Camp Fire USA

Camp Fire USA is a youth agency serving children from Pre-K through 12th grade. Camp Fire provides opportunities for youth to learn life skills, build their self-esteem, serve their communities, experience the outdoors, make friends, and have fun. Camp Fire programs are available to all people without regard to race, gender, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, economic status or mental or physical disabilities.

Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are needed to help with local events, child care for children with various needs, summer day camps, our Youth Volunteer Corps program, answering phones, clerical work, group activities, and program delivery.

Minimum Age: 11, depending upon task

Minimum Commitment: Varies; range is from 2 hours/month to 1 day/week

Contact: Program Manager

Address: 1635 NE 87th St, Ste B8 Redmond, WA 98052

Phone: 425-885-0477

FAX: 425-885-0201

Email: info@campfire-usa.org

Web: www.campfire-usa.org

Business Hours: By appointment or Friday 9 am-3 pm

Seattle Aquarium

The Seattle Aquarium's mission is to inspire conservation of our marine environment. Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are needed as interpreters to speak to guests about our exhibits, lead guided tours, lead activities for children, and assist with special events during the school year and summer

Minimum Age: 16

Minimum Commitment: School Year 一 Two weekend days per month (9:30 am - 5:15 pm); Summer 一 Two half day shifts per week (9:30 am - 1:45 pm or 1 pm - 5:15 pm).

Contact: High School Volunteer Supervisor

Address: 1483 Alaskan Way Seattle, WA 98101

Phone: 206-386-4351

FAX: 206-386-4328

Office Hours: Sun-Thurs, 8:30 am 一 5:30 pm

Aquarium Hours: Fall/Winter, Daily 10 am-5 pm; Spring, Daily 9:30 am - 5 pm Summer. Daily 8:30 am ~ 7 pm

Homeward Pet

Homeward Pet animal shelter provides food, shelter, medical attention, and love to homeless adoptable cats and dogs until permanent homes are found.

Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are needed to help take care of homeless dogs and cats by cleaning cages, feeding, petting, exercising, and playing with the animals.

Minimum Age: 16

Minimum Commitment: 3 months

Contact: Volunteer Coordinator

Site Address: 18800 Woodinville-Snohomish Rd., Woodinville, WA 98072

Mailing Address: PO Box 2293, Woodinville, WA 98072

Phone: 425-488-4444 ex 407

FAX: 425-481-6867

Business Hours: Wed - Fri, 3 pm - 7 pm; Sat - Sun, 1 pm ~ 6 pm

KidsQuest Children's Museum

KidsQuest Children's Museum provides interactive exhibits and programs integrating art, science, technology, and daily experiences to inspire life-long learning in children and families.

Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are needed to assist with community events, leading hands-on activities with children and their families, birthday parties, workshops, and programs.

Minimum Age: 14

Minimum Commitment: None

Contact: Community Connections Manager

Site Address: 4091 Factoria Blvd SE Bellevue, WA 98006

Phone:425-637-8100

FAX: 425-747-7178

Business Hours:

Tues一Thurs, 10 am-5 pm; Fri, 10 am - 8pm; Sat, 10 am-5pm

1.Cat lovers will probably be willing to volunteer at________.

A.KidsQuest Children's Museum B.Homeward Pet

C.Camp Fire USA D.Seattle Aquarium

2.If you volunteer to work at Camp Fire USA, you'll have to work at least________.

A.two weekend days per month B.three months

C.two hours per month D.one school year

3.If you are disabled and interested in volunteering, the first choice among those posted here is to call __________.

A.425-637-8100 B.425-488-4444

C.425-885-0477 D.206-386-4351

假定你是晨光中学的学生李津，你和几位同学成立了一个英语俱乐部，开展了为期两个月的活动。现在，你将代表俱乐部在课堂上进行经验交流，请写一篇发言稿，内容如下：

1.简要描述俱乐部开展的相关活动（如观看英文电影、阅读英文经典等方面）；

2.谈谈你们开展该活动的收获和感想；

3.表达期望。

注意：1.短文词数不少于100 ;

2.可适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯；

3.不能出现本人真实信息；

4.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear friends,

How time flies!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you!

阅读表达

Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight while the French, who consume rich food, continue to stay thin? Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating may affect weight. Researchers conclude that the French tend to stop eating when they feel full. However, Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favorite TV show is over.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as something to be squeezed between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers' markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.

After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women. Don’t Get Fat, decided to write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.

In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains acceptance and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has been growing.

1.What does the research by Cornell University show? (No more than 10 words)

____________________________________________________________________________

2.What do the French think of eating according to Dr. Joseph Mercola? (No more than 15 words)

____________________________________________________________________________

3.Why do you think Mireille Guiliano can stay thin though she rarely goes to the gym? (No more than 10 words)

____________________________________________________________________________

4.What does the underlined sentence mean in the last paragraph? (No more than 15 words)

____________________________________________________________________________

5.Do you think enjoying food has close connection with getting fat? Give your reasons. (No more than 25 words)

____________________________________________________________________________

    It's amazing how we grow from careless kids to responsible teens. What happens in the course that makes us responsible now? It’s the seed that we sow in the beginning which grows and becomes a huge tree.

As a kid, I used to read a lot of story books. In one particular book, I read a story of a bird. It described a male bird which takes a lot of pain to build a nest and the female bird takes shelter in it and nourishes the baby. When the bird learns to fly, the whole family flies off to a different place leaving behind the beautiful nest for other birds to grow their family in it. It made me wonder. How could they so easily sacrifice their house built with so much effort?

One night, when I was deep in sleep, I got this particular dream. I was walking miles on the endless road, totally isolated but lined with beautiful trees on either side. I happened to stop upon seeing something. It was a wonderful house with every corner touched artistically and lovingly. I don’t know why I felt that it was done lovingly. Maybe because, things turn out to be beautiful only when we put our love into it - just like the food prepared by mom which tastes more delicious with her love.

I explored the house only to fall more in love with it. There was a sloping roof which matched with the greenery around; the large central open courtyard reminded me of the activities that might have taken place there which felt lively even now when it is completely deserted. The small water body that kept the house cool added to the beauty of the house - of course, it was all dried up now. It's really wonderful how such things add life to the spaces which otherwise just become structures. Such liveliness and happening turns the house into a home.

When I woke up from the dream, I was clear about everything. I realized where that mile of walk was intending me to lead. I realized what message my dream wanted to convey me. And years later, when finally my turn of choosing my destination came, I simply closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I was sure what to do. I decided to choose the road - less traveled. Yes, I took up architecture as my profession because this is what I am destined to do. I wanted to do the same thing that the male bird in the story did, to take pain in building a beautiful house and let others stay in it.

1.When the writer read the story of the bird, he probably felt _______.

A.upset B.confused

C.amazed D.amused

2.To the writer, ''the seed that we sow in the beginning'' (Paragraph 1) is _______.

A.the story of the bird B.his mother's food

C.the house in his dream D.his story books

3.Mom's food always tastes better because _______.

A.mom cooks with her love B.we are so familiar with mom's food

C.moms are better cooks than fathers D.mom is experienced in cooking

4.In the writer's dream, what part of the house attracted him most?

A.The greenery surrounding the house.

B.The body of water that keeps the house cool.

C.The liveliness he sensed around the house.

D.The fact that the house was very large.

5.The above passage is mainly about _______.

A.how the writer finally becomes an honest citizen

B.where the true meaning of responsibility lies

C.what we need to do when we are seeking fortune

D.why the writer takes up architecture as his career

    In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest growing U.S. minority. As their children began moving up through the nation schools，it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities，where mathematics，science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U.S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an art degree.

Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that makes success，such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.

Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation(隔离). Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.

1.With making outstanding achievements at college，Asian- American students ________.

A.feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English

B.are afraid that their academic successes are not recognized

C.still worry about unfair treatment in society for their origin

D.generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents

2.What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?

A.A solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture.

B.Hard work and intelligence.

C.Parents’ help and a limited knowledge of English.

D.Asian culture and the American educational system.

3.Few Asian American students major in human sciences mainly because ________.

A.their English is not good enough

B.they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas

C.there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures

D.they know little about American culture and society

4.Why do “both explanations” (Para.3) worry Asian Americans?

A.They are afraid that they would again be separated from American society.

B.People will think that Asian students rely on their parents for success.

C.Asian Americans will be a threat to other minorities.

D.Americans fear the academic achievements made by Asian Americans.

5.Before 1952 in America，________.

A.Asian Americans could not be academically successful

B.there were few immigrants from East and Southeast Asia

C.immigrants were not equally treated by Asian Americans

D.immigrants from East and Southeast Asia were looked down upon

    Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, they might even be more dirty than their gasoline-powered cousins.

People in California love to talk about “zero-emissions(排放) vehicles”, but people in California seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. Power plants mostly use fire to make it. Aside from the new folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get our electricity from generators(发电机). Generators are fueled by something--usually coal, oil, but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants. There are a few wind farms and geothermal

(地热) plants as well, but by far we get electricity mainly by burning something.

In other words, those "zero-emissions" cars are likely coal-burning cars. It’s just because the coal is burned somewhere else, it looks clean. It is not. It's as if the California Greens are covering their eyes—“If I can't see it, it's not happening.” Gasoline is an incredibly efficient way to power a vehicle; a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it. But when you take that gas (or another fuel) and first use it to make electricity, you waste a nice part of that energy, mostly in the form of wasted heat—at the generator, through the transmission lines, etc.

A gallon of gas may propel your car 25 miles. But the electricity you get from that gallon of gas won't get you nearly as far—so electric cars burn more fuel than gasoline-powered ones. If our electricity came mostly from nukes or geothermal, or hydro or wind or solar, then an electric car truly would be clean. But for political, technical, and economic reasons, we don't use much of those energy sources.

In addition, electric cars' batteries which are poisonous for a long time will eventually end up in a landfill. And finally, when cars are the polluters, the pollution is spread across all the roads. When it's a power plant, though, all the junk is in one place. Nature is very good at cleaning up when things are too concentrated, but it takes a lot longer when all the garbage is in one spot.

1.What does “clueless” mean in paragraph 2?

A.People see the California Greens everywhere.

B.People there have no idea that so far electricity mainly comes from burning coal, oil, etc.

C.People in California love to have their roofs covered with solar cells.

D.People in California love to talk about zero-emissions vehicles.

2.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Electric cars are not clean at all.

B.Electric cars are better than gasoline-powered ones.

C.People cast doubts on electric cars’ batteries.

D.Gasoline is an efficient way to power a vehicle.

3.The electricity we get from a gallon of gas may make our car run ________.

A.not less than 25 miles B.as far as 50 miles

C.as far as 25 miles D.not more than 25 miles

4.According to the text, electric cars ________.

A.are more environmentally friendly

B.burn more fuel than gas-powered ones

C.are very good at cleaning up when things are not too concentrated

D.are poisonous for a long time and will eventually end up in a landfill

5.It can be inferred from the text that ________.

A.being green is good and should be encouraged in communication

B.electric cars are now the dominant vehicle compared with gasoline-powered cousins

C.zero-emissions vehicles should be chosen to protect our environment

D.electric cars are not clean because we get electricity mainly by burning something

Welcome to BritainUSA. com 4 Kids！

Perhaps you are here because your child has been asked by his or her teacher to do a project on Britain. Or maybe you and your child simply want to learn more about all things British.

Well，good news：This site is here to help.

※For instance，we have a section devoted to British History & Geography. Kids will learn that Britain has not been invaded since the Normans came from France in 1066，but it was invaded many times before that. And that the invaders included groups like the Celts，Romans Anglo-Saxons and，yes，the Vikings!

※If they are looking for photos (and kids love photos)，we have a picture gallery on the 4kids site. There are pictures from England，Scotland，Wales and Northern Ireland as well as images of London，the Royal Family and castles.

※Kids can also find out about the many differences between British English and American English. Words are used differently of course，and many English words have different meanings in Britain or are unique to British culture. Kids should check out our glossary of British terms.

※We also have information about Pen Pals. And scouts might want to visit our section on the Citizenship in the World Merit Badge. It includes information on how to write to the Embassy.

※We also have sections on British sports and about life in Britain. How is life different for kids in the United Kingdom？These and other questions can be answered by using the 4kids site，the main Britain USA site，and our Frequently Asked Questions.

Enjoy the site and we hope you and your kids learn a lot. If you have any comments or suggestions about BritainUSA or BritainUSA 4Kids，please use our feedback form. We'd welcome your input.

Cheers!

1.We can see that BritainUSA. com 4Kids is designed to help us___.

A.understand British history better

B.have a better understanding of American culture

C.improve our English

D.have a better understanding of Britain

2.According to the passage，who CAN'T benefit from visiting BritainUSA. com 4Kids？___

A.Helen, who wants to see pictures of British royal families.

B.Daniel, who wants to know about British football teams.

C.Alisa，who is choosing an ideal college in Britain.

D.Philip，who is looking for a pen pal in Britain.

3.If you want to express your dissatisfaction with the site，you should go to the___

A.picture gallery

B.frequently asked questions

C.glossary of British terms

D.feedback form

4.What does the underlined word "glossary" in Paragraph 4 mean in English？___

A.A list of technical or special words

B.Some comments

C.Some suggestions

D.A piece of advice

5.The above writing is most probably intended for___

A.children B.teachers

C.parents D.children experts.

    Sometimes a certain day has a special meaning. Fridays meant a trip to a senior nursing home downtown for me. It seemed as if this nursing home needed help, but_______did I know it would help me, too.

During my first visit I was asked to_______some of the female residents' nails. I carefully_________the old color on their nails. As I applied new color, one woman_______to tell me about her hidden pains, from her husband’s death to the one_______she wanted most: a camera. I listened carefully. She smiled_______, with some of her past pains taken off her mind. I left the nursing home that day, _______ by the fact that I had actually helped somebody.

I realized that my_______ actions, just listening, for example, could make a(n)_______to others' lives. One woman, who happily commented that we________the same first name, confided (吐露) her opinions to me. Another________showed me a birthday card her children had sent her. Of course, not all of the conversations were ________. When one elderly woman talked to me about ________ her 13-year-old daughter would be graduating from middle school this year, I didn’t know what to do but nod and listen, ________that her daughter must have graduated decades ago.

Although I could not________more years to the lives of these elderly residents, I could give them something simple that's often________in our society. Through our conversations, I gave them the________ that in this fast-paced world, they were not forgotten—that members of younger generations still cared about them.

Every moment I spend________is an opportunity to reduce their pain. ______, that moment also shapes me. I not only learn about life and experiences outside of school but also receive the gift of being part of this________—the connection between humans. Those moments of sharing and listening are magical for both the giver and the receiver.

1.A.still B.little C.already D.indeed

2.A.polish B.wash C.cut D.check

3.A.took away B.rubbed off C.showed off D.gave up

4.A.continued B.expected C.agreed D.started

5.A.collection B.product C.award D.item

6.A.at least B.more or less C.in relief D.in vain

7.A.inspired B.reminded C.moved D.puzzled

8.A.unique B.polite C.casual D.simple

9.A.chance B.impression C.difference D.decision

10.A.remembered B.shared C.contained D.carried

11.A.cautiously B.accidentally C.proudly D.finally

12.A.pleasant B.serious C.formal D.interesting

13.A.when B.why C.what D.that

14.A.convincing B.knowing C.indicating D.persuading

15.A.add B.connect C.supply D.compare

16.A.valued B.loved C.blamed D.overlooked

17.A.memory B.possibility C.assurance D.assumption

18.A.chatting B.waiting C.acting D.watching

19.A.Above all B.In other words C.In turn D.In a word

20.A.tradition B.process C.habit D.trip

—Let’s take a coffee break.

—________ We’ve been working for hours.

A.Why bother? B.What for? C.You got me there. D.You said it.

_____ you may have, you should gather your courage to face the challenge.

A.However a serious problem B.What a serious problem

C.However serious a problem D.What serious a problem

My sister met him at the cinema yesterday afternoon, so he _________ your lecture.

A.couldn't have attended B.needn't have attended

C.mustn't have attended D.shouldn't have attended

________ who are able to work through the struggle are the ________ who are going to be successful.

A. Someone; one B. Anyone; one

C. He; ones D. Those; ones

A dog’s eating habit requires regular training before it is ________ established.

A.properly B.widely

C.originally D.temporarily

— How does Jane put on so much weight?

— Large quantities of fat ____ recently.

A.are consumed B.is being consumed C.has been consumed D.have been consumed

There’s no doubt ______ hard work is the key to _____ your result.

A.whether; improving B.that; improving

C.whether; improve D.that; improve

The experiment shows that proper amounts of exercise, if_____ regularly, can improve our health.

A.being carried out B.carrying out

C.carried out D.to carry out

In the factory, there was a workshop_______windows were broken, so the workshop was so cold in the winter.

A.who B.which C.whose D.that

（2018·天津）Bob thought he couldn't go to the party because he had to write a report, but he went ___________.

A. at first    B. after all

C. above all    D. at random

China’s soft power grows ________ the increasing appreciation and understanding of China globally.

A.in line with B.in reply to

C.in return for D.in honour of

（2018·江苏）Developing the Yangtze River Economic Belt is a systematic project which _______ a clear road map and timetable.

A.calls for B.calls on

C.calls off D.calls up

It was when I got back to my apartment ________ I first came across my new neighbors.

A.who B.where

C.which D.that

The disappearance of dinosaurs is not necessarily caused by astronomical incidents. But _______ explanations are hard to find.

A.alternative B.aggressive

C.ambiguous D.apparent

—I feel so nervous about the National English Speech Competition tomorrow.

—       .

A.I really envy you B.Glad to hear that

C.Sounds great D.Take it easy

Directions：Write an English composition in around 150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

为保护环境，政府提倡垃圾分类，但许多小区的落实情况不尽人意，请你写一封电子邮件向有关部门负责人反映这一现状，并提出合理建议。

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions：Translate the following sentences into English,using the words given in the brackets.

1.建议老年人晚上不要喝浓茶，以免睡不着。（in case）

2.在任何情况下，坚持原则、明辨是非都是明智之举。（sense）

3.下周五考试的那天碰巧有一场他们期待已久的音乐会，这令他们非常沮丧。（There）

4.是不是当她很难嚼东西的时候她才下定决心去那家朋友推荐的诊所看牙医的啊？（it）

Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Blowing a Few Tops

Ever stopped to consider the upside of volcanic eruptions? It’s not all death, destruction and hot liquid rock—scientists have a plan to cool the planet by simulating one such eruption.

Solar geoengineering involves simulating a volcano by spraying aerosols(气溶胶) into the atmosphere. When they combine with oxygen, droplets of sulfuric acid (硫酸) form. These droplets reflect sunlight away from Earth, cooling the planet. All good in theory, but the consequences are largely unknown and a few could be disastrous. In a study recently published in Nature Communications, researchers led by Anthony Jones, a climate scientist from the University of Exeter, found that using this technology in the Northern Hemisphere could reduce the number of tropical winds hitting the U.S. and Caribbean. But there's an annoying exchange: more winds in the Southern Hemisphere and a drought across the Sahel region of Africa. That’s because the entire climate system is linked—disrupting one region will invariably affect another. How would a nation react if another was causing its weather to get much worse? Would that be an act of war?

There is, however, a case for using solar geoengineering on a global scale. Jones says it could be used to “take the edge off” the temperature increases scientists are predicting. It could be used while the world searches for more effective strategies.

The study also highlights a far bigger problem with solar geoengineering: its complete lack of regulation. “There’s nothing that could stop one country just doing it,” Jones says. “You only need about 100 aircraft with three flights per day. It would cost $1 billion to $10 billion per year.” He adds, “It’s deeply disturbing that we have this technology that could have such a massive influence on the climate, yet there’s just no regulation to stop countries or even organizations from doing it.”

Jones cautions that there is much about the climate system we do not understand, as well as far more work that will need to be done before solar geoengineering is considered safe—or too dangerous to even discuss.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

True intelligence

Taking charge of yourself involves putting to rest some very prevalent myths. At the top of the list is the notion that intelligence is measured by your ability to solve complex problems, to read, write and compute at certain levels, and to resolve abstract equations quickly. 1.It encourages a kind of intellectual prejudice that has brought with it some discouraging results. We have come to believe that someone who has more educational merit badges, who is very good at some form of school discipline is "intelligent". Yet mental hospitals are filled with patients who have all of the properly lettered certificates. A truer indicator of intelligence is an effective, happy life lived each day and each present moment of every day. 2.

Problem solving is a useful help to your happiness, but if you know that given your inability to resolve a particular concern you can still choose happiness for yourself, or at a minimum refuse to choose unhappiness, then you are intelligent. You are intelligent because you have the ultimate weapon against the big N. B.D. --Nervous Break Down.

"Intelligent" people do not have N. B. D. because they are in charge of themselves. 3.

You can begin to think of yourself as truly intelligent on the basis of how you choose to feel in the face of trying circumstances. The life struggles are pretty much the same for each of us. Everyone who is involved with other human beings in any social context has similar difficulties. Disagreements, conflicts and compromises are a part of what it means to be human. 4.But some people are able to make it, to avoid immobilizing depression and unhappiness despite such occurrences, while others collapse or have an N, B. D. Those who recognize problems as a human condition and don't measure happiness by an absence of problems are the most intelligent kind of humans we know; also, the most rare.

A. Holding a university degree indicates one’s ability to write properly worded documents.

B. If you are happy, if you live each moment for everything it’s worth, then you are an intelligent person.

C. N.B.D refers to an illness that causes a person to suffer from anxiety and to have difficulty living and working as usual.

D. Similarly, money, growing old, sickness, deaths, natural disasters and accidents are all events which present problems to virtually all human beings.

E. They know how to choose happiness over depression, because they know how to deal with the problems of their lives.

F. This vision of intelligence asserts formal education and bookish excellence as the true measures of self-fulfillment.

    The idea that richer countries are happier may seem intuitively obvious. However, in 1974, research by economist Richard Easterlin found otherwise, He discovered that while individuals with higher incomes were more likely to be happy, this did not hold at a national level. In the United States, for example, average income per person rose steadily between 1946 and 1970, but reported happiness levels showed no positive long-term trend.; in fact, they declined between 1060 and 1970. These differences between nation-level and individual results gave rise to the term “ Easterlin paradox”: the idea that a higher rate of economic growth does not result in higher long-term happiness.

Having access to additional income seems to only provide a temporary surge in happiness. Since a certain minimum income is needed for basic necessities, it’s possible that the happiness boost from extra cash isn’t that great once you rise above the poverty line. This would explain Easterlin’s findings in the United States and other developed countries. He argued that life satisfaction does rise with average incomes but only in the short term.

Recent research has challenged the Easternlin paradox, however. In2013, sociologists Ruut Veenhoven and Floris Vergunst conducted a study using statistics from the World Database of Happiness. Their analysis revealed a positive correlation between economic growth and happiness. Another study by the University of Michigan found that there is no maximum wealth threshold at which more money ceases to contribute to your happiness: “If there is a satiation point, we are yet to reach it.” The study’s findings suggested that every extra dollar you earn makes you happier. With a much debate about the relationship between money and happiness, it’s clear that happiness itself is a complex concept and depends on many factors.

According to psychologists Selin Kesebir and Shigehiro Oishi, happiness also depends on how your income compares to the people around you. They argue that a country’s economic growth only makes its citizens happier if wealth is evenly distributed. In emerging countries with high income inequality——where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer——average happiness tends to drop because only relatively few people benefit from the economic prosperity. This suggests that governments should consider implementing policies to ensure more equal distribution of wealth. The happier people are, the more productive they are likely to become, thus leading to improved economic outcomes at the individual and national levels.

There is continuing debate about the link between wealth and happiness, with arguments both for and against the notion that richer countries are happier. However, it is clear that wealth alone isn’t enough to make us happy. The effect of income inequality on happiness shows that happiness is a social responsibility. We need to remember the positive effects of generosity, altruism, and building social connections. Perhaps our focus should be less on how m uch money we have, and more on how we use it.

1.According to the passage, Easterlin Paradox refers to______.

A.the fact that the more money, the happier people will feel

B.the suggestion that money should be given the top priority

C.the question how economic outcomes are distributed nationwide

D.the opinion that higher income doesn’t necessarily generate happiness

2.The word “satiation” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “______”.

A.satisfaction B.controversial C.central D.sensitive

3.What is the major reason for people’s unhappiness related to money?

A.Money not enough. B.Money not fairly dirtributed.

C.Rich people richer D.Unequal money paid for equal work.

4.Which of the following might be best title of this passage?

A.It’s all relative B.Easternlin paradox

C.The economic of happiness D.Rising income, rising happiness

    “Buffalo, buffalo, Buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, Buffalo, buffalo’’ is a real sentence.

How?

Let's break it down, starting with simple phrase.

Monkeys from Pisa bully deer from London.

Ok, admittedly, it's an impossible scenario, but it is a grammatically fine sentence. In English, we can use place names as adjective, so let's shorten the sentence a little.

Pisa monkeys bully London deer.

Now we'll throw in some giraffes from Paris to even the score with those mean monkeys.

Pisa monkeys, whom Paris giraffes intimidate, bully London deer.

English is peculiar in that you can omit relative pronouns, e.g., “ the person whom I love’’ can be expressed as ‘’the the person I love.’’ Let’s do that to this sentence.

Pisa monkeys Paris giraffes intimidate bully London deer.

This kind of pronoun removal can be a little more dedicate to grasp when written than when spoken. Saying the above sentence with pauses after monkeys and intimidate can help. Now we need to replace both of the verbs, intimidate and bully, with their (admittedly uncommon) synonym, buffalo.

Pisa monkeys Paris giraffes buffalo buffalo London deer.

Again, pauses help keep the meaning in mind: Put a pause after monkeys and the first buffalo. Now we'll replace all the worldwide place names with the second-largest city in New York State, Buffalo.(That’s Buffalo’s tallest building, One Seneca Tower, below.)

Buffalo monkeys Buffalo giraffes buffalo buffalo Buffalo deer.

You can probably guess what the next step is. But before we replace all the animals with the common name for the American bison, note how the capital letters in the above sentence help you keep the place names separate from the other usages of the word. Ok, here goes:

Buffalo, buffalo, Buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, Buffalo, buffalo.

One last thing to note: This exceptional sentence is possible because the plural of the animal buffalo is buffalo, not buffalos, otherwise all the words wouldn’t be identical.

1.How should we read the following sentence with proper pauses?

A.Buffalo buffalo Buffalo / buffalo buffalo /buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

B.Buffalo Buffalo /Buffalo buffalo buffalo / buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

C.Buffalo buffalo Buffalo / buffalo buffalo buffalo / Buffalo buffalo.

D.Buffalo buffalo /Buffalo buffalo / buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

2.What’s the key element to make this sentence possible?

A.The relative pronouns in English can be omitted.

B.In English, place names can be used as adjectives.

C.The city has the same name with a kind of American bison.

D.The word buffalo has the same form of singular and plura.

3.Where can you probably find this article?

A.Wandering the Earth

B.Linguistics Around Us

C.Popular Animal Science

D.Collins English Grammer

The two roads

It was New Year’s Night. An aged man was standing at a window. He raised his mournful eyes towards the deep blue sky, where the stars were floating like white lilies on the surface of a clear calm lake. When he cast them on the earth, where a few more hopeless people besides himself now moved towards their certain goal--- the tomb. He had already passed sixty of the stages leading to it, and he had brought from his journey nothing but errors and regrets. Now his health was poor, his mind vacant, his heart sorrowful, and his old age short of comforts.

The days of his youth appeared like dreams before him, and he recalled the serious moment when his father placed him at the entrance of the two roads---one leading to a peaceful, sunny place, covered with flowers, fruits and resounding with soft, sweet songs; the other leading to a deep, dark cave, which was endless, where poison flowed instead of water and where devils and poisonous snake hissed and crawled.

He looked towards the sky and cried painfully, “O, my father, place me once more at the entrance to life, and I’ll choose the better way!” But both his father and the days of his youth had passed away.

He saw the lights flowing away in the darkness. These were the days of his wasted life; he saw a star fall from the sky and disappeared, and this was the symbol of himself. His regret, which was like a sharp arrow, struck deeply into his heart. Then he remembered his friends in his childhood, who entered on life with him. But they had made their way to success and were now honored and happy on this New Year’s night.

The clock in the church tower struck and the sound made him remember his parents’ early love for him. They had taught him and prayed to God for his good. But he chose the wrong way. With shame and grief he dared no longer look towards the heaven where his father lived. His darkened eyes were full of tears, and with a despairing effort, he burst out a cry: “Come back, my early days! Come back”

And his youth did return, for all this was only a dream which he had on New Year Night. He was still young though his faults were real; he had not yet entered the deep, dark cave, and he was still free to walk on the road which leads to the peaceful and sunny land.

Those who still linger at the entrance of life, hesitating to choose the bright road, remember that when years are passed and your feet stumble on the dark mountains, you will cry bitterly, but in vain: “ O youth, return! Oh give me back my early days!”

1.In the 3rd paragraph, the man cried painfully because _________.

A.all the hopeless people were moving towards death

B.He had lost forever the chance to take the right road

C.His parents and the happy days of his youth were gone

D.He refused to take the road leading to a deep dark cave

2.What happened to the man before his sudden realization?

A.He was at his father’s funeral farewell.

B.He was enjoying the New Year’s eve.

C.He was wandering at the entrance to life.

D.He was having a dream of his life in old age.

3.We can infer from the story that _________.

A.The man’s childhood friends led a joyful life like him

B.The man still had the opportunity to chose the right way

C.both the man’s parents passed away when he was young

D.the man’s father was quite strict with his son before death

4.The passage is mainly written for _________.

A.a new driver getting lost on a detour

B.a concerned mother with two children to raise

C.an experienced teacher with a good reputation

D.a hesitating young adult facing a tough life choice