Ever since the global economic recession( 萧条) began in 2008,many Americans have changed their lifestyles by downsizing what they buy and what they possess.
Tammy Strobel and her husband used to own a two-bedroom apartment,two cars and had good incomes. But Tammy wasn’t happy.Inspired by a web site,they began donating some of their belongings to charity, and eventually got rid of their cars.Some thought they were crazy,but now they feel much happier.Without debt and working fewer hours,now they have more time to be outdoors and to volunteer.
“The idea that you need to go bigger to be happy is false,”Ms. Strobel says. “I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness.”
Despite the fact that the economy is not as booming as it was,studies have shown that many are feeling happier as they save more and spend less.This mainly happens when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects and when they relish（喜爱）what they plan to buy long before they buy it.
It is true that extra cash always makes life a little easier because it lets people meet basic needs.But scholars have found that types of purchases,their size and frequency,and even the timing of the spending all affect long-term happiness.One major finding is that spending money for an experience---concert tickets,French lessons, sushi-rolling classes---produces longer-lasting satisfaction.
At the height of the recession in 2008,consumers were doing something different---vacationing in their yards, eating more dinners at home,organizing family game nights .As a result, these leisure activities appeared to make them less lonely and increased their interactions with others.
“I think people are realizing they don’t need what they had.They’re more interested in creating memories,”says a scholar.
To stop purchasing things using credit cards at any time brings happiness,too;in other words,waiting for something and working hard to get it makes it feel more valuable and more stimulating. In fact,scholar have found that anticipation increases happiness. Considering buying an i-Pad?You might want to think about it as long as possible before taking one home.
Ms.Strobel is now an advocate（拥护者） of simple living.”My lifestyle now would not be possible if I still had a huge two-bedroom apartment filled to the gills(完全满了）with stuff,two cars,and 30 grand（一千美元） in debt,”she says. “Give away some of your stuff,” she advises. “See how it feels.”What did Ms Strobel and her husband do to change their life?
a. Donated their things to charity.
b. Changed their jobs.
c .Got rid of their cars.
d. Spent more time outdoors.
| A．a, b, c | B．b, c, d |
| C．a, b, d | D．a, c, d |
Which of the following is not a purchase of experience?
| A．Enroll in a French course. |
| B．Learn how to make Japanese sushi. |
| C．Get a new Mac. |
| D．Go to a concert. |
It is true that money_____________________
| A．always makes people happier |
| B．enables people to work fewer hours |
| C．makes one a better volunteer |
| D．helps people to meet their basic needs |
Purchase of experience can make people feel happier because_____________
| A．They increase the interaction between people |
| B．They are more economical than material goods |
| C．They are unique and can’t be obtained again |
| D．They make the participant smarter |
Why does stopping using a credit card to buy anything at any time bring happiness?
| A．Because one has to pay for interest by using a credit card. |
| B．Because the process of saving money and waiting for the thing you want makes it feel more valuable. |
| C．Because it helps stop buying things one actually doesn’t need |
| D．Because as one waits, he/she often finds something better to buy |
A large number of women in Western European countries wish that they were born men. The number is said as high as 60% in West Germany.
“Women often wish that they had the same chance as men have, and believe it is still men’s world,” said Dr James Holden, one of the scientists who did the study.
Anne Harper has a very good job for an international oil company. She also believes in “Women’ s Liberation(解放)”.
“I don’t wish that I were a man,” she says, “and I don’t think many women do. But I do wish that people would stop looking down upon us women. At work, for example, we often do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs that are usually the best ones and open only to men. If you’re a man, you have a much better chance of leading an exciting life. How many women pilots are there ... or engineers or scientists?”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．60% women in West Germany wish that they were born men. |
| B．Most women in Western European countries wish that their babies were all boys. |
| C．60% Western European women wish that they were born men. |
| D．60% Western European women who wish that they were born men are from West Germany. |
“It is still men’s world.” means “______.”
| A．There’re more men than women in the world |
| B．There’re more men scientists or engineers than women scientists or engineers in the world |
| C．Women have not been given the same chance as men |
| D．Women cannot live without men |
Anne Harper considers that women should ______.
| A．live a better life than men | B．be really liberated |
| C．be well paid | D．get better jobs than men |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Usually the best jobs are not open to women. |
| B．Women are less paid than men for the same job. |
| C．There’re more men pilots, engineers and scientists than women ones. |
| D．Women are looked down upon because they’re the second-class citizens. |
Mo Yan’s winning of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature shows the world’s recognition of China’s contemporary literature, according to the China Writers Association.
It also represents the attention drawn to Chinese writers and the international influences of Chinese literature, said an official statement from the organization on Thursday evening.
Mo is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. In the statement, the association congratulated Mo Yan on his success and spoke highly of his “outstanding achievements”.
Mo had effectively extended the boundaries of imagination, the depth of thoughts and the state of arts of Chinese literature by focusing on lives in the countryside with a unique national style, said the statement.
He Jianming, vice president of the association, said in a separate interview, “It is not only a joyous occasion for Mo, but also a dream coming true for generations of Chinese writers. ”
“The prize also shows recognition in realism writing coming from traditional Chinese literature, ” said He.
He cited Mo’s latest novel, Frog, which was published in China in 2010, as an example of Mo’s focus on realism. The book focuses on the influence of China’s “one child” policy in the countryside.
“Mo’s works are among the best when it comes to Chinese contemporary literature. ”He said, “Adding the award is significant for the development of Chinese literature and will improve confidence in the country’s cultural creativity. ”
Mo Yan, a pen name for Guan Moye, was born in 1955 and grew up in Gaomi in east China’s Shandong Province.
Mo is one of the most widely translated Chinese writers. His best-known work is Red Sorghum, which was made into a film by the director Zhang Yimou. Which is the main idea of the passage?
| A．2012 Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| B．Mo Yan’s success represents recognition of Chinese literature. |
| C．The success in Chinese literature. |
| D．A great Chinese writer. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Mo Yan and Guan Moye refer to the same person. |
| B．Mo’s works are the best in China. |
| C．Mo Yan is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| D．The film Red Sorghum directed by Zhang Yimou was written by Mo Yan. |
Mo Yan’s works focus on ______.
| A．lives in the countryside |
| B．city lives |
| C．China’s “one child” policy |
| D．the international influences of Chinese literature |
The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:
"I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio .They cannot every understand rhythm（韵律)"
"Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I'm sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you."
One younger musician said, "There are several clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month and I'm trying to find other places to play .I'm also planning to join in several summer festivals this year."
I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him.
Attitudes are important. Whether they're positive or negative(消极) they're all rubbing off on you,If you're around people who are always complaining or blaming others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don't support your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call " friends".
There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop , spending time with the negative ones on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard.
Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream.The musicians' conversation at the beginning is there to show that
| A．musicians' living conditions are not good |
| B．people in that town have poor taste in music |
| C．young people are more likely to succeed |
| D．different musicians have different attitudes |
The underlined part in Para. 6 means________.
| A．they'll have an influence on you |
| B．they'll help you realize your dreams |
| C．they'll keep you from moving on |
| D．they'll push you ahead very hard |
Why did the author want to make friends with the younger musician?
| A．He is more active than the others. |
| B．He can earn more than the others. |
| C．His attitude is more positive than the others. |
| D．He has more things to do than the others. |
By doing the exercise mentioned in Para. 7, you can________.
| A．improve your ability to make friends |
| B．make the right kind of friends for sure |
| C．develop a better relationship with your friends |
| D．make some new friends with similar interests |
We can get the following information from the passage EXCEPT________.
| A．the younger musician is a positive person and would be a good friend |
| B．one should avoid making friends with people having lots of difficulties |
| C．the exercise can help you keep close to really helpful friends |
| D．one will start complaining if one spends too much time with negative people |
"If there is one thing I'm sure about, it is that m a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change .What basically makes news is what affects our lives - the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though .It's already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic（基因的） engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do - as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It's quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted（传送）electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact ,I'm pretty sure how it will happen m the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read - sports and international news, etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media（媒体）．They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn't happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet. it's never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.What is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Best Way to Get News | B．The Changes of Media |
| C．Make Your Own Newspaper | D．The Future of Newspaper |
In the writer's opinion, in the future, _______.
| A．more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news |
| B．newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer |
| C．newspapers will cover more scientific research |
| D．more and more people will watch TV |
What will probably be on in the newspaper made by yourself?
| A．Sports and international news. | B．A menu of important news. |
| C．The most Important news. | D．what you are interested in. |
From the passage, we can infer ________.
| A．newspapers will win the competition among the different meclia |
| B．newspapers will stay with us together with other media |
| C．television will take the place of newspaper |
| D．the writer believe some media will die out |
The phrase "feed off" in the last paragraph means ________ .
| A．depend on | B．compete with | C．fight with | D．kill off |
Being in an unfamiliar school can be frightening. If you start a new school, you'll have to worry about making friends. Here are some simple tips which help you make new friends more easily.
·Try speaking to the students you're sitting next to in class. As they're close by, it is easy to chat to them first.
·Try to speak to everyone in your class. You will study here for three years, so it helps if you get along well with them.
·If you don't have many friends in your class, try and make new friends in your neighbor classes. You can also chat to them at lunchtimes and after school.
·Join a lunchtime or afterschool club. You'll get to meet kids of all years that way.
·Ask your teacher to pair you With another student.
·Use your "celebrity status"(名人身份）! Since you're the new person, you'll have got celebrity status, which you can use for a couple of weeks.
·Talk to classmates, remember to smile, and be open and friendly. Don't break in while your classmates are speaking. When your classmates talk to you, you should listen carefully and look at them in the eye to make them feel important.
·As you grow older, it's natural to make new friends and sometimes that means you begin to grow apart from your old friends. So try and make time for all your friends. But what if a friendship group is pushing you out? If this is happening to you, ask someone you're friendly with what has happened .If the friendship is hopeless, try to find new friends.According to the passage, moving to an unfamiliar school is_______.
| A．interesting | B．exciting | C．uncomfortable | D．boring |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To explain how to make new friends easily. |
| B．To show how to be used to new school life． |
| C．To encourage people to make new friends. |
| D．To introduce how to live in a new school. |
It is suggested that you should ________.
| A．try to study well to be popular with the classmates |
| B．try all your best to help your new classmates |
| C．sit close to a familiar classmate in the classroom |
| D．catch every opportunity to communicate with others |
To make your classmates feel that they are important to you, you can
| A．smile while talking with them |
| B．watch and listen to them carefully |
| C．be friendly and open to them |
| D．make use of your celebrity status |
If a friendship group is leaving you out, you should
| A．make your different friends know each other |
| B．forget them and make new friends at once |
| C．try to know the reason from a close friend |
| D．turn to your teachers or parents for help |
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