People who volunteer because they want to help others live longer than people who don't volunteer at all. But on average those who volunteer mainly for some sort of personal benefit live no longer than non-volunteers, University of Michigan researchers found.
“On the surface, volunteering seems to be a purely selfless act. But, in fact, people volunteer for a wide range of reasons," said Sara Konrath, the lead author of the study.
Konrath and his colleagues analyzed the data that were collected in 2014 and included 3,376 men and women who were about 65 years old at the time. Overall, they found that 57 percent of those surveyed reported doing at least some volunteer work in the past 10 years.
Participants were contacted again four years later, in 2018. Researchers found that just 2.3 percent of the volunteers had died, compared to 4.3 percent of non-volunteers.
What really made a difference were people's motives for volunteering, the researchers found. The more people wanted to help others, the more likely they were to be alive after four years. Those who considered motives related to personal benefits more important were more likely to die. In fact, those who volunteered for personal benefits were just as likely to die as those who didn't volunteer at all. These reasons included volunteering because they enjoyed the social contact, to get out of the house, to escape their own problems, or to explore their own strengths.
“Our analysis clearly shows the importance of motives when considering the health benefits of volunteering, Konrath said. “And research has shown that concern about others helps us tap into the same system that operates in mothers and other caregivers. Basically, this system restores physiological function and promotes well- being."
In the meantime , Konrath says the current finding suggests it may be a poor idea to encourage people to think of volunteering as an exchange rather than something you do for other people.
“Of course, it's reasonable for volunteers to expect some benefits for themselves, but the potential health benefits of volunteering are significantly reduced if self- benefit becomes a person's main motive," she said.
1.Why did Konrath and his colleagues conduct the survey?
A.To see how volunteering affected one's health.
B.To give the participants volunteering opportunities.
C.To teach the participants how to live longer.
D.To contact the participants again four years later.
2.According to the text, how much people benefit from volunteering depends on__________.
A.how many people they help B.how much they do for others
C.how many personal benefits they get D.how much they want to help others
3.What does the underlined word “exchange” in Paragraph 7 refer to?
A.Help from others. B.Thanks from others.
C.Personal benefits from volunteering. D.Communication between volunteers.
4.Which of the following may have an effect on our health?
A.Ages for volunteering. B.Motives for volunteering.
C.Ways of volunteering. D.Decisions about volunteering.
Laughter fills the room as Claire Conza distributes balls of wool to a bunch of women gathered in a Birkenhead cafe on a Wednesday morning.
Conza, 34, is the founder of Make Give Live, a social enterprise that’s brought together about 40 women in five groups to knit(编织)hats. Her “makers” meet each week or fortnight. “We swap finished hats for new wool and patterns to keep them busy until the next catch up,” she says.
Since starting up last year, Make Give Live has sold more than 400 woollen hats on a “buy one—give one” model, so another 250 hats have been given to the homeless or elderly people through partnerships with Lifewise and Age Concern, with more donations to come.
But for Conza, the movement is about more than making hats—she sees Make Give Live as a way to connect communities, share good times and improve well-being. “There’s a magical interaction between the generations within our groups. Our older members are enriched by using their knitting skills to teach younger people. Our younger members have new methods to share and get to create something for their community.”
Makers are also enjoying the health benefits of knitting, which Conza says offers many of the same benefits as meditation(冥想). “The rhythmic movements and sense of focus can help keep from symptoms of anxiety, pressure, and stress.”
“I found so many benefits in the mindful process of knitting and the joy of creating something useful and beautiful, at a time when I wasn’t able to do much else. I decided if it worked for me, others would also benefit, and Make Give Live was born,” she says.
“A social enterprise is a hybrid of a charity and a business,” says Conza. “It’s about having the head of a business, the heart of a charity and the hands of the community. The key to its existence is recognizing people for their efforts so they are able to stay involved.
1.Which of the following best explains how the “buy one—give one” model works?
A.A new hat will be made when one is sold.
B.A buyer buys one hat and gets one free.
C.One hat is bought to give it to a person in need.
D.For each hat sold one is given to a person in need.
2.Why does Conza consider Make Give Live more than making hats?
A.It provides warm hats for people of all ages.
B.It helps to develop the members' knitting skills.
C.It creates a good relationship in the community.
D.It introduces new methods for creating better hats.
3.According to the text, what effect does knitting have on people?
A.It makes them relaxed. B.It makes them hopeful.
C.It makes them energetic. D.It makes them courageous.
4.What does the underlined word “hybrid” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.Branch. B.Standard.
C.Mixture. D.Boundary.
Find Your Liberal Arts College (文理学院)
Smith College
Smith is a liberal arts college where women's minds matter. Our small classes, picturesque campus and open curriculum attract students from all over the world.
Smith College began more than 140 years ago and is a distinguished liberal arts college committed to providing the highest quality undergraduate education for women to enable them to develop their talents and to participate effectively and fully in society.
Shimer College
For 150 years Shimer has prepared students with a classical liberal arts education. Consider the differences： All original sources. All discussion classes of twelve or less. No lectures. No tests. Classes follow the Socratic Method—professors ask questions that challenge students to express and support their ideas. Learning is a constant dialogue where every opinion, every position is questioned and analyzed.
Swarthmore College
A liberal arts college of 1,500 students near Philadelphia, Swarthmore is recognized internationally for its climate of academic excitement and commitment to bettering the world.
Aside from offering valuable academic experiences, what's unique about learning at Swarthmore? Your first semester is pass-fail, so you can learn for learning's sake. We have a one-of-a-kind Honors Program. And where else can you explore a liberal arts curriculum paired with an engineering program?
Pine Manor College
Minutes away from downtown Boston, Pine Manor College consistently ranks among the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the nation and among the top 15 for small class size among liberal arts colleges. Affordable private education for women, Pine Manor College offers students a personalized education grounded in the liberal arts tradition. At PMC, students receive individualized academic, social, and financial support to achieve their goals.
1.Which college would you like to go to if you enjoy learning through talking?
A.Pine Manor College. B.Shimer College.
C.Swarthmore College. D.Smith College.
2.What is special about Swarthmore College?
A.There is an engineering program for students.
B.Students needn't worry about failing a test.
C.It is larger than any other liberal arts college.
D.Students can learn engineering instead of liberal arts.
3.What is the similarity between Pine Manor College and Smith College?
A.They are small colleges. B.They are expensive colleges.
C.They are women's colleges. D.They have the same history.
假设你是学生会主席李华，为了鼓励同学们爱国读书，向优秀榜样学习。学校委托你邀请优秀校友，第24届中国青年五四奖章获得者Ms. Wei 回校演讲以激励同学们激扬青春，逐梦前行。请你写一封邀请函。
内容需包含以下几点：
1. 对其获奖表示祝贺。2. 说明邀请其演讲的目的。3. 告知演讲的时间和地点。
注意：1. 字数100字左右。2. 可适当增加细节，以便行文连贯。3. 开头和结尾已经写好，不计入字数。
参考词汇：National May Fourth Youth Medal中国五四青年奖章
Dear Ms.Wei,
I am Li Hua,president of the students union of our school.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
The Three Gorges Dam has built across the Yangtze River. Its aim is to control flooding and provide hydro-electric power with the central region of China. Although the dam has brought about many problems, such as, flooding many areas and some famous historical sites, but the dam will generate electricity without causing so many air pollution. Because of the dam, many people have removed from their previous homes. Under the help of government, they are living a happy life in different areas.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
Nobody knows for sure 1. the city of the future will look like and making predictions is a 2. (risk) business.In the future, care for the environment will become very important as earth’s natural 3. (resource) run out. Therefore, we will use lots of recycled materials. Besides, garbage ships will send the waste towards the sun, 4. (prevent) landfill and environmental problems. No smoking 5. (allow) within a future city’s limits.
