The way people hold to the belief that a fun - filled, pain free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably(不可避免的)brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment (义务), self - improvement.
Ask a bachelor(单身汉)why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three - day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates(解放) time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.
1. According to the author, a bachelor resists marriage chiefly because _______ .
A. he finds more fun in dating than in marriage
B. he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single
C. he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities
D. he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement
2. Raising children, in the author’s opinion is ________ .
A. a rewarding task B. a thankless job
C. a moral duty D. a source of inevitable pain
3. From the last paragraph, we learn that envy sometimes stems from ________
A. hatred B. ignorance C. prejudice D. misunderstanding
4. To understand what true happiness is one must ________ .
A. have as much fun as possible during one’s lifetime
B. be able to distinguish happiness from fun
C. put up with pain under all circumstances
D. make every effort to liberate oneself from pain
5. What is the author trying to tell us?
A. It is important to make commitments
B. One must know how to attain happiness.
C. Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain.
D. It is pain that leads to happiness.
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1. What is the purpose of the text?
A. To introduce a language school in Japan.
B. To hire language teachers to work in Japan.
C. To describe working conditions in Japan.
D. To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers.
2. We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will _______.
A. teach English only in Osaka
B. receive a degree from a university
C. have free accommodation
D. get trained for the job
3. Before going to Japan, you need _______.
A. to see the manager of NOVA France B. to take some computer courses
C. to write a letter to Japan D. to find a place to live
4. If you want to work in Japan you should _______.
A. have some working experience B. know how to use computers
C. present good teaching plans D. speak several languages
In the U.S., people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without first asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants are often large, too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
“Supper” and “dinner” are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.
1. According to the passage, which statement is true?
A. American people like sitting with people they don’t know.
B. A Hostess always seats a small group at a large table.
C. American people never sit with people they don’t know.
D. American people would not light up a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.
2. What is served before you order? ______ .
A. Cold water B. Bread C. Coffee D. Butter
3. What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?
A. They take the food home with a doggie bag for their dogs.
B. They leave the food on the table and go away.
C. They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.
D. They take the food home with a doggie bag and enjoy the food later.
4. What can you learn about “tips” according to the passage?
A. Tips are usually included in the total check.
B. A 15 percent tip in large cities indicates satisfactory service.
C. Tips are supposed to be left on the table when customers leave.
D. People are not expected to pay tips in addition.
Now let’s compare the Chinese diet with the Western diet. Some say that the Western food is better than the Chinese food. Do you think so?
First, let’s make a standard(标准) of the better diet. We don’t have to care much about the shape, the colour and the taste of the food. We say the one that has more nutrition, is easier to be digested and absorbed(吸收) by the body and then makes us more energetic should be the better. In this way, I believe, our Chinese food should be better than the Western food. Why?
I think the Western food contains too much fat and sugar. I know both fat and sugar are a kind of nutrition we need in our body, but too much of them will make your body harmed. That’s why so many westerners get ill when young. Besides, westerners have to use knives, forks and spoons to help them have their meals. It seems that they couldn’t have their meals without force.
But in Chinese food we have those mainly from plants including their seeds, leaves and roots together with a little meat such as chicken, fish, pork, mutton and so on. With so much plant food we can get enough calories as it is rich in fiber, protein, calcium and fat. With a little meat we can make our body even stronger. Besides, we use chopsticks, bowls and plates to help us have our meals. All of these make us harmonious to nature and everybody around us. So I say our Chinese food makes us wise, happy, healthy and wealthy.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The taste of the Chinese food.
B. The taste of the Western food.
C. The comparison between the two kinds of food.
D. The tastes of both of the two kinds of foods.
2. Which is the standard of measuring a diet?
A. Quantity of nutrition in the food.
B. Whether it is easy to be digested and absorbed.
C. Whether it can offer us enough energy.
D. All of the above.
3. Which is the writer’s attitude towards diet according to the passage?
A. Western food should be better because it contains much fat and sugar.
B. Western food should be better because contains much calories.
C. Chinese food should be better because it doesn’t contain too much fat or sugar
D. Chinese food should be better because it doesn’t have much nutrition.
4. According to the passage, which statement is true?
A. The standard (标准) of a better diet depends on the shape, color and the taste of the food.
B. Fat and sugar in the food do harm to our body.
C. Westerners use knives, chopsticks and spoons to help them have meals while Chinese use bowls, forks and plates.
D. Chinese food and the way Chinese have meals show Chinese are more harmonious with nature.
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题, 满分40分)
The 4th of July is the most important holiday in the United States, for it reminds us of the famous day in 1776. When the Americans declared their independence, congress made the declaration in Philadelphia, and that night in the city there were joyful celebrations which soon became nationwide. Even since, the 4th of July has been marked in the American calendar as Independence Day, and there are parades and festivities of all kinds.
The Declaration of Independence drawn up by Thomas Jefferson is one of the most important documents ever published, and it dropped like a bombshell( 意外事件) on the western world. Here is a sentence which shook the ruling classes of Europe, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed ( 赋予)by their Creator with certain unalienable(不可剥夺的) rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
1. When did the Americans declare their independence?
A. The fourth of July, 1776.. B. The fourth of June, 1794.
C. The first of July, 1767. D. The first of June, 1756
2. By whom was The Declaration of Independence drawn up?
A. George Washington. B. Benjamin Franklin.
C. Thomas Jefferson D. Abraham Lincoln.
3. Which of the following most generally summarizes the Declaration of Independence?
A. Equality. B. Liberty
C. The pursuit of happiness. D. All of the above.
第二节 完形填空 (共20小题, 满分30分)
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从第36至第55小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项
It was raining. I went into a cafe and asked for a coffee. 36 I was waiting for my drink, I realized there were other people in the place, but I sensed 37 . I saw their bodies, but I couldn’t feel their souls 38 their souls belonged to the 39 .
I stood up and walked between the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man 40 in front of it. “I’m Steve,” he finally answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m 41,”he said. He was chatting online and, 42, he was playing a computer game—a war game. I was 43.
Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried 44 to speak to that computer geek(怪人), 45 not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction(反应). I was 46 . I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, “ 47!”
I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the cafe were looking at me. I 48 , and saw nobody showed any interest.
49 , I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more 50 having a relationship with the 51 , particularly Steve. I wouldn’t want to 52 the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines 53 with people.
I was worried and sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even 54 that the coffee was bad, 55 Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.
36. A. Before B.While C. Although D. Since
37. A. pain B. fear C. sadness D. loneliness
38. A. until B. when C. because D. unless
39. A. Net B. world C. home D. Café
40. A. sleeping B. laughing C. sitting D. learning
41. A. tired B. thirsty C. busy D. sick
42. A. at the same time B. just then C. first of all D. by that time
43. A. delighted B. surprised C. moved D. frightened
44. A. again B. once C. first D. even
45. A. but B. so C. if D. or
46. A. excited B. respected C. unhappy D afraid .
47. A. Shut up B. Enjoy yourself C. Help me out D. Leave me alone
48. A. walked about B. raised my head C. raised my hand D. walked out
49. A. From then on B. Above all C. In all D. At that moment
50. A. interested in B. tired of C. careful about D. troubled by
51. A. computer B. soul C. shop D. geek
52.A. tell B. plan C. design D. imagine
53.A. other than B. instead of C. except for D. as well as
54. A. pretend B. understand C. insist D. realize
55. A. as if B. just as C. just after D. even though