1 . “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention,” Frank Sinatra chanted in his 1969 hit “My Way”. The song’s idea is attractive: that anyone can just declare what’s done is done and move on. Some take the declaration a step further and claim they have no regrets at all. Whether a boast or an actual attitude, “no regrets” suggests that life can and should be lived without looking through the rear-view mirror.

Easier said than done, though. In 2020, author Daniel H. Pink launched the World Regret Survey, the largest ever survey on the topic. With his research team, Pink asked more than 15,000 people in 105 countries, “How often do you look back on your life and wish you had done things differently?” 82% said regret is at least an occasional part of their life; roughly 21% said they feel regret “all the time.” Only 1% said they never feel regret.

If you are of the “no regrets” type, you might think that all this regret is a recipe for unhappiness. But that isn’t the case. True, being overwhelmed by regret is indeed bad for you. But going to the other extreme may be even worse. To rid yourself of regrets doesn’t free you from shame or sorrow; it leads you to make the same mistakes again and again. To truly get over our guilt requires that we put regret in its proper place.

As uncomfortable as it is, regret is an amazing cognitive (认知) achievement. If today your relationship with your partner has soured, your regret might mentally take you back to last year. You would remember your being mean and sensitive, and then imagine yourself showing more patience, being kind instead of hurtful at key moments. Then you would fast-forward to today and see how your relationship could be progressing instead of languishing.

But regret doesn’t have to be left unmanaged. The trick is to acknowledge it and use it for learning and improvement. You can be honest with yourself about what went wrong and use that knowledge to enjoy better relationships in the future.

1. What should we do if we have had a bitter quarrel with a close friend according to Frank Sinatra?

A．Attract more people to your argument.

B．Send him/her a letter of apology.

C．Boast about being more reasonable.

D．Forget about it and just let it go.

2. Which of the following statements about regret may the writer agree with?

A．We can do nothing about regret.

B．Unhappiness results from regret.

C．Ignoring regrets is missing the opportunity to improve.

D．Ridding yourself of regrets helps free you from sorrow.

3. What does the underlined word “languishing” in paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Improving.

B．Healing.

C．Showing up.

D．Breaking up.

4. What might be a suitable title for the text?

A．Regret to become smarter-if you let it.

B．Long for a different past? Regret it!

C．Regret? Not my way!

D．Stay away! Regret will heal itself.

3 . Eating well and getting enough sleep is great for self-care. Self-care also means taking time to manage stress and practice self-compassion.     1    

Breathe

Become mindful of your breathing. Take a few minutes each day to focus on your breathing. Start by taking a deep breath.     2     . As you continue, your breathing becomes deeper. As your breathing becomes much deeper, you will feel much more centered and calmer. You will feel you can manage whatever is happening right now.

Accept

Accept yourself, your feelings and the imperfection of life. The path to self-care starts with acceptance of your struggles.     3     , our mind stops struggling and grows quiet. Rather than trying to change or control difficult emotions from the inside, allow them to be there, and your mind will rest.

Write

    4     Write down the situation you must accept and all that you are feeling. Write down the things in your life that are weighing on you. Write the things you need to do. Choose the easiest task on the list to complete. Say to yourself, “ In the morning, I will do the easiest thing I can do from the list. Once I finish the easiest task, it is much easier to work on the second. ”

Walk

An easy way to care for yourself is to take a walk. Walking can distract your mind and create space between you and the stress in your life. Walking can be a resource for healing. When you sit around thinking about upsetting things, it will not help you.     5     . Often you will relieve the stress within your body by walking.

A．When we accept them

B．If we wouldn’t accept ourselves

C．Begin a simple writing exercise

D．Research shows that running benefits health

E．At first, your breathing is short and shallow

F．If you start walking, your physical energy changes

G．Here are four simple ways to quiet your mind and ease your stress

5 . As both a parent and a college professor, I have witnessed the destructive effects of test anxiety. Students with it can say quickly the material and explain complex content in a relaxed environment but fail in an exam. When it matters the most, students with test anxiety can convey the least.

Some students turn to drugs. With any medicine, there is a concern for safety, particularly when it is with the brain, the body’s most complicated and important organ. A new study suggests there may be a choice to these drugs for students: an open-label placebo (安慰剂).

Placebos have long been known to effectively reduce symptoms for different illnesses. Traditionally, service of a placebo treatment requires some tricks, in that people believe they are receiving an active, effective treatment, but in reality, they are taking a sugar pill or an activity that has no medical help. An open-label placebo is different: people are told from the start that they are receiving a placebo that contains no medication. And yet Schaefer’s findings indicate that people may still benefit from it.

Why did the placebo work? At this point, scientists are not entirely sure. Human mental processes can be changed by environment. Taking the pills each day may have encouraged participants to think about test anxiety and may have also provided a sense that they were doing something to deal with it.

Finally, although participants taking the placebos did show improvement on a number of self-report measures, they had no benefit over the control group with respect to scores on their final exams. They may have felt better about taking their exams, but those feelings did not change into improved test scores.

Despite these limits, the present findings are appealing and suggest a low-cost, low-risk way for reducing an all-too common problem among students.

1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A．Test anxiety prevents some students perform normally in exams.

B．Test anxiety can improve some students’ performance after exams.

C．A relaxed atmosphere helps students bring out their best in exams.

D．Some students’ performance in exams is connected with environment.

2. Why do people feel placebos effective?

A．Because people feel it necessary psychologically.

B．Because people’s psychological feelings are at work.

C．Because placebos are made from sugar and taste sweet.

D．Because placebos are an open choice for the people taking it.

3. What can be concluded from the fourth and fifth paragraphs?

A．Taking placebos can reduce test anxiety.

B．Taking placebos can improve test scores.

C．Taking placebos is not as effective as taking drugs.

D．Taking placebos can increase sense of achievement.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Drug, a public concern for brain safety.

B．Test anxiety, a destructive factor in exams.

C．Open-label placebo, a free choice for students.

D．Placebo, a likely way to deal with test anxiety.

6 . Understanding Your Feelings Helps You Name And Tame (驯服) Them

We all experience various feelings all the time. Some of them feel great, some feel unpleasant, and it’s helpful to be able to recognize and understand how you’re feeling so you know how to deal with it.

    1     They can include anger, sadness, worry, loneliness and shame, as well as surprise, happiness, courage and hope, among many others.    2     All feelings are there to be felt and some can be more uncomfortable than others. It’s OK and natural to experience different emotions – and that includes emotions that might not feel nice.

To deal with your feelings you need to recognize what they are.     3     Are your fists clenched (攥紧)? Does it seem like there’s a knot in your stomach? Next, pay attention to what you’re thinking at this time.     4     Or are you thinking that you really don’t want to do something? Once you have identified how you’re feeling, you can label it by saying, for example, “I’m feeling angry” or “I’m feeling lonely” .

You can understand a difficult feeling and help yourselfto handle it.     5     If you’re upset about a difficult feeling, like “I’m feeling angry”, you might count to ten to calm down. Perhaps you notice “I’m feeling nervous”, and you might talk to someone about it. The person you talk to may be able to give you reassurance, more information, a different point of view, or even help you take action to deal with the cause of your difficult feeling.

A．Experts call this “name it to tame it” .

B．How can you deal with different feelings?

C．Perhaps you have the thought, “It’s not fair” .

D．Feelings are how people experience emotions.

E．First of all, notice what’s going on with your body.

F．They are shown through various body movements, to begin with.

G．Feelings are sometimes labelled as good or bad but that isn’t helpful.

7 . If you have been diagnosed with panic disorder, then you have likely experienced constant fear and anxiety. Research has shown that using relaxation techniques can help reduce nervousness.

Some common techniques include breathing exercises or yoga.     1     Another powerful one is visualization, which can help you relieve stress. It involves using mental imagery to achieve a more relaxed state of mind.

Similar to daydreaming, visualization is accomplished through the use of your imagination. There are reasons why visualization can help you cope with panic disorder or panic attacks.     2     When experiencing a panic attack, your mind may focus on the worry, the worst things that can happen and other concerns that only add to your sense of fearfulness. Visualization works to expand your ability to relax by focusing your mind on more calming images.

Before visualization, make sure your environment is set up for your comfort. To better relax, get rid of any distractions (干扰), such as phones, pets or TV.     3     Remove any heavy jewelry or restricting clothing. Get ready to relax by either sitting or lying down in a position that feels most comfortable to you.     4     Feel free to change it to better suit your needs and imagination.

    5     Through regular practice, you will more easily be able to use visualization when you really need it, such as when you start feeling the physical symptoms of panic and anxiety.

A．Take your time and slowly open your eyes.

B．Then you may begin your visualization exercise.

C．If the scene doesn’t fit you, try your own visualization.

D．They are relatively easy to learn and can be practiced daily.

E．Consider how your thoughts wander when you feel panic or anxiety.

F．Try to find a quiet place where you will most likely be undisturbed.

G．To get better at visualization, try practicing at least several times a day.

8 . Speaking of self-improvement, perhaps you want to become more productive, read more books, take regular exercise or learn something new.     1     Here we’ve put together this guide to help you.

Observe your emotional reactions.

Our emotions can often overwhelm (击败) us and make us behave in ways we’d rather not. The first step in dealing with your emotions is to recognize your current feelings.     2     You can sit for a few minutes each day and just observe how you feel.     3     However, learning to be with yourself without distractions is an essential part of meaningful self-development. You could be surprised by what you discover.

Develop a way to express your emotions.

Chris Martin, the singer-songwriter and frontman of the band Coldplay, once said, “You've got to express yourself in life, and it's better out than in. What you reveal, you heal.”

    4     You can try art, music and sports. Or you can get a piece of paper and a pen and start a healthy outlet. A talk with your close friend, relative, or partner can also help you get peace of mind.

    5    

Sometimes emotions can be overwhelming even if you undertake all other steps to manage them. In this case, the only left option is to find a therapist (治疗师). Many successful, respected people like J. K. Rowling, Emma Stone, and Michael Phelps all promote therapy’s benefits. Turning to these professionals is one of the best ways to improve yourself. These trained professionals can provide guidance and support when it comes to coping with your emotions.

A．Work with a licensed therapist.

B．Receive professional training as therapists.

C．This can feel incredibly uncomfortable at first.

D．There are so many ways to let out your emotions.

E．Remember you can’t manage what you don't know.

F．It will help you improve your concentration.

G．Have you thought of learning to control your emotions?

9 . Laughter yoga（瑜伽）is growing in popularity. Besides being easy to do, laughter yoga can bring many benefits.     1     You can also practice it with a partner or a group following some steps.

Greet everyone with a laughter exercise. Most laughter yoga sessions（一节）with a partner or a group begin with a greeting exercise.     2     You can start a greeting with a handshake, where you look into the person’s eyes and laugh gently.

    3     Have everyone sit in a circle side by side and then have one person give the command, “1, 2, 3”. On three, everyone should start laughing together, trying to match each other’s laughter. Then, have everyone spread their arms out towards the sky, tilt（倾斜）their head back, raise their chin and laugh heartily.

Try an argument laughter exercise. This exercise is great for getting the group to communicate with each other through laughter. Divide the group equally on opposite sides of the room. Have the groups look at each other and point at each other.     4     Continue this for three to four minutes, with each group laughing louder and louder at each other.

Practice a good job laughter exercise.     5     Have everyone sit in a circle and make eye contact as they give each other a “high fives” and laughs. This will show the positive aspects of the session and function as a way for the group to bond with each other.

A．Do a hearty laughter exercise.

B．Laughter yoga can be practiced alone.

C．This is a great exercise to end a laughter yoga session.

D．It can be practiced on your own or with group members.

E．Laugh heartily to put an end to a session of laughter yoga.

F．Then, encourage them to laugh at each other with big laughs.

G．It helps everyone get used to laughing in front of each other.