What makes us happy?
There has long been an opinion that money buys happiness. However, although “we really, really tired that for a couple of generations, it didn’t work,” said Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life.
Thanks to a travel- inspired revelation (启发), Jay has been happily living a simpler life for 12 years. “I always packed as lightly as possible, and found it exhilarating (令人高兴的) to get by with just a small carry-on bag,” she told CNN. “I thought if it feels this great to travel lightly, how amazing would it be to live this way? I wanted to have that same feeling of freedom in my everyday life.”
Jay decided to get rid of all her excess(额外的) possessions and live with just the essentials. “I wanted to spend my time and energy on experiences, rather than things.”
Jay is a follower of a movement called “minimalism(极简主义)”. Growing numbers of people have been attracted to this lifestyle all over the world. They share the same feeling of disappointment with modern life and a desire to live more simply. Minimalists are typically progressive and concerned about the environment, Leah Watkins, a lead researcher at Otago University in New Zealand, told Stuff magazine in March.
But many simply experienced unhappiness caused by owning too many possessions. Depression with the materialism of our world isn’t new. English romantic poet Willian Wordsworth summed up how dispiriting this was back in 1802, at the beginning of the industrial age, when he wrote: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”. His preference was to go back to nature. Closer to our own times, the hippies(嬉皮士)of the 1960s also sought to “drop out ”of modern life.
And for many minimalists, their key is to unload. Without objects, they “believe people are forced more and more into the present moment and that’s where life happens,” wrote Stuff. But does simplicity ever feel like a sacrifice?
“It’s eliminating the excess—unused items, unnecessary purchases—from your life. Well, I may have fewer possessions, but I have more space…Minimalism is making room for what matters most,” said Jay.
And “the real questions”, according to Duane Elgin, US social scientist, are “what do you care about?” and “What do you value?” He told CNN: “It is important for people to realize minimalism isn’t simply the amount of stuff we consume. It is about our families, our work, our connection with the larger world, our spiritual dimension. It is about how we touch the whole world. It is a way of life.”
1.What inspired Francine Jay to live a simple life？
A. A book she came across.
B. A follower of minimalism she met on a trip.
C. The pleasure she enjoyed from traveling lightly.
D. Her desire to keep up with modern life.
2.According to Leah Watkins，a typical minimalist tends to________.
a. be fed up with materialism
b. like saving and visiting nature often
c. be disappointed with his or her current life
d. be environmentally friendly and live with fewer things
A. a, b B. a, d C. a, b ,c D. b, c, d
3.The underlined word"eliminating"in the second-to-last paragraph probably means_______.
A. removing B. distinguishing C. accepting D. improving
4.Which of the following would Duane Elgin probably agree with？
A. Minimalism is a healthy lifestyle that is in conflict with modern life.
B. Minimalism means people have to sacrifice some pleasure to live simply.
C. Minimalism limits people's freedom to enjoy their lives to the fullest.
D. Minimalism enables people to reflect on what truly counts in their lives.
5.What was the author's main purpose in writing the text？
A. To argue whether money buys happiness.
B. To recommend one of Francine Jay's books.
C. To explore the trend of minimalism.
D. To give tips on how to lead a happy life.
Taking photographs at a birthday or a wedding has become as natural as blowing out candles or cutting the cake. But our obsession with recording every detail of our happiest moments could be damaging our ability to remember them, according to new research. A study has shown that taking pictures rather than concentrating fully on the events in front of us prevents memories taking hold.
Dr. Linda Henkel, from Fairfield University, Connecticut, described it as the "photo-taking impairment effect". She said: "People so often pull out their cameras almost mindlessly to capture a moment, to the point where they are missing what is happening right in front of them. When people rely on technology to remember for them—counting on the camera to record the event and thus not needing to attend to it fully themselves—it can have a negative impact on how well they remember their experiences."
Dr Henkel and her team carried out an experiment in a museum, to learn if taking pictures of the exhibits was hindering the ability of visitors to remember what they had seen.
A group of university students were led on a tour at the Bellarmine Museum of Art at Fairfield University and were asked to either photograph or try and remember objects on display. The next day their memory was tested. The results showed that people were less accurate in recognizing the objects they had photographed than those they had only looked at. It was found that their memory for the details of the objects they had photographed was poorer.
Henkel's lab is currently investigating whether the content of a photo, such as whether you are in it, affects later memory. She is also researching whether actively choosing what to photograph might influence what we remember.
Previous research suggests that reviewing photos we have taken does help us remember the objects, but only if we take the time.
"Research has suggested that the sheer volume and lack of organization of digital photos for personal memories discourages many people from accessing and recalling them. In order to remember, we have to access and interact with the photos, rather than just collect them," said Dr Henkel.
1.What does the word “them”, in the first paragraph, refer to?
A. Gifts at a birthday.
B. People who go to parties.
C. Photos taken at a wedding.
D. Details of the happiest moments.
2. What is the “photo-taking impairment effect”?
A. Some unhappy events may impair the effects of photos.
B. Taking photographs of objects ruins one’s memory of them.
C. The effects of photos are strongly affected by bad cameras.
D. Memories last forever when people take the photos they like most.
3.What can we learn about Dr. Linda Henkel’s study?
A. A group of high school students were involved.
B. The memory of participants was tested the following week.
C. People who just looked at the objects remembered fewer details.
D. People who photographed objects were worse at recognizing them.
4.With which of the following may Dr. Linda Henkel agree?
A. Reviewing photos improves memories of objects.
B. Focusing on people at events is the best way to remember.
C. Relying on technology to remember affects the memory.
D. Counting on cameras to record events is always reliable.
5.The passage is probably taken from________.
A. a health magazine B. a cultural overview
C. an economics report D. an entertainment website
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. "Houses" have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented(专利的)and have trade mark licenses. The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by fixing the dirt drain(排水管)at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores(家务)and in a more useful manner.
1.The first paragraph is intended to ________.
A. stress the importance of inventions
B. introduce the topic of the article
C. show the advantages of modern lifestyle
D. tell the differences between human beings and animals
2.According to the passage, people make house inventions to ________.
A. earn more money and gain awards
B. accumulate their wealth
C. improve the present living conditions
D. meet the new demands of new science
3.It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to ________.
A. prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured
B. keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation
C. help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains
D. cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike
4.Common people can also make good inventions because ________.
A. wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life
B. some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by them
C. common people have a strong desire to do something for science research
D. success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people
5.The passage mainly talks about ________.
A. the correct use of household facilities
B. different ideas about household inventions
C. the history of household inventions
D. household inventions and their influence
When he was driving home one evening on a country road, he saw an old lady，stranded(抛锚的)on the side of the road. He stopped in front of her car and got out. Even with the smile on his face，she was worried. He looked poor and hungry. He knew how she felt. He said, “I am here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Joe. ”
She had a flat tire. Joe crawled under the car, changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She could not thank him enough and asked him how much she owed him. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Joe added, “And think of me.”
She drove off. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small restaurant. She went in. The waitress had a sweet smile, and was nearly eight months pregnant(怀孕的). The old lady wondered how someone like her who seemed poor could be so kind to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her change from a hundred—dollar bill. But she stepped right out the door.
When the waitress came back，she noticed something written on a napkin, “I am helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here’s what you do—Do not let the chain of love end with you .”
That night when she got home，she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. She and her husband needed money with the baby due(预期的)next month. She knew how worried her husband was，and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered，“Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe. ”
1.When Joe stopped to help the lady, she ________.
A. became excited B. was afraid to be hurt
C. refused his offer D. thanked him
2.At the restaurant, the lady ________.
A. received good service B. had an expensive meal
C. told the waitress Joe’s story D. met another poor guest
3.Why did the lady leave the restaurant without getting her change?
A. She forgot it. B. She wanted to help Joe.
C. She would get it later. D. She wanted to give the waitress some help.
4.We can learn from the text that ________.
A. Joe’s boss fired him B. Joe worked as a driver
C. Joe’s wife was the waitress D. Joe had an unhappy marriage
5.By telling the story, the writer tries to show that ________.
A. helping others is helping oneself
B. kindness can be spread
C. poverty is not a threat to a happy marriage
D. a happy family depends on a happy marriage
When I was twelve years old back in the 1950s my parents allowed me to apply for an afternoon newspaper route. I had a friend who was a little older than me. He had a morning route and he was ______ what I considered big money. I had helped him ______ his newspapers a few times and I thought I could ______ it. In those days most towns had both a morning newspaper and an afternoon newspaper. My parents did not want me to have to ______before dawn but they said yes to an afternoon route.
I was _______about being able to make my own money. ______ , I needed a bike to be able to handle the large bag ______ for carrying the newspapers. I was not a large boy and the only bike we had in our family was too ______ for me to handle with a load of newspapers. I needed a ______ one. My father suggested we go shopping for a ______ bicycle with the understanding that I would pay for it out of my ______ .
In the 1950s the Western Auto Company had a line of bicycles. My father arranged(安排) for me to ______ a bicycle that was just the right ______ for me. But for the next several months I ______ rode my bike to the Western Auto Store to make my $5.00 monthly bike ______ .
It was a great ______ for a twelve-year-old boy to learn. I learned how to make money and pay my ______ . I did not know it at the time but that bicycle impacted (影响) hugely on my life. It gave me my first taste of ______ . But most of all it led me to wife because her parents were among my ______ on the newspaper route. Get on your bike and ride and you ______ know where it will take you.
1.A. showing B. borrowing C. demanding D. earning
2.A. read B. deliver C. buy D. fetch
3.A. remember B. notice C. manage D. understand
4.A. get up B. go back C. give in D. come over
5.A. worried B. excited C. disappointed D. moved
6.A. Therefore B. Besides C. Moreover D. However
7.A. required B. achieved C. changed D. conveyed
8.A. tiny B. slow C. tall D. old
9.A. lighter B. stronger C. prettier D. smaller
10.A. useful B. beautiful C. suitable D. expensive
11.A. behavior B. income C. wish D. promise
12.A. buy B. borrow C. rent D. try
13.A. weight B. style C. quality D. size
14.A. gradually B. nervously C. dutifully D. carefully
15.A. payment B. repair C. check D. cleaning
16.A. success B. shock C. surprise D. lesson
17.A. respect B. debt C. dream D. goal
18.A. labor B. treasure C. challenge D. independence
19.A. friends B. customers C. relatives D. classmates
20.A. usually B. sometimes C. never D. seldom
_______ the difficult maths problem, she felt relieved.
A. Worked out B. To work out C. Having worked out D. Work out
