| A. A sense of humour is not an inborn ability. B. A sense of humour can be developed in our life. C. A sense of humour helps us from several aspects. D. A sense of humour means more than telling jokes. E. A sense of humour can be expressed in many ways. F. A sense of humour helps people to better enjoy life. |
As awareness of the cenefits of humour increases, most of us want to get all the langhs we can. It seems that almost every day there is another new discovery about the power of humour to help us physically, mentally, cmotionally, and sp[iritually. Every system of the body responds to langhter in some important or positive way .Many pcople mistakenly believe that we are born with a sense of humour. They think that when it comes to a sense of humour. “either you have got it or you don't .” This is
false! What is true, however, is that the ability to laugh and smile is actually something we are born with. For example, we laugh when we are tickled under the arm, even without thinking about how to react.
The parts of the brain and central nervous system that control laughing and smiling are mature at birth in human infants, but that is not the same thing as having a sense of humour. (After all, when a baby laughs in his small bed we don’t rush over and say, “That kid has a great sense of humour!”) Your sense of humour is something you can develop over a lifetime. Don’t be nervous before others and try to laugh at yourself-then you will make them laugh too.
Humour includes a lot more than laughing and joke telling. Many people worry needlessly that they do not have a good sense of humour because they are not good joke tellers. More than jokes, a sense of humour requires being willing and able to see the funny side of life’s situations as they happen. In fact, one of the best definitions（定义）of a sense of humour is “the ability to see the nonserious element in a situation.”
There may be a thousand different ways to express your sense of humour, but joke telling is only one of those ways. As more is discovered about how humour benefits our life, more people will be able to see and enjoy the humour when they are in a difficult situation. Life depends on air, food and water, but it is made easier to live with a good sense of humour.
根据短文内容，从下框的A—F选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。 选项中有一项为多余选项。（说明：E涂AB；F涂AC）
| A. Relocate the meaning of life. B. Say goodbye to guilt and regret. C. Avoid repetition. D. Do something new. E. Give to get. F. Put yourself in the fun zone. |
Five Secrets of High-Energy PeopleVery little that’s new occurs in our lives. The impact of this sameness on our emotional energy is gradual, but huge: It’s like a tire with a slow leak(漏). You don’t notice it at first, but eventually you’ll get a flat. Here’s a challenge: If it’s something you wouldn’t ordinarily do, do it. Try a dish you’ve never eaten. Listen to music you’d ordinarily tune out. You’ll discover these small things add to your emotional energy.
The first step in solving this meaning shortage is to figure out what you really care about, and then do something about it. A case in point is Ivy, 57, a pioneer in investment banking. “I mistakenly believed that all the money I made would mean something,” she says. “But I feel lost, like a 22-year-old wondering what to do with her life.” Ivy’s solution? She started a program that shows Wall Streeters how to donate time and money to poor children. In the process, Ivy filled her life with meaning.
Most of us grown-ups live a dull life. High-energy people have the same day-to-day work as the rest of us, but they manage to find something enjoyable in every situation. A real estate broker I know keeps herself amused on the job by mentally redecorating the houses she shows to clients. “I love imagining what even the most run-down house could look like with a little tender loving care,” she says. “It’s a challenge—and the least desirable properties are usually the most fun.”
Everyone’s past is filled with regrets that still cause pain. But from an emotional energy point of view, they are dead weights that keep us from moving forward. While they can’t merely be willed away, I do recommend you remind yourself that whatever happened is in the past, and nothing can change that. Holding on to the memory only allows the damage to continue into the present.
Emotional energy has a kind of magical quality; the more you give, the more you get back. This is the difference between emotional and physical energy. With the latter, you have to get it to be able to give it. With the former, however, you get it by giving it. After all, if it’s true that what goes around comes around, why not make sure that what’s circulating around you is the good stuff?
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
It’s important for everyone to learn how to apologize effectively. You might think a simple “I’m sorry” will take care of everything. There are some situations in which you need to apologize properly.
Apologize truely.
Apologizing through a half-hearted “Sorry” will get you nowhere. If you really want to apologize, you must do it truely. Accept the fact that you were in the wrong.
Contrary to what you might think, apologizing over and over again isn’t going to help, especially if you’re apologizing to someone who’s your boss.
Don’t wait too long to apologize.
One piece of advice on how to apologize effectively is to do it as soon as you realize your mistake. Some people put off giving an apology because they think it will save them from the offended (被冒犯的) person’s anger. However, that is just not polite. If you can’ t approach the person personally at once, send him or her a message first.
Don’t expect too much.
You can’t expect that person to forgive you immediately. If you’re going to apologize, you have to be prepared for the worst. The conversation isn’t going to be the most comfortable one either.
Learning how to apologize effectively is very important. It shows people that you are a very kind person.
| A．Don’t apologize again and again. |
| B．However, that’s not exactly true. |
| C．Pay a visit to others ahead of time. |
| D．You’d better prepare yourself for anything. |
E. But make sure you make an apology in person as well.
F. In fact, it might get you into even bigger trouble than before.
G. A lot of people don’t know how to make an apology to their boss.
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。(注意：E涂AB；F涂AC；G涂AD)
Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp
Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit and that can be a very annoying thing.Read on for some techniques worth trying.
1.
People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer’s disease (早老性痴呆症), according to a recent study.Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There’s evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.
2. Go for a walk.
Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain.
3. Learn something new.
Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time.Or go dancing with your friends.
| A．Focus on the future. |
| B．This can be especially harmful to the aged. |
| C．It should be something like learning gardening. |
| D．So take a few minutes each day to do some reading. |
E. But don’t worry if your schedule isn’t filled with life-changing events.
F. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments.
G. In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain
_ __ People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. When they work, they usually get paid in money.
Most of the money today is made of metal or paper. ____ One of the first kinds of money was shells.
Shells were not the only things used as money. In China，cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands，rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks，monkey tails and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.
The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the centre. ____
Different countries have used different metals and designs for their money. ____ Sweden and Russia used copper to make their money. Later some countries began to make coins of gold and silver.
But even gold and silver were inconvenient if you had to buy something expensive. Again the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. ____ The first paper money looked more like a note from one person to another than the paper money used today.
Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today.
| A．The first coins in England were made of tin(锡)． |
| B．But people used to use all kinds of things as money. |
| C．No one knows for certain when people began to use money. |
| D．People strung(串连) them together and carried them from place to place. |
E. Money, as we know，is all made of paper.
F. They began to use paper money.
G. Today anyone will accept money in exchange for goods and services.
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Before going outside in the morning, many of us check a window thermometer(温度计)for the temperature. This helps us decide what to wear. ____ We want our food to be a certain coldness in the refrigerator. We want it a certain hotness in the oven. If we don't feel well, we use a thermometer to see if we have a fever. We keep our rooms a certain warmth in winter and a certain coolness in summer.
Not all the thermometers use the same system to measure temperature. We use a system called the Fahrenheit scale. But most other countries use the Centigrade scale.
Both systems use the freezing and boiling points of water as their guide. ____
The most common kind of thermometer is made with mercury(水银) inside a clear glass tube. As mercury (or any other liquid ) becomes hot, it expands. As it gets colder, it contracts(收缩). That is why on hot days the mercury line is high in the glass tube. ____
First, take a clear glass juice bottle that has a cap; fill the bottle with coloured water. Tap a hole in the center of the cap using a hammer and thick nail. Put the cap on the jar. Then stick a plastic straw(吸管) through the nail hole.
____
Finally, place a white card on the outside of the bottle and behind the straw. Now you can see the water level easily.
____ As the temperature goes down, the water will contract, and the level in the straw will come down. Perhaps you will want to keep a record of the water level in the straw each morning for a week.
| A．We use and depend on thermometers to measure the temperature of many other things in our daily lives. |
| B．Thermometers measure temperature, by using materials that change in the same way when they are heated or cooled. |
| C．Now that you know this rule you can make a thermometer of your own that will work. |
| D．The water will rise in the straw. As the temperature of the air goes up, the water will expand and rise even higher. |
E. They label these in different ways. On the Fahrenheit scale water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at 212 degrees. On the Celsius scale water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees.
F. Take wax (you may use an old candle if you have one) and melt some of it right where the straw is struck into the cap to seal them together.
G. People use thermometers which are made by themselves when travelling around the world.