1 . Last week we encountered a minor water crisis at our home. A water pipe (管子) had been leaking _______ within a bathroom wall, which my husband and I _______ for long. Consequently, we woke up one morning to a pool of water on the bedroom floor. We _______ the bedroom sofa that shares the same wall and located the _______: Water had spread from a break between the wall and the floor.

I got down to clearing up the _______. Initially, I used towels to absorb the water. When seeing the break was not huge, I tried _______ back the water with a mop (拖把). But the _______ quickly became bigger, making more water constantly well out. This was a sign that something deeper within the wall needed our _______.

We acted decisively, _______ the main water line, opening up the wall and beginning the chaotic work of ________ the broken pipe. Despite quite a bit of wall repair and painting to do, we were ________ that it was no longer leaking and our water supply was back on track. Later, we were told by an architect friend that such a small leak can become a ________ break and eventually do serious structural damage to our home.

Big problems usually start small. I’ve been reflecting: How many times we don’t bother to ________ small issues that demand our attention until they grow into big ones that almost ________ our life. With more care and earlier action, we can save ourselves much time and ________.

1.

A．rapidly

B．slightly

C．heavily

D．widely

2.

A．expected

B．discussed

C．considered

D．ignored

3.

A．occupied

B．changed

C．abandoned

D．removed

4.

A．fault

B．resource

C．item

D．approach

5.

A．objects

B．doubt

C．mess

D．memories

6.

A．pushing

B．drawing

C．shipping

D．blowing

7.

A．floor

B．leak

C．pipe

D．wall

8.

A．mention

B．service

C．attention

D．sympathy

9.

A．breaking through

B．putting aside

C．taking apart

D．shutting down

10.

A．arranging

B．preserving

C．fixing

D．distinguishing

11.

A．curious

B．anxious

C．shocked

D．relieved

12.

A．sharp

B．major

C．mental

D．temporary

13.

A．address

B．highlight

C．admit

D．postpone

14.

A．cure

B．direct

C．ruin

D．dominate

15.

A．space

B．trouble

C．argument

D．water

2 . A few weeks ago, I received a package containing a small batch (一批) of seeds from my friend. When I asked her what it would grow_________ , a flicker of a smile crossed her face. “Just plant them and be patient. You'll see for yourself_________”she said.

I sowed the seeds in a beautiful flowerpot. In the first few days, I was excited to search for the slightest_________ of germination (发芽). But nothing happened. With_________ homework, I began to feel frustrated and a little bit disappointed. How much I_________a splash of color in my fast-paced life!

I watered the plant carefully. I placed the plant in the sunlight and rotated (旋转) it for a_________ illumination (光照). On the fourth day, to my great surprise a few light green sprouts (芽) _________.

Bending down and carefully studying the seedlings, I could almost_________them growing. More days passed, the flowerpot soon became_________with coriander (香菜) plants.

Now they are taller than the edge of the pot,__________shaking their verdant (青翠的) leaves in the gentle__________of the wind, as if they are merrily singing a song of __________ and freedom.

I am certain that after a few more days, my coriander plants will be ready for__________. Thanks to my friend and my patience, these plants have played a crucial part in__________my everyday life. They may not be a main food on our table, but sprinkling some will surely add a__________of flavor to our dishes to spice up (为…调味) our busy days.

1.

A．into

B．for

C．up

D．out

2.

A．gradually

B．incredibly

C．ultimately

D．intently

3.

A．samples

B．signs

C．routes

D．proofs

4.

A．apparent

B．distinct

C．conventional

D．massive

5.

A．allowed for

B．longed for

C．provided for

D．went for

6.

A．intense

B．violent

C．balanced

D．exceptional

7.

A．emerged

B．hatched

C．reserved

D．sank

8.

A．pray

B．assess

C．forecast

D．hear

9.

A．conflicted

B．facilitated

C．crowded

D．surrounded

10.

A．subsequently

B．constantly

C．extensively

D．merely

11.

A．howl

B．scream

C．thunder

D．whisper

12.

A．initiative

B．leisure

C．harmony

D．luxury

13.

A．possession

B．consumption

C．exposure

D．harvest

14.

A．breaking into

B．relating to

C．brightening up

D．wearing down

15.

A．touch

B．bunch

C．host

D．lot

3 . Every Christmas, we get “The Box” from my uncle, who owns a local sporting goods store. He _______ uniforms to the sports teams and does T-shirt printing for parties. Every Christmas, instead of _______, he sends us the rejects(废品)from his shop.

One year, we got caps that sported a company’s misspelled _______. It was “Lovie’s Mower Service” _______ “Louie’s Mower Service”

Another year, we got a birthday party T shirt for a woman’s ninety sixth birthday when _______ to be her ninety seventh birthday. And another time we all got green football socks that weren’t exactly the _______ color for the football team that had _______ them.

You never know what you’re going to get out of “The Box”, so we play a _______ with it on Christmas Eve. My father _______ one item at a time, and each of us has the ________ to keep it or not. It goes around the whole ________, and if someone wants it, he ________ it, if no one wants it, it goes in the pile to charity.

We have had a million ________ over the years, with family reunion shirts, baseball pants, and different minor league baseball teams’ clothes with colorful names. “The Box” never ________ us.

I’m not sure what we will do if my uncle runs out of things to send us! It’s a ________ , if a bit wacky (古怪), Christmas tradition.

1.

A．supplies

B．designs

C．transports

D．counts

2.

A．celebrations

B．presents

C．blessings

D．impressions

3.

A．place

B．time

C．name

D．form

4.

A．but for

B．other than

C．compared to

D．instead of

5.

A．supposed

B．allowed

C．forced

D．encouraged

6.

A．ordinary

B．special

C．right

D．green

7.

A．seen

B．ordered

C．found

D．placed

8.

A．song

B．joke

C．sport

D．game

9.

A．sets up

B．brings back

C．draws out

D．gets in

10.

A．clue

B．chance

C．ability

D．dream

11.

A．area

B．week

C．day

D．circle

12.

A．buys

B．takes

C．refuses

D．throws

13.

A．laughs

B．protests

C．attempts

D．images

14.

A．excites

B．reminds

C．disappoints

D．threats

15.

A．beloved

B．legal

C．native

D．calm

4 . It’s just one little valve (阀门). I’m just guessing that it takes about 42 seconds to walk from the couch to where the valve is in our front yard, _________ it and return to the couch. And yet I didn’t.

Not that I wasn’t _________ to do so. The city already warned unpleasant results could follow our _________ to turn off that valve. My wife, Anita, also talked about it several times. Each of those _________ went something like this: “Joe, have you turned off the valve to the watering system?” she would ask sweetly. “Oh, that’s right,” I would say. “I _________ to do that.” “It would be great if you could do it before the ground freezes,” she would add, _________. Then I would _________ sincerely that I would do it tomorrow. But I didn’t. In my mind, there was no great rush to complete the task because we were having such a _________ fall followed by a usually warm winter. I kept telling myself that if it got really cold, I would do it. _________, it would only take about 42 seconds to do it. And it was such a(n) __________ thing.

And now we’re __________ it, with a couple of broken valves, a flooded basement floor and probably some __________ to the wall through which the water travelled on its way to the basement floor. The repairs to our watering system and the room have cost us several hundred dollars, not to mention the great __________.

So delaying is not simply putting off an action or a decision. It will have its own __________. Doing __________ is, in fact, doing something.

1.

A．check

B．repair

C．close

D．pick

2.

A．expected

B．permitted

C．forced

D．reminded

3.

A．failure

B．attempt

C．decision

D．admission

4.

A．questions

B．conversations

C．introductions

D．explanations

5.

A．prefer

B．happen

C．need

D．hate

6.

A．surely

B．thankfully

C．quietly

D．hopefully

7.

A．promise

B．consider

C．agree

D．wish

8.

A．dry

B．warm

C．cool

D．variable

9.

A．In a word

B．As a result

C．After all

D．Above all

10.

A．funny

B．simple

C．ordinary

D．pleasant

11.

A．paying for

B．preparing for

C．waiting for

D．caring for

12.

A．challenges

B．breakthroughs

C．damage

D．pressure

13.

A．investment

B．intervention

C．inspiration

D．inconvenience

14.

A．consequences

B．anxieties

C．solutions

D．responses

15.

A．anything

B．everything

C．something

D．nothing

5 . We live in a switched-on world in which it’s almost unthinkable to be without social media for so much as a day. The colorful images, interesting videos, bite-sized info, easy-to-read stories, viewing other people’s lives all is designed to keep us addicted.     1     An increasing number of studies indicate that social media can have a negative impact on our relationships IRL (that’s “in real life”for non-techies). The good news is that you don’t have to go backwards to avoid the dangers of social media.     2    

■Set time limits

Try the Pomodoro Technique.     3     Using this method, you break your workday into 25- minute periods separated by five-minute breaks. Use an ordinary kitchen timer to get away from using your phone)to set limits and schedule an activity to do afterwards. Then when the timer rings, step away from your device and turn off those notifications.

■    4    

The infinite scroll (无限滚动), as it’s termed by developers, is specifically designed to keep you aimlessly looking at news feeds, passively taking in everything you see. Before you go online, decide what you’re going for and stick to it. In this focused way you can go straight to what you want to see without mindlessly scrolling for things that don’t support your intentions.

■Avoid comparison

    5     This famous saying has never been truer than when we see other people’s seemingly “perfect lives” online. It can leave us feeling that we’re simply not good enough. Although comparing ourselves to others is normal human behavior, remember that people’s social media pages are not a true reflection of their real life.

A．Stay focused.

B．Scroll freely.

C．Comparison is the thief of joy.

D．However, there is a darker aspect.

E．No man is happy but by comparison.

F．This time-management strategy breaks your time up into periods.

G．Instead, you can free yourself from dependence but still enjoy the positive side.

6 . Should you share goals or keep them private? You’ll find conflicting answers if you turn to Google. Some say sharing goals cannot live up to one’s expectations because you’ll feel rewarded before actually doing anything to achieve them. The Arabs have for centuries voiced a similar message in the proverb “the more you surround your candle, the more it remains lit”. More recently, the idea became widespread in 2010 with a TED talk titled “Keep your goals to yourself”.

“In most cases you get more benefit from sharing your goal than if you don’t—as long as you share it with someone whose opinion you value,” Howard Klein told Ohio State News. Klein and his colleagues conducted several studies on goal-sharing. In one, the results showed that working adults frequently do share goals and are more likely to be committed to achieving those goals when they’re shared with people who are perceived to be of higher status.

A second study involved 171 undergraduate students who were asked to play a game. After the first round, the students were asked to play the game again, but this time they had to set a goal. The researchers separated the students into three groups. For one group, the students had to share their goals with a lab assistant who was dressed in a suit and introduced himself as a doctoral-level student in the business school who was an expert on the topic. For another group, the lab assistant was a casually dressed man who identified himself as a student at a local community college. A third group wasn’t asked to share their goals with anyone.

The results showed that people who shared their goals with the high-status person not only-showed higher commitment to achieving the goal, but also performed better in the game. Meanwhile, the two other groups showed similar commitment and performance. Klein said, “You want to be dedicated and unwilling to give up on your goal, which is more likely when you share that goal with someone you look up to and whose opinion you value and which might incentivize you to achieve your goals.”

1. What message does the Arab proverb express?

A．Setting goals makes you more determined.

B．Sharing your goals with others gets benefits.

C．Keeping your goals secret is the best policy.

D．Publishing your goals makes you rewarded.

2. What can be inferred from Klein’s two studies?

A．How students consider the two lab assistants matters most.

B．Adults are more likely to achieve their goals than students.

C．Adults are more committed when speaking out their goals.

D．The experiment on the third group turned out fruitless.

3. What does the underlined word “incentivize” mean in the last paragraph

A．Assist.

B．Encourage.

C．Intend.

D．Advise.

4. According to Klein, how can you be fully devoted to your goal?

A．By discussing it with your friends.

B．By sharing it with respected people.

C．By maintaining your performance.

D．By questioning people of high status.

7 . The Failed New Year’s Resolution: Three Tips to Get on Track

January is officially over, and many people are taking stock of their progress towards New Year’s resolutions. The fact is that you probably haven’t kept up with them as much as you hoped. But that’s not your fault.     1     . If you feel like you have already failed, here are three tips before you let go.

Practice self-compassion

Many people talk to themselves in harsh ways when struggling with new habits, believing self-criticism will help them reach their goals. Research shows, however, that the opposite is true. Self-compassion is more effective for personal improvement, especially when facing failure.     2     , try to be kind and gentle with yourself, just as you would with a loved one.

    3    

Resolutions are often phrased as definitive goals. I will exercise daily. I will kick desserts.     4     . But setting all-or-nothing goals can lead to all-or-nothing decisions that one gives up when faced with challenges. In contrast, intentions focus more on your values than specific actions. For example, the resolution “I will exercise daily” may become an intention of “I want to move my body because it feels good.” This approach allows for more flexibility when unexpected stress arises.

Solve problems by overcoming barriers

If you are struggling to maintain your desired habits, there are evidence-based techniques available to help you.     5     . This involves identifying the specific barriers that lead to your quitting something that you want to do. Perhaps you keep forgetting the new habit, or perhaps you don’t understand how to do it. Whatever it is, identify the barrier and cope with it specifically.

A．Set all-or-nothing goals

B．Change your resolutions into intentions

C．One such skill is called missing links analysis

D．Setting specific behavioral goals can be effective

E．If you’re persuaded to give up on your resolutions

F．Old habits tend to die hard, and new habits tend to die easy

G．When you are upset about yourself for not keeping resolutions

8 . A selection from the trolley

The trolley problem used to be a popular question in philosophical ethics(伦理学).It runs as follows: a trolley, or a train, is speeding down a track towards a junction(三叉路口). Some evildoer has tied five people to the track ahead, and another person to the branch line. You are standing next to a lever(操纵杆) that controls the junction. Do nothing, and the five people will be killed. Pull the lever, and only one person dies. What is the ethical course of action?

    1     A truly self-driving car, after all, will have to be given ethical instructions of some sort by its human programmers. That has led to a boom for the world’s professional ethicists, who suddenly find themselves in hot demand.

In a paper just published in Nature, a team of psychologists and computer scientists, led by Edmond Awad of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), describe a different approach.     2    

They created a website which presents visitors with a series of choices about whom to save and whom to kill. The website proved a hit. In the end it gathered nearly 40m decisions.

The strongest preferences, expressed by respondents from all over the world, were for saving human lives over animal ones, preferring to save many rather than few and prioritising children over the old.     3    

Iyad Rahwan, a computer scientist at MIT and one of the paper’s authors, says that many people dismiss the trolley problem as pointless as it is unlikely to arise in real life. He is unconvinced. The specific situations described by the website may hardly ever occur, he says.     4     He gives the example of overtaking cyclists: “If you stay relatively near to the cycle lane, you’re increasing the chance of hitting a cyclist, but reducing the chance of hitting another car in the next lane over,” he says.

A．But all sorts of choices made by the firms producing self-driving cars will affect who lives and who dies in indirect ways.

B．Rather than asking philosophers for their thoughts, they decided instead to ask the public.

C．That seems to conflict with most people’s moral preferences.

D．The preference for saving women, for instance, was stronger in places with higher levels of gender equality.

E．There were weaker preferences for saving women over men, pedestrians over passengers in the car and for taking action rather than doing nothing.

F．The excitement around self-driving cars, though, has made the problem famous.

9 . It’s common to feel hungry and take a snack throughout the day.     1     But if you find yourself always feeling hungry and reaching for a snack, you might ask yourself: Am I really hungry, or am I bored?

What type of hunger?

There are different types of hunger: Physical hunger and psychological (心理的) hunger. If you are feeling physical effects of hunger, like a rumbling (辘辘声的) stomach or a headache, your body is in need of food to keep going. But if you “think” you’re hungry, it might be psychological hunger.

Hunger is a normal sense that makes you want to eat. Your body tells your brain that your stomach is empty. Avoid going long periods without eating or eating very large meals.     2    

Am I hungry?

One tip to avoid filling your psychological hunger is to wait 20 to 30 minutes after you first “feel” hungry.     3     If you have some illness that requires blood sugar levels, then you’ll want to follow your doctor’s suggestions.

Plan ahead

    4     Have an idea to fill the time and avoid boredom, like taking a walk, reading a book or completing a task. Keeping a food diary for a week can be a powerful tool for you to become more aware of your eating habits and possible causes for emotional eating.     5     Often, being thirsty and dehydration (脱水) can be misunderstood as hunger. Next time you want a snack, try drinking a glass of water first!

A．You are struggling with being fat.

B．You can take measures in advance for it.

C．Moreover, you can try drinking a glass of water.

D．Hunger usually makes some people feel unhappy.

E．If, after that time, you are still hungry, it’s time to eat.

F．In fact, if it is done properly, there’s nothing wrong with it.

G．Instead, take a moment to consider the type of hunger before eating.

10 . The way we watch television has changed, as many of us no longer follow the old model of television. In the past, a new episode (集) of a show was released once a week.     1     People, therefore, have created a new term：binge-watching (狂欢式刷剧). It is used to describe the behavior of watching many episodes of a whole series in a row.

    2     In fact, a 2018 Morning Consult poll (民意调查) found that 60 percent of American adults who watched shows binge-watched. The percentage even increased among younger audiences.     3    

Of course, every new cultural behavior has its accompanying health consequences. What is binge-watching doing to our health?     4     They sent an 18-question survey to 926 adults who owned a television and at least one other device with a screen. They found that heavy screen time users averaged 17.5 hours of screen-use every day. They also reported that this group’s health condition was worse than light users.

Interestingly, researchers also discovered a connection between binge-watching and greater stress. The result is surprising.     5     It might have been believed that people are turning to binge-watching to deal with anxiety and stress. However, that’s not the case. It could be the case that people will suffer from greater stress if watching more shows continuously.

A．Every new cultural behavior has its own causes.

B．Nowadays, binge-watching is a common behavior.

C．Now, many companies release a whole series at once.

D．People are more stressed out if they’re binge-watching.

E．Researchers at Arizona State University wanted to figure this out.

F．73 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds binge-watched at least once a week.

G．Researchers identified binge-watchers by asking how long they watched television.