Whoever wrote the song ''It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'' must have never experienced the holiday blues. Fortunately, psychological research suggests some effective ways you can use to beat the holiday blues. The key point is that sadness and other tough emotions are not what we should try to avoid. 1.. Here are four strategies to help you make your own happiness recipe this holiday season.
Don't force cheer
At family gatherings with cousins you secretly can’t stand, you tend to put on a happy face. Indeed, that might even seem like the most mature response—no drama, no conflict. But a 2011 study followed dozens of bus drivers, looking to see when they gave forced or honest smiles at their passengers. The results showed when the drivers pretended to have a good mood, their actual moods got worse. 2..
Let out sadness
The results of the busdriver study can be explained by researchers, who find that negative feelings like sadness or anger only increase when we try to control them. 3.. We don't like contradictory behavior.
Respond cautiously
Recently, scientists have been paying special attention to the benefits of caution. When you respond cautiously to an emotional trigger, you pause rather than react at once. 4.. Besides, it is associated with less anxiety, and may even carry physiological benefits.
5.
Of course, the holidays will bring a mix of highs and lows, but the most important lesson to keep in mind is that this variety of emotions might be the best thing possible for your overall wellbeing. In other words, sadness, anger, and other difficult emotions are nothing to fear. Just make sure you're balancing them with lighter experiences. And don’t forget to give yourself a break.
A.Relax your mind
B.Enjoy a mix of emotions
C.We tend to deny the important function emotions serve
D.Instead, they can help contribute to a healthy and happy life
E.So trying to force happiness seems to have the opposite effects
F.A cautious response to a negative event reduces sadness we experience
G.We feel bad when our appearance contradicts how we truly feel inside
With smart technology increasingly influencing all aspects of our lives, it is only a matter of time before someone invents “smart” shoes—ones that can be made based on personal needs. Called “ShiftWear”, the sneakers are the brainchild of a team of businessmen, and engineers led by New York-based designer David Coel.
The adaptable shoes can be customized by using a smart phone app. Shoe owners will have the option of selecting a design from a variety of HD pattern by famous artists or creating one themselves. The company’s founders imagine a marketplace where artists can not only share but also sell their designs to others. Despite being electronic, the designs are clearly visible even in the brightest sunlight. What’s even cooler is that by switching on a backlight, users can even show off their designs in the dark!
According to Coel, the sneakers will keep their charge “forever” if only images are displayed. Though they will need periodic recharging, active users have nothing to worry about. That’s because the shoes are equipped with special walk-n-charge technology that powers the shoes—with every step. Inactive users also have options of charging the sneakers without using wires.
The bottom part of the shoes is covered with Kevler fibers, a kind of strong material, reducing normal wear and tear. Even better? They are completely waterproof (not let water through) and can even be thrown into an ordinary laundry machine for a quick wash! The company predicts that the shoes will range the price from $150 to $1000 depending on the size of the E-panels where the designs are displayed.
This is not the first time that electronics and shoes have combined. Lithuania-based iShuh Technology has come up with a similar concept that connects e-reader panels to a smart phone app via the Bluetooth. Whether these smart shoes become as popular as our smart devices remains to be seen, though they surely are attractive.
1.What can we know about the smart shoes from the text?
A.The electronic designs can not be seen clearly at night.
B.The designers make sure every pair of sneakers are unique.
C.The bottom of the shoes can last longer due to special materials.
D.The shoes have to be washed by hand to protect the electronics.
2.What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A.How the sneakers are charged.
B.How the sneakers can work well.
C.What images the sneakers show.
D.What technology the sneakers carry.
3.The varied prices of the sneakers mainly depend on ________.
A.the length of the shoes
B.the size of their e-panels
C.the designers of the shoes
D.the materials of their bottoms
4.How does the author feel about the sneakers’ future market?
A.Negative. B.Anxious.
C.Uncertain. D.Confident.
It was about seven years ago. I just picked up my threeyearold daughter from the nursery. I was weighed down with shopping bags, and with my daughter’s things. We arrived at a pedestrian crossing and she pressed the button. In the distance, I heard alarms, told my daughter to wait and watched a police car approaching.
Little did I know, as the_green_man flashed, that my daughter had begun to run into the road. I watched the police car speed toward us—that’s when you sounded your horn and waved wildly to me. My daughter was about a meter from the path of the police car, hidden from their view by your car.
I screamed her name and ran toward her. She stopped and was shocked by the rush of the police car as it sped past. She wondered why you had blown your horn, asking, “Mom, why was that woman so rude？” not realizing you had saved her life.
She wondered why I picked her up and burst into tears. My legs gave way as I reached the other side of the road. I should have followed my “wait” with a hand on her shoulder, or an explanation of why we were ignoring the green man this time, especially as I had in effect conditioned her to cross the road at the sight of the green flash.
I beat myself up for months, and still do, with flashbacks and horrible assumptions about what might have been. But for your sounding your horn, seeing what I hadn’t seen, I would have been left a mother on the other side of the road, totally broken. I apologize for putting you in that position—I can imagine that it upset you, too. You saved her life and I am so grateful.
1.What does the underlined part “the green man” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.A pedestrian. B.A policeman.
C.A traffic sign. D.A button.
2.Why did the woman sound her horn?
A.To stop the police car.
B.To show her impatience.
C.To greet passing pedestrians.
D.To draw the mother’s attention.
3.What can we infer from the incident?
A.The mother didn’t regret what had happened.
B.The daughter didn’t follow the traffic rules.
C.The woman responded quickly and properly.
D.The police drove beyond the speed limit.
4.How did the mother feel when taking hold of her daughter?
A.Angry and shocked. B.Scared but relieved.
C.Guilty and confused. D.Grateful but sad.
The boy sat on his chair, with his hands above the keyboard. He thought about what to write.
He recalled that the competition deadline was merely a week away. But he still had not even started on his piece. He looked at the brochure again.“WRITING COMPETITION！” the title read. His mom had encouraged him to enter the writing competition, and now he was taking it on as his personal task for the holidays.
As the boy reflected on his previous writing efforts, he realized how hopeless his task of winning was. Every story he ever wrote was based on other stories. He had little imagination, and unfortunately, imagination was the key to writing.
Suddenly, he had a brainwave. This time, he came up with an original and imaginative story.
The words shot towards him like a storm of leaves. Words were coming easily, flowing through him, faster than he could type. He typed faster than he ever had before. He continued to type, amazed how easy writing this story was. The boy could not stop writing. He looked at the word count and saw the number “248” staring right back at him. He was not even halfway yet.
Then he heard his mother’s call of saying time for bed. He continued writing the piece, ignoring her. He had to make up for the time he had lost in thinking about a topic to write.
Finally, he finished. The word count now read “498”.
“Perfect，” he thought, “just under the word limit.” He knew this was the story that would win.
He went to the website and searched for the competition. He found the page but there was no “Enter” button.
Confused, he then reread the page again. It read COMPETITION CLOSED.
1.What caused the boy to take part in the writing competition?
A.A new computer.
B.The prize money.
C.His own interest.
D.His mom’s encouragement.
2.How did the boy finish his earlier writing?
A.His mom helped him.
B.He copied others’ ideas.
C.His friends assisted him.
D.He used his imagination.
3.Why did the boy delay his writing?
A.Because he was terribly lazy.
B.Because he didn’t know what to write.
C.Because he wasn’t confident.
D.Because he read too many stories.
4.Which might be the maximum word limit for each entry?
A.100. B.250.
C.500. D.1000.
Panama City， Panama
For beach vacations that get you out of town and invite you and your family to dive into culture， consider a trip to Panama City． Here，you will enjoy beaches and city exploring． Book your stay at the Westin Playa Bonita， where you can book a room starting at ﹩222 a night． There are various programs，including beach Olympics， stargazing （天体观察）and Spanish lessons．
Jupiter， Florida
This place offers you quality time you can spend with your loved ones． Book your stay at Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa， with rates for a family of four starting at ﹩207 a night． Here， you can shoot baskets at the basketball courts，take a dip in the pool or teach your children beach yoga．
San Diego，California
The West Coast is a great spot for cheap beach vacations， so tell your family to pack their bags for a visit to San Diego． A cheap ﹩10 Uber ride from the airport will have you pulling up the Kona Kai Resort & Spa． Here，a family of four can stay in a Deluxe Guest Room starting at ﹩159 per night． Your kids can practice cannonballs at the pool after a visit to the world﹣famous San Diego Zoo．
Kihei Maui， Hawaii
For West Coasters who are growing bored with their backyard， fly to the islands of Hawaii． Stay at the Aston at the Maui Banyan， with a charge of ﹩179 a night for a family of four． Here，you'll witness some of the best sunsets of your life while your kids splash （戏水）in the Pacific， And if you're set on cooking a fancy meal， you'll enjoy suites that come with a full kitchen．
1.Which of the following charges you least a night？
A.The Aston at the Maui Banyan．
B.The Westin Playa Bonita．
C.The Kona Kai Resort & Spa．
D.Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa．
2.What can you do at the Aston at the Maui Banyan？
A.Admire beautiful sunsets．
B.Visit a world﹣famous zoo．
C.Observe fantastic stars．
D.Play some beach sports．
3.What is the common feature of the four destinations？
A.They all offer rooms with a full kitchen．
B.They are all intended for family trips．
C.They all pick up visitors from the airport．
D.They all provide bike riding on the beach．
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
I was on a tour of Italy with my friends. Our car pulled to a stop at the beach. I got out, carrying my guitar and saw the blue Adriatic Sea. Waves smashed(撞击) against large rocks that formed a jetty(防波堤). People said this beach was known for its fierce undertow(回流). I trembled. Nothing frightened me as much as water.
I’d always loved water and been a good swimmer until last summer, when I'd decided to climb up to the highest diving board at a city pool. I'd jumped into the water. The next thing I knew was my brother was pulling me out of the pool. From then on, I stayed away from the water.
“Kevin, are you coming? " My friend Brad called.
“Yeah,” I said. "Just enjoying the view.” From dry land, I added silently.
Just then I heard shouting. People were running into the sea.
I saw something moving up and down amid the waves. There was a little boy out there! The rescuers were fighting against the tide(潮水). They’d never get to him in time. They might not get to him at all with the undertow.
I looked back at the boy. His head popped up, then a wave crashed over him and he disappeared for a moment. I had to do something.
The jetty! The boy was close to it. From there maybe I could help. I raced down the beach, out onto the jetty, and it hit me: Water! My hands got sweaty and I felt sick to my stomach. I stopped short.
The people in the water weren't making any headway against the waves. I was the only one who saw that going out onto the jetty was the fastest way to reach the drowning boy. Though I was as terrified as he, I tried to remember the life guard training I’d had as a teenager.
Sucking in(吸气) a deep breath, I threw myself into the water. As soon as I went under it, I felt like I was back in that city pool, breathless, struggling. Focus, I shouted in my head. Where is he？
注意：1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Then I saw it---a thin arm waving weakly a few yards away.
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Paragraph 2:
Brad jumped into the water
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