Here are two interesting questions. Are you very happy with your life now ? Are people happier as they get older?A study found that people generally become happier and experience less worry after age 50. In fact, it found that by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were at 18.
The finding came from a Gallup survey of more than 340,000 adults between the age of 18 and 85 in the United States.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25. Stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.
Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. But the people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties. The survey also found that men and women had similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men did.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.
So why would happiness increase with age? One theory is that, as people get older, they become more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
The original goal of the study was to confirm the popular belief that aging is connected with increased sleep problems. The survey did find an increase during middle age, especially in women. But except for that, people reported that they felt their sleep quality improved as they got older.
1. When will adults feel most stressful according to the study?| A．In their seventies. | B．In their fifties. |
| C．In their twenties. | D．In their eighties. |
| A．Women usually live longer than men. |
| B．Most of old people can't sleep well at night. |
| C．Middle-age men mostly are very rich. |
| D．Old people usually have a better sleep. |
| A．they spend more time considering bad experiences |
| B．they are most likely satisfied with life. |
| C．they don't have to work hard every day. |
| D．they can do whatever they like best. |
| A．The young people and the old people. |
| B．The connection of sleep and happiness. |
| C．Old people's feeling of happiness. |
| D．Women are not as happy as men with their life. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Why Should We Take a Shower?
Bath or shower? How do you prefer to keep yourself clean? Whatever your daily ablutions, we know it’s important to have good personal hygiene.
Although you might think taking a daily shower should be part of your cleaning ritual, there’s no hard and fast rule, although dermatologists(皮肤科医生)agree that as a society, we shower too often.
How often you shower is, of course, a personal choice. There’s nothing better than a hot, soapy scrub under the shower, and this doesn’t just have to be to clean yourself. Some people enjoy a shower to help them relax, warm up or soothe any aches and pains. It’s also a good opportunity to wash your hair at the same time.
The thought of a cold shower might not make you jump out of bed in the morning, but whatever the temperature, a splash of water will wake you up and make you feel and smell great!
| A．If the idea of a hot, steaming shower appeals, how about a freezing cold one instead? |
| B．In fact, too much washing can deplete the vital oils in our skin. |
| C．However, it is a wise choice to shower regularly for our skin and hair health. |
| D．Again, though, experts say we shouldn’t shower too often because, like your skin, your hair contains essential oils that you don’t want to lose through excessive scrubbing. |
| E．Nobody wants to smell, and nobody wants to catch your odour! |
| F．Experts say you should take a shower every day so that you get relaxed after work. |
A few years ago, I read about an eightyearold girl who studied elephant poaching (偷猎) in school and made a poster for her local grocery store. The slogan read, “Save the elephants. Don’t buy Ivory Soap, or they will die out.”What the girl had done taught me a lesson. Since then, I have looked at eightyearolds in a different way. As an environmental educator, I used to teach eightyearolds about the harm of elephant poaching, rainforest destruction, and global warming. I had a degree in natural science — but not in child development. What did I think I was accomplishing by putting my environmental concerns on the shoulders of kids who still believe in fairy tales (童话故事)?
Kids develop the fear of nature when their primary contact with the natural world is hearing bad news about the environment. If I wanted to inspire conservation action, I needed to change my ways, but how? I came across some research by psychologist Louise Chawla. She wanted to know what had gone on in the childhoods of adults who are good environmental citizens. She found two things most common.They had free time to explore the rivers or woods down the street, and they had an adult in their lives who was enthusiastic about the natural world. I understand now that what turned me into a good person today was a childhood spent playing in the field and having a Dad who knew that finding a lobster (龙虾) under a rock was better than finding treasure.
So that’s what I was doing when I was eight years old — looking under rocks, climbing trees, and picking wild flowers. I didn’t know a thing about the Clean Air Act that was being debated in congress at that time. I didn’t hear a lot of environmental problems. But I built a relationship with nature and I grew up to care. Now I treat my own kids like the child I was. My kids turn off the water when they brush their teeth and turn off the lights when they leave a room.
1. What can be inferred from the first two paragraphs?| A．The author felt very proud of herself. |
| B．The author took action to save the elephants. |
| C．The author thought her teaching was a failure. |
| D．The author doubted the natural science. |
| A．They tend to ignore the problems. |
| B．They become scared of nature. |
| C．They hate to learn natural science. |
| D．They want to help solve the problems. |
| A．In order to show how to have a happy childhood. |
| B．In order to show what the best way to get close to nature is. |
| C．In order to show how to change the children’s bad behavior. |
| D．In order to show what makes children care about the environment. |
| A．The harm of hunting animals. |
| B．The causes of environmental problems. |
| C．The importance of encouraging kids to protect nature. |
| D．The right methods of developing children’s idea of nature. |
【推荐3】Boredom is such a large part of day-to-day existence. Perhaps because it’s common in our lives, scientists have been slow to explore it. John Eastwood is one of the first scholars to take an interest.
One of the most common false views is that “only boring people get bored”. Yet as Eastwood set about exploring the reasons for boredom, he found that there are two distinct types of personality that tend to suffer from the feeling of boredom, and neither are particularly dull themselves.
Boredom often goes among people who are constantly looking for new experiences. For these people, the steady path of life just isn’t enough to hold their attention. The second kind of bored people have almost exactly the opposite problem: the world is a fearful place, and so they try not to step outside their comfort zone. While this might offer some comfort, they are not always satisfied with the safety it offers and boredom results.
Emotions should evolve for our benefit. “The very fact that boredom is a daily experience suggests it should be doing something useful,” says Heather Lench at Texas A$M University. Feelings like fear help us avoid danger, after all, while sadness might help prevent future mistakes. So, if true, what does boredom achieve?
Reviewing the evidence so far, Lench suspects that it lies behind one of our most important characters---curiosity. Boredom, she says, pushes us to try to seek new goals or explore new ideas which stimulate innovation (激发创新).
Eastwood is less enthusiastic about boredom’s benefits, but admits we should be cautious about looking for an immediate escape. “The feeling is so disgusting that people rush to remove it,” he says.“I’m not going to join that war on boredom and come up with a cure, because we need to listen to the emotion and ask what it is trying to tell us to do.”
1. What does John Eastwood’s study mainly focus on?| A．Why people get bored | B．The benefits of boredom |
| C．How to deal with boredom | D．The types of boredom |
| A．would help us avoid mistakes |
| B．cannot be cured for the moment |
| C．might be good for our creativity |
| D．could make us get tired and lose focus |
| A．Curious | B．Optimistic |
| C．Objective | D．Uninterested |
| A．Easier said than done | B．Hard work never killed a man |
| C．Practice makes perfect | D．Every coin has two sides |
【推荐1】To avoid becoming the head story on the evening news, be prepared. Before you head out on a hike, check the weather, take plenty of water, and make sure someone knows where you’ll be and when you’ll be back. Bring clothes to keep you warm when wet. Avoid cotton, which is easy to take in moisture(潮气).
“To avoid getting lost, check often to make sure you’re still on the trail(路线),”says John Dill, a search-and-rescue worker at Yosemite National Park in California.“The minute you think you might not be on the trail, stop.” If you’re not alone, focusing on the needs of others can help you get rid of your own fears. Other keys to survival: staying observant and remembering to rest.
The surest way to get out alive is to take basic precautions(预防措施), such as taking a set of survival equipment. It includes waterproof matches for starting a fire, a folding knife for cutting branches, and a plastic tarp(防水布) for making shelter.
Generally, people who try to find their own way out get along worse than those who stay, says Richard N. Bradley, MD, of the American Red Cross. Find shelter before dark, and try to keep dry. Stay visible so that anyone searching can see you. In a wide-open area, make a signal with colorful tools, make a big X out of rocks, or dig a long shallow hole.
You can go several days without eating, so in most cases, you’d better not search for food, since there are lots of poisonous plants in the wild, says Dr Bradley. You cannot survive without water, so if you run out of water, it’s usually better to drink from a stream with suspect water than to go without.
1. By saying “becoming the lead story on the evening news” in Para. 1, the author really means ______.| A．you will be interviewed by the journalist |
| B．you will become famous for your survival in a forest |
| C．the news that you are lost will spread around quickly |
| D．your experience in the wild will be reported in the evening news |
| A．Make sure you don’t leave the trail. | B．Remember not to stop on the trail. |
| C．Try to look for others’ help. | D．Overcome the fear of getting lost. |
| A．try to find food to fill your stomach in the wild |
| B．stay in the shelter before dark |
| C．remain where you get lost and wait for help |
| D．drink water from the stream |
| A．To find some water to drink. |
| B．To store some food you’ve brought along |
| C．To attract the rescuer’s attention. |
| D．To use it as a shelter. |
【推荐2】New Orleans in 1834 was one of the busiest international port cities in the world. However, the city wasn’t just importing goods from across the world. It was also importing deadly diseases like yellow fever and smallpox. In an effort to treat these diseases and train more doctors, the Medical College of Louisiana was formed.
In 1847, the Medical College of Louisiana was a newly established public institution, later known as the University of Louisiana. But in 1884, Paul Tulane, a native wealthy businessman from Princeton, New Jersey, wanted to express his appreciation for the city that brought him a fortune. He donated more than $1 million in land and cash for the promotion and encouragement of intellectual, moral and industrial education. His generous gift transformed the University of Louisiana into Tulane University.
Now, Tulane University has become one of the most honored educational and research institutions in the country. To be exact, Tulane University is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, a select group of the leading research universities in the United States and Canada with outstanding programs of graduate and professional education and scholarly research. Tulane University is also ranked by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a university with very high research activities. Of several thousand higher educational institutions rated by the foundation, Tulane University remains in an extraordinary category that includes only two percent of universities nationwide.
In 2014, Michael Fitts was named the President of Tulane University. Fitts introduced a new era at Tulane University — focusing on creating the most meaningful student experience anywhere and greatly increasing and deepening the university’s level of interdisciplinary teaching and research. His efforts were quickly establishing Tulane University as a place where the best minds from the widest variety of fields seek solutions to the world’s most urgent problems throughinterdisciplinary cooperation and innovation.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us about the Medical College of Louisiana?| A．Its motto. | B．Its status. | C．Its foundation. | D．Its achievements. |
| A．He ranked universities. | B．He gave charity to education. |
| C．He established an institute. | D．He changed the name for a university. |
| A．Public. | B．Historical. | C．Informal. | D．Respected. |
| A．The traditional mode. |
| B．The integration of subjects. |
| C．Strengthening disciplinary action. |
| D．Solving easy problems across disciplines. |
【推荐3】If a president, a legendary philosopher, and one of the best-selling authors of all time credited the same secret for their success, would you try to follow it too? What if the secret was something you already knew how to do? In fact, you probably do it every day. Here’s what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.” Thomas Jefferson: “Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.” And Charles Dickens made his point: “If I could not walk far and fast, I think I should just explode and perish (死亡).”
Researchers have traced numerous connections between walking and generating ideas. A Stanford University study found that participants were 81 percent more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. According to the study, walking outside — versus on a treadmill (跑步机) — produces the most novel and highest-quality ideas in participants who walked and then sat down to do creative work.
The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. You’ve probably heard the phrase Exercise your creativity, which refers to the brain as muscle. Our creative mindset is triggered by physical movement, which is exactly why walking — with your dog, a friend, or alone — feeds creative thinking. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities.
Research has shown that immersion in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multimedia and technology, increased performance on a creative problem-solving task by a full 50 percent in a group of hikers.
So why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking? Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, to notice the way people move, the way the sun reflects in a puddle. Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To inform us of the examples of these great minds. |
| B．To stress the importance of walking. |
| C．To explain why walking is popular with people. |
| D．To show the great influence of the great minds have on us. |
| A．By going outside, one can’t help but get distracted by the scenery. |
| B．Walking on a treadmill makes participants do the most creative work. |
| C．It is necessary to walk out of your habitual surroundings and comfort zone. |
| D．Absorbed in multimedia and technology, hikers can increase performance on creative problem-solving tasks. |
| A．Caused. | B．Changed. | C．Covered. | D．Cured. |
| A．Developing a good habit of walking. |
| B．Benefits of walking. |
| C．New possibilities of walking. |
| D．Walking for a more creative mind. |
Be Prepared
Research the company thoroughly before the job interview. Read through the company website to gain a thorough understanding of what“ does its values, clients or audience and any technologies it uses. You should also Google the company and read any press releases. Note important issues or points you can discuss at the interview. Take copies of the job description with you to the interview. Don't he afraid of showing off, you can bet the other candidates won't be holding back!
Interview Questions
All this preparation work will go a long way to helping you for questions you might be asked during the interview. As well as preparing for the standard questions, you also need to come up with relevant questions to ask the interviewer about the company and your role. You may want to ask something along the lines of "what's it like to work here?",
“what are the career prospects l like?"
Timekeeping
Plan your route in advance and make a dry run to the interview location a few days beforehand to make sure you're clear on where you're going. Print out directions and maps from sites like Google Maps and make sure you should he there without any problems
After the Interview
If you're unsuccessful, use it as an opportunity to improve. Ask for feedback from the interviewer. This will improve your future interview success chances; the interviewer might consider you for future vacancies at the company based on this action alone
1. What should you do at a job interview?
| A．Recognize who is the right employer |
| B．Have a good impression of the employer |
| C．Find a chance to show your talent off |
| D．Impress the employer with good behavior. |
| A．What interests you when you work? |
| B．What is the information about your clients? |
| C．What is the promising future of the company? |
| D．What advice will you offer to the interviewees? |
| A．the interviewer can help you through the back door |
| B．a polite attitude can help you find a way out |
| C．it is impossible to get a job at the first interview |
| D．it is important to keep cautious about an interview |
【推荐2】From unique means of transportation, good accommodation options and incomparable adventures, national parks across the USA offer visitors more than just hiking paths and points of interests. Park guests can now get to know their beautiful landscapes and rich histories in a whole new way with these adventure ideas.
·Golfing in Death Valley National Park
You've played the world's best golf courses, but have you played the world's lowest? Put the ball at the Furnace Creek Golf Course located in California's remote Death Valley National Park. In addition to golf, the course also sets the stage for a horse-drawn carriage sightseeing offered through the resort's Furnace Creek Stables.
·Luxury Camping in Yellowstone National Park
Want to experience sleeping under the stars? Far and Away Adventures serves up luxury-camping trips into Yellowstone National Park, covering States of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, complete with comfortable bedding and tents, delicious meals, and backcountry adventures. Guests are guided to a remote campsite along Yellowstone Lake by boat, and spend several days boating along its shores, fishing, and hiking among some of the park's most original landscapes.
·Dog Sledge in Denali National Park
Bring out your inner musher with a dog sledge trip through one of the last wild frontiers, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. A team of dogs and experienced guides from Earth Song Lodge lead guests into the remote and tranquil wilderness of inside Alaska. Although day trips are available, multi-day sledge travels allow visitors to learn the art of dog dragging, not to mention enjoying grand views of Mt. McKinley.
·Canyon Vistas Mule Ride in Grand Canyon National Park
Take in the Grand Canyon, located in State of Arizona, by four-footed mule for breathtaking views along the edge and into its depths. Mule rides have been offered at the Grand Canyon since1887, and are a rich part of the canyon's history. A new four-mile tour along the edge, the Canyon Mule Ride, takes approximately three hours to complete. Along the path, riders speak to the geologic formations and human history of the area.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．The four national parks are located in different states of the USA. |
| B．In Death Valley National Park, guests can play the world's best golf courses. |
| C．Of the four national parks, Yellowstone National Park covers the largest area. |
| D．Park visitors have recently been offered mule rides in Grand Canyon National Park. |
| A．Death Valley National Park | B．Yellowstone National Park |
| C．Denali National Park | D．Grand Canyon National Park |
| A．a science fiction | B．a guidebook |
| C．a health magazine | D．a commercial brochure |
【推荐3】WELCOME AND ARRIVAL INFORMATION
Welcome to Harvard University Housing and thank you for choosing to live with us. To help you make a smooth transition, please read the information below on planning your arrival.
Pets
Dogs living with you in your pet-friendly apartment must be vaccinated for rabies and licensed with the City of Cambridge every year.
International Students
Consider unlocking your phone prior to leaving your home country. This will enable you to use a SIM card from a company such as campus SIMS or US Mobile in your phone after you arrive. Those sim cards may be available at the Property Management Office.
Driving
If you plan on bringing a moving van or truck it will not fit under the overpasses on Soldiers Field Road and Memorial Drive. Plan your route in advance to avoid a risky and costly problem.
Parking arrangements for trucks and vans must be made in advance as well. Visit your property page for information about parking your car.
Furniture and Lighting
Most HUH units have no furniture—the unit is empty except for a stove and a refrigerator. You need to bring, buy, or rent a bed, other furniture, and household items. In many HUH units, rooms do not have overhead lights, so you also may need table or floor lamps.
If you want to stock up on groceries and some household items as soon as you arrive, please find information about “Grocery Shopping” by selecting it from the drop-down menu.
1. Suppose a French boy chooses to live in HUH units with a dog and a moving van, he should________.| A．make sure his dog is vaccinated and licensed in France |
| B．unlock his phone before leaving France |
| C．buy a phone with a SIM card at the Property Management Office |
| D．park his van under the overpasses |
| A．Table or floor lamps. | B．A bed and a table. |
| C．A stove and a refrigerator. | D．Bowls and plates. |
| A．A website. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A magazine. | D．A recipe. |
In its simplest form，it was little more than a pipe with holes in it．But behind each hole was a hi-tech dripper that let out just the fight amount of water．Snaked along a row of crops so that the holes were positioned directly above the roots，the pipe could direct each precious drop of water directly to the plants，getting a bigger harvest while using a very small amount of the water．
Over time，the farmers improved upon the technology，perfecting the drippers that regulated the flow of water，and connecting the pipelines to computers that could determine exactly how much water each plant needed and when．
If the global population kept growing，the rest of the world would increasingly resemble their little community in the desert．So they began selling their irrigation systems in other parts of the world，eventually expanding to more than 110 countries．Netafirm，the company says it’s lifting people out of poverty and conserving water at a time when the importance of doing so has never been clearer．
The mass adoption of drip irrigation won’t save the world by itself．To avoid the coming catastrophe，nearly everybody will，in some way，have to do more with less，perhaps through accepting and using other new technologies．Otherwise，it’s going to get ugly．
1. Why is drip irrigation called“the revolutionary technology”?
| A．It saves the world all by itself． |
| B．It is controlled by computers． |
| C．It makes irrigation more effective． |
| D．It provides deserts with water． |
| A．Lacking water． | B．Lacking labor． |
| C．Lacking food． | D．Lacking energy． |
| A．By drilling holes on the pipes． |
| B．By regulating water via drippers. |
| C．By snaking pipes along the crops． |
| D．By placing pipes just above roots. |
| A．Less water；More harvest． |
| B．New technology；New world． |
| C．More grain；Less starvation． |
| D．Water saving；World surviving． |
【推荐2】Wildfires, producing lots of smoke seen obviously from space, are spreading in Sibetia.Greenland, Alaska, and Canada as a result of lightning and high temperatures. Although Arctic fires are common between May and October, the long time and large rang-involved make these fires unusual.Unfortunately, peat(泥炭) fires burn far longer than normal forest fires——for months, and sometimes even years.
Usually, dead plants and animals buried under the earth's surface change into coal over millions of years, under heat and pressure. However, sometimes the remains of plants pile up at the bottom of lakes and other water conditions. Here, as dead plants pile up on top of each other, they go through a slow process of decay (腐烂) due to lack of oxygen. The carbon that is trapped in these plants is turned into peat.
Peatlands refer to large areas of peat, many of which were formed after the Ice Age as a result of melting glaciers(冰/) or rising underground water levels. Peatlands are one of the largest natural carbon storehouses on the earth and contain over 550 billion tons of carbon. While peat is not used to produce electricity directly, it is processed, dried, and used as a fuel for heating and cooking in homes. Peatlands are also home to many species, provide drinking water, and minimize the risks of floods.
The Arctic fires have released around 50 million tons of carbon dioxide in June. In fact, more carbon dioxide was released in June than the combined amount from 2010 to 2018. Scientists are concerned that the Arctic fires may pump so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that we could reach a dangerous point in our earth's climate.
Unfortunately, Russian firefighters are unable to put out the fire in some parts that people can't reach of the Siberian Arctic. For now, the only hope is rain or snow which is expected only in October. These fires are also a wake-up call that we need to take some steps to solve global warming.
1. What is special about the peat fire?| A．It lasts a long time. | B．It occurs frequently. |
| C．It is easy to put out. | D．It does little harm. |
| A．How plants change into coal. | B．What makes plants decay. |
| C．How peat is formed. | D．What peat contains. |
| A．They were formed not a long time ago. |
| B．Large quantities of carbon are trapped by peatlands. |
| C．Peatlands can be used to produce electricity directly. |
| D．Few animals can survive in peatlands for lack of oxygen. |
| A．Arctic Fires Under Control | B．Peatlands Reduce Floods |
| C．Global Warming Is Harmful | D．Fires Burn in the Arctic |
【推荐3】As we live longer and technology continues its rapid development, we can imagine a future where machines will enlarge our human abilities and help us make better life choices, from health to wealth. Through our dialogue and digital pieces, AI (artificial intelligence) will understand our life goals and wishes, our duties and limitations. It will help us plan different life events, so we can spend more time enjoying life’s moments.
The ability for AI to understand the complexities and slight differences of human conversation is, however, one hurdle. There are several thousand known living languages in the world today. Adding to the difficulties are the varied ways words are shared and used across different cultures, including grammar, levels of education and styles of the speakers. Google Duplex, the technology supporting Google Assistant, which places phone calls using a natural-sounding human voice instead of a robotic one, is an early attempt to address such challenges in human communications. But these are just initial whispers in voice of AI’s long journey.
Beyond making reservations and conducting simple dialogues, virtual assistants will need to become far more useful and further fit into the parts of our everyday lives. Not only will they need to foresee what we need before we ask, they also need to understand the context of our conversations and react accordingly. Imagine a snow day when school is canceled for the kids. Knowing that you must now stay at home with your children, your phone would remind you, asking if you’d like your meetings moved to the following day. Alternatively, imagine how much more pleasant your journey home from a business trip would be if your phone could automatically arrange for a ride waiting to pick you up at the airport, based on your travel plan, location, and habits. The possibilities are endless.
1. What do we know about AI?| A．It stops us living longer. | B．It narrows our abilities. |
| C．It doesn’t know our limitations. | D．It helps us enjoy life better. |
| A．Low level of speakers. | B．Imperfection of AI. |
| C．Varieties of languages and cultures. | D．Similarities between languages. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Approving. | C．Negative. | D．Critical. |
| A．AI Will Replace Humans | B．AI Will Set Goals for Us |
| C．AI Will Be Part of Our Daily Lives | D．AI Will Meet Challenges |
