The Nature of Stress
We are often faced with stressors that are outside of our control, from rare natural disasters to everyday traffic jams. There is a good deal of evidence that uncontrollable events are particularly stressful. This has been shown in studies of “executive rats,” in which two rats receive exactly the same electric shock, but one is given a lever（杠杆）that could be used to turn the shock off after it occurs. Over a long series of such trials, the partner rat, helpless to do anything about its pain, is more likely to develop ulcers (溃疡) than is the “executive”.
Stress is mostly caused by uncertain events. Uncertainty about an event makes it more disturbing. One study found that subjects who were told that they had a 5 percent chance of receiving an electric shock were actually more uneasy than those who were told that they had a 50 percent chance.
People make various attempts to deal with their stress---removing the cause of the stress, seeking the support of friends or reinterpreting the situation to make it seem less unpleasant. Richard Lazarus and his colleagues have made a useful distinction between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Problem-focused strategies are those aimed at doing something to change the problem causing the stress. Emotion-focused strategies tend to regulate our distressing emotional responses.
Psychologists Susan Folkman and Richard Lazarus examined undergraduate students’ coping strategies at three time periods---two days before a midterm examination, a week later two days before the grades were announced, and five days after the grades were posted. Before the exam, students tended to use such problem-focused strategies as studying---a guaranteed way to reduce the potential problems. After the exam, when their fates were sealed, if they sought out others, it was usually for emotional support.
Like other animals, humans have always been safer in groups. Besides physical protection, people provide emotional support that can reduce the psychological and physiological symptoms of stress. A lack of support can increase our susceptibility（敏感性） to illness. For instance, short-term loneliness is associated with a decrease in immune response（免疫应答）. In contrast, people who have strong social ties are usually more resistant to disease. For instance, after being diagnosed as having a life threatening disease, married people are likely to survive longer than unmarried people.
People may provide appraisal support, helping us to evaluate and clarify how serious a problem is. If a professor tells you that he had also failed his first college algebra exam, the consequences of your failure will seem less devastating. Others can also provide informational support, giving advice about how to deal with the problem. Finally, friends and relatives may give us instrumental support, providing material goods or services to overcome the stress. If your father lends you some money when your car breaks down, you can stop tearing your hair out and just fix it.
Title：The Nature of Stress
people more stressed |
Events that can’t be Events that are |
| How to |
● Remove the cause of the stress. ● ● Reinterpret the situation. |
| Do something to change the problem that |
|
| Regulate our distressing emotional responses. |
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| Effects of social support |
Support and protection from society make people feel less |
| Strong social ties make people both physically and |
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| Types of social support |
Appraisal support |
| Informational support gives advice on how to solve a problem. |
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| Instrumental support provides material goods or services to get |
Born to Win
Each human being is born as something unique, something that never existed before. Each person is born with what he needs to win at life. A normal person can see, hear, touch, taste, and think for himself. Each has his own unique potentials---his capabilities and limitations. Each can be an important, thinking, aware, and creatively productive person in his own right---a winner.
The words "winner" and "loser" have many meanings. When we refer to a person as a winner, we do not mean one who defeats the other person by dominating and making him lose. Instead a winner is one who responds honestly by being trustworthy and responsive, both as an individual and as a member of a society. A loser is one who fails to respond honestly.
A winner is not afraid to do his own thinking and to use his own knowledge. He can separate facts from opinion and doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. He listens to others, evaluates what they say, but comes to his own conclusions.
A winner is flexible. He does not have to respond in known, rigid ways. He can change his plans when the situation calls for it. A winner has a love for life. He enjoys work, play, food, other people, and the world of nature. Without guilt he enjoys his own accomplishments. Without envy he enjoys the accomplishments of others.
A winner cares about the world and its people. He is not separated from the general problems of society. He tries to improve the quality of life. Even in the face of national and international difficulty, he does not see himself as helpless. He does what he can to make the world a better place.
Although people are born to win, they are also born totally dependent on their environment. Winners successfully make the change from dependence to independence, losers do not. Somewhere along the line losers begin to avoid becoming independent. This usually begins in childhood. Poor nutrition, cruelty, unhappy relationships, disease, continuing disappointments, and inadequate physical care are among the many experiences that contribute to making people losers.
A loser is held back by his low capacity to appropriately express himself through a full range of possible behavior. He may be unaware of other choices for his life if the path he chooses goes nowhere. He is afraid to try new things. He repeats not only his own mistakes and often repeats those of his family and culture.
A loser has difficulty giving and receiving love. He does not enter into close, honest, direct relationships with others. Instead, he tries to manipulate them into living up to his expectations and channels his energies into living up to their expectations.
Not long ago, many people believed that babies only wanted food and to be kept warm and dry. Some people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old. But doctors in the United States now say babies begin learning on their first day of life.
A baby learns to get the best care possible by smiling to please her mother or other caregiver. This is how babies learn to connect and communicate with other people.
The researchers say this ability to learn exists in a baby even before birth. They say newborn babies can recognize and understand sounds they heard while they were still developing inside their mothers.
Experts say the first three years of a child’s life are the most intensive period of language and speech development. This is the time when the brain is developing. Language and communication skills are believed to develop best in an environment that is rich with sounds and sights. Experts say babies should repeatedly hear the speech and language of other people.
America’s National Institutes of Health says evidence suggests there are important periods of speech and language development in children. The ability to learn a language will be more difficult if these periods pass without early contact with a language.
The first signs of communication happen during the first few days of life, when a baby learns that crying will bring food and attention. Research shows that most children recognize the general sounds of their native language by six months of age. By that time, a baby usually begins to make sounds. These sounds become a kind of nonsense speech over time.When does the author think babies begin to learn? (no more than 9 words, 2 marks)
Why do babies smile to please her mother or other caregiver? (no more than 9 words, 2 marks)
According to experts, how can babies’ language and communication skills develop? (no more than 8 words, 3 marks)
What does the author mainly tell us? (no more than 8 words, 3 marks)
Marley is a businessman. His business is freezing people. He works for a company in California called Trans Time. Trans Time freezes people after they die. Why does Trans Time freeze people? Doctors today can cure many diseases, but they cannot cure all diseases. People still get sick and die. Maybe in the future doctors will have medicine for all diseases. Some people think so. They want Trans Time to freeze their bodies after they die. Maybe 100 or 200, or 300 years later, Trans Time doctors will bring the people back to life. The doctors will cure their diseases, and the people will be alive and healthy again.
People often ask the scientists at the Trans Time, “How will Trans Time bring dead people back to life?” They say, “We can freeze a healthy animal and bring it back to life. We think that someday it will be possible with human.” When they say “someday”, they mean years from now — maybe 100 or 200 years. How can Trans Time keep people frozen for 200 years?
After a person dies, workers at Trans Time cool the body with ice and chemicals. When the body is very cold, workers put the body into a capsule (密封舱). They fill the capsule with liquid nitrogen (液氮). The temperature in it is 196 degrees centigrade below zero. Every two weeks workers add more liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen keeps the bodies frozen.
Trans Time charges $21,000 to freeze a body and $59,000 to keep a body frozen. That’s $80,000 all together. It is a lot of money. But some people think that $80,000 is a fair price. It’s a fair price for a chance to live again, isn’t it?What kind of people does Trans Time serve? (No more than 2 words)
How much should one pay together, if he wants his body to be cooled and kept by Trans Time?
(No more than 2 words)
Why do people want to be frozen? (No more than 9 words)
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3? (No more than 6 words)
[l] Canadian culture was heavily influenced by British culture and traditions．Now one can also notice the influence of American culture．Over the years, lots of people have moved to Canada．There has been a healthy change of Canadian' s ideas that has resulted in the development of certain special features in Canada．The people of Canada have always been proud of their diverse cultural backgrounds．
[2] Art: Canada has some of the most wonderful classical works of art．In the year 1930, artists began developing their own personal style．The "Group of Seven" is considered to be the first group of native artists to create their own style．
[3] Language and religion: Because of its diverse cultures, Canada has two official languages, English and French．There is _________．A number of people in Canada have confirmed that they have no religious belief, though there are many other groups that follow Protestantism as a religion．
[4] Literature: The literature of Canada basically shows the different cultural influences of other countries．Some of the early works were divided according to the region of Canada from which the author came, but there were also authors who gave a humorous touch to serious contents．A number of authors have been awarded for their literature works．
[5] Music: Music in Canada has seen many developments in styles along the way．Many Canadian; musicians have earned worldwide fame．From folk music to rock, Canadian music continues to entertain people．In recent years, music from Asia and Africa has found quite a fan following in Canada．What is the main idea of the text? （no more than 3 words）
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. （no more than 3 words）
What does the word “their” (Line 4, Para 1) refer to? （no more than 2 words）
Canadian culture has been influenced by many other countries．List all of them mentioned in the text.
Complete the following statement with proper words .(no more than 5 words)
Recently, music from Asia and Africa has become in Canada.
Believe it or not, a rain check is not a weather report. A rain check is a small piece of paper. When can you get a rain check? Well, if you are going to a ball game or some other open-air activity and it is called off because of rain or some other reason, you may receive a rain check. With it you may go there again without paying.
You may also receive a rain check at a shop. As you know, sometimes when you go to a shop to buy something which is on sale, it is sold out. You may ask the assistant to give you a rain check and with it you can go again next time to buy what you need at the sale price.
Here’s another way to use this word. If someone invites you to go somewhere, you would like to go very much but cannot, you may say “May I have a rain check?” This means, “I will come next time.” But you can never say “May I take a rain check?” when your teacher gives you some homework.
根据短文内容，判断一下句子的正（T）误（F）。A rain check is a piece of paper with weather report on it. ( )
When a ball game is called off because of rain, we can get a rain check. ( )
We can buy something we need without paying with a rain check. ( )
Sometimes a rain check means “I will come next time.” ( )
Teachers will be glad to give their students a rain check when they ask them to do some homework. ( )
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意每题词数要求）
[1] Many good reasons for parents to send their children to camps.
[2]When children go to camp, they are on their own, sometimes for the very first time in their lives. They have to decide what to wear, what to eat and which activities to participate in. As a result they develop confidence and independence.
[3]As self-respect develops from learning to be on their own, children continue to try new activities. Also it is possible that they will engage in what they are unfamiliar with. In school, children do not experience success in the same way. Camp can be a school without failure because just having fun makes them a success.
[4]One of the greatest benefits of a camp experience is that children develop social skills. In a camp setting, a good counselor will make sure that every camper is included in the activity and that each child interacts with the others in a positive way. They learn to give and take, and they learn how to work and cooperate. Something as simple as clean-up, is not only there to get the cabin clean, but to promote a team atmosphere of working together which in turn results in friendship.
[5]The obvious benefit of camp is that campers make long lasting friendships. These friendships can often be unique and special because campers are living with each other and see the true personalities. Children learn to see others from a different viewpoint. Children tend to be accepted for who they are and do not have to be concerned about what they wear, what they are good at and how they look. This is because in a camp setting, respect and caring finally win out over materialistic objectives.
[6]In a word, camp does give children fun, friends and fulfillment.What do you think may be the best title for this passage? (No more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________________The underlined phrase “on their own” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ________.(No more than one word)
___________________________________________________________________________According to Paragraph 3, what makes camping different from a school?
(No more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________________What is the main idea of Paragraph 4? (No more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________________According to Paragraph 5, why can camping improve friendship? (No more than 10 words)
___________________________________________________________________________
阅读下面短文，用英语简要回答文后所给的5个问题。
[1] You may be familiar with this situation. You pass a group of people who are talking to each other. You cannot hear what they are saying. But suddenly they start laughing. What would you think? Would you think they were laughing at something else? Or -- be honest with yourself -- would you think they were laughing at you? Here is a study published in 2009.
[2]Being laughed at is a common fear. But the study found that this fear is not the same around the world. It differs from culture to culture. People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing were making fun of them. Less than ten percent of Finns in the study said they would think that, compared to eighty percent of people in Thailand.
[3]Some people in the study said they hid their feelings of insecurity. Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before. The study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia were more likely to be in the first group. They would hide their feelings of insecurity if they were around other people's laughter. But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan were more likely to try to avoid such situations if they felt they had been laughed at before.
[4]Shy people often avoid situations that would force them into close contact with other people. They worry that something they say or do will make other people laugh at them. But some people worry much more than others. They may have a disorder called gelotophobia. Gelos is a Greek word. It means laughter. Phobia means fear. This fear of laughter can be truly sad for those who live with it. It can affect how they lead their lives.
[5]In the study, a team from the University of Zurich led more than ninety researchers from around the world. They wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. Another purpose of the study was to compare the levels of fear of being laughed at in different cultures.What is a common fear according to the text? (No more than 5 words)
What would people in Egypt do if others were laughing around them? (No more than 10 words)
What does the underlined word “gelotophobia” in Para4 mean? (No more than 5 words)
What kind of situation do shy people often avoid? (No more than 15 words)
Put the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese.
Well, to pick up where we left off last time, I believe we agreed that creativity is a mysterious idea. It is those things we all recognize when we see it, but we don’t really understand what it is. We seem to feel that some people are naturally creative, but we don’t know how they got that way. Is creativity a natural gift like good looks, or is it something that can be acquired like knowledge? Perhaps if we analyze the creative process carefully, we might get some insight into what it is and how it might work in our lives. The creative process has always been accepted as the source of all important work in the arts, but we should not think the creativity plays a role only in the arts. Every major scientific discovery began with someone imagining the world to look differently from the way others saw it. And this is what creativity is all about -- imagining the world in a new way. And despite what you may believe about the limits of your own creative imaginations, we all have the potential to imagine the world in an absolutely new way. In fact, you are born with it. It is your birth right as a human being. And what’s more, you use it every day, almost every moment of your life. Your creative imagination is what you use to make sense of your experiences. (Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN 10 WORDS.)What did the speaker most probably discuss last time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ is the widely accepted idea about the creative process.
___________________________ leads to major scientific discoveries according to the speaker?
According to the writer, what is creativity all about?
________________________________________________________________________
阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
Many people spend a lot of time making money because they believe the money itself will make them happy, or will guard them against things that will make them unhappy. They make great efforts to achieve that perfect relationship, the perfect house, the beautiful body, the approval of others, all in an attempt to be happy.
Sometimes these things make people happy; other times, people stress over not having reached the goals, or reach them and find they’re still unhappy. Other times, people focus on just one goal and don’t have time for other things that will make them truly happy.
Some experts studying human happiness and the factors that contribute to it have identified several key areas of life that seem to be more related to personal happiness. Some of them are the things like money, friends, health and living conditions; others are things you may not think of in your daily life, such as your neighborhood and sense of meaning in life.
So while setting your goals, remember all of the areas of life that are important to you and find a balanced lifestyle including social support, personal development, physical health and meaningful pursuits(追求) besides career success and financial security. _____________, your attitude about life and the things that happen to you each day can also have a great effect on your level of happiness and life satisfaction. In addition to being optimistic, happy people tend to believe they are the masters of their fate, rather than the victims of circumstance.
Explore the state of your life, assess how truly happy you are, and find a direction to work toward that will likely bring more happiness. Reach your goals, set new ones and live a life that truly makes you happy.What does the first paragraph mainly talk about? (Please answer within 15 words.)
______________________________________________________________________Which sentence in the text is closest in meaning to the following one?
It’s impossible for those that stick to one thing only to experience happiness from other things.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________ Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words. (Please answer within 5 words.)
______________________________________________________________________ Do you think money could bring true happiness? Why? (Please answer within 30 words.)
______________________________________________________________________Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 into Chinese.
______________________________________________________________________
All living things must fight to stay alive. They have to feed on something and at the same time avoid being eaten. Therefore they have to solve this big problem of staying alive in their own way.
The danger of being eaten in the sea is great. Those plants and animals that do survive usually reproduce very fast and in great numbers.
Certain sea animals have defensive devices(装置) which help them to survive. The jelly fish have poisonous tentacles(触角) which are used for attack and defence.
Another method of survival which sea plants and animals use is disguise(伪装). They usually have the same color as their surroundings.
In order to stay alive, animals need to have good senses. Fishes have sharp eyes. Almost all animals are sensitive to touch. Fishes judge movements in the water by means of their lines. Fishes and other sea animals can hear well and many of them can make different types of warning sound.What is the greatest problem that the living things face?(no more than 10 words)
______________________________________________________________________________________ How many ways that animals in the sea survive are mentioned (提到)（no more than 2 words）?
______________________________________________________________________________________What do the jelly fish have to protect themselves from being attacked?(within 15 words)
______________________________________________________________________________________What does the word "survive" in the second paragraph mean?(no more than 6 words)
______________________________________________________________________________________List at least two methods of helping animals survive.(no more than 15 words)
①___________________________________
②___________________________________
阅读下面短文并回答问题， 然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的字数要求）。
When my friends went to college in great delight, I restarted my senior high school life．My spirit sank．Surrounded by strange classmates, I felt like I was in a maze and was sorry about myself．There were some complex feelings in my minds．I was frightened, nervous and lonely．
To make matters worse, I recalled my failure again and again, which put more pressure on me than I could bear．As a result, I was always feeling down during class time．
My teacher found me spiritless．One day he asked me to come to his office and told me about his attitude towards life: we might suffer from mistakes, but it’s important to learn lessons from them．All the pains and the embarrassing things we experience are part of the process．So keep up your spirit! At last, he added, “If you are optimistic, things you want may happen to you!”
Warmth rushed through my soul．I suddenly found the sun shining again when I stepped out of his office．
With the teacher’s help, I eventually got over my depression．From then on, I no longer bowed my head and began smiling to my classmates．I would put up my hand confidently in class and play with my new friends in my spare time．Meanwhile, I was gradually embraced by my classmates．
Now faced with fierce competition, we all study hard because we know that every second counts．Moreover, there is an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect between us．I love my class; I love my classmates!
To be frank, I still have a thirst for my dream university, but I’m not afraid of failure because I can profit by it．With parents and teachers’ encouragement, I’m quite certain of my success and I’m sure I can fly high． Why was the writer in low spirits at the beginning? （No more than 10 words）
________________________________________________________________________ What did the teacher expect the writer to do? （No more than 10 words）
_________________________________________________________________________ What is the main idea of Paragraph 5? （No more than 15 words）
_________________________________________________________________________ The underlined word “embraced” in paragraph 5 means ______．（No more than 5 words）
_________________________________________________________________________ What does the writer think of failure now? （No more than 10 words）
_________________________________________________________________________
The old-fashioned general store is fast disappearing. This is, perhaps, a pity, because shopping today seems to lack that personal contact which existed when the shopkeeper knew all his regular customers personally. He could, for instance, remember which brand of tea Mrs. Smith usually bought or what sort of washing-powder Mrs. Jones preferred. Not only was the shop a center of buying and selling, but also a social meeting place.
A prosperous general store might have employed four or five assistants, and so there were very few problems in management as far as the staff were concerned. But now that the supermarket has replaced the general store, the job of the manager has changed completely. The modern supermarket manager has to cope with a staff of as many as a hundred, apart from all the other everyday problems of running a large business.
Every morning the manager must, like the commander of an army division, carry out an inspection of his store to make sure that everything is ready for the business of the day. He must see that everything is running smoothly. He will have to give advice and make decisions as problems arise, and he must know how to get his huge staff to work efficiently with their respective responsibilities. No matter what he has to do throughout the day, however, the supermarket manager must be ready for any emergency that may arise. They say in the trade that you are not really an experienced supermarket manager until you have dealt with a flood, a fire, a birth and a death in your store. (Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.) Why is it a pity that there are fewer old-fashioned general stores now? _____________________________.
The shopkeeper was often the most well-informed person in the neighborhood because _____________________________.
The words “… a flood, a fire, a birth and a death …” in the last sentence refer to _____________________________.
What must the manager do every morning? ___________________________.
阅读下面的短文，根据短文后的要求答题(请注意问题后的字数要求)。
[1]Do you like chocolate? Most people do．Some like it in bars．Others just like big squares of it．
[2]Say you just got a box of chocolate．Which piece do you pick first? A study carried out by a professor in the University of Virginia showed that people's choices of chocolates show their personality．If you choose a round piece, you are a person who likes to party．If you select an oval shape, you are a person who strives．You like to make things and push yourself to be successful．Picking a square shape shows that this is an honest and truthful person you can depend on．
[3]What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate．This shows you have warm feelings about the past, while dark chocolate means something else—the person who chooses it looks forward to the future．What about white chocolate? Would you like to choose it? , you may find it hard to make up your mind．Those who like chocolate with nuts are people who like to help others．
[4]Do you believe these ideas? Can chocolate tell all these things? It doesn't matter．There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolates - they eat it because they like it．What is the main idea of the text? （no more than 6 words．）
Fill in the blank (Paragraph 3 Line 3) to complete the sentence（no more than 5 words）
What does the underlined word “this”(Paragraph 2 Line 4) refer to? （no more than 8 words）
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the information about chocolate in the text?(no more than 15 words)
According to the passage, what of chocolate can show your characteristics and qualities?（no more than 2 words）
Directions: Read the following passage.Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit.
Many people pursue goals that they hope will make them happy, but happiness is not always the final result. So how does one determine and establish which goals will end in personal happiness and which will not ? what are the things in life that are correlated with personal happiness?
The most important thing is people’s attitude toward life, which can greatly impact their personal levels of happiness and satisfaction with life overall.
Psychologists have known for some time that optimism is a good defense against unhappiness. It’s probably no secret that optimistic people are considered to be much more happier people than pessimists. There are specific characteristic features optimists have (pleasant ways of thinking), that bring them more success, greater health, increased life satisfaction, and other good things. If you became an optimist, it can mean that you became a very happy person, despite your circumstances, and it can actually bring more things into your life to be happy about. “If you are optimistic and you think life is going to get better, it will become a self-fulfilling prediction”, says one of the scientists. “Happy people manage to look on the bright side, even if they encounter big problems on their way.”
Positive psychologists believe that people can learn how to become happy, that everyone can teach themselves to see a half-empty glass as half-full. All they have to do is to spend time thinking about all the things that have gone right for them, rather than complaining what has gone badly. Study on depression shows that one of the biggest causes of depression is thinking and worrying about something that went wrong in the past.According to the passage, what can affect people’s personal levels of happiness? (No more than 5 words ) (2 marks)
_________________________________________________________________.Why are some people depressed according to the study? (No more than 13 words ) (2 marks)
_____________________________________________________________.How do people learn to be happy according to the psychologist ? (No more than 15 words ) (3 marks)
________________________________________________________________.What is the main idea of the passage? (No more than 10 words ) (3 marks)
______________________________________________________________.
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