Definition of Happiness
A proverb from ancient China was widely spread in the West: “If you want to be happy for a few hours, go to get drunk; if you want the happiness to last three years, get married; if you want lifetime happiness, take up gardening.” The reason for the last is this: Gardening is not only useful, but it helps you to identify(与……一致) yourself with nature, and thus brings you new joy each day besides improving your health.
A research of a US university that I’ve read gives a definition of happiness as what makes a person feel comfortably pleased. To put it specially, happiness is an active state of mind where one thinks one’s life is meaningful, satisfactory and comfortable. This should be something lasting rather than transitory (短暂的).
Lots of people regard it the happiest to be at leisure (空闲). But according to a study, it is not a person with plenty of leisure but one at work that feels happy, especially those busy with work having little time for leisure. Happiness does not mean gains one is after but a desire to harvest what one is seeking for. People often do not treasure what they already have but desire what they cannot get. That is somewhat like a man with fond dreams of numerous lovers while unwilling to settle down with the woman beside him.
Happiness is a game balancing between two ends — what one has and what one wishes for, i.e. one’s dream and the possibility to realize it. The study comes to this conclusion: A happy man is one who aims high but never forget his actual situation; one who meets challenges that develop his ability and potentiality; one who’s proud of his achievements and the recognition given to him. He has self-respect and self-confidence; treasures his own identity and loves freedom. He is sociable and enjoys wide range communication with others; he’s helpful and ready to accept assistance. He knows he is able to bear sufferings and failures; he is sensible enough to get fun from daily work. He is a man capable of love and passion.
1. According to the passage, gardening can bring lifetime happiness because _______.
A. it is a business that brings money
B. it can strengthen gardeners’ ability to remake nature
C. it can make gardeners enjoy very happy marriage
D. gardeners can build good relationship with nature
2. It can be concluded from the research of the university that most people feel happy when _______.
A. they are at leisure
B. they are engaged in working
C. they are gardening
D. they have numerous lovers
3. The writer mentioned a man with fond dreams of numerous lovers in order to _______.
A. give an example of a person who doesn’t value what he already owns
B. show that this kind of person has plenty of leisure time to do what he wants
C. make it clear that only this kind of person can enjoy happiness
D. show the serious problem in marriage in modern society
4. From the passage we can know that happiness is _______.
A. getting everything one longs for
B. just dreams made by those confident people
C. taking up gardening
D. a balance between what one owns and what one dreams of
J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, began writing at age 6. In her biography（传记）, she well remembers her good friend, Sean, whom she met in secondary school, helped build her confidence in becoming a very good writer. “He was the first person to know my serious dream to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was certain to be a success at it, which meant much more to me.”
Rowling met many difficulties in her writing, especially fantasy(幻想） stories. It wasn't until l990 that she first got the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls, it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that “the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into my head. I didn't have a pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four(delayed train) hours, and all the details appear in my brain, and this thin, black-haired, glasses-wearing boy who didn't know he was a wizard （男巫）became more and more real to me.”
That same year, her mother passed away after a ten-year illness, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time, Rowling suffered from depression（抑郁症）. She ,out of work,completed her first novel in the cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being refused by l2 publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with the confidence of a friend !
Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?
| A．Confidence of a Friend Helped the Success of Harry Potter |
| B．J.K.Rowing’s Hard Life and the Success of Harry Potter |
| C．J.K.Rowing---author of the Harry Potter book series |
| D．How J.K.Rowing Firstly Got the Idea of Harry Potter |
According to the passage, we know J.K.Rowing_______.
| A．had a happy family |
| B．had a ten-year illness |
| C．earned a lot from her novels |
| D．published 12 books in 64 languages |
Where did J.K.Rowing first have the shape of Harry Potter?
| A．in the cafes | B．on a train |
| C．in a secondary school | D．in a publishing house |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Harry Potter’s friends didn’t know he was a wizard until he graduated. |
| B．J.K.Rowing wrote down her idea while she was on the train by borrowing a pen. |
| C．It’s lucky that J.K.Rowing didn’t have a pen while she got the idea of Harry Potter. |
| D．Harry Potter was a thin,yellow-haired handsome boy with a pair of glasses on his nose. |
Some people will do just about anything to save money．And I am one of them．Take my family’s last vacation．It was my sixyearold son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a week long trip．The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day．I had meetings in New York, so I had to get back．But that didn’t mean my husband and my son couldn’t stay．I took my ninemonthold and took off for home．
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight．Yes, I encouraged — okay, ordered — them to wait it out at the airport, to “earn” more Delta Dollars．Our total take: $1,600．Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I’m a bad mother and not such a great wife either．But as a bigtime bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar．And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up．
I’ve made a living looking for the best deals and exposing（揭露）the worst tricks．I have been the consumer reporter of NBC’s Today show for over a decade．I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide．And I really do what I believe in．
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth．I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants．But I wouldn’t hesitate to spend on a good haircut．It keeps its shape longer, and it’s the first thing people notice．And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture．Quality lasts．Why did Delta give the author’s family credits?
| A．They took a later flight． |
| B．They had early bookings． |
| C．Their flight had been delayed． |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled． |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal． |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise． |
| C．She is very strict with her children． |
| D．She is interested in cheap products． |
What does the author do?
| A．She’s a teacher． |
| B．She’s a housewife． |
| C．She’s a media person． |
| D．She’s a businesswoman． |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks． |
| B．How to reserve airline seats． |
| C．How to spend money wisely． |
| D．How to make a business deal． |
Suppose you have everything: a good job, good health, good relationships and a lot of money to spend. But still there is something missing from your life. Guess what? The love. It is not something that you should ignore. Life without love is just like body without soul.
Love gives meaning to life as without love life is meaningless. Lucky is the person who gets love and keeps the flames of love burning for ever. It is not a matter of days or months. Love is for life and life is for love.
It is easy to fall in love but difficult to keep the flames of love burning. Before having serious long term love relationships, be sure that the person you love is also sincere with you. A selfish person can make your life terrible. If this is the case with you then try to get rid of that person as soon as possible.
Most people do not give importance to their love life as they give importance to their professional life. This is a bad choice which ruins the whole life. A balance between the two is necessary in order to enjoy life in its entirety .Do not lose the love you need.
In order to make your life more exciting and enjoyable, you need a loving and caring person with whom you can share your values, dreams, joys and jokes. In difficult times of failure, pain, or loss of dear ones ,this person should stand firm beside you and comfort you in every possible manner.
Love your life and love the person who is in your life. Keep the flames of love burning to live a great, great life.What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?
| A．Love is only for life. |
| B．Life is designed only for love. |
| C．Life is not separated from love. |
| D．When you have a good life, you can own a real love. |
Which of the following do you think is the most difficult?
| A．To fall in love with a person. |
| B．To find a real person loving you. |
| C．To make the flames of love burning forever. |
| D．To keep good relations with friends. |
If you want to keep the flames of love burning, you should .
| A．try to get rid of your bad manners as soon as possible. |
| B．make certain that the person you love is also sincere |
| C．try to find out whether the person you love really loves you |
| D．make sure that you treat the person sincerely |
According to the passage, the writer wants to tell us .
| A．to value everything one has |
| B．to be sincere with the people around |
| C．to live a life full of love all one’s life |
| D．to avoid being a selfish person |
The Japanese government has launched a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions (排放).
The Morning Challenge campaign, launched by the Environment Ministry, is based on the belief that changing late night electricity for an extra hour of morning sunlight could greatly cut the nation’s carbon footprint.
A typical family can reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by 85kg a year if everyone goes to bed and gets up one hour earlier, according to the campaign.
The amount of carbon dioxide emissions that might be saved from going to bed an hour earlier equals 20% of annual emissions from household lights. “Many Japanese people waste electrical power at night-time, for example, by watching TV until very late,” a ministry spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph.
“But going to bed early and getting up early can avoid wasting electrical power which causes carbon dioxide emissions. If people change their lifestyle, we can save energy and reduce emissions.” The campaign also suggests that people take advantage of an extra hour of morning sunlight by improving their lifestyle in general by running, doing yoga and eating a nutritious breakfast.
It is the latest initiative (倡议) fighting climate change by the Japanese Environment Ministry, which is faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% from the level of 1990 within the next decade.
It was the same government department that launched the Cool Biz campaign five years ago, which encourages workers to wear short-sleeved shirts and offices not to turn air conditioner lower than 28 degrees Celsius during summer.The Morning Challenge campaign is aimed at .
| A．saving electricity and cost in Japan |
| B．reducing carbon dioxide emission at home |
| C．improving Japanese citizens’ lifestyle |
| D．making full use of morning sunlight |
The underlined phrase “carbon footprint” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to .
| A．carbon paper |
| B．carbon dioxide emission |
| C．the plan of coal industry |
| D．the footsteps the Japanese can hear |
Getting up an hour earlier, people are advised to .
| A．work out together | B．exercise outdoors |
| C． enjoy the sunshine | D．live a healthier life |
By 2020, the Japanese hope to reduce carbon dioxide emission from the level of 1990 by .
| A．25% | B．85% | C．28% | D．20% |
Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you’ll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn’t enough for consumers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don’t buy anything just because it’s cheaper than usual! “New and Improved!” or “All Natural” on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of contents on the back. Third, compare prices, that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand.
Another suggestion for consumers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don’t spend much money on packing or advertising. The quality, however, is usually as good as the quality of well-known name brands. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren’t very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.
Wise consumers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials, but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, well informed consumers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial(商业广告), or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, consumers can make a wise choice.All the following statements are true about the phrase “ordinary items” in Paragraph 2 except ______.
| A．ordinary products are usually cheaper than famous brands. |
| B．producers spend less money on packaging of ordinary items . |
| C．the quality of ordinary items is usually as good as that of famous brands. |
| D．ordinary items never say “New and Improved” or “All Natural”. |
What does the writer think about ads?
| A．They are believable. | B．They are attractive. |
| C．They are helpful. | D．They are harmful. |
One of the author’s suggestions to consumers is ______.
| A．to buy any ordinary items instead of famous brands . |
| B．to make use of advertisements carefully for shopping. |
| C．to buy high quality items such as famous brands after lunch . |
| D．not to buy items with words like “New and Improved” or “All Natural”. |
The author implies that ______.
| A．advertisements sometimes don’t tell the truth to the consumers. |
| B．discount clothing stores are only good places to go to for shopping. |
| C．going into the supermarket hungry, you may buy less than you plan to. |
| D．the quality of ordinary items is usually high and the prices are relatively low. |