If you’re looking for a cheery destination for your next vacation, consider these four spots and get ready to take notes on how to really live the good life．
Singapore
With one of the highest population densities（密度）in the world and residents known for being workaholics, it’s hard to imagine the city-state of Singapore having one of the happiest populations on earth．And yet in a recent survey, 95% of them said they were either very happy or quite happy．
They give their city high marks for cleanliness and safety—subways are pristine（洁净的）and unfailingly arrive on time, and police are seen as helpful and good at their jobs．What’s more, they feel they can count on their neighbours—all 5．1 million of them．
Arhus, Denmark
The residents of Arhus cheerfully part with 68% of their income in taxes, knowing that in return they will be guaranteed free healthcare, free daycare, and a top-notch（第一流的）education for their children．
An energetic city of 300,000 with a lively cultural scene and a diverse number of religions represented, the sense of equality（the range in incomes is narrow）, as well as easy access to the nearby sea and surrounding countryside, make Arhus seem more like a small town．
San Luis Obispo, CA
According to a 2008 Gallup-Healthways study, people who live in San Luis Obispo are more likely than residents of other U．S．cities to smile and experience joy and are less likely to experience pain or depression．About 64,000 of the 260,000 people in the greater metropolitan area（都市区）, located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, volunteer at over 11,000 non-profit organizations．
Few journeys to work are longer than 10 minutes （one reason its members rank in the upper third for job satisfaction）, so “it’s easy to be involved,” resident Pierre Rademaker said．Business signs are unobtrusive（不显眼的）by law, fewer than 11% of residents smoke—the lower rate in the U．S．—there are lots of bike lanes, and the city’s plaza draws crowds of people for free concerts on summer Fridays．What’s not to love?
Monterrey, Mexico
The people of Monterrey don’t enjoy high household incomes or access to good healthcare．Instead, there’s a profound sense of gratitude for the new political freedom enjoyed since the oppressive Institutional Revolutionary Party lost power in 2000—the first time in nearly a century—as well as an emphasis on social life over work．
Another reason Monterrey residents may be so happy is their faith in God and family, and their ability to tough it out through bad times．
“We laugh at sickness, poverty and even death,” says Basanez, a political scientist who lives in Monterrey．“We even have a holiday to celebrate death．November 2, the Day of the Dead, is one of the biggest holidays of the year．”According to the passage, what do the residents in the four cities have in common?
| A．All the residents can make great fortunes by working hard． |
| B．The residents there are mostly educators． |
| C．All the residents enjoy enough material wealth． |
| D．The majority of the residents are satisfied with their current life． |
According to the passage, we can infer that _______．
| A．the people of Singapore expect their neighbours to come to their help when necessary |
| B．the people of Monterrey even observe one’s death on a special day of a year |
| C．the residents of Arhus happily pay 68% of their income for their children’s education fee |
| D．the people who live in San Luis Obispo have job satisfaction because they can enjoy good working conditions |
According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
| A．The people of Monterrey didn’t enjoy political freedom until 2000． |
| B．The residents in Singapore feel happy because of its low population density． |
| C．The people of San Luis Obispo can enjoy free concerts in summer． |
| D．Arhus is handy to the seaside and countryside． |
What can we learn from the underlined part “the sense of equality”?
| A．The residents of Arhus have no racial discrimination． |
| B．Arhus is considered as a family sharing everything with each other． |
| C．There is no wide gap between the rich and the poor in Arhus． |
| D．The residents of Arhus can depend on their neighbours to help． |
"Dad," I say one day …..take a trip. Why don't you fly and meet me?"
My father had just reired……….. His job filled his day, his thought, his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I screamed under a freezing waterfall Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.
My father sees me drfting aimlessly, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down, but now I want him to find an adventure.
He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City.
" What is our first stop?" asks my father.
"What time is it?"
"Still don't have a watch?"
Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite(), his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of little boy.
"Unbelievable," he says, "How was this done?"
A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son.
We stare up and I ask myself, Would I ever devote my life to anything?
No directions, …… I always used to hear those words in my father's voice. Now I hear them in my own.
The next day we're at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic.
"Did you ever travel with your dad? I ask.
"Only once," he says. " I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other---but never said it. Whatever he could give me, he gave."
The kast sebtebce----it's probably the same thing I's say about my father. And what I'd want my child to say about me.
In Glacier National Park, my father says, "I've never seen water so blue." I have, in several places of the world, I can keep traveling, I realize--- and maybe a regular job won't be as dull as I feared.
Weeks after our trip, I call my father.
"The photos from the trip are wonderful," he says." We have got to take another trip like that sometime.
I tell him I've learn decided to settle down, and I'm wearing a watch.
| 1． |
We can learn from Paragraphs 2 and 3 that the father.
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| 2． |
What does the author realize at Mount Rushmore?
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| 3． |
From the underlined paragraph, we can see that the author.
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| 4． |
What could be inferred about the author and his father from the end of the story?
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| 5． |
What could be the best title for the passage?
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A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world's first long-distance signing device(装置), the LongPen.
After many tiring……from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them . She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here's how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens。
Work on the LongPen began in Atwood's basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, teat runs w ere made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.
The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.
"It's really fun", said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. "Obviously you can't shake hands with the author but there are chances for a connection that you don't get from a regular book signing..
The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, "It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn't afford it."
| 1． |
Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?
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| 2． |
How does the LongPen work?
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| 3． |
What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?
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How could the LongPen be used in the future?
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| 5． |
What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
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A Guide to the University
Food
The TWU Cafeteria is open 7am to 8pm. It serves snacks(), drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.
If you are on campus in the evening or lat at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Café located in the bottom level of the Gouglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.
Relaxation
The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying , cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays.
Health
Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to noon and 1;00 to 4;30pm.
Academic Support
All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door two 30 -minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.
Transportation
The TWU Express is a shuttle() service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping centre, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 8am and 3pm. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.
| 1． |
What can you do in the TWU Cafeteria?
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| 2． |
Where and when can you cook your own food?
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| 3． |
The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre.
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How can you seek help from the Writing Centre?
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| 5． |
What is the function of TWU Express?
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One night, when I was eight , my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you’ve done and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you’ll have to your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me for the rest of the night I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the decisions adults had to make.
For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I’d wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.
During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large apartment, I became how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on family and work. difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn’t know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a attitude.
Back home , I myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be . I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable.
My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the has really taught me. Sacrifices in the end. The separation between us has proved to be for me.
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When my father was celebrating a milestone (里程碑) birthday, I pulled together a surprise gift that he would never forget.
As he was approaching 60,1 had a firm idea: What if I could get the memories people had of him, put each one into an envelope - 60 in total - and have him open them, one by one, on his birthday? So I wrote an e-mail to family and friends, explaining my idea.
I sent the e-mail and waited. And then the replies started coming in and I was very, very surprised. There were so many memories, and they were all so lovely. They came from the '50s, '60s, '70s, from every decade（十年） between now and the day my dad was born. They came from my mother, my siblings, my grandma, my dad's friends from high school, his sister, my dad's first boss, a colleague at his first job, from people who hadn't seen my dad in 40 years, from people I myself hadn't even informed. They typed them and handwrote them. They mailed them and e-mailed them.
The night before Dad's birthday, my sister and 1 stayed up late, putting everything together with some
The next morning, after breakfast and presents and cake, we gave the pile of envelopes to him. "Just one more thing for you," we said.
It took him a long time to open them and read. Each one was a brief ticket to another time, a leap (跳跃) backward over years and decades. There was a lot of laughter and a few tears, too.
I was kind of sad when the project was over because it was great fun to collect these memories. It gave me a different picture of my dad.
| 1． |
When did the author give her father a surprise gift? (no more than 4 words) |
| 2． |
Who sent the mails? (no more than 6 words) |
| 3． |
Why did the author and her sister stay up late the night before their father's birthday? (no more than 9 words) |
| 4． |
How did the author's father most probably feel when he read (he mails? (no more than 3 words) |
| 5． |
What was the surprise gift? (no more than 6 words) |