1 . Stress and holidays seem to go hand-in-hand.     1     However, this may be a good time to try to rethink about holidays and view holidays as an opportunity to improve your psychological well-being.

Take time for yourself. You may feel pressured to be everything to everyone. But remember that you’re only one person and can only accomplish certain things.     2     Plus, others will benefit when you’re feeling less stressed. Reflect on aspects of your life that give you joy; go for a long walk; get a massage; or take time to listen to your favorite music or read a new book. All of us need some time to recharge our batteries.

Volunteer. Find a local charity, such as a soup kitchen or a shelter that needs volunteers, and offer to help. Alternatively, participate in a community giving tree program or an adopt-a- family program.    3    

Encourage healthy conversations. Let your family know that holidays are times to express gratitude.     4     If there is worry about heated disagreements or negative conversations, focus on what you and your family have in common. Families might even plan activities they can do together that foster good fun and laughter, like playing a family game or looking through old photo albums.

Seek support.     5     Getting things out in the open can help you manage your feelings and work toward a solution.

A．Remember what’s important.

B．It will create a family memory.

C．Sometimes self-care is the best thing you can do.

D．Be thankful for what you all have, including each other.

E．Talk about your worries and concerns with friends and family.

F．Your schedule becomes busier with preparations and celebrations.

G．Helping others may lift your mood and help you put your own struggles in perspective.

2 . We all enjoy planning out our lives. We had great expectations and dreams to touch the sky.     1     The game of life twists and turns, changing direction to form new paths that aren’t anticipated.

So, what happens when the life you have isn’t the life you planned? You can go exploring. You go exploring without expectation because your plans could be the very thing that keeps you from the life that’s waiting for you.     2     Rather, you should get curious about how to change your circumstances for the better.

    3     But if you continue to focus on everything that went wrong in the past, you wouldn’t be able to see the good that is present. Each day is a blank canvas presented as an opportunity for you to create and to discover new things. Be careful, however, not to give in to other’s opinions of what your life should look like. These days everyone can be an expert on what you should do with your life.     4    

So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes but learn from them quickly.     5     You had better be free of these emotions to move on in a light-hearted way.

A．However, life isn’t a bed of roses.

B．Don’t regret for the past mistakes.

C．Unfortunately, reality doesn’t always quite match up.

D．Let go of blame, self-pity, excuses, bitterness and resentment.

E．There will still be times when you struggle with letting go of the past.

F．But when things don’t work out, they’re unwilling to take responsibility.

G．This shouldn’t mean you give in to frustration for not living up to your potential.

3 . My childhood was a painted picture of sunny sky and rolling green fields stretching to the horizon. It tasted of sharp berries and smelt of sour grapes. My family lived in a cabin(小木屋) in the countryside but I lived in my mother’s arms. They were so delicate but strong, her red hair falling around me like a curtain separating me from the world.

Childhood was simple. The borders of my village were the furthest my troubles went and monsters only lived in the pages of books. Every day was a waking dream of running races and muddy knees. My village was archaic, dying cabins housing dying farmers with dying traditions. There weren’t many children but me and the other boys; boys of butchers and sellers formed our own group.

They called us wild. I suppose we were. Trees and mountains formed our playgrounds and fights broke out as easily as sudden laughter. Liberated from the restrictions of society, we would bound into the woods, deeper and deeper until we found a lake which, with a wild yell, we would jump into all at once.

My most vivid memories from boyhood center around that lake. Water shone brightly and the sounds of our screams broke into the outcry from birds. The shock of cold water against sweating skin would wake every nerve in my body and my bare feet would hit the sinking muddy bottom. As we submerged(淹没)， time would suspend， movements slowing as bubbles rose around us.

I was drowning. I was living. I was living. I was drowning.

For timelessness or a second (both felt the same), we would suspend, curl up, and then be forced back out into breathing air.

We should have known that it wouldn’t last forever. Yet, even under the best circumstances, there’s something so tragic about growing up: to have your perspective on the people and life around you change;to always struggle to reach a mirror only to find yourself tall enough to see your reflection one day. And find, a different person staring back out at you.

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

A．Borderless.

B．Valueless.

C．Old-fashioned.

D．Poverty-stricken.

2. Why did the author consider himself and other children wild?

A．They played in the woods crazily.

B．They tricked others purposefully.

C．They frequently broke social rules.

D．They firmly refused school education.

3. How does the author introduce his memories of the lake?

A．By sharing feelings.

B．By expressing ideas.

C．By making comparisons.

D．By describing characters.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Loneliness and challenges make a man grow up.

B．The regret of growth is that you have never tried.

C．Growth is often accompanied by sad goodbyes to the past.

D．Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness.

4 .     1     We need them to be our guides on the twisting, sometimes difficult road we call life to shows just how far we can go, to help us know just how high we can climb.

And we need heroes today more than ever. Our modern society is terribly confused about the difference between a hero and a celebrity (名人). And the difference is significant. A celebrity is all about fame-temporary, superficial fame, usually for qualities that are easy to see: a pretty face, a great dance move.     2     —qualities beneath the surface that aren’t visible until they prompt action. Qualities like courage, hope, compassion (同情), and perseverance (毅力).

Heroes, real heroes, are all around us. They truly hold our world together, through their unselfish devotion to helping others, supporting families, teaching children, protecting the environment.     3     They just want to help. In so many ways, these unsung heroes steer the boat in which all of us sail.

Yet, young people hear a lot more about celebrities than about heroes.     4     The underlying message they get from all this is that their self-worth comes from what they buy-which drink, which shoes, which cell phone-not who they are down inside. Young people’s sense of their own potential for heroic qualities-their own power to make a positive difference in the world is lost.

Truth is, there is a potential hero, a future difference maker, in every young person. Each of them, from whatever background, is a large amount of untapped (未开发的) energy-a positive force who can do something to steer that communal boat that carries us all.     5    

A．A hero, by contrast, is about character

B．They don’t want fame, or glory, or even credit

C．All of us-especially young people-need heroes

D．All of us need to believe in our own abilities to help people in need

E．Worse yet, young people are treated too often as just another target market by advertisers

F．They have discovered that they can build on their own energy and ideals to do something truly great

G．If young people believe in their own power and use it, they will discover that any person can make a genuine, lasting impact

5 . What a comedian can teach you about managing stress

We often accept stress as part of the cost of modern life, but it really doesn’t have to be. We all know that laughter is the best medicine.     1     People who can laugh at their own misfortunes bounce back faster and stronger. Here is what a comedian says about coping with stress.

You can try to find a different perspective.     2     Once a friend of mine fell asleep in the middle of a class. His teacher decided to make fun of him by inviting students to applaud, wondering whether my friend would applaud along when he woke up. He did and the whole class burst outlaughing. After learning everything, he was both embarrassed and ashamed of course but after a while, my friend laughed. “If this had happened to someone else, it would have been amusing. So it’s no less funny, just because it happened to me. “

    3     There’s no doubt that we all experience great stress now and then. We’ve all been personally affected, in some way. You might not have felt like laughing at the time But now, looking back, you could consider all of the strange aspects of the experience and all of the things you did to keep active or simply stay sane (神志正常的) .

When you share stories with your friends, you can choose to share stories of trauma (创伤) and pain, or you can choose to lift their spirits with stories of hope and growth.     4     Take the exact same story and change the focus from “feel sorry for me” to “laugh with me”. Keep in mind that we’re all in this together, that we all share the same ridiculous experiences, and that we can laugh together at whatever life throws at us.     5    

A．Always share a good story.

B．Why not do what comedians do?

C．You can also look again and laugh.

D．But laughter does more than cheer you up.

E．Then you are able to make a simple choice.

F．In this way. you will say goodbye to stress forever.

G．If you have trouble seeing the funny side, you may find the following inspiring.

6 . There are days when I find it necessary to step outside my classroom and check to be sure that my name is still in the TEACHER space over my door. Sometimes I feel that I am a student in my classroom rather than the teacher.

Seated in the classroom, my sixth grade students each held a different tool in the hand. The students discussed how words are like tools-they have the ability to build or to destroy, and they discovered how the right tool used at the right time for the right job can produce great results. I watched and listened with a sense of satisfaction. They got it!

A. few days later, one of my students, Laura, had an unexpected outburst in class. She refused to work with her group. I asked her to excuse herself and to go to our next door team center. She marched from the back of the room to our classroom door-shooting me an angry look, and then proceeded to slam the door as she left for the team meeting room.

Minutes later, I stood over her. Being extremely angry about her disrespectful behavior, I was sharp in my tone and harsh with my words. When I paused for her response, she stated, “You’re using your tool against me.” I was speechless.

There are times when you are at a critical crossroads with a student and the road you choose will make all the difference. I knew at that moment the right thing to do was to kneel down next to her chair, and softly say, “You’re right, Laura. I have used my words unwisely and unkindly. Will you forgive me?” She looked me in the eye and simply said, “Yes, I forgive you, Mrs. Ekre. I’m sorry, too.”

At the end of the year, she wrote me a beautiful letter, attached to which was a small key-a tool, she said, for a language arts teacher who taught her how important words can be. It serves as my reminder of a lesson I taught as a teacher but one I really learned from my student.

1. Why does the writer feel she is a student?

A．Her students often challenge her.	B．Her name is not in the TEACHER space.
C．Her students transform her ideas.	D．She abuses her power as a teacher.

2. What made the writer speechless when dealing with Laura?

A．Laura’s angry look.	B．Laura’s abrupt explosion.
C．Laura’s slamming the door.	D．Laura’s accusation against her.

3. Which words can best describe the writer?

A．Caring but stubborn.	B．Tolerant and open-minded.
C．Strict and changeable.	D．Sincere and flexible.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The power of words.	B．The importance of teaching.
C．The value of forgiveness.	D．The beauty of understanding.

7 . I still remember the days my grandmother used to take me on long walks along the summer grass. The sun was always shining on the small roots of the grass on the ground. I remember noticing how, even though the roots were small, they still managed to stick out. Even though there were other things that could attract people to the parts of the grass, somehow the mind always seemed to lead to the roots, or, more precisely, where it all started its origins.

I have learned to realize early on that if you come from a culture that is different from the mainstream culture, eventually you will have to choose. And sometimes, choosing isn’t an easy process. Growing up as a Korean American in the US, I have often felt the need to have to choose between the two cultures that I live by. Even with friends, I would be the outsider that is stuck somewhere in the middle.

On some days, I would choose to be the “white” version of myself, dyeing my hair blond, On other days, I would feel the need to relocate(迁移)to the Asian part of me. The part of me, also known as the “roots” of the grass, has always been kept hidden for whatever reason. Whenever I redye my own hair black, I get the feeling that I am preserving some of the roots that I may have left behind.

Sometimes, we just want to preserve those roots that we have kept hidden. We try extra hard to become “a part of”something we might have left behind. However, it is more meaningful if we allow that thing (culture in thin case) to become part of our daily lives. This way, we will become learn likely to forget “this” part of ourselves.

1. What did the author think of the roots of the grass on the ground?

A．They were too small to be seen.

B．They grew well in the summer daylight.

C．They looked less attractive than the leaves.

D．They were more likely to grab people’s attention.

2. How would the author feel when staying with friends in America?

A．She would feel stuck between two cultures.

B．She would feel desperate to share similarities with them.

C．She would feel unconcerned with any culture.

D．She would feel annoyed about their mainstream culture.

3. Why would the author redye her hair black?

A．To create a new self-image.

B．To hide the Asian part of her.

C．To preserve her cultural roots.

D．To make her hair look natural.

4. What does the author mainly want to tell us in the text?

A．The way to preserve our cultural roots.

B．The attitude we should hold to different cultures.

C．When in Rome do as the Romans do.

D．The longest journey begins with the first step.

8 . Wasted-time worry

The idea that time is our most precious resource can bring with it a sense of time-pressure. We are always told “Time is money and time is running out”, so we must manage it well. We take time-management courses, download the latest productivity app and divide our day into blocks, so our time is never wasted.

    1     . It tells us we should be doing more with our time or doing something else. We can spend an afternoon regretting for the time we wasted that morning, spoiling hours that would otherwise have been available to us. Sometimes it’s not just the hours we worry about wasting,     2     —the countless minutes spent on tiny chores, answering emails, replying to texts, waiting for other people. Often, when we worry about wasting time, we are comparing ourselves to how productive we assume other people are. It makes us feel that everyone is using their time well except ourselves.

We need to shift away from trying to maximize our time and reduce our worry about wasting it. We don’t have to view every moment we don’t spend the way we expected to as a waste. There may be value in those moments too.     3     . In a society that emphasizes the productive use of time, we can easily forget that time we enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.

Then how much should we be working? Researchers say on most days, three to four hours of high-quality, focused mental work is about our maximum.     4     .

We often encounter empty time, throwing us into boredom, panic or anxiety, or add to our wasted-time worry.     5     . For example, we can become more comfortable with empty moments rather than rushing to make the best of every second. We can allow us to pause and think. We can see our commuting time as a chance to let our mind wander rather than checking social media.

A．Working beyond that can be a waste

B．Working to maximum is the secret to success

C．but the scraps of time that get lost in between

D．We can simply appreciate the part they played in our life

E．However, we need some hours in the day to waste as we wish

F．We can simply set aside more moments for the work of the day

G．Yet in our crazy attempts to account for every hour, we fall into wasted-time worry

9 . A few weeks ago, my teenage daughter Lisa failed a test. The grade might stop her from qualifying for the next class she wants to take. There were tears and some complaints for a few minutes. Then I saw something interesting. She made a joke, expressed gratitude that she didn’t have bigger problems, and finally made a plan on how to make improvements.

She was never the same as she was one year ago. That one was unwilling to take responsibility. That one stayed in anger and blamed others. We expect our kids to learn and grow. We hope for it. However, most of us grow through adversity (逆境), even trauma (精神创伤). It happened to Lisa last year repeatedly. She searched for ways to get her bearings and equip herself when everything around her was changing by the day. Psychologists call it post-traumatic growth.

Trauma refers to an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, attack, natural disaster, or other life-changing happenings. The growth after trauma doesn’t mean we get through challenges uninjured. It’s been a scary and painful time, for everyone, in one way or another. We may experience disbelief, depression, and even denial. As time moves on, people who have experienced trauma may have headaches or other physical symptoms, emotional ups and downs, and even relationship problems. Trauma does leave its irremovable marks.

However, in one study, researchers surveyed nearly 385 people who experienced financial difficulty during the pandemic. 88 percent of the people surveyed say they also have experienced some positive outcomes—They now have stronger family relationships and a greater appreciation of life.

1. What is Lisa like now when she fails?

A．She tries to cover it.

B．She is positive and adult.

C．She acts unconcerned.

D．She wants to make excuses.

2. What does the author intend to tell us through Lisa’s experience?

A．There is no sweet without sweat.

B．Experience is the father of wisdom.

C．Difficult situations are likely to make one stronger.

D．Responsibility is often more important than ability.

3. How does the author prove his view?

A．By analyzing existing data.

B．By quoting a psychologist.

C．By contrasting a person’s constant changes.

D．By giving examples together with study results.

4. Which of the following may the author agree with about post-traumatic growth?

A．It usually comes at a high price.

B．It produces little negative feelings.

C．It is one of the fastest ways to make improvements.

D．It is growth that does both good and harm.

10 . Autumntime

① I saw my first tree today. Dad finally broke down and took us to East Boston Urban Center after Mom had been harping on it for the past two weeks. I think he was glad we went after all because he was smiling quietly all during the trip back.

② Dad used to tell me stories about the trees that still existed when he was a boy. There weren’t very many even then, with the urbanization program in full swing, but most people had seen at least one tree by the time they started school. It wasn’t like nowadays, at any rate. Oh, I’ve seen the plastic trees; practically every street has a few of them. But you can tell the plastic ones are artificial just from looking at pictures in the microdot library.

③ This morning when we got up, the house was all excited. Mom dialed a light breakfast of toast and synthetic milk so that we wouldn’t waste time eating. And when finished, the three of us took an elevator bus up to the fourth level, where we caught the air track to Brooklyn. From there we took another elevator bus down to the main level, rode the monorail to Intercity Subway Station 27, and caught the second sublevel AA train to Boston. Our expectations were so high that Dad and I didn’t mind it when Mom told us again how the tree was discovered.

④ The O’Brien home was one of the few examples of old—style wooden structures that hadn’t been pulled down in Boston’s urban—renewal campaign at the turn of the century. The family had been able to avoid this because of its wealth and political influence, and the house was passed on through several generations to the present. Old man O’Brien had no heirs, so when he died, the family home went up for auction (拍卖), and the Urban Center bought it. When local officials arrived for an appraisal, they discovered that the house had a backyard, which is forbidden by zoning restrictions.

⑤ In the yard was a live tree—an oke was what Mom called it. When the news of the tree’s discovery leaked out, quite a few sightseers stopped by to have a look at it, and the local government, realizing the money—making potential, began charging admission fees and advertising the place. By now it had become a favorite spot for school field trips and family excursions such as ours.

⑥ When we arrived in main Boston we rode the elevator bus up to ground level and caught a monorail out to East Boston Urban Center. An air—cush taxi took us the rest of the way to the place.

⑦ The home itself was unimpressive. It had none of the marble gloss or steely sheen of modern buildings, but was rather a dull white color, with the paint peeling in places. Dad paid the admission fee, and we spent the next 15 minutes on a dull guided tour of the house. ‘The rooms were roped off to keep people from touching anything, but there were no windows facing the illegal backyard anyway, so it really didn’t matter that I couldn’t enter the rooms on that side.

⑧ My mind was on the tree, and I thought the inside tour would never end, but soon we were walking through a doorway hidden in one of the bookshelves and into the backyard. The yard was big—at least 10 by 20 feet, and I was surprised to find real grass growing on the sides of the concrete walkway built for tourists. The grass didn’t distract me for long, however, because I just couldn’t help noticing the tree!

⑨ It was located at one end of the yard, and there was a mesh fence around it for protection. It was similar in form to the plastic trees I’d seen, but there was much more to it than that. You could see details more intricate than in any artificial plant. And it was alive. Long ago someone had carved their initials in the bark, and you could see where the wound had healed. But best of all was the smell. It was a fresh, living odor, alien to the antiseptic world outside with all its metal, plastic, and glass. I wanted to touch the bark, but the fence prevented me from doing so. Mom and Dad just breathed deeply and stared up with smiles on their faces. The three of us stood there for a moment, and then the tour guide told us to make room for the next group. I didn’t want to go—in fact, I felt almost like crying.

⑩ On the way back home, Mom and Dad were silent, and I read through one of the brochures the guide had passed out. When I came to the part that said the O’Brien home would be open only for the rest of this year, I was sad. They intend to tear down the place to make room for some kind of insurance building, and the tree will have to go, too. For the rest of the trip, I just sat still, fingering the object in my pocket that I had picked off the grass in the O’Brien’s backyard. I think it’s called an acorn (橡子).

1. According to the passage, the O’Brien home was not destroyed at the turn of the century because ________.

A．a secret passageway was found in the library

B．the family had wealth and political influence

C．a tree was found in the backyard of the home

D．the home had historical and architectural value

2. Why does the tree become a tourist attraction?

A．It is the oldest known tree in the city.

B．It belonged to a family with privileges.

C．“Oke” trees are an especially rare species.

D．There are very few real trees remaining.

3. What does Paragraph 9 reveal about the narrator’s attitude towards nature?

A．The narrator is excited by nature, but not deeply affected by it.

B．The narrator is impressed with the beauty of nature.

C．The narrator prefers the world of steel to the world of nature.

D．The narrator is unaccustomed to nature and tries to keep a distance.

4. Which statement would the narrator most likely agree with?

A．Technological progress and urbanization come at a cost.

B．Economic profits overweigh environmental protection.

C．There is no point in preserving nature in the urbanization process.

D．Nature is resilient and there’s no need to worry about it.