Question

【题目】 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

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】E

【3】G

【4】F

【5】B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了缓解假期忧郁的四种策略。

【1】

上文The key point is that sadness and other tough emotions are not what we should try to avoid.(问题的关键是悲伤和其他负面情绪不是我们应该试图避免的)与D. Instead, they can help contribute to a healthy and happy life(相反，它们有助于一个健康和快乐的生活)承接自然，选项中的they就是上文所提到的sadness and other tough emotions，故选D项。

【2】

E. So trying to force happiness seems to have the opposite effects(因此，强颜欢笑会适得其反)符合本段小标题Don't force cheer(不要强颜欢笑)的话题，force是关键词，故选E项。

【3】

下文We don't like contradictory behavior.(我们不喜欢不一致的行为)与G. We feel bad when our appearance contradicts how we truly feel inside(当我们的外表和我们内心真正的感受不一致时，我们感觉很糟糕)承接自然，contradictory是关键词，故选G项。

【4】

上文When you respond cautiously to an emotional trigger, you pause rather than react at once.(当你对情感的触发做出谨慎的反应时，你会暂停而不是立刻做出反应)与F. A cautious response to a negative event reduces sadness we experience(对消极情况的谨慎反应会减少我们经历的痛苦)承接自然，cautious response是关键词，且选项符合本段小标题Respond cautiously(谨慎回应)的话题，故选F项。

【5】

根据下文的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.(当然，假期有高潮也有低谷，但重要的是要记住，这些各种各样的情绪可能对你整体的健康是一件最好的事情)可知，本段主要讲述我们要享受各种各样的情绪，不管是好的还是坏的。B. Enjoy a mix of emotions(享受混合的情绪)可以作为本段小标题，故选B项。