The power of humor and laughter is numerous. They entertain us and make us feel good. But, above all, we have discovered that humor and laughter are the best medicine. They relieve pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and are anti-aging and longevity facilitators.
They are extremely necessary for helping us to find and maintain a balance between life and work. However, they are slipping away from us. We have become far too serious. The only ones who still enjoy humor, laughter, fun and play to the fullest are young children. Children tend to laugh an average of 200 times a day. For adults, however, it is a totally different story.
In the 1950s people laughed on average 18 times a day. Today, we are lucky if we average between 4-6 times a day.
As a matter of fact, a recent study found that people laugh 6 more times in the presence of one person but 30 more times in a group of people. You can get a chuckle(咯咯笑) from jokes you get on the Internet, but it is not the same as belly jiggling laughter (a deep laugh) you get when you interact with others.
Socializing with friends and relatives was much looked forward to. However, this is no longer the case. In fact, the majority of people can hardly find time, nor do they have the inclination towards socializing outside home. They turn to electronic media such as television, computers, the Internet, videos, CDs, and audio equipment, which can provide them with instant self-entertainment at the push of a button.
The workplace does not fare(进展) much better. Due to the pressures to produce more in the same or fewer hours available and to compete, for example, in a manufacturing field with cheaper labor elsewhere in the world, humor and laughter in the workplace have gradually eroded（逐渐毁坏） away.
I have developed a real appreciation, perhaps closer to a strong desire for the power of humor and laughter. This encouraged me to write my first book titled “The Power of Humor” and subsequently my second book titled “Kids Say the Goggonest Things” based on the natural humor, laughter, play and fun that kids experience and they freely share with parents, grandparents and teachers.
From writing about humor and laughter, people start to ask me to speak up for them. To date, I have developed a number of humor-laughter topics that I use in my keynote presentations. You are invited to subscribe to my free monthly e-magazine “The Humormeister’s Forum” by clicking on the Free Humor E-zine navigation button on the website. According to the author, laughter is leaving us partly because ________.
| A．we treat everything in a serious way |
| B．it relieves pain, reduces stress and anxiety |
| C．we fail to maintain balance between life and work |
| D．the pace of change in our lives is becoming faster |
The fourth paragraph mainly tells us that ________.
| A．getting a deep laugh nowadays is difficult |
| B．we can entertain ourselves with the help of the Internet |
| C．people laugh more heartily when spending time with others |
| D．researchers have made a new discovery about the effect of laughter |
The underlined word “inclination” in Paragraph 5 most probably means “________”.
| A．destination | B．tendency |
| C．attitude | D．approach |
Which of the following articles can we most probably find in “The Humormeister’s Forum”?
| A．The power of honesty. |
| B．Don’t be your own worst enemy. |
| C．Live life purposefully: The relationship within. |
| D．Funny Christmas stories to share with your loved ones. |
Before you go to another country it is a great help if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.
When people meet each other for the first time in Britain, they say “How do you do?” and shake hands. Usually they do not shake hands when they just meet or say goodbye. But they shake hands after they haven’t met for a long time or when they will be away from each other for a long time.
Last year a group of German students went to England for a holiday. Their teacher told them that the English people hardly shake hands. So when they met their English friends at the station,
they kept their hands behind their backs. The English students had learned that the Germans shake hands as often as possible, so they put their hands in front and got ready to shake hands with them. It made both of them laugh.It is ______ if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.
| A．not useful | B．not helpful | C．very helpful | D．very bad |
English people usually shake hands when they ______.
| A．meet every time | B．meet for the first time |
| C．say goodbye to each other | D．say hello to each other |
Usually English people don’t shake hands ______.
| A．when they will be away for a long time | B．when they say “How do you do?” |
| C．when they just meet or say goodbye | D．after they haven’t met for a long time |
Which of the statements is RIGHT?
| A．German people shake hands as often as possible. |
| B．English people shake hands as often as possible |
| C．German people hardly shake hands |
| D．Neither English people nor Germans shaking hands. |
The story is about ______.
| A．shaking hands | B．languages |
| C．customs | D．languages and customs |
Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you.
Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied(满意) with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary.
Sometimes，a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when reaches for it.
A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition.
A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.
There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be?Americans like ______ best as pets.
| A．dogs | B．pigs | C．cats | D．mice |
The canary is a kind of ______.
| A．dog | B．cat | C．bird | D．fish |
If you have much money, we can call you ______.
| A．a fat cat | B．a happy cat | C．a thin cat | D．a sad cat |
If someone always thinks highly of himself. We can say ______.
| A．he plays cat and mouse with someone |
| B．he looks like the cat that ate the canary |
| C．he is a lazy cat |
| D．he has dragged in something |
The passage introduces us ______ expressions about cat.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
There is a park near our school. We can see many trees and flowers there. We can see a hill behind the park, too. At the foot of the hill we can see a river. There are some boats on it. It is Sunday today. There are many Young Pioneers(少先队员) in the park. Some are walking and singing. Some are dancing or playing games. Ann and her sister Kate are flying a kite. Tom and his brother Sam are throwing a frisbee (扔飞盘). Their parents are sitting under a tree. All the family are having a good time.Where is the hill?
| A．Across from the river. | B．Behind the school. |
| C．In front of the park | D．Behind the park. |
Who’s Sam? He is ______.
| A．Kate’s brother | B．Ann’s brother | C．Tom’s brother | D．Jim’s brother |
Do their parents come to the park, too ?
| A．Yes, they do. | B．No, they don’t. | C．Yes, they are. | D．No, they aren’t. |
What are Ann and Kate doing?
| A．Singing | B．Flying a kite | C．Working | D．Throwing a frisbee |
Where are their father and mother sitting?
| A．Near our school. | B．Behind the park. |
| C．At the foot of the hill. | D．Under a tree. |
An American writer, Mr Green once(曾经) said, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” It is true that everybody talks about the weather. Many people begin their talks by saying, “Isn’t it a nice day?” “Do you think it will rain?” “I think it’s going to snow.”
Many people think they can tell what the weather is going to be like. But sometimes they don’t agree with each other. One man may say, “Do you see how cloudy it is in the east? It’s going to rain tomorrow.” Another man will say, “No, it’s going to be fine tomorrow.”
People often look for the weather they want. When a farmer needs water, he looks for something to tell him it’s going to rain, and he doesn’t look for anything else. When friends have a picnic, they hope the weather is going to be fine and they can sit eating their lunch under the blue sky.
Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says. But he doesn’t always tell us what we want, and sometimes he makes a mistake. Still, he is right most of the time.People often begin their talk by ______.
| A．saying hello to each other | B．Drinking tea |
| C．Looking for good weather | D．saying something about the weather |
People sometimes have different ideas about ______.
| A．what the weather is going to be like | B．what we should do about the weather |
| C．how to begin a talk | D．how to have fine weather |
______, they always hope the weather is going to be fine.
| A．When people talk about weather | B．When people stay at home |
| C．When the farmers need water | D．When people have a picnic |
According to the passage, which is NOT RIGHT?
| A．Almost everyone listens to what the weatherman says. |
| B．People often look for the weather they want. |
| C．The weatherman never makes a mistake. |
| D．Many people begin their talks by talking about the weather. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Weather Report | B．Story About a Weatherman |
| C．About Weather | D．How to Begin a Talk |
根据短文内容。完成下面的句子。每空一词。(每小题2分，共10分)
It was a cold day in December in New York City. A little boy about ten years old was standing in front of a shoe store on Broadway. He was looking through the window, bare footed and shaking with cold. A lady walked to the boy and said, "My little boy, what are you looking at? I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes. " was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand and went into the store. She asked the clerk to get a pair of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of hot water and a towel. The clerk quickly brought them to her. She removed her gloves, knelt down, washed the boy's little feet, and dried them with a towel. By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. The lady put on the socks for the boy, and then bought a pair of shoes for him. She patted him on the head and said, "My little boy, do you feel more comfortable now?"
As the lady turned to go, the boy caught her by the hand suddenly and looked up in her face.
With tears in his eyes, he asked her, "Are you God's wife? No, I'm a mother," said the lady.
*******************************************************************************************The story in New York on a day in December.
The little boy ____________ in from of a shoe store and looked forward to _______ a pair of shoes.
The lady the little boy by the hand and the store.
The lady the little boy he felt more comfortable.
The lady was so that she was as "God's wife" by the little boy.