1 . Small amounts of exercise could have a great effect on happiness.
According to a new review of research about good moods and physical activities, people who work out even once a week or for as little as 10 minutes a day tend to be more cheerful than those who never exercise. And any type of exercise may be helpful.
A number of past studies have noted that physically active people have much lower risks of developing depression and anxiety than people who rarely move.
Fewer past studies explored links between physical activity and upbeat emotions, especially in people who already were psychologically healthy, and those studies often looked at a single age group or type of exercise.
So for the new review, the Michigan researchers found, exercise was strongly linked to happiness. The type of exercise did not seem to matter. Some happy people walked or jogged. Others practiced yoga-style posing and stretching. And the amount of exercise needed to influence happiness was slight. In several studies, people who worked out only once or twice a week said they felt much happier than those who never exercised. In other studies, 10 minutes a day of physical activity was linked with happy moods.
But because most of the studies in this review were observational, it is not possible yet to establish whether exercise directly causes changes in happiness or if the two just happen to occur together often. In that case, exercise would not have helped to make people happy; rather, their happiness would have helped to make them exercisers
1. Who is the least happy, according to the passage?| A．People who work out once a week. |
| B．People who only run for ten minutes a day. |
| C．People who never exercise. |
| D．People who practice yoga-style posing. |
| A．The links between physical activities and happy emotion. |
| B．The relationship between exercise and depression. |
| C．Exercise can cause anxiety. |
| D．Exercise can never affect our moods. |
| A．Jogging. |
| B．Yoga. |
| C．Walking. |
| D．Any exercise. |
| A．Study whether exercise directly changes happiness. |
| B．Show the reasons for happiness. |
| C．Tell people how to exercise. |
| D．Recommend some forms of exercise. |
2 . To encourage all students to get an education, even if their parents can’t afford it, a primary school in the Indian state of Chahattisgarh is asking parents to simply plant saplings (树苗) instead of paying school fees. The parents have to take care of the sapling and plant a new one if it dies. Compared with the cost of traditional school fees, it’s a small price to pay. And it comes with the added bonus of helping improve local air quality.
The school is Shiksha Kuteer in the city of Ambikapur in the east of the country. It is reported that at least 35 students between the ages of five and six are studying there. The initiative was set up by a group of local professionals and business owners in response to India’s rapidly increasing education fees. “Shiksha Kuteer has opened in the village for students who have no money to pay fees,” local villager Sevak Das said.
The government now spends just 3.9 percent of its budget on education, which means parents are left to pay for high school fees, as well as paying for books and other school things. A national survey made last year showed that between 2011 and 2017, private expenditure (支出) increased by 175 percent to $100 per student each year. That might not sound like a lot, but for many families, particularly in poor areas, it’s not affordable, especially at the primary school level. The lack of government spending is damaging the education system, too. The 2017 Annual Status of Education report found that nearly 20 percent of Grade 2 students, aged seven to eight, didn’t recognize the numbers between one and nine.
But by offering such a way to get students into schools, Shiksha Kuteer is encouraging education in everyone. 700 saplings have been planted across the village over the last year and more and more people in other areas would like to adopt such an approach.
1. Which of the following can best describe Shiksha Kuteer’s approach?| A．No pains, no gains. |
| B．Kill two birds with one stone. |
| C．Two heads are better than one. |
| D．There are two sides to every question. |
| A．It is surrounded by trees. |
| B．It is run by the locals. |
| C．It was set up for poor children. |
| D．It aims to protect the environment. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Positive. |
| A．The affordable way to encourage education in India. |
| B．The heavy financial burden on parents in India. |
| C．The big challenges of improving India’s education system. |
| D．The effects of the Indian government spending little on education. |
3 . I was born in Detroit. My father, Robert, made his first fortune selling paint to the car industry. My mother, Hazel, was a telephone operator.
Our house in Detroit was beautiful, right off the Detroit Golf Club. We spent much of the time fishing and riding horses. It was one of the few times in my life that I had my father’s undivided attention.
When I was 7, my parents decided to move to Los Angeles. But my parents didn’t move out to L. A. immediately. Instead, they remained in Detroit for a year. I was sent on ahead, probably so my parents could enjoy their social life without disruption. My father put me on a train in Detroit, tipped a porter to keep an eye on me and when I arrived I was taken to the Hollywood Military Academy, where I had been registered.
My father had been so successful that he was able to retire. I admired his success, but he was strict and didn’t hesitate to punish or hit me for the slightest offence. I came to hate him, and I became rebellious(叛逆的). The four boarding schools I attended were like an extended Hollywood family. Many stars sent their kids there so they could work on movies without distraction. I became connected to the film industry through my friendships. I already was determined to become an actor. My father hoped I’d join his company, but I wanted nothing to do with it or him. Instead, I decided to try my luck in the picture business.
In 1950, when I was 20, I had a screen test. When the head of the studio, Darryl Zanuck, saw the test, he signed me. The day I found out, I felt absolutely great. Suddenly I was recognized. Through the years, my father voiced doubt about whether I’d make it. My mother’s support was our secret and canceled out his discouragement. At the end of his life in 1964, my father finally told me, “Nice job” about my film work. That’s the praise I got.
1. What does the underlined word “disruption” mean in the third paragraph?| A．Interruption. | B．Destruction. |
| C．Separation. | D．Consideration. |
| A．She openly encouraged his career choice. |
| B．She had no involvement in the author’s film work. |
| C．She convinced the father to be more supportive of the author. |
| D．She secretly supported him despite the father’s discouragement. |
| A．Distant but respectful. | B．Close but insecure. |
| C．Trusting and encouraging. | D．Supportive and caring. |
| A．A Life-changing Screen Test Success |
| B．The Experience of Growing Up in Detroit |
| C．A Father’s Approval: Struggles and Recognition |
| D．The Influence of Boarding Schools on My Career |
4 . Shortly before he turned 60, Mark Fuhrmann realized what he wanted. He, now, at 65, has just returned from a second voyage. His 6,835 mile-round trip from Nova Scotia took in the great lakes of the US, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.
Fuhrmann started these journeys “to kickstart retirement” from the maritime PR business he ran in Oslo for the past 30 years. Before he set off, in June last year, he swapped (交换) his house for a flat, and greatly reduced his possessions. “It was good to get rid of all of those things and say: ‘This isn’t a phase; this is a new season,’” he says.
Amazingly, he didn’t plan his trip, beyond committing to fundraise for Medecins Sans Frontières. “I thought: ‘I’ll try to do 40km each day.’ But I never knew where I was going to lay down my head.”
The challenges were psychological, physical, and sometimes life-threatening. In Florida, he was chased by an alligator (短吻鳄), but narrowly escaped from it. In the Boston area, he saw “a black fin moving towards me like a snake”. He lay his oar (划桨) across his lap and waited. “If a great white shark can swim leisurely, that’s exactly what it did. It just passed me,” he says. Ten minutes later, Fuhrmann pulled his kayak (小艇) into a cove, where he ran into a man who invited him into his home for coffee and apple pie. His whole trip was filled with these switchbacks and moments of connection with strangers, which Fuhrmann experienced as “a call to authenticity”.
What does he mean? “Nature is born within us. If you avoid that, you avoid experiencing something that is vital to who you are as a person. I want real things — life isn’t about having more. I think we need to accept where we are at this stage of life, at 60 or 65.”
“I look at retirement as a season,” he says. He started his latest voyage because “I wanted to have a better understanding of who I was. I wanted to have time for my thoughts to wander, to restart, to discover the value and power within myself.”
1. Why did Fuhrmann get rid of most of his possessions?| A．To make donations to charity. | B．To start a new life in retirement. |
| C．To make up for his business loss. | D．To collect money for the journey. |
| A．Blessings. | B．Ambitions. | C．Defeats. | D．Challenges. |
| A．The meaning of life is achieving more. |
| B．Old people should take things as they are. |
| C．It is good to have nature-based experience. |
| D．It is advisable for aging people to play safe. |
| A．To reflect on his past. | B．To discover his true self. |
| C．To relax his mind and body. | D．To be free from the noisy world. |
5 . How to Celebrate Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and friends, and being thankful for the people and things in their life.
Invite family and friends a month ahead of time. Make a list of family and friends that you would like to celebrate Thanksgiving with. Let them know that you will be celebrating Thanksgiving and that you would like them to come. Letting them know ahead of time will allow them to make plans if they need to travel.
Choose a potluck (自带餐) for the Thanksgiving meal. A potluck meal will make it easier for you to cook. If you choose this type of meal, ask your guests what they would like to bring. Make a list of the dishes they will be bringing.
Make a shopping list. Make a list of all the things you will need to prepare the meal. Buy dry ingredient (食材) one or two weeks ahead.
| A．Buy the turkey two or three weeks ahead. |
| B．Then the host provides the rest of the food. |
| C．You know that some people may refuse you. |
| D．Buy fresh ingredients five to seven days in advance. |
| E．It is celebrated by having a big meal with a turkey. |
| F．If you don’t feel like making a turkey, order pizza or takeout. |
| G．Make other dishes to help you feel the Thanksgiving spirit. |
6 . I have been a professional skateboarder for 24 years. For much of that time, the activity that paid my rent and gave me my greatest joy was marked with many labels, most of which were ugly.
When I was about 17, three years after I turned pro-skater, my high school “careers” teacher scolded me and told me that I would never make it in the workplace if I didn’t follow directions clearly. He said I’d never make a living as a skateboarder, so it seemed to him that my future was bleak.
Even during those dark years, I never stopped progressing as a skater. There have been many times when I’ve been frustrated because I can’t join in some formal training. I’ve come to realize that the only way to master something is to keep it -- despite the bloody knees, twisted ankles, or mocking crowds.
So here I am, 38 years old, a husband and father of three, with a lengthy list of responsibilities and obligations. And although I have many job titles -- CEO, Executive Producer, Senior Consultant, Foundation Chairman, Bad Actor -- the one I am most proud of is “Professional Skateboarder”. My youngest son’s pre-school class was recently asked what their dads do for work. My son said, “I’ve never seen my dad do work.”
It’s true. Skateboarding doesn’t seem like real work, but I’m proud of what I do. My parents never once questioned the practicality behind my passion. I hope to pass on the same lesson to my children someday. So, find the thing you love. My 13-year-old son is really gifted skater, but there’s a lot of pressure on him. He used to skate for recognition, but now he brushes all that stuff aside. He just skates for fun and that’s good enough for me.
1. What does the underlined word “bleak” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Uncertain. | B．Special. | C．Glorious. | D．Impressive. |
| A．Keeping to his promise. | B．Adapting to school life. |
| C．Moving to better places. | D．Sticking to his own choice. |
| A．To show his son’s cleverness |
| B．To suggest his son’s dislike of his work. |
| C．To stress the features of his job in his son’s eyes. |
| D．To indicate his son’s care for his work and life. |
| A．Neglect what others think. | B．Do the things you love. |
| C．Set a good example for parents. | D．Be what your parents want you to be. |
1. If you happen to be the 200th customer to buy Cholesterol blockTM, what will you do?
| A．Be able to buy it at a low price. |
| B．Be the luckiest one online. |
| C．Try it free of charge. |
| D．Change your diet. |
| A．They are diseases. |
| B．They are side effects. |
| C．They are medicines. |
| D．They are cholesterol. |
| A．In a travel guide book. |
| B．On a university bulletin board (布告牌). |
| C．In a health magazine. |
| D．In a doctor’s prescription. |
8 . A cast net is a kind of fishing net (渔网) that is designed to be thrown out into the water and then pulled back with fish.
A basic cast net is a big circle of netting with weighty edges (边缘). As a general rule, a cast net is designed to be thrown by hand, but it’s also possible to use a net thrower, especially for big nets.
Cast nets are designed for use in water which isn’t deep and is free of objects such as plants and rocks. To use a cast net, the fisherman throws the lightweight net out onto the water, where it spreads out.
Nowadays, people can use more advanced tools to catch fish.
| A．Learning to properly use cast nets can take time. |
| B．Before fishing, one must buy some advanced tools. |
| C．But some of them still enjoy using a traditional cast net. |
| D．People have been using cast nets for thousands of years. |
| E．That’s because these nets can be hard to control by hand. |
| F．The fish are kept in a certain water area to avoid running away. |
| G．Then it begins to fall very rapidly thanks to the weighty edges. |
9 . A book club can be a good way to develop new friendships and an appreciation (欣赏) of reading. Or it can be a big failure.
Choose the right types of members.
A book club isn’t necessarily something you want to do with all of your good friends, but it can be an excellent way to hear opinions from different types of people.
Most book clubs meet once a month, but there’s no rule that says you have to. Some clubs meet every two or even three months, because the members are so busy. In the beginning, choose a day that works well for most members. Of course you can change it as needed. But consistency (连惯性) is really the most important thing.
Have a facilitator (协调者).
Discussion groups that are facilitated tend to have higher levels of happiness because they stay on topic better. Either hire a professional facilitator or have someone within the group responsible for keeping things running well.
Keep the discussion lively.
The facilitator should always be armed with a list of questions worth discussing, although they’re not always necessary. Be prepared, but be flexible(灵活的).
| A．Set up proper meeting times. |
| B．Decide how to pick out a book. |
| C．Remind the members to read carefully. |
| D．Life experience can influence people’s thoughts on literature. |
| E．If things are going off topic, be ready to move those into discussion. |
| F．The direction it takes really depends on how it’s planned and managed. |
| G．It can be the same person always, or you can take turns doing the job at each meeting. |
10 . Bottle gardens are loved by many people. What’s a bottle garden? A bottle garden is exactly what it sounds like: a tiny garden planted in an object like a bottle._
By following some tips, you’ll have your bottle garden planted and thriving (茁壮成长) in no time. The first step in creating a bottle garden is selecting (挑选) the bottle. Clear bottles can allow the most sunlight to enter.
Then you should keep in mind that bottles with openings big enough to fit your hand through can make planting easier.
When the bottle is ready, put inside some rich soil and plants suitable for a bottle garden. Once you grow the plants in the way you like, remember to place your bottle in a bright space which won’t have direct sunlight. East-facing windows often work well for this purpose.
| A．How do the bottle gardens work? |
| B．Such gardens don’t have a very long history. |
| C．They make thoughtful and eco-friendly gifts. |
| D．Why would anyone want to grow a garden in a bottle? |
| E．If you choose a colored bottle, select plants that prefer low levels of light. |
| F．If not, you’ll have to use tools to work the soil and plants inside the bottle. |
| G．You can also use a grow light if your home doesn’t have any suitable windows. |
