Question

    Where do you think the world's happiest people live? Somewhere hot with sandy beaches?A country with a tradition of the fine food and culture? Not according to a recent study by the University of Leicester.Who are the happiest people on Earth?1.Surprised? Well you'll be more surprised when you hear that the Danes pay some of the highest taxes in the world.So what is the secret of their success?

Let's start with all that tax they pay.The Danish government provides its people with one of the finest education and health systems in the world.It spends more on children and elderly people per capita（人均）than any other country.

2.Thanks to the tax policy,a shop assistant's final salary is not that much less than someone who works in a bank.As a result,Danes don't choose their careers based on money or status as people in other countries do.They choose the job they want to do.There's a philosophy in Denmark known as "Jante-lov",which translates as "you're no better than anybody else."3.But workers in other countries are not used to looking at life in this way.

Money doesn't seem as important in Denmark.It has been called a “post consumerist” society.4.What is more important is the sense of society and it's no surprise that Danes are very used to socializing.92% of Danes belong to some kind of social club and these clubs are even paid for by the government.

5.They also show an amazing amount of trust in each other and their government.You can see signs of this all over the country.You'll find vegetable stalls with no assistant.You take what you want and leave the money in a basket.Perhaps the bike is a good symbol for Denmark.The Danes can afford cars but they choose bikes-simple, economical,non-polluting machines that show no status and help keep people fit.

A.In a list ranking countries by the happiness of their citizens,it put tropical Fiji 50 places below freezing Iceland.

B.The street sweeper can hold his head up high as he proudly does his job.

C.Danish people aren't as suspicious as many other nations.

D.High taxes in Denmark widen the gap between different jobs.

E.Those 5.5 million people who call Denmark their home.

F.People have nice things in their houses,but they don't attach too much importance to shopping and spending.

G And there's another advantage to those high taxes.

Answer

1.E

2.G

3.B

4.F

5.C

【解析】

本文是说明文。文章介绍了世界上最快乐的人—丹麦人，并介绍了原因。

1.根据空前一句Who are the happiest people on Earth?问的是谁是地球上最快乐的人？所以空格肯定是来回答上一句的问，再根据空后一句Well you'll be more surprised when you hear that the Danes pay some of the highest taxes in the world.说到了Danes，丹麦人， 可知是丹麦人最快乐，故选E。

2.根据空后一句Thanks to the tax policy，多亏了税收政策，也就是说税收所带来的好处，且本段都在阐明税收的好的一面，因为句中有advantage，意思对应起来了。故选G。

3.根据本段中They choose the job they want to do，丹麦人只选他们喜欢的工作，以及空前一句you're no better than anybody else.你并不比其他人好，就是说你和其他人都是一样的，没有高低贵贱之分，故对应选项B中所举例的：扫大街的人会抬头挺胸很自豪地做他的工作，逻辑关系顺畅，故选B。

4.根据空前一句Money doesn't seem as important in Denmark.It has been called a “post consumerist” society.在丹麦钱没有那么重要，它被称为后消费主义者社会，也就是说人们对消费方面没有那么看重，正好对应选项F的意思。故选F。

5.根据空后一句They also show an amazing amount of trust in each other and their government.可知他们互相信任，并且信任政府，所以他们的猜疑现象就比较少，C项里有一个关键词suspicious，意思正好对应上，故选C。