Americans gave nearly $300 billion away last year. Do you know the reason? Beyond the noble goals of helping others, it is that giving will make them happier.
It is a fact that givers are happier people than non-givers. According to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, a survey of 30,000 American households, people who give money to charity are 43% more likely than non-givers to say they are “very happy” about their lives. Similarly, volunteers are 42% more likely to be very happy then non-volunteers.
The happiness difference between givers and non-givers is not due to differences in their personal characteristics, such as income or religion. Imagine two people who are identical in terms of income and faith, as well as age, education, politics, sex, and family circumstances, but one donates money and volunteers, while the other does not. The giver will be, on average, over 40 percentage points more likely to be very happy than the non-givers.
A number of studies have researched exactly why charity leads to happiness. The surprising conclusion is that giving affects our brain chemistry. For example, people who give often report feelings of euphoria, which psychologists have referred to as the “Helper’s High”. They believe that charitable activity produces a very mild version of the sensations people get from drugs like morphine and heroin.
Of course, not only does giving increase our happiness, but also our happiness increases the possibility that we will give. Everyone prefers to give more when they are happy. Researchers have investigated this by conducting experiments in which people are asked about their happiness before and after they participate in a charitable activity, such as volunteering to help children or serving meals to the poor. The result is clear that giving has a strong, positive causal impact on our happiness, so does happiness on givingAccording to Paragraph 2. We can learn that .
| A．only those people who gave money to charity will be happy |
| B．more givers say they feel having happy lives than non-givers |
| C．those who donate money are happier than those who volunteer |
| D．42% of the volunteers say they are as happy as the non-volunteers |
What causes the happiness difference?
| A．Income. | B．Faith. |
| C．Education. | D．Donation. |
The underlined word “euphoria” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to .
| A．relaxation | B．uncertainty |
| C．nervousness | D．pleasure |
If a person feels happy, he may .
| A．ask for more donations |
| B．stop charitable activity |
| C．be likely to give more |
| D．cook food for the poor |
Which of the following is the main theme of this passage?
| A．Giving brings happiness. |
| B．Americans love donating. |
| C．The happiness difference. |
| D．Feelings of volunteers. |
“I like your smile, but unlike you put your shoes on my face”. A charming way of saying “Keep off the grass”. But could you figure it out? Or this: “Wash Clothing Store” for laundry.
They are both typical Chinglish, a combination of English vocabulary and Chinese grammar. Expressions such as “people mountain people sea”， means extremely crowded, and “give you some color to see”， meaning a punishment, are widely known and recognized.
Chinglish has been attracting global attention in recent years as China grows rapidly in stature on the world stage, attracting both fans and detractors.
The Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme and English First China Company, a language trainer known as EF Education, jointly launched a campaign to root out poor grammar and misused vocabulary in downtown Beijing. They argue Chinglish is an embarrassment that we should let it die out at all costs.
“It is meaningful, to allow the capital show its most beautiful historical and cultural heritage to the world.” Michael Lu, vicepresident of EF Education said, “since the launching of the campaign, foreign teachers and students had been very keen to volunteer participation.” He believed signs were very important in public services. “The signs in some old buildings confused foreign visitors.”
Chinglish, although the target of much criticism, has also won supporters who regard it as an interesting way for foreigners to learn how Chinese people think and express themselves.
“Many Chinglish logos carry Chinese elements and they will enrich the English language，” 32yearold Oliver Radtke said. He had even published a book “Chinglish: Found in Translation，” on the subject. About 50 000 copies of the book have been sold since it was published in 2007.
Some Chinese university experts also side with Chinglish. “English has absorbed elements from other languages such as French and Spanish in its growth, and the emergence of Chinglish again testifies to the language's vitality and inclusiveness，” said Shi Anbin, an associate professor of Tsinghua University.How did Chinglish come into being?
| A．Chinese people misunderstood the meaning of the new words. |
| B．Chinese people combined English vocabulary with Chinese grammar. |
| C．Chinese people based their English on the native English speakers. |
| D．Chinese people make wide use of English vocabulary with bad spelling. |
What Shi Anbin said means ________.
| A．there are many French and Spanish words in English |
| B．English is the language with vitality and inclusiveness |
| C．Chinglish enriches English and shouldn't be got rid of |
| D．Chinglish has greater effect on English than French and Spanish |
According to Oliver Radtke, Chinglish ________.
| A．shows how Chinese people think |
| B．does damage to the English language |
| C．shows the great humor of Chinese people |
| D．should be sold to all over the world |
Grownups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it.
In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.
The multiplication tables (乘法口诀表) are an exception to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.
The law of overlearning explains why cramming (突击学习) for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development.What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?
| A．People remember well what they learned in childhood. |
| B．Children have a better memory than grownups. |
| C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words. |
| D．Stories for children are easy to remember. |
The author explains the law of overlearning by________.
| A．presenting research findings |
| B．setting down general rules |
| C．making a comparison |
| D．using examples |
According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is ________.
| A．a result of overlearning |
| B．a special case of cramming |
| C．a skill to deal with math problems |
| D．a basic step towards advanced studies |
What is the author's opinion on cramming?
| A．It leads to failure in college exams. |
| B．It's helpful only in a limited way. |
| C．It's possible to result in poor memory. |
| D．It increases students' learning interest. |
“Reconstituted” families are more and more common in the UK.
Steve and Debbie got married in 2001 and had two children，Lily and Alex.Unfortunately，Steve and Debbie’s marriage didn’t work out and they got divorced in 2006.The children live with Debbie.In 2008，Debbie remarried.Her new husband，Martin，has three children from his previous marriage and they visit Debbie，Martin，Lily and Alex at weekends.In addition，Debbie is pregnant with her third child.She’s expecting a boy who will be a halfbrother to Lily and Alex and also to Martin’s three other children.
Confused？Debbie’s family arrangements might have seemed strange 30 years ago but nowadays this kind of “reconstituted” family is increasingly common in the UK.Almost half of all marriages in Britain end in divorce and over 40% of marriages are remarriages.More than 10% of all British children live with one birth parent and a stepparent—a parent who isn’t their biological mother or father.The traditional “nuclear” family of two parents and their children is not so traditional any more.
What does all of this mean for parents in these “reconstituted” families？“There are difficulties and challenges，” says Debbie.“Different families have different routines and it can be difficult for children to move between their two families.Birthdays and holidays can be tricky.Where do the children go？Who should they spend their time with？Also，when my children are naughty it can be difficult for Martin to tell_them_off.Things that might be simple in a traditional family can be a bit more complicated.”
And how about the children？Martin’s eldest child，Ella，is 12.“I like my two families，” she says.“I live with my mum but visit my dad quite often and I’m happy that my mum and dad get along OK.They’re not married any more but it’s good that they can still be friends.” Of course divorce and separation are never easy but many families in the UK are finding ways to make family life work in new ways.Why did Steve and Debbie get separated?
| A．They couldn’t support the children. |
| B．They couldn’t get along well. |
| C．They were both out of work. |
| D．They had serious economic problems. |
We can learn from the text that a “nuclear” family ________.
| A．has two birth parents and their children |
| B．has two birth parents and only one child |
| C．is traditional but complicated |
| D．doesn’t have any children |
What do the underlined words “tell them off” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?
| A．make them annoyed | B．send them to school |
| C．let out their secrets | D．talk angrily to them |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．The difference between “marriage” and “remarriage”． |
| B．More and more people get divorced in the UK. |
| C．“Reconstituted” families are becoming more and more in the UK. |
| D．The marriage situation is becoming severe. |
Men can be beautiful too，right?
China is going to host the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest in Guangzhou this December.This year for the first time the contest will include a male section.Students from over 130 countries will compete for Mr and Miss Beauty.The contest is one of the most respected beauty contests in the world.It was copied by the United Nations University (an international university belonging to the United Nations) in 1986.
Stick to studying
Li Yining，an economics professor at Peking University，said that he would not encourage students to try their luck in the stock market (股市)．“They should stress study，” Li said in his speech at Beijing Foreign Studies University.When asked，the professor said he expected house prices in Beijing to continue to rise.Li thinks the government should provide more affordable houses for lowlevel income people.
Campus cinema
Students at over 100 universities will have a digital cinema on campus after the National Day holiday.The 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project was launched at the end of September.The ticket will cost 3－8 yuan，rather than 30－40 yuan at cinemas in town.Students often download movies online or watch DVDs.Now they can enjoy original films in the digital cinema.The digital cinema will show a variety of films besides Hollywood blockbusters (好莱坞大片)．
Getting practical
All 12,000 graduates from vocational school in Shanxi Province have landed a job，according to the provincial government.In the past five years， it is estimated that over 95 percent of the professional school graduates have found jobs.However，the number for university graduates is 70 percent.Some employers said that they prefer professional school graduates who learned something more practical in school and expected lower salaries than university students.In the third part，the underlined word “launched” may mean________.
| A．started | B．ended | C．told | D．mentioned |
Where can the material be chosen from?
| A．A novel. | B．A newspaper. | C．An advertisement. | D．A fashion magazine. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．More than 130 countries will take part in the 18th World University Student Beauty Contest. |
| B．The ticket for a digital film on campus will cost 38 yuan. |
| C．In the past five years，over 95 percent of the university graduates have found jobs in Shanxi Province. |
| D．Over 100 universities will take part in the 21st Century Digital Film on Campus Project. |
Professor Li thinks that________.
| A．the house prices in Beijing will keep going up |
| B．the students should try their luck in the stock market |
| C．the government can do nothing about the housing problem |
| D．the students should not only pay attention to study |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．In Shanxi Province，the professional school graduates are less popular with employers than university graduates recently. |
| B．The digital cinema will only show Hollywood blockbusters. |
| C．The graduates from universities can put what they learned into practice more easily. |
| D．No men competed in the World University Students Beauty Contest before this year |
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just
imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed
Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited
America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨)
about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something
ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.It can be learned from the passage that stars today .
| A．are often misunderstood by the public |
| B．can no longer have their privacy protected |
| C．spend too much on their public appearance |
| D．care little about how they have come into fame |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
| B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
| C．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
| D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
| A．Availability of modern media. |
| B．Inadequate social recognition. |
| C．Lack of favorable chances. |
| D．Huge population of fans. |
What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
| A．Sincere. | B．Sceptical. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
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