1 .
I grew up hearing that it is better to give than to receive, and the older I get, the more I aim to take this message to heart. Nevertheless, here I am, in the midst of the holiday season stressed out about gifts I have not yet purchased.
How did gift buying become an emotionally fraught chore (苦差事)? For a moment, it’s easy to question if it’s worth it. But science tells me that giving makes us feel good.
“The act of giving actually does improve your happiness,” says Michael Norton, a psychologist at Harvard Business School. He has published several studies on the effects of giving.
In one experiment that included about 700 people, the researchers randomly assigned participants to make either a purchase for themselves, or for a stranger. Afterwards, the participants reported how happy they felt. Turns out, giving to others led to a significant happiness boost, whereas spending on oneself didn’t move the needle.
“If you take $5 out of your pocket today, the science really does show that spending $5 on yourself doesn’t do much for you,” Norton says. “But spending that $5 on somebody else is more likely to increase your happiness.”
Take a scarf. If you buy one for yourself, it’s just another thing you don’t necessarily need. But if you buy a scarf for someone else, “you’ve shown them that they’re important to you,” Norton says. Either way, it’s just a scarf. “But it can either be a throwaway object or something that enhances a relationship between two people,” he says.
So, there’s evidence that generosity promotes happiness, but the process of shopping, wrapping and schlepping (搬) gifts can be tiresome — or even extremely annoying considering all of our day-to-day demands and other holiday stressors.
Studies also show when people are given something they are more likely to give back. Reciprocity (互惠) is a foundation of good relationships and when we surround ourselves with generous people, we tend to feel the same. Feeling that spirit of giving and the connection it can bring is what the holidays are all about.
1. Why does the author mention his own experience in paragraph 1?| A．To make a prediction. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To present a reason. | D．To clarify a concept. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comments. | D．By telling personal experiences. |
| A．It’s difficult and expensive. | B．It happens frequently. |
| C．It’s not valued by others. | D．It requires much effort. |
| A．It is not worth the effort. |
| B．It is a must to enhance a relationship. |
| C．It brings about emotional benefits. |
| D．It gains popularity during holidays. |
2 . The nature of compassion fatigue (同情疲劳) means that many working in traditional care-giving roles are likely to experience its symptoms. This includes first responders, medical professionals, social workers, journalists, and lawyers specializing in family law or criminal law.
Kelli Collins, a licensed family therapist, remarks “Think about muscle fatigue—if you work out too hard, your muscles might simply give out. In the same way, compassion fatigue means your ability to offer compassion to others is dramatically affected.”
Collins herself experienced compassion fatigue as a young therapist working in a community mental health setting, where she “had the strong desire to help” but quickly realized some things were out of her “rang of influence”. She felt herself becoming easily annoyed with loved ones, sleeping very little, and fantasizing about changing careers. It was an overwhelming time, during which she felt she was failing her clients.
“I thought that by giving endless compassion to my clients, I was ‘leaving it all on the field’. In fact, bearing the responsibility for my clients’ pain without consideration for my own needs and limits meant that I wasn’t a particularly effective therapist,” she says.
Lynne Hughes, who founded Comfort Zone in 1999 and now serves as CEO, lost both her parents as a child, experiencing first-hand the lack of resources and support for grieving children. Hughes expresses similar feelings about the challenge of compassion fatigue, stressing the importance of looking inward.
“Suffering from compassion fatigue does not mean you’re bad at helping or caring, it only means the scale between caring for others and caring for yourself is no longer balanced,” she says. “When you’re in a role where you’re nurturing and caring for others — it’s crucial to extend that nurture and care to yourself so that ‘your well’ does not run dry.”
But both Hughes and Collins emphasize that it’s not only traditional caregivers who experience compassion fatigue. “It is applicable to anyone in a caring role,” says Hughes, while Collins believes it is a uniquely human condition, occupational or not.
1. Why does Collins mention the muscle fatigue?| A．To describe she is in a bad mood. |
| B．To show she is eager to give a hand. |
| C．To suggest she has limited pity for others. |
| D．To explain she is much tired of her customers. |
| A．Care for yourself while caring for others. |
| B．Compassion fatigue has nothing to do with career. |
| C．Those with compassion fatigue are poor at helping. |
| D．Shy persons always tend to suffer compassion fatigue. |
| A．Pity. | B．Nurture. | C．Symptoms. | D．Occupation. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By quoting arguments. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By analyzing reasons and causes. |
1. 减轻压力；
2. 提高免疫力；
3. 改善心情。
注意：1. 词数 80 左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。参考词汇：免疫系统 immune system
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1. What is the most important thing in writing a thank-you note?
| A．Being polite and sweet. | B．Using simple language. | C．Explaining the exact reason. |
| A．It is more formal. | B．It can be received earlier. | C．It can be understood more easily. |
| A．It takes less time to write. | B．It carries more sentences. | C．It seems more sincere. |
| A．The importance of writing a thank-you note. |
| B．Some basic rules for writing a thank-you note. |
| C．A few helpful examples of writing a thank-you note. |
Hudson is 8 years old now. He has a favorite little toy, a crocheted little ghost named Casper. The toy was given to him by his grandmother on his 5th birthday, and he has treasured it ever since, Hudson loves Casper so much that he often brings it with him wherever he goes. He even talks to Casper as if it’s his best friend.
One day, while playing with Casper, Hudson turned to his mother Ruthie with a worried look on his face. “Mommy, if I should get Casper lost, I would cry so much and be sad forever,” he confessed, tears welling up in his eyes.
Ruthie couldn’t help but smile at her son’s innocence and affection for his little toy. She gently reassured him, “You haven’t lost Casper yet, sweetheart. You take good care of it, and I’m sure you won’t lose it. But even if you do, remember that I’ll always be here to comfort you.”
Curiosity sparked in Hudson’s eyes as he listened to his mother’s words. He looked up at her with a serious expression and asked, “Mommy, have you ever lost a toy?”
Looking at her lovely kid, Ruthie shared her story with her son. When she was six years old, her world turned upside down when her father tragically passed away. Their family was in trouble, and they faced financial struggles. Ruthie’s mother had to take up odd jobs to make ends meet, and they had to move frequently to save money.
During one of her moves, she found that every one of her favorite girl toys was missing including Molly, an American Girl doll. Everywhere she went, she would bring the doll and she was obsessed with it. After hearing his mother’s story, the boy hugged his mother tightly, without saying anything.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Days turned into weeks, and soon it was New Year’s Day.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Ruthie carefully unwrapped the gift box.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Why did the brothers grow apart?
| A．They had different hobbies. |
| B．They stopped living in the same house. |
| C．They no longer spent much time together. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Hurt. | C．Angry. |
| A．Leave his brother alone. |
| B．Try talking to his brother. |
| C．Invite his brother to hang out. |
7 . When we feel disappointed with what might have been or we wish we could change a choice we made in the past, we have regrets.
Regrets can be harmful when we don’t want to accept them. Too many negative (消极的) thoughts and continuous consideration can lead to stress and anxiety. This kind of spiritual and emotional pain also affects our bodies. For example, maybe you didn’t stand up for your friend when someone attacked him by saying something derogatory. You didn’t speak up at the time to clear his name. You end up feeling disappointed in yourself and don’t want to be reminded of that. Or you may remember the situation all too well, but don’t know how to overcome your regret. Whatever it is, you may suffer from negative thoughts or even sleepless nights, thus putting pressure onto your body and mind.
But as the old saying goes, a coin has two sides. Regrets have advantages too. When we reflect (反思) on regrettable choices we made in the past, that’s a good thing. We grow from self-examination and can learn from our missteps. Inspired to be better, we improve on our decision-making so we don’t repeat our mistakes.
Another positive side of regret is that it can move you closer to being your best self. A study about people’s most long-lasting regrets was published in the journal Emotion, where scientists looked at the connection between regret and an individual’s self-concept (自我认知). The results showed that people were more likely to regret not living up to being that best person and thus try harder to use their full potential (潜力), when regrets about their best selves were not achieved.
If you’re feeling regretful about something from your past, know you’re not alone in feeling this way. Everyone has something (or many things) that they regret. However, there are ways to move forward by showing yourself understanding. If that’s too difficult, get the help of a health professional. He or she can help you manage feelings of regret so they no longer hold you back.
1. What does the underlined word “derogatory” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Confusing. | B．Usual. | C．Informal. | D．Mean. |
| A．Avoidance of stress. | B．Positive self-concept. |
| C．Greater efforts to better oneself. | D．Longer time to reflect on the past. |
| A．Leave those regrets as they are. |
| B．Discuss regrets with the like-minded. |
| C．Stop reflecting on your daily events. |
| D．Turn to experts for help if necessary. |
| A．How to Fight Regrets | B．Get to Know Our Regrets |
| C．Why Regrets Are Harmful | D．The Positive Sides of Regrets |
One of my favorite possessions is a little red can. It sits among my collections, looking somewhat old and out of place. But this can is special. It has a history. It was dear to me when I was younger, but mean even more to me now.
I’ve always loved to visit my grandparents in Cleburne, Texas, and as anyone in the family can tell you, there is always a gathering around the dining room table for meals and conversations so that we can keep in touch closely. It is important to keep in touch with the family members since we are busy with our own business, so my family members keep the tradition to have the gathering every month. We enjoy the moment when all of us meet in a place and communication helps us to solve the problem of isolation. As the first grandbaby, though, I was at a slight disadvantage. When I sat in the dining chair, only my nose could reach the table. Cleburne is a small town with a small population, and the phone book could only lift me an inch. So, Grandma and Grandpa came up with the idea of the little red can.
It was about ten inches high, made of tin, and painted a glorious shiny red. It worked perfectly, enabling me to bang away on the table with my little spoon and cup as I tried to keep up with the joyful talks around the table. After I finished a meal, I was placed on the floor, and the can was opened, and all sorts of surprises kept me busy while the adults visited. The can was full of lovely dolls which attracted little girls like me greatly. Besides, there were fresh and novel items that were mysterious to me and left me to explore.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。
Pretty soon, other grandbabies started to arrive, and each of them had their own turn on the little red can. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Decades later, Grandma proudly pulled out the little red can again when I traveled to Cleburne with my daughter. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9 .
Dear editor, We moved to this country 12 years ago, to be close to my husband’s family for more support and because the cost of living was lower. Now in my late 40s, I feel trapped in life abroad and want to move back to London. The city we live in is known for its multiculturalism and diversity. Everything seemed to be working perfectly, until recently. The industry I work in is dominated by local people. It seems they are unwilling to allow me to join what they are doing and that I am excluded. Seeing my eldest child leaving home and my youngest, still at school, becoming more independent has made me realise how unhappy I am. I feel I have always disregarded my own needs. I would like to go back to London right away. But our children feel at home here. I’m confused about what to do. Yours, Merrila Dear Merrila, Everything worked perfectly until recently. What happened? Something must have contributed to this. I’ve spent a long time reading your letter and wonder if your issue is a geographical one. The glass ceiling and ignorant people can and do exist in any city. While those issues are problematic, I wonder if it’s actually a reaction to such happenings: one of your children is leaving home and the other one won’t be far behind, and you’re thinking: “What will the next chapter of my life look like and have I done what I wanted to?” Something magical happens to women in midlife when they realise it’s time to put themselves front and centre. You can talk with your husband about how you feel. In the short term, plan a trip to London, meet up with some old friends and see what they say. Yours, Annalisa Barbieri |
| A．She can barely earn a living. | B．She feels out of place here. |
| C．The locals enjoy better jobs than her. | D．The city is different from London. |
| A．To share her life story abroad. | B．To express her homesickness. |
| C．To make a complaint about life. | D．To turn to the editor for advice. |
| A．Being far away from London. | B．Facing prejudice in the workplace. |
| C．Being at a loss about life changes. | D．Overlooking her real needs for long. |
| A．Culture. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Lifestyle. |
10 . More than half the world’s population are city residents, and, by 2050, the United Nations predicts that seven in ten people will be. Architects are having to consider how architecture influences our emotional well-being in urban settings.
According to Colin Ellard, a research psychologist at Waterloo University, Canada, there is a lot of evidence which shows “the profound impact that the design of buildings has on how we feel, how we treat one another, and our overall psychological well-being”. A study from the University of Heidelberg concluded that people raised in the countryside are less likely to have mental disorders than those raised in the city. The city of Vancouver in Canada, which is surrounded by mountains and ocean, recognises the need to connect with nature. It has included protecting ocean and mountain views in its urban planning guidelines. For example, tall buildings are set up in strategic locations that don’t block scenic views for downtown residents.
The British designer Thomas Heatherwick wants to make architecture less soulless and boring. He told The Guardian, “We need to fearlessly demand interestingness and make buildings that enrich our senses.” He has listed seven characteristics of a boring building. These include being too flat and straight. He says lack of depth means light and shadow cannot play on surfaces, while straight lines are at odds with nature and make buildings dull.
However, making buildings interesting is not always easy, as architect Rafael Vinoly found out in 2013 when he created the 37-store y skyscraper in London. The building was admired for its curved exterior walls covered in reflective glass. However, it acted like a magnifying glass and reflected light which melted nearby cars and almost set fire to a carpet. A screen had to be added to prevent the building causing further damage.
So, for your own well-being, surround yourself with buildings that bring you joy, and ideally a view of nature.
1. Why are tall buildings located in certain places in Vancouver?| A．To protect people’s mental health. | B．To follow the tradition of the city. |
| C．To caution people against disorder. | D．To reveal the prosperity of the area. |
| A．One with straight lines. | B．One having flat surfaces. |
| C．One having a security system. | D．One with innovative patterns. |
| A．Boldness. | B．Creativity. | C．Practicality. | D．Flexibility. |
| A．To call on people to live in big cities. |
| B．To compare buildings in different cities. |
| C．To stress the importance of healthy emotion. |
| D．To convince people of emotional impact by buildings. |
