At a time when we are all experiencing an extraordinary level of stress, science offers a simple and effective way to improve our own emotional （情感的）health.
To help yourself,
As
University, studied a concept called “felt obligation （义务），” which
As it turned out, the people who had higher levels of “felt obligation” - meaning they were the type of people to sacrifice for others - dealt
She
Last spring, the Art students League of New York, an art school, found its members effectively
Since then, people
Although the news cycle of 2020 has been overwhelming(令人难以应对的), the events can
Art is one of the most important lenses ( 滤镜), through
3 . Don't brag(炫耀)，but be proud of what you've done. These two pieces of advice were tough to balance before Facebook existed.
Social media like Facebook bring us convenience.
According to Therapist Jessica Michaels, providing "emotional context" may help prevent what might be seen as a bragging. Think about how you say something, not just what you say. Frame it in a way that makes it more of a sharing idea. For example, if you plan a party for Christmas, you could post "Hey friends of mine! Let's plan this together. Maybe we could all go." instead of saying "Oh I can't wait to enjoy my party."
Remember, the original intention behind social media is a connector, and your true best friends definitely do want to know when things are going good for you. Next time when you post a photo of your fantastic winter vacation, for example, make sure to tag your friends.
A little bit of social media love goes a long way!
| A．To post or not to post? |
| B．Will it make me a celebrity? |
| C．Tell them you wish they were by your side. |
| D．They are the most important friends in our life. |
| E．Meanwhile, they can put us in danger of oversharing. |
| F．It makes a big difference how you express your ideas. |
| G．Even today's share-it-all social media haven't made it any easier. |
4 . There are those who save every takeaway container. There are others who throw away every takeaway container and later wish they hadn't clone so. Wouldn't it be great if these two people could do each other a favor and just swap （交换）?
Across the world, those with too much "junk”, and those who can't get enough of it, are exchanging and sharing their stuff online on a network called Freecycle. On Freecycle, people can swap with others who live within a few miles of them. All you have to do is list whatever you have to give away or whatever you're looking for. Take a quick visit to the website, and you can get your hands on a baby stroller, a dictionary, or a pair of shoes. Just sign up and make sure you turn up to collect your new-- or , rather , old—item.
“Freecycling" isn't just a trend, though. It's becoming the accepted way of doing things. If your child has grown up, what better way to deal with his or her stroller than to give it to another kid? And if you're moving house, your expensive necessities, even beds and cupboards, can just be freecycled.
Admittedly? a lot of the items carry warnings, such as “TV with remote control missing” or ^saucepan （no lid）”. And some listings are a bit bossy, too, as in “ladies' shoes — must be collected TONIGHT! !
It's also possible to get a bit addicted to Freecycle. A "bamboo cocktail bar"， a “cupboard with 20 very small drawers”, a huge pile of ^squares of cloth, great for craft projects! It all sounded so good to one of my flatmates that she became an example of a ^Freecycle addict”. But that didn't matter, of course. Everything she got could later be freecycled off again.
1. Why does the author mention two kinds of people in paragraph 1?| A．To lead to the topic of Freecycle. |
| B．To compare their different habits. |
| C．To call on people to help each other. |
| D．To help them exchange takeaway containers. |
| A．Buy cheap things. |
| B．Make friends online. |
| C．Store their own things. |
| D．Offer unwanted items for free. |
| A．Everything on Freecycle is expensive. |
| B．My flatmate has nothing to do with Freecycle. |
| C．It is possible to get useless things from Freecycle. |
| D．It is easy for some people to get crazy about Freecycle. |
| A．It is not a possible trend. | B．It is win-win for some people. |
| C．It can cause some problems. | D．It is likely to produce waste. |
5 . 3 Things That Can Happen When You Quit Social Media
Social media brings you much fun. But if you’re spending too much time on social media, it can be hard to imagine life without it.
You’ll get more work done, and you’ll do it faster.
You’ll sit less. Sitting all day can be as dangerous for your health as smoking. And after a long day at work, we are increasingly using our free time to check social media — from a seated position. People will say, “Wow, I didn’t realize I was sitting an extra 90 minutes each day because of Facebook”.
| A．You’ll get more sleep. |
| B．You’ll feel less stressed. |
| C．Without social media, you’ll have more creative ideas. |
| D．This can bring unfavorable effects on the brain like reduced memory. |
| E．Staying away from social media frees up your time for healthier activities. |
| F．However, there are many reasons to consider taking a break from social media. |
| G．Putting aside social media, you’ll find your productivity levels increase a lot. |
6 . Teenagers are especially likely to suffer loneliness. Here are some suggestions for speeding a recovery from loneliness.
Reach out to others, but start small. A smile and a friendly greeting for the student behind you in line at the cafeteria won’t make you best friends.
Find a safe place to make connections. If going to the school dance makes you feel like you just don’t belong, try joining a specialinterest group. Maybe it’s the drama club or the marching band.
Find other ways of making connections. Lonely people hunger for acceptance and friendship. Sometimes feeling accepted and liked comes more easily when you do something for others.
You get what you expect, so expect the best. If you expect others to be friendly, you will behave in similar ways.
| A．But it will make you both feel pretty good. |
| B．So consider becoming a volunteer. |
| C．Some teens aren’t so adaptable, however. |
| D．Encourage people to be friendlier to you. |
| E．Choose the right people. |
| F．For most young people, loneliness is only temporary. |
| G．Look for a group that allows you to join in gradually and cheerfully. |
7 . "Smile!" I shouted, holding a yellow sign up on a busy street in Seattle. We were three thousand miles away from home on a Random Acts of Kindness and Volunteerism Road Trip. We had two aims. One was to try out our new "Smile!" signs and see how much kindness and joy we could spread in Pike Place Market. The other was to raise $80 by doing street performances, enough for gas to Portland and a small hotel room.
We weren't sure how people would react (回应) to our signs. I nervously raised up our signs and shouted, "Hi, there!" to a young couple. They looked over and felt confused. Then they read our signs and broke into a smile. Before long, some tourists wanted to take a photo with us and some strangers stopped to ask us about our signs.
In fact, we paid so close attention to our "Smile!" project that we forgot the other aim. Before we knew it, the sun was setting, and we had no money for our trip to Portland. We sat down to watch a blind musician play the guitar while thinking about what to do. He was packing up when a passing crowd kicked down his change bowl. He stumbled (绊倒) into the crowd. We rushed to help him, but another man moved more quickly to help him.
Once the musician had his money safely returned, we ran over to meet the strange helper and said, "We just wanted to praise you for your good deed." He smiled, looking at our signs. "Your trip reminds me of something similar I once did when I was young," he said. "Look! I'd like to donate (捐赠)." We told him, "No, thanks! We are fine. We've collected plenty of money." We lied. "Please let me donate. It will make me feel like I'm a part of this adventure," he insisted. And then the stranger opened his wallet and pulled out four $20 bills. The money was exactly what we had intended to raise that day. We were astonished. It seemed as if he had known somehow.
1. What's the main purpose of the road trip?| A．To spread kindness and joy. |
| B．To invite more people to join in the trip. |
| C．To raise money for a trip to Portland. |
| D．To encourage people to take happy photos. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Worried. | C．Interested. | D．Moved. |
| A．Because he felt pity for the author. |
| B．Because he wanted to join in the project. |
| C．Because he hoped to help the homeless. |
| D．Because he felt sorry for his impoliteness. |
| A．Tired. | B．Satisfied. | C．Frightened. | D．Surprised. |
8 . Have you ever found yourself waiting at the stop for your bus to arrive and have a stranger ask a commonplace (普通的) question? Or have you stood in line waiting for a coffee and feel the need to just look over to the person next to you and ask about the weather?
This is small talk, and despite the name, it’s actually a big part of daily life.
“Small talk may seem trivial (微不足道的), but it’s a natural way for people to connect. It may seem like a waste of time. But it serves a vital role in our social interactions (交往). Big relationships are built on small talk,” Lindy Pegler, who has a master’s degree in psychology, wrote on Medium.
In fact, we spend a lot of our time making small talk. Often, we find ourselves making small talk with the same people on a regular basis. Coming up with small conversations is the foundation (基础) of these relationships.
The benefits of such conversations can actually contribute to our happiness and benefit our lives as a whole. In a study cited by The New York Times, researchers found that having a healthy number of acquaintances (相识的人) and maintaining these relationships contribute to one’s sense of belonging to a community.
So how does one start making small talk? It can be as simple as complimenting (称赞) one’s shirt, asking about their day or commenting on the traffic. “First and foremost, small talk is an act of politeness,” Pegler noted. “Our small talk at our first meeting is our chance to show who we are,” she added.
Who knows where this can lead? Nowadays, the small connections we make can lead to big results. You might find someone who has a common interest, or maybe even someone who turns out to be a close friend. There is one thing for sure: making small talk can brighten our day – even if it’s just a nice comment or a thoughtful question.
So the next time you find yourself waiting for the bus or checking your watch while you wait in a line, take the opportunity to look up and talk to someone around you. After all, it takes a small connection to lead to a larger one.
1. What does the writer intend to do by asking questions in paragraph one?| A．To show his confusion on the theme | B．To argue over the seriousness of talking |
| C．To attach importance to talking | D．To lead to the topic of the passage |
| A．It is a pointless conversation. | B．It wastes too much time. |
| C．It is connected with your social status. | D．It contributes to good relationships. |
| A．They help people develop communication skills. |
| B．They bring people happiness and a sense of belonging. |
| C．They allow people to improve their manners. |
| D．They help people find out who they are. |
| A．Start with casual topics | B．Start with serious topics |
| C．Make it important and deep. | D．Choose pleasant surroundings. |
9 . Wheeling her red chair and scissors around the city, Katie gives out—of—luck strangers the gift of visibility.
Last summer, Katie saw a man sitting with a
The man, named Edward, was in his 60s. “
“It’s more than a haircut. I want it to
Katie wanted to help people
It all began with a belief in simple acts of
| A．mask | B．chair | C．sign | D．minor |
| A．perfect | B．regular | C．special | D．free |
| A．Naturally | B．Luckily | C．Actually | D．Eventually |
| A．exploring | B．hoping | C．begging | D．moving |
| A．good | B．brave | C．healthy | D．satisfied |
| A．prove | B．show | C．appreciate | D．combine |
| A．establish | B．complete | C．change | D．reflect |
| A．suffered from | B．got through | C．put up with | D．adapted to |
| A．charged | B．applied | C．sought | D．arranged |
| A．worthwhile | B．serious | C．alone | D．innocent |
| A．feel | B．follow | C．accomplish | D．select |
| A．struggle | B．escape | C．relief | D．performance |
| A．extremely | B．apparently | C．merely | D．hardly |
| A．joy | B．honesty | C．pride | D．kindness |
| A．occurs | B．continues | C．remains | D．matters |
10 . We are surrounded by people trying to make the world a better place. Peace activists bring enemies together so they can get to know one another and feel each other’s pain. School leaders try to attract a diverse set of students so each can understand what it’s like to walk in the others’ shoes.
It is true that people who are empathetic (共情的) are more sensitive to the perspectives and sufferings of others. They are more likely to make sympathetic moral judgments. The problem comes when we try to turn feeling into action. Empathy makes you more aware of other people’s sufferings, but it’s not clear whether it actually motivates you to take moral action or prevents you from taking immoral action. For example, in the early days of the Holocaust, Nazi prison guards sometimes wept as they killed Jewish women and children, but they still did it.
Empathy directs you toward moral action, but it doesn’t seem to help much when that action comes at a personal cost. You may feel painful for the homeless guy on the other side of the street, but the chances are that you are not going to cross the street to give him a dollar. Studies investigating the link between empathy and moral action suggest that empathy is not a major player when it comes to moral motivation. Its contribution is slight in children, modest in adults, and nonexistent when costs are significant.
Nobody is against empathy. However, it’s not enough. These days empathy has become a shortcut. It has become a way to experience delicious moral emotions without confronting the weaknesses in our nature that prevent us from actually acting upon them. It has become a way to experience the illusion (幻觉) of moral progress without having to do the nasty work of making moral judgments. Teaching empathy is a safe way for schools and other institutions to seem blameless without risking dispute or hurting anybody’s feelings.
People who actually perform pro-social action don’t only feel for those who are suffering, they feel it necessary to act by a sense of duty. Empathy is less important. If you want to make the world a better place, help people debate, understand, reform, revere and enact their moral principles. Accept that principles conflict.
1. Why does the author mention the Holocaust in paragraph 2?| A．To show that empathy is limited in preventing people from wrongdoings. |
| B．To prove that empathic people are more likely to make compassionate moral judgments. |
| C．To explain that empathy is helpful for moral teaching. |
| D．To criticize the immoral actions of Nazis. |
| A．Reach out to them. | B．Ignore them. |
| C．Feel sorry for them. | D．Raise money for them. |
| A．People are enthusiastic about empathy. |
| B．Teaching empathy is a quicker way to achieve moral education. |
| C．Empathy alone is not sufficient. |
| D．People are unwilling to take actual actions. |
| A．Try to understand what it’s like to walk in the others’ shoes. |
| B．Be more sensitive to the perspectives and sufferings of others. |
| C．Stop teaching empathy since it is only a sideshow in moral education. |
| D．Take on the duty to act and make real moral progress. |
