1 . Find Awe in Every Life

We’re living through trying times. Almost every day, it seems, we’re presented with new evidence of how annoying or awful others can be—the people who let the door slam in your face, or the ones who put their speakerphones on in public.     1    

Awe is that feeling we get when something is so vast it stops us in our tracks. Often, it challenges or expands our thinking.     2     They can also help our relationships, making us feel more compassionate and less greedy, more supported by and more likely to help others.

Most of us associate awe with something rare and beautiful: nature, music or a spiritual experience.     3     “You don’t have to go into orbit, or to a museum or a national park,” says David B. Yaden, PhD. “It’s in your home.”

Unfortunately, we can’t make some else behave in a way that’s awesome. But we can get prepared to notice it when they do—and take steps to boost emotion’s positive effects.

    4     Blurting out “Wow, that was awesome!” is a simple way to help you identify and remember a special experience. Savor it in the moment—pay attention to all the details—then tell others about it. This will encourage your positive emotions.

Thank the person who awed you. This makes the other person feel good and can give your relationship a boost.     5     Studies show that people who practice gratitude have significantly higher levels of happiness and psychological well-being than those who don’t.

A．And it will help you too.

B．Name awe when you see it.

C．Come up with examples of awe.

D．So it’s easy to forget that people can be awesome too.

E．This kind of awe is usually a response to life’s big, sweeping changes.

F．But we can be awed by our nearest—the people sitting next to us on the couch.

G．Awe experiences decrease stress and anxiety and increase positive emotions in life.

2 . Should teens do housework after school?    1    Some might claim that doing housework is a waste of time, while others feel that housework is a good opportunity for teens to become more mature. As for me, I strongly argue that it is indeed necessary for teens to do household work to help develop a sense of responsibility.

First of all, to be responsible, teenagers should learn how to manage their time.     2    When I was in senior high, I had to wash dishes every day. Therefore, I learned how to do my chores (家务) quickly to save more time for studying and relaxing. On the other hand, my little brother did not do any housework, so he always struggled to keep to his schedule.

    3    Doing household chores can train teens to become independent people. For instance, when my sister was in high school, she had to do her own washing and cleaning, and even cook her own food. As a result, she knew how to take care of herself. She rarely relied on anyone.

Finally, doing household chores can help teens become better leaders.     4    When my family clean the house together, I often give orders and see everyone do his or her own work. My sister is in charge of dusting the floor, I clean the windows, and my brother takes out the waste.     5    Moreover, statistics show that a lot of students who are class leaders often are responsible for the main household chores in their families.

A．Take my personal experience for example.

B．People adopt different stands toward this issue.

C．Besides, being responsible means being independent.

D．Parents feel angry if their teens don't help with the housework.

E．Secondly, it gives teens the sense that they're part of the family.

F．Doing household work can help them develop good time management skills.

G．As a result, when I was selected as the leader in group projects, I felt confident about it.

3 . People are obsessed (对……着迷) with apps these days. Whether they’re good or bad, some apps can really make our life easier. There are some apps that can make your life easier and happier.

Relax Melodies

Stress is an inevitable (不可避免的) part of life. When you don’t know how to deal with stress in a healthy way, it can cause many health issues, including anxiety and depression. This app features relaxing sounds that help you fight stress and fall asleep faster. It can help your baby to sleep better as well. The sounds are perfect for yoga and massage sessions, too. If you are looking to improve your health, give this app a try.

Fitbit

The Fitbit app will help you live a healthier life and be more active throughout the day. It helps to watch your calorie intake, keep your weight under control, keep track of your daily activities, follow your training program, achieve your fitness and weight-loss goals, and many more, You can invite your family members, friends or coworkers to join and compete with them. The app is free.

Pocket Expense Personal Finance

Keep track of your spending, monitoring all your financial accounts, track all your bills，reach your savings goals and overall keep your budget under control with this app. The app helps you to see how much money is left. It can teach you to shop wisely and budget your money more efficiently.

Groupon

The Groupon app helps to get deals for 50% — 70% off the most popular stuff to see, do and purchase things in over 500 cities worldwide. You can save on almost everything while traveling around the world. This app is a must-have for wise buyers.

1. How can Relax Melodies benefit people?

A．By helping people deal with hard tasks.

B．By keeping track of people’s daily activities.

C．By getting people to feel calm with sounds.

D．By improving people’s level to appreciate music.

2. Which of the following apps can assist you if you wish to get things at a discount?

A．Fitbit.	B．Groupon.
C．Relax Melodies.	D．Pocket Expense Personal Finance.

3. Why do people choose the app Pocket Expense Personal Finance?

A．It can make you relaxed.

B．It can help you keep in shape.

C．It can help you spend money more reasonably.

D．It can tell you where to buy high-quality goods.

4 . 阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

I was walking along the road to school one day and I met my friend Raine. He suggested that we skip school and go to the movies. I refused as my dad was very fierce and strict. After much persuasion, I gave in. There was a Will Smith movie on and I was a fan.

So we set off to the movies together, bought our tickets, popcorn and drinks and settled down comfortably. As we were early, the lights were still on. We watched people come in groups, families and there were couples too. Some of them looked like school students playing truant（逃学）like us. As I turned around, I caught a glimpse of my uncle Andy and Aunt Jane walking in. They were kind and cared about me very much. I sank into my seat quickly to avoid being spotted. I signaled to Raine that there was someone I didn’t want to see and Raine made it more obvious by turning around and asking “Who? And where?” loudly. It made me sit even lower in my seat.

To make things worse, they came and sat in the row behind us and were saying to each other how I would have loved to come to this movie as I adored Will Smith. They were even commenting about the students playing truant. Soon the movie began and I was glad when the lights were turned off but I didn’t enjoy the movie at all for fear of being spotted. So, I sat there like an astronaut, peering over the front seat.

Every now and then I would secretly take a quick look at my aunt and uncle. I was sure they were also looking at me. Feeling nervous and anxious, I kept wondering how I could leave the cinema without being noticed.

注意：
1.所续写短文词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。

When the movie ended and the lights came on, I remained seated.

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In front of us were my aunt and uncle, waiting at the gate.

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5 . Why did the man come late?

A．He had a long talk with his colleague.

B．He bought so many things on the way.

C．He sent his colleague back home by car.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the woman get angry at first?

A．The man tore(撕裂) her dress.

B．The man is rude to her.

C．The man dirtied her dress.

2. What does the woman say about the man afterward?

A．He is generous.

B．He is polite.

C．He is kind.

3. What is the man’s advice at last?

A．To have dinner together.

B．To exchange(交换) phone numbers.

C．To buy the woman a new dress.

7 . After his father was rushed to the hospital with brain bleeding, 43-year-old Yanatha Desouvre began to panic. So he did one thing he knew would calm himself —writing.     1     He wrote about his worry as well as his happy memories with his dad. “Writing allowed me to face my fear,’’ says Desouvre.

Psychologists refer to this kind of writing as “expressive writing’’, whose idea is to write about a painful experience or difficult situation. James Pennebaker, a psychology professor at the University of Texas, says hundreds of studies over several decades have looked at the potential benefits of expressive writing and found it can strengthen the immune system, including people with illnesses such as cancer and depression.     2    

Expressive writing works because it allows you to make meaning out of a painful experience.     3     Then, translating that experience into language forces you to organize your thoughts. And writing it out gives you a sense of control. It can increase someone’s acceptance of their experience, and acceptance is calming.

What if you don’t consider yourself “a writer”?     4     Instead, do dig deep into your thoughts and feelings. The goal of the expressive writing is to find meaning in an unsettling event.

    5     Expressive writing isn’t a magical panacea (灵丹妙药). It shouldn’t be used as a replacement for other treatments. And people suffering from a severe depression may not find it useful to do on their own.

A．But there are a few warnings.

B．Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.

C．Yet it can be a powerful curing tool for many people.

D．Over the next few weeks, he filled several notebooks.

E．The mere act of writing out can control the brain activity.

F．It can also help reduce pain and improve mood, sleep, and memory.

G．Recognizing that something is bothering you is an important first step.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

In my early thirties, my career in teaching was not what I dreamed it would be. I left the job and moved in with my parents for a year while I tested out a new career.

Living with my parents proved to be an even bigger challenge than my new job. To tell the truth, it was probably harder for them than it was for me because I was a big trouble. I yelled at my mom for buying junk food and ignored my dad when he offered advice. I complained my mom never did my laundry the way I wanted and my dad never let me choose what show to watch. Instead of being grateful for their hospitality(款待), I was mean to them and most likely made them regret their offer.

“This is only for a year,” I would repeat to myself on a daily basis, sometimes hourly. Instead of living in the present, I would wish for the future and to have it all figured out. My life wasn’t what or where I wanted it to be. By this age, I expected to be firmly rooted on a career path with a huge circle of friends who liked to hang out. I did not expect to be living with my parents and starting over.

My attitude grew worse. One day when I was tearfully talking about something that was making my life miserable, my mother interrupted me. She nearly shouted, “Why don’t you just try smiling more?” I am pretty sure I laughed at her, but she went on to explain that sometimes things don’t work out the way we thought they would. “Don’t wait for things to get better,” she said. “Make them better.” I decided I was going to show my mother just how wrong she was. I would follow her ad-vice and try smiling more.

Weeks passed, and somewhere along the way, I forgot about trying to smile more as it became a habit. I worked on approaching situations with a better perspective and slowly star-ted to feel the weight on my shoulders lighten.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The second half of that year was better than the first.
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I wasn’t aware that I was different, but my friend told me a simple change did appear.
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9 . What do we mean when we talk about repair? The most commonly repaired items at home are wooden furniture and table lamps and other small lights, but many people express a level of discomfort for lack of knowledge about the skills required to repair them. However, we live in a time when many of the objects we buy come with limited lifespans(寿命) —especially technological and electrical goods.

Although some objects may require specialist aid, plenty of worn things around the home can be repaired there, if you know what you’re doing. “One hundred years ago, everyone needed to repair things themselves,” an expert says. “So many people had the skills, and they were passed down from generation to generation. And not only the skills, but also the tools. The tools almost became the memories of that repair and carried their own stories.”

Repair often feels pleasant because it is a moment of fixing. The holes can be filled. The gaps will be smoothed over. The language of repair has great significance in describing things: mending, fixing, restoring, rebuilding, piecing together. All are words we use for the objects around us, but also ones we apply to ourselves. We feel a little happy in the idea that few things are truly beyond salvage.

Repair is attractive for many reasons. It helps us think about how to care for the things we own. It makes us mindful of what we waste, and what we should hold on to. It reminds us to bend in closer and see the changes, the points where the needle went through the surface and pulled together something new.

1. How do many people feel when it comes to repairing things?

A．Very confident.	B．A little scared.
C．Particularly interested.	D．Slightly uneasy.

2. Which of the following is true according to paragraph 2?

A．Most worn things need to be repaired by specialists.

B．The repairing tools were once passed down for generations.

C．Words about repairing can not be used for people.

D．The process of repairing is often disappointing.

3. What does the underlined word “salvage” mean in paragraph 3?

A．Reach.

B．Description.

C．Repair.

D．Reason.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards repair?

A．Indifferent.

B．Positive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Curious.

10 . Soft skills can make a huge difference to your life. They include being a good listener, working with other people and showing a positive attitude.     1     Happy and successful people are likely to have most, if not all, of the soft skills listed below.

    2     Being able to work harmoniously in a team is a skill of vital importance. Whether you work in a factory or an office, it’s certain that you are part of a team. You must learn how to get on with others. If you’re a team leader, you must also know how to motivate and inspire your members.

Work for the ideal work-life balance.     3     In fact, those who are crazy about earning money are often far from happy. For most things in this world, balance is the key. It is understandable that you want to work hard and earn a lot of money at the same time. But just ensure that you leave enough time and energy to enjoy the rewards.

See the best in others. Ask yourself if you have this quality. Many people don’t have it. However, having this skill is awesome. Seeing the best in others means that you can help them develop to the best of their potential.     4    

Have the eagerness to learn. Where would we be without learning? From our birth to adulthood, we constantly learn new things.     5     And they often complain that they have difficulty adapting to the changes in their lives. So to stay young, happy and satisfied, renew your enthusiasm for learning.

A．Communicate clearly and effectively.

B．Happiness is not dependent on money.

C．Understand the power of teamwork.

D．However, as we get older, many people stop learning.

E．Having a friendly personality helps you make new friends.

F．It also means that you can quickly build trust with other people.

G．Without them, you’ll struggle to find work, partners and happiness.