A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease.
Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.
Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.
University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.
Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone’s loneliness.
The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.
The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.
Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.
The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group.
1.From the passage, we can learn that .
A. the habit of littering doesn’t spread
B. a lonely person won’t have friends
C. everyone may be affected by others’ loneliness
D. lonely people don’t know the cause of their loneliness
2.Which statement about the spread of loneliness is true?
A. The spreading effect was the second strongest among friends.
B. No spreading effect was found on husbands and wives.
C. Women are more likely to be affected than men.
D. Brothers are more easily affected than neighbors.
3. If you make 10 more friends in a year, the days of your feeling loneliness will be reduced by .
A. 48 days B. 25 days C. 20 days D. 15 days
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Actions should be taken to help lonely people. B. People feel lonely for many reasons.
C. Ways to fight against loneliness. D. Lonely people can affect others.
To all of you at Chinese love links.
I am 44 years old and never married. I have always wanted to find that perfect someone that I dream about. For about the last five years I have almost given up the hope of ever finding the one I truly wish to spend the rest of my life with.
I have always tried to be a nice guy. I had found your website some four or five months before. I did not know what to expect. I don’t know how to speak Chinese and never thought truly of how I was to an Asian woman.
Well, I had a lot of replies from some very nice and pretty women. I had a hard time finding only a couple to write to. But one stood out from the rest. She was cute, nice and seemed to hold a lot of the same values as I do. In a short time I had decided to write only to her. We communicate via e-mails 2-3 times a day and phone calls once or twice a week.
I went and met her and her family only a week ago. Her name is Yun and she lives in Nanning. I found Nanning to be one of the most beautiful cities I had ever been to. We had even decided to marry and bring her to the USA under the finance visa. Not only did she meet everything I had ever hoped to find in someone else but turned out to be what every woman should be like, at least the ones I have met. We plan to marry as soon as she is here and start a family together as neither of us has children but we both want them.
So to anyone out there reading this, I can only say this: You may not find what you are looking for if you’re not honest with your partner and yourself. This site worked for me mostly because I was honest with something that I wanted in someone else. When I did find her, love can work even across the other side of the world, between language differences and cultural differences. I wish you all luck in finding your perfect match. I have finally found mine and wish to give all my thanks to those at Chinese love links to help make it happen.
Sincerely yours,
Arthur
1.We can infer from the letter that Chinese love links is a website to ____________.
A. help foreigners to travel in China
B. help both Chinese and foreigners to find one they want to marry
C. help Chinese and foreigners make friends
D. receive letters from the USA
2. Which of the following is true about Arthur’s story?
A. He was sure of finding a Chinese woman as his wife at first.
B. He was determined to find a Chinese woman as his wife.
C. He almost lost hope in finding a perfect wife until he found Yun.
D. No women wrote to him before Yun.
3. Yun stood out from the rest because ________.
A. she was a Chinese.
B. she had much in common with Arthur
C. other women stopped writing to Arthur
D. she was cute and nice and often phoned to Arthur
4.Arthur thinks _________ is the most important in finding someone one wants to marry .
A. being honest with the partner and oneself B. help from the website
C. difference in languages and places D. difference in cultures
“My name’s Jim Shelley and I’m an addict(有瘾的人)…”
With these words I began to 36 the problem, the problem of my telephone addiction. I used to call people 37 , from the moment I woke up to the time I went to sleep. I 38 to be phoned, I wanted to phone. Just one more call.
It started socially-a few calls each day. It seemed 39 , just a quick chat. Gradually though, the 40 got worse. Soon it was 41 use, until, finally, addiction. And it began to affect(影响) my 42 . During the day I would disappear for 43 call. If I couldn’t make a call, I spent the whole time waiting for the phone to ring. Getting more and more 44 , in the end, I would ring someone, then someone else, 45 myself just one more call.
I was phoning people and 46 messages to make sure 47 calls would see me through the day. I used to arrive at friends’ homes and before the door was closed, go straight for the phone with the 48 “Is it OK if I just use the phone…?” At work, I became 49 when my fellow workers tried to 50 me from using the phone. And one day I hit my boss (with the phone). Finally, the police caught me 51 a phone box that had taken my last one pound coin, and I was 52 to see a psychiatrist(心理医生).
I haven’t 53 a phone in the house for three weeks now, and it’s several days 54 I used a phone box. I try not to watch TV because there are 55 people on it making phone calls. My name is Jim Shelley and I am an addict.
1.A. face B. find C. accept D. notice
2.A. now and then B. all the time C. at home D. at work
3. A. tried B. asked C. waited D. invited
4.A. polite B. important C. fine D. special
5.A. condition B. situation C. result D. effect
6.A. frequent B. regular C. unusual D. particular
7.A. friends B. study C. family D. work
8.A. a quick B. a secret C. an expected D. an extra
9.A. hopeful B. delighted C. frightened D. anxious
10. A. forcing B. telling C. giving D. limiting
11.A. leaving B. taking C. passing D. recording
12.A. long B. immediate C. enough D. surprising
13. A. saying B. demands C. wish D. words
14.A. careful B. mad C. determined D. helpless
15.A. save B. reduce C. protect D. stop
16.A. destroying B. using C. stealing D. emptying
17.A. offered B. guided C. ordered D. reminded
18. A. missed B. had C. received D. fixed
19.A. as B. when C. if D. since
20.A. always B. just C. more D. different
--Do remember to charge the battery for 12 hours when you first use it.
--- ________.
A. Thank you, I remember. B. What for?
C. Up to you. D. Got it.
We’d be very grateful if you could join us because your cooperation will _____ the timely completion of our project.
A. reach for B. make for C. go for D. stand for
My mobile phone disappeared. Where _____ I have left it?
A. may B. must C. could D. should
