We would all love to learn how to be happy. And sometimes, the solution comes from a surprising place.
During his fieldwork in a remote African village, an anthropologist (人类学家) had devoted himself to studying the unique habits and culture of the local tribe. He had been working in the village for quite some time and on the day before his scheduled return home, he composed a gift—a basket full of delightful fruits from the area, wrapped thoughtfully in a piece of cloth. He placed this offering beneath a tree and then gathered the village children around.
The man drew a line in the dirt, looked at the children, and said, “As soon as I signal to start, dash to the tree; the first to arrive will claim the basket of fruits.” However, when he signaled, instead of racing against each other, the children joined hands and ran together to the tree. Then They settled around the basket and enjoyed their treat as a group.
Bewildered by their act of unity, the anthropologist asked why they chose to run collectively when any one of them could have seized all the fruits. A young girl looked up at him and said innocently, “How can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?”
Years later, Desmond Tutu, the well -known South African activist, remembered how a girl once thought about things in a simple yet deep way. He used the word “ubuntu” to describe her thinking. “Ubuntu” means “I exist because we all do.” In other words, we are who we are because of our relationships with others. For that tribe, to be human is to relate with and through others. They think that our happiness comes from the union of our joys and the meaningful impact they have on the community.
1. What gift did the anthropologist prepared? (no more than 10 words)2. How did the children reach the tree? (no more than 10 words)
3. What does the underlined word “bewildered” probably mean in Paragraph 4? (1 word)
4. What is the source of happiness for the tribe? (no more than 10 words)
5. Do you agree with the tribe’s belief about happiness? Please give your reason (s).(no more than 25words)
| A．varied | B．short | C．easy | D．crucial |
| A．recognize | B．blame | C．excuse | D．thank |
| A．On behalf of | B．In need of | C．For fear of | D．In control of |
| A．carry on | B．end up | C．put off | D．bring about |
| A．take over | B．sell out | C．look for | D．break into |
| A．to have saved | B．saving | C．to save | D．having saved |
| A．care about | B．rely on | C．search for | D．stick to |
| A．was eating | B．had eaten | C．was being eaten | D．had been eaten |
10 . You sitting in the classroom waiting for the teacher to pass out the tests, the door opened and a man walked in, but he wasn’t the regular teacher. You tried to say that you were in the wrong place, but couldn’t open the mouth. You kept trying but it was useless. Finally, you yelled, “Wait!”. Then you opened the eyes and realized it was only a crazy dream.
What happens to our minds and bodies when we’re asleep? To find out, scientists have set up “sleep laboratories.”, where scientists use machines to keep track of people’s heartbeats, watch their muscular (肌肉的) movements and their brainwaves are recorded too.
Scientists believe that people go through five stages of sleep. All five stages are repeated four to six times each night. Stage one is a very light sleep. But stage four is the deepest sleep of all. If you’re very tired, you will spend a lot of time in stage four. Then you pass into the fifth state. Your heart starts beating faster. Your eyes move back and forth very quickly under closed lids. You are dreaming.
The fifth stage is called REM sleep, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. How do scientists know all this? They work with sleep volunteers. If you were a sleep volunteer, this is what scientists would do. Every time you went into REM sleep, they would wake you up. After a few nights, you might start going into REM sleep sooner and more often than usual. The scientists would be kept very busy trying to wake you up. They might think you were trying hard to make up for the lost dream time!
What this may mean is that people need to dream just as they need to sleep. When you’ve been asleep, your mind doesn’t turn off. It keeps on thinking. And your sleeping mind turns your thoughts into a technicolor movie with sound, lights, and a huge cast. Sometimes you may dream you are being chased by something you can’t see. Sometimes you may fall without getting hurt. And in some dreams, your best friend turns into a monster, or your cat talks.
Dreams can be scary, funny, or just plain boring. But what do they mean? In ancient times, people said dreams told them about the future. Today most experts think that dreams teach people about themselves. You may not understand all your dreams, but at least you can enjoy them. In your dreams, you can discover a whole other world!
1. What is the purpose of setting up sleep laboratories?| A．To watch and take care of people while they are asleep. |
| B．To find out what happens to our minds and bodies when we are asleep. |
| C．To find out the five stages of sleep. |
| D．To find out what’s REM sleep. |
| A．the same dream may repeat all the time |
| B．people dream only when they are tired |
| C．everyone dreams at night |
| D．when you dream you are in the deepest sleep |
| A．To disrupt their sleep patterns. |
| B．To monitor the occurrence of dreaming. |
| C．To ensure they sleep well enough. |
| D．To observe their muscular movements. |
| A．Dreams can be mysterious and unpredictable. |
| B．Dream analysis has been consistent throughout history. |
| C．Experts believe dreams provide self-insight. |
| D．People enjoy dreams even if they don’t understand them. |
