1 . True happiness lies in rewarding relationships, not material wealth, according to new research. Scientists have said that a close circle of friends and family is most important for happiness, and that owning things such as iPhones, computers, being wealthy and owning a sports car do not provide the same level of satisfaction.
The study was done by psychologists at the Sahlgrenska Academy and Lund University, in Sweden. The experts analyzed articles in Swedish newspapers published in 2016 and recorded which words most often occurred in the same articles as the Swedish word for happiness. In this way, they could know our common happiness.
Co-author Dr Danilo Garcia, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy’s Center for Ethics, Law and Mental Health, said, “It’s relationships that are most important, not material things that we possess, and this is in line with other findings in happiness research.”
The study, which contained more than 1.5 million words, showed that terms such as “grandmother” and personal pronouns such as “you”, “me”, “us” and “them” often emerge in the same article as the Swedish word for happiness. Researchers found that words such as “iPhone”, “millions” and “Google” almost never appear with the word “happiness”.
The study is a part of a larger research project on how people describe both positive and negative events in their lives. The researchers believe that the word analysis reflects a common perception among the members of our society as to what should make us happy.
Dr Danilo Garcia said, “Just as the Beatles sang, most people understand that money can’t buy you happiness or love. But even if we can understand the importance of close and warm relationships at a social level, it isn’t certain that everyone is aware that such relationships are actually necessary for our own personal happiness.”
1. New research mainly shows that ________.| A．various things can lead to happiness in people |
| B．having some close friends is very important to us |
| C．owning expensive things can actually make us happy |
| D．rewarding relationships make us happy instead of material wealth |
| A．By doing surveys. |
| B．By doing experiments. |
| C．By analyzing printed articles. |
| D．By referring to previous studies. |
| A．explain something new |
| B．are unbelievable to many people |
| C．prove material things are unimportant |
| D．confirm previous findings in happiness research |
| A．Appear. | B．Spread. | C．Start. | D．Unite. |
| A．money really buys us happiness or love |
| B．rewarding relationships really lead to personal happiness |
| C．close and warm relationships are important at a social level |
| D．all people know rewarding relationships lead to personal happiness |
2 . I am afraid of heights but two summers ago I climbed to a high place. Most of our high school had come along on a day trip to a beautiful beach village in Peru. After eating our lunches, many of us wanted to make the climb to an area around the village.
Do I turn back? “Yes!” Will I regret it later? I really want to get to the top, but … At last, I decided at least to have a try.
My friend Tom was in front of me. Then, suddenly, he slipped (滑倒) and was about 10 feet back! My heart was beating faster until he stopped himself. Knowing that my friend Seth would be right behind me, I began the climb. I was soon past the first challenge safely, but not feeling much better about the rest of the climb. Looking down, I saw rocks everywhere. My breathing sped up, and my heart beat even faster, growing loud in my ears.
My friends kept climbing. But they did not forget me. Someone was always behind me to help hold my feet when necessary, and someone else was always in front to offer a hand up. With friends helping me by words and actions, I slowly gained ground.
Then we came to the worst part. The climb looked very close to vertical (垂直的). To me, the wise choice was to go back down. Melody encouraged me to go on and she made it safely first. I stopped, unsure of my footing. “You can do it, Jean! I’m right here,” Melody called. She waited patiently, not asking me to hurry. I took a few deep breaths and kept climbing.
With no more mistakes, we came to the top finally. I was dirty and tired. But it didn’t matter. I was at the top! I had never felt so alive.
1. According to the passage, the climb ________.| A．was done by all of the high school students |
| B．happened on a morning two summers ago |
| C．was near a beautiful beach village |
| D．lasted for about two days |
| A．felt excited about it |
| B．turned back to the village |
| C．regretted going out with them |
| D．wasn’t sure whether to join them |
| A．felt more confident about the climb |
| B．didn’t feel any better about the climb |
| C．chose to go back down |
| D．couldn’t breathe easily |
| A．lost heart | B．moved forward |
| C．climbed to the top | D．accepted the friends |
| A．Melody gave Jean words of encouragement. |
| B．Jean waited patiently for Seth to catch up. |
| C．It was dirty and dangerous. |
| D．Jean had the first try. |
3 . Biking is an amazing family activity, but finding a route that can accommodate a wide-range of ages can be a challenge.
Lee McNeil and his family are crazy about biking. They have seven children, from 4 to 24 years old. When looking for a route, they look for enough protection from traffic, good surface condition, easy access and interesting views.
With that in mind, here are some great routes for biking with your whole family, as are suggested by McNeil.
Iron Horse Trail
This is the McNeil family’s favourite ride. The route is 26 miles and goes through the 2.1mile Snoqualmie Tunnel.
“Beautiful views, the thrill the tunnel, and places to stop and watch the rock climbers make it special,” McNeil said. “All our kids have taken their turn at braving the black tunnel bravely for the first time, which we celebrate it at the end of the ride.”
How to get there: If you prefer, check http://bit.ly/Mlt9y4 for more information.
Centennial Trail
The Centennial Trail runs for 23 miles from Snohomish to Bryant. The trail is wide and smooth, and is safe for kids as it is off the roads. A nice stop is Lake Cassidy east of Marysville. A dock on the lake is fun to explore. It also has picnic tables and washrooms for a convenient lunch time stop.
How to get there: The trail can be accessed from a number of trailheads. For a map, go to http://bit.ly/L5qCeY.
Cascade Trail
The Cascade Trail follows an abandoned Burlington Northern railroad grade for 23 miles between Sedro-Woolley and Concrete. Because it’s on a railroad grade, the slope is gentle and it makes for an easy family ride.
McNeil said it is a “beautiful ride up the Skagit Valley, with lots of places to watch wildlife along the river.”
How to get there: Go to http://bit.ly/PR4wOW to see a map showing the trail, parking areas and bus stops .
Other good choices
Snoqualmie Valley Trail: http://l.usa.gov/nWGWO
Guemes Island: http://bit.ly/LJ3RxL
Burke-Gilman Trail: http://l.usa.gov/s33li
1. We can learn from the passage that Lee McNeil ________.| A．has a large family |
| B．often travels with his family |
| C．teaches his children how to bike |
| D．spends lots of money on bike rides |
| A．Cascade Trail | B．Iron Horse Trail |
| C．Centennial Trail | D．Burke-Gilman Trail |
| A．see a small valley | B．go through a tunnel |
| C．have a picnic for lunch | D．watch the rock climbers |
| A．http://bit.ly/Mlt9y4 | B．http://bit.ly/LJ3RxL |
| C．http://bit.ly/L5qCeY | D．http://bit.ly/PR4wOW |
| A．ask people to learn from Lee McNeil |
| B．tell people how to make a family ride |
| C．introduce some routes for family rides |
| D．encourage more people to ride bikes |
4 . People get angry because they don’t know enough to keep calm. I couldn’t control my emotions and used to feel annoyed (使恼怒) when I was a child. Worse still, I was not good at communicating with my
One morning, my mother
I took out my anger on my mother
After a long time, mother told me about my father’s
On that day, I decided never to let anger get the better of me. I learn to
| A．teachers | B．classmate | C．parents | D．friends |
| A．casually | B．carelessly | C．suddenly | D．finally |
| A．put on | B．put down | C．put up | D．put out |
| A．scared | B．interested | C．annoyed | D．quiet |
| A．without | B．beyond | C．besides | D．despite |
| A．dirty | B．cheap | C．wrong | D．old |
| A．up | B．away | C．off | D．around |
| A．calmly | B．sadly | C．nervously | D．anxiously |
| A．save | B．give | C．hold | D．wash |
| A．compliment | B．happiness | C．surprise | D．disappointment |
| A．hoped | B．joked | C．imagined | D．decided |
| A．faced | B．covered | C．pleased | D．filled |
| A．cool | B．turn | C．break | D．put |
| A．If | B．But | C．And | D．So |
| A．forget | B．remember | C．clean | D．wear |
5 . Priscilla Ouchida’s “energy efficient” house turned out to be a horrible dream. When she and her engineer husband married a few years ago, they built a $100,000 three-bedroom home in California. Tightly sealed to prevent air leaks, the house was equipped with small double-paned windows and several other energy-saving features. Problems began as soon as the couple moved in, however. Priscilla’s eyes burned. Her throat was constantly dry. She suffered from headaches and could hardly sleep. It was as though she had suddenly developed a strange illness.
Experts finally traced the cause of her illness. The level of formaldehyde gas in her kitchen was twice the maximum allowed by federal standards for chemical workers. The source of the gas? Her new kitchen cabinets and wall-to-wall carpeting.
The Ouchidas are victims of indoor air pollution, which is not given sufficient attention partly because of the nation’s drive to save energy. The problem itself isn’t new. “The indoor environment was dirty long before energy conservation came along,” says Moschandreas, a pollution scientist at Geomet Technologies in Maryland. “Energy conservation has tended to accentuate the situation in some cases.”
The problem appears to be more troublesome in newly constructed homes rather than old ones. Back in the days when energy was cheap, home builders didn’t worry much about unsealed cracks. Because of such leaks, the air in an average home was replaced by fresh outdoor air about once an hour. As a result, the pollutants generated in most households seldom built up to dangerous levels.
1. It can be learned from the passage that the Ouchidas’ house ________.| A．is well worth the money spent on its construction |
| B．is almost faultless from the point of energy conservation |
| C．failed to meet energy conservation standards |
| D．was designed and constructed in a scientific way |
| A．Poor quality of the air inside. | B．Poor quality of the construction. |
| C．Gas leakage in the kitchen. | D．The newly painted walls. |
| A．relieve | B．accelerate | C．worsen | D．improve |
| A．Because indoor cleanliness was not emphasized. |
| B．Because energy used to be inexpensive. |
| C．Because environmental protection was given top priority. |
| D．Because they were technically unavoidable. |
| A．Energy Conservation | B．House Building Crisis |
| C．Air Pollution Indoors | D．Traps in Building Construction |
6 . A group of professional people asked a group of 4-to-8 year-olds this question. “What does love mean?” The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what they think:
“When my grandmother got arthritis (关节炎), she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails (脚趾甲) anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis. That's love.” Rebecca－age 8
“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy – age 6
“Love is when my mummy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip (一小口) before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny – age 7
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.” Noelle – age 7
“My mummy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.” Clare－age 6
“Love is when Mummy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is more handsome than David Beckham.” Chris – age 7
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap (膝上), and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry.”
1. The children’s answers are mainly based on ________.| A．their own stories |
| B．their family stories |
| C．how they viewed people around them |
| D．what happened around them |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．her father’s love for her. | B．her grandparents’ love for her |
| C．her friends’ love for her | D．her mother’s love for her |
| A．cheered his neighbour up in a unique way |
| B．gave love a special definition |
| C．comforted his neighbour in the most caring way |
| D．had a good understanding of his neighbour’s sadness |
| A．To report a survey. | B．To explain the meaning of love. |
| C．To report a contest. | D．To show children’s loveliness. |
7 . “It’s over! Thank goodness!” school was
Janie, the driver, tries to
“My father’s ill ,” she said to no one in particular (特别地). I could see worry in her
With a sudden change of interest, I asked, “what’s wrong with him?”
With her eyes wet and her voice
I sat on the
Suddenly I realized Janie wasn’t only a bus
I suddenly
I shouldn’t have been so selfish and self-centered.
| A．in | B．off | C．over | D．on |
| A．ran | B．walked | C．stood | D．sat |
| A．rest | B．break | C．close | D．open |
| A．polite | B．rude | C．politely | D．quickly |
| A．busy | B．free | C．busily | D．freely |
| A．looking at | B．agreeing with | C．talking to | D．listening to |
| A．eyes | B．face | C．mouth | D．ears |
| A．with | B．within | C．without | D．for |
| A．usually | B．usual | C．unusual | D．truly |
| A．remembered | B．forgotten | C．missed | D．lost |
| A．seat | B．house | C．room | D．desk |
| A．worker | B．driver | C．teacher | D．doctor |
| A．also | B．either | C．too | D．at all |
| A．feel | B．felt | C．thought | D．was |
| A．Looking at | B．Understanding | C．Getting to know | D．Watching |
8 . Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.
1. More than 215 million people call America “home” because________.| A．they buy their houses there | B．they settle there now |
| C．they get married there | D．they were born there |
| A．making friends with native people |
| B．the groups of people who live nearby |
| C．keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
| A．share American customs and culture |
| B．live in a kind of “side-by-side” society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．“Side-by-side” living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People. |
| D．“Side-by-side” Living Style in America. |
9 . My wife and I moved into our home nine years ago. We have a yard a “rock garden”. There the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish. Very often when we have more flowers, Denise or I would plant them between the rocks, just to bring some color to the area.
Last summer I found, in the rock garden, a tiny little plant that I could not immediately recognize. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could find out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the strange plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. It looked thin and tall with only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed (除草) around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The sunflower had not started where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.
If a tiny little sunflower didn’t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability to do the same thing. If we believe in ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach where we aim to go and get what we need for growth.
We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ability to achieve our goals. Like the sunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had faith in itself that it would succeed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be proud of who and what we are, then other things will begin to support us. We will find a way to go under or around any “rocks” in order to realize our goals.
1. The family planted flowers in the yard ________.| A．to attract visitors | B．to remove the rocks |
| C．to please their neighbors | D．to make the area colorful |
| A．to see how long it could live | B．to see how big it could grow |
| C．to find out what it actually was | D．to know if his wife had planted it |
| A．it was very thin and tall | B．it had only one head on it |
| C．it grew on top of a big rock | D．it began to grow under a rock |
| A．rocks cannot prevent us from success |
| B．we can get over difficulties if we trust ourselves |
| C．we should take good care of the rock gardens |
| D．sunflowers are able to grow everywhere |
| A．Stand Tall Like the Sunflower | B．The Sunflower and My Family |
| C．Being Proud of the Sunflower | D．The Secret of the Sunflower |
10 . With the coming of online book buying, many have predicted that the book-stores will disappear eventually. To the book lovers, nothing beats walking through a bookshop, looking at all the covers, picking up large heavy books and turning them over. The smell of ink on paper, and conversations with strangers about authors are amazing for them. And we’re grateful that there’re beautiful bookstores still out there.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Designed for the music director Max Glucksmann, this building was opened as a show-stopping theater called Teatro Gran Splendid in Buenos Aires in 1919. After nearly a century of hosting tango (探戈舞) masters, the great space was rented by a firm, Grupo Ilhsa, in 2000. The former theater now serves as the group’s flagship bookstore; more than 1 million people visit it annually.
The Book Barge
The Book Barge is a 60-foot canal boat bookshop. Inspired by the Slow Food movement, Henshaw says, “We hope to promote a less hurried and busy lifestyle filled with leisure and pleasure here, through cups of tea, conversations, culture and of course, an extremely good Book Barge purchase.”
La Caverne aux Livres
At La Caverne aux Livres in north of Paris, an old postal train station and several mail-sorting train cars have become home to a ranging collection of used books for sale. Visitors often spend hours looking through the broad selection there, surrounded by an atmosphere of old letters and dreams of faraway places.
Selexyz Dominicanen
For those who regard bookstores with great respect, welcome to Swlexyz Dominicanen: a 13th-century Dominican church in Maastricht, Holland. Later, the big space of the church was used to store bicycles. Several years ago, the church was changed to a bookstore. This glorious (哥特式的) building was redecorated by a design firm; the result is nothing short of a miracle.
1. What do the book lovers care about most according to Paragraph 1?| A．Finding the latest books online. |
| B．Reading the newly published books. |
| C．Communicating with different readers. |
| D．Getting certain experiences in bookstores. |
| A．Reminding people of an enjoyable life. |
| B．Teaching people local culture. |
| C．Providing relaxation for people. |
| D．Offering pleasant entertainments. |
| A．They both have a long history. | B．They were both used as theaters. |
| C．They both lie in Holland. | D．They both have a gothic style. |
| A．El Ateneo Grand Splendid. | B．The Book Barge. |
| C．La Caverne aux Livres. | D．Selexyz Dominicanen. |
| A．To encourage people to read. |
| B．To introduce four bookstores. |
| C．To appeal to people to buy books in these bookstores. |
| D．To call on readers to pick the most outstanding bookstores. |
