1 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. techniques B. negative C. factual D. slip E. identify F. conscious G. stick H. distance I. analyzers J. approach K. deceptive

The Language of Lying

“Sorry, my phone died.” “It’s nothing. I’m fine.” “I love you.”

We hear anywhere from 10 to 200 lies a day, and we spent much of our history coming up with ways to detect them, from medieval torture devices to polygraphs, blood-pressure and breathing monitors, voice-stress     1     and eye trackers. But although such tools have worked under certain circumstances, most can be fooled with enough preparation, and none are considered reliable enough to even be admissible in court. But, what if the problem is not with the     2    , but the underlying assumption that lying brings about physiological changes? What if we took a more direct     3    , using communication science to analyze the lies themselves?

Psychologically speaking, we lie partly to paint a better picture of ourselves, connecting our fantasies to the person we wish we were rather than the person we are. But while our brain is busy dreaming, it’s letting plenty of signals     4     by. Our     5     mind only controls about 5% of our cognitive function, including communication while the other 95% occurs beyond our awareness. According to the literature on reality monitoring, stories based on imagined experiences are qualitatively different from those based on real experiences. This suggests that creating a false story about a personal topic takes work and results in a different pattern of language use.

A technology known as linguistic text analysis has helped to     6     three such common patterns in the subconscious language of deception.

First, liars mention themselves less when making     7     statements. They write or talk more about others, often using the third person to     8     themselves from their lie, which sounds more false: “Absolutely no party took place at this house,” or “Nobody hosted a party here.”

Second, liars tend to be more     9    , because on a subconscious level, they feel guilty about lying. For example, a liar might say something like, “Sorry, my stupid phone battery died. I hate that thing.”

Third, liars tend to use longer sentence structure, inserting irrelevant but     10     sounding details in order to pad the lie. A President confronted with a scandal claimed: “I can say, categorically, that this investigation indicates that no one on the White House staff, no one in this administration presently employed was involved in this very odd incident.”

2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. backed   B. benefit   C. consumption   D. diversity   E. disordered   F. matter G. perceive   H. led   I. snacking   J. treat   K. wandering

Walking past a corner bakery, you may find yourself drawn in by the fresh smell of sweets wafting from the front door. You're not alone. The knowledge that humans make decisions based on their nose has     1     major brands like Cinnabon and Panera Bread to use the scents of baked goods in their restaurants, leading to big increases in sales.

But according to a new study, the food you ate just before your walk past the bakery may impact your chance of stopping in for a sweet     2    —and not just because you're full. Scientists at Northwestern University found that people became less sensitive to food odors (气味) based on the meal they had eaten just before. So, if you were     3     on baked goods from a coworker before your walk, for example, you may be less likely to stop into that sweet-smelling bakery.

The study found that participants who had just eaten a meal of either cinnamon buns (肉桂面包) or pizza were less likely to     4     "meal-matched" odors, but not non-matched odors. The findings were then     5     by brain scans that showed brain activity in parts of the brain that process odors was altered in a similar way. These findings show that just as smell regulates what we eat, what we eat—in turn—regulates our sense of smell.

Feedback between food intake and the olfactory (嗅觉的) system may have an evolutionary     6    , said senior and corresponding study author Thorsten Kahnt, an assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "If you think about our ancestors     7     around the forest trying to find food, they find and eat berries and then aren't as sensitive to the smell of berries anymore, "Kahnt said. So it could theoretically help facilitate (促进)     8     in food and nutrient intake.

While we may not notice the hunter-gatherer adaptation having an effect on our day-to-day decision-making, the connection between our nose, what we seek out and what we can detect with our nose may still     9    . If the nose isn't working right, for example, the feedback may be disrupted, leading to problems with     10     eating and obesity. There may even be links to disrupted sleep, another tie to the olfactory system the Kahnt lab is researching.

3 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A purposeless   B. reminding   C. focus   D. aware   E. identify   F. managing G. attention   H. unrealistic   I. appeal   J. control   K. intelligent

When did the voice inside your head start talking? I became       1     of mine at about the age of 15. At night, I sometimes found it difficult to get to sleep because there was so much “mind chatter” inside my head.

In fact, mind chatter is quite common for human beings. Usually, whenever our       2     isn’t occupied, a stream of mental associations flows through our muds— thoughts about the future or the past, daydreams about alternative realities, or friends or celebrities. We often call this mental activity “thinking”, but this isn’t really accurate.

Real thinking suggests something active over which we have conscious(有意识的)     3    . It happens when we consciously use powers of reason and logic to make decisions and plans, organize our lives, solve problems and so on. But mind chatter isn’t like this. It’s random(随机的)and     4    , running through our head regardless of our desires and distracting us.

For example, imagine you’re thinking about what elective course to take for the next school year. As you are considering them, thoughts about your favorite subjects flood in,     5     you of a project that you really like. This makes you remember chatting with friends about some documentaries that       6     to young people. Suddenly, you remember the upcoming science fair and you worry about       7     your time. All these thoughts leave you struggling to       8    , and you end up seeking advice from classmates.

However, it’s       9     to expect to silence our mind chatter altogether. It’s such a natural part of our minds that it won’t disappear. We should accept it and treat I t as a kind of physiological process that takes place inside us but is not part of our identity. We don’t get our sense of identity from our digestion or blood circulation, so why should we       10     with the voice inside our head?

4 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. approach       B. demands       C. desirable       D. limited       E. matter       F. multiple G. range       H. rapidly       I. shifting       J. significantly       K. spoil

Multitasking: blessed or cursed?

Your phone is going off, you have a report to complete, and there’s just enough time to throw a load of laundry in before your next meeting. Does it sound like business as usual? With the high       1     of work, social life, and personal responsibilities, we often find ourselves multitasking.

The figure of a multitasker is often portrayed as someone who can handle numerous tasks at once, seamlessly (无缝地) switching between them. However, since the human brain is very     2     in how much we can truly do at one time, this is misleading. Multitasking is the practice of switching     3     from one task to another-and we’re not as good at it as we think. So the overestimation (高估) of our multitasking abilities can     4     the quality of work and sacrifice our attention to detail, which can result in errors and missed deadlines in work.

Of course, there’s a wide     5     of multitasking pairings. It’s probably fine if you listen to a podcast while doing the dishes. However, when the task requires a quick reaction time, multitasking could be fatal (致命的). A second we lose may not     6     much when doing the dishes, but they could make all the difference when driving a car.

The stress that comes with multitasking can also have a negative impact on both mental and physical well-being. Constantly     7     focus from one task to another can lead tiredness. Additionally, the pressure to perform well on     8     tasks can lead to feelings of anxiety and burnout.

In a professional setting, the ability to multitask is often seen as a (n)     9     quality. However, it is essential to     10     it with care, finding a balance between staying productive and maintaining a firm grasp on our well-being.

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. essential     B. processed     C. challenges     D adapt     E. switching F. available     G. large-scale     H. strategies     I. opting     J. significant     K. fresh

Cutting Salt May Lower Blood Pressure as Much as Medication

Reducing daily salt intake by just one teaspoon, equivalent to approximately 2,200 milligrams of sodium(钠), can lead to a blood pressure drop comparable to that achieved with prescription antihypertension (抗高血压) medication, reveals a recent study. Conducted on 213 individuals aged 50 to 75, the research included participants both on and off blood pressure medication. Regardless of their initial measurements, all groups experienced a(n)     1     reduction in blood pressure after a week on a low-sodium diet.

The study     2     the common notion that only those not taking medication benefit from salt reduction. Notably, the blood pressure decrease observed was similar to the effect seen when individuals start hypertension medication. The investigation aims to shed light on how excess salt raises blood pressure, aside from the conventional theory of increased water retention causing hypertension.

While sodium is     3     for bodily functions, humans, evolutionarily did not     4     to a high-sodium diet. The average daily sodium intake in the U.S. is around 3,400 milligrams, mainly sourced from     5     and restaurant foods, exceeding the recommended 2,300 milligrams by the FDA. Encouraging people to reduce salt intake proves challenging and experts suggest     6     to lower-sodium options instead of mere reduction. One proposal is transitioning from regular sodium chloride to a blend of 75% sodium chloride and 25% potassium chloride, a form of salt     7     in health food stores.

Changing dietary habits presents a puzzle, but historical precedents, like the introduction of iodized (含碘的) salt in1924 to combat pediatric goiters (儿科甲状腺肿), show that     8     shifts are possible.

Although potassium-supplemented (含钾的) salt may not be mainstream yet, it could become a future staple (基本食物) for those aiming to lower sodium intake. For now, cooking at home and     9     for lower-sodium remain practical     10     for individuals mindful of their salt consumption.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one more word than you need.

A. conserve             B. wrinkly             C. stationary             D. exceptional             E. oddities             F. nursing       G. timely             H. sounding             I. generalize             J. comprise             K. rules

The Curious World of Bats

Not all bats are unbelievably adorable, like the one below. Many of them have     1     faces and large ears that help them “see” in the dark, using echo location (回声定位). But all bats are, without a doubt,     2     creatures.

Scientists are typically reluctant to     3     about bats because they make up such a large and diverse group of winged animals. With nearly 1, 500 species, bats     4     about one-fifth of all mammal (哺乳动物) species on Earth. But one thing that can be said about them as a group is that they are, in not- so-scientific terms, very odd. “They break all the     5    ,” said Cori Lausen, a bat expert at the environmental group Wildlife Conservation Society Canada.

Being able to fly is just one of their     6    , since mammals rarely fly. Apart from that, bats can also push their heart rate to extreme highs and lows-as slow as one beat per minute. Many bat species can go into a period of deep sleep, known as “torpor”, for a few hours a day or even for weeks to     7     energy when it’s cold or food is unavailable. And while most small mammals have short lives and lots of babies, some bats can live for two decades or more and typically have just one baby per year.

For how much energy they need, it’s also surprising that many bat species, including most of those in the US, rely on insects alone for food. They have to eat ridiculous quantities of them. A mom that is     8     a baby can catch more than 4,000 insects in one night.

Oddly, although bats can fly, they can’t easily take off from a(n)     9     position, like most birds and insects do. That’s one reason why they hang upside down-bats have to gain the momentum they need by falling. “For them, it’s not upside down,” Frick said. “It’s flight-side ready!”

While bats remain highly understudied relative to birds and other mammals, scientists are     10     the alarm. In North America, more than half of all bat species are at risk of severe population decline. Climate change, they say, threatens to only speed up their extinction.

7 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. activate       B. amounted       C. compared       D. energetic       E. guidelines       F. identify G. image       H. influenced       I. respects       J. review       K. substantial

Exercise Can Help Prevent Depression, Study Finds

How often do you exercise? A new     1     from researchers at the University of Cambridge shows that those who exercise are less likely to develop depression, even if they exercise less than the recommended amount.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate activity per week or one hour and 15 minutes to 2.5 hours of     2     aerobic (有氧的) exercise per week or some combination of the two.

Adults who took a walk for what     3     to 2.5 hours per week were less likely to develop depression than those who didn’t exercise at all, the study found. But even those who exercised less felt better than those who didn’t exercise at all, according to researchers. “In this study, a relatively small amount of physical activity were associated with a(n)     4     decrease in risks of depression,” the study says. The researchers analyzed 15 studies with nearly 200,000 participants. Those who did about half the recommended amount of physical activity per week had an 18% lower risk of depression     5     with adults who did not exercise, the study says. Participants who exercised the recommended amount had a 25% lower risk of depression than those who did not. Exercising more than the recommended amount hardly     6     depression risk, according to researchers.

Many     7     of exercise can lead to improved mental health. For example, working out can increase circulation (血液循环) to the brain and     8     the central nervous system, leading to what many refer to as a “runners high,” the study says. More exercise can also lead to improved physical health and a better body     9    , which can cause a person to be more social, researchers say.

Nearly 5% of adults in the U.S. report regular feelings of depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the study participants, researchers estimate that 1 in every 9 cases of depression might have been prevented had everyone met recommended exercise     10    , the study says.

8 . Directions:   Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. emerge          B. absorbing            C. subject          D. defining          E. movement F. originally       G. course            H. universally        I. happens        J. constant       K. corresponds

How Long Is a Second?

The length of a second depends on how you’re measuring it. There are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute — so surely a second is 1/86400, of a day, right? Well, it turns out that     1     time isn’t that simple.

“The second was     2     based on the length of the day,” Peter Whibberley, a senior scientist at the National Physical Laboratory in the U.K., told Live Science. “People observed the sun passing overhead and started measuring its     3     using sundials (日晷). However, sundials have a few disadvantages. Aside from the obvious problem of not being able to read a sundial when the sun isn’t visible, relying on Earth’s daily turning is surprisingly inaccurate. “The turning is not precisely     4    ,” Whibberley said. “The Earth speeds up and slows down over time.” So how can we precisely measure time if using the length of a day is so unreliable?

In the 16^th century, people turned to technological solutions to this problem, and the first recognizable mechanical clocks began to     5    . The earliest mechanical clocks, which were designed to click at a specific frequency, averaged over the     6     of a year.

By around 1940, quartz crystal clocks (石英钟) had become the new gold standard. However, problems arose, and this was where atomic clocks came in. “Atoms exist only in particular energy states and can only change from one state to another by     7     or giving out a fixed amount of energy,” Whibberley explained. “That energy     8     to a precise frequency, so you can use that frequency as a reference for time keeping.” The astronomical second continued to vary. Every few years, scientists must add a second to allow Earth’s slowing turning to keep up with atomic time.

In fact, scientists are discussing whether it’s time to redefine the second again. But while several important questions still need to be answered before this     9    , it’s clear that the strictly correct definition of a second is     10     to change.

9 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box.   Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. backfire B. compensate          C. extend   D. impressive       E. meaningful F. measure G. needle   H. overall   I. perceive J. punishment   K. typically

Why You Shouldn’t Exercise to Lose Weight

Many of us are lacing up our sneakers and starting (or restarting) exercise regimens (练身计划) in hopes of shedding unwanted pounds. Unquestionably, aiming to be more active is good. But if the main reason is to lose weight, your New Year’s resolution could very well     1    .

For starters, exercise — at least the kind most of us do — is     2     ineffective for weight loss. Take walking, for example. A 150-pound person who walks briskly for 30 minutes will burn, on average, around 140 calories. That’s equal to one can of soda — not exactly a great return on your investment of time and effort. It’s much easier just to skip the soda.

Studies     3     show that doing moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as walking for 30 minutes a day, five days a week — the amount recommended for good health — typically produces little or no weight loss by itself.

When moderate exercise is added to diet, the results are equally not     4    . Pooling data from six trials, researchers found that a combination of diet and exercise generated no greater weight loss than diet alone after six months.

In studies where exercise has produced     5     weight loss, participants burned at least 400 to 500 calories per session on five or more days a week. To achieve that, sessions need to go well beyond what most of us are willing or able to do. And even if we manage to exert that much effort, our bodies often     6     by boosting appetite and dialing down metabolism, effects that over time limit how many pounds we shed.

Perhaps the biggest problem with exercising to drop pounds is that it turns physical activity into     7    . How many times have you heard someone say (or said yourself) “I’ll need to do extra exercise” after eating too much during the holidays or at a celebratory dinner?

The point is that we’re more likely to     8     exercise positively and actually do it when we focus on our well-being rather than our weight. The incentive may be an improved mood or less stress. Others may find that exercise makes them feel physically and mentally stronger.

Of course, the benefits of physical activity     9     well beyond these. It’s been shown to reduce the risk of multiple diseases. It can also improve sleep and boost energy.

By all means, striving to exercise regularly in the new year is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your health. But to improve the odds of success, focus on how movement helps you feel better physically and emotionally — and forget about how it moves the     10     on the scale.

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. admiration B. vital C. equipping D. involves E. opportunity F. controversial G. undergo H. qualities I. denying J. drawing K. distinctive

In life’s journey, maturity plays a significant role in guiding individuals towards success. It encompasses     1     like wisdom, responsibility, and the ability to adapt to change. Financial maturity is about making wise decisions regarding money. It     2     understanding the importance of saving, investing, and managing finances for long-term stability. Adaptability is another key aspect of maturity. It enables individuals to     3     life’s ups and downs with resilience and flexibility,

Mature individuals often exhibit     4     features such as confidence and firmness, which command respect and     5     from others. In society, mature individuals are often seen as leaders and mentors,     6     upon their experiences to guide and inspire others. Acknowledging tiny and learning from challenges is a typical mark of maturity. Instead of     7     difficulties, mature individuals face them head-on, using them as stepping stones towards personal growth.

The impact of maturity on personal and professional development is     8    . It requires self-reflection, discipline, and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures. As educators, it is our responsibility to ins till the value of maturity in our students     9     them with the skills needed to undergo the complexities of life and achieve their goals.

In conclusion, maturity is essential for success and fulfillment. Let us embrace change as a（n）     10     for growth and celebrate the growth of maturity in ourselves and others as we go through life.