Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people worried about getting older. Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of 50. In fact, they say by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were when they were 18 years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008. At that time, the people were between the ages of 18 and 85. The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
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 24 and 25. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.
The study also showed that men and women have similar feeling patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.
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 feelings. They so spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.
The researchers also 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.According to the survey of the Gallup Organization people are most likely to become happier .
| A．when they are between the ages of 18 and 85 | B．when they come to their old age |
| C．when they are in their twenties | D．when they are 18 years old |
You may have the highest level of stress when you are at the age of .
| A．20 | B．25 | C．35 | D．40 |
According to Arthur Stone, old people may .
| A．have a positive attitude towards their life | B．know how to spend money wisely |
| C．dream about good things every day | D．control their behaviors better |
Who would probably show the greatest interest in the passage?
| A．Those who are worried about getting old | B．Those who are single and unemployed |
| C．Those who feel unhappy all the time | D．Those who suffer from mental stress |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Getting Older Means Getting Happier | B．The Young Are Happier Than the Old |
| C．Women Are Easier to Be Happy in Life | D．The Younger, the Happier |
One bag, that’s it.
The importance of packing light cannot be overemphasized(过度强调). Limit yourself to 20 pounds in a carry-on bag. A 9’× 22’ ×14’ bag fits under most airplane seats. And after you enjoy that sweet mobility and freedom, you’ll never go any other way.
You’ll walk with your luggage(行李) more than you think you will. Before leaving home, give yourself a test. Pack up completely, and practice being a tourist for an hour. Fully loaded, you should enjoy window-shopping. If you can’t, go home and thin things out.
Packing light isn’t just about the trip over and back—it’s about your traveling lifestyle. Too much luggage marks you as a typical tourist. It slams the back door shut. Changing locations becomes an important operation. With only one bag, you’re mobile and in control. Take this piece of advice seriously. Pack light, and pack smart. These days, you can’t bring anything possibly dangerous—such as knives, lighters or large amounts of liquid (液体)—in your bag.
What to bring?
How do you fit a whole trip’s worth of luggage into a small backpack or suitcase(衣箱)? The answer is simple: bring very little.
Bring out everything you think you might need on the floor. Pick up one item(件) at a time and check it. Ask yourself—not “Will I use it?”, but—“Will I use it enough to feel good about carrying it all the way? The world is getting really small—you can buy Colgate toothpaste, Nivea cream and Gillette razors in almost every country.
Think about what you can do without—not what will be convenient on your trip. When in doubt, leave it out.What do the last two paragraphs mainly talk about?
| A．Packing light is a kind of travelling lifestyle. |
| B．Packing light can give you mobility and freedom. |
| C．How to find out what to take and what not to take on a trip. |
| D．How to find out if your luggage is too heavy. |
You are allowed to take _______with you when you travel according to the passage.
| A．Colgate toothpaste | B．Lighters | C．Knives | D．a great deal of liquid |
The underlined part “thin things out” possibly means________.
| A．make things thin to bring |
| B．make your luggage lighter |
| C．take out dangerous things |
| D．throw useless things away |
The author seems to believe that _________.
| A．people had better bring nothing when they travel |
| B．people can use Nivea cream only in their home town |
| C．the importance of packing light is overemphasized now |
| D．you will be easily seen as a tourist with a lot of luggage |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Dying for a trip |
| B．Things to take on a trip |
| C．Pack light and pack right |
| D．Travelling: a typical way of life |
A thief entered the bedroom of the 30th President of the United States, who met him and helped him escape punishment.
The event happened in the early morning hours on one of the first days when Calvin Coolidge came into power, late in August,1923. He and his family were living in the same third-floor suite (套房) at the Willard Hotel in Washington that they had moved in several years before. The former President’s wife was still living in the White House.
Coolidge woke up to see a stranger go through his clothes, remove a wallet and a watch chain.
Coolidge spoke, “I wish you wouldn’t take that.”
The thief, gaining his voice, said, “Why?”
“I don’t mean the watch and chain, only the charm (表坠). Take it near the window and read the words on its back, ” the president said.
The thief read, “Presented to Calvin Coolidge.”
“Are you President Coolidge?” he asked.
The president answered, “ Yes, and the House of Representatives（众议院）gave me the watch charm. I’m fond of it. It would do you no good. You want money. Let’s talk this over.”
Holding up the wallet, the young man said in a low voice, “I’ll take this and leave everything else.”
Coolidge, knowing there was 80 dollars in it, asked the young man to sit down and talk. He told the President he and his college roommate had overspent during their holiday and did not have enough money to pay their hotel bill.
Coolidge added up the roommate two rail tickets back to the college. Then he counted out 32 dollars and said it was a loan (借款).
He then told the young man, “There is a guard in the corridor(走廊).” The young man nodded and left through the same window as he had entered.What caused the thief to meet the President?
| A．He knew the president had lots of money. |
| B．He knew the president lived in the suite. |
| C．He wanted to be a rich businessman. |
| D．He wanted to steal some money. |
Why did Calvin Coolidge live at the Willard Hotel in those days?
| A．Because the former president was still in the White House. |
| B．Because the former First Lady hadn’t left the White House. |
| C．Because the hotel was suitable for the First Family to live. |
| D．Because the First lady liked to live there. |
Coolidge counted out 32 dollars______.
| A．in order to be out of danger |
| B．to make more money from the loan |
| C．in order not to be killed by the thief |
| D．so that the student could overcome his difficulty |
The young man’s roommate went back to college _____.
| A．by bus | B．by water | C．by train | D．by air |
Which of the following might happen afterwards?
| A．The thief was put into prison. |
| B．The young man repaid the 32 dollars. |
| C．The President told many reporters the thief’s name. |
| D．The President ordered the young man to repay the money. |
Europeans are being dug out from heavy snow after a week of very cold weather. The snowstorm is the harshest to hit Europe. Airports were shut down. And schools have been closed for a week.
Until Wednesday, at least 400 people across Europe had died because of the cold temperature. Several countries have said a state of emergency. In Ukraine, temperatures dropped as low as -33℉.
Although the situation is bad, at least one country is hoping the weather will last a little longer. In the Netherlands, the government is preparing for the country’s “11 Cities Tour”. The 125-mile ice-skating marathon will be held along a network which joins 11 towns and cities together in Friesland Province.
The ice along the way must be inches thick for the event. Up to 2 million people are thought to cheer on the race’s 16,000 competitors.
On Wednesday, Dutch soldiers joined in the preparations. They cleaned snow along the way. This will be the 16th time that the event has taken place since the first race in 1909. Dutch General Hans said his soldiers were happy to lend a hand. “We want to do our bit for this national party.” he said.What is “11 Cities Tour”?
| A．It’s a 125-mile ice skating marathon. |
| B．It’s a 11-mile ice skating marathon. |
| C．It’s a 16000-mile ice skating marathon. |
| D．It’s a 33-mile ice skating marathon. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Thousands of people across Europe died because of the weather. |
| B．The ice should be less than 6 inches thick for the event. |
| C．No country is glad to see the cold weather. |
| D．The first “11 Cities Tour” began in 1909. |
Who helped clean snow along the way?
| A．French soldiers | B．Dutch soldiers |
| C．Ukrainian soldiers | D．American soldiers |
The underlined word “harshest” means _______ in the passage.
| A．safest | B．most enjoyable | C．most serious | D．happiest |
The passage is mainly about______.
| A．the hard situation Europe faces |
| B．the European cold weather |
| C．preparations for a national party |
| D．the coldest season in Europe |
| Summer Camps for Children |
| ZEM, Education Language Summer Camp Ages:8-14 You can come to this 2-week camp to learn Spanish in a good environment. There you can take part in lots of activities, such as camping, swimming and mountain-biking with Spanish children. |
| Anglia Summer School Ages: 8-19 Our summer school is something special. You can learn about stage work, such as acting, singing and dancing. As well as improving these skills you will also be able to learn about teamwork. |
| Science Camp Ages: 4-14 Our camp provides the chance for children to make discoveries. It is not only fun but also educational. This camp has many activities in areas such as chemistry, nature and technology. You can also do plenty of exciting science experiments here. |
| A Rock Star Camp Ages:8-16 This camp is perfect for creating superstars. We are ready to discover and train musical children who want to become superstars. |
How many days does the language summer camp last?
| A．7 days | B．10 days | C．14 days | D．15 days |
Which of the following cannot you learn in Anglia Summer Camp?
| A．Acting | B．Singing | C．Dancing | D．Camping |
Peter is very interested in animals. Which summer camp do you think he should take part in?
| A．A Rock Star Camp |
| B．Anglia Summer School |
| C．Science Camp |
| D．ZEM, Education Language Summer Camp |
If you are fifteen years old this year, how many summer camps can you take part in?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
Where can you probably read this passage?
| A．In a book about children’s education. |
| B．On a poster about summer activities for children. |
| C．In a magazine about superstars. |
| D．On a website about schools for children. |
When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, at the same time they usually talk about a lot of subjects, including children, men, careers and what’s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen---they can’t do both---and they don’t understand that women can. Besides(此外), women think that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships--not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring (盯着) at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot(the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.) and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the small body language signals that show how the characters are feeling emotionally(情绪上). Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully because they want to keep relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to connect to the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a way of keeping relationship. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing(令人信服的)evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls’ mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Lewis, author of Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents reply to the brain differences of their children. Since a girl’s brain is better organized to send and receive speech, we talk to them more. As a result, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short complaints in reply.While watching TV with others, women usually talk a lot because they ___________.
| A．are afraid of silence with their families and friends |
| B．can both talk and watch the screen at the same time |
| C．think they can have a good time and develop relationships |
| D．have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands |
After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours so as to ___________.
| A．experience the happy time again |
| B．keep a close tie with her |
| C．recommend her a new wonderful place |
| D．remind her of something forgotten |
What does the writer want to tell us most?
| A．Women’s brains are better organized for language and communication. |
| B．Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men. |
| C．Men do not like talking because they believe more in facts. |
| D．Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking. |
Which of the following would be the BEST title for the passage?
| A．Women Are Socially Trained to Talk |
| B．Talking Keeps Relationships |
| C．Women Love to Talk |
| D．Men Talk Differently from Women |
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