My parents live in a small village.They always keep candles in the house___there is a power cut.
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A．if |
B．unless |
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C．in case |
D．so that |
Jim sold most of his things.He has hardly___left in the house.
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A．anything |
B．everything |
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C．nothing |
D．something |
The glass doors have taken the place of the wooden ones at the entrance,_____ in the natural light during the day.
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A．to let |
B．letting |
C．let |
D．having let |
Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways－scientists or actors, for example－may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desire－not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health－rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap(差距). Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone. “The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income.” Says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad. “Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often.
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve. But Carstensen thinks that with times running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t.
“People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says. “A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”
1.According to the passage, the feeling of happiness __________.
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A．is determined partly by genes |
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B．increases gradually with age |
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C．has little to do with wealth |
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D．is measured by desires |
2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs ____________.
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A．make them feel much better |
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B．provide chances to make friends |
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C．improve their social position |
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D．satisfy their professional interests |
3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more _________.
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A．optimistic |
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B．successful |
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C．practical |
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D．emotional |
4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if __________.
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A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger |
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B．they have a stronger desire for friendship |
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C．their income is below their expectation |
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D．the hope for good health is greater |
Almost every child is scared of something, from monsters in the cupboard to dogs in the park. But the fact that such fears are common and normal doesn’t mean they can be taken lightly. Kids experience fears and phobias(恐惧症) much more strongly than adults. And the influence of the fear can be physical as well as psychological(心理的). It can build up so they almost seem scared of everything－a kind of childhood anxiety. Dr. Creswell says: “Your child may always seem to expect the worst to happen and lack confidence in his or her ability to deal with any challenge.” So don’t make the same old mistake of treating them as if they’re silly for being a “scaredy cat”. Handling the fears is essential.
Children can be born nervous and, if you have such a baby, you’ll tend to prevent them from getting worried. So if they fear dogs, you’ll keep them away from dogs, but in fact that can just confirm to the child that dogs are scary. What is worse, keeping your child away from what they fear can turn that feeling into a phobia. Instead, you should encourage them to get in touch with the thing they fear, in a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Andy Field, a researcher of childhood fears, says: “You shouldn’t force, for example, a dog anxious child to go up to a dog. But you can approach it yourself, show them there is nothing to be afraid of, stroke(抚摸) it, and talk about the dog being friendly. Once your child dares to stroke a dog－one that’s good with children, of course－then you should encourage them to carry on until they feel calmer, and reward them for ‘being brave’.”
1.Children’s fears are usually taken lightly because __________.
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A．they will not develop into phobias |
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B．their influence is psychological |
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C．they exist widely in the world |
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D．they will disappear gradually |
2.If we fail to help children to overcome fears, they will ___________.
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A．make the same old mistake |
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B．overcome them by themselves |
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C．experience the worst of things |
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D．grow up lacking self confidence |
3.According to Dr. Andy Field, if a child is afraid of a cat, parents should __________.
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A．tell the child not to be afraid of it |
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B．show the child how to approach it |
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C．keep the child away from it |
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D．ask the child to stroke it |
How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in many ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces, They are taller, to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks（象牙）, and most importantly, longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes, and have a larger group of families. They drink only every 3 –4 days, and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat, which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders – they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat the dung（粪便）of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine（尿液）to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
1.The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “ ”.
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A．remains in the African countries |
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B．drinks 120 liters of water a day |
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C．manages to live in desert areas |
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D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily |
2.Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they _________.
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A．rarely ruin trees |
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B．drink only every 3-4 days |
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C．search for food in large groups |
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D．protect food sources for their young |
3.The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with __________.
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A．stories and explanation |
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B．facts and descriptions |
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C．examples and conclusion |
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D．evidence and argument |
4.What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?
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A．Overheating the earth can be stopped. |
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B．Not all animal species are so adaptable. |
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C．The planet will become hotter and hotter. |
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D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants. |
