We all know that being kind can help people in need, but do you know that kindness can also help yourself?
According to National Public Radio, the Big Joy Project began in 2021. It spreads the message that people can find happiness in difficult times and use it to do good.
The project was open to anyone. More than 70, 000 people from over 200 countries took part in it. All had to take an online survey answering questions about their feelings. Then, they needed to do a small thing every day, such as visiting an elderly neighbor or buying a cup of coffee for a stranger. Finally, they had to take the other survey to compare their feelings before and after.
The results were announced on November 11, 2023. “We are really excited. After the project, there are big changes, including greater happiness, less stress, better sleep, stronger problem-solving abilities, and greater satisfaction with relationships,” said Emiliana Simon-Thomas, the leader of the Big Joy Project.
“Think of happiness as a skill that you can get through practice, instead of seeing it as something that happens to you. This may make sense,” added Emiliana.
Will the changes brought about by doing good last long or disappear soon? The question is not yet answerable. But one thing is certain—doing one good thing can lead to other good things. That’s why small acts of kindness can go a long way.
1. What do we know about the Big Joy Project?A.It is open to young people. |
B.It needs people to take two surveys. |
C.Mow than 200 people took part in it. |
A.In 2011. | B.In 2021. | C.In 2023. |
A.They have become less happier. |
B.They have become more satisfied with the project. |
C.They have improved the abilities of solving problems. |
A.Happiness. | B.Skill. | C.Practice. |
A.Changes always come suddenly to you. |
B.Happiness always leads to a better health. |
C.A small act of kindness can make a big difference. |
Michelle is an old lady. Last year, she noticed a lot of rubbish at the park near her home. She wanted to do something
Since then, almost every day, she walks to the park to pick up cups, paper and other
In Michelle’s words, working in the park help her stay active
A.dangerous | B.fair | C.good | D.silly |
A.difficulty | B.action | C.trouble | D.illness |
A.tools | B.gifts | C.products | D.wastes |
A.works | B.lives | C.talks | D.plays |
A.thankful | B.beautiful | C.peaceful | D.careful |
A.hardly | B.suddenly | C.easily | D.early |
A.think | B.worry | C.forget | D.guess |
A.avoid | B.remember | C.finish | D.keep |
A.Because of | B.Instead of | C.According to | D.Thanks to |
A.take out | B.help out | C.check out | D.look out |
I was invited by my friend to be a volunteer at Tent City. A number of tents had been set up for the homeless in this area.
My husband had no time to
I was worried that my sons would make too much noise. But
After dinner, I saw Tom sit with several old men. He was
A.look for | B.look up | C.look after | D.look into |
A.served | B.praised | C.admired | D.raised |
A.suggestions | B.messages | C.problems | D.questions |
A.creative | B.strange | C.clever | D.common |
A.excuses | B.reasons | C.interests | D.wishes |
A.in | B.to | C.by | D.for |
A.active | B.humorous | C.patient | D.beautiful |
A.agreeing with | B.depending on | C.listening to | D.running after |
A.always | B.often | C.never | D.usually |
A.found | B.touched | C.caught | D.hurt |
4 . On the morning of November 6th, I went to work as a volunteer guide along with some of my schoolmates. I had just a little experience as a volunteer before.
Our group was sent to the show called “Time-Space Post Office”. This show was made up of many letters from the visitors who had attended it before. The letters were about people’s understanding of the arts or their wishes.
Soon, we welcomed a group of visitors. I was afraid to talk with them. Instead, I just stood by. But slowly, I became less nervous. I tried to speak to an old man. “Hello, I am a volunteer guide for the show. You are now looking at Mr. Ding Yi’s ‘Time-Space Post Office.’ I’d like to introduce this show to you.” “Here, we can see many letters written by our old visitors.” I continued. “In fact, everybody can become a part of this show. You can write about the future—your thoughts, dreams and hopes.” The old man smiled at me and said, “Thank you, boy! You just did a wonderful job!” After hearing those words, I was so excited.
This volunteer activity helped me become more confident (自信的). I am now looking forward to taking part in a similar activity in the near future!
1. What is “Time-Space Post Office” made up of?A.Many kinds of postcards. | B.Letters from old visitors. |
C.Suggestions from the visitors. | D.Problems visitors can’t understand. |
A.He was very nervous. | B.The visitors were unfriendly. |
C.He knew little about the show. | D.He had no experience in volunteering. |
A.Work in a post office. | B.Never be nervous again. |
C.Continue to be a volunteer. | D.Become a part of this show. |
1. Where did Lauren volunteer in 2020?
A.On a farm. | B.At a food bank. | C.In a garden. |
A.To have fun. | B.To help her parents. | C.To give them away. |
A.15. | B.18. | C.20. |
A.To help feed more people. |
B.To own a big house. |
C.To start a food factory. |
A.Love nature and enjoy it. |
B.Interest is the best teacher. |
C.Caring for others brings happiness. |
When my daughter, Linda, was in the third grade, she saved all her pocket money for over five months to buy Christmas presents. In the middle of December, Linda said she had made her
One day I drove her to a supermarket. Linda
Then a
Linda
A.gift | B.list | C.form |
A.put down | B.handed out | C.picked up |
A.Unkindly | B.Unluckily | C.Uncertainly |
A.hole | B.coin | C.photo |
A.boring | B.moving | C.relaxing |
A.allow | B.forget | C.suggest |
A.it | B.you | C.them |
A.raised | B.watched | C.accepted |
7 .
There are lots of lovely animal characters in Disney films. No wonder so many people are excited to see their favorite animal friends turn into
Isa Bredt, an artist from the Netherlands, turns pet photos into Disney-style cartoons. The characters she
Isa calls her project Pet Disneyfication. “I started it
The Dutch artist also works her magic to
Opia is one such animal. The cat was found in the street. She can hardly move because of her hurt back legs. Isa
It was a
A.useful | B.colorful | C.peaceful |
A.chooses | B.imagines | C.creates |
A.though | B.because | C.unless |
A.pets | B.toys | C.children |
A.pay attention to | B.look forward to | C.look up to |
A.values | B.abilities | C.chances |
A.proudly | B.carefully | C.suddenly |
A.usual | B.clear | C.slow |
1. Where are the visitors from?
A.America. | B.Britain. | C.Canada. |
A.Help the visitors learn Chinese. |
B.Provide the visitors with home stay. |
C.Show the visitors around the school. |
A.On Monday morning. | B.On Thursday afternoon. | C.On Friday evening. |
A.30. | B.20. | C.10. |
A.Make a call. | B.Send emails. | C.Ask the monitor. |
9 . 参与志愿服务活动不仅能够帮助同学们在实践中运用所学知识,提高人际交往能力。同时,也让我们获得很多有用的经验。请写一篇相关短文,内容须包括:
●your opinion about volunteering●one of your experiences of volunteering
●your feelings of volunteering experiences
要求:
1. 字数90词左右(开头已经给出,不计入总数);
2. 文中不得出现真实的人名、校名。
The volunteering spirit has spread quickly among students in recent years.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . If you can’t see, can you still enjoy movies? The answer is yes. The Guangming Cinema project makes it possible. It provides movies with audio (声音的) descriptions for people who can’t see. Instead of watching, they can enjoy the stories only by listening to them.
What is this kind of movie like? It adds the narration (旁白) between the movie’s dialogue. The narrations let people know what is being shown on the screen, including the background and scenes in the films.
Wang Weili set up the Xinmu Theater in Beijing to serve the blind community. He remembered watching the Hollywood action film The Terminator with a blind friend in 2000 and telling every scene to him patiently. This made his friend feel enjoyable and then inspired him to start the theater project.
Xiao Huanyi is one of the theater’s fans. He has been visiting the theater for 12 years. “I used to listen to stories that told the plots (情节) on the radio,” said Xiao. “But Xinmu Theater is different—it lets me clearly know about the scenes. This is precious to us.”
Since 2005, the theater has organized 1,088 free movie activities. “The government can provide special schools to meet their basic living needs. But life isn’t just made up of basic living needs,” Wang said. “The world is made up of heat, smell, color, sound, and so on. I want to describe all of these for them,” he added.
1. Who does the Guangming Cinema project mainly help?A.People who can’t hear clearly. |
B.People who have difficulty seeing. |
C.People who love watching movies. |
A.By describing the scenes. |
B.By making the dialogue fun. |
C.By providing bigger screens. |
A.To introduce the challenges he met. |
B.To explain why his theater was set up. |
C.To show how he communicated with his blind friend. |
A.Successful. | B.Possible. | C.Valuable. |
A.Theaters are places for people to relax. |
B.It’s necessary to try something different. |
C.We should care for the disabled who have special needs. |