1 . Signs that You Are Growing

Growing is a lifelong process. Here are the signs that show you are actually growing and not getting stuck in the process.

    1    

Often, we see how badly people look when they get overly upset due to unimportant things. So the first sign of maturity (成熟) is letting the small things go and not getting angry over a tiny detail that didn’t go as you planned.

You start forgiving and understanding other people.

When we are young, we are often unforgiving. As we mature, we are better able to understand the world beyond black and white. Becoming more understanding is a sign of strength, not weakness.     2     We begin to understand better that others have complex lives and personalities, and so we become more willing to forgive their mistakes.

You always complete things that matter.

Immature people don’t know when to commit (承诺) themselves and their energy or resources are always not well employed.     3     In this way, they can often keep their promises and honor their commitments.

You accept the possibility of being wrong.

    4     They are always able to accept the possibility that they are wrong and that they don’t know something, because there is always more to learn.

Being mature is knowing that you are always growing up. You are never done learning and developing.     5     Rather, you open your mind to other ideas and new possibilities.

A．You follow the crowd.

B．You let the small things go.

C．Instead, mature people focus on completing things that matter.

D．Immature and mature people can both have plans for their lives.

E．This means that you don’t set yourself up as the highest authority.

F．It enables us to look beyond the obvious and let go of simple judgments.

G．Mature people appear more confident, however, they are not overconfident.

2 . 语法填空

We all know that honesty is     1    important value and     2    lying is wrong. But sometimes we tell some “white lies”    3    (protect) others from the truth.

There are three main reasons     4    we tell a white lie. First, we try to make others feel better, so we protect ourselves from the     5    (disappoint) and anger of others. Another reason for     6    (tell) a white lie is to give encouragement. For example, when our friend asks us what we think of his singing, we surely say it’s wonderful, despite     7     (secret) thinking that it’s awful. Stop for a moment and consider that perhaps our friend wants some frank     8    (comment). Finally, we may also tell a white lie when we want to protect others from bad news.

We may find even white lies have     9     (expect) results. Perhaps the meal we said was “delicious ”     10     (serve) every time we visit. Or when we only share good news, others won’t truly understand our emotions.

3 . Due to social events in recent years, the relationship between social media and teenagers mental health has been under heated discussion.

On Sept 30 a British court decided that content on social media platforms contributed to the depression of 14-year-old Molly Russell. Russell interacted with 2,100 posts related lo pessimistic, self-harm in the six months, leading up to her depression, reported the Observer website.

The correlation has also been proved by science. A study in 2019 showed that the frequent use of social media by teenagers can lead to a decrease in their mental health.

So, how can we make sure that teenagers won’t get hurt while using social media? Chan, 18, from the University of Macao shared her experience. Chan said that she once came across short videos romanticizing mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. She immediately reported them to the platform.

But she said that the users’ power to regulate videos is still limited. “It is ultimately the responsibility of the social media platforms to filter out content that is potentially harmful.” She also noticed that the age of social media users has become increasingly younger. Society should pay attention to this, she said. “Since it’s not possible to cut off access to social media for younger users, why not introduce a ‘supervision mode’ with which parents can regulate the content to be viewed by teenagers beforehand?” she said.

Wu Chengyu, 18, studies at Tianjin Experimental High School. He said that several years ago he came across a game that lures teenagers to self-abuse and depression. He quickly chose to ignore it so he wouldn’t be influenced. This is the same way he reacts when exposed to negative content on social media.

In Wu’s opinion, teenagers today should improve their social media literacy (素养), telling real from fake and good from bad. “Also, everyone can be a content creator on social media.” he said, “We should all strengthen our awareness of ethics”.

1. What led to Russell’s depression according to a British court?

A．Her interaction with others online.

B．Negative information on social media platforms.

C．Short videos she watched on the Internet.

D．Her addiction to online posts.

2. Which of the following statements does Chan probably agree with?

A．The number of younger Social media users should be limited.

B．Parents should monitor the content to be viewed by teenagers in advance.

C．A supervision mode ought to be introduced by parents.

D．It is the responsibility of the society to romanticize mental illnesses.

3. Who should be ultimately responsible for removing negative content according to Chan?

A．Parents.	B．Social media platforms
C．Content creators.	D．Social media platforms.

4. What does Wu suggest teenagers should do?

A．Use social media wisely.	B．Reduce social media usage.
C．Stay away from online games.	D．Learn more about social media.

4 . The other day, my sister and I were sitting in a restaurant, trying to have a conversation, but her children, four-year-old Willow and seven-year-old Luca, would not stop fighting. The arguments-over a fork, or who had more water in a glass-never stopped.

Then my sister reached into her handbag, produced two shiny iPads, and handed one to each child. Suddenly, the two were quiet. They sat playing games and watching videos, and we continued with our conversation.

After our meal, as my sister stuffed the iPads back into her bag, she said, “I don’t want to give them the iPads at the dinner table, but if they keep them occupied for an hour so we can eat in peace, I often just hand them over. I’m afraid it’s bad for them. I do worry that it makes them think it’s OK to use electronics at the dinner table in the future.”

Dr. Gary Small, director of the Longevity Center at the University of California, Los Angeles says that the brain is highly sensitive to stimuli (刺激物), like iPads and smartphone screens, and if people spend too much time on one technology, and less time interacting with people like parents at the dinner table, that could prevent the development of certain communication skills.

“Conversations with each other are the way children learn to have conversations with themselves, and learn how to be alone,” said Sherry Turkle, a professor of science, technology and society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She fears that children who do not learn real interactions, which often have imperfections, will come to know a world where perfect, shiny screens give them a false sense of intimacy (亲密) without risk. However, they need to be able to gather themselves and know who they are. So someday they can form a relationship with another person without a panic of being alone. “If you don’t teach your children to be alone, they’ll only know how to be lonely,” she said.

1. What did Willow and Luca fight about?

A．iPads.	B．Little things.
C．Delicious food.	D．Interesting things.

2. According to Dr. Small, what should parents do?

A．Provide their children with various technologies.

B．Teach their children communication skills.

C．Talk to their children at the dinner table.

D．Limit their children’s screen time.

3. What is Sherry Turkle worried?

A．Children are afraid of taking risks.

B．Children try to escape from the real world.

C．Children can’t live without electronic devices.

D．Children can’t deal with companion-less situations.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To tell a true story.	B．To discuss a phenomenon.
C．To give practical suggestions.	D．To compare different opinions.

6 . When you set a foot outside of your door to drop trash, go to a social event or go for a walk, thoughts like “I hope I don’t see anyone I know” or “please don’t talk to me” may run through your mind. I’ve also said such things to myself. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is to talk with someone, especially someone new.

Why do we go out of our ways to avoid people? Do we think meeting new people is a waste of time? Or are we just lazy, thinking that meeting someone new really is a trouble?

Communication is the key to life. We have been told that many times. Take the past generations, like our parents, for example. They seem to take full advantage of that whole “communication” idea because they grew up talking face to face while Generation-Y grew up staring at screens. We spend hours of our days sitting on Facebook. We send messages to our friends and think about all of the things we want to say to certain people that we don’t have the courage to do in reality.

Nowadays, we are so caught up in our little circle of friends—our comfort zone. We love it that they laugh at our jokes, understand our feelings and can read our minds. Most importantly, they know when we want to be alone. They just get us.

Holding a conversation with someone new means agreeing with things that you don’t really believe and being someone you think they want you to be—it is, as I said before, a trouble. It takes up so much energy, and at some point or another, it is too tiring.

But meeting new people is important. Life is too short, so meet all the people you can meet, make the effort to go out and laugh. Remember, every “hello” leads to a smile—and a smile is worth a lot.

1. What do we learn about the author?

A．He likes to meet someone new.	B．He feels stressed out lately.
C．He’s active in attending social events.	D．He used to be afraid of talking to others.

2. What’s the problem of Generation-Y in the author’s eyes?

A．They rely on the Internet to socialize.	B．They are less confident in themselves.
C．They have difficulty in communicating.	D．They are unwilling to make new friends.

3. Why do many young people avoid meeting new people?

A．They think it troublesome.	B．They are busy with their study.
C．They fear to disappoint their friends.	D．They want to do meaningful work.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A．To stress the importance of friends.

B．To give tips on how to meet new people.

C．To encourage people to meet new people.

D．To display the disadvantages of Generation-Y.

7 . 阅读下面材料，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。

Shyness is avoiding human contact, often because of a feeling of not being as good as others and fear of taking risks. Shyness is a force     1     prevents us from realizing our potential and     2     (enjoy) the company of other people. Shyness is often associated     3     low emotional control and high negative emotions.

On the basis of research that he     4     (do) for the past six years, Dr. Zimbardo estimates that about 40 percent of all Americans, around 84 million people, consider     5     (they) shy. They include not only ordinary people but also a number of     6     (celebrity) who define themselves as shy. Research shows that a quarter of the people who are shy as adults were not shy as children.

Shyness makes it difficult     7     (meet) new people and make friends. It prevents     8     individual from expressing opinions and values. With authorities such as a boss or a teacher, the shy are less     9     (like) to stand up for their rights or express reasonable criticism. They’re more willing to obey and unwilling to be     10     (cooperate).

9 . How to be a better listener

When you are in a conversation with someone and paying attention to what they’re saying, that’s a sign of caring and respect.    1    Here are some simple things you can do to make that happen.

    2    

A good listener is attentive. They’re focused and paying attention to what the other person is saying. This is called active listening. Active listening involves listening with all your senses. You can assume that if someone keeps looking at their watch or over their shoulder, their focus isn’t on the conversation.

Maintain eye contact

When someone is talking, they are usually saying something they consider to be meaningful. They want all eyes on them. Eye contact is very powerful.    3    . So make it a point the next time you’re in a conversation to maintain eye contact with the speaker.

Ask questions

Asking questions is one of the best ways to show you’re interested. If someone is telling you about their ski trip to Mammoth Mountain, don’t respond with, “That’s nice.”    4    .

Instead, you can ask, “How long have you been skiing?” “What was your favorite part of the trip?” The person will think more highly of you and consider you a great listener.

Avoid interrupting the speaker

Interrupting is a sign of disrespect. When you interrupt the speaker, they feel frustrated and unimportant. Interrupting a speaker to agree, disagree, argue, etc. also causes the speaker to lose track of what they are saying.    5     .

A．This would show a lack of interest

B．Be an active listener

C．Regulate emotional response

D．Whatever you have to say can wait until the other person is done talking

E．So it’s important for everyone to learn how to be a better listener

F．It can convey much information without anything being said

G．Big, open questions encourage the speaker to continue to share