All schoolchildren should have "happiness" lessons up to the age of 18 to combat(fight) growing levels of depression, according to a senior Government adviser.
Pupils should study subjects such as how to manage feelings, attitudes to work and money, channeling (引导) negative emotions and even how to take a critical view of the media, said Lord Layard, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics.
The proposal comes only days after the Government said that lessons in manners—including respect for the elderly and how to say "please" and "thank you" should be taught in secondary schools to combat bad behavior.
Lord Layard said, "Learning hard things takes an enormous amount of practice. To play the violin well takes10,000 hours of practice. How can we expect people to learn to be happy without massive amounts of practice and repetition?"
It is believed that at least two percent of British children under 12 now struggle with significant depression. Among teenagers, the figure rises to five percent. AUNICEF study involving 21 developed countries showed that British children were the least satisfied with their lives, while the World Health Organization predicts that childhood psychiatric (精神)disorders will rise by 50 percent by 2020.
In a speech at Cambridge University, Lord Layard said the Government's lessons in manners did not go far enough. "We need a commitment to producing a major specialism in this area, with a serious teacher training program," he said.
However, happiness lessons have been criticized by academics. Frank Furedi, a sociology professor at Kent University and author of Therapy Culture, said, "In pushing emotional literacy, what some teachers are really doing is abandoning teaching. They are giving up and talking about emotions instead, so that children value all this non-discipline-led activity more than math, English or science. What is amazing about this is that time and time again, research says that it does not work. "
1. Frank Furedi believes that ______.
A. happiness lessons should be taught to children
B. happiness lessons are just a waste of time
C. formal teaching can go side by side with happiness lessons
D. formal teaching should not give way to happiness lessons
2. We can conclude from the passage that _______.
A. the British Government hasn't fully realized the problems with British students
B. Lord Layard thinks little of the Government's lessons in manners
C. British students are not well-behaved enough
D. lessons in manners have brought about positive changes in British students
3. Which of the following methods does Lord Layard use to show learning to be happy takes practice?
A. Comparison. B. Description. C. Argument. D. Analysis.
4. What does Lord Layard think of the Government's lessons in manners?
A. They are quite enough to solve the present problem.
B. They can hardly meet the special demands of education.
C. They are only focused on a major specialism.
D. They will probably end up in failure.
5.What do we know about British children from the passage?
A. They are the least happy among 21 developed countries.
B. They suffer depression at an earlier age.
C. They are the easiest to suffer childhood psychiatric disorders.
D. Their standard of living is the lowest among 21 developed countries.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Walking with long steps and his smile lighting up a rainy afternoon, Barack Obama seems to have arrived to visit a school he attended as a boy. But wait. He's not real Obama. The US president is back in Washington, D. C.
So who is this guy? He's llham Anas, 34, a magazine photographer who has taken advantage of his perfect resemblance(相像) to Obama and turned it into his own wealth.
When his sister first mentioned the resemblance, Anas dismissed it. Then a friend asked him to pose as Obama in front of a US flag. He also refused. "I'm a photographer, not an object for the camera," he said.
However, as soon as he accepted the idea, his career took off. Recently a group of reporters followed him on a tour of the school Obama once attended. Anas sat in the classroom where the present US president once studied. He spoke a few lines in English. The moment he opened his mouth, however, the differences became clear. “Obama is a baritone (男中音) ,” Anas said. “I'm not. I sound like a little boy.” He is also shorter than the president, but he makes up for that by practicing Obama's actions.
He says he has made a request to meet President Obama when he arrives, but he hasn't heard back from the president' s schedules. Now he no longer sees an average guy. Now he sees a superstar.
Now, Anas hopes that Obama will win a second term in the White House. “The longer he's in office, the longer my fame will last,” he said.
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Anas also thought he looked like Obama.
B. Anas was satisfied with his sister's comment.
C. Anas didn't think about the resemblance seriously.
D. Anas didn' t understand what his sister talked about.
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Obama has met Anas once in Indonesia.
B. Anas didn't become rich until he got to know Obama.
C. Obama studied in Indonesia when he was young.
D. Anas is a baritone but he can sound like a little boy.
3. We can learn from the passage that Anas now ______ .
A. longs for a simple life B. is proud of his appearance
C. keeps in touch with Obama D. wants to become a politician
4. Why does Anas hope Obama will be president in the next term？
A. He is a supporter of Obama. B. He hopes Obama will see him.
C. He wants to be famous for longer. D. He thinks Obama is a great politician.
5. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. An Obama Lookalike Becomes Popular in Asia
B. Obama Visits His Old School in Indonesia
C. A Man Practices Obama’s Typical Actions
D. Obama’s Face and Smile to Be Seen on TV
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Introduction to Letters to Sam
Dear Reader,
Please allow me to tell you something before you read this book. When my 36 ,Sam, was born, my heart was filled with joy. I had been sitting in a wheelchair for 20 years before then, and I have been 37 ill many times. So I wondered if I would have the 38 to tell Sam what I had 39 .
For years I have been hosting a program on the 40 and writing articles for a magazine. Being 41 to move freely, I have learned to sit still and keep my heart 42 , exchanging thoughts with thousands of listeners and 43 . So when Sam was born, I 44 to tell him about school and friendship, Romance and work, Love and everything else. That’s how I started to write these 45 . I hoped that Sam would 46 them sooner or later.
However, that expectation 47 when Sam showed signs of autism(自闭症)at the age of two. He had actually stopped talking before the discovery of the signs. He 48 to communicate with others, even the family members. That was 49 for me but didn’t stop me writing on. I realized that I had even 50 now to tell him. I wanted him to 51 what it means to be “different” from others, and learn how to fight against the misfortune he’ll 52 as I myself, his grandfather, did. I just 53 if I could write all that I wanted to say in the rest of my life.
Now, 54 the book has been published, I have been given the chance. Every chapter in the book is a letter to Sam: some about my life, and all about what it means to be a 55 .
Daniel Gottlieb
1. A. son B. nephew C. brother D. grandson
2. A. seriously B. mentally C. slightly D. quietly
3. A. ability B. time C. courage D. responsibility
4.A. written B. suffered C. observed D. lost
5. A. radio B. television C. stage D. bed
6.A. ready B. unable C. anxious D. eager
7.A. warm B. broken C. closed D. open
8. A. hosts B. visitors C. readers D. reporters
9.A. began B. stopped C. forgot D. decided
10.A. letters B. emails C. books D. diaries
11. A. find B. read C. collect D. keep
12.A. developed B. disappeared C. changed D. arrived
13. A. tried B. refused C. regretted D. hoped
14. A. exciting B. acceptable C. strange D. heartbreaking
15. A. less B. everything C. more D. nothing
16. A. understand B. explain C. believe D. question
17. A. fear B. face C. know D. cause
18. A. felt B. guessed C. saw D. doubted
19. A. as B. once C. though D. if
20. A. teacher B. child C. man D. writer
--- Would she mind playing against her former teammates?
--- She is willing to play against any tough players.
A. I think so. B. I’m not surprised. C. Of course. D. Not likely!
Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones, U.S. reseachers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”
Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变) to the brain.”
1. How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?
A. Some researchers have told them.
B. Many women say so.
C. They know it by experimenting on rats.
D. They know it through their own experience.
2.What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?
A. Baby rats. B. Animals. C. Old rats. D. Grown-up rats.
3. What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?
A. Estrogen. B. The hormones of pregnancy.
C. More exercise. D. Taking care of children.
4. “It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?
A. The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.
B. The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.
C. The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.
D. The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.
5. Which title is the best for this passage?
A. Do You Want to Be Smarter?
B. Motherhood Makes Women Smarter
C. Mysterious Hormones
D. An Important Study
完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，共30分)
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. Green said, "Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would ___36__."
Blue interrupted, "You only think about the __37__, but consider the sky and the sea．__38__ the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be __39__."
Yellow chuckled , "You are all so serious. I bring laughter, fun, and __40__ into the world．"
Orange started next to blow her trumpet, "I am the color of health and strength. I may be __41__, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. When I fill the sky __42__, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another __43__ to any of you."
Red could stand it __44__ and he shouted out, "I am the ruler of all of you. I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to __45__ truth. I am also the color of passion and of love."
Then came Purple and Indigo （深蓝）. …
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own __46__. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder. Rain started to pour down __47__. The colors crouched down __48__, drawing close to one another for comfort.
In the midst of the clamor （叫嚷）, rain began to speak, "You foolish colors, fighting __49__ yourselves, each trying to dominate __50__. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, __51__? Join hands with __52__ and come to me."
Doing as they were told, the colors __53__ and joined hands. They formed a colorful rainbow. From then on, whenever a good rain ___54__ the world, a rainbow appears in the sky. They remember to __55__ one another.
1.A．stay B．leave C．go out D．die
2.A．earth B．moon C．star D．sun
3.A．That is B．I am C．It is D．This is
4.A．anything B．nothing C．something D．everything
5.A．warmth B．sadness C．depression D．anxiety
6.A．usual B．normal C．common D．scarce
7.A．at midnight B．at noon or at night C．at sunrise or sunset D．during the day
8.A．gift B．honor C．thought D．respect
9.A．for more B.any more C．very much D．no longer
10.A．turn to B．fight for C．struggle with D．bend over
11.A．superiority B．disadvantages C．inferiority D．weakness
12.A．gently B．quietly C．violently D．peacefully
13.A．with care B．in fear C．by chance D．on purpose
14.A．among B．by C．for D．against
15.A．others B．themselves C．the other D．the rest
16.A．equal and simple B．ordinary and similar C．more or less D．unique and different
17.A．each other B．me C．one another D．them
18.A．combined B．separated C．united D．divided
19.A．cleans B．washes C．brightens D．dampens
20.A．appreciate B．quarrel with C．ignore D．praise
