| A．Whether the man has attended the conference. |
| B．Whether the conference is successful. |
| C．Whether the photos are ready. |
| D．Whether the quality of the pictures is good. |
2 . Crazy Laws
It seems that the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, was right when he said, “Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.”
Did you know, for example, that London taxis (officially called Hackney carriages) are still legally required to carry hay and oats for their horses to eat? And in England, it is illegal to stand within 100 yards (91 metres) of the queen, without wearing socks?
If you live in Scotland, however, it’s important to know that if someone knocks at the door of your house, and needs to use your toilet, you are legally required to let him in.
Lots of the craziest laws seem to involve animals.
Last, children are forbidden from going to school with their breath smelling of wild onions in West Virginia. And in Arkansas, teachers who have a certain hairc ut (a bob) will not be given a pay-rise. In Florida, a woman can be fined for falling asleep under the hair-dryer and unmarried women must not parachute on a Sunday. If they do, they might be arrested, receive a fine or be put in jail.
| A．But if you are Scottish you should stay away from the city of York. |
| B．Never should a Scotsman leave his own country. |
| C．But strange laws don’t just exist in the UK. |
| D．England is the place where craziest laws have been in existence for centuries. |
| E．Laws in some parts of the world haven’t changed for centuries. |
| F．In Hollywood, it is illegal to take more than 2,000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at any one time. |
Director: Baz Luhrmann Cast: Leonardo Dicaprio as Jay Gatsby
Film Reviews:
If you never read the classic F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, now is your chance to catch up — by watching the latest film adaptation. Because if there’s one sentence to sum up the film, it would be: It’s just like the book.
The use of music is almost reason enough to see the film. Baz Luhrmann is at his best mixing visual and musical styles together to create something wholly original, for example, in one of the most outstanding scenes in the film, the first party scene, Nick walks quickly from one party guest to another party guest trying to explain all the gossip about Gatsby until he is finally introduced to the man himself, while the most stirring version of Rhapsody in Blue (蓝色狂想曲), which was composed by American musician George Gershwin in 1924, is played in the background.
—Fox News
Director Baz Luhrmann’s main challenge was either to find a visual equivalent for Fitzgerald’s elegant quality — the open secret of the book’s popularity for so long time — or to match his own unusual personal strengths with the material. He tries it both ways, with considerable degrees of success.
DiCaprio does a good and professional job as the socialite (上流社会人士) by recreating Fitzgerald’s description of Gatsby’s charm. He can look at someone for an instant and understand how, perfectly, he or she wants to be seen.
—Time Magazine
About the Book and the Main CharacterConsidered to be Fitzgerald’s representative work, The Great Gatsby explores themes of idealism, resistance to change, social change, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.
Nick, the narrator, moves to New York for the summer to visit his cousin Daisy. His next-door neighbour is Jay Gatsby(Leonardo DiCaprio), who rarely contacts with others and is said to be a hero of the Great War. Gatsby claims to have attended Oxford University, but the evidence is suspect. As Nick learns more about Gatsby, every detail about him seems questionable, except his love for the Daisy. Though Daisy is married, Gatsby still loves her as his “golden girl”. They first met when she was a young lady from a wealthy family and he was a working-class military officer. Daisy promised to wait for his return from the war. However, she married Tom, a classmate of Nick’s. Having obtained a great fortune, Gatsby sets out to win her back again.
1. The Fox News review mentioned the first party scene in the film to ______.| A．prove that the director is good at combining visual and music |
| B．reveal the fact that Nick wants to know more about Gatsby |
| C．show the version of Rhapsody in Blue matches the film well |
| D．convince us that the first scene is perfectly shot by the director |
| A．He adapted the story in the novel as he wished. |
| B．He made the film more powerful than the book. |
| C．He changed the story to meet his own style. |
| D．He mixed his style with the elegance of the book. |
| A．Mysterious and devoted. | B．Charming and professional. |
| C．Faithful and warm-hearted. | D．Selfish and charming. |
4 . The idea that richer countries are happier may seem obvious. However, in 1974, research by economist Richard Easterlin found otherwise. He discovered that while individuals with higher incomes were more likely to be happy, this did not hold at a national level. In the United States, for example, average income per person rose steadily between 1946 and 1970, but reported happiness levels showed no positive long-term trend; in fact, they declined between 1060 and 1970. These differences between nation-level and individual results gave rise to the term “Easterlin paradox”: the idea that a higher rate of economic growth does not result in higher long-term happiness.
Recent research has challenged the Easternlin paradox, however. In 2013, sociologists Ruut Veenhoven conducted a study using statistics from the World Database of Happiness. Their analysis revealed a positive correlation between economic growth and happiness. Another study found that there is no maximum wealth threshold at which more money ceases to bring you happiness: “If there is a satiation point, we are yet to reach it.” The study’s findings suggested that every extra dollar you earn makes you happier.
According to psychologists Selin Kesebir, happiness also depends on how your income compares to the people around you. They argue that a country’s economic growth only makes its citizens happier if wealth is evenly distributed. In emerging countries with high income inequality—where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer—average happiness tends to drop because only relatively few people benefit from the economic prosperity. This suggests that governments should consider implementing policies to ensure equal distribution of wealth. The happier people are, the more productive they are likely to become, thus leading to improved economic outcomes at the individual and national levels.
There is continuing debate about the link between wealth and happiness, with arguments both for and against the notion that richer countries are happier. However, it is clear that wealth alone isn’t enough to make us happy. The effect of income inequality on happiness shows that happiness is a social responsibility. We need to remember the positive effects of generosity and building social connections. Perhaps our focus should be less on how much money we have, and more on how we use it.
1. According to the passage, Easterlin Paradox refers to ________.| A．The fact that the more money people have, the happier they will feel |
| B．The suggestion that money should be given the top priority |
| C．The question how economic outcomes are distributed nationwide |
| D．The opinion that higher income doesn’t necessarily bring happiness |
| A．satisfaction | B．controversial | C．central | D．sensitive |
| A．Money not enough. | B．Money not fairly distributed. |
| C．Money not legally earned. | D．Money not properly used. |
| A．What brings happiness | B．Easternlin paradox |
| C．Wealth and Happiness | D．Rising income, rising happiness |
| A．Touched. | B．Amused. | C．Annoyed. | D．Bored. |
| A. conflicts B. tackle C. encounter D. instinctive E. senses F. regulate G. sparks H. originates I. immediate J. disagreeable K. interfere |
When you are frightened or feel endangered, your breathing and your pulse quicken in order to give you a better chance of either running away from the threat or defending yourself against it. When the danger is eliminated, your body returns to its pre-stress state.
Psychological stress can also be triggered in response to an external-factor, as with a fear of heights or public speaking. However, since it
Experience plays a large role in determining what you consider as stressful. Many reactions to stress are subconscious or
So, what are some major types of stress?
The first type of stress is survival stress. When in fear for your safety, your body prepares to
Another type is environmental stress, which is caused by unpleasant things you
The third type of stress is internal stress. This type of stress is caused by thinking about stressful situations that occurred in the past or will take place in the future. Being stressed is an appropriate reaction to a(n)
In Ningbo city, a young woman has made the bamboo product brand of her family’s company famous around the world,
Wang Xiaoqing, born in the 1990s,
In 2018,a bamboo table
Serving
Background music may seem harmless, but it can have a powerful effect on those who hear it.
To begin with, background music was intended simply
But, it has to be light music. A fast one has no effect at all
| A．He was an interesting guy. |
| B．He deserved the title. |
| C．He was very lucky to win the honor. |
| D．His life was different from other people’s. |
| A．The woman gave the ticket to the man. |
| B．The woman went to see the comedy. |
| C．The man didn’t go to see the comedy. |
| D．The woman had two tickets. |
