Question

Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty. In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.

Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.

The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.

The researchers considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.

The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.

1.What is the best title of the passage?

A. The older a person is, the more stressed he feels.

B. The more lighthearted a person is, the happier he is.

C. The older a person is, the more clever he grows.

D. The older a person is, the happier he grows.

2.According to the researchers, what is probably the reason why people grow happier when they get older?

A. When people get older, they can’t remember bad experiences.

B. When people get older, they have no young children to care about.

C. When people get older, they learn to adjust their feelings.

D. When people get older, they don’t care about their feelings.

3.What do you think the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is?

A. A Gallup organization.       B. A popular science magazine.

C. A university in New York.     D. A research institution

4.What would the writer probably deal with in next paragraph?

A. Advice to the young people on how to keep happy.

B. Advice to the old people on how to live longer.

C. Why women at all ages are more sad, stressed and worried.

D. Why people will grow happier with their ages.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析:本文是介绍了一个科研成果，就是人的年龄越大越快乐。因为他们更能控制自己的情感，而女性比男性更明显有压力。

1.D 主旨大意题。根据第一段可知，本段是一篇研究发现，人的年龄越大越快乐。故选D。

2.C 细节理解题。根据第三段的One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. 可知，人上了年纪后，会更加感恩于他们的所有，能更好地控制他们的情感。故选C。

3.B 词义猜测题。根据The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 可知，这个发现出现在这里，应该是一本科普杂志。故选B。

4.C 推理判断题。根据最后一句话However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.推测，下面会分析为什么所有年龄段的女性都比男性更伤心，有压力，更焦虑。故选C。

考点：考查科普类阅读。