Even the most positive people have negative thoughts. It's part of being human. But when negative thoughts become the norm, it isn't healthy. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to change your negative thoughts into realistic thinking—seeing yourself, your relationships and world events as they really are.

Monitor your self-talk. We all have an ongoing dialogue running in our head, which affects how we view our life. So, to promote realistic thinking, first you need to find out and listen to that inner voice. Being aware of those inner comments starts to help you take control of them. 

Not every negative thought is "bad". For example, "I feel stressed and upset about my job because there are so many new things I am learning, but overtime I'll learn and it'll get easier." has a negative aspect, but it promotes a positive action. Therefore, it's important to make the distinction between helpful thoughts and negative ones.

Challenge your unhelpful thoughts.Continuing with the work example, do you really hate your job or are you just anxious about the new project that you've been assigned?

Now that you're clear which thought is not helpful, you can replace it with one that is. Using the example from above, a more positive thought might be, "Once I get started on the new project I'm sure I'll do fine. It's just the anticipation that I don't like."

Repeat. Realistic thinking doesn't come easy, especially when you are also working on managing anxiety, depression, and other problems.

A. Identify thoughts that aren't helpful.

B. Plant positive thoughts in your mind.

C. Analyse what self-talk is the most beneficial.

D. But because it's constantly running, we often forget it's there.

E. These thoughts can consume your energy or cause physical problems.

F. To be more realistic, you need to question whether your thoughts are factual.

G. You need to continually return to it even when it feels natural to become negative.

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80个左右； 

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Hello, everyone, 

Exhibition: Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs(法老)

Transport yourself back 3, 300 years, across the sands of the Sahara Desert where you reach the heartbeat of Ancient Egypt ruled by the most celebrated pharaoh in the country's storied history. Experience one of the greatest collections of its kind in this Australian-first exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. 

This all-new multisensory museum experience provides visitors with a window into the life and achievements of Ramses II, more commonly known as Ramses the Great, who ruled Egypt for 67 years. The exhibition features 182 priceless artifacts including the sarcophagus of Ramses II-one of the most impressive royal coffins(棺椁)from Ancient Egypt ever to be discovered—and other treasures, some of which have never left Egypt before. 

This journey will enable visitors to discover a surprisingly preserved collection of artifacts, including fine jewellery, delicate royal masks(面具), and golden treasures of the tomb, showcasing the superb workmanship of Egyptian artists. 

The exhibition also features a virtual reality experience that takes you on a tour of two of Ramses' most impressive remains: the Temples of Abu Simbel and the Tomb of Queen Nefertari. In cinematic motion chairs, viewers will fly through temples, sandstorms, and even come face-to-face with Ramses in this virtual journey. Purchase the VR experience during your Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs ticket purchase checkout as an add-on. 

Improved mental health is on the agenda for many people in 2024 and being organized is the preferred method of realizing it. 

Disorganization is often considered to have a negative impact on the way we see ourselves and the lives we lead. The studied downsides of living in a disorganized environment include memory problems, poor eating habits, and decreased self-control. "There's an obvious link between increased stress and anxiety disorders and living in a messy space," says Daniel Levitin, a behavioral neuroscientist (行为神经科学家) at McGill University.

"Disorganization brings a loss of productivity that is difficult to quantify," says Levitin. He points to the amount of time people lose looking for lost items, missing appointments, or falling behind at work or school because of disordered living. "The average person likely loses 5 percent of their time due to disorganization," he says. "Take your annual salary, multiply that by 5 percent, and you can measure what disorganization may be costing you."

Joseph Ferrari, one of the most recognized scholars on disorganization research, says that nearly every mental health downside that comes from disorganization can be improved by getting organized. "You'll feel more energetic, enhance your productivity in the office, and greatly improve the quality of your life," he says.

Tidy homes have been found to be a predictor of physical health. "Those whose houses are cleaner are more active and physically healthy," says Libby Sander, an assistant professor of organizational behavior. Part of this is due to organized people being better at managing their time, but it's also because research demonstrates that less clutter (杂乱) can help improve one's diet. "Studies show an association between clutter and overweight," says Libby.

Getting organized has also been shown to decrease one's stress levels, increase personal efficiency, and even improve sleep. Another studied advantage of getting organized may be improving the quality of one's relationships. Libby explains that relationships can be negatively impacted when too much clutter affects communication or distracts one's brain from noticing important message from their partner. Research shows this can cause others to feel ignored, misunderstood, or unimportant.

Hikes in grocery prices often arise from factors outside of governments' control, whether it's bird flu driving up egg costs or heavy rain in California drowning crops. But farmers can gain more control over the availability of certain foods by using satellite data, finds a new study led by researchers from University of Maryland. 

Remote sensing has long been used to track and make predictions about crop harvests. But governments have been hesitant to heavily invest in the technology for crop monitoring and planting because they lacked evidence of the ability to produce quantifiable economic benefits-until now. 

"The models we created show that remote sensing forecasting can reduce food prices in import-dependent countries by 1.1%~12.5%," said Laixiang Sun, a professor in the Department of Geographical Sciences. "By using remote sensing to predict a poor harvest in the Northern Hemisphere(半球), the Southern Hemisphere can plant more to avoid a shortage. If the Northern Hemisphere has a good harvest, the Southern Hemisphere can plant less to avoid an oversupply. This will keep prices stable."

The researchers first created models to predict how much warning farmers in the opposite hemisphere could have of potential shortages or surpluses. To do so, the researchers used remote-sensing data before a 2008 poor wheat harvest in, Russia, a 2012 good wheat harvest in Ukraine, and 2012's poor soybean harvest in Brazil. The wheat-forecasting models accurately predicted production in 2008 and 2012 two months before the harvests.

The researchers also developed economic models to show how predictions of upcoming shortages and surpluses could prevent food price changes. With data from 2007 and 2011, the years immediately before the wheat and soybean harvests, the models showed that consumers in import-dependent countries could save some money if farmers could see and respond to the predicted harvests in the opposite hemisphere. 

Sun said the findings justify continued monitoring of crop growth from space—and not a moment too soon, either. "This is important, as global food security is increasingly threatened by regional human conflicts and extreme weather events from climate change," he said.

"Moja, mbili, tatu…"One, two, three. Juliana Rubashai is counting aloud to show what she has learned in school. Delighted and proud, she counts to 20, but her mother, Zefrina Nandia, adds that Juliana can keep counting, and that she also can do some reading. 

Nine-year-old Juliana is one of the children who have received aid through a project run by International Aid Services(IAS)in southwestern Tanzania, where many children stay at home all day, cut off from social contact and schooling. The project improves school facilities and raises local community's awareness about education. They train teachers and lobby(游说)the local authorities. In these ways, IAS is struggling to ensure basic education for everyone. 

Zefrina was contacted last year by project coordinator Fortunatus Rafael, who gets in touch with families to get an overview of children's needs and school options. Zefrina had previously asked the local school to enroll Juliana, but was turned down due to lack of resources. Thanks to the project, the school can offer chances to more children. 

Part of the project is training teachers in special needs education. Many teachers have received additional training in estimating the degree of a child's disability. During the first year of the project, 270 children with special needs have been evaluated, and of these, 200 got the chance to go to school. The teachers Scolastica Nyoni and Bwigane Mwasipu both appreciate how it has strengthened their skills. "When teaching children with special needs, we know whom to pay extra attention to. This means a closer relation between teachers and students," says Scolastica. 

It's a year since Juliana got into the classroom, and her mother notices definite improvement. "She used to be lonely and unhappy. Now, she's much happier and always wants to go to school," says Zefrina. The teachers also notice big changes have taken place in the local community. "Parents are now coming to us to find teachers to teach their children with special needs. Previously, they didn't think that schooling would be possible for these children," says Bwigane.

The peaceful little town Cherrywood Dale was made up of colorful houses, each one home to a warm-hearted family. The neighbors were the salt of the earth, always ready to lend a helping hand to one another. However, among them was an exception, an old man named Mr. Johnson, who lived alone in a small cottage. 

Mr. Johnson was known for his excellent gardening skills. His gift for gardening had turned his backyard into a beautiful rose garden. However, his passionate devotion to gardening had left him with little time for personal life. His only company was his beloved roses. 

Not far from Mr. Johnson's cottage lived a young couple, Tom and Emily. They were the complete opposite of Mr. Johnson—lively and sociable, always up to something new and exciting. Their home was always filled with the sound of laughter and good cheer. They had a young son named Charlie, who was Mr. Johnson's favorite neighbor. Charlie's infectious laughter and boundless energy brought some life to Mr. Johnson's quiet existence.

One day, Charlie decided to surprise Mr. Johnson by decorating his front yard for the upcoming Harvest Festival. He knew how much Mr. Johnson loved autumn and the changing of the leaves. Charlie enlisted the help of his parents and set to work, painting pumpkins(南瓜)and hanging decorations. They were so caught up in their creation that they ended up accidentally stepping on Mr. Johnson's prize-winning roses.

The next morning, Mr. Johnson came out of his cottage and saw the beautiful display, his face shining with delight. But his smile quickly turned into a frown(皱眉)when he saw the destroyed roses. He called over Tom and Emily, who were equally displeased by what had happened. They apologized sincerely, promising to replace the roses, but Mr. Johnson was unmoved. The once friendly neighbors became locked in an uneasy standoff. Charlie was heartbroken, not understanding why Mr. Johnson wouldn't accept their apology.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150个左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Then one afternoon, Emily decided to make the first move.

Mr. Johnson was moved by the three's sincere understanding.

1. 旅行前准备；

2. 活动开展情况。

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80个左右；

2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear Darren,

Last Sunday I went trekking on the nearby hills with my classmates.

Yours truly,

Li Hua

If you're looking for some festive atmosphere, here's part of the Florida festival calendar.

Kumquat Festival, Dade City, Jan. 27

The downtown in Dade City fills with as many as 35, 000 people for this free event celebrating the tangy little fruit grown locally. Along with dozens of booths and live entertainment, a highlight is enjoying kumquat treats, from kumquat pie, kumquat cookies to kumquat salad. 

Sunnyland Boat Festival, Tavares, Mar. 22-24

This antique and classic boat festival is one of the largest classic wood boat shows in the country with as many as 250 to 300 restored ancient boats on display in the water and along one third of a mile of Lake Dora shoreline at Wooton Park in Tavares, which is really a feast to the eye for free. 

Siesta Key Sunsculpting Festival, Sarasota, Nov. 10-13

Two dozen professional artists compete in creating sculptures on the gorgeous Siesta Key beach. Those who buy tickets can watch the sculptures take shape, view them under colored lights at night, see demonstrations and take lessons. The party atmosphere includes a tent with ful bar (no ticket required) and a vendor(小贩) village. 

Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Beach, Dec. 8-10

Art Basel, an international art fair, draws top galleries from around the world plus the rich and celebrities to South Florida. A far cry from the street art festivals all over Florida, this is an event that is not cheap-Tickets start at $65. Over the years, however, a variety of satellite events have developed, creating art-related events for regular folks, including Miami Art Week.

I was struggling earlier in the year, even though I'm a(n) 1 person by nature. The entire world seemed to have come to a stop all of a sudden. I was 2 with worry about my family and paying the bills, and whether life would ever be the same again.

Then, one evening I went outside and 3 . The sky was dark and the stars were shining so brightly that I almost held my breath. As I stood under that splendid ceiling, I was filled with 4 .

I really wanted to find out more about them. Suddenly, I remembered I'd 5 an app on my phone a couple of months earlier, which 6 all the stars and planets. Together with my daughters, I raced to the upstairs, where we had a perfect 7 of the night sky. Using the app, we were excited to 8 that bright white star hanging over the horizon was Venus. Then we looked past Betelguese, a dying red supergiant star 700 times the size of Earth, and many more. 9 , the world no longer seemed like an unfamiliar place. It 10 me that the Earth had been around for

4. 5 billion years and had experienced things much more 11 . That realization 12  brought my worries into a much broader perspective (眼界). 

Plus, that twinkling night sky was just so beautiful — I felt happier and calmer just looking at it. It became our 13  to sit at the window every evening, gazing at the stars. Not only did it help us 14  the reality, but for half an hour each day we got to 15  outside our four walls.