YOU don’t need millions to be happy. In fact, at The Happiness Institute in Australia, a couple of hundred dollars may be enough.
The institute opened its doors last year, and, since then, men and women of all ages have been paying A$200 an hour (US$140) for l essons on how to feel great.
“You can actually increase your happiness levels. That’s what we teach,” said Timothy Sharp, founder of the institute.
Experts say that only about 15 per cent of happiness comes from income, assets and other financial factors. As much as 85 per cent comes from things such as attitude, life control and relationships.
Most of us are significantly better off financially than our parents and grandparents, but happiness levels haven’t changed to reflect that.
Studies show that once the basic needs of shelter and food are met, additional wealth adds very little to happiness.
Many decades ago, the “sage of Baltimore, Maryland”, editor HL Mencken, defined wealth as earning US$100 more than your “wife’s sister’s husband.”
Behavioral economists now say part of the reason we are richer but not happier is because we compare ourselves to people better off materially.
“The argument is that if you want to be happy there’s a very simple thing you can do: Compare yourself to people who are less well off than you — poorer, smaller house, car,” said Sharp.
The Happiness Institute aims to show you how to overcome these unhappiness factors by focusing on “more than just your bank account.”
“If I compare myself to Bill Gates then I’m always going to be down,” said Sharp.
A better thing to compare with, he said, might be Kerry Packer, Australia’s richest person who has had a kidney transplant and heart surgery in recent years.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. You can increase your happiness levels by attending the classes at the Happiness Institute.
B. Most of us are happier than our parents or grandparents since we earn more.
C. Earning US$ 100 more than your wife’s sister’s husband if you want to be happy.
D. Both Bill Gates and Kerry Packer are examples of those who are extremely rich but obviously unhappy.
2. The underlined phrase has the same meaning as the word _______.
A. healthy          B. unhealthy          C. free           D. wealthy
3. The author wrote the passage to tell us _______.
A. happiness is everything
B. wealth is the foundation of happiness
C. have fun at the Happiness Institute
D. money doesn’t always mean happiness
1-4 ADDC
1.  細(xì)節(jié)判斷題。根據(jù)第三小節(jié)中的You can actually increase your happiness levels. That’s what we teach可知A項(xiàng)正確。B項(xiàng)與文章的提供的信息正好相反,C項(xiàng)是形象化的說明,并非真實(shí)條件與結(jié)果,D項(xiàng)中關(guān)于Bill Gates的說法是文章所沒有說明的。
2.  詞義猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)句子people who are less well off than you — poorer, smaller house, car,以及前文出現(xiàn)的比較級(jí)better off financially/ materially,可知是指“富有”。
3.  主旨?xì)w納題。本文講述金錢與幸福之間的關(guān)系,只有D項(xiàng)最能體現(xiàn)文章的中心。
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Harriet Tubman lived a life filled with adventure.Tubman worked with the Underground Railroad. She helped many slaves reach freedom in the North. She was a scout(偵察員)in the Civil War. She also worked as a nurse during the war.
Life in the Old South was very hard for slaves. Most slaves lived in small houses.They had large families, and even the children had to work in the fields.Most slaves dreamed of getting to the north.They wanted to be free.
One day Harriet saw a slave trying to run away. Then she saw the keeper running after him with a whip.Harriet stood in the keeper's way.The keeper took a weight and threw it at the slave.He hit Harriet above her eyes.It almost killed her. The scar(傷疤)on Harriet's head was an emblem(向征)of her will to fight for what she believed in.
The Fugitive(逃亡)Slave Law made Harriet's job harder.The law said that slaves could be caught even in the North. Harriet began leading slaves all the way into Canada.There they were safe.The law couldn't hurt them there.
When Harriet came for her mother and father,they were very old.Harriet was afraid they might not be able to make the trip.She got a horse.She and a friend made a wagon.She helped her mother and father ride to freedom.
小題1:The story mainly tells us about______.
A.life of the slaves in the Old South
B.life of Harriet Tubman
C.Harriet Tubman's fight for freedom for the slaves
D.the Civil War
小題2:According to the story,which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?______.
A.Harriet Tubman used to work as a nurse during the Civil War.
B.The weight hit Harriet in the head and left a scar on her head.
C.Harriet led slaves to Canada where the law couldn't hurt them.
D.The Fugitive Slave Law protected running slaves in the North.
小題3:The Fugitive Slave Law______.
A.protected running slaves
B.set slaves free
C.offered good jobs for slaves
D.made Harriet's job more difficult
小題4:We can infer from the story that the author______.
A.was in favor of slavery
B.was supportive about Harriet's work
C.thought the Fugitive Slave Law was good
D.thought slaves were treated well in the North

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
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小題1:according to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that _______.
A.life for a child is comparatively easy
B.a(chǎn) child is always loved whatever he does
C.if much is given to a child, he must do something in return
D.only children are interested in life
小題2:After a child grows up, he ________.
A.will have little time playing
B.has to be successful in finding a job
C.can still ask for help in time of trouble
D.should be able to take care of himself
小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.People are often satisfied with their life.
B.Life is less interesting for old people.
C.Adults are freer to do what they want to do.
D.Adults should no longer rely on others.
小題4:The main idea of the passage is ________.
A.life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains
B.young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard
C.childhood is the most enjoyable time in one’s life
D.one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life
小題5:The paragraph following this passage will most probably discuss _______.
A.examples of successful young men
B.how to build up one’s position in society
C.joys and pains of old people
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas City in 1981. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching the high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.
Fortunately he had a strong—willed caring mother. John remembered that his mother told him many times, “Son, you can be anything you want really to be if you just believe.” She told him not to depend on others, including his mother. “You have to learn success” she said. “All the people who work hard don’t succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard.”
These words, came from a woman with less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don’t mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago.
Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for. John’s mother and stepfather could not find work. But here John could go to school, and here he learned the power of words--as an editor of the newspaper and yearbook at Du Sable High School. His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.
While others discouraged him, John’s mother offered him more words to live by “Nothing beats a failure but a try.” She also let him pawn(典當(dāng)) her furniture to get the $ 500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.  
It is natural that difficulties and failures followed john closely until he become very successful. He always keeps his mother’s words in mind:” Son, failure is not in your vocabulary!” Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America--worth  $150 million.
小題1: What does the story mainly want to show us?
A.The key to success for blacks.
B.The mental support John’s mother gave him.
C.The importance of a good education.
D.How John H. Johnson became successful.
小題2:Why did John’s mother decide to move to Chicago?
A.Because his father died when John was very young.
B.Because life was too hard for them to stay on in their hometown.
C.Because John needed more education badly.
D.Because there were no schools for Negroes in their hometown.
小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.John’s mother didn’t believe in or depend on others.
B.John’s mother believed one would succeed without working hard.
C.John’s mother thought one could be whatever one wanted to be.
D.John’s mother thought no one could succeed without working hard.
小題4:What does the underlined sentence “Nothing beats a failure but a try.” in Passage 5 mean?
A.No failure can be beaten unless you try.
B.If you try, you would succeed.
C.A try is always followed by a failure.
D.A failure is difficult to beat, even if you try.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Maggie was very glad that James was not a frequent visitor to the house. So far as the children were concerned, they had a mystery about him that stirred their imagination. He stirred Maggie’s anger, however, so that she often said to her husband, “It’s mercy that brother of yours doesn’t come oftener.”
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A. loss      B. wonder    C. lucky thing        D. terrible thing
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A. he was a man difficult to please
B. she never knew when he was coming
C. she was too busy looking after her children
D. he never stayed long enough for a meal
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A. He was a kind man, with love for the family.
B. He was generous, especially towards his brother.
C. He was anxious to please the family, especially the kids.
D. He was rude to his sister-in-law.
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A. she paid James the money that she owed him
B. James gave some money to the children
C. she had to wake James up to catch his train
D. James thanked her for the nice supper
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist (打擊樂器獨(dú)奏演員) in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the  36  of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began  37  piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion (酷愛) for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my  38 . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the  39  and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never  40  me.
“My  41  was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I  42  to hear music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can  43  the pitch of a note (音調(diào)高低) by the vibrations (振動(dòng)). I feel through my body and through my  44 . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 45  that I have.
“I was  46  to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had  47  this before and some teachers  48  my admission. Based on my performance, I was  49 admitted and went to  50  with the academy’s highest honours.
“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I  51  and arranged a lot of musical compositions since  52  had been written specially for solo percussionists.
“I have been a soloist for over ten years.  53  the doctor thought a was totally deaf, it didn’t  54  that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be  55  by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart, they will lead you to to the place you want to go.”
小題1:
A.conditionsB.opinionsC.a(chǎn)ctionsD.recommendations
小題2:
A.enjoyingB.choosingC.takingD.giving
小題3:
A.sightB.hearingC.touchD.taste
小題4:
A.evidenceB.resultC.excuseD.cause
小題5:
A.leftB.excitedC.a(chǎn)ccompaniedD.disappointed
小題6:
A.purposeB.decisionC.promiseD.goal
小題7:
A.turnedB.learnedC.usedD.ought
小題8:
A.tellB.seeC.hearD.smell
小題9:
A.carefulnessB.movementC.imaginationD.experience
小題10:
A.senseB.effortC.feelingD.idea
小題11:
A.dissatisfied B.a(chǎn)stonished C.determinedD.discouraged
小題12:
A.doneB.a(chǎn)cceptedC.a(chǎn)dvisedD.a(chǎn)dmitted
小題13:
A.supported B.followedC.requiredD.opposed
小題14:
A.usuallyB.finallyC.possiblyD.hopefully
小題15:
A.studyB.researchC.graduateD.progress
小題16:
A.wroteB.translatedC.copiedD.read
小題17:
A.enoughB.someC.manyD.few
小題18:
A.HoweverB.AlthoughC.WhenD.Since
小題19:
A.meanB.seemC.concludeD.say
小題20:
A.directedB.guidedC.taughtD.limited

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, they usually talk simultaneously(同時(shí)的)about a variety of subjects, including children, men, careers and what' s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen -- they can' t do both -- and they don' t understand that women can. Besides, women consider that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships -- not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen.
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Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a means of bonding. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls' mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr Michael Lewis, author Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked  to and looked at, baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents res the brain bias of their children. Since a girl' s brain is better organized to send and receive speech ,
we therefore talk to them more. Consequently, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short grunts in reply.
56.While watching TV with others, women Usually talk a lot because they
A. are afraid of awkward silence with their families and friends
B. can both talk and watch the screen at the Same time
C. think they can have a good time and develop relationships
D. have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands
57. After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to              .
A. experience the happy time again    B. keep a close tie with her
C. recommend her a new scenic spot   D. remind her of something forgotten
58. What does the author want to tell us most?
A. Women' s brains are better organized for language and communication
B. Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men.
C. Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts.
D. Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking.
59. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Women Are Socially Trained to Talk          B. Talking Maintains Relationships
C, Women Love to Talk                     D. Men Talk Differently from Women

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

It’s very easy to see why people have bad attitudes. A quick look at the news revealing _21___ with crime, war and corruption (腐敗) can easily bring us down. Is it possible to _22__ a healthy, happy attitude when surrounded by these negative things?
Sure it is! It is possible to wake up each morning with a good mood and _23__ the day. Having a positive _24__not only allows us to enjoy life more but also _25__ our health and relationships with others.
To lead a happy life, we need to have a positive attitude. We are responsible for our own _26__; other people can’t make us happy. We need to decide to make ourselves happy. This is wonderful because we don’t have to wait around for someone else to do it for us.
We should surround ourselves with __27_ people. We are influenced by those people with whom we spend the most time. When we have positive friends, we become positive. Otherwise, we become _28__.
We should also use positive_29__. A. L. Kitselman once said, “‘I am…’ are powerful words; be careful when you use them.” We need to replace our negative self-talk with positive words. Don’t say “I hate getting up in the morning.” Instead, try to say “I am _30__to see a new day.” Changing our self-talk will lead us to the changes in our behavior.
21. A. affairs         B. questions      C. troubles        D. problems               
22. A. change         B. refuse         C. keep          D. invent
23. A. look forward to        B. look down on    C. look up to      D. look back on
24. A. opinion        B. attitude       C. influence        D. answer
25. A. damages        B. improves       C. affects        D. weakens
26. A. satisfaction      B. decision       C. happiness      D. development
27. A. positive        B. friendly       C. easy-going        D. good-mannered
28. A. anxious        B. nervous       C. satisfied       D. negative
29. A. writings        B. pictures       C. expressions     D. signs
30. A. painful         B. bored         C. thankful             D. surprised

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

第二部分 句子翻譯:(共20空,每空0.5分,滿分10分)
小題1:他聲稱看見過一個(gè)黑黑的、圓圓的生物在水中快速移動(dòng)。
He _________ ____________ ____________ seen a round black creature ____________     quickly through the water.
小題2:英國(guó)人在美國(guó)人省略介詞的地方使用介詞,這使得英國(guó)人和美國(guó)人在相互理解上稍微有  些困難。
The British use prepositions ____________ Americans sometimes ____________ them,    which ____________ ____________ a little harder for British people and Americans to    understand each other.
小題3:他自愿去引導(dǎo)交通,因?yàn)樗?jīng)近距離遭遇過死亡。
He ____________ to direct the traffic because he once had a ____________ ____________   ____________ death.
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__________ to make his ____________ in South America, Mark Twain set off for New    Orleans,____________ he led an ____________ life.
小題5:美國(guó)人提出了抗議,最終這位美國(guó)選手被宣布為了勝利者。
The Americans ____________ and in the end the American runner was ____________ ____________ ____________.

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