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Many of us invest valuable time，energy and money planning our vacations. We do this because we know for sure that going on vacations must be good for us. Research proves this feeling without a doubt. Vacations help us perform better at work, improve our sleep quality and cushion us against depression.

Yet, despite these benefits, many of us return home with a feeling that our last vacation was OK - but not great. In order to change this, some mistakes should be avoided. A classic one for vacation planners is attempting to maximize value for money by planning trips that have too many components (组成部分)• Perhaps you’re planning a trip to Europe, seven cities in 10 days，and you realize it will cost only a little more to add two more destinations to the list Sounds fine in theory, but hopping from one place to the next hardly gives an opportunity to experience what psychologists call mindfulness - time to take in our new surroundings, time to be present and absorb our travel experiences. Another mistake is that we worry too much about strategic issues such as how to find a good flight deal，how to get from A to B，or which destinations to add or subtract from our journey. These issues may seem important, but our psychological state of mind is far more important.

Actually, vacation happiness is based on the following top rules. First, choose your travel companions wisely, because nothing contributes more significantly to a trip than the right companions. Second，don’t spend your vacation time in a place where everything is too expensive so as to maintain a positive mood. Third, shop wisely, for meaningful experiences provide more long-term happiness than physical possessions.

    “I see you’ve got a bit of water on your coat,”said the man at the petrol station.“Is it raining out there?”“No,it’s pretty nice,”I replied,checking my sleeve.“Oh,right.A pony(马驹)bit me earlier.”

As it happened,the bite was virtually painless:more the kind of small bite you might get from a naughty child.The pony responsible was queuing up for some ice cream in the car park near Haytor,and perhaps thought I’d jumped in ahead of him.

The reason why the ponies here are naughty is that Haytor is a tourist-heavy area and tourists are constantly feeding the ponies foods,despite signs asking them not to.By feeding the ponies,tourists increase the risk of them getting hit by a car,and make them harder to gather during the area’s annual pony drift(迁移).

The purpose of a pony drift is to gather them up so their health can be checked,the baby ones can be stopped from feeding on their mothers’ milk,and those who’ve gone beyond their limited area can be returned to their correct area.Some of them are also later sold,in order to limit the number of ponies according to the rules set by Natural England.

Three weeks ago,I witnessed a small near-disaster a few miles west of here.While walking,I noticed a pony roll over on his back.“Hello!”I said to him,assuming he was just rolling for fun,but he was very still and,as I got closer,I saw him kicking his legs in the air and breathing heavily.I began to properly worry about him.Fortunately,I managed to get in touch with a Dartmoor’s Livestock Protection officer and send her a photo.The officer immediately sent a local farmer out to check on the pony.The pony had actually been trapped between two rocks.The farmer freed him,and he began to run happily around again.

Dartmoor has 1,000 or so ponies,who play a critical role in creating the diversity of species in this area.Many people are working hard to preserve these ponies,and trying to come up with plans to find a sustainable(可持续的)future for one of Dartmoor’s most financially-troubled elements.

1.Why are tourists asked not to feed the ponies?

A.To protect the tourists from being bitten.

B.To keep the ponies off the petrol station.

C.To avoid putting the ponies in danger.

D.To prevent the ponies from fighting.

2.One of the purposes of the annual pony drift is______.

A.to feed baby ponies on milk

B.to control the number of ponies

C.to expand the habitat for ponies

D.to sell the ponies at a good price

3.What was the author’s first reaction when he saw a pony roll on its back?

A.He freed it from the trap.

B.He called a protection officer.

C.He worried about it very much.

D.He thought of it as being naughty.

    The oddness of life in space never quite goes away. Here are some examples.

First consider something as simple as sleep. Its position presents its own challenges. The main question is whether you want your arms inside or outside the sleeping bag. If you leave your arms out, they float free in zero gravity, often giving a sleeping astronaut the look of a funny ballet（芭蕾）dancer. “I’m an inside guy,” Mike Hopkins says, who returned from a six-month tour on the International Space Station. “I like to be wrapped up.”

On the station, the ordinary becomes strange. The exercise bike for the American astronauts has no handlebars. It also has no seat. With no gravity, it’s just as easy to pedal violently. You can watch a movie while you pedal by floating a microcomputer anywhere you want. But station residents have to be careful about staying in one place too long. Without gravity to help circulate air, the carbon dioxide you exhale（呼气）has a tendency to form an invisible（隐形的）cloud around your head. You can end up with what astronauts call a carbon-dioxide headache.

Leroy Chiao, 54, an American retired astronaut after four flights, describes what happens even before you float out of your seat. “Your inner ear thinks you’re falling. Meanwhile your eyes are telling you you’re standing straight. That can be annoying－that’s why some people feel sick. “Within a couple of days truly terrible days for some－astronauts’ brains learn to ignore the panicky signals from the inner ear, and space sickness disappears.

Space travel can be so delightful but at the same time invisibly dangerous. For instance, astronauts lose bone mass’ That’s why exercise is considered so vital that National Aeronautics and Space Administration（NASA）puts it right on the workday schedule. The focus on fitness is as much about science and the future as it is about keeping any individual astronaut healthy. NASA is worried about two things: recovery time once astronauts return home, and, more importantly, how to maintain strength and fitness for the two and a half years or more that it would take to make a round-trip to Mars’

1.What is the major challenge to astronauts when they sleep in space?

A. Deciding on a proper sleep position.

B. Choosing a comfortable sleeping bag.

C. Seeking a way to fall asleep quickly.

D. Finding a right time to go to sleep.

2.The astronauts will suffer from a carbon-dioxide headache when         .

A. they circle around on their bikes

B. they use microcomputers without a stop

C. they exercise in one place for a long time

D. they watch a movie while pedaling

3.Some astronauts feel sick on the station during the first few days because         .

A. their senses stop working

B. they have to stand up straight

C. they float out of their seats unexpectedly

D. their brains receive contradictory messages

4.One of NASA’s major concerns about astronauts is         .

A. how much exercise they do on the station

B. how they can remain healthy for long in space

C. whether they can recover after returning home

D. whether they are able to go back to the station

    What Theresa Loe is doing proves that a large farm isn’t a prerequisite for a modern grow-your-own lifestyle. On a mere 1/10 of an acre in Los Angeles, Loe and her family grow, can (装罐) and preserve much of the food they consume.

Loe is a master food preserver, gardener and canning expert. She also operates a website, where she shares her tips and recipes, with the goal of demonstrating that everyone has the ability to control what’s on their plate.

Loe initially went to school to become an engineer, but she quickly learned that her enthusiasm was mainly about growing and preparing her own food. “ got into cooking my own food and started growing my own herbs(香草)and foods for that fresh flavor,” she said. Engineer by day, Loe learned cooking at night school. She ultimately purchased a small piece of land with her husband and began growing their own foods.

“I teach people how to live farm-fresh without a farm,” Loe said. Through her website Loe emphasizes that ‘‘anybody can do this anywhere.” Got an apartment with a balcony (阳台)? Plant some herbs. A window? Perfect spot for growing. Start with herbs, she recommends, because “they’re very forgiving.” Just a little of the herbs “can take your regular cooking to a whole new level,” she added. “I think it’s a great place to start.” Then? Try growing something from a seed, she said, like a tomato or some tea.

Canning is a natural extension of the planting she does. With every planted food, Loe noted, there’s a moment when it’s bursting with its absolute peak flavor. “I try and keep it in a time capsule in a canning jar,” Loe said. “Canning for me is about knowing what’s in your food, knowing where it comes from.”

In addition to being more in touch with the food she’s eating, another joy comes from passing this knowledge and this desire for good food to her children: “Influencing them and telling them your opinion on not only being careful what we eat but understanding the bigger picture,” she said, “that if we don’t take care of the earth, no one will.”

1.The underlined word “prerequisite” (Para. 1) is closest in meaning to“      ”.

A. recipe B. substitute

C. requirement D. challenge

2.Why does Loe suggest starting with herbs?

A. They are used daily. B. They are easy to grow.

C. They can grow very tall. D. They can be eaten uncooked.

3.According to Loe, what is the benefit of canning her planted foods?

A. It can preserve their best flavor. B. It can promote her online sales.

C. It can better her cooking skills. D. It can improve their nutrition.

4.What is the “the bigger picture” (Para. 6) that Loe wishes her children to understand?

A. The knowledge about good food. B. The way to live a grow-our-own life.

C. The joy of getting in touch with foods. D. The responsibility to protect our earth

E

Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character,and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.

Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?

To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines（学科）. Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention.So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

On the whole,Brooks’ story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’ attempt to translate his tale into science.

1.The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to__________.

A.illustrate where science can be applied

B.demonstrate the value of Brooks’ new book

C.remind the reader of the importance of science

D.explain why many writers use science in their works

2.According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?

A.Its strong basis.

B.Its convincing points.

C.Its clear writing.

D.Its memorable characters.

3.What is the author’s general attitude towards the book?

A.Contradictory.

B.Supportive.

C.Cautious.

D.Critical.

4.What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?

A.Problems with the book.

B.Brooks’s life experience.

C.Death of the characters.

D.Brooks’s translation skills.