Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic(道德规范), still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work? Almost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult. Retirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one’s job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.
Of course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to “Golden Age” groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.
American society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework. Retired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.The author believes that work first became important to Americans because of _______.
| A．religion | B．economy | C．psychology | D．family |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．money and check |
| B．senior and junior |
| C．work and retirement |
| D．Protestants and Americans |
When Americans stop work, it’s difficult for them to _______.
| A．get Social Security checks |
| B．feel productive |
| C．enjoy themselves |
| D．be religious |
Pessimistic，anxious and depressed people may have a higher risk of dementia (痴呆)，US researchers reported on Thursday.
A study of a group of 3,500 people showed that those who scored high for pessimism on a standardized personality test had a 30 percent increased risk of developing dementia 30 to 40 years later.
Those scoring very high on both anxiety and pessimism scales had a 40 percent higher risk，the study showed.
“There appears to be a doseresponse pattern.That is，the higher the scores，the higher the risk of dementia，”Dr Yonas Geda，a neuropsychiatrist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester，Minnesota who led the study，said in a statement.
Geda and his colleagues looked at the medical records of 3,500 men and women who lived near the clinic between 1962 and 1965.
They all took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory，a standard personality and life experience test，Geda’s team told a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Miami.
In 2004，the team interviewed the participants or family members.
Those who scored higher for anxiety and pessimism on the test were more likely，as a group，to have developed dementia by 2004，including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular (血管的) dementia.
This did not mean a person who is pessimistic could assume he or she has a higher risk of developing dementia.
“One has to be cautious in interpreting a study like this，”Geda said.
“One cannot make a leap from group level data to the individual.Certainly the last thing you want to do is to say，‘Well，I am a pessimist；thus，I am doomed to develop dementia 20 or 30 years later，’because this may end up becoming a selffulfilling prophecy (预言)．”
And there is NOT any specific way to prevent dementia，although many studies have shown that a healthy diet，exercise，keeping active in other ways，doing puzzles and other activities lower the risk.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．It is impossible for people to avoid dementia. |
| B．People who always have negative feelings may have a higher risk of getting dementia. |
| C．If we have a healthy diet，we would have no chance of getting dementia. |
| D．A person who is pessimistic has a higher risk of developing dementia. |
According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE?
| A．There are many ways to prevent dementia effectively. |
| B．A person who is pessimistic is sure to get dementia. |
| C．Those who lead a happy life will not get dementia when they are old. |
| D．Those who scored high for pessimism might have a higher risk of dementia. |
Which of the following does NOT help reduce the risk of getting dementia according to the passage?
| A．A healthy diet. | B．Proper exercises. |
| C．Doing puzzles. | D．Getting up early. |
Which of the following words is not close to the meaning of the word “pessimistic”？
| A．Cheerless. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Unhappy. | D．Upset. |
Mom was right！If you say thank you，for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness，you’ll feel happy.
Gratitude(感谢)，says Robert A．Emmons，a professor of psychology at the University of California，is an important element of happiness.In his recent book，Thanks！，Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom’s point.In acknowledging and developing this muchignored expression of thankfulness，he explains how people have benefited—even improved their health.
As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement，he admits gratitude may be difficult to express.He advises you to begin by admitting that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder.Second，recognize that the source of life’s goodness is more than just you.That source may be your mom，a friend，partner，child，colleague at work or play，or any combination of these.
Gratitude is always otherdirected，notes Emmons.You can be pleased or angry with yourself and feel guilty about doing something wrong，but you can never be grateful to or for yourself.
Expressing gratitude shouldn’t be a reaction；it should be a state of mind.To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy.To feel grateful in time of crisis—anger，hatred and bitterness—is easier.Also，too many people are aware of life’s blessings only after these are lost.The voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals are many.
It’s crisis and chaos—danger，disease，disability and death—that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others.Yet it’s the way each of us begins life and ends it.It’s too bad that so many people waste those decades in between labouring under the illusion(幻觉) they are selfsufficient，says Emmons.
To enable and embrace gratitude，Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary.He even provides easytofollow directions on how to practise and develop gratitude.
I’m not a reader or advocate of selfhelp books，but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients(接受者)．The chance discovery led me to this book.
Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving，receiving and repaying.So I’ll pay attention to her professional advice and say：Thank you，professor Emmons.What is the text mainly discussed?
| A．There are many ways of being thankful. |
| B．Gratitude is important to happiness. |
| C．Mom is great for her being thankful. |
| D．Being thankful will keep you fit. |
The author mentions Robert A．Emmons’book Thanks! in order to prove that ________.
A．Professor Emmons supports mom’s study on psychology
B．mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons
C．Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist
D．mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitudeIt will be easier for you to feel grateful when ______.
| A．you live a comfortable life |
| B．you receive gifts on your birthday |
| C．you get help during your hard times |
| D．you are congratulated on your success |
What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?
| A．It is enough to thank others orally. |
| B．Whether you are thankful is always up to you. |
| C．Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere. |
| D．It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others. |
Businesses are witnessing a difficult time，which has in turn produced influence on consumers’ desire to go green.However，shoppers are still laying stress on environmental concerns.
Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago，while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy.
This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves.And the companies should still make efforts to become more environmentally friendly.Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible companies，with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a company’s environmental reputation was not good enough.
Harry Morrison，chief executive(主管)of the Carbon Trust，sympathizes：“I understand this situation where survival is very important now.But from environmental considerations，the clock is ticking—we don’t have much time.In addition，cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a mediumterm benefit for the brand.”
Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint，as new rules next year will require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions(排放)．Those that have taken early action will have a head start.More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies are environmentally responsible.This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers.
The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work companies are doing.“When companies are granted(授予) the standard，they can use a logo(标识) in all their marketing which makes it clear that they are working towards cutting emissions，” Mr.Morrison said. (2010·福建，C)What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers. |
| B．Companies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions. |
| C．Firms are making efforts to encourage customers to keep goods at home. |
| D．Firms are urged to cut carbon emissions by shoppers’ environmental awareness. |
The underlined word “inform” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”．
| A．affect | B．change | C．disturb | D．reject |
According to Harry Morrison，businesses ________.
| A．will benefit from cutting carbon emissions |
| B．should buy carbon allowances for shoppers |
| C．are required to make up for their carbon emissions |
| D．have encouraged shoppers to take their custom elsewhere |
We can learn from the passage that businesses will________.
| A．have a strong desire to reduce costs |
| B．use the same logo in their marketing |
| C．gain advantages by taking early action |
| D．attract more shoppers by storing goods |
Rocky Lyons was five years old when his mother，Kelly，was driving along the country road with him.He was asleep on the front seat of their truck，with his feet resting on her lap.As his mom drove carefully down the winding country road，she turned onto a narrow bridge.The truck hit a rock and slid off the road.She attempted to bring it back up onto the road by pressing hard on the gas pedal(踏板) and turning the steering wheel(方向盘) to the left.But Rocky’s foot got caught between her leg and the steering wheel and she lost control of the truck.
The truck fell into a 20foot ravine(峡谷)．When it hit bottom，Rocky woke up.“What happened，Mama？” he asked.“Our wheels are pointing toward the sky.”
Kelly was seriously wounded and blinded by blood.“I’ll get you out，Mama，”announced Rocky，who had surprisingly escaped injury.He climbed out from under Kelly，slid through the open window and tried to yank his mother out.But she didn’t move.
“Just let me sleep，” begged Kelly，who was out of consciousness.Rocky insisted，“Mom，you can’t go to sleep.”
Rocky managed to push Kelly out of the truck and told her he’d climb up to the road and stop a car to get help.Fearing that no one would be able to see her little boy in the dark，Kelly refused to let him go alone.Instead they slowly moved up to the road.The pain was so great that Kelly wanted to give up，but Rocky wouldn’t let her.
Rocky kept repeating the inspirational phrase，“I know you can，I know you can.”When they finally reached the road，Rocky broke into tears seeing his mother’s torn face clearly for the first time.Waving his arms and shouting, “Please stop！” the boy stopped a truck.His mother was sent to hospital.
It took 8 hours to rebuild Kelly’s face.She looks quite different today—“I used to have a straight long nose，thin lips and high cheekbones；now I’ve got a flat cheeks and much bigger lips”—but she has few scars and has recovered from her injuries.
Rocky’s heroics were big news.Everyone was surprised at this little boy’s power.“It’s not like I wanted it to happen，” the boy explained.“I just did what anyone would have done.” “If it weren’t for Rocky，I’d have died，” said his mother.According to the text，Rocky and Kelly ________.
| A．were lost on a country road |
| B．were involved in a truck accident |
| C．had limited time to find their way |
| D．knew little of what happened to them |
When he woke up，Rocky ________.
| A．found the truck was turned over |
| B．found his mother had fallen asleep |
| C．was stuck against the door of the truck |
| D．was frightened by his mother’s blood |
The underlined word “yank” in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”．
| A．pull | B．drive |
| C．follow | D．carry |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．A Boy and His Mother |
| B．How to Behave Well? |
| C．Nothing Is Lost |
| D．I Think You Can |
Plants may not have eyes and ears，but they can recognize their siblings (兄弟姐妹)，and researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered how.The ID system lies in the roots and the chemical signals they secrete (分泌)．
Canadian researchers published that sea rocket，a common seashore plant，can recognize its siblings.Susan Dudley observed that when siblings are grown next to each other in the soil，they “play nice” and don’t send out more roots to compete.However，the moment one of the plants is thrown in with strangers，it begins competing with them by rapidly growing more roots to take up the water and mineral nutrients in the soil.
After reading Dudley’s study，Bais decided to find the method behind the sibling recognition.Working in his laboratory，Bais and his doctoral student Meredith Biedrzycki set up a study with wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.In a series of experiments，young seedlings were exposed to liquid media containing the root secretions from siblings，from strangers，or only their own secretions.The length of the longest lateral (侧面的) root was measured.The exposure of plants to the root secretions of strangers induced (引诱) greater lateral root formation than exposure of plants to sibling secretions.Strangers planted next to each other are often shorter，because so much of their energy is directed at root growth.Because siblings aren’t competing against each other，their roots are often much shallower (浅的)．
Biedrzycki did the painstaking laboratory research，observing more than 3,000 plants involved in the study every day for seven continuous days and documenting the root patterns.“Arabidopsis roots are nearly translucent (半透明的) when they are young and were also twisted when I removed them from plates，”Biedrzycki notes.“This manuscript (手稿) is very important for my research since the focus of my thesis project is understanding the biochemical ways behind root secretions.”
The research also may have implications for the home gardener.“Often we’ll put plants in the ground next to each other and when they don’t do well，we blame the local garden center where we bought them or we attribute their failure to a germ，”Bais says.“But maybe there’s more to it than that.”Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A Great Biology Researcher |
| B．Plants Recognize Their Siblings |
| C．Plants’ Roots and Secretions |
| D．A Research on Plants |
What encouraged Bais to study the sibling recognition?
| A．Sea rocket. |
| B．Plants’ sensing system. |
| C．Biedrzycki’s thesis project. |
| D．Dudley’s study. |
What does the underlined word “painstaking” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Important. | B．Adventurous. |
| C．Careful. | D．Hardworking. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．The local garden center should be blamed when plants can’t grow well. |
| B．The local garden center often sells low quality seeds to customers. |
| C．Plants in the home garden can’t grow well because of the germ and seeds. |
| D．Competing against strangers，plants in the home garden can’t grow well. |