy, limit processed foods and get sufficient nutrition from a wide variety of plants and animals.

A．These diseases can generally harm the entire body

B．Remain socially involved

C．Regular exercise makes for powerful heart muscles

D．It also boosts the brain’s ability to adapt to new situations

E．Try new things

F．The advice McDonald gives in her video isn’t bad

G．Besides, this doesn’t mean getting into routines is necessarily harmful

6 . Dear friends, it’s common that we all come across this kind of thing. 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.     1     . Here are a few tips that will eventually help you lift the spirit of a sad person.

Generally, give a hug. We know hugging someone shows your affection and care.     2     . This can make them feel relaxed and open to you. This can also help them recognize that you are there to help them go through this moment. With no kind and loving words, your behaviours have already meant much.

Tell them some affectionate words. Now, go on and say some these words. Words like “I’m here.     3     . You’ll get over this. Lean on me” and so on, can help a sad person feel better and know that you’re there to take him/her through the sad moment.

Use the right tone of voice.     4     . They go along with tone to convey a meaning to the listener. To convey your words with faith that would create a positive effect on the sad person, you would need to say it with 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.     5     .

A．If you practise this to someone, I’m sure they can be aware of your kindess and warmth

B．Make use of polite expressions

C．Then make a choice to appreciate others too

D．We are in this together

E．It will help you know how to offer the best fitting help

F．I remind you that words do not stand alone

G．This common sense is obtained through observation and communication

7 . How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.     1     But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1. Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.

2. Start a conversation.

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.     2     You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3.     3    

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

4. Let it grow.

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.     4     The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5. Enjoy your friendship.

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.     5     Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A．Be cheerful.

B．Do things together.

C．Do not wait to be spoken to.

D．Try not to find fault with your friends.

E．Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F．For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G．So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

8 . A summary is a piece of writing that tells the main ideas of something. It is basically a shortened version of a larger text that describes its main points.    1     Follow these steps when writing a summary.

Carefully review the work you’re summarizing. If you are writing a summary of a written text, make sure to read it carefully. Thus, you can take note of what the author is saying and why he is saying it.    2     Therefore, make sure to take detailed notes.

    3    Another way to ensure you are remembering important information is to underline words as you go. If you are watching something, write down time stamps of when important things happen. This makes it easier for you to look back on them when you are writing your summary.

Write down the main points. It is time to organize your summary into sentences that make up paragraphs. It’s suggested to start by writing down the main points in your own words. Make sure to write down these main points as they were presented by the author of the text.    4    

Add in supporting points. Add in some major supporting points for your main idea. While these are more detailed sentence, make sure they connect to the rest of the text. There is no need to add in minor details if they do not add any value to your summary.    5     Maybe it was not a major plot point in the text. You only want to add general information that will give the reader a high-level understanding of the text.

A．Underline important information.

B．Try to remember important information.

C．But how can you write an effective summary?

D．It means that these main points should be written down in order.

E．For instance, there is no need to include the character’s eye color.

F．Sometimes a minor detail can make a difference in your summary.

G．Similarly, it is advisable to write a summary about what you are hearing.

9 . As Dr. Srini Pillay states in her new book, the brain does its best work when it’s allowed to move between focus and unfocus.     1    .

◇Engage in positive constructive daydreaming.

Schedule into every workday some breaks from focusing.     2    . Maybe an imaginary forest or a warm, sandy beach. Doing this several times a day can offer you fresh ideas.

◇Block interruptions before diving into deep work.

Our days are filled with distractions. To help, turn off text messaging and social media notifications.     3    , our brains get a chance to complete full sentences of thought.

◇Make friends with your body clock.

Are you sharp and quick in mind in the morning? Or is night person more your style? Either way works as long as you schedule your most important projects during your brain’s periods of peak performance. Try to reserve your best brain time for the big stuff.

◇    4    .

This is fun and can help us think of new solutions to problems. Allowing your mind time to play is a way to work better.

◇Keep away from digital devices.

Taking a digital sabbath — intentionally setting aside time to rest from your screens and all their interruptions — offers an important benefit.     5    , and it also helps us to “reset and think about what’s really important”.

A．Focus your mind

B．When they are shut off

C．Try travelling with your mind to someplace enjoyable

D．It reminds us there’s a world outside our screens

E．Here are several tips to help you find your flow

F．Try new hobbies

G．Digital devices can greatly improve our working efficiency

10 . Four Chinese Language Learning Apps

Du Chinese

Du Chinese is an App that helps to improve your Chinese reading skills. You can read by yourself or listen to a recording and read along. The characters and pinyin layout (布局) look very comfortable. You can easily turn the pinyin on and off and switch Chinese characters between Simplified and Traditional. It supports English translations for single words and sentences.

The materials are labeled from HSK(汉语水平考试)level 1-6＋. It is easy to find material for your level.

Zizzle

If you have trouble memorizing Chinese characters, then Zizzle will definitely help you. This App breaks down characters into their component parts. Then, they use images and a short story to help you remember these components. Most of the stories are funny enough to be memorable. It presents an effective, novel, and fun way to learn and memorize Chinese characters. If you are a total beginner, I can safely say you will know hundreds of characters in few days and be able to read them confidently.

Chineseclass101

Chineseclass101 has an extensive collection of listening materials covering all levels. Each lesson has notes that include the key grammar point broken down clearly along with Chinese cultural insights. The lesson dialogue will help you understand real life conversations in China and will definitely help you improve your listening skills. It also offers an interactive voice recorder tool which lets you record your pronunciation and compare it to that of a native speaker.

Hello Chinese

Hello Chinese is a powerful learning tool that can help you overcome the fear of learning Chinese. This App focuses on daily life topics. It starts from basic pinyin, so that even if you are a total beginner or have absolutely no background in Chinese, you can still learn with it. What is special is that this App allows you to listen and record your own voice, and to help you check automatically if your pronunciation is correct.

1. What do we know about Du Chinese?

A．Its materials are graded by difficulty.	B．It can switch between two languages.
C．Its users are basically school students.	D．It is designed for language tests.

2. Which of the following Apps are especially suggested for beginners?

A．Du Chinese and Zizzle.	B．Chineseclass101 and Zizzle.
C．Zizzle and Hello Chinese.	D．Du Chinese and Hello Chinese.

3. What do Chineseclass101 and Hello Chinese have in common?

A．They help improve pronunciation.	B．They are targeted at advanced learners.
C．They teach useful listening skills.	D．They offer reading materials on daily life.