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.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science 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.
The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 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.
The researchers 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 is the best title of the passage?
| A．The older a person is, the more stressed he feels. |
| B．The more lighthearted a person is, the happier he is. |
| C．The older a person is the more clever he grows. |
| D．The older a person is, the happier he grows. |
We can learn from the research that _________.
| A．only when people get older, will they feel happier |
| B．older people usually have no worries in their life |
| C．stress levels among the youngest are the highest of all |
| D．older people are more likely to be thankful in life |
According to the researchers, what is probably the reason why people grow happier when they get older?
| A．When people get older, they can’t remember bad experiences. |
| B．When people get older, they have no young children to care about. |
| C．When people get older, they learn to adjust their feelings. |
| D．When people get older, they don’t care about their feelings. |
What would the writer probably deal with in next paragraph?
| A．Advice to the young people on how to keep happy. |
| B．Advice to the old people on how to live longer. |
| C．Why women at all ages are more sad, stressed and worried. |
| D．Why people will grow happier with their ages. |
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a ‘territory’ is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting（筑巢）season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually________.
| A．an expression of happiness | B．a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger | D．a way of greeting |
What does the underlined word “territory’’ mean?
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own |
Why do birds keep on singing at nesting season?
| A．Because they want to invite more friends |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears |
How does the writer explain bird’s singing?
| A．By comparing birds with human beings |
| B．By reporting experiment results |
| C．By describing birds’ daily life |
| D．By telling a bird’s story |
Our Community
One Tuesday evening in the beginning of the fall 1996 semester (学期) at Shippensburg University, sirens sounded. These sirens were not in celebration; they were a cry to the university that something was wrong. A house, only one block away, was on fire. Nine of the university’s students lived there.
From the minute the word got out that help was needed, it seemed like everyone showed up. The victims (受灾者) of the fire were offered endless invitations for housing for the night. The very next day, everyone got into gear to do their part in helping them. Flyers(传单) were posted with items that were immediately needed, just to get these students through this next couple of days. Boxes for donations (捐赠品) and money jars were placed in every residence hall (学生宿舍)．
As a residence director, I went before the students in my hall to ask them to do what they could. I knew that college students don’t have much, but I asked them to do their best: “Every little bit will help.” I really didn’t think they could do much. I was proved wrong.
At the hall council meeting the night after the fire, my residents decided to have a wing competition, where each wing of the building would team up to see who could bring in the most donations. I announced that the wing who won would receive a free pizza party.
Thursday evening we announced over the PA system that we were beginning the wing competition. Within minutes, the place exploded. The single large box that I had placed in the lobby (大厅) was overflowing. We quickly grabbed more boxes, and we watched in amazement as they, too, filled to the brim(边；沿). Members of the resident assistant staff and I began to count the items. I was astonished by what I saw, and I was inspired by these kids.
When we came to the final tally(得分), the winners turned to me and announced that they would like to donate their winnings as well. They wanted the victims of the fire to have their pizza party.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I had watched these students jump to action, work tirelessly and donate all that they could. And then, as if that were not enough, they handed over their reward. I was touched and so very proud of them.The writer mainly wanted to________ by the story.
| A．tell us nine of the college students suffered from a fire |
| B．sing praise of the college students helping the victims selflessly |
| C．describe how successful the wing competition was |
| D．express he was deeply moved by the college students’ action |
At first, the residence director thought ________.
| A．it was impossible to expect the college students to donate anything |
| B．it was easy to collect a lot of donations from the college students |
| C．the college students would donate something, but not much |
| D．the college students would donate all they could |
The wing competition was held ________.
| A．several days after the fire | B．the night after the fire |
| C．a week after the fire | D．two days after the fire |
The phrase “in amazement” in Paragraph 5 means ________.
| A．satisfactorily | B．excitedly |
| C．surprisedly | D．happily |
April Fools’ Day, not officially considered a holiday, is most definitely a notable day that is celebrated in many countries on April 1. The thing that is so special about April 1 is that it is the day for playing tricks and practical jokes on others. The aim of these jokes is to bring embarrassment to others.
Superstitions(迷信)have it that the practical jokes are meant to be played before noon, and that those that are performed afterwards will bring bad luck. This limitation is widely losing its value due to the fact that many major hoaxes throughout history appear after noon. Another superstition is that anyone who fails to respond properly to the jokes played on them is also said to be easy to suffer from bad luck.
Some people think that being fooled by a pretty girl will be accompanied by marriage, or at least a friendship with her. That sounds like a good deal if she is truly pretty. Some people believe that being married on April Fools’ Day is not a good idea for a man, and that forever in the future he will be ruled by his wife.
The origin of April Fools’ day is not clearly known, but it is generally accepted to have come about as a result of the changes in the calendar system. The New Year celebrations used to begin on 25 March and last for a week, ending on 1 April. In 1582, Charles IX, King of France brought in the new Gregorian calendar, in which the new year began on 1 January. Unfortunately, some people did not hear about the change, and many others simply refused to break the tradition.April Fools’ Day is different from other festivals probably because .
| A．it is not official holiday |
| B．jokes can be played on this day |
| C．people are relaxed on this day |
| D．it is an important day |
If jokes are played on you by a beautiful girl you’ll probably .
| A．dislike her | B．make much money |
| C．make many friends | D．get married to her soon |
A man would rather not get married on April probably because .
| A．he loves his wife very much |
| B．he is eager for a bright future |
| C．he doesn’t want to obey his wife |
| D．he doesn’t like playing jokes |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．April Fools’ Day | B．The New Year |
| C．The Superstitions | D．The New Gregorian Calendar |
How to prepare for exams? Well, it is a big question that you always ask yourself.
There is no short cut to success, which is the first thing you should remember. For this reason you have to study hard first of all. Besides, here are some tips for you.
Never fear or hate exams and be confident. Some students study well but still may be afraid of exams and due to this reason they won’t be able to get good marks. So leave all your fears behind and free your mind before starting your studies. You have to be confident and it is the most important thing for attaining victory.
Prepare a good timetable. Prepare a timetable before starting your studies. This should include all subjects, but tough subjects can be given more time while easier ones less. And remember some time shall be spared for entertainment and also there should be enough break time between each subject.
Select a proper atmosphere for studying. No need to explain this point. Can anyone study well while watching TV? So select a place where you feel comfortable and can concentrate. And importantly it is better to study early in the morning when you will have quiet surroundings and you can concentrate more.
Make notes while studying. This is a very important point. Make small notes while studying can help you remember all the points. It will work better if you use these notes for revision in the last one or two hours than you skip through pages of your textbook. It won’t take much time to go through these notes.
Write well. As we all know, the first impression is the best impression. So your handwriting affects your marks. Try to write neatly. If it is not good enough, don’t worry; if you present it in a good manner you can score more marks.Which proverb can show the writer’s attitude towards our studies?
| A．No pain, no gain. |
| B．Knowledge is power. |
| C．It’s never too old to learn. |
| D．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. |
Why do some students hate exams according to the passage?
| A．Because they think exams are meaningless. |
| B．Because preparing for exams takes up most of their time. |
| C．Because there are too many exams at school. |
| D．Because they don’t have enough self-confidence. |
Why does the writer say “No need to explain this point” in Paragraph 5?
| A．Because it’s difficult to explain. |
| B．Because it’s easy to understand. |
| C．Because we need to study in silence. |
| D．Because a proper atmosphere can be formed anywhere. |
According to the writer, making small notes can help us do all the following EXCEPT .
| A．saving time | B．practicing writing |
| C．remembering all the points | D．reviewing more effectively |
Hurricane Sandy was a hurricane that destroyed parts of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States during late October 2012, with minor impacts in the Southeastern and Midwestern states and Eastern Canada. Sandy, classified as the eighteenth named storm and tenth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, was a Category 2 storm at its peak intensity. While it was a Category 1 storm off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record. Previous estimates of losses due to damage and business interruption are estimated at $65.6 billion, which would make it the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane, behind only Hurricane Katrina. At least 253 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries.
Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, quickly strengthened, and was upgraded to Tropical Storm six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually becoming stronger. On October 24, Sandy became a hurricane, made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica, a few hours later, entered into the Caribbean Sea again and strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. On October 25, Sandy hit Cuba, and then weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 26, Sandy moved through the Bahamas. On October 27, Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 29, Sandy turned from north to northwest and then moved ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds.
In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. Its storm hit New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city. Damage in the US is estimated at over $63 billion.According to the passage, which of the following wind forms is the strongest?
| A．Tropical wave. | B．Tropical storm. |
| C．Category 1 hurricane. | D．Category 2 hurricane. |
We can learn from the passage that_______.
A. Sandy caused 253 deaths totally in the USA.
B. Sandy reached its strongest in the Caribbean Sea.
C. Sandy resulted in great loss in most states in the USA.
D. Sandy is the second largest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded.Which of the following graph shows the development of Sandy?
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
What is the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To tell us how terrible Sandy is. |
| B．To teach us what to do in face of hurricanes. |
| C．To inform readers of Sandy and its damage. |
| D．To warn readers of the dangers caused by hurricanes. |