1 . Seeing happiness differently

Since its official beginning in 2013, the International Day of Happiness has been observed for 11 years. It falls on March 20 every year.     1    But what exactly is happiness, and how can one achieve it?

Experts in various fields hold different views on what happiness means and the factors that influence it.

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a researcher in the field of positive psychology.     2    According to her, happiness can be described as “the experience of joy, content (满足) or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful and worthwhile.”

People’s levels of subjective happiness are influenced by both internal factors, such as personality and outlook, and external factors, such as the environment in which they live, according to the author of the book Culture and Psychology.     3    These include their natural personality traits (特性), the quality of their relationships with others, the society they are a part of, and their ability to meet their basic needs.

More than that, experts in medical fields found that genes might influence happiness. In an article published in Iran J Public Health, three researchers show how twin studies have suggested that genetic factors count for35~50 percent of happiness. The study also mentioned two genes that may have an effect on happiness, which may help clarify the genetic base of happiness in the future.

From the aspect of economics, Tejvan Pettinger, an independent economics researcher, said that the factors affecting happiness can include income, quality of work, quality of consumption, leisure, the welfare of family members and the environment.     4    He believes that at low levels of income, increasing income is generally considered to increase happiness as it allows a person to buy essential goods and services such as food, shelter, health care and education. However, after certain income levels, rising income contributes little to overall happiness.

    5    So people define it differently and pursue it in a variety of ways. It’s a life lesson worth our whole lifetime to explore.

A．This special day serves to remind people of the significance of happiness.

B．She provides a clear description of happiness.

C．Among them, income is a crucial factor.

D．Several important factors contribute to a person’s happiness.

E．What is their main source of income?

F．Career success may not be a guarantee of happiness.

G．The truth is that happiness itself is different for everyone.

2 . Two Canadian teenagers, William and Henry, have been taking on a series of remarkable challenges. Their most recent action _______ following the shores of the Lake Ontario for 73 kilometers. They walked from Toronto to Hamilton, Canada, in about 18 hours.

“We like to challenge ourselves physically and _______. We like to _______ challenges like these. And we feel as though going on a long walk is kind of just the purest form of challenge that you can have.” Henry told CBC news.

With very little _______, the two 16-year-olds began their journey at 5 am, starting in darkness and finishing before midnight. They took several breaks, stopping at benches with _______ views along the way, which appealed to them so much.

During their walk, one of the interesting _______ they encountered was an abandoned cargo ship(货船).“You’d be _______ by the amount of things that you don’t see when you are driving and that you will see when you’re taking your time walking,” said Henry.

_______, the journey was not only a physical _______ but also a significant mental challenge. There were moments of ________ for the pair, requiring them to ________ each other along the way.

Around 70 km into the walk, they ________ a person on a bridge who appeared to be experiencing a mental health ________. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me and Henry. But we tried to ________ him to get out of it and ended up calling the police, and the situation was ________and everyone was all right,” William told CBC News. The walk is now over but William and Henry are not ready to stop challenging themselves. They set about planning a two-day 100 km walk in the near future.

1.

A．imagined

B．involved

C．permitted

D．missed

2.

A．hurriedly

B．occasionally

C．seriously

D．mentally

3.

A．evaluate

B．describe

C．overcome

D．avoid

4.

A．strength

B．preparation

C．humour

D．independence

5.

A．ordinary

B．horrible

C．fantastic

D．concrete

6.

A．sights

B．matches

C．platforms

D．notices

7.

A．amazed

B．embarrassed

C．confused

D．terrified

8.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Moreover

D．Therefore

9.

A．contact

B．change

C．appearance

D．trial

10.

A．pride

B．victory

C．amusement

D．loneliness

11.

A．blame

B．warn

C．support

D．respect

12.

A．came across

B．turned down

C．called on

D．took over

13.

A．crisis

B．facility

C．degree

D．examination

14.

A．allow

B．forbid

C．order

D．convince

15.

A．exposed

B．eased

C．predicted

D．proved

3 . We put limitations on ourselves when the fear of failure grows stronger than our will to succeed. That’s why we all need a push to help us reach further than we ever thought possible.

That is the purpose of NubAbility Athletics Foundation, a nonprofit organization aimed to get “limb (肢体) different” youth — kids who are amputees (被截肢者) — “out of the stands, off the bench, and into mainstream sports.” The organization holds camps around the country, pairing kids and coaches with similar limb differences to help them reach their full physical potential.

Tim, who was born without arms, certainly didn’t believe he could pull off a 20-inch box jump before he joined. This month, the 14-year-old participated in the weight-lifting and training program at a camp and achieved something amazing.

In a video on the Internet, we see Tim’s coach teaching him to jump onto a box. With no arm strength, it seems like a tough task. While Tim pushes through his self-doubt and jumps, he still holds back on his first two tries and doesn’t stick the landing.

Then, the coach pats her hands onto the box, yelling, “All the people who told you you can’t — right here, jump on them. Now!” This time, Tim puts all his energy into the jump. Still, it isn’t enough to make it all the way onto the box. Understandably, Tim grows frustrated and turns away as if to give up. But he’s not done yet. Tim turns back to the box with a look of pure determination, bends his knees… and launches himself onto the box!

As his coaches cheer him on, the victorious teen jumps down and straights into his motivator’s arms, overwhelmed with emotion at what he just achieved. That day, Tim learned he is capable of so much more than he knew.

Tim is living proof that we can all achieve greatness, no matter our limitations. All we have to do is keep trying. Never give up, and never let the word “can’t” hold you back!

1. What is the mission of NubAbility Athletics Foundation?

A．To pick out excellent young sportsmen.

B．To develop the full potential of the disabled.

C．To hold camps for the amputees in the world.

D．To encourage teenage amputees to get involved in sports.

2. What might Tim initially look like in the video?

A．He lacked confidence.	B．He was full of energy.
C．He was very excited.	D．He was shy and ashamed.

3. Which word can best describe the coach’s words?

A．Scary.

B．Funny.

C．Encouraging.

D．Threatening.

4. What message can we get from Tim’s success?

A．Life has no limitations.	B．It is never too late to learn.
C．A good beginning is half done.	D．It is no use crying over spilled milk.

4 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Bill is a retired oil field engineer. His hands are thick, and his fingers branch out in all directions. He moved back to America late in his career. His wife died of a serious disease so he had to raise his three daughters on his own. In my parents’ eyes, Bill is hardworking and helpful.

Every day, when I pass by his yard to go to school in the morning, I often see him standing in his front door, smiling at me. But in my heart, Bill is the last person I am willing to talk with in the world. When I was 7 years old, I picked fruits in his garden without his permission. He scolded (责骂) me severely and let me apologize to him in front of my parents. I hated him and swore (发誓) not to talk with him any more. What’s more, there is a scar (伤疤) on his face, which makes me more afraid to get close to him.

Recently, Bill, in his seventies, invited my friends in our neighborhood to his house to spend weekends. Of course, Bill also invited me several times but I turned him down.

My friends told me that they were surprised to find Bill was also experienced in playing basketball, and they invited Bill to teach them to play basketball on weekends. Besides, Bill often offered them sodas. It’s rare to see a bond that bridges generations. But I didn’t care all of these any longer.

One week ago, my friends came to my home and expected me to join their basketball team to have a match with the team from another neighborhood. I like playing basketball and I am good at it so I agreed immediately. But when I was told Bill would give us guidance and it was he that let my friends invite me to join the team, I hesitated. Eventually, I was persuaded to have a try.

The match started. Because I wanted to prove myself, I tried my best to shoot every time I caught the ball. I didn’t pass the ball to my teammates. Ten minutes passed and our team didn’t win one point.

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。

I felt at a loss when Bill called time out.

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When each player in our team was celebrating our winning the game, I came up to Bill.

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5 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Falling ill can be a valuable teaching tool for doctors and it can have an influence on how they look after patients.

Occasionally, doctors become patients, too. While as a doctor I wouldn’t wish ill health on anyone, it can be an inspiring lesson for medical professionals to suddenly be on the other side.

This happened to me a few months ago when I had a stomachache, which had decided to make its unwelcome presence just as I was going out for dinner with a friend.

The pain came from absolutely nowhere but within minutes I was unable to stand or walk. I had no doubt that fellow sufferers would sympathise. I was quite astonished by how painful it was.

Of course, being a doctor, I initially refused to believe that anything was wrong.

I was checked by my coworkers I was worked with. They only said that it was nothing serious. This reminded me of the time when I made conclusions without examining the patients carefully. How I wish I could have been more considerate to my patients.

I wasn’t going to be defeated by the stomachache, so instead I chose to writhe (扭动) around screaming for several hours until I had to admit that probably this was something more serious than a stomachache. Even doctors can underestimate the mental burden that pain brings for patients.

For the stomachache, I stayed in hospital for several days. Later, it turned out to be a kidney stone, which had to be taken out. Given the pain, I had assumed the stone was actually a small one. I was therefore fairly discouraged when it finally came out and it looked much smaller. How could something so small be so painful?

During my time in hospital, various doctors came to speak to me. They were all very nice and polite but one stuck out in my mind. Whenever he came to my bed to speak to me, he knelt down so he was at my eye level. He was actually the most senior of them all.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

However, something about his manner and speech tone was incredibly calming. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Getting down on a patient’s level is a simple adjustment doctors can make to their care.

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6 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.

I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.

Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.

I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.

The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.

Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.

1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Fear.

C．Expect.

D．Avoid.

2. Why does the author think some callers treat her badly?

A．They get angry too easily.	B．They blame her for their debts.
C．They do not see her as a real person.	D．They accuse her of taking their money.

3. Why does the author think she is good at her job?

A．She can offer callers best advice.	B．She is always respected by callers.
C．She can put herself in others’ shoes.	D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this text?

A．To call for understanding of her job.	B．To explain why she is good at her job.
C．To introduce what she is responsible for.	D．To complain about her being treated badly.

7 . So, I did it. I moved back home, despite all the disapproval. I left my good job, my relationship, and the endless opportunities.

Some people questioned me, “Why did you move back?” It was hard at first to admit that I liked being home, and that, actually, I didn’t prefer New York City (as so many people do). But after time, it became easier and less of an issue. And when they asked me why I moved back home, I confidently said, “Because I wanted to.” Many people welcomed me back into the community.

The first few months home were the most relaxing of my life. Every day I wake up to birds chirping, and sunlight coming in from the window-no traffic sounds or people screaming on the streets. It sounds like a Disney movie, but it’s so true! There is something about the air here-it’s clean. It smells good. I can also see the Grand Mesa (the largest flat-top mountain in the world) from my bedroom window. My work commute (通勤) is a four-minute car ride. And on summer nights, my favorite thing to do is watch the sunset from my porch because it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

I’ve been home for almost three years now, much to the surprise of my friends and family. Some friends even made bets on how long “this” would last. So far, I’m winning. But since I’ve been home my life has flourished. I realized that home, for me, is a place that inspires me. Because before, in the city, I felt like I had to compete with everyone to get ahead. Many times, forgetting what I was “fighting” for, I was clouded in competition and not passion. I lost touch with the other parts of myself, never quite realizing that the quiet country life provided that to me.

By coming home, I found myself again, the true me. I didn’t expect a city to give me opportunities because I could make my own.

1. Why does the author mention “a Disney movie” in Paragraph 3?

A．To introduce a new topic.	B．To provide more details.
C．To give a vivid description.	D．To support an argument.

2. How did the author win the bets with her friends?

A．By staying home longer than expected.	B．By getting used to country life quickly.
C．By wining competitions at workplace.	D．By leading a better life than in the city.

3. What is it that the author dislikes about city life?

A．Bad work relations.	B．Few job opportunities.
C．Longer work commute.	D．Too much competition.

4. What does the author refer to with the word “that” in Paragraph 4?

A．The goal she was fighting for.	B．Living to be her true self.
C．The chance of getting ahead of others.	D．A more comfortable life.

8 . Once there were three travelers checking in a hotel. When they went out in the morning, one traveler brought an umbrella and another one took a crutch (拐杖) _________ the third one left with _________ whatsoever.

When they were back in the evening, the man who brought an umbrella got his clothes _________ in rain; the one taking a crutch fell, all covered with mud; but the man empty-handed kept his clothes dry, _________ any mud on it. The former two guys felt it was _________, so they asked the third man why.

The third guy didn’t reply, but _________ asked the man with an umbrella, “Then why were you caught in the rain _________ without falling?”

“When it was raining, I felt so _________ for my prediction that I opened the umbrella and walked in the rain _________. I didn’t think I would be caught in the rain, but __________ my clothes got so showered. Going to the places which were too muddy to cross, __________ that I didn’t have a crutch for fear of falling, I walked very carefully. It __________ that I walked all the way back __________ and sound. ”

After hearing __________ the first man said, the third man then asked the man with a crutch why he became muddied all over himself instead of getting showered.

He answered like this, “When it was raining, I had no umbrella, so I __________ chose those places I could __________ from the rain to walk through. In the muddy places, I went on with my crutch, but I hadn’t thought I fell. ”

The empty-handed traveler __________, “When it was raining, I chose the places protecting myself from the rain and in the muddy places I kept particularly __________, so I was neither drenched nor fell. ”

The advantages are __________. Only if we create advantages by virtue of the objective environment can we __________ a success.

1.

A．When

B．As

C．While

D．Since

2.

A．anything

B．nothing

C．something

D．everything

3.

A．wet

B．muddied

C．dry

D．tidy

4.

A．despite

B．beyond

C．without

D．with

5.

A．common

B．strange

C．strict

D．ordinary

6.

A．besides

B．otherwise

C．therefore

D．instead

7.

A．but

B．and

C．or

D．thus

8.

A．pity

B．glad

C．anxious

D．upset

9.

A．sensitively

B．curiously

C．constantly

D．bravely

10.

A．unlikely

B．unexpectedly

C．unacceptably

D．universally

11.

A．considered

B．to consider

C．considering

D．to have considered

12.

A．turned out

B．brought out

C．carried out

D．picked out

13.

A．safe

B．dirty

C．hurried

D．worried

14.

A．what

B．which

C．how

D．why

15.

A．already

B．yet

C．still

D．just

16.

A．prevent

B．protect

C．shelter

D．escape

17.

A．confused

B．regretted

C．depressed

D．laughed

18.

A．pessimistic

B．serious

C．casual

D．cautious

19.

A．absolute

B．relative

C．obvious

D．exact

20.

A．do

B．make

C．take

D．change

9 . “Software developer at Unidays, international speaker and enthusiastic learner” is how Jess White describes herself on her blog. But it is not a path she’d originally planned to follow. After completing her psychology degree. White took a Master’s in neuro-science (神经科学), fully expecting an academic career. But after her interest was raised by the part of the course that involved coding (编码), she decided to take a Master’s course in computer science. She graduated with flying color.

Now 27, White hasn’t looked back. She joined Oakbrook Finance in Nottingham as a software developer, and stayed for two years, rounding off her time there by winning Rising Star of the Year at the 2018 Women in IT awards. At Unidays, a business offering discounts to students, she works as a back end developer in the maintenance team, “working on the systems and making them better”. It’s a job she loves. “It’s a challenge every day and you never get bored. There is always something to learn.” she says.

White believes that some graduates are put off technology careers because they don’t realize the range of jobs available, “A lot of people think tech is programing. But there’s also design product management—and everything in life is to do with tech these days. Whether it’s buying something with your cards or posting something on social media, you can’t really avoid it.”

A common misunderstanding, she says, is that IT is all about maths. “I’m terrible at maths and it scared the living daylights out of me when I started this because I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it,”   In practice, it hasn’t been a problem, and she has found that there are a lot of creative elements in programing. Her psychology background has proved to be a bonus, enabling her to bring a different perspective to her work, particularly when she has to cooperate with user experience designers.

As for the future, White wants to learn as much as she can and become very strong in the area.

1. How many subjects has White learned?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph three?

A．Nothing is impossible because of technology.

B．More graduates are being attracted by technology.

C．Technology contributes to the development of economy.

D．We can’t live a life free from technology nowadaya.

3. What does the underlined word “bonus” in the fourth paragraph mean?

A．Extra benefit.	B．Strong influence.
C．Unexpected challenge.	D．Satisfying income.

4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A．Jess White, a Dependable and Helpful 1ady.

B．Jess White, a Talented and Confident Programmer.

C．Jess White, a Curious and Knowledgeable Learner,

D．Jess White, a Hard-working and Proud Expert.

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Our family has two dogs, Cady and Casey. We took in both the mixed breed dogs after they were abandoned in the country. We live in an area between city and country. This area is rich with farmland, woods and various animals. Both of our dogs constantly want to run and will do so at any given opportunity. I have to keep them chained, even though my yard is fenced, so that I do not have to pay any fines for recovering them from the city pound (流浪狗收留所).

This morning I made the silly mistake of waiting until the last possible minute to put the dogs out. As I was walking the first one out, the second ran past me in a surprisingly fast move and she was gone. I called for her to return, but she chose to ignore my commands and headed off for a day of joy. Having a disobedient dog really upset me. I said goodbye to the dog and went about my business. Anyway, when I picked my daughter up from school, I just happened to mention that Cady might be missing. “I’ll tell you this! If she has been caught by the K9 cops (警察), I will not be paying her fines this time,” I said.

I noticed that my daughter had her head turned away from me and was silent for over 5 minutes. I asked, “Are you mad at me?” “Yes, I am,” she replied, now looking at me calmly. “Why does this upset you so much?” I wondered out loud. “Cady obviously does not care for her living arrangements here, or she would not runoff every time she has a chance, would she?” I cleverly remarked.

I have never noticed my daughter spending much time with this dog, so I could not imagine that the thought of losing her would be so painful. In my mind I have given Cady a nice home. If she is silly enough to leave all that behind to chase some neighbor’s cows, then “goodbye” is my attitude.

注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；

2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

I saw tear swelling up in my daughter’s eyes.

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After along and stressful night, we finally got a call from the city pound.

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