When we think about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, a top great delight.
For a child, happiness has a magic quality. I remember playing police and robbers in the woods, getting a speaking part in the school play. Of course, kids also experience lows, but their delight at tops of pleasure is easily seen，such as winning a race or getting a new bike.
For teenagers, or people under 20 the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it’s conditional on such things as excitement, love, and popularity. I can still feel the pain of not being invited to a party that almost everyone else was going to. I also recall the great happiness of being invited at another event to dance with a very handsome young man.
In adulthood the things that bring great joy—birth , love , marriage—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. Love may not last; loved ones die. For adults, happiness is complex.
My dictionary explains “happy” as “lucky” or “ fortunate”, but I think a better explanation of happiness is “ the ability to enjoy something”. The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It’s easy for us not to notice the pleasure we get from loving and being loved, the company of friends, the freedom to love where we please, and even good health. Nowadays, with so many choices and much pleasure, we have turned happiness into one more thing we have. We think we own the right to have it, which makes us extremely unhappy. So we try hard to get it and consider it to be the same as wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren’t necessarily happier.
While happiness may be more complex for us, the answer is the same as ever. Happiness isn’t about what happens to us. It’s the ability to find a positive for every negative, and view a difficulty as a challenge. Don’t be sad for what we don’t have, but enjoy what we do possess.
60. According to the passage, happiness lies in the ability to_______.
A. think of something extraordinary B. experience delight at an old age
C. feel the magic quality of pleasure D. enjoy what one has at the moment
61. In paragraph 3, a teenager looks at happiness mainly in terms of_____.
A. material gains B. social honor
C. spiritual satisfaction D. academic achievement
62. The author implies that when one dreams wealth and finally gets it he____.
A. can realize what happiness is
B. may not end up with happiness
C. may consider it extreme happiness
D. should not feel content with himself
63. The passage aims to tell_______.
A. the great importance of happiness B. the real meaning of happiness
C. the constant dream of happiness D. the changing concept of happiness
There are many things that go into making a successful school, and success can be measured in many ways. Often, the teachers are praised for a school’s success and blamed for its failure. Yet, in order for a school to be effective, it must be a place where teaching and learning can easily take place, and that requires the hard work of more than just educators. Students must take learning into their own hands and feel as if what they are doing is as important as it actually is. This can only be done with the cooperation of every adult that is involved in the students’ life. Some of these individuals often go unnoticed, yet the role they play in the students’ lives is immeasurable.
Administrative assistants welcome students at the beginning of the day and answer a large number of questions. When an assistant remembers a student’s name or even something special about that student, it communicates to him that he is cared for. The assistant can also give that extra encouragement for a student to make better choices, especially when they are visiting the principal’s office.
Cafeteria workers have a short period of time to interact with students, but can make a big difference as well. Beyond meeting nutritional needs, cafeteria workers may also on occasion meet the emotional needs of the students they serve. Students benefit from positive interaction with adults, and cafeteria workers may give that extra bit of encouragement that a child needs.
Custodians (管理人员) are often underappreciated for all that they give to schools. They have to be knowledgeable about everything from cleaning to fixing the most intricate (复杂的) tools. They get to school early in the morning before teachers arrive and lock up late at night after the last student has left from the after-school event. They also make sure teachers are equipped with the necessary items and prepare the rooms so that they are ready for learning. A great custodian also gives that kind word or extra smile to that student who needs it most.If an assistant remembers a student’s name, the student will feel that .
| A．he is cared for |
| B．he is special |
| C．he has done something wrong |
| D．he has made progress in study |
Which of the following is TRUE about cafeteria workers?
| A．It’s enough for them to cook for the students. |
| B．It’s hard for them to interact with the students. |
| C．They can also meet the emotional needs of the students. |
| D．They have the most interaction with students at school. |
We learn from the fourth paragraph that .
| A．custodians play the least important role in a school |
| B．the work of custodians often goes unnoticed |
| C．custodians should be more serious with students |
| D．custodians’ work is always appreciated at school |
How does the author feel about the staff mentioned in the text?
| A．Disappointed. | B．Appreciative. |
| C．Dissatisfied. | D．Doubtful. |
Harvard student Julie Zauzmer turned 20 on January 22, and her birthday couldn’t have been better: She got to working the overnight shift at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.
That might seem an extraordinary act of selflessness for someone turning 20. But there’s increasing evidence that commitment to community service is becoming much more ordinary to today’s young adults.
“Young adults are doing more volunteer service than in any point in history,’’ said Scott Seider, an assistant professor of education at Boston University who studies the civic development of young adults.
At Harvard, the Winthrop Street Homeless Shelter is one of 86 social service programs associated with the Phillips Brooks House Association, which is a student-run nonprofit organization. Students can work with deaf children, bring pets to nursing homes, and prepare Chinese students to become US citizens, and so on.
Volunteerism develops well outside of colleges, too. Applications to AmeriCorps have risen to a very high level, jumping from 91,399 in 2008 to 258,829 in 2010. City Year, which puts young people in high-poverty schools as tutors and mentors for at-risk students, has had a 140 percent increase in applications since its 2007-2008 service year. Citizen Schools, which uses volunteers to work with students in middle schools, has had a 28 percent jump in applicants between 2008 and 2009.
“Most of my friends know it’s their duty to give back before they settle down,’’ said Samantha Wolf, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate serving with City Year in a Mattapan school.
City Year corps member Antonio Gutierrez, 22, graduated last year from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., and is applying for admission to law schools, but this year he is tutoring and mentoring students at the Blackstone Elementary School in the South End.
“I grew up in similar circumstances,’’ said Gutierrez, who said he was a weak student until enrichment programs changed his academic trajectory (轨迹). Raised by a single mother in low-income housing across the street from City Year’s South End Headquarters, he used to watch the red-jacketed corps members come and go, and decided to become one someday.We learn from what Scott Seider says in Paragraph 3 that young people today .
| A．study harder than before |
| B．do more volunteering than ever before |
| C．don’t care much about others |
| D．like to find jobs in their communities |
What’s the goal of the program of City Year?
| A．It helps to find jobs for college students. |
| B．It offers shelters to the homeless people. |
| C．It helps to build schools for poor students. |
| D．It engages young people to teach at high-poverty schools. |
What do we know about Antonio Gutierrez?
| A．He wants to give back as a volunteer. |
| B．He has always been an excellent student. |
| C．He never expected to become a volunteer. |
| D．He now works as a teacher. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Volunteering spirit has disappeared |
| B．How to become a college student |
| C．College students learn to give back |
| D．The real life of young adults today |
I grew up in Jamaica Plain, an urban community located on the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts. In the 1940's it was a wholesome, specific little community. It was my home and I loved it there; back then I thought I would never leave. My best friend Rose and I used to collectively dream about raising a family of our own someday. We had it all planned out to live next door to one another.
Our dream remained alive through grade school, high school, and even beyond. Rose was my maid of honor when I got married in 1953 to the love of my life, Dick. Even then she joked that she was just one perfect guy short of being married, thus bringing us closer to our dream. Meanwhile, Dick aspired to be an officer in the Marines（海军）and I fully supported his ambitions. I realized that he might be stationed far away from Jamaica Plain, but I told him I would relocate and adjust. The idea of experiencing new places together seemed somewhat romantic to me.
So, in 1955, Dick was stationed in Alaska and we relocated. Rose was sad to see me leave, but wished me the best of luck. Rose and I remained in touch for a few years by regular phone call but after a while we lost track of one another. Back in the 1950's it was a lot more difficult to stay in touch with someone over a long distance, especially if you were relocating every few years. There were no email addresses or transferable phone number and directory lookup services were available at best.
I thought of her several times over the years. Once in the mid 1960's ,when I was visiting the Greater Boston area, I tried to determine her whereabouts but my search turned up empty-handed. Jamaica Plain had changed drastically in the 10 years I was gone. A pretty obvious shift in income demographics was affecting my old neighborhood. My family had moved out of the area, as did many of the people I used to know. Rose was nowhere to be found.
52 years passed and we never spoke. I've since raised a family of five, all of whom now have families of their own, and Dick passed away a few years ago. Basically, a lifetime has passed. Now here I am at the doorstep to my 80th birthday and I receive a random phone call on an idle Wednesday afternoon. "Hello?" I said. "Hi Natalie, it's Rose," the voice on the other end replied. "It's been so long. I don't know if you remember me, but we used to be best friends in Jamaica Plain when we were kid" she said.
We haven't seen each other yet, but we have spent countless hours on the phone catching up on 52 years of our lives. The interesting thing is that even after 52 years of separation our personalities and interests are still extremely similar. We both share a passion for several hobbies that we each picked up independently several years after we lost touch with one another. It almost feels like we are picking up right where we left off, which is really strange considering the circumstances.
Her husband passed away a few years ago as well, but she mailed me several photographs of her family that were taken over the years. It's so crazy, just looking at the photos and listening to her describe her family reminds me of my own; a reasonably large, healthy family. Part of me feels like we led fairly similar lives.
I don't think the numerous similarities between our two lives are a coincidence either. I think it shows that we didn't just call each other best friend we truly were best friend and even now we can be best friends again. Real friends have two things in common: a compatible personality and a strong-willed character. The compatible personality is what initiates the connection between two people and a strong-willed character at both ends is what maintains the connection. If those two ingredients are present in a friendship, the friendship is for real, and can thus sustain the tests of time and prolonged absence without faltering.What was the dream of the writer and Rose when young except that_____?
| A．They could have a family of their own |
| B．They could marry a promising husband |
| C．They planned to become neighbors |
| D．They could go to the same school |
Why did they become apart when going older?
| A．Because the writer got married ,so Rose was sad |
| B．They held a different opinion on their life |
| C．The writer’s husband had to move from one place to another |
| D．Their community had to be rebuilt |
Which was not the reason for their loss in touch?
| A．At that time ,there were no advanced communication methods |
| B．The job of the writer’s husband was changeable |
| C．There were no such services for them to keep the same number when moving |
| D．They hadn’t written to each for a long time |
The writer failed to find Rose in the mid of 1960’s, because ____?
| A．Rose left her homeland. |
| B．Rose wouldn’t like to see her |
| C．the surroundings there had changed a lot. |
| D．they lost in touch for a long time |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Rose had been making every effort to look for the writer |
| B．Compared with the writer, Rose lived an unhappy life. |
| C．Both of the husbands died before their wives. |
| D．It is a coincidence that there were a lot of similarities between them |
We can learn from the passage that ____________.
| A．a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| B．life without a friend is a life without sun |
| C．friendship is a love without wings |
| D．the world is but a little place after all. |
Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and, shall we say, love.
The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long ago been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch.
Ugly would have been a dark grey tabby, striped-type, except for the sores covering his head, neck, even his shoulders with thick, yellowing scabs. Every time someone saw Ugly there was the same reaction. "That's one UGLY cat!!"
All the children were warned not to touch him, the adults threw rocks at him, hosed him down, squirted him when he tried to come in their home or shut his paws in the door when he would not leave. Ugly always had the same reaction. If you turned the hose on him, he would stand there, getting soaked（浸湿）until you gave up and quit. If you threw things at him, he would curl his lanky body around feet in forgiveness.
Whenever he spied children, he would come running, meowing frantically and bump his head against their hand begging for their love. If you ever picked him up, he would immediately begin suckling on your shirt, earring whatever he could find.
One day Ugly shared his love with the neighbor's huskies. They did not respond kindly, and Ugly was badly attacked. From my apartment I could hear his scream and I tried to rush to his aid. By the time I got to where he was laying, it was obvious Ugly's sad life was almost at an end. Ugly lay in a wet circle, his back legs and lower back twisted grossly out of shape, a gaping tear in the white strip of fur that ran down his front. As I picked him up and tried to carry him home, I could hear him wheezing and gasping, and could feel him struggling. It must be hurting him terribly, I thought. Then I felt a familiar tugging, sucking sensation on my ear. Ugly, in so much pain, suffering and obviously dying, was trying to suckle my ear. I pulled him closer to me, and he bumped the palm of my hand with his head, then he turned his one golden eye towards me, and I could hear the distinct sound of purring. Even in the greatest pain, that ugly battled-scarred cat was asking only for a little affection, perhaps some compassion.
At that moment I thought Ugly was the most beautiful, loving creature I had ever seen. Never once did he try to bite or scratch me, or even try to get away from me, or struggle in any way. Ugly just looked up at me completely trusting in me to relieve his pain.
Ugly died in my arms before I could get inside, but I sat and held him for a long time afterward thinking about how one scarred, deformed little stray could so alter my opinion about what it means to have true pureness of spirit, to love so totally and truly. Ugly taught me more about giving and compassion than a thousand book lecture or talk show specials ever could, and for that I will always be thankful. He had been scarred on the outside, but I was scarred on the inside, and it was time for me to move on and learn to love truly and deeply. To give my total to those I cared for.
Many people want to be richer, more successful, well liked, beautiful, but for me, I will always try to be Ugly.Why did the tomcat get 3 things with him?
| A．Because his mother deserted him. |
| B．Because the residents disliked him |
| C．Because other animals always attacked him. |
| D．Because he spent his life outside, which affected him.. |
Children were always warned not to touch tomcat, because ___?
| A．the tomcat was not kind to the children |
| B．the tomcat sometimes bit young children |
| C．the tomcat was really dirty and nasty. |
| D．the tomcat might carry some viruses with him |
Which caused the tomcat to die?
| A．The adults threw rocks at him |
| B．The neighbors wanted to drive him with a pipe |
| C．The owners would get his paws trapped in the doors |
| D．The tomcat was killed by some dog |
What did the tomcat do when coming to death?
| A．He shared his love with the writer |
| B．He struggled to stand up |
| C．He shouted at the writer |
| D．He begged the writer to save him. |
Why did the writer say he would try to be Ugly?
| A．Because he loved Ugly so deeply |
| B．Because the Ugly taught him to love totally and truly |
| C．Because he hated it that his neighbors were so cruel |
| D．Because he found some similarities between them |
It does not have to be January 1st to give yourself a chance to make the most out of your day — and your life. Every day is a new day and a fresh start to learn, grow, develop your strengths, heal yourself from past regrets or hurts, and move forward older and wiser. Every day gives you a chance to reinvent yourself, to fine-tune who you are, and build on lessons of what you have learned. It is never too late to change things that are not working in your life and switch gears, instead of thinking in the same old ways, hoping for a different outcome.
Be intelligent, be flexible, and keep and open mind to start each day anew! Flexibility is the key!
Ask yourself: How do you wake up each day? Do you start your day going already feeling pressured and rushed? Do you go through the morning routine without much thought at all, doing what you "have to do" to start your day?
How about starting each new day with a moment to stop, breathe and think of a positive intention for the day.
Think not just what you want to DO, but how you want to BE today?
Each day is a new beginning and a blank slate. How would you like to create your day? Think of it as a blank canvas — what would you like to paint on it. What can you create? If you wake up in a negative mindset, you are more likely to paint a dark picture throughout the day, and your canvas will not reflect hope, happiness and joy.
If you take each day to think positively, and have a positive intention for how you would like to create your day, how would your life be different? What positive outcome can reflect your positive intention?
What can daily positive intentions do for you? Every day you will give yourself the gift of an "attitude of gratitude."
Visualizing how you would like your day will help release positive energy from within you and you will attract more positive energy from those around you. Instead of spinning your wheels in an old way of thinking, each day is a chance to reframe and re-look at things in a different way.
You can experience each day an awe （敬畏）in the beauty and creation of the world — and the beauty of you who is in it!
You find yourself shifting from an "I can't mindset" to an "I can" mindset.
With a focus on positive intentions, you feel more empowered and more like a "victor" than a "victim."
You are more mindful of the present, and will be more likely to live fully in the present each moment of each day. After all, the past is a great place to visit, but you don't want to live there!
So how about starting each day taking a moment to think of a positive intention for the day? Each morning, write it down and reflect each evening on how you did!
Here are examples of Positive Intentions:
"Today I would like to replace my feelings of annoyance towards my co-worker to feelings of acceptance."
"I am looking forward today to focusing on what I am grateful for in my life, rather than what is missing, and express gratefulness to others."
"Today I want to slow my life down and take time to savor the moment, especially with my children".。
Using each day to recommit yourself to positive thinking and intention will help you create the life you want and that you deserve!According to the writer, which is the most important?
| A．changeable | B．positive | C．forgettable | D．active |
When you get up, what is the right way to start?
| A．Just do as you do regularly |
| B．Brushing teeth and washing as quickly as possible |
| C．Stopping for a short while and planning some active things |
| D．Doing morning exercise to build up your body |
Which of the followings is considered to be positive intention?
| A．The boss told me to finish the task, so I have to hurry today |
| B．Mr. Smith treated me to dinner, so I’d like to send him a card. |
| C．I have finished all the tasks ,so I’m free today. |
| D．I didn’t sleep well last night, but it’s time to go to work.. |
What can daily intention do for you ,except______?
| A．You can live fully |
| B．You will become mindful everyday |
| C．You will feel powerful |
| D．You can spend your day happily |