There is a Web site called the “World Database of Happiness”. It combines and ____ the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life ____. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are ____.
The database(数据库) makes it ____ that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general contentment. It is a cliche(陈词滥调) to say that money ____ buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be ____ by research. Many people still stick to the belief that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably ____.
Studies have been ____ on people who acquired sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had ____， people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they ____ to return to the way they felt before they became rich.____ contented people continue to be contented，____ those who were miserable in the past sink back into misery.
If material wealth does not bring happiness, then ____ does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with ____ you live. The authorities at the World Database of Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different ____. Apparently, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy.
Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships，____， seem to be the key to long－term contentment. The Web site suggests that ____ in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness.
Nowadays people look to ____ as an alternative source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet ____ spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the Web site's research is ____， time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money.
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“ Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a packet.
The package consisted of a long, narrow box 36 wrapped in brown paper. 37 the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside—a very old one with a beautifully carved wooden handle. 38 he had not seen it in more than 20 years, he recognized it 39 .
Oscar was 16 when he first saw the 40 umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat. Impressed by its 41 Oscar felt a strong desire to find its 42 .
Oscar 43 the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a man matched the seat 44 Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O’Brien.
Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O’Brien 45 on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I 46 you?” she asked.
“I’d like to return it if it’s yours,” Oscar said, 47 the umbrella as if presenting a 48 that had long been wished for.
“ Why, yes ! It’s mine,” replied Mrs. O’Brien with a 49 smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your 50 ?
“No, ma’ma, ”he said , “My grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.”
“Well, that’s 51 what my father used to say. What is your name, young man?”
Years later Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O’ Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how 52 it was. Why had it arrived here today?
As if 53 , a note fell from the paper. It read：Mrs. O’Brien wanted you to 54 this umbrella as a present for a kind, 55 gesture long ago.
A．strictly B．carefully C．roughly D．casually
A．Opening B．Seizing C．Observing D．Searching
A．After B．When C．Since D．Although
A．clearly B．fully C．immediately D．suddenly
A．average B．unusual C．plain D．typical
A．beauty B．shape C．origin D．history
A．designer B．seller C．user D．owner
A．convinced B．forced C．encouraged D．advised
A．until B．before C．which D．where
A．family B．theatre C．house D．neighborhood
A．invite B．help C．bother D．know
A．putting up B．turning out C．picking up D．holding out
A．chance B．fact C．gift D．result
A．wide B．confident C．proud D．shy
A．patience B．kindness C．courage D．determination
A．obviously B．naturally C．exactly D．probably
A．old B．rare C．precious D．nice
A．in contrast B．in return C．in exchange D．in answer
A．possess B．accept C．carry D．value
A．attractive B．significant C．unselfish D．sympathetic
Surfing: It’s Not Just for Boys Anymore
If you asked high school girls to name their favorite sports, most would probably say basketball or volleyball. I happen to be one of the few girls who would 36 : surfing. But isn’t that a boy thing? Some people 37 . Most certainly not.
I started surfing about five years ago and fell in love with the sport on the 38 first day. Riding that first 39 was the best feeling I had ever experienced.
When I try to 40 surfing with other things, I find it very difficult because, in my 41 , there’s nothing like it. It involves body, 42 , and soul. There’s sand between my toes and cool, salt water all 43 us. The feeling I get when I’m surfing across that 44 , becoming one with the 45 , is like I’m weightless.
The one thing I can 46 from surfing and not any other sport is endless challenge. You can never be the “best surfer” because the ocean 47 an uncountable variety of waves that nobody can ever master. The variations of surfing styles are wonderful. Some surfers are free and lowing; others are very aggressive (活跃有力的) and 48 . All of these things attract me to surfing and make it 49 from any other sport.
I’ve 50 to tell every girl I know to do something that people don’t think girls can do. It’s part of being human to advance to new 51 , so shouldn’t it be expected that girls should step up and start 52 the limits of things boys and men used to dominate (主宰)?
There’re women 53 side by side with the President of our country, so why not side by side with the boys 54 the football team or out in the water surfing? Give girls a chance to 55 , and they will.
A．tell B．give C．answer D．realize
A．Believe B．understand C．reply D．wonder
A．very B．just C．rightly D．only
A．storm B．wave C．sail D．boat
A．bring B．connect C．tie D．compare
A．work B．study C．holiday D．life
A．effort B．mind C．health D．time
A．along B．around C．above D．by
A．water B．beach C．board D．lake
A．sky B．ocean C．earth D．world
A．take B．make C．get D．keep
A．offers B．includes C．catches D．collects
A．great B．sharp C．hard D．calm
A．known B．right C．far D．different
A．chosen B．learned C．tried D．promised
A．points B．levels C．steps D．parts
A．reaching B．accepting C．pushing D．setting
A．sitting B．walking C．working D．fighting
A．of B．from C．on D．with
A．think B．feel C．perform D．succeed
When I was twelve years old. I went with my dad to his work—a car showroom. I was 21 around carelessly and saw a poor woman with a child beside her 22 outside the showroom. I saw that she was crying and went inside to tell my 23 . He went out and 24 the woman to come into the showroom. He offered her some water and then asked her what was 25 .
The woman said that her husband had died and she didn’t have anyone else in her family who could 26 her. she did some manual(体力的) labor to earn some money to 27 her daughter but she was sick for the last three days and was 28 to go to work. Now she didn’t have a grain of food to eat. While she was telling this story to my father, she was unable to 29 her emotions（情绪）and started crying again. My father and I were deeply 30 by her story.
We got some food for her and her baby. My father then took them to the nearest hospital for her baby to be 31 as she did not seem to be very well. On the way, we 32 her a 5kg-bag of wheat from the market. My father gave her some money before we left. The lady was so 33 .
It is eight years later, 34 that event is still very 35 in my mind. My father’s 36 to this woman moved me 37 and since then, I have decided to try and walk a similar path and serve others. I’m 38 to see so many other people in this world are also ready to help others when they meet people 39 . They have 40 to walk a service path also.
A．showing B．walking C．driving D．working
A．reading B．joking C．reporting D．standing
A．boss B．father C．leader D．teacher
A．asked B．begged C．expected D．encouraged
A．funny B．special C．wrong D．strange
A．help B．meet C．teach D．remember
A．get tired of B．take care of C．join in D．be fond of
A．glad B．proud C．unable D．unwilling
A．prove B．improve C．understand D．control
A．moved B．frightened C．satisfied D．surprised
A．calmed B．taught C．watched D．treated
A．sold B．showed C．bought D．cooked
A．grateful B．trustful C．hopeful D．successful
A．or B．but C．unless D．so
A．weak B．similar C．fresh D．possible
A．promise B．suggestion C．patience D．kindness
A．greatly B．simply C．nearly D．finally
A．free B．foolish C．happy D．careful
A．at present B．at peace C．in general D．in difficulty
A．invited B．chosen C．forced D．allowed
When my twin sons, Chad and Brad, were born, I was concerned about everything. Five years later, our little girl, Becky 1 our family. I wanted everybody to be healthy and happy. I worked hard to see that they were.
As the kids grew older, I worried about headaches, throat infections and many other common childhood illnesses．I didn’t like it when the boys spent time “warming the bench (板凳)” during Little League football games. I worried about Becky when she 2 the ball while playing softball．Before long, the teen years were upon us. I stayed up late at night waiting for the boys to return home．Many times the 3 crossed my mind that I would call the police if they weren’t home on time. 4 , they always arrived home safe and sound before I had to take such 5 .
“Please don't ever call the police,” one of the boys said when I 6 him after a late arrival. The day the boys moved away to college was a(n) 7 day indeed. I worried about their being able to take care of themselves. Would they starve?
A few months after the boys left college, our 8 rang in the middle of the night. It startled (惊醒) us when we looked at the clock．It was 3 o’clock in the morning. “Something must be wrong,” I shouted to my husband, Roy, as we both jumped up．We ran to the door, opened it, and there stood a police officer.
“You need to call your sons,” he 9 announced. I picked up the telephone, but unfortunately, it was 10 . A line outside had been accidentally cut. Roy and I jumped into the car and 11 to the nearest telephone．My stomach ached．My husband was 12 so badly that he could hardly dial the number.
On the first 13 , Chad answered the telephone. “What's wrong?” Roy shouted into the receiver (听筒). “We were worried about you,” Chad told him. “We’ve been trying to call you all night, but you didn’t 14 .We called the police and asked them to go and check on you.”
For the first time in their lives, the boys were worried about us. And they were the ones who 15 had to call the police.
A．completed B．visited C．tested D．appreciated
A．hit B．threw C．got D．missed
A．plan B．advice C．worry D．thought
A．Strangely B．Probably C．Luckily D．Hopefully
A．worries B．places C．measures D．telephones
A．threatened B．told C．surprised D．reminded
A．nice B．embarrassing C．happy D．sad
A．phone B．clock C．alarm D．doorbell
A．seriously B．carefully C．anxiously D．kindly
A．gone B．useless C．dead D．shortened
A．rushed B．headed C．went D．moved
A．looking B．shaking C．suffering D．seeing
A．night B．arrival C．try D．ring
A．talk B．answer C．wake D．care
A．frequently B．suddenly C．actually D．rarely
Christmas roses
It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas, and as the newest doctor in our office, I 36 to wok. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully 37 Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by my 38 --- a dozen red roses.
Then a woman came in with an infant (婴儿).39 she explained that her husband was a prisoner and was my next 40 . She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. She 41 me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible 42 I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I 43 .
A short time later, her husband 44 ---with two armed 45 as an escort ( 护卫 ). The woman’s tired face 46 up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a 47 beside her. I kept peeking out to watch them laugh, cry and 48 with their child.
After almost an hour, I called the 49 back to the operatory. The patient seemed like a gentle and humble（谦逊的）man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be 50 under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end I wished him a Merry Christmas --- a difficult thing to say to a man 51 back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He said he felt 52 by the fact he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On 53 this , I was inspired with a wonderful idea.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful 54 . I’m not sure who 55 the most joy --- the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.
A．needed B．used C．had D．ought
A．dressed B．decorated C．cut D．planted
A．classmate B．boss C．parent D．boyfriend
A．Nervously B．Eagerly C．Curiously D．Carefully
A．colleague B．patient C．student D．customer
A．begged B．ordered C．asked D．invited
A．when B．until C．after D．before
A．smiled B．hesitated C．agreed D．refused
A．escaped B．arrived C．cried D．quarreled
A．soldiers B．judges C．lawyers D．guards
A．went B．lit C．took D．brought
A．seat B．rest C．ride D．look
A．joy B．water C．food D．possessions
A．prisoner B．nurse C．doctor D．woman
A．awarded B．punished C．caught D．held
A．brought B．gone C．headed D．returned
A．saddened B．excited C．surprised D．pleased
A．seeing B．hearing C．remembering D．learning
A．tree B．clothes C．roses D．necklace
A．enjoyed B．suffered C．benefited D．experienced
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