1 . About 50 years ago, the famous British band The Beatles sang that “money can’t buy me love”. Today, British economists are saying that it perhaps can’t buy you happiness cither. This is showed by the Happy Planet Index (HPI 快乐指数) published recently by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) in London.
The index is about how well countries are using their resources. It shows how well they provide people with better health and longer and happier lives, and at what cost to their environment.
It would seem to be common sense that people in richer countries live happier lives, while those in developing countries are having a harder time. But the results are surprising, even shocking. The numbers show that some of the so-called developed countries are performing very badly. The United States, for example, ranks number 150th. On the other hand, some little-known developing countries are doing a much better job. A tiny island in the Pacific, Vanuatu, comes in first. There are 178 countries and areas in the index. China ranks number 31.
Countries are graded on the basis of information supplied in response to the following questions. How do people feel about their lives? How long does an average person live? How greatly does a country need to use its natural resources to maintain its living standards? This is what the index calls the “ecological footprint”.
The NEF found that the people of island nations enjoy the highest HPI rankings. Their populations live happier and longer lives, and use fewer resources.
The results also seem to show that it is possible to live longer, happier lives with a much smaller environment impact. The index points out that people in the US and Germany enjoy similar lives.
“However, Germany’s ecological footprint is only about half that of the US. This means that Germany is around twice as efficient as the US at producing happy lives,” says Nic Marks, head of NEF’s Center for well-being.
So the Happy Planet Index (HPI) tells us a brand-new concept of understanding “being happy”. HPI figures out different countries or individuals’ HPI through their “Ecological Footprint” and “Life Satisfaction Level” or “Life Expectancy”. Clearly, people’s HPI is related to their consumption of the resources on the earth.
You can find out your own HPI by visiting http: //www, happyplanetindex.org.
1. The passage is mainly about __________.| A．in which country people feel the happiest |
| B．why money can’t buy you happiness |
| C．what index can influence people’s happiness |
| D．what Happy Planet Index is |
| A．the richness of natural resources |
| B．the efficiency of energy consumption |
| C．the development of economy |
| D．the life expectancy of the people |
| A．The happiest countries listed in the index are quite different from those expected. |
| B．Developing countries are having & hard time reaching the top of the index. |
| C．Countries that have high HPI rankings have a greater impact on the environment. |
| D．The less happy countries depend on the developed countries’ resources. |
| A．some developed countries are performing badly ecologically |
| B．it is possible to live a happy life with fewer resources |
| C．not all the people in developed countries enjoy happy lives |
| D．history and culture play an important role in people’s lives |
Act of Memory
I was a young girl of eleven then, living in Brooklyn. My father had died unexpectedly that summer. Times was suddenly very hard for my mother, my brother, and me.
Papa had always made a big deal out of Christmas. Every Christmas, when we were about to decorate the tree, he would make a little ceremony out of taking a special little Kewpie-doll out of its box, holding it up in front of me, saying, “Maria, this doll is as old as you are.” Then he would hang it on the Christmas tree. Papa bought that little doll when I was born, and it had become a small tradition. But this Christmas we were to have no tree. My mother was a practical woman, saying it was a luxury. I thought, with quiet but strong bitterness and anger, that it had never meant as much to her as it had to Papa anyway.
We had been to church that evening and were walking back home in silence. All I could see were the tree-lit windows we passed. Their cheerful glow made my bitterness even more intense because I pictured happy families in those houses, sharing laughter, exchanging presents, talking, joking. I knew while arriving home, we would be greeted by darkened windows and endless emptiness.
As we passed my friend’s house, I asked my mother to please let me drop in for a while. She nodded. I waited until my mother and brother disappeared around the corner. Then I turned and headed for my friend’s house. Suddenly, a pile of abandoned Christmas trees from the store next to her house came into my sight. Surprised and excited, I dashed to the trees, picked out the best one and began half-dragging my treasure home. It seemed as if Papa was mixed up in this somehow. It seemed as if he was in the stars above me, in every lighted-house, in the very tree I was carrying.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When I got home, I rang the doorbell and couldn’t wait to show them the tree.
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Before going to bed, I slipped to see my tree one last time but saw my mother standing in front of it.
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3 . Being a young adult has got to be one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. You’re at a stage when you don’t feel like a child anymore and you aren’t ready to take up all the responsibilities that adulthood brings with it either.
Need to express
At this stage, there is a need for expression of thoughts and feelings. But they don’t understand that this need to express themselves can’t be used in whichever way they want, but has to be used with caution.
Need to be an independent adult
Need for acceptance
In addition, being part of a group and developing healthy relationships and getting acceptance from them are of prime importance to young adults.
Need to succeed
There is an innate need to stand on their own feet.
These are some of young adults’ emotional problems. If you’ve been faced with them, seek help and treat them.
| A．This is where the problems of discipline arise. |
| B．Therefore, don’t ignore these emotional needs. |
| C．And they want to prove themselves to the world. |
| D．But there are also misunderstandings and conflicts in a group. |
| E．So there will be varied emotional issues that can trouble a young adult. |
| F．They therefore find it difficult to deal with the pressures of mincing their words (婉转地说). |
| G．Now that you know what some problems of young adults can be, it’ll help you be prepared. |
4 . The popularity of Facebook has caused a shift in how people realize themselves: the “like” button has become nothing more than a self-esteem (自尊) booster.
Do you socialize with negative people?
There are a lot of people who aren’t aware they have a negative voice in their head.
Celebrating your successes is another good way. We’re often so busy in life that we seldom take the time to stop and really reflect on what we’ve achieved. Take the time once a day to ask yourself what you’re proud of having achieved that day.
| A．Learn to love yourself. |
| B．Catch your negative self-talk. |
| C．Appreciate how far you’ve come. |
| D．If so, consider finding new friends. |
| E．When self-esteem is high, we lose our fear of envy. |
| F．Of course not, few people like socializing with negative people. |
| G．But what’s important is to develop high self-esteem from inner. |
5 . It’s nice to feel like a hero or to be the centre of attention every once in a while. Walking barefoot down the worm road, cheered on by the villagers of Bradstone, one would have thought that I should feel full of pride and joy. Those feelings might have been nice, except for this one tiny fact: I had no idea where I was heading, even when I heard my name being shouted out upon entering the village.
Earlier, after painfully recovering consciousness beside the road, the only important things I could remember were my name, Jonathan Grey, and a horribly uncomfortable feeling that I had forgotten something which could result in life or death. So I had followed the road. Shortly I noticed that I had somehow also lost track of my shoes.
I had ended up in Bradstone. Many villagers hurried over and screamed my name. One older woman particularly threw her arms around my waist. “ You made it! I knew you were special,” she cried, “My baby is finally home! ” At a loss for words, with no idea what to do, the best I could offer the crying woman was to put my arms around her, too. When she settled down, she pulled back to look at me properly. “How are you? Really? Oh, you will have to report to Mr. Fredrick first… ”
I was not sure how to answer the woman’s — my mother’s? — questions, so I decided to be honest. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who Mr. Freddrick is, or what I must report to him. ”
My mother took a deep breath, then took my hand to lead me into the house. “ Your father will be home soon, so get settled in. I’ll be outside if you need me. ” Taking one last look around, my mother let out a sigh. For the time being, home this would have to be. Breathing deeply, I gathered my courage and mentally prepared myself for what was now my new life.
1. What can we know about Jonathan?| A．He enjoyed the welcome he received. | B．The villagers were very sorry for him. |
| C．He had never been the centre of attention. | D．The villagers knew who he was. |
| A．He felt relieved. | B．He was in pain. |
| C．He forgot his name. | D．He regained his memories. |
| A．He would not let her go. | B．He recognized his mother. |
| C．He didn’t know how to reply. | D．He was glad to have found her. |
| A．He tried to make his mother pleased. |
| B．He was worried about meeting his father. |
| C．He was uncertain if he had the courage for a new life. |
| D．He decided to temporarily accept the present situation. |
6 . My father passed away on March 21, 2010 in Calgary after a brief journey with cancer. I loved my father so much, and we were very
One day
The
It rested on a rock while I
The next day I walked on the path again
I feel it might have been a(n)
| A．friendly | B．honest | C．grateful | D．close |
| A．avoided | B．left | C．removed | D．treated |
| A．when | B．because | C．though | D．until |
| A．tired | B．embarrassed | C．sad | D．peaceful |
| A．lay down | B．looked up | C．reached out | D．gave in |
| A．stayed | B．dropped | C．performed | D．rested |
| A．around | B．in | C．out | D．down |
| A．computer | B．instrument | C．flower | D．pillow |
| A．other | B．next | C．last | D．first |
| A．searching | B．following | C．catching | D．missing |
| A．mind | B．mouth | C．opinion | D．eye |
| A．even | B．hardly | C．still | D．nearly |
| A．happened | B．appeared | C．existed | D．survived |
| A．attended | B．touched | C．comforted | D．watched |
| A．path | B．river | C．hill | D．tree |
| A．support | B．change | C．believe | D．appreciate |
| A．pretending | B．hoping | C．promising | D．offering |
| A．Thus | B．Therefore | C．Besides | D．However |
| A．sign | B．mark | C．item | D．tip |
| A．successes | B．accidents | C．experiences | D．journeys |
7 . The scars that Pat Rribble carried through life were formed nearly 50 years ago, inflicted (欺负) by fellow students in Woodland, who
Pat never
In 2021, when Carey Jim, Pat's classmate, learned Pat
The recovery of the
| A．amused | B．targeted | C．inspired | D．criticised |
| A．resisted | B．regretted | C．married | D．appeared |
| A．career | B．family | C．friend | D．complaint |
| A．tough | B．cool | C．optimistic | D．confident |
| A．hug | B．avoid | C．greet | D．follow |
| A．selfish | B．mature | C．brave | D．gentle |
| A．cover | B．ignore | C．express | D．change |
| A．fight | B．help | C．hurt | D．protect |
| A．promised | B．expected | C．decided | D．refused |
| A．after | B．because | C．though | D．even if |
| A．felt great | B．became annoyed | C．fell silent | D．looked disappointed |
| A．address | B．house | C．photo | D．number |
| A．unimportant | B．unbelievable | C．unforgettable | D．unpleasant |
| A．punishment | B．explanation | C．kindness | D．questions |
| A．teachers | B．families | C．classmates | D．colleagues |
| A．plan | B．promise | C．require | D．comment |
| A．kept | B．discussed | C．remembered | D．promoted |
| A．loss | B．weakness | C．illness | D．wounds |
| A．past | B．future | C．situation | D．truth |
| A．tears | B．joy | C．pain | D．anger |
My three-year-old son, Charles, has loved watching trucks, cars and all types of vehicles (交通工具) since he could sit up and look around. Charles was a fan of fire trucks, ambulances, garbage (垃圾) trucks and other vehicles which have wheels.
Because of his deep love for anything with wheels, I always made it a point to take him outside to watch garbage trucks drive up and down. Charles loved watching the workers and would get so excited when the drivers beeped the horns (鸣喇叭) at him as they went by. Charles would wave and shyly say, “Thank you.”
There was a particular waste management employee who was extra friendly. Charles was attracted by him, and after we knew his name — Lonnie, Charles talked about him throughout the day. One day, Lonnie rode by and said, “Charles, I promise when this pandemic (流行病) is over, I’m going to let you ride in my truck.” However, we were going to move out of the state about a week later. I had to tell Lonnie the truth.
The next week, we waited for the garbage truck. Finally, late in the afternoon, I heard the loud noise of the truck. I raced to the door, carrying Charles. We did not want to miss seeing Lonnie on our last week in Birmingham. Lonnie stopped the truck and got out. He told me he had some things for Charles — a hat, a yellow safety vest, two toy garbage cans, coloring books and so on. Charles was absolutely excited, especially by the garbage cans, and I was so touched. The next day, Charles and I were playing in the front yard when a man approached me. He said, “I’m Lonnie’s manager, and he has something special planned for Charles. Are you going to be here around 11 am?” I said, “Of course we will.”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
At noon, something surprising happened.
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Even though we moved out of the state, Charles still misses Lonnie.
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1. 春天对你的影响；
2. 你对春天的感悟。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 题目已为你写好。
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1. 历史人物的名字及其贡献；
2. 该人物对你的影响和启发；
3. 你对他（她）表达感谢。
注意：词数80词左右。
Dear ________,
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Thank you again, and best regards!
Yours,
Li Hua
