1 . Finland is offering free trips to people in need of happiness lessons
For the past two years, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world. Its citizens are relaxed and cheerful, enjoying life in a technologically advanced society. The Finns themselves owe(归功于) this to their connection with nature and their instinct(本能) to go outside whenever anxiety appears: “When others go to therapy(治疗), Finns put on a pair of rubber boots and head to the woods. A project called Rent A Finn will send a select number of guests to live in Finland for three days this summer. All travel and accommodation costs are covered, but you must be willing to be filmed throughout the experience.
Guest’s activities
Experience anything from visiting a national park to spending a weekend fishing at a real summer cottage， berry picking in the wilderness, enjoying a proper Finnish sauna(桑拿浴)一 basically all the things that we Finns love to do in nature and what makes Finland the happiest country worldwide.
Esko, mayor(市长) of a small town, will take you boating and teach you to play molkky, a Finnish throwing game. If you stay with Hanna, an IT professional, you’ll travel to her grandmother’s lakeside home outside Helsinki, where you’ll pick blueberries and eat traditional foods. Linda and Niko, who live on Uto, an island with a population of around 40, will take you sailing, show you the lighthouse, and camp out on an island.
Application
Now is the time to apply by filling out an online application form and filming a 3-minute video describing yourself, your connection to nature, and why you want to visit Finland. Submit, breathe deeply, and wait. I know what I’ ll be doing this weekend.
1. What do the Finns think mainly brings them happiness?| A．Getting close to nature. |
| B．Living in a rich country. |
| C．Remaining in high spirits. |
| D．Getting on well with others. |
| A．Esko. | B．Linda. |
| C．Hanna. | D．Niko |
| A．Complete a form online. |
| B．Make a video about Finland. |
| C．Pay the activity expenses in advance. |
| D．Learn how to make traditional Finnish food. |
2 . I speak Spanish, because I was born in Spain. But then at primary school I had to learn Russian, and at high school, I was taught how to speak German. But I always wanted to speak English.
At last I came to America. Everywhere there was English! But even if I heard and felt its presence, it was hard for me to understand it and express myself in it. The few lessons of English that I had taken in Spain gave me only a chance to introduce myself, and I didn’t even know how to buy things and ask directions.
To talk to somebody, I went to a high school to take a course in English for foreigners. Disappointingly, it took almost an hour to get through the process of introducing ourselves. Everyone had to learn something that I had already known from my books – the English alphabet (字母表) and numbers. I thought it was a waste of time, so I quit.
After a month, I tried again, but this time at college. After 15 minutes of introducing ourselves, a teacher gave us a lecture about the history of English. Then we were told that it was very important to know English in an English-speaking country. It took three hours for the teacher to tell us this. Again, I quit.
But I didn’t stop looking for something or someone that would help me to achieve my goal, and I found a tutor from Literacy Volunteers of America. But I still wasn’t happy with the classes. And when it was my turn to give a speech, I was happy to use all the long, complicated words that I had learned from one of my English books. When I had finished, my tutor said “Well, I think I have to learn English before coming to teach you!” This time, the tutor quit!
1. How many languages has the writer learned?| A．Two. | B．Four. |
| C．Three. | D．Five. |
| A．Because no one wanted to talk to him. |
| B．Because everyone had to learn the English alphabet and numbers. |
| C．Because the lessons were too easy. |
| D．Because the courses were prepared for the natives. |
| A．happy. | B．crazy. |
| C．serious. | D．friendly. |
| A．The writer learnt many foreign languages. |
| B．The writer tested the teachers’ English abilities. |
| C．The writer researched different ways of learning English. |
| D．The writer tried to look for a proper way to learn English. |
3 . Did you see snow in your hometown last winter? Did you feel it was warmer than before?
“There have been 21 warm winters in China since 1986,” said scientists. They also said that in the past 100 years, as the global (全球的) temperatures went up by 0.74 °C , the temperature in North China has climbed 1.4°C in only 50 years.
China needs to take quick action to cut carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) emission (排放), because it’s the main reason for global warming. The good news is that China has seen the importance of going green. China set the goal of cutting energy use by 20 and pollution emission by 10 in the 11th Five-Year Plan.
Can you slow global warming? Sure! You and your family can take steps to cut the amount of carbon dioxide that is sent out into the air.
Here are some pieces of advice to help you save the earth.
Wear used clothes. Wearing your brother's, sister's or dad’s old T-shirt means you save the energy.
Change your light bulbs (灯泡). Use energy-saving light bulbs. And don’t forget to turn off the lights when you leave a room and turn off your television and computer when they are not in use!
Ride the bus. Taking a bus saves a lot of oil every year.
Say no to plastic bags. The next time your parents go to the market, ask them to use baskets.
Open a window. Don’t use the air conditioner (空调), and let some fresh air in. When you have to use the conditioner, set the temperature higher in the summer and lower in the winter to save energy.
Make small changes in your daily life. Don’t use paper cups, bags and boxes.
It's time for all of us to do something to save the earth.
1. The main reason for global warming is ____.| A．the oil | B．carbon dioxide | C．paper cups, bags and boxes | D．televisions and computers |
| A．活力 | B．干劲 | C．精力 | D．能源 |
| A．It’s a pity to wear your dad's old T-shirts. |
| B．Using air conditioners may be a waste of energy. |
| C．Taking a bus wastes a lot of oil every year. |
| D．Using paper bags saves energy a lot. |
