1 . Cheerfulness is a powerful way to deal with a world that will always be tough and unjust in one way or another. It is a sign of strength in the face of difficulties. Different from fear, joy, or anger, cheerfulness isn’t something that overcomes you.     1     As such, you can include it into your life once you make the right mental switch. Here are four ways to do so.

◎Acknowledge the difficulties.

Cheerfulness is an honest emotion because you’re not hiding from reality.     2     Instead, it’s extremely important to be honest with yourself about the problems you’re facing. Only by first acknowledging that things are tough will you be able to find ways to cope.

◎Don’t focus on the negative.

Whether in your personal life or in society, it’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong. But whatever you focus on, it grows. If you decide to focus on what’s going wrong, those problems will grow in your mind until they consume you.     3    

◎Be grateful for what you have.

    4     Usually, they’re the things we take for granted until they’re no longer there, such as good health, a loving family, or even something as simple as a beautiful sunrise. Being grateful will shift your perspective and make it easier to see the silver linings of your problems.

◎    5    

No cheerfulness without laughter. So you can watch comedies, browse memes, or joke around with friends. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, makes you feel less pain, and protects you from stress. Laughter is cathartic (精神宣泄的) and infectious. Laugh and brighten the room.

A．Find your sense of humor.

B．Deal with difficulties seriously.

C．Focus on the good things you have.

D．To a large degree, cheerfulness is a choice.

E．You’re not covering your eyes and looking away.

F．Acknowledge the problems, but don’t give them too much attention.

G．Being cheerful will make you see the world and your own life in a different way.

2 . Negative emotions have a bad reputation: they’re often seen as dangerous or destructive.     1     But research reveals that negative emotions are useful for people and important for a successful and satisfying life.

In a recent study, we tested this idea for the case of anger. We designed a series of experiments with more than 1, 000 participants. We found that people who got mad first were more successful than the other participants.     2     When the goals were not challenging, getting angry did not improve outcomes.

    3     Here the story becomes more complicated. The findings do not mean that everyone should get angry in order to achieve their goals. But anger clearly can be useful in overcoming obstacles. Let us say, anger at a crashing computer could motivate someone to take it to a repair shop. But it could also motivate them to smash the computer on the floor.     4     Yet only one is truly beneficial. This complication in using our negative emotions contributes to their bad reputation. Fortunately, there is a lot of research on how to improve responses to negative emotions like anger. No doubt the best response is not to focus on what’s happening but to respond to achieve the desired outcome.

Negative emotions aren’t bad. They are incredibly important indicators that significant events are taking place.     5    

A．But what does this mean for people’s life?

B．People try to avoid them, contain them or ignore them.

C．Across our studies, anger helped achieve challenging goals.

D．Both actions have removed the obstacle: the crashing computer.

E．So the next time one happens, don’t push it away-pay attention.

F．When you are angry, you experience physical and emotional pain.

G．In the midst of anger, however, it can be very easy to make careless mistakes.

3 . One of the cores of emotional intelligence is self-regulation, an important skill in the workplace. Like any skill, mastery of emotional self-control requires intentionality and practice.     1    .

Pause to Mentally Distance

When you notice your typical physiological experiences associated with strong negative emotion, what should you do? Mentally step out of your immediate experience. Asking yourself any question, or imagining what you might look like to others right now, will do the trick. At that point, although still physiologically keyed up, you will be able to ask yourself, “What is the best course of action right now?” or “What advice would I give someone else who is in my shoes?”     2    .

Take Control of Your Self-Talk

We’re frequently unaware of how much self-chatter is going on in the background of our minds. Such self-talk might not be in fully articulated (铰接式的) words or phrases, but instead little flashes of thought. Becoming aware of your self-talk can be difficult. Why is this an important skill to develop?     3    . To genuinely ease a strong negative emotion requires tackling the source by examining the underlying belief and how accurate, reasonable, or useful it is.

Seek Support from Partners

Ask others you trust to help you recognize when your emotions seem to be getting the best of you.     4    . Agree on a gesture or word that might serve as a signal that your trusted individual wonders whether you’re riding the led-by-your-limbic-system train. Of course, there will be times they’re wrong. So, it’s important not to respond defensively when you get that signal. Reacting with anything other than gratitude ensures that your partner won’t take that risk again.

Cultivate (培养) Curiosity

Our brains are wired to draw conclusions and form judgments at lightning speed, and those are frequently the cause of our negative emotions.     5    , but we tend to run with them, sparking the self-talk that follows. Generally working to be more curious about other people’s experiences, including their self-identified motives for their behavior, helps avoid making hasty judgments.

A．They are comfortable with all emotions

B．Those judgments are not necessarily accurate

C．Doing so provides you with choices as to how to act

D．Explain your developmental goals and sincerely ask for help

E．Stay focused on coming up with an answer and following through on it

F．Because it is those background beliefs that fuel our emotional responses

G．Here are four ways you can develop greater emotional self-management

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

“He is a fool who cannot be angry, but he is really a wise man     1     won’t.” The habit of keeping pleasant is indeed better     2     an income of a million dollars a year. The life without cheerfulness is like the severe winter without     3     sun. We all love cheerful company,     4     we tend to forget that cheerfulness is a habit which can be developed by all.

We find     5     very difficult to be happy when we are in sorrow. It requires great courage. We should never forget that to be cheerful when it is not easy shows greatness. Thorns(荆棘) may be in     6     (we) way, but how happy the conqueror’s(征服者) song is!

The perfection of cheerfulness     7     (lie) in the happy frame of mind(愉悦的心情). It is displayed in good temper and kind behavior. It comes     8     (main) from personal goodness and from belief in the goodness of others. It can make people see the glory in the grass and the sunshine on the flower. It encourages happy thoughts, and lives in an atmosphere of peace. It costs nothing, and yet it is     9     (value). It blesses its possessor(祝福它的拥有者) and affords a large measure of enjoyment to others. To light up others’ heart, one’s own heart must     10     (light) first.

5 . One of the primary goals of cognitive behavioral therapy (疗法) is finding effective ways to channel your anxiety into productive action. The best possible one is under the care of an experienced mental health care provider. Still, if you are hoping to stop being paralyzed (麻痹) by anxiety and use this energy to fuel and improve your life, you can.     1    

Set a goal. Goal-setting is one way to use your anxiety as fuel. Take notice of your anxious thoughts and worries. What are you most concerned about?     2     Instead of shaking in your boots, get to work developing a plan that allows you to overcome these fears.

Challenge yourself regularly to build resilience. Think of your resilience to anxiety as a muscle.     3     Rather than avoiding those situations that cause anxiety, gradually expose yourself to them more often. When you do this, you will find that, over time, they lose their power. For instance, if you hate public speaking, you might benefit from signing up for a local Toastmasters club. Doing so will allow you to practice speaking in front of a group more often, which will reduce your anxiety.

    4     Anxiety can feel like a live wire in your body. You can’t sit still or focus. Exercise is a great activity to make use of this spare energy. Exercise offers a host of benefits like fighting off illness and helping you manage weight. One of the benefits most helpful to you, however, is its ability to neutralize anxiety and improve your mood.

Perform reality testing. You don’t have to become a slave to your anxious thoughts, giving them permission to get you all worked up.     5     Reality testing involves assessing a situation for errors in thinking. To assess the reality of this situation, you want to ask what evidence is there that says this is true. Did your friends actually call you lame? Are they avoiding you?

A．Put them to the test instead.

B．What are your biggest fears?

C．Burn off nervous energy with physical activity.

D．When you find yourself becoming anxious, check your thought patterns

E．Just transform anxiety into action by using positive strategies.

F．How can you deal with getting fired if it does happen?

G．The more you use the muscle, the stronger it becomes.

6 . When your best friends are upset, sad, or disappointed, all you want to do is lift their spirits. Here are some easy ways to cheer them up.

Help your friend clean their room.

Being surrounded by a mess doesn’t do much for your mental state.     1     Helping your friend straighten up their room gives you something productive to do together. Plus, when they’re on their own, they can relax in a clean, peaceful space.

Encourage them to talk it out.

Talking is effective. Teenagers usually want someone to talk to when they are stressed.     2     If they aren’t interested in talking, invite them to do an activity with you and they will likely start talking.

Practice gratitude.

Thinking about and focusing on the good things in your life can do wonders for lifting your spirits. Help your friend turn their attention to those things.     3    

    4    

Staying active can help get depression (抑郁) away. Invite the person to join you in a dance class or anything else they may have mentioned before that they wanted to try out but never have. Fun time with friends is surely helpful.

Do an aimless act of kindness together.

    5     So go out, do things, even small things (e.g., opening a door for someone, paying for someone’s drink, smiling at and greeting a stranger. etc.), for others and see how your day changes.

A．Try new things together.

B．Plan for your future together.

C．Just be there for them and listen to them.

D．Together, you can each list all the things you’re grateful for.

E．Science has shown just being in nature naturally improves one’s mood.

F．Meanwhile, having a tidy space can help you feel more in control and calmer.

G．Oftentimes when we do things for other people, we are the ones that benefit.

7 . John is a barber, running a very successful business. He has a large group of regulars, some of whom enjoy a daily shave in his shop, while others just come for the occasional haircut. They keep coming because John loves to laugh, and 30 minutes spent in his shop is a medicine that cheers everyone up. His loud, booming laugh is a trademark around his town.

But John wasn’t always a barrel of laughs. In his teens and early adulthood, he suffered from depression. He often had a long face and found it hard to even smile. It was his neighbor, Mrs. Lee, who was a psychologist, that helped him out. She showed him funny videos or read light-hearted books for him, guided him to focus on things he was grateful for, rather than on things that had been bothering him. Following her advice, he forced himself to laugh as wild as possible, even if it felt fake (假的). To his surprise, after a while, he turned his life around, and real laughter came back into his life again.

Researchers say that we’re all born with the ability to laugh and that finding more ways to bring laughter into our lives does not have to be complicated. In fact, the best advice they offer is “Fake it till you make it.” If you focus on finding ways to laugh and enjoy life and try to smile and laugh even when not feeling like it, you can genuinely change your mood and laugh happily.

John also says we shouldn’t hold back our urge to laugh, even at silly things. Next time you see a funny advertisement on television, making you laugh inside, focus on letting out that laughter. Laughter can be contagious, so you may help others around you, too.

1. Why do John’s regular customers keep coming to his shop?

A．Because he is a successful barber.

B．Because they want to buy a medicine.

C．Because his laughing can lift their spirits.

D．Because he can offer them best shave and haircut.

2. Who helped John solve the problem of his teens and early adulthood?

A．Himself.

B．Researchers.

C．His neighbor.

D．His customers.

3. What can be inferred from the researchers in the passage?

A．It is difficult to find ways to laugh.

B．Laughter can be faked and finally become real.

C．The ability to laugh should be developed after birth.

D．We can watch funny videos or read light-hearted books.

4. The underlined word “contagious” in the last paragraph probably means ______.

A．spread

B．heard

C．free

D．available

8 . Friendships can enrich your life in many ways. Good friends teach you about yourself and challenge you to be better.     1    . So how do friendships contribute to your well-being?

●Friends encourage healthy behaviors

One possible explanation for those health benefits is that friendships can help you make lifestyle changes that can have a direct impact on your well-being. For example, your friends can help you set and maintain goals to eat better and exercise more.

●    2    

If you find yourself going through a hard time, having a friend to help you through can make the transition (转变) easier.

Research also shows that happiness is contagious (有感染力的) among friends. One study of high school students found that those who were depressed were twice as likely to recover if they had happy friends.     3    .

●Friends help build your confidence

    4    . But supportive friends can help you feel more confident by offering praise when you’re feeling unsure. They’ll shine a light on just how amazing you are and how much you have to offer others.

●Friends push you to be your best

Great friends have the power to mold(塑造) you into the best version of yourself.     5    . They encourage you and push you to do better and be the person you want to be—your “ideal self”.

A．Friends help you beat stress

B．Friends give you emotional support

C．They also have a positive impact on your health

D．They see you and love you for who you truly are

E．Friends can also help you cope with stressful situations

F．Everyone has self-doubts and insecurities every now and then

G．Likewise, kids were half as likely to develop depression if their friends had a “healthy mood”

9 . Soothe the Sunday Scaries

As the weekend comes to an end, many of us are missing out on Sunday Funday and anxious about the upcoming week. Experts have nicknamed this worry the “Sunday scaries”.     1    

Here’s how you can ease your end-of-weekend anxiety.

When structuring your Sunday, try not to arrange too many errands and chores. If you’re feeling more stress, it’s important to make space for some activities to relax yourself. And there’s no right way to do so — maybe a midafternoon shower or bath, maybe an engaging movie or show.     2    

Anxiety is a normal human experience, and one of the main ways to manage it is to identify your personal triggers.     3     Is it a deadline, meeting, or presentation? Even if there’s not a single reason behind your Sunday anxiety, organizing the stress you expect from the week ahead into small pieces can help it.

Getting rid of the Sunday scaries isn’t just about minimizing the gloom of the week ahead, either. Having something to look forward to gives you something pleasing to think about, rather than only focusing on the anxiety you feel.     4     Instead of focusing on the awful things you expect from the week, build excitement over a lunch date with a friend.

Make Sunday nights about doing something for yourself to reduce your anxiety about Monday. Plan some favorite foods to enjoy or go all in for some self-care.     5     Do your best to honor this time and make Sunday night all about you—leave the work emails for Monday morning.

A．It’s a form of shifting your thoughts.

B．This is an opportunity to give yourself a refreshing time.

C．Try to figure out what’s really causing you to fear the week.

D．It doesn’t mean you have to shift your thoughts to something fun.

E．But even though the Sunday scaries are common, they are manageable.

F．It can be whatever feels like a helpful distraction to relieve from the stress.

G．Instead of sitting on the sofa and watching the clock, do something that you enjoy.

10 . How to practise emotional awareness?

What is emotional awareness? Emotional awareness is being able to identify and make sense of not only our own emotions but those of others. It’s absolutely essential in understanding our behaviors and changing our way of dealing with the problems. With emotional awareness, we can understand how this influences our behaviors.    1    

Of course, describing exactly how we feel can often prove difficult.    2    It’s not always easy to put a finger on exactly what’s wrong, without digging a little deeper. This is often because on some level we don’t want to know how we really feel.

    3     Unhealthy thoughts, behaviors and coping mechanisms that are hidden from our view. Perhaps you lash out(猛击)or withdraw when you feel overwhelmed or go into a flood of criticism and self-doubt when you receive negative feedback.

Mindfulness is the process of bringing our attention to the present moment and becoming more aware of our thoughts. It’s a state of calm, non-judgmental reflection.    4     We can quiet the mental chatter that often accompanies difficult emotions and instead sit with the physical sensation of the emotion in our body. Doing this regularly allows us to be more aware of the source of our emotions and enables us to carry out strategies to manage them more effectively.

Self-reflection develops emotional awareness and is key to understanding why you feel the way you do. Activities such as journaling can be really beneficial in learning about your thought processes.    5    It can be difficult to feel heard by others if we don’t have the language to describe how we’re feeling.

A．And in turn, change the way we respond to challenging situations.

B．Without emotional awareness, we may develop emotional blind spots.

C．It’s the very reason we turn to general phrases like “I’m not myself today”.

D．Sometimes what we really struggle with is putting our emotions into words.

E．There are many ways to be mindful, from practising breathwork to sitting in silence.

F．And for many of us, that means understanding how we feel and why can be incredibly difficult.

G．Research shows that being aware of your emotions is hugely beneficial to social and emotional functioning.