During my many contacts with people in China, I have been asked by two different people what I would recommend to them so that they could be happy. One of these people was my student and friend who began her question by saying I always appeared happy to her. She then asked how I could be this way and if I could teach her how to be happy all
the time. The other inquiry was basically the same and came from the secretary of a company for which I was doing some work.
The first one to ask was my student and in thinking about an answer I even explored in class the idea of optimism and pessimism, of people who feel the glass is always half full and those who think it is half empty. It was easy to show that different people react differently to the same situations and conditions but that didn’t bring me much closer to understanding why.
About two months later I was riding to the airport in a taxi with the company secretary who asked me the same question and it made me think. Why did both these ladies feel they needed help to become happy? Indeed, why did either of them think they were not happy? Why did they choose to ask this question of me? Why are some people generally happy while others are not?
Certainly if someone is healthy, it might be expected that they are happy, and this is probably true. However, some people hav
e money and health but have a miserable disposition that makes it difficult for them to have friends and meaningful relationships. Similarly, one would expect those who have little to complain about their fate and many do, but others are able to enjoy what they have and enjoy life. It seems the difference must lie within the people. What we may be looking at is acceptance of a personal set of circ
umstances and the contentment which flows from that. It should not mean, however, that those people cannot wish for something better.
If the difference between people who are happy and those who are not lies within the people themselves, can happiness be learned? I think there are things we can do, such as dreaming of the future, which can give us the sort of positive outlook which will generally make us happy people. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The author was once asked how to be healthy and wealthy by two people. |
| B．The author came to realize why people responded differently to happiness. |
| C．Those who think the glass is always half empty are optimistic. |
| D．Those who feel the glass is always half full are pessimistic. |
. The underlined word “disposition” in the fourth paragraph means .
| A．character | B．habit | C．reputation | D．fate |
The underlined word “it” in the fourth paragraph refers to .
| A．the idea of pessimism | B．the attitude towards happiness |
| C．the satisfaction within | D．the appearance of happiness |
. What will the author most probably talk about after the last paragraph?
| A．Learning how to be happy. | B．Accepting the present situation. |
| C．Developing meaningful relationships. | D．Going after the dream. |
Maybe tenyearold Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father,“But, Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead.”
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt—a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One:It's best to be “thrown clear ”of a serious accident.
Truth:Sorry, but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you'll have traveled through a windshield (挡风玻璃) or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twentyfive times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear”.
Myth Number Two:Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷)due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations ,not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three:Safety belts aren't needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour(mph).
Truth:When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters.
1.Why did Elizabeth say to her father,“But，Dad, you can't be healthy if you're dead?”
A. He was driving at great speed. B. He was running across the street.
C. He didn't have his safety belt on. D. He didn't take his medicine on time.
2.The reason Father was in a hurry to get home was that he ________.
A. wasn't feeling very well B. hated to drive in the dark
C. wanted to take some exercise D. didn't want to be caught by the police
3.According to the text, to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident is very dangerous because you ________.
A. may be knocked down by other cars
B. may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car
C. may find it impossible to get away from the seat
D. may get caught in the car door
4.Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe ________.
A. the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident
B. they will be unable to think clearly in an accident
C. they will be caught when help comes
D. cars catch fire easily
5.What is the advice given in the text?
A. Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour.
B. Try your best to save yourself in a car accident.
C. Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving.
D. Drive slowly while you're not wearing a safety belt.
Martha had been working for Miller Laboratories for two years,but she was not happy there.Nothing significant had happened in the way of promotions or salary increases.Martha felt that her supervisor,a younger and less experienced person than she,did not like her.In fact,the supervisor often said unpleasant things to her.
One day,while talking with her friend Maria,she mentioned how discouraged she was .Maria gave her the name of a cousin of hers who was director of Human Resources Department for a large chemical company.Martha called him the next day and set up an interview on her lunch hour.
During the interview,Mr Petri said,“You're just the kind of person we need here.You've being wasted in your other job.Give me a call in a day or two.I'm sure we can find a place for you in our organization."Martha was so happy that she almost danced out of the building.
That afternoon,Ruth Kenny,her supervisor,saw that Martha had come in ten minutes late from her lunch hour and she said ,“Oh,so you finally decided to come back to work today?"
This was the last straw.She could not take another insult.Besides,Mr Petri was right: she was being wasted in this job.
“Look," she said angrily，“if you don't like the way I work,I don't need to stay here.I'll go where I'm appreciated!Goodbye!"She took up her things and stormed out of the office.
That night she called Maria and told her what had happened and then asked Maria.“What do you think?"
“Well,"said Maria carefully,“are you sure about the other job?"
“Well,not exactly,but..."
Maria continued ,“Will you be able to get a recommendation from Ms Kenny if you need one?"
“A recommendation?…from Ms Kenny?"hesitated Martha,in a worried tone.
“Martha,I hope you didn't burn your bridges,”Maria said.“I think I would have handled it differently."
1.Martha is unhappy in her job because_________.
A.she has not advanced
B.the work is not significant
C.her supervisor is younger than she
D.there is too much work with little payment
2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.At her supervisor's criticism,Martha lost her temper.
B.Mr Petri felt Martha was not valued in her present job.
C.Martha's interview with the director was on her lunch hour.
D.Martha got the name of the director through her cousin.
3.The phrase “the last straw"in the middle of the passage probably refers to _________.
A.the last opportunity
B.the straw that saves Martha's life
C.the last reminder
D.the final unpleasant thing
4.What does Maria think of Martha's decision?
A.Martha has handled the matter properly.
B.Martha shouldn't have set the bridge on fire.
C.Martha should have found a new job before leaving.
D.Martha shouldn't have lost her temper with her supervisor.
Betty and Harold have been married for years. But one thing still puzzles (困扰) old Harold. How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa, talking, go out to a ballgame, come back three and a half hours later, and they're still sitting on the sofa? Talking?
What in the world, Harold wonders, do they have to talk about?
Betty shrugs. Talk? We're friends.
Researching this matter called friendship, Psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two
years interviewing more than two hundred women and men. No matter what their age, their job, their sex, the results were completely clear: women have more friendships than men, and the difference in the content and the quality of those friendships is“marked and unmistakable”.
More than two hirds of the single men Rubin interviewed could not name a best friend. Those who could were likely to name a woman. Yet threequarters of the single women had no problem naming a best friend, and almost always it was a woman. More married men than women named their wife／husband as a best friend, most trusted person, or the one they would turn to in time of emotional distress (感情危机).“Most women,” says Rubin,“identified (认定) at least one, usually more, trusted friends to whom they could turn in a troubled moment, and they spoke openly about the importance of these relationships in their lives.”
“In general,” writes Rubin in her new book,“women's friendships with each other rest on shared emotions and support, but men's relationships are marked by shared activities.” For the most part, Rubin says, interactions (交往) between men are emotionally controlled—a good fit with the social requirements of “manly behavior”.
“Even when a man is said to be a best friend,”Rubin writes,“the two share little about their innermost feelings. Whereas a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage, it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa.”
1.What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that________.
A. he is treated as an outsider rather than a husband
B. women have so much to share
C. women show little interest in ballgames
D. he finds his wife difficult to talk to
2.Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to_________.
A. a male friend B. a female friend C. her parents D. her husband
3.According to the text, which type of behavior is NOT expected of a man by society?
A. Ending his marriage without good reason.
B. Spending too much time with his friends.
C. Complaining about his marriage trouble.
D. Going out to ballgames too often.
4.Which of the following statements is best supported by the last paragraph?
A. Men keep their innermost feelings to themselves.
B. Women are more serious than men about marriage.
C. Men often take sudden action to end their marriage.
D. Women depend on others in making decisions.
5.The research done by psychologist Rubin centers around_________.
A. happy and successful marriages
B. friendships of men and women
C. emotional problems in marriage
D. interactions between men and women
New York, 10 November—5:27pm,yesterday. Biggest power failure in the city's
history.
Thousands of people got stuck in lifts. Martin Saltzman spent three hours between the 21st and 22nd floors of the Empire State Building. “There were twelve of us. But no one panicked. We passed the time telling stories and playing word games. One man wanted to smoke but we didn't let him. Firemen finally got us out.”
“It was the best night we've ever had,”said Angela Carraro,who runs an Italian restaurant on 42nd Street.“We had lots of candles on the tables and the waiters were carrying candles on their trays. The place was full—and all night, in fact, for after we had closed, we let the people stay on and spend the night here.”
The zoos had their problems like everyone else. Keepers worked through the night. They used blankets to keep flying squirrels and small monkeys warm. While zoos had problems keeping warm, supermarkets had problems keeping cool.“All of our ice cream and frozen foods melted,” said the manager of a store in downtown Manhattan.“They were worth $50,000.”
The big electric clock in the lobby(大厅)of the WaldorfAstoria Hotel in downtown Manhattan started ticking(滴答) again at 5:25 this morning. It was almost
on time.
1.Throughout the period of darkness, Martin Saltzman and the eleven others were ________ .
A. nervous B. excited C. calm D. frightened
2.In what way was the night of November 9 the best night for Angela Carraro?
A. She had a taste of adventure.
B. Burning candles brightened the place.
C. Business was better than usual.
D. Many people stayed the night in her restaurant.
3.How long did the power failure last?
A. Nearly 12 hours. B. More than 12 hours.
C. Nearly 24 hours. D. More than 24 hours.
A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self made man—the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts,usually beginning by working with his hands.While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common labourer or even the skilled factory worker,he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or labourer of some sort.
This attitude toward manual(体力的) labour is now still seen in many aspects of American life.One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously(豪华地)furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel,expensive hobbies,and college education for the children;yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself,will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward,furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery.On the contrary,the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes.A professional man may talk about washing the car,digging in his flowerbeds,painting the house.His wife may even help with these things,just as he often helps her with the dishwashing.The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living,or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.
1.From paragraph 1,we can know that in America_________.
A.people tend to have a high opinion of the selfmade man
B.people can always rise to the top through their own efforts
C.college professors win great respect from common workers
D.people feel painful to mention their fathers as labourers
According to the passage,the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because_________.
A.servants in America are hard to get
B.she takes pride in what she can do herself
C.she can hardly afford servants
D.it is easy to prepare a meal with canned food
3.The expression“wait on table” in the second paragraph means“_________”.
A.work in a furniture shop
B.keep accounts for a bar
C.wait to lay the table
D.serve customers in a restaurant
4.Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
A.A Respectable Self made Family B.American Attitude toward Manual Labour
C.Characteristics of American Culture D.The Development of Manual Labour