When you enter an unfamiliar environment, what do you feel? Do you second-guess yourself? Although confident people are not immune from self-doubt, they enjoy a strong s
Studies indicate that confident people tend to be healthier and live longer. It could be due to the
2 . Gravy started working as a comfort dog at Grand Ledge High School in Michigan in September. She showed off tricks in the hallways with her handler (驯兽员), Capra, and made students laugh aloud. When students learned that Gravy’s first birthday fell just before Thanksgiving break, they asked Capra if they could throw a party. Capra said sure, thinking there wouldn’t be many people interested. However, on the big day, there were several hundred students in this gym.
The pandemic (大流行病) has been hard on students across the United States. Many young people experienced loneliness and the loss of loved ones. To solve the problem, schools have hired social workers and increased the number of their social-emotional learning classes.In some cases, they bought dogs.
Undoubtedly, the dogs make kids happy.“He’s kind of like a rock star; when the kids see him coming, they smile,“ said Traci Souva, an art teacher at North Huron Schools who trains Chipper, another comfort dog. “A lot of times the kids will tell Chipper what’s wrong rather than adults, and that’s pretty amazing.”
There are possible blemishes of having dogs in school. These include cleanliness, and student fears. But school officials say these are all manageable. The dogs are highly trained and always with a handler, so no student is forced to communicate with the dogs if they don’t want to.
Since the pandemic, demand for trained dogs in schools“has just increased,“ said Nikki Brown, a dog trainer and the director of Canines for Change, a nonprofit that trains dogs for work in schools. Over the last year, her organization has provided dogs to at least seven areas in Michigan, including Grand Ledge. “The dogs are highly trained to be in a school environment,” she added.“They are trained to work with kids with emotional problems. They sense stress. By the dogs’ behaviour they might warn a teacher of a kid who is struggling emotionally.“
1. Which of the following best describes Gravy as a comfort dog?| A．Tricky. | B．Popular. | C．Humorous. | D．Caring. |
| A．Requirements. | B．Disadvantages. | C．Influences. | D．Suggestions. |
| A．Working on campus brings a lot of pressure to dogs. |
| B．There is a high global market demand for trained dogs. |
| C．School environment can affect dogs’ behaviour greatly. |
| D．The dogs have the ability to notice students’ mental illness. |
| A．How dogs relieve students’ mental problems |
| B．How dogs ensure students’ safety on campus |
| C．How dogs enrich students’ after-school activities |
| D．How dogs develop students’ sense of responsibility |
3 . Parents. teachers, and anyone who regularly deals with teenagers know how difficult the adolescent(青春期的) years can be. Adolescents have always been known to do wild-even dangerous-things. This was thought to be due to the foolishness of youth. Now a study on the development of the brain has led to a new theory of why teens act the way they do.
Recently, scientists discovered that though our brains are almost at their full size by age 6. they are far from fully developed. Only during adolescence do our brains truly “grow up.” During this time, they go through great changes, like a computer system being upgraded. This “upgrade“ was once thought to be finished by a t age 12. Now, scientists have concluded that our brains continue to change until age 25. Such changes make us better at balancing our impulses (冲动) with the need to follow rules. However, a still-developing brain does this awkwardly. The result, scientists claim, is the unexpected behavior seen in teenagers.
The studies confirm that teens are more likely to take risks and behave in extreme ways. Fortunately, the news isn’t all negative. As brain scientists point out, the teen brain inspires such behavior in order to help teenagers prepare for adult life.
One way the brain does this is by changing the way teens measure risk and reward (回报). Researchers found that when teens think about rewards, their brains give off the chemicals that create pleasure. Researchers believe this makes the rewards outweigh the risks, and makes teens feel the excitement of new experiences.
Unfortunately, this hunt for rewards can sometimes lead teens to make bad decisions. However, it also means that teens are more likely to try new things or to be independent. The findings suggest that in the long run, the impulses of the teen brains are what help teens leave their parents’ care and live their own lives successfully.
1. What is the main purpose of the text?| A．To describe an experiment on the brains of teenagers. |
| B．To explain how teenagers’ brains affect their behavior. |
| C．To introduce a new discovery on teenagers’ intelligence. |
| D．To suggest that teenagers think differently from their parents. |
| A．They are at full size by age 6 |
| B．They begin to upgrade at age 12. |
| C．They are fully developed at age 18. |
| D．They finish developing at age 25. |
| A．The negative side of the research is not understood. |
| B．The way the teen brain works has some advantages. |
| C．The latest news of the research should be provided. |
| D．The impulses of a teenage brain should be controlled. |
| A．Changing into the adult pattern |
| B．Starting to weigh risk and reward |
| C．Creating connections with success |
| D．Giving off chemicals that create pleasure. |
| A．An independent brain. | B．A successful life |
| C．The role of parents in life | D．The rewards of findings |
4 . One night before bed, Christine Carter was sitting with her daughter on the sofa. They were making a list: Three Good Things of the Day.
Carter is a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley. She studies how schools and families can develop positive emotions and help children lead healthier lives.
A key step toward happiness is learning how to describe emotions, even negative ones. Feeling blue?
Expressing gratitude is also important. Let’s say you often quarrel with somebody. Reflect on why you’re grateful for that person, and remember the good times. This makes it likely you’ll get along better tomorrow.
| A．But the surest way to happiness is kindness. |
| B．It’s better to accept the emotion than to ignore it. |
| C．Finding the positive doesn’t mean never being sad. |
| D．We can be ready to cope with hard times in the future. |
| E．Kindness is what you need most to avoid quarreling with others. |
| F．Making a list is their way of reflecting on things they are grateful for. |
| G．Keeping a diary contributes to positive feelings and reduce negative ones. |
| A．Great. | B．So-so. | C．Terrible. |
