1 . Five years ago, I wrote about the connection between expectations and happiness—lower your expectations and you will be happier: control expectations and despair won’t be so obvious when life does not go according to plan. And perhaps there is some truth in that idea.
However, with reduced expectations, we chip away at hope. And how can we not hope for a better tomorrow? I consider myself to be someone with spirit. I look forward to experiences and anticipate memorable ones. And while it’s important to cope when such experiences fall through. I think it’s even more important to hold onto what was originally present -that sense of hope.
The Times article, Optimism Bias: Human Brain May Be Hardwired for Hope, offers a perspective with roots in evolutionary (进化的) psychology. Hope can be wired in the human brain to enhance survival. If present during trying times, hope can be a factor that allows some to overcome difficulties and gather positivity for the days ahead.
“Hope keeps our minds at ease, lowers stress and improves physical health,” the article states. “Researchers studying patients with heart disease found that optimists were more likely than nonoptimistic patients to take vitamins, cat low-fat diets and exercise, thereby reducing their overall risk. A study of cancer patients revealed that pessimistic patients under the age of 60 were more likely to die within eight months than nonpessimistic patients of the same initial health and age.”
Life is always going to bring us challenges. Life is always going to be comprised of problems that might pull us down. Is it still foolish to have hope? I say it’s not. Because without hope, what are we left with? I say hope is significant. I say it’s a beautiful part of what it means to be human.
1. What would the author do to deal with disappointments five years ago.| A．Raise expectations. | B．Anticipate less. |
| C．Stay away from stress. | D．Make fewer plans. |
| A．Forget. | B．Weaken. | C．Change. | D．Doubt. |
| A．Pessimists tend to live a shorter life. | B．Optimists usually have a better appetite. |
| C．Being hopeful helps humans survive. | D．Human brains are designed for hardship. |
| A．The methods of achieving happiness. | B．How to cope with difficulties. |
| C．The importance of holding on lo hope. | D．How to balance hope and reality. |
2 . Many years ago, Coca-Cola ran a brilliant advertising campaign about “The Pause That Refreshes”. They were on to something. Pauses refresh us because they allow us to stop, refocus, and rest.
The older I get, the more I’ve intentionally added pauses to my day. Some pauses are only a few minutes long; others are hours. It may be a walk to a faraway copier at work instead of the one in my department. Or driving an alternate route home. Or a day at the beach. The idea is to relax and rest by changing my thoughts from what stresses me to what refreshes me.
Rest refreshes us. And I rest best by doing nothing. I recently read a little book by Sandy Gingras called How to Live at the Beach. I love this light-hearted, five-minute read. It’s a clue that helps conjure up images of the mentality we have when we’re at the beach—and why we need to transport this beach mentality to our non-beach lives.
My son, his wife, and my grandson live near the beach in Santa Barbara, California. Next to Hawaii, it's one of the most beautiful places in the United States. When I head to the ocean with them, I'm awed by the benefits of the beach. For me, a day at the beach epitomizes (成为缩影) the discipline of doing nothing. It’s a pause. It’s also an example of a simpler life. I’m learning how to bring a beach mentality, and all its benefits, back home with me. A beach mentality slows me down, allows me to think over only what’s in front of me and allows me to fully appreciate what surrounds me in my nine-to-five world.
During the time of “country closure”, I’ve noticed what I typically fail to notice. Who says doing nothing is boring? Doing nothing calms and refuels me.
I’ve realized that by pausing more, I’ve seen more, listened more, heard more, and felt more. Yet, pausing is a discipline all its own. By developing the discipline of doing nothing, I’ve learned that a life of clarity, simplicity, and rest awaits.
1. Why is the advertising campaign run by Coca-Cola mentioned?| A．To make a prediction. | B．To explain a concept. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To illustrate an argument. |
| A．Transform. | B．Imagine. | C．Withdraw. | D．Polish. |
| A．Follow suit. | B．Keep watch. | C．Pursue perfection. | D．Slow down. |
| A．The Discipline of Doing Nothing | B．Being Intentional About Self-Care |
| C．The Price of Every Decision | D．Choosing Joy over Sadness |
3 . Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.
Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn’t want to mess with that.
Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway. And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.
This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who “ruined” it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured (捕捉) and frozen on some stranger’s bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don’t even know has been immortalized (使……永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.
Perhaps we all live in each other’s spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.
That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.
1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?| A．Her camera stopped working. | B．A woman blocked her view. |
| C．Someone asked her to leave. | D．A friend approached from behind. |
| A．enjoying herself | B．losing her patience |
| C．waiting for the sunset | D．thinking about her past |
| A．the need to be close to nature | B．the importance of private space |
| C．the joy of the vacation in Italy | D．the shared passion for beauty |
| A．a particular life experience | B．the pleasure of traveling |
| C．the art of photography | D．a lost friendship |
4 . How do I change my life? If you’re asking this question, remember that the one constant thing in our life is change.
Spend some time trying to sort out what is important in your life to make a life change. What is it that you want to achieve in your life? What are your dreams? What makes you happy? Your meaning in life sets the direction of how you want to live your life. Without meaning, you will spend the rest of your life wandering aimlessly.
Let go of regrets.Regrets will only hold you back in life. You cannot change what you did or did not do in the past, so let it go. The only thing you have control over now is how you choose to live your present and future life.
Learning new skills helps us to be more adaptable in new situations.
| A．Change your beliefs. |
| B．Find your life meaning. |
| C．Remember that your goals may change. |
| D．The more we resist it, the tougher our life becomes. |
| E．The only person who is going to change your life is you! |
| F．It also encourages us to be more creative and innovative in our thinking. |
| G．Each time you experience a negative thought about your past, challenge it. |
5 . We will all experience pain, disappointment, and almost certainly loss and sickness. Yet some people
John O’Leary is the host of the Live Inspired Podcast. When he was just nine years old, John suffered
| A．subscribe | B．proceed | C．respond | D．express |
| A．interviewed | B．imagined | C．introduced | D．recognized |
| A．externally | B．joyfully | C．formally | D．wisely |
| A．mood | B．pain | C．sadness | D．hurt |
| A．Regardless | B．Instead | C．However | D．Therefore |
| A．thoughts | B．opinions | C．theories | D．factors |
| A．shelter | B．decrease | C．improve | D．change |
| A．gentle | B．severe | C．certain | D．ordinary |
| A．relief | B．recount | C．survival | D．refreshment |
| A．make it | B．get across | C．go around | D．pull over |
| A．potential | B．touchy | C．sincere | D．successful |
| A．work | B．talent | C．fantasy | D．prediction |
| A．desperation | B．gift | C．goal | D．task |
| A．higher | B．rarer | C．brighter | D．calmer |
| A．angle | B．manner | C．prospect | D．trend |
6 . 假如你是李华，你校英语广播站向全校师生征集稿件，题目是My Favorite Motto请你写一篇短文投稿。内容如下：
1.名言及意义
2.对你的影响
注意：
词数110左右;
My Favorite Motto
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7 . I took a job as a receptionist for a pet doctor nearly five decades ago. As an animal lover, I accepted the
At the end of my first week, we were closing the office for the day
That day forever
Fast-forward about a year, I walked into the clinic’s crowded waiting room and called the name of the next client.
I am still in amazement at the show of love and
| A．solution | B．transition | C．position | D．function |
| A．pain | B．curiosity | C．anxiety | D．pressure |
| A．that | B．when | C．where | D．while |
| A．frightened | B．ruined | C．hunted | D．injured |
| A．begged | B．admired | C．appreciated | D．applied |
| A．dressing | B．operating | C．waiting | D．meeting |
| A．effortlessly | B．fearlessly | C．tirelessly | D．purposely |
| A．treated | B．removed | C．recovered | D．broken |
| A．struggled | B．survived | C．suffered | D．challenged |
| A．warned | B．alarmed | C．changed | D．inspired |
| A．assistant | B．audience | C．applicant | D．advisor |
| A．slight | B．unusual | C．strong | D．tiny |
| A．partner | B．cheater | C．fighter | D．loser |
| A．Gradually | B．Slowly | C．Finally | D．Suddenly |
| A．approached | B．pressed | C．limited | D．conquered |
| A．sitting | B．jumping | C．standing | D．smiling |
| A．gratitude | B．charm | C．gift | D．beauty |
| A．conference | B．retirement | C．performance | D．graduation |
| A．greeted | B．killed | C．followed | D．passed |
| A．never | B．always | C．ever | D．often |
8 . Britain’s toughest grandmother cheated death three times to become a champion powerlifter and is still pumping iron in her 70s. Pat Reeves has
She
But in December, 1993, she was
In September, 2018, she was involved in a high-speed
We may meet many
| A．suffered | B．survived | C．recovered | D．treated |
| A．took up | B．saved up | C．kept up | D．drew up |
| A．rejected | B．examined | C．adopted | D．experienced |
| A．fantasy | B．innovation | C．interaction | D．bodybuilding |
| A．enhance | B．stop | C．attack | D．inspect |
| A．coach | B．judge | C．athlete | D．teacher |
| A．missing | B．accepting | C．securing | D．beating |
| A．competing | B．accelerating | C．charging | D．hiding |
| A．puzzled | B．designed | C．embarrassed | D．shocked |
| A．hesitated | B．refused | C．attempted | D．claimed |
| A．active | B．lazy | C．popular | D．boring |
| A．bigger | B．longer | C．smaller | D．stronger |
| A．occasion | B．crash | C．event | D．adventure |
| A．eye | B．skin | C．heart | D．lung |
| A．broken | B．clean | C．healthy | D．strong |
| A．walk | B．work | C．connect | D．live |
| A．protect | B．support | C．affect | D．scold |
| A．arguments | B．records | C．media | D．devices |
| A．successes | B．opportunities | C．pleasures | D．difficulties |
| A．barely | B．instantly | C．eventually | D．slightly |
1、你打算去的地方；2、你为什么想去那里；3、你希望学到什么；
4、可能面临的困难；5、你会在旅途中感受到什么。
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增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改: 在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意: 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
In life, we should always care about the people around us, especially those which need help. Helping other not only makes them feel warm but also makes us more responsibly.
Last week I saw an elderly person to fall down on the street, and I quickly run over to help him up. I was busy at that time, and I still decided to help him. The elderly person was very grateful to my help and said he hadn’t met such a kind young man in a long time.
Through this experience, I realize that helping others is a important thing. Each of us should do our part to taking care of the people around us. Only in this way our society become better and more harmonious.
