1 . Have you ever felt nervous or afraid to take time off from work to look after your mental health?
Marisa Kabas, a writer and political strategist, recently posed a similar question on Twitter (推特网), inspired by Simone Biles, who stopped taking part in Olympic events this week to protect her mental health.
“It was so shocking to so many people,” Ms. Kabas said on Wednesday in an interview. “Because the whole mentality (心态， 思维方式) is to be strong, and push through the pain.”
If you’re unlikely to use sick days for mental health reasons or are scared of being punished for doing so, I experts say it’s time to start thinking about how to protect your mental well-being. You should take a “sad day”.
There’s no official definition for a “sad day,” also known as a mental health day. Typically, it is paid time off drawn from sick days(or personal days) to help employees who aren’t feeling like their usual selves, offering an opportunity to refresh their minds, do something meaningful; or simply take a break from daily stressors. The “sad day” is only a temporary (暂时的) fix, and not meant to address deeper problems, but sometimes a little time away can make a big difference.
In most situations, just say that you need to take a sick day, and leave it at that, the experts advised. “I think the safe advice is not to be honest and frank,” said Andrew Kuller, a clinical psychologist. Not everybody values mental health, he added, and “unless you’re close with your boss, it is a risk. But say you work at the type of organization where you can tell the truth without fear of being punished. In that case, you still don’t need to reveal why you want to take a sick day.”
Whatever you do, don t spend the mental health day feeling guilty. So instead of thinking, “I should be at work right now, try to reframe your thinking in a more positive way. For example, try saying: “It would be great; if I could be at work right now. But today is a day that I need to take care of myself, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
1. Why were so many people shocked in the eyes of Ms. Kabas?| A．Simone Biles posed questions on Twitter. |
| B．Simone Biles was interviewed by Ms. Kabas. |
| C．Simone Biles inspired sports fans greatly in the Olympics. |
| D．Simone Biles pulled out of Olympic events due to mental health. |
| A．It is only short-term relief. |
| B．It has an official definition. |
| C．It is of no value in reducing stress. |
| D．It is a perfect solution to big problems. |
| A．Face punishment bravely. |
| B．Try your best to please your boss. |
| C．Ask for a sick day without much explanation. |
| D．Tell your boss about the importance of mental health. |
| A．Don’t be too serious about a “sad day” |
| B．When work weighs you down, take a “sad day” |
| C．Don’t be afraid to talk about your mental health |
| D．When you feel burnt out, tell your manager openly |
2 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.
For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.
Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”
Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.
1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?| A．By analyzing a mass of data. |
| B．By conducting genetic research. |
| C．By comparing various levels of activity. |
| D．By tracking the subjects for many years. |
| A．Physical activity betters medical treatment. |
| B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it. |
| C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same. |
| D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Complex. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Common. |
| A．To discuss a disease. |
| B．To introduce a method. |
| C．To analyze a genetic risk. |
| D．To explain a phenomenon. |
3 . How to Teach Kids About Emotions (情绪) and Feelings
By teaching kids about their feelings and emotions, it opens up a whole new world for them. It’s like Helen Keller. In the movie Helen Keller, there’s an amazing scene where she learns that water has a name. Her world completely opened up.
Teach songs that talk about feelings
You probably know this one already—maybe even sang it yourself as a child or to your child, but there’s a great song called If You’re Happy and You Know It!
Explain other people’s emotions
Children are ego-centric (以自我为中心).
Use pictures or emojis (表情符号)
Another great way to teach children about feelings and emotions is to use pictures and emojis. I recall that on one of my visits to the hospital. I noticed different little emoji faces on a board from which a patient could choose to express their pain level.
Your children are watching you all the time. They’re like a camera. They pay very close attention. So, if your child sees you throw your phone across the room after a heated conversation, it’s noted.
| A．Monkey see, monkey do! |
| B．That can be done with children. |
| C．The child believes that it is their mistake. |
| D．They believe the world revolves (旋转) around them. |
| E．Always know your feelings and how to express them. |
| F．This is a good song to teach children about happiness. |
| G．Here are some examples of ways in which you can begin teaching kids about emotions and feelings. |
4 . Do you compare yourself to other people? Perhaps your best friend received something you really wanted for Christmas, or you’re not allowed to go to a concert but your brother or sister is. Comparisons are normal and can sometimes be helpful.
Why does focusing yourself matter? We tend to compare ourselves to others who are doing better or not as well as ourselves, but comparing your achievements to your past self (where you started) and your future self (where you’d like to get to) can be more positive.
Comparing yourself to those around you is natural and we often do it without realizing. It can help us to measure our achievement and to form friendships with new people who have similar interests.
Jealousy and envy are ordinary emotions, but focusing on improving your own performance can help you feel successful.
| A．When you take notes |
| B．If you begin to feel quite low |
| C．In addition, celebrate success with your friends. |
| D．Also, learn to celebrate your friend’s achievements |
| E．This can make you feel proud of what you’ve achieved |
| F．However, focusing on your own progress is important for your well-being |
| G．However, it’s important to be realistic and remember that nobody is perfect |
5 . Math anxiety is far from uncommon, but too often, those who fear the subject simply avoid it. Research from the University of Chicago offers evidence for the link between math anxiety and avoidance.
Studying nearly 500 adults through a computer program called the Choose-And-Solve Task (CAST), the researchers gave participants (参加者) a choice between math and word problems labeled “easy” and “hard”. The easy problems were always worth two cents, while the hard problems were worth up to six cents. They also informed participants the computer task would change the questions in the process of testing based on their abilities, enabling them to handle about 70% of the hard problems.
Although participants attempted hard word problems when promised higher monetary prizes, they rarely chose to do the same for math problems. “We found we couldn’t even pay math-anxious individuals to do difficult math problems,” researcher Rozek says.
The findings also contradict a widely held belief that feeling anxious about math and avoiding math-related problems is rooted in being bad at math. “If you take two students good at math, the math-anxious one will do worse at math than the one that isn’t anxious.”
Such a mentality does more than stopping people from taking calculus courses or pursuing a career in STEM. It can affect everyday interactions with math-like leaving a tip in a restaurant. But all is not lost. “Reframing their anxiety from negative to positive could help math-anxious people re-engage. Giving those anxious about sitting exams guidance may lead them to perform better. Telling them if you’re anxious, this is your body getting you ready to perform and focus,” Rozek says. “Another path may be to create early positive experiences around math. For example, telling stories featuring math and tackling problems around the story may be helpful.” he adds.
1. What does the University of Chicago offer evidence for?| A．The advantages of math anxiety. |
| B．The link between math anxiety and avoidance. |
| C．The importance of math. |
| D．The link between anxiety and study. |
| A．How the study was organized. | B．Why people chose easy problems. |
| C．Who participated in the study. | D．What the result was. |
| A．Math anxiety is the cause of math avoidance. |
| B．Math anxiety causes people to be bored of math. |
| C．Math anxiety is a complex phenomenon in life. |
| D．Math anxiety results from poor math performance. |
| A．Reframing math anxiety from negative to positive is impossible. |
| B．People with math anxiety should pay attention to math less. |
| C．People can deal with math anxiety through proper ways. |
| D．People with math anxiety won’t perform better. |
6 . Most of us spend a lot of time inside our own mind—worrying about the future and focusing on the parts of life that leave us dissatisfied. Although they are common, negative or unwanted thoughts can prevent you from enjoying experiences, distract you from focusing on what’s important, and drain your energy.
Take a break from negative thoughts. It is possible to learn how to separate from negative thoughts.
Release judgment. We all judge ourselves and others, usually unconsciously. Constantly doing those leads to dissatisfaction. Be able to let go of judgment, and you will feel more relieved. Some ways to decrease judgmental thoughts include recognizing your own reaction, observing it, and then letting it go. Another helpful technique is to “positive judge.”
Focus on your strengths.
| A．They can also make you feel anxious and depressed. |
| B．The more you can focus on your strengths, the easier it will be to feel positive about yourself. |
| C．Recognize inaccurate thoughts. |
| D．Always give others positive comments. |
| E．When noticing you are negatively judging a person or yourself, observe positive qualities, too. |
| F．One way to do this is to allow yourself a certain amount of time with the thoughts. |
| G．Taking a break from negative thoughts is a little difficult. |
7 . Everyone gathered around and Paddy read out loud, slowly, his tone growing sadder and sadder. The little headline said: BOXER RECEIVES LIFF SENTENCE.
Frank Cleary, aged 26, professional boxer, was today found guilty of the murder of Albert Gumming, aged 32, laborer, last July. The jury (陪审团) reached its decision after only ten minutes, recommending the most severe punishment to the court. It was, said the Judge, a simple case. Gumming and Cleary had quarreled violently at the Harbour Hotel on July 23rd and police saw Cleary kicking at the head of the unconscious Gumming. When arrested, Cleary was drunk but clear-thinking.
Cleary was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour. Asked if he had anything to say, Cleary answered, “Just don’t tell my mother.”
“It happened over three years ago,” Paddy said helplessly. No one answered him or moved, for no one knew what to do. “Just don’t tell my mother,” said Fee numbly(麻木地). “And no one did! Oh, God! My poor, poor Frank!”
Paddy wiped the tears from his face and said. “Fee, pack your things. We’ll go to see him.”
She half-rose before sinking back, her eyes in her small white face stared as if dead. “I can’t go,” she said without a hint of pain, yet making everyone feel that the pain was there. “It would kill him to see me. I know him so well — his pride, his ambition. Let him bear the shame alone, it’s what he wants. We’ve got to help him keep his secret. What good will it do him to see us?”
Paddy was still weeping, not for Frank, but for the life which had gone from Fee’s face, for the dying in her eyes. Frank had always brought bitterness and misfortune, always stood between Fee and himself. He was the cause of her withdrawal from his heart and the hearts of his children. Every time it looked as if there might be happiness for Fee, Frank took it away. But Paddy’s love for her was as deep and impossible to wipe out as hers was for Frank.
So he said, “Well, Fee, we won’t go. But we must make sure he is taken care of. How about if I write to Father Jones and ask him to look out for Frank?”
There was no excitement in the eyes, but a faint pink stole into her cheeks. “Yes, Paddy, do that. Only make sure he knows not to tell Frank we found out. Perhaps it would ease Frank to think for certain that we don’t know.”
1. Paddy cried because he thought ___________.| A．Frank did kill someone and deserved the punishment |
| B．Frank should have told Fee what had happened |
| C．what had happened to Frank was killing Fee |
| D．Frank had always been a man of bad moral character |
| A．Fee was so heart-broken that she could hardly stand up |
| B．Fee didn’t want to upset Paddy by visiting Frank |
| C．Fee couldn’t leave her family to go to see Frank |
| D．Fee struggled between wanting to see Frank and respecting his wish |
| A．The jury and the judge agreed on the Boxer’s Sentence of Life Imprisonment. |
| B．The police found Gumming unconscious, heavily struck by Frank. |
| C．The family didn’t find out what had happened to Frank until 3 years later. |
| D．Frank didn’t want his family to know the sentence to him, most probably out of his pride. |
| A．Frank is Fee’s son and Paddy is Fee’s brother. |
| B．Frank is Fee’s son and Paddy is Fee’s husband. |
| C．Frank is Fee’s brother and Paddy is Fee’s lover. |
| D．Frank is Fee’s lover and Paddy is Fee’s husband. |
8 . Anger may seem unappealing, but this emotion is a necessary part of your well-being. As with joy and sadness, expressing anger over a broken promise, a lost opportunity, or other inconvenience is healthy. However, if anger is frequently expressed, it will be harmful. Learning to deal with this emotion then becomes important.
Try positive exercises.
When you feel the unmistakable signs of your anger building up, try to focus on positive practices like deep breathing to calm yourself down.
Just as you open up to loved ones over the pain of heartbreak or the joy of a promotion, calling loved ones when you’re about to lose control of your anger is a healthy way of dealing with the emotion. Your friends and family can act as a support group, calming you until the worst is over.
Keep a mood journal.
A recommended way to deal with anger and recognize how frequently you embrace this emotion is keeping a journal to track your emotions.
See a therapist (治疗师).
| A．Turn to your loved ones for help |
| B．Share something good with your loved ones |
| C．However, you can try some practices to express your anger |
| D．So let’s take a look at some ways to help you manage your anger |
| E．If you feel that your anger is too strong to be contained through self-help |
| F．Supporting your breathing with comforting words can help to control your anger better |
| G．If you note the causes that push you to outbursts and the thoughts that run through your mind |
9 . Coursework, quizzes, and activities can all get you, a high school student, too stressful sometimes.
i. Find out why you’re worried about your results.
Think you’re not prepared? Don’t know how you’re going to learn everything in time? Or do you just get nervous in test conditions?
ii. See the improvements to ease your worries.
Are you already doing hours of revision and are still worried? Maybe you’re not seeing the results of your revision.
iii.
While it’s great to realise that all people are having a hard time with revision, it’s important you don’t get used to thinking negatively about your results. Positive thinking has been shown to build up confidence and reduce anxiety. So even if you’re talking about your fear for the results, make sure you’re imagining yourself passing with success.
iv. Study now!
| A．You probably have some scary thoughts about your final results. |
| B．The best way to stop worrying is to take action. |
| C．Talk to other people who are being negative. |
| D．You may get worried about examinations for different reasons. |
| E．Keep testing yourself with past papers to track how your work helps. |
| F．Try to take the negative energy away from your thoughts. |
| G．The good news is that these emotions are entirely normal. |
10 . We all experience stress(压力) at some point.
No one can “make” you feel anything.
The way you deal with a situation is a choice. You can ask yourself “Is this something I can change?”
Exchange attitude for gratitude(感恩).
Our attitude has a big influence on how we deal with situations.
Relax, relax, relax.
Look at your stressful situation from a “big picture” point of view. Ask yourself “How important is this?” and “Will this matter in the long run?” If the answer is no, it’s likely not worth your time and energy.
| A．Look at the big picture. |
| B．If so, start doing something to change the situation. |
| C．When you are stuck in traffic, change your attitude. |
| D．Try to find something that you enjoy and do it every day. |
| E．Here are four points to consider when dealing with stressful situations. |
