Based on some studies, people in their forties, on average, laugh less often each day than children under age 7 and adults over age 65. That's kind of sad for middle-aged men. If it's been awhile since your father has let out a good belly laugh, here are some ideas that you can do to get your father back on the road to joy.
A joke book can be helpful. The Dilbert series by Scott Adams is quite funny if you're into office humor. The Far Side series by Gary Larson came out twenty years ago, but it still works even for today's people. In fact, you don't even have to buy a book. You can go online and find comic strips, lists of jokes and so on.
On DVD, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or however you get them, you can find funny movies and shows that can make a difference in your life. Teen movies are particularly funny when done well. Mean Girls, 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That are bound to bring a smile to your father's face. Screwball comedies might be your father's cup of tea. Some comedies from the 1930s, 40s and 50s have stood the test of time and are still amusing. Also, there are a number of channels where people can watch comedians in high spirits.
If your father already has close friends to exchange jokes with, it's to his great advantage. But your father can also seek out new friends who have a lighter, cheerier and more mirthful way to life.
People are often in humorous situations at work, at home and in life, but to what degree do we take note of them? You can encourage your father to note humorous situations all around him. If he begins to notice this, soon enough, he begins to actively seek them. Before he knows it, his search for a humor-filled life becomes a significant part of his day.
1. What do the Dilbert series and The Far Side series have in common?| A．They're in the form of short stories. | B．They have many jokes about office life. |
| C．They can bring much laughter to people. | D．They became popular soon after publication. |
| A．colorful | B．joyful | C．puzzling | D．regular |
| A．Humorous situations can be easily ignored. |
| B．Humorous situations can be created actively. |
| C．People should spend time with positive people. |
| D．People should learn to discover the humorous moments. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Making art can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your mood. But you don't have to be a full-time artist to get in on those health benefits.
We tend to think that only people who are very skilled at art can call themselves artists.
You can think about making art like any healthy habit, such as eating well or exercising. Just as you make time to work, exercise and hang out with family and friends, you should make time for your artistic attempts. Doing just 10 minutes of art each day can do wonders. In addition to carving out time, carve out a physical space in your home for art.
The more you're able to make art a regular habit the more you’re likely to get this great reward: this wonderful thing that happens when you're in the zone.
| A．Scientists call it "flow". |
| B．It's good to figure out your mode of creative expression. |
| C．All you need to do is just make art. |
| D．It frees one up to explore new ideas. |
| E．Set up a corner table for your art supplies. |
| F．Making art helps us to refresh ourselves. |
| G．But really, anyone can be an artist |
【推荐2】Getting along with people can be tough.
Accept human nature.
Humans make mistakes. People aren’t always nice. They also have all of the problems that you have in your life.
People are all very different: that’s what makes life interesting. And just like people are all different, the world is also very complex. Every situation is different, always. Just because someone doesn’t make the choice that you would make or just because they take a less efficient or smart path to get where they’re going doesn’t make them wrong.
Practice forgiveness.
Do something together.
| A．Think about what your words really say. |
| B．Respect that there are lots of valid choices. |
| C．The following are some suggestions that can help you in some way. |
| D．Everyone is dealing with their own set of problems. |
| E．Doing things together is a great way to bond with people and make friends. |
| F．Forgive people when they do make mistakes. |
| G．Even when someone’s making you mad, thank them for their effort to help or their suggestions. |
【推荐3】Regret refers to a feeling of sadness about something wrong or about a mistake that you have made, and a wish that it could have been different and better.
To truly get over our regret requires that we put it in its proper place. The trick is not to avoid the bad feeling; it’s to acknowledge it and use it for learning and improvement.
After you make a mistake, life moves on. But sometimes you just can’t stop kicking yourself. Perhaps you dropped out of school decades ago and are constantly calculating today how much money you would be making, had you pressed on to graduation.
Life is a journey full of pleasures and pains. To live it well and fully means learning from every bit of it, including regrets, and moving forward.
| A．Not all regrets are the same, of course |
| B．People often say their regrets chase after them. |
| C．Regret’s benefits don’t come to us by chance. |
| D．Never waste another minute of life reliving a decision that cannot be changed. |
| E．Some take the declaration a step further and claim that they have no regrets at all. |
| F．Unanalyzed and unmanaged, any variety of regrets can be poison for your health. |
| G．If you are of the “no regrets” school of life, you might think that all this regret is a recipe for unhappiness. |
Considering that there was no better way. Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it: “Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently: “Take this to the butcher (a person whose job is selling meat) and he's going to give you your lunch today.”
Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher's. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady's handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once.
At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers.
But, the dog came again at four o'clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher's more surprise, it came for the third time at six o'clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!
1. Mrs. Smith treated her little dog quite______.| A．cruelly | B．fairly | C．kindly | D．friendly |
| A．might do it much harm |
| B．could do it much good |
| C．would help the butcher |
| D．was worth many pounds |
| A．before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith |
| B．when he found that the words on the paper were not clear |
| C．because he had sold out all the meat in his shop |
| D．until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith |
| A．only the paper with Mrs. Smith's words in it could bring it meat |
| B．the butcher would give the meat to it whenever he saw it |
| C．Mrs. Smith would pay for the meat it got from the butcher |
| D．a piece of paper could bring it half a pound of meat |
【推荐2】Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(缺乏). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs .
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there’s a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks(滴水) in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.
1. Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?| A．Using river water. | B．Throwing batteries away. |
| C．Throwing rubbish into lakes. | D．Paving parking lots. |
| A．All water shortages are due to human behavior. |
| B．It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs. |
| C．There is much we can do to reduce family size. |
| D．The average family in America makes proper use of water. |
| A．show us how to fix leaks at home |
| B．tell us how to run a dishwasher |
| C．prove what drinking glass is best for us |
| D．suggest what we do to save water at home |
| A．how human activity affects our water supply |
| B．how much we depend on water to live |
| C．why droughts occur more in dry climates |
| D．why paving roads reduces our water |
【推荐3】Top Performers Never Let a Second Go to Waste
Every person on the planet is given the same 1440 minutes each day; it’s how we choose to use them that makes all the difference.
Finish the most important tasks first
This is calling Eating That Frog!
Divide to make it manageable
If you have a major task to get done, try to divide it up into smaller ones. This collection of smaller tasks will seem much less unmanageable than viewed as the whole.
Take enough time to relax and revive
A little bit of relaxation is crucial for maintaining a positive, motivated mindset. If you work constantly without taking the time to rest and gather your thoughts, you’ll quickly burn out and be unable to efficiently accomplish your tasks no matter how hard you try. One recommendation for relaxation time is work-out.
Reward yourself once in a while
Each time you complete a task (or a significant portion of a task), reward yourself.
Distractions contribute to procrastination (拖延症). Sometimes, the only way to completely defeat procrastination is to lock yourself in a room and avoid all distractions. Put your phone in another room, pull the shades, and get to work until the task is finished.
| A．It just doesn’t have to be anything major. |
| B．Lock the door to stay focused and keep up. |
| C．Stop yourself from being lazy and take actions. |
| D．Start every day by tackling your largest, scariest task first. |
| E．Unfortunately, efficient time management can be challenging. |
| F．You can begin with the tasks you feel important and interesting. |
| G．Anyway, do whatever you find the most refreshing and peaceful. |
【推荐1】The entire global population of marbled crayfish (龙纹虾) has been traced to a single female held in a German aquarium (水族馆), which was born with the ability to reproduce without males. Every marbled crayfish is female, and every egg laid is an exact clone of its mother. The ability to reproduce quickly with such ease made them popular in the aquarium trade, but when they found their way into the wild, the crayfish got out of control.
The first known marbled crayfish appeared in 1995. Since then, they have spread into the wild and populated in freshwater ecosystems around the world. Scientists studying this animal have raised the alarm about its likely influence on local wildlife, ecosystems and agriculture as it spreads into new environments. Successful non-native species like the marbled crayfish often cause trouble when they arrive in new environments, as they can feed on local wildlife or compete with it for resources.
According to Dr Frank Lyko, a researcher at the German Cancer Research Centre, the first marbled crayfish appeared due to a sudden change in its parents’ cells. It was an animal that reproduces clonally and therefore represents a model of a central aspect in tumor (肿瘤) development.
“Tumor genomes (基因组) also develop clonally, because they go back to a single original cell,” he said. However, both crayfish and tumors are still able to adapt to their environments through a process termed “clonal evolution”, and in both cases this can be harmful. In crayfish, their ability to adapt means they can spread to a variety of different environments and climates, and in tumors this means they can develop resistance (抵抗) against cancer-targeting drugs.
At present, with the potential influence of the increasing marbled crayfish on local places, governments from different places are working on controlling their population.
1. What does the text say about marbled crayfish in the wild?| A．They prove popular. | B．They are under control. |
| C．They can be troublesome. | D．They are out of condition. |
| A．The reason for marbled crayfish’s clonal reproduction. |
| B．The similarities between marbled crayfish and tumors. |
| C．The way to stop marbled crayfish cloning themselves. |
| D．The harmful influence marbled crayfish have on health. |
| A．Working on removing all of them. | B．Trying to limit the quantity of them. |
| C．Taking control of them with drugs. | D．Connecting them with harmful tumors. |
| A．Why Marbled Crayfish Reproduce Rapidly |
| B．The Population of Marbled Crayfish Is Huge |
| C．The Spread of Marbled Crayfish Is Worrying |
| D．How to Control the Number of Marbled Crayfish |
【推荐2】India and China are leading the global greening effort, a latest NASA study said, observing that the world is a greener place than it was 20 years ago.
Data from NASA’s satellites show that human activities in China and India play an important part in this greening of the planet, thanks to tree planting and agriculture. The effect comes mostly from tree-planting programs in China and intensive agriculture (集约农业) in both countries. “China and India account for one-third of the greening,” said lead author Chi Chen of Boston University.
China alone accounts for 25 percent of the global net increase in leaf area with only 6.6 percent of global vegetated (有植被的) area. The greening in China is from forests and farmland, but in India, it is mostly from farmland with minor contribution from forests. China’s great contribution to the global greening trend comes in large part from its programs to protect and expand forests.
“When the greening of the earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate and fertilization (施肥) from the added carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Now with the satellite data, we see that humans are also contributing,” said Rama Nemani, a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center. “Once people realize there is a problem, they tend to fix it. In the 1970s and 80s in India and China, the situation about vegetation loss was not good. In the 1990s, people realized it, and today things have improved. That’s what we see in the satellite data,” added Nemani.
The land area used to grow crops is comparable in China and India, and has not changed much since the early 2000s. Yet both countries have greatly increased both their annual total green leaf area and their food production. This was achieved through multiple cropping practices, by which a field is replanted to produce another harvest several times a year. Production of grains, vegetables, fruits and more has increased by about 35% — 40% since 2000 to feed their large populations.
1. Where did the greening mainly come from in India?| A．Croplands. | B．Tree planting. |
| C．Forests and farmland. | D．A warmer and wetter climate. |
| A．Carbon dioxide causes global warming. |
| B．Man can actively change the environment. |
| C．In India and China, vegetation loss has been solved. |
| D．Climate has little to do with the greening of the earth. |
| A．India and China are guiding the global greening. |
| B．Human activities change the global climate. |
| C．Climate change contributes to the global greening. |
| D．The land area for crops in China and India has changed much. |
【推荐3】Amazon wants to be able to answer the troublesome question: Did I leave the stove on? The latest home security tool by Ring, a home security company owned by Amazon, is the Always Home Cam, a flying drone that can help homeowners check their apartments whenever they’re not in.
The Always Home Cam is a lightweight, self-docking, flying indoor camera that can take a predetermined path set by its user. When used with Ring’s proprietary home alarms systems like the Ring Alarm, the Always Home Cam will take flight and check the house for any potential disturbances. The drone unit can also be controlled remotely and manually. After a flight, the Always Home Cam automatically returns to its station itself for charging. It only records while in flight, too.
You can ask it to fly to check the stove while you’re out, or to see if you left the windows open. It’s also great for checking on naughty pets. The drone has obstacle avoidance technology built-in, and hidden propellers(螺旋桨) to mitigate any damage to household furnishing in the event of a collision. Amazon says the drone will automatically take flight if there’s movement in the house to show you what’s going on.
The device was one of several that Amazon unveiled Thursday as part of its annual appliance event. Due to the pandemic, this year’s version was held online instead of at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters.
The indoor flying camera, called the Ring Always Home Cam, still needs approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, but Amazon said it expects to sell it next year at $250. It will also launch a camera and alarm system for cars next year under its Ring brand.
Critics have raised privacy concerns about Ring, which is best known for its doorbell cameras, citing the company’s close relationship with police departments. Amazon said the drone only records when it is in the air, and that it makes a sound when it flies so any people in the house knows its recording.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．The Always Home Cam can ensure your safety. |
| B．Always Home Cam can guard your house while you out. |
| C．Critics raised privacy concerns about the Always Home Cam. |
| D．New devices were unveiled on Amazon’ annual appliance event. |
| A．It can take a path set by computer. | B．It can record when you are out. |
| C．It can get charged by itself. | D．It can take flight at any time. |
| A．It was unveiled at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. |
| B．It will be sold at $250 next year. |
| C．It can lessen damage to furniture for its obstacle avoidance technology. |
| D．It records in the air, not found by anyone. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
【推荐1】A seemingly small gesture at a restaurant outside Houston that wasn't part of the job description for a Waffle House waitress has now had a big effect on her life.
It happened last weekend, when 18yearold Evoni Williams was serving an elderly man breakfast. He needed help. So Williams leaned over the table with a fork and a knife and cut up his ham for him. It might have ended there, but a customer named Laura Wolf was struck enough to take a picture and post it online.
“I didn't know the photo was taken until a couple of hours later，” Williams told the Houston Chronicle. “When I saw it, it's just something I would do for anybody. I was so busy in here, and I actually took the time to stop and hear what he had to say instead of walking past him.”
It apparently meant something to others too. As of Sunday, more than 130,000 people had reacted to the post and nearly 7,000 have shared it.But the story has extended beyond the Internet. Williams, a recent Texas City High School graduate, was honored at a ceremony, Thursday, with a $16,000 scholarship to Texas Southern University. Williams has reportedly been working fulltime at the Waffle House to earn money toward school. Texas Southern University has assigned a counselor to help her begin her degree and she is planning to study business management.
Media at the local, national and international level have all picked up on the story. It is a moment among several in recent years, captured in a picture, put online, and capturing the attention of the Internet: like a New York City police officer giving a homeless man a pair of boots, or a restaurant goer whose wife died of cancer anonymously (匿名地) paying for the meal of another cancer patient.
1. Why did Laura Wolf take the photo and post it online?| A．She was really into recording some small gestures. |
| B．She wanted to draw attention to the restaurant. |
| C．She was touched by the considerate waitress. |
| D．She got paid by the restaurant to do so. |
| A．To prove the power of the media. |
| B．To advocate helping those in need. |
| C．To show more people tend to use the Internet. |
| D．To argue the Internet is the center of attention. |
| A．Wide web, colorful life | B．Small gesture, big effect |
| C．Little effort, big reward | D．Young mind, great influence |
【推荐2】Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Annoyed, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it will benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a worthy lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I try to instill(逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.
1. The author admired her mom for ________.| A．her kindness to others | B．her excellent teaching |
| C．her quality of honesty | D．her positive attitude to life |
| A．excited | B．surprised |
| C．angry | D．worried |
| A．were often punished by staff | B．weren’t allowed to go outside |
| C．were once treated badly | D．all suffered from mental illness |
| A．truth | B．support |
| C．comfort | D．help |
【推荐3】I'm at Sony's New York headquarters, where the Japanese electronics company is showing the new version of its robot dog, Aibo. When I was a kid, I received a furry robot dog for Christmas one year, but quickly lost interest because it was way more fun to play with my real dog. Who would buy a $2900 fake dog when they could have a living one for far less?
“Aibo, sit,” I said. The robot's ears perked up, with its eyes fixed on me. But it did not sit. “Sit!” I tried again. Aibo just raised its head, with a look—that was not unlike the response you'd get from an untrained puppy. I made one last attempt to get the dog to sit before giving up. In response, it barked at me and wagged its tail. That simple gesture melted my doubt. I patted its head, and the robot responded slightly to my touch. As I played with it for the next half hour, I became more and more charmed by is playful personality. I even started to imagine what it would be like to take it home.
Aibo was first introduced in 1999, with new versions released every year or so. The older versions have a limited range of movement and little artificial intelligence. Some don't even have eyes. The sixth generation of Aibo, which Sony is launching in the United States after introducing it in Japan late last year, is the most lifelike one yet. It can walk, sit, lie down, and even play dead. There's a camera equipped with facial recognition on the dog's nose and a camera that maps the space around it at the base of its tail. In Japan, the new Aibo sold out right away, and Sony has sold 20,000 of the robots as of July.
Aibo isn't meant to be an assistant that performs tasks like calling your family and friends on your behalf and it's not tracking your behavior for the express purpose of monitoring your health. It's meant to copy the kind of companionship a real-life dog offers.
1. What was the author's attitude to Aibo at first?| A．Positive. | B．Neutral. | C．Negative. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．It has a camera on its ear. | B．It is popular with customers in Japan. |
| C．It was first produced in the United States. | D．It needs improvements in artificial intelligence. |
| A．To keep people company. | B．To monitor people's health. |
| C．To do some simple work. | D．To make life more intelligent. |
| A．An assistant robot dog | B．A most lifelike robot dog |
| C．A real-life dog | D．A playful dog |
