Have you ever noticed that the more you have the more you want? Let’s face it. Thinking our life is good enough doesn’t come naturally to many people. When we have high expectations of everything in life we will run into disappointment. Only when we are aware that needs are different from desires can we live with satisfaction. Here are a few ideas to help you be happier with what you have and who you are.
Focus on what you are thankful for. Most people want things to be better than they are, or when things are going well, we forget to appreciate what we have. Learn to reflect on how much better things are than they could be. Focus on what you are thankful for. Write down 5 things you are grateful for right now.
When we hold onto regrets from decisions we have made, it can really poison our well-being. Many people regret something they can no longer change, which ends up holding them back from moving forward in a more positive manner. What happened in the past is done and gone, so work to stay present and be mindful of the current moment to find more joy and fulfillment.
When we use other people as the measuring stick for our personal success and quality of life we are likely to be less satisfied. Social comparisons can provide useful information when we try to learn from others, but they also hold our perspective in a discontented position. Compare yourself less with others so you can be satisfied more.
When you are focused on your big ambitions and future goals you might elide the daily pleasures that surround you. Learn to slow down and absorb the wonder and beauty around you. Stay present and focus on the task you’re undertaking at the moment. Don’t let the life pass you by because you’re always on the go and distracted by ambition.
Practice looking at life through the lens of contentment and it will become more natural.How can we live with contentment?
| A．To change our lifestyle. |
| B．To have a motivation in life. |
| C．To give less attention to what we are grateful for. |
| D．To realize the difference between needs and desires. |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．Make wise decisions. | B．Know the present situation |
| C．Let go of regrets. | D．Remember the past. |
The underlined word “elide”(in Paragraph 5) probably means “__”.
| A．enjoy | B．change | C．create | D．neglect |
What should you do to put yourself in a good mood?
| A．Make time for simple pleasures. |
| B．Learn from successful people. |
| C．Focus on your future goals. |
| D．Create chance to learn more. |
(D)
Peter King, 15 and Mary King, 13 went to see a doctor together. Peter had a bad
cold, so the doctor gave him some pills to take. Mary had a bad cough, so the doctor |
gave her some cough medicine. These are the words on the bottle of medicine:
Cough Medicine
Shake well before use.
Take three times daily after meals.
Dosage: Adults 2 teaspoonfuls
Children 8 -14 1 teaspoonful
Child 4-7 1/2 teaspoonful
Not suitable for children below the age of 4.
Store in a cool place.
Use before October 1998.
1. Mary should take ____ in a day.
A. 2 teaspoonfuls B. 3 teaspoonfuls
C. 4 teaspoonfuls D. 1 teaspoonful
2. People aged ____ cannot take this medicine.
A. 80 B. 15 C. 20 D. 3
3. Mary or her mother should ____ the medicine after the tenth month of 1998.
A. throw away B. take two times
C. stop to take D. take 3 times more
(C)
The Romans built great "aqueducts" to carry fresh water from the mountains to the cities. Many of these aqueducts are still standing today. The Romans also built great pipes under the ground to carry away the sewage. In Rome, one of these sewage pipes (sewers) is still used today; it is 2,000 years old. The Roman Emperors even set up a government health service. They built the first great public hospitals in Europe, and they paid doctors to look after poor people.
Then the Roman Empire fell to pieces, these civilized methods of treatment disappeared from most of Europe, for more than a thousand years. People went back to the old ways. They lived in dirty conditions which helped to cause diseases（疾病）; and they asked God to cure the disease. They shut mentally sick people in prisons. Or they burnt them alive because they were supposed to have magic powers.
But the work of the Greek and Roman doctors was not lost. Over a thousand years
ago, they Arabs moved into many of the Mediterranean countries. They took big parts of the old Roman lands. They translated the Greek and Roman medical books into Arabic. Arab doctors themselves make many new discoveries.
When civilization(文明) at last came back to Europe, men once again translated the Greek and Roman works on medicine into Latin. Slowly－very slowly －European doctors discovered again the things that the Greeks and Romans had known so long ago. Slowly, they began to make new discoveries. They found out more about the way the body works--the way our blood goes round our bodies, the way our nerves（神经） send messages from our brains to our muscles, the way these muscles move our bodies.
1.The word "aqueduct" probably means _______. A. something which was built long ago
B. something invented by a Roman Emperor
C. a big pipe under the ground
D. something built to supply clean water for the citizens
2. Which of the following is true?
A. The sewage pipes built by the Roman are no longer in use now. B. Sewage pipes in Arabia were built by the Romans. C. A sewage pipe still being used today in Rome was built 2,000 .years ago. D. The ancient Romans got their drinking water from underground pipes.
3. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. A government health service was set up in ancient Rome.
B. The first public hospital in Europe was built in Rome.
C. m ancient Rome doctors were paid by the government.
D. Those who were mentally sick were all burnt alive in the Roman Empire.
4. In this article, "civilized methods of treatment" refers to _______.
A. advanced forms of health care
B. the way they burnt the bodies of the dead
C. imprisonment of the mentally sick
D. what was called magic power's
(B)
The Hawaiian Islands are situated（位于） about two thousand miles away from North America, right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Despite the distance the Islands actually make up the fiftieth state of the United States. The Islands were all formed by volcano（火山） eruption and on the largest of the islands, Hawai, or the Big Island, there are still two active volcanoes, the Mauna Loa and the Kilauea, which still erupt every few years.
On the Hawaiian islands the natives have a particularly strange way of indicating(指明) directions. They don't use the north, south, east and west system common to the rest of the world. They use the mauka and makai system. Mauka means "mountain".The mountains in Hawaii are always at the center of the islands, as these are volcanic is lands. Makai means "the sea". The islands are small and the system is simple. Wherever you want to visit, it can always be described in terms of where it lies in relation to the mountains and the sea. A typical conversation(谈话) between a native Hawaiian and a visitor might go as follows.
VISITOR： Excuse me! Could you tell me where the Sheraton Hotel is? HAWAIIAN; Well ... Let me see ! From here it's two blocks mauka,and then one
block makai. You can't miss it!
1. This article would be most likely to appear in which of the following?
A. A novel B. A collection of stories
C. A travel book D. a women's magazine
2. Choose the most suitable title for the article.
A. The Big Island B. Giving Directions in Hawaii
C. Volcanoes D. The Hawaiian Islands
3. In Hawaii the mountains are in the center of the islands because_____
A. of the weather B. of die geological conditions
C. the islands were created by volcanic eruptions
D. of the islands' location in the pacific
4. To find your way in Hawaii, you must _______.
A. refer to geographical directions B. refer to well - known establishments
C. refer to the location of the mountains and the sea
D. refer to the earth and the sea
四．阅读理解。
（A）
Overhead bridges are found in many parts of. Beijing, especially in places where traffic is very heavy and crossing the road is dangerous.
The purpose of these bridges is to enable pedestrians to cross roads safely. Over- head bridges are used in very much the same way as zebra crossings. They are more ef- ficient although less convenient because people have to climb up a long flight of steps. This is inconvenient especially to older people. When pedestrians use an overhead bridge, they do not hold up traffic. However, when they cross a busy road using a ze- bra crossing, traffic is held up, this is why the government has built many overhead bridges to help pedestrians and to keep traffic moving at the same time.
The government of Beijing has spent a large amount of money in building these bridges. For their own safety, pedestrians should be encouraged to use them instead of risking their lives by dashing across the road. Old people, however, may find it a little difficult to climb up and down the steps, but it is still much safer than walking across the road with all the danger of moving traffic.
Overhead bridges serve a very useful purpose. Pedestrians, both old and young, should make it a habit to use them. This will prevent unnecessary accidents and loss of life.
1. What is the advantage （优点）of overhead bridges mentioned in this passage?
A. Taller trucks can pass under them.
B. Pedestrians can climb up and have a view of the city.
C. They are safer for pedestrians and can keep traffic moving at the same fame.
D. They are easier and more convenient for the pedestrians.
2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Overhead bridges are found in every part of Beijing.
B.Overhead bridges are only found in center of Beijing. C.Overhead bridges are found in many parts of big cities in China. D. Overhead bridges are found in places where traffic is heavy.
3.Theunderlined words a zebra crossing probably mean _______.
A. a safe place across a road for pedestrians to walk across the road.
B. A wild animal from Africa that looks like a horse with broad dark brown and white stripes on its body
C. A safe place across a road for zebra to walk across the road
D. A safe place across a road for children to play a game.
4. What is the writer's attitude（态度） towards overhead bridge?
A. It is inconvenient for older people to walk across the road.
B. It is much safer for pedestrians thought climbing up and down the steps may be a little difficult.
C. An overhead bridge is more beautiful than a zebra crossing.
D. To build overhead bridges is the business of the government.
(C)
It looks like a mobile phone（手机）, but the service is much cheaper. It acts like a mobile phone, but only in your own city. Beyond the city walls, it’s useless.
“Little Smart”, also called “xiaolingtong”, has always been compared to mobile phones. But actually, it is more like one of those cordless phones(无绳电话) used around the home. The only difference is that this one reaches much further than from the bathroom to the living room. It can travel across an entire city.
Cheap costs are the main reason for the success of Little Smart. It costs 25 yuan a month for the line and about 0.1 yuan per minute to use. A mobile phone, on the other hand, can cost four or five times as much. What’s more, unlike mobile phones, there’s no fee(费) for incoming calls. So these low charges have attracted many users.
But, Little Smart is not really that smart. Users often complain about its bad voice quality. And there are not as many stations to pick up its signals（信号）as there are for mobiles. “I couldn’t receive a phone call if I was on a bus,” said Li Ping, a user in Hangzhou. “It worked fine when I stood still, but there were breaks in signal when I was moving.”
Scientists are trying to make Little Smart more user friendly. Messaging and Internet access(接入) have been added to the service. And the latest Little Smart handset even has color screen.
31. Why is Little Smart popular in China? ___________
A. It looks like a mobile phone. B. The service is much cheaper.
C. There is no fee for incoming calls. D. All of the above.
32. How is the charge of Little Smart? ______________
A. About 10 fen per minute to use.
B. It costs four or five times more than a mobile phone.
C. It only costs 25 yuan each month.
D. There’s no fee for calls.
33. Why are users not satisfied with Little Smart? ___________
A. They can’t hear each other clearly out of the city.
B. There are so few stations for Little Smart to pick up its signals.
C.When you use it, you must stand up.
D. The charges are low.
34. The underlined word “handset” in the last paragraph means “_________”.
A. the hand bag B. telephoneC. service D. mobile phone
35. What can we infer from the passage? ________________.
A. It’s wrong to say that Little Smart is smart.
B. Scientist are trying to make Little Smart smaller.
C. Little Smart will be better than today.
D. People will change Little Smart into a mobile phone.