An artist went to beautiful part of the country for a holiday, and stayed with a famer. Every day he went out with his paints and his brushes and painted from morning to evening. When it got dark, he went back to the farm and had a good dinner before he went to bed. At the end of his holiday, he wanted to pay the farmer, but the farmer said, “No I do not want money, but give me one of your pictures”, .The farmer smiled and answered, “It’s not that. I have a son in London. He wants to become an artist. When he comes here next month. I will show him your picture, and then he will not want to be an artist any more, I think.”What did the artist go to the country for?
| A．To look for the farmer | B．To spend a holiday |
| C．To teach the farmer’s son | D．To see the farmer’s son |
What did the artist do every day in the country?
| A．He chatted with the farmer every day | B．He went out to paint every day |
| C．He played cards with the farmer every day | D．He worked for the farm |
Where did the artist live in the country?
| A．In a hotel | B．He was in France |
| C．He was in Britain. | D．In his own house |
Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的) Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994. All of the women were fifty or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.
The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.
The study found that hopeful individuals were 14% less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30% less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.
Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.
The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.
Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile (怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16% more likely to die than the others. They also were 23% more likely to die of cancer.
The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.
Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative (消极的) emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research. In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?
| A．Nation | B．Opinion |
| C．Science | D．Business |
Researchers carry out the study to ________.
| A．decide who is more likely to enjoy a happier life |
| B．find out the link between personality and health |
| C．gather information for the National Institutes of Health |
| D．compare each woman’s personality changes |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Negative emotions cause a shorter life indeed. |
| B．There may be some link between personality and health. |
| C．It’s uncertain whether optimism affects one’s health. |
| D．The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy. |
Who is more likely to die of cancer according to the text?
| A．A woman who always doubts what others say. |
| B．A woman who doesn’t exercise. |
| C．A woman with high blood pressure. |
| D．A woman with poor physical health. |
What’s Hilary Tindle’s opinion of the study?
| A．Unfair. | B．Useless. | C．Necessary. | D．Reliable. |
In many cultures white is often associated with something positive. A white-collar job, for instance, is the kind of job many people look for, working with your brain and not your hands.
White has a clean and pure image. That is why doctors, dentists, and nurses usually wear white uniforms. Babies are dressed in white at baptisms（洗礼）and brides wear white wedding gowns at weddings. White in these cases is the symbol of innocence or purity.
Sometimes white is used in expressions that are not good. “Whitewash” is one such expression. At first, “whitewash” meant to paint over something with white paint to make it look better. However, it means something different today: to hide or to cover up mistakes or failures.
A “white elephant” is another example of white used in a negative way. In ancient Thailand, a white elephant was regarded as a sacred animal, but it was very expensive to keep. The kings of those days presented a white elephant to the people they wanted to ruin. Once they received this holy, royal animal as a gift, they were not allowed to sell or kill it. Today, a “white elephant” means something that is big, useless, and unwanted. In America, when people want to get rid of their furniture or clothes, they often have a “white elephant sale”.The text is mainly about________.
| A．the meanings of white in English culture |
| B．the history of some English idioms |
| C．some interesting customs in English culture |
| D．some useful English words and expressions |
Which expression has an historical background ?
| A．White-wash. | B．White-collar. |
| C．White elephant. | D．White elephant sale. |
In which statement does “white” have a negative meaning?
| A．A boy is dressed in white at baptisms. |
| B．A bride wears a white wedding gown. |
| C．A man whitewashes his crime. |
| D．A girl finds a white collar job. |
From the text we can learn that _______.
| A．a white-elephant sale is useful to the poor |
| B．the white color is important in our daily life |
| C．a white-collar job used to be easy to get |
| D．expressions with white have different meanings |
The author develops the text mainly by ______.
| A．analyzing its cause and effect |
| B．providing typical examples |
| C．comparing different ideas |
| D．following the time order |
Every American family has its own traditions on Thanksgiving Day, and mine is no different. Once the national holiday arrives, my mom rises early to make the meal. She puts a turkey in the oven, chops carrots and bakes pies. I’m sorry to say that the men in the family – my dad, my younger brother and myself – rarely pitch in to help. Our job is to wash the mountain of dirty dishes after the meal is over.
Around 2 pm every Thanksgiving Day, family members seat themselves around the kitchen table. Plates of turkey, vegetables, salad, rolls and pies cover it. At this point, we can hardly keep ourselves from drooling (流口水) all over our fancy clothes, but it’s not yet time to eat.
First, we must bow our heads, close our eyes and say a prayer of thanks aloud to God for giving us everything we have. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem making a list of things I am thankful for. I grew up in a loving family. My parents, who aren’t wealthy, took out loans to help me pay for university.
But, the funny thing is, every time I sit down for Thanksgiving dinner and try to say a prayer of thanks, my mind usually goes blank. I think it has something to do with my growling (咕咕叫) stomach and all of that food sitting right there under my nose.
Eventually, though, we all finish our short prayers and dig in. To be sure, the day includes other highlights – visiting with family and watching football. But usually around 6 pm we are all ourselves stuffed like turkeys and thankful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in. The purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．tell what the family do for Thanksgiving Day |
| B．tell how the family spends Thanksgiving Day |
| C．introduce foods served on Thanksgiving Day |
| D．introduce the American Thanksgiving Day |
On Thanksgiving Day the author’s family do the following except ________.
| A．watching a movie | B．making visits |
| C．having a big meal | D．watching football |
Why does the author’s mind usually “go blank” when saying a prayer of thanks?
| A．He is too thankful to say a word. |
| B．His mind is on the food before him. |
| C．He feels too excited to speak. |
| D．He is shy to speak in public. |
The underlined phrase “dig in” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”.
| A．chat with others | B．make a hole |
| C．mix things up | D．start eating |
What can we conclude from the text?
| A．On Thanksgiving Day, men do nothing but eat. |
| B．The author is a middle school student. |
| C．The author’s family is not rich, but it’s a loving one. |
| D．Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday of December. |
Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow．While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union．Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families．
Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to （＝before） marriage．Not only do the prospective（预期的） marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings．Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider．
As for any family， the basic ingredient（成分） of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual（相互的） respect．However， love alone is not enough．Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily．
Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success．Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit．Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved．Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully．
By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent（矛盾的） loyalties， lingering（持久的） hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams．The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable．However， there are ways to confront（面临） and resolve them．For example， support groups and professional counselors（法律顾问） are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming（压倒性的）．
Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly．It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort．Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily．Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection．According to the passage， there are in the United States．
| A．no stepfamilies | B．more stepfamilies than ever before |
| C．fewer stepfamilies than ever before | D．fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones |
Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？
| A．The pursuit of the same careers． | B．Professional interventions（干涉）． |
| C．The development of special interests． | D．Careful planning before the marriage． |
Many people believe that contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily．
| A．everlasting loyalties | B．open communication |
| C．kindness and mutual respect | D．persistent（持久稳固的） affection |
It is natural for a stepfamily to be ．
| A．unrealistic | B．complicated | C．ambivalent | D．guilty |
According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is ．
| A．impossible | B．satisfying and rewarding |
| C．discouraging and frustrating | D．a difficult and trying experience |
Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty．In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old．
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States．The Gallup（民意调查） Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008．At that time, the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five．
The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry．They also asked about mental or emotional stress．
Arthur Stone at Stony Brook University in New York led the study．His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five．The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties．Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies．The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties．
Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older．One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions．They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences．
Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry．
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single．But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age．
The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older．However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men．What can be the best title of the text?
| A．Happiness Varies with Ages | B．Experience More, Worry Less |
| C．The Older, the Wiser | D．Being Young, Being Happy |
We can learn from the research that _________．
| A．only when people get older will they feel happier |
| B．stress levels among the youngest are the highest |
| C．older people tend to be grateful |
| D．older people usually have no worries |
According to the research, when people get older, _________．
| A．they miss the old days | B．they are physically weak |
| C．they have better self-control | D．they are more emotional |
What would the author probably talk about next?
| A．What influences happiness． | B．How to live better． |
| C．How to keep happier． | D．Why women are less happier． |
The author is intended to _________．
| A．advise how to reduce stress | B．introduce a scientific finding |
| C．describe how to do research | D．talk about human emotions |