Minimalism (极简主义) and voluntary simplicity may offer psychological advantages, according to a recent article in the Journal of Positive Psychology.“Research has accumulated over the years to support the proverb that money can't buy happiness,” state the authors of the research led by Joshua Hook of the University of North Texas. “As an alternative to the high-consumption lifestyle often found in Western cultures, voluntary simplicity (also referred to as minimalism) involves a lifestyle that is focused on reducing consumption and excess in one's life so that individuals can focus on prioritizing their values.”To better understand the connection between minimalism and happiness, Hook and his team scoured the research literature for all studies published on the topic. They found 23 such studies. Next, they tested to see how many of these studies supported the theory that minimalism or voluntary simplicity is associated with enhanced psychological well-being.According to the passage, which of the following actions is consistent with minimalism?A. Buying more products than needed, regardless of their quality or usefulness.B. Being intentional about what products to buy and focusing on quality over quantity.C. Filling the schedule with countless activities and commitments.D. Pursuing material wealth at the expense of psychological well-being.

7. (4.0 分) additiveA that cannot be changed back to what it was beforeB something that is dangerous and likely to cause damageC to cause a violent situation to endD the process of absorbing nutrients or medications into the body by eating or drinking themE a substance that is added to food in order to improve its taste or appearance or to keep it fresh and stop it from

1. visionA. 构想；设想；念头B. 分开，分割，分隔C. 幻觉；错觉；错误观念D. 修改，修正；修订，校订

Tomi Hall did what she could to lobby for the best teachers for her two children, making her case this spring in letters to the principal. Then all she could do was waiting for news of their classroom assignments and it’s been torturing. The Aurora mom knows her efforts carry no guarantees. One year her son didn’t get the teacher Hall had hoped for, and he struggled for months with one whose relaxed style came across to him as uncaring. "Granted, I know it’s just kindergarten," said Hall, 39. "But ... a teacher can make or break you. In the next few weeks, many families will rip open notification letters or go to school to see class lists posted on the front door. For parents accustomed to directing nearly every aspect of their child’s early learning it can be difficult to have little voice in teacher selection--a decision they view as critical. Some spend hours crafting the perfect letter or meet with the principal to make an argument. For their child’s early learning, parents regard that teacher is critical. Principals, meanwhile, struggle to create balanced classrooms while juggling (更改) individual requests. They say they want input but find it increasingly necessary to discourage parents from asking for a specific teacher. Administrators don’t want the selection process to be a popularity contest--in part because what makes a teacher popular may have nothing to do with a particular child’s educational needs. "I’m bright enough to realize parents talk at soccer fields and baseball fields, but you have to realize your experience with Teacher A may be very different than someone else’s Teacher A," said Scott Meek, the new principal at Northbrook Junior High School who is making classroom assignments this summer for 600 students with the help of an office display board. He asks parents to focus their input on the student and his or her learning style and trust the school to make the right match. Some students also believe that certain teachers bring out the best in them. "I need one of those strict kinds of teachers," said Hall’s daughter Tori, 12, who is entering 7th grade. "When I get a not-so-strict teacher, I think they don’t really care about me. I really don’t want a bad teacher. I’ll get lower grades." When Chaya Fish, 30, of West Rogers Park taught at a private school in New York, she said, it was obvious who the "in, teachers were. She said she automatically joined them after the principal’s son landed in her classroom. "It was ridiculous," said Fish. "The other teacher was probably better than me. It was how you dressed, how you talked" that often determined parental favor. Teachers said the most vocal parents often get their way so that all parties involved can avoid a difficult school year. But educators warn that parents who get what they wish for may be sorry afterward. "A lot of times when people orchestrate (精心安排) who they think their child is best suited for, they find they made a mistake," said Mark Friedman, superintendent for Libertyville Elementary School District 70. "I have many parents say later, ’I don’t know why I did this. It isn’t working out this year.’" Friedman said he assures parents their comments will be considered but never guarantees a specific teacher. In fact, he tells them that if they do request a teacher and later regret that choice, "you have no one to blame but yourself." Some parents said they’ve learned their lesson about trying to guess which teacher would be best. Jamie Thompson said she was initially concerned when her daughter was assigned to a strict lst-grade teacher. She was aware other parents had lobbied for a different person, who had a more casual style. "At the end, it turned out that the other class was asking, ’ Why isn’t my child learning that ’ "said Thompson, 36, of Arlington Heights. "That’s why I don’t want to interfere too much." Yet parents have different reasons for requesting classes, and some have nothing to do with the teacher, said Michelle Van Every, 36, of Deerfield. She and other mothers once requested that their children not be placed in a classroom with a specific boy--not because of him, but to avoid his mother, who had created problems in the past, she said. "We didn’t want to cross paths with her," said Van Every, who added that the school complied with their request. "We didn’t want to have to volunteer with her at a class party." Each district follows its own procedure for teacher selection. Some begin as early as April or May, officials said. Many ask parents to complete a form about their child’s strengths and weaknesses. Typically, teachers have some say in the process by deciding early on which students should be separated or kept together, on the basis of academics, personalities and learning styles. The principal draws up the final class lists, often after meeting with parents or reviewing special requests, officials said. Many school districts wait until the last minute to announce class assignments, usually about two weeks before the start of school. That’s because they have come to expect a flood of phone calls within hours from parents who beg or demand to switch teachers. Other schools handle it differently. At Sawyer Elementary School on Chicago’s Southwest Side, the fall class assignments are handed out with the last report card the previous spring, said teacher Maureen "Moe" Forte. Forte said she is aware of colleagues and members of the Local School Council who have asked that their children be moved from one class into another. "It’s not fair," Forte said. "I was very upset that one of the LSC parents moved her daughter to my classroom... The parent just felt my personality fit better with her child. But it’s not a personality contest." Denita Ricci of Lake Villa said she knows parents who request certain classes but tries to stay out of the process. Her son, Mason Wubs, 12, hopes to be placed in the same class as his best friend, easing the transition to 7th grade at a new school. "I trust the school’s judgment," she said, though she secretly hopes Mason will share a class with his friend. "I think they need to learn to deal with people who are different from them, just like an employer.What do we learn about Mark Friedman’s remarks about parents choosing teachers A．He assured that parents’ requests would be reconsidered.B．He assured that parents’ requests would be guaranteed.C．He warned that parents who requested a teacher pay more.D．He warned that parents who got what they wish for may regret later.

Movies and television with superheroes are popular all over the world. Both young people and adults love characters like Batman and Spider Man. But for some people, such characters and their stories are more than just simple entertainment, just like Ben Penrod, who has loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy, and all things nerdy throughout his life.Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, Penrod worked in a store that sold comic books. He says this made his interest in nerdy media grow. Penrod bought and sold large comic book collections in his free time. He would often visit a store called Third Eye Comics. He then became friends with the owners. Together they decided that Annapolis needed its own comic book convention.Every year, cities around the world hold events for people interested in super heroes, science fiction stories and the world of make-believe. These gatherings are often called comic book conventions, or comic “cons.” Two of the biggest comic cons in the U.S. are held in San Diego, California and New York City.In 2011 Penrod and his partners organized the first Awesome Con in Annapolis. Over 7,000 people attended. “It was larger than anything I had ever done before. And it was scary. But it was also exciting.” In addition to comic book lovers, fans of video games and professional wrestling attended the event. Artists and creators of comic books and similar media came to the comic con to share their work with the public. Actors from movies and television shows came to meet their fans. Many people also wore costumes to look like their favorite characters. Dressing in such clothing is often called “cosplay.”Penrod thinks it’s the sense of community. It’s a chance to be around people who have similar interests and people who really understand them and get them. It’s a place to celebrate the things that people are passionate about. Penrod chose to move the convention to Mt. Vernon Convention Center in Washington, DC in 2013. He hoped the larger space would bring more people. In 2015, over 40,000 people attended Awesome Con. The number of people attending events like this shows how popular this kind of media is.1. What do we know about Ben Penrod?A) He is the owner of the Third Eye Comics.B) He worked in a comic book store in Annapolis. C) He and his partners held comic cons in San Diego.D) He has published many comic books on superheroes.2. What does the speaker say about the first Awesome Con in 2011?A) It was held by Penrod and his partners in Annapolis. B) Only comic book lovers and fans of video games attended it.C) It attracted more than 40,000 people from all over the country.D) Actors from movies and television shows did cosplay on the convention.3. Why did Penrod move the convention to Mt. Vernon Convention Center in Washington, DC in 2013?A) Because he thought that would save costs.B) Because the Mt. Vernon Convention Center is very popular.C) Because he hoped the larger space would bring more people. D) Because people in Washington, DC love this convention the most.

The brain is a seemingly endless library, whose shelves house our most precious memories as well as our lifetime's knowledge. But is there a point where it reaches capacity?The answer is no, because brains are more sophisticated than that. Instead of just crowding in, old information is sometimes pushed out of the brain for new memories to form.Previous behavioural studies have shown that learning new information can lead to forgetting. But in a new study, researchers demonstrated for the first time how this effect occurs in the brain.In daily life, forgetting actually has clear advantages. Imagine, for instance, that you lost your bank card. The new card you receive will come with a new personal identification number (PIN). Each time you remember the new PIN, you gradually forget the old one. This process improves access to relevant information, without old memories interfering.And most of us may sometimes feel the frustration of having old memories interfere with new, relevant memories. Consider trying to remember where you parked your car in the same car park you were at a week earlier. This type of memory (where you are trying to remember new, but similar information) is particularly vulnerable to interference.When we acquire new information, the brain automatically tries to incorporate (合并) it within existing information by forming associations. And when we retrieve (检索) information, both the desired and associated but irrelevant information is recalled.The majority of previous research has focused on how we learn and remember new information. But current studies are beginning to place greater emphasis on the conditions under which we forget, as its importance begins to be more appreciated.A very small number of people are able to remember almost every detail of their life. While it may sound like an advantage to many, people with this rare condition often find their unusual ability burdensome.In a sense, forgetting is our brain's way of sorting memories, so the most relevant memories are ready for retrieval. Normal forgetting may even be a safety mechanism to ensure our brain doesn't become too full.31. What have past behavioural studies found about our brain?A) Its capacity actually knows no limits.B) It grows sophisticated with practice.C) It keeps our most precious memories until life's end.D) New information learned pushes old information out.32. What is the benefit of forgetting?A) It frees us from painful memories.B) It helps slow down our aging process.C) It facilitates our access to relevant information.D) It prevents old information from forming associations.33. What is the emphasis of current studies of memory?A) When people tend to forget.B) What contributes to forgetting.C) How new technology hinders memory capacity.

23. 连线题Match the words with their definitions according to the context.第一组内容1、tillage2、deplete3、barren4、biodegradable5、offset第二组内容A、capable of being broken down by the action of microorganismsB、something that serves to counterbalance for something elseC、not reproducing, such as plants habitually failing to fruitD、the operation of tilling landE、to lessen markedly in quantity, content, power, or value请将两组内容相关的项连起来

Since its founding in 1948. McDonald's has grown from a family burger (汉堡）Passage Two stand to a global fast-food chain. with more than 30,000 locations in 118 countries. With 58 million daily customers worldwide. McDonald's is now so ubiquitous around the globe that The Economist publishes a global ranking of currencies purchasing power based on the prices charged at the local McDonald's called the Big Mac Index (巨无霸指数). That's not to say that every nation carries the same menu items choices vary widely depending on location. Some Asian locations serve fried shrimp in a Big Mac roll, while McDonald's in India doesn't serve beef at all, relying instead on burgers made from vegetables rice and beans Not everyone in the world has been happy to greet Ronald McDonald when he moves to town. Many see McDonald's as a symbol of American economic and cultural chauvinism (沙文主义) and European nations in particular have viewed American-style fast food as an insult to their nationa food. A French farmer Jose Bove became something of a national hero in 1999 after he and a group of people destroyed a McDonald's under construction to protest globalization and 'bad food." The next year, a bomb exploded in a French McDonald's, killing a 22-old 27 employee. No one claimed responsibility. But regardless of whether you like their food or their policies McDonald's is still widely seen as one of the true pioneers of peaceful globalization. 1.According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT TRUE. A. McDonald's was founded in 1948. B. McDonald's has opened its restaurants in every city of the world. C. McDonald's has over 30,000 locations in the world now. D. McDonald's was very small in scale in the beginning. 2.The word ubiquitous in Paragraph 2 is most likely to mean ___. A. very crowded B. very dean C. existing everywhere D. occurring frequently 3.From Paragraph 2, we can conclude that ___. A. McDonald's designs its menu to suit the local people. B. millions of young adults got their first job with McDonald's. C. the McDonald's menu sticks to old-fashioned favorites such as the Big Mac D. the low prices McDonald 's bring tens of millions of people through its doors

5.要摆脱目前的困境,我们必须求助于专家。(get-|||-rid of...

We are going to lose another important customer because you are never punctual! Take last night as an example: We ________(agree) to meet at 6 o’clock at the coffee shop in Main Street before seeing Mr. Wolf. But you didn’t turn up. By the time I finally left the coffee shop I ____________(have) five cups of coffee and I ________ (wait) over an hour. I had to leave because I _____________(arrange) to meet Mr. Wolf at Joe’s Restaurant at 8 o’clock.