Last year, CCTV journalists approached pedestrians with their cameras, held a microphone to their mouth and asked a simple question, “Are you happy?”
The question has caught many interviewees off guard. Even Mo Yan, who just won a Nobel Prize, responded by saying, “I don’t know”.
While the question has become a buzz phrase and the Internet plays host to heated discussions, we ask: What exactly is happiness? And how do you measure it?
In the 1776 US Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson set in writing the people’s unalienable right to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. 235 years on, Wen Jiabao told the nation, “Everything we do is aimed at letting people live more happily.” At National People’s Congress, officials agreed that increasing happiness would be a top target for the 12th five-year plan.
US psychologist Ed Diener, author of Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, describes happiness as “ a combination of life satisfaction and having more positive than negative emotions”, according to US broadcasting network PBS. This may sound straightforward enough, but it still doesn’t explain what determines people’s happiness.
Many argue that happiness is elusive and that there is no single source. It also means different things to different people. For some, happiness can be as simple as having enough cash.
Researchers believe happiness can be separated into two types: daily experiences of hedonic (享乐的) well-being; and evaluative well-being, the way people think about their lives as a whole. The former refers to the quality of living, whereas the latter is about overall happiness, including life goals and achievements. Happiness can cross both dimensions.
Li Jun, a psychologist and mental therapy practitioner at a Beijing clinic, says, “Happiness can mean both the most basic human satisfaction or the highest level of spiritual pursuit. It’s a simple yet profound topic.”
Chen Shangyuan, 21, a junior English major at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said his idea of happiness always evolves. “At present it relates to how productive I am in a day,” he said. “It might be linked to job security or leisure time after I graduate.”
Then there is the question of measuring happiness. Does it depend on how many friends we have, or whether we own the latest smart phone? Is it even quantifiable?
Economists are trying to measure happiness in people’s lives. Since 1972, Bhutan’s GDP measurement has been replaced by a Gross National Happiness index. It is calculated according to the peoples’ sense of being well-governed, their relationship with the environment, their satisfaction with economic development, and their sense of national belonging.
In 2009, US economist Joseph Stiglitz proposed “to shift emphasis from measuring economic production to measuring people’s well-being”. But is well-being more easily measured? In the second paragraph, the writer gave an example to ________.
| A．support his idea that being famous is the reason to be happy |
| B．introduce his topic to be discussed |
| C．tell people winning a Nobel Prize is a great honor |
| D．show that the question was quite difficult |
From what Thomas Jefferson and Wen Jiabao mentioned in the passage, we know ________.
| A．people’s happiness is determined by great people |
| B．people’s happiness is an important target for the development of a country |
| C．people in all countries have the right to ask the government for a happy life |
| D．people both in China and America are living a happy life |
According to the passage, the writer may most likely agree that ________.
| A．CCTV journalists are concerned about people’s happiness out of sympathy |
| B．the question has led to heated discussions about who are the happiest people in China |
| C．Bhutan’s new index shows that people there are the happiest in the world |
| D．it is not easy for us to decide what determines people’s happiness |
What does the underlined word “elusive” in the sixth paragraph mean?
| A．available. | B．easy to get. | C．hard to describe. | D．unimaginable. |
The best title of the passage is ________.
| A．Are you happy? | B．The Measurement of Happiness |
| C．GDP and Happiness | D．The Secret of Happiness |
More than 12 300 people were killed and tens of thousands left homeless after a powerful undersea earthquake unleashed giant tsunami waves that crashed into the coasts of south and southeast Asia.
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra early on Sunday was the biggest in 40 years.It triggered waves that reared up into walls of water as high as 10 meters(30 feet) as they hit coastlines in Indonesia,Sri Lanka,India and Thailand.
Aid agencies rushed staff,equipment and money to the region,warning that bodies rotting in the water were already beginning to threaten the water supply for survivors.
Rescue workers also spoke of bodies still caught up on trees after being flung inland by the waves.
“I just couldn’t believe what was happening before my eyes,”Boree Carlson said from a hotel in the Thai resort of Phuket.
“As I was standing there,a car actually floated into the lobby and overturned because the current was so strong,”said the 45-year-old Swede.
“I heard an eerie sound that I have never heard before.It was a high pitched sound followed by a deafening roar,”said a 55-year-old Indian fisherman who gave his name as Chellappa.
“I told everyone to run for their life.”
In Indonesia,an archipelago of 17 000 islands,one official said nearly 4500 people had died.The worst affected area was Bands Aceh,the capital of Aceh Province,where 3000 were killed.More than 200 prisoners escaped from a jail when the tsunami knocked down its walls.In Sri Lanka（斯里兰卡）,the death toll also reached 4500 and 1 million people,or 5 percent of its population,were affected.It was the worst natural disaster to hit Sri Lanka.Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans sheltered in schools and temples overnight,and officials expected the death toll to rise further once rescuers resumed searches after daybreak.In southern India,where at least 3000 were estimated to have died,beaches were littered with submerged cars and wrecked boats.Shanties on the coast were under water.
Thai government officials said at least 392 bodies had been retrieved and they expected the final toll to approach 1000.
The earthquake,of magnitude 8.9 as measured by the U.S. Geological Survery (news-web sites),struck at 7:59 a.m.(1959EST).It was the world’s biggest since 1964,said Julie Martinez at the USGS(news-web sites).
The tsunami was so powerful it smashed boast and flooded areas along the east African coast,3728 miles away.What does the underlined word “tsunami” probably mean?
| A．Tidal wave. | B．Wave. |
| C．Earthquake. | D．A man who kills many persons. |
What does the passage mainly talk about？
| A．Asian tsunami kills many people,and many more become homeless. |
| B．An earthquake happens. |
| C．The tsunami was so powerful that it smashed boats and people. |
| D．It was the biggest earthquake in 40 years. |
The sea waves hit coastlines in _________.
| A．Indonesia | B．Sri Lanka | C．India and Thailand | D．All of above |
Picasso,the famous Spanish painter,was born in 1881.His father was an art teacher.Picasso began to paint very early.He was admitted to the Royal Academy of Art at the age of 15.After 1900,he spent much time in Paris,living there to 1947,then he moved to the south of France.
Throughout his career,Picasso moved from style to style with ease.He practised sculpture illustrated books and also showed great interest in pottery design and other fields of art.
Picasso produced a great number of drawngs in his life.No later artist of the school of Paris has replaced him in international influence.
Picasso is generally considered to be the foremost figure in the 20th century French art.His paintings are now exhibited in leading European and American galleries.The main idea of the passage is_________.
| A．Picasso is considered to be the foremost figure in the 20th century French art |
| B．Picasso is a famous Spanish painter |
| C．Picasso spent much time in Paris,living there from 1940 to 1947 |
| D．Picasso’s life and art |
How long did he stay in Spain and France?
| A．15 years in Spain and 43 years in Paris. |
| B．15 years in Spain and the rest of life in Paris. |
| C．Over 19 years in Spain and the rest of life in Paris. |
| D．He didn’t stay so long in Paris. |
Picasso moved from style to style with ease.It seems _________.
| A．he did not like only one style |
| B．he changed his style without difficulty |
| C．he not only liked sculpture,but also liked pottery design |
| D．he showed great interest in other fields of art |
His paintings are now exhibited in leading European and American galleries,because _________.
| A．he was a Spanish artist |
| B．he was a French artist |
| C．he was famous in French art |
| D．he produced a great many wonderful drawings in different styles |
There are no exact differences between physics and other natural sciences because all sciences overlap(重叠）.In general,however,physics is the scientific study of forces and qualities such as heat,light,sound,pressure,gravity and electricity,and the ways they affect other objects.
One major branch of physics deals with the states of matter—solids,liquids and gases and with their motions.The pioneer achievements of Galileo,Kepler and Newton dealt with solid masses of matter in motion.Such studies deal with forces acting on moving objects.It is the subject of mechanics and belongs to the branch of mechanics called dynamics,the study of matter in motion.This large topic includes not only the motions of stars and ping-pong balls but also the motions of the water pumped by a fire engine and those of the air passing through the jet engine of an airplane.
A branch of mechanics is statics(静力学）,the study of matter at rest.The designs of buildings and bridges are examples of problems in statics.Other branches of physics are based on the different kinds of energy,which interact with matter.They deal with electricity and magnetism（磁力）,heat,light,and sound.From these branches of physics scientists find clues(线索） which have revealed(揭示） the constructions of atoms and how the atoms react to various kinds of energy. This knowledge is often called the basis of modern physics.Among the many subdivisions（细的分支）of modern physics are electronics and nuclear physics.Physics is closely related to engineering.A person who uses knowledge of physics in solving everyday problems is often called an engineer.For example,electricity is one of the branches of physics;and an electrical engineer is a man who uses the “natural laws” of electricity to help in designing and electric generator(电动机）.Physics is not exactly different from other natural sciences because_________.
| A．physics and other natural sciences have parts in common |
| B．it is the scientific study of forces and qualities such as heat,light and sound |
| C．it studies the ways in which forces and qualities affect other objects |
| D．it is a part of other natural sciences |
The following statements are included in the study of dynamics except_________.
| A．the design and construction of skyscrapers |
| B．the motions of heavenly bodies |
| C．the motions of water pumped by a fire engine |
| D．the motions of the air passing through the jet engine of an airplane |
Among many branches of modern physics is _________.
| A．states | B．electricity | C．electronics | D．mechanics |
This knowledge” in Paragraph Three refers to_________.
| A．electricity and magnetism,light and sound |
| B．the construction of atoms and their reactions to various kinds of energy |
| C．the basis of modern physics |
| D．electronics and nuclear physics |
Ted Shreds doesn't like cars.He wants people to stop driving because cars make the air dirty.Ted had an idea.He said,“I'm going to cycle around North America.I want to show everyone that cycling is a fun way to get around.If more people ride bikes,the air will be cleaner.”
He left his hometown with $160 in his pocket.When he got to San Diego,he met another cyclist.The cyclist invited Ted to speak at a big meeting about the environment.He said,“We'll pay your airfare to Texas and we'll pay you to talk about your cycling trip.”Two hours late,Ted was on a plane to the environmental conference and to a big surprise!
While he was at the conference,he met Deanna,it was love at first sight!They talked for six hours straight.
The next day,Ted called Deanna and asked her to finish the trip with him.Deanna said yes,sold everything in her apartment,gave her notice at work,and was on the road with Ted 20 days later!
“It was difficult at first,”said Deanna.“Ted got up every morning at 6:00 a.m.,but I wanted to sleep until noon.”After a few days,they started having fun.As they cycled from Florida to Montreal and then back to Vancouver,every day was an adventure.People paid for their food in restaurants and gave them extra money.Some people gave them $50 or $100.They slept in people's backyards and drank beer with motorcycle gangs.
On their way back to Vancouver,they stopped in Edmonton to visit Ted's relatives.During the stopover,they got married.People tied a “Just Married” sign and tin cans to the backs of their bikes.They got married.They now want to write a book about their trip.“We want people to know that you can be an environmentalist and still have fun,”Shreds said.Ted Shreds went cycling because_________.
| A．he loves adventure |
| B．cycling is a lot of fun |
| C．he wanted to find himself a wife |
| D．he supports environmental protection |
Ted got paid for_________.
| A．giving a talk about his cycling trip | B．cycling throughout North America |
| C．traveling around North America by air | D．attending conferences on cycling |
The “big surprise” he had at the conference was that _________.
| A．he met another cyclist who wanted to join him |
| B．he fell in love with a girl there |
| C．he gave a long talk lasting 6 hours |
| D．he had a lot of fun talking about his cycling trip |
During the trip,Ted and Deanna_________.
| A．found it hard to get up early |
| B．were attacked by motorcycle gangs |
| C．did not have to pay for their meals in restaurants |
| D．decided to get married |
How many coins have you got in your pocket right now?Three?Two?Or one?With a phonecard you can make up to 200 calls without any change at all.
1.What do you do with it?
Go to a telephone box marked “Phonecard”.Put in your card,make your call and when you've finished,a screen tells you how much is left on your card.It costs no extra for the cards,and the calls cast 10 per unit,the same as any other payphone call.You can put them in units of 10,20,40,100 or 200.
2.Now appearing in a shop near you
Near each card phone place you'll find a shop where you can buy one.They're at bus,train and city tube stations.Many universities,hospitals and clubs,restaurants and gas stations on the highway and shopping centers.At airports and seaports.
3.No more broken payphones
Most broken payphones are like that they've been vandalized（破坏了的）.There are no coins in Cardphone to excite thieves' interest in it.So you're not probably to find a vandalized one.Get a phonecard yourself and try it out.Or get a bigger wallet.There are three sections in the passage.Which section do you think is about why phonecards are good?
| A．Section 1. | B．Section 2. | C．Section 3. | D．Section 1&2. |
Choose the right order of the steps under“How to use a phonecard”.
a.Put in your phonecard.
b.Look at the screen to find out how many calls you can still make.
c.Go to a telephone box marked “Phonecard”.
d.Make your call.
| A．a,b,c,d | B．c,a,d,b | C．a,d,c,b | D．c,d,a,b |
The last sentence “Or get a bigger wallet”means“_________”.
| A．Phonecards are cheap |
| B．You cannot use all payphones |
| C．Thieves will not break card phones |
| D．People do not like carrying a lot of coins |