Not long ago, I opened an interesting e-mail from Jennifer, a friend of mine. “I’ve realized I want to be around people who make me happy,” she wrote, “I’ve been seeing how I feel after communicating with different people and making a mental list of who I feel good about. And you’re on my list.”
Then she invited me — and 11 other women— to a “Movie Night” to be held every six weeks at her house. We’d chat, eat, and watch feel-good movies. She made it clear in her invitation that there was no stress to show up to all or any movie nights. Wonderful! I e-mailed her back immediately. I was in.
Later, Jennifer told me she had some puzzled reactions to her invitation. Though all the women were willing to join, some said they didn’t see themselves as cheerful people. “I’ve told them they didn’t have to be cheerful around me all the time. I invited them because they made me feel happy,” she says.
Research shows that gatherings such as Jennifer’s make sense. In a US study, researchers measured(测量) the happiness of 4739 people at regular intervals (间隔) over 20 years. The study found that a person’s happiness depends on(取决于) the happiness of people they connect with. Amazingly, it also found that happiness spreads not only between direct friends, but also among friends of your friends’ friends! And those good feelings seem to be the most contagious (传染性的) among friends of the same sex.
“People with more supportive friends are less likely to develop sadness,” says Dr Toupey Luft, a psychologist in Penticyon, British Columbia. “Though you can’t choose your family or workmates, you do have control over friendships.” With a little effort, you can add more positive(乐观的) relationships to your social circle. Here’s how…How many people did Jennifer invite?
| A．1 | B．11 | C．12 | D．13 |
What kind of things can you do on Jennifer’s movie night?
| A．Gathering and measuring happiness among friends. |
| B．Chatting, eating and watching feel-good movies. |
| C．Being cheerful all the time. |
| D．Showing up stress. |
What do the underlined words mean?
| A．有意义 | B．有鉴赏力 | C．有感觉 | D．制造气氛 |
Which of the following is right?
| A．Jennifer was puzzled with her invitation. |
| B．All the women who were invited are cheerful people. |
| C．Jennifer invited people who are cheerful around her all the time. |
| D．People with more supportive friends seem to be more positive than people who don’t. |
Can you guess what will be talked about in the following passage?
| A．Why it is important to pick friends who make you feel good. |
| B．How to make friends who make you feel good. |
| C．What kinds of friends you should not make. |
| D．How you can find your social circle. |
下表是Fred一周的活动安排，你能根据表格内容，选出下列问题的最佳答案吗？
| Day |
Activities(活动) |
Time |
| Monday |
Go to see Mrs King in the hospital |
3:00~5:00 pm. |
| Tuesday |
Have a dancing class |
8:00~10:30 am. |
| Wednesday |
Do a part-time job(兼职工作) |
12:00~6:00 pm. |
| Thursday |
See Dr. Brown Do a part-time job |
10:30~11:30 am. 12:00~5:00 pm. |
| Friday |
Meet Ann at the station |
9:00 am. |
| Saturday |
Meet Tom |
2:00~4:00 pm. |
| Sunday |
Have a birthday party for kate |
5:00~8:00 pm. |
Where does Fred meet Ann?
| A．At Dr Brown’s house. |
| B．In the hospital. |
| C．At the station |
| D．At school |
How many hours a week does Fred do his part-time job?
| A．Eleven hours. | B．Six hours. |
| C．Ten hours. | D．Twelve hours. |
Fred sees ______ on Thursday morning.
| A．Mrs King | B．Dr. Brown |
| C．Tom | D．Kate |
Kate’s birthday is on ________.
| A．Tuesday | B．Wednesday |
| C．Friday | D．Sunday |
What does Fred do on Saturday afternoon?
| A．He plays football. |
| B．He meets Tom. |
| C．He has a dancing class. |
| D．He goes to see Mrs King in the hospital. |
Choose the best answer (根据短文内容，选择最恰当的答案）
Suppose you are 17 and live alone with no money. Years ago, that was my dad. His father died when he was 10, and as the oldest of five, he had to take care of his brothers and sisters. When his mother remarried, my dad had to leave home. With few choices, he joined the army, and worked as hard as he could for a job, a nice house, and a family. Having a dad like him has made me different from other people; with his help and advice, I set and meet my goals.
When I wanted to play basketball, my dad said, “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do.” People thought I was too small to play, but he let me know I could. Looking back now, I know why my dad said this to me: it was something his father and mother never told him.
Time flew by. It was time for me to look for a job. A department store offered me a job as cart assistant. For the whole day, I pushed shopping carts. It was so cold that I couldn’t move my hands. But my dad wouldn’t let me give up, even though I wanted to. He kept saying it would get better, and he was right. I’ve worked there for a year now and I do much more than just push carts.
My dad helped me grow into the person I’m becoming. When I was younger, I was small. The other boys called me “Lil Nicky”. I hated it. I went to my dad for a help. He encouraged me and helped me make an exercise plan and I got to work.
In my life, there are different roads. My dad helped me get on the one I continue on today. I know I am just at the beginning. There will be difficulties. But there will always be my dad. Even when he is not physically here for me, his words won’t leave my mind.At the age of ________, my father had to care for his brothers and sisters.
| A．5 | B．10 | C．15 | D．17 |
My first job, as a cart assistant, was rather________, so I wanted to give it up.
| A．interesting | B．cold | C．tiring | D．good |
The underlined word “Lil” in the fourth paragraph probably means ________.
| A．smart | B．small | C．black | D．strong |
My father’s words will be on my mind, _______.
| A．so he will die peacefully |
| B．though he has left me |
| C．even when he is dead |
| D．when he is not at home |
My father helped me _______.
| A．move my hands |
| B．play basketball |
| C．give up |
| D．make an exercise plan |
Which of the following is the best topic for the passage?
| A．How Dad helped me in my life |
| B．How Dad achieved success |
| C．How Dad lived a poor life |
| D．How Dad helped me find a job |
Whether you like it or not, your parents are responsible(负责任的) for you, at least until you’ re out of high school. But does it feel like your parents are stressing you out with their love? Do you often fight with them?
Hu Muqing, 16, of Shenyang, complains that his parents only care about his grades and not his other needs. He and his parents fight the most about the time he spends watching TV and on the Internet. The Shenyang teenager said, “They think I should concentrate on my work because I’m in middle school. However, I need to be able to relax. Most of my friends can watch TV and surf the Web a lot. Sometimes it’s hard to talk to them.” After some negotiations (商谈), Hu has been allowed to watch TV for 15 to 20 minutes every night, but has been told to keep away from the computer.
Shen Ying, 17, of Jianyang, Sichuan Province, feels she has grown up now. So she wants more respect(尊重) from her parents. “My father shouted at me when he’s in a bad mood. He doesn’t listen to me, but instead acts like, ‘I’m the boss’!” said the teenager “I’d like my parents to treat me like a friend and understand that respect is a two-way street.”
Lu Yiting, 15, of Shantou, has a different problem with her parents. They think she spends too much time with her friends and is falling into bad company. “I want trust(信任) from my parents,” Lu said.
It’s the age when teenagers are becoming more independent, but their parents care very much about their kids’ futures, said Sun Yunxiao, a senior researcher at the China Youth and Children Research Center. Sun suggests that teenagers should learn to communicate with their parents effectively. “Find the right time for a talk. On Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, say ‘Thank you’ to your parents or give them a small gift with a letter so they can get inside your head a little,” he advised. Sun also believes that teenagers have to work to get trust and respect from their parents. “You need to make sure they know that you’ re not going to screw up(搞砸) your exams or let them down. Let them know that you want to do well, and that you will do well” he said.
Hu Muqing __________.
| A．is a teenager from Shandong Province |
| B．always fights with his classmates |
| C．can watch TV for a short time every night |
| D．has been allowed to surf the Internet |
The sentence “Respect is a two-way street.” means __________.
| A．people should respect each other |
| B．people must respect others in a street |
| C．there are two sides in a street |
| D．people should obey the rules in a street |
What’s Lu Yiting’s problem with her parents?
| A．Her parents think she spends too much time watching TV. |
| B．Her parents think she spends too much time with her friends. |
| C．Her parents always shout at her and don’t respect her. |
| D．Her parents don’t want her to work in a big company. |
Which of the following is not Mr. Sun Yunxiao’s suggestion?
| A．Teenagers should learn to communicate with their parents. |
| B．Teenagers shouldn’t tell their parents when they fail exams. |
| C．Teenagers should talk with their parents at a proper time. |
| D．Teenagers should work very hard to do well in their study. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Parents care too much about their children’s grades. |
| B．Three teenagers and their problems with their parents. |
| C．Parents are stressing their children out with their love. |
| D．Problems between parents and children and how to deal with them. |
In a small village in England about 150 years ago, a mail coach ( 邮车 ) was standing on the street . It didn’t come to that village often . People had to pay a lot to get a letter . The person who sent the letter didn’t have to pay the postage (邮资) , while the receiver had to .
“Ｈere’s a letter for Miss Alice Brown , ” said the mailman .
“ Ｉ’m Alice Brown , ” a girl of about 18 said in a low voice .
Alice looked at the envelope（信封） for a minute , and then handed it back to the mailman .
“ Ｉ＇m sorry I can’t take it , I don’t have enough money to pay it＂, she said .
A gentleman standing around were very sorry for her . Then he came up and paid the postage for her .
When the gentleman gave the letter to her , she said with a smile , “ Thank you very much ,This letter is from Tom . I’m going to marry him . He went to London to look for work . I’ve waited a long time for this letter , but now I don’t need it , there is nothing in it .”
“ Really ? How do you know that ? ” the gentleman said in surprise .
“ He told me that he would put some signs on the envelope . Look ,sir ,this cross in the corner means that he is well and this circle means he has found work . That’s good news .”
The gentleman was Sir Rowland Hill . He didn’t forgot Alice and her letter .
“ The postage to be paid by the receiver has to be changed ,” he said to himself and had a good plan .
“ The postage has to be much lower , what about a penny (便士) ? And the person who sends the letter pays the postage . He has to buy a stamp and put it on the envelope .” he said .
The government accepted his plan . Then the first stamp was put out in 1840 . It was called the “ Penny Black “ . It had a picture of the Queen on it .
The first postage stamp was made ________ .
| A．in England | B．in America |
| C．by Alice | D．in 1910 |
The girl handed the letter back to the mailman because _________ .
| A．she didn’t know whose letter it was |
| B．she had no money to pay the postage |
| C．she received the letter but she didn’t want to open it |
| D．she had already known what was written in the letter |
We can know from Alice’s words that _________ .
| A．Tom had told her what the signs meant before leaving |
| B．Alice was clever and could guess the meaning of the signs |
| C．Alice had put the signs on the envelope herself |
| D．Tom had put the signs as Alice had told him to |
The idea of using stamps was thought of by _________ .
| A．the government | B．Sir Rowland Hill |
| C．Alice Brown | D．Tom |
From the passage we know the high postage made _________ .
| A．People never send each other letters |
| B．lovers almost lose every touch with each other |
| C．people try their best to avoid(避免) paying it |
| D．receivers refuse to pay the coming letters |
Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line(排队), others were walking around. There was a group of schoolgirls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit.
He walked into the station cafe(咖啡馆). He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror(镜子) on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom’s workmates came in and sat with Tom.
“What time is your bus?” asked Mike.
“There’s plenty of time yet,” answered Tom.
“Well, I’ll get you some more tea then,” said Mike.
They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. “Oh! It’s going backward(倒行)!” he cried. “A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it’s half past eleven.”
“You’re looking at the clock in the mirror.” said Mike. Tom was so sad(难过). The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors.Tom went into the station cafe because .
| A．Mike asked him to have a cup of tea. |
| B．it was quite early and he could find a seat there. |
| C．he didn’t like to stay with the schoolgirl. |
| D．he wanted to have a drink with his workmate there. |
What time was it in fact when Tom looked at the clock? .
| A．Half past twelve | B．Twenty to twelve |
| C．Half past eleven | D．Half past one |
From the story we know that when we look at a clock in a mirror, we will find .
| A．the time is right | B．it’s going slower |
| C．it’s going backward | D．it’s going faster |
Which of the following is true? .
| A．Tom arrived in Paris on time |
| B．The next bus would leave in half an hour |
| C．After that Tom didn’t like clocks any longer |
| D．Tom looked at the clock in the mirror only once |
Which of the following is the title(题目) of the story?
| A．The Mirror of the Station |
| B．Not A Careful Man |
| C．Missing A Bus |
| D．The Clock In The Mirror |