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. |
For years scientists have been worrying about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.
Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer, Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution.
People have paid more attention to the problem now. It is true that when builders began making houses and offices they did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using man-made building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases.
As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building—green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and through its tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square metres of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals.
So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and more healthy place.Generally speaking, indoor air pollution may be more harmful than the air outside because ________.
| A．indoor air pollution can make a person seriously ill |
| B．man - made building materials give off dangerous gases |
| C．there may be more harmful gases outside the buildings |
| D．the air indoors is polluted, which is very harmful |
Some kind of indoor pollution can be found in ________
A. every modern house
B. every old house
C. all kinds of houses
D all kinds of officesThe indoor air pollution is caused by ______
| A．the limit of the flow of air between inside and outside |
| B．the building way that the builders want to save energy |
| C．the building things that are made of man-made materials |
| D．the man-made building materials and the limit of airflow |
The reason why we should use different kinds of plants to clean the air is that _______
| A．plants can let out all kinds of pollutants indoors |
| B．plants may take in more oxygen which people need |
| C．plants can absorb all kinds of harmful indoor chemicals |
| D．plants can make our houses prettier and more healthy |
Do you want a bit of an adventure? Would you like to discover all the corners of the UK, or travel abroad? Maybe you have never tried the motorhome lifestyle before. Well, read this article and you will know why a motorhome is a good choice.
Nothing is better than a motorhome. It has so many uses that it is considered the most versatile vehicle and it is also very comfortable. If you are thinking about hiring a motorhome this summer, then the best choice is to book it early, especially if you are considering the school holidays. The motorhome hire service is very seasonal and motorhome hire companies will never have extra vehicles available in the summer months.
There are a lot of companies throughout the UK, and some of the big ones have motorhomes spread all over the country. At present, the largest network for motorhome hire is provided by Motorhome which is based in Cambridge. If you are in the UK, you may phone 0800612-8719 for details of its motorhome hire information. Motorhome has a network of over 500 vehicles all over England, Scotland and Wales.
Most people wishing to hire a motorhome are families that are looking for an alternative to a European package holiday, especially as flying now has become more expensive, and is considered to be environmentally unfriendly. There is no doubt that the idea of no-fly holidays is going to become more popular as fewer people think it is safe to fly. This explains why more and more people are choosing to hire a motorhome for their holidays.The main purpose of this text is to explain why it is a good idea to _________.
| A．take an adventure |
| B．travel to England |
| C．try a new lifestyle |
| D．hire a motorhome |
What does the underlined word “versatile” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Fast. | B．Safe. |
| C．Useful. | D．Exciting. |
Why should you book a motorhome early if you want to book one for this summer?
| A．Booking early is much cheaper. |
| B．Summer is usually a very busy season. |
| C．You can arrange your time better this way. |
| D．Students usually book them to earn money. |
The last paragraph tells us the advantages of hiring a motorhome by _________.
| A．telling us a story |
| B．giving detailed data |
| C．comparing it with flying |
| D．showing the results of a study |
Want to find a job? Now read the following advertisements.
| WILSON BOOKSTORE Accountant(会计) ---Aged between 25 and 40 ---With an experience of at least two years ---With a degree and an accountant certificate(证书) ---Paid 3000-4000 dollars monthly ---With a knowledge of computer Salesclerk ---Basic education of 12 years or more ---Good at computer ---Paid 1800-2200 dollars monthly Tel: 447-4398 Fax: 3485269 |
| A．a secretary | B．a waiter or a waitress |
| C．an accountant | D．a salesclerk |
| A．being a woman |
| B．knowing well how to use a computer |
| C．having been an accountant |
| D．having an accountant certificate |
| A．have to be a woman and know foreign languages |
| B．should be a university graduate |
| C．have to be taller than 1.72 meters |
| D．should be younger than 30 years old |
If you are planning on traveling, there are a few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after your journey.
First of all, always check and doublecheck departure (出发) time. It is surprising how few people really do this carefully. Once I arrived at the airport a few minutes after ten. My secretary had got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10：50. When I arrived at the airport, the person at the departure desk told me that my flight was closed. Therefore, I had to wait three hours for the next one and missed an important meeting.
The second rule is to remember that even in this age of credit cards (信用卡), it is still important to have some local money in cash (现金). Once I arrived at a place at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only way to get to my hotel was by taxi but because I had no dollars, I offered to pay in pounds instead. “Listen! I only take real money！” the driver said angrily. You can imagine how terrible I felt at that moment.
The third and the last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination before you leave. I feel sorry for some of my workmates who travel in heavy suits and raincoats in May, when it is still fairly cool in London or Manchester, to places like Athens, Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day.
A．Britain. B．The USA.
C．Italy. D．Greece.
| A．asked the driver to give him a free ride |
| B．offered to pay in pounds |
| C．gave the driver some fake(假)money |
| D．tried to pay by credit card |
| A．warm and dry | B．cold and dry |
| C．hot and wet | D．cool and rainy |
| A．how to make life easier |
| B．how to be well prepared for a trip |
| C．how to enjoy ourselves on the trip |
| D．how to schedule our trip |
One night, the first floor of the house suddenly caught fire. The fire was big, and soon became a sea of fire. On the second floor lived a little girl and her grandmother; the little girl’s parents had died, and she lived together with her grandma. In order to rescue the little girl, the grandmother was burned to death, leaving the little girl crying for help loudly.
How could people enter the house? At the very moment, a man carrying a ladder rushed to the flames and got into the window. When he appeared again in the eyes of the people, the little girl was in his arms. He gave the child to the crowd, and then disappeared into the night.
This little girl had no family. Two months later a meeting was held to find a person to adopt (收养) the girl. A teacher was willing to adopt this child, and said she could give her the best education; a farmer wanted to adopt this child, saying that village life would let the child grow up healthily and happily; a rich man said, “I can give the child everything that others can do.”
A lot of people who wanted to adopt this child said about many benefits of their adopting the child. But the little girl’s face had no expression. At this time, a man, through the crowd, walked straight in front of the little girl, and opened his arms for the little girl. People were puzzled, and they found that the man had terrible scars on his arms. The little girl let out a cry, “This is the man who saved me!” She suddenly jumped up, and buried her face in his arms and sobbed. Naturally the man adopted the girl.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The grandma was too old to rush out of the room. |
| B．The little girl and her grandpa lived on the second floor. |
| C．To rescue the little girl, her grandma died in the fire. |
| D．The grandma and the little girl cried for help loudly on the first floor. |
What did the man do when he had saved the little girl?
| A．He returned to his work. |
| B．He left the girl to the crowd and left quickly. |
| C．He was injured and went to the hospital. |
| D．He took the girl home. |
The meeting was held there in order to .
| A．decide who would adopt the girl |
| B．find out who had rescued the girl |
| C．decide how the girl would be raised |
| D．honor the hero who had saved the girl |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．People didn’t want to help the little girl at first. |
| B．The man who had saved the girl was a fireman. |
| C．The rich man would buy everything the girl needed. |
| D．The girl recognized the man and was happy to be adopted by him. |