Many of us dream of having thousands and thousands of dollar to spend on what we desire We can buy lottery tickets, enter contests or spend hours building a business or invest in the stock market. We are sure that when we have plenty of money, we will be happy.
While having some money does have an impact on our level of happiness, having a lot of money does not. It is reported that Americans whose income goes from $20,000 a year to $50,000 a year are more likely to be happy. But beyond $50,000, happiness does not increase as salaries go up. It is because we are never satisfied. Catherine Sanderson, a psychology professor at Amherst College says, "We always think if we just had a little more money, we’d be happier. But when we get there, we are not."
Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard notes,"The more you make, the more you want. The more you have, the less it brings you joy. We incorrectly assume we’Il get more pleasure from more, and we don’t."
The things money can buy don't make you happy either. A lot of research suggests that you won't find the "good life" buying expensive "toys". You finally buy that BMW you've always wanted and it soon loses its appeal. Then, instead of wondering if a new car is what really makes you happy, you decide you just need a different new car. It is an endless cycle.
To really be happy, you need to understand what makes you happy in the first place. One secret of happiness is people. Surveys have found that people need people. Those who have five or more close friends are 50% more likely to describe themselves as "very happy". Good relationships have a far greater effect on happiness than larger salary. Andrew Oswald, an economist at England's University of Warwick says, "B you are looking for happiness in life, find the right husband or wife rather than trying to double your salary."
So invest your time and energy in people. The reward is much bigger in terms of happiness!
【小题1】In Paragraph 1 the author intends to tell us the "belief" that
| A．we are unhappy because we often lack money |
| B．people can buy what they want if they have enough money |
| C．more money will make one's dreams come true |
| D．happiness will result from more money |
| A．Having some money brings happiness to some degree. |
| B．The more money one earns, the sadder one becomes |
| C．Buying expensive things will surely bring pleasure |
| D．We get nothing from buying expensive things we want. |
| A．Most of us have a psychological problem. |
| B．People are not content with what they get. |
| C．It is human nature to be unhappy. |
| D．Happiness has nothing to do with money. |
| A．always make new friends | B．take no notice of our salaries |
| C．focus on good relationships | D．invest our money in our friend |
【小题1】D
【小题2】A
【小题3】B
【小题4】C
解析试题分析：文章介绍快乐和金钱的关系，更多的钱并不能真正带来快乐，因为人都是不满足的，只有专注于良好的人际关系，我们才能得到快乐。
【小题1】细节题：从第一段的句子：We are sure that when we have plenty of money, we will be happy，可知作者想告诉读者一种想法：“快乐可以来自更多的钱”，选D
【小题2】细节题：从文章第二段的句子：While having some money does have an impact on our level of happiness, having a lot ofmoney does not.可知作者同意在某种程度上有钱可以带来快乐，选A
【小题3】细节题：从文章第二段的句子：. It is because we are never satisfied.可知快乐不能随着工资的上涨而增加，因为人们对得到的不满意，选B
【小题4】细节题：从文章倒数第二段的句子：Good relationships have a far greater effect on happiness than larger salary可知为了得到快乐，我们应该专注于好的关系，选C
考点：考查人生百味类短文
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
It’s 8;30, time for John to start work. So he turns on his radio. Then he eats breakfast. As he eats , he reads his e-mail and reviews his to do list. Then he sits on the sofa and thinks about an article he needs to write --- wait a minute! Radio ? Breakfast ? Sofa ?What kind of workplace is this ? Well,actually it is John’s house, and he is a telecommuter—he works at home,communicating with the workplace through the internet.
Like John,millions of people ---and their employers--- are finding that telecommuting is a great way to work . Telecommuters can follow their own schedules. They work in the comfort of their homes, where they can also look after young children or elderly parents,they save time and money by not traveling to work. Their employers save,too,because they need less office space and furniture. Studies show that telecommuters change jobs less often.This saves employers even more money.Telecommuting helps society,too,by reducing pollution and traffic problems.
Jobs that are suited to telecommuting include writing,design work, computer programming and accounting(会计). If a job involves working with information, a telecommuter can probably do it.
【小题1】From the passage we know that John does his job ______.
| A．By telephone | B．Through the Internet |
| C．In his office | D．Away from home |
| A．work for several employers |
| B．Enjoy a lot of traveling |
| C．Get along well with other workers |
| D．Work on your own schedule |
| A．their employers can save money |
| B．their employers will give them a higher pay |
| C．they can get more work experience |
| D．they will have a longer paid holiday. |
| A．acceptable | B．bad for |
| C．difficult for | D．fit for |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany's mom.
Tiffany's mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn't give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn't get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany's mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. "Every time, my morn would calmly say "Poor Tiffany". I couldn't understand her. "She shouldn't be feeling sorry for Tiffany!" I thought. "She should be feeling sorry for me."
One day, I couldn't help saying to Mom, "Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her? " I burst into tears.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. "Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught. "
I looked up at her. "What are you talking about?"
Mom said with care, "One day she will really want something. Maybe she'll find out that she can't have it. Her mother won't always be around to give her money, and what's more, money can't buy everything. "
She continued, "I have taught you valuable lessons by not giving you everything you want. You'll know how to look for bargains and save money, but she won't. You'll understand that you need to work hard to get the things that you want but she won't. When Tiffany is a grown woman, she'll wake up one day and she will be wishing that she had a mom like the one you've got. Life lessons are more important than modern clothes and delicious food. "
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom's words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.
【小题1】During the author's elementary school years, she .
| A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany's |
| B．went to school with Tiffany every day |
| C．usually compared her lesson with Tiffany's |
| D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany |
| A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor. |
| B．She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author. |
| C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother. |
| D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany. |
| A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent. |
| B．She cared for other people's children more than her own. |
| C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money. |
| D．She was so poor that she couldn't give the author much money. |
| A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past. |
| B．The author's mother felt sorry for Tiffany. |
| C．Tiffany's mother took the author's mother's advice. |
| D．The author is thankful to her mother now. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
【小题1】How did the author get to know America?
| A． From her relatives. | B． From her mother. |
| C． From books and pictures. | D． From radio programs. |
| A．confused | B．excited |
| C．worried | D．amazed |
| A．often lost her way | B．did not think about her future |
| C．studied in three different schools | D．got on well with her stepfather |
| A．her future will be free from troubles |
| B．it is difficult to learn to become patient |
| C．there are more good things than bad things |
| D．good things will happen if one keeps trying |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Silence is unnatural to man. He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness. In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world, and he fears silence more than anything else. Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence. If he is introduced to another person, and a number of pauses occur in the conversation, he regards himself as a failure, a worthless person, and is full of envy of the emptiest headed chatterbox (喋喋不休的人). He knows that ninety-nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly, but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure (蜡塑人像).
The aim of conversation is not, for the most part, to communicate ideas; it is to keep up the buzzing sound. There are, it must be admitted, different qualities of buzz; there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito (蚊子). But at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person. Most buzzing, fortunately, is pleasant to the ear, and some of it is pleasant even to the mind. He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take part in the buzzing with his neighbors.[来源:Z*xx*k.Com]
Those who hate to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk. Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new. Some of them are content if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears, though they have nothing to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel At the end of an evening during which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time, they just prove themselves to be successful conservationists
【小题1】According to the author, people make conversation to ______
| A．exchange ideas | B．prove their value |
| C．achieve success in life | D．overcome their fear of silence |
| A．the noise of an insect | B．a low whispering sound |
| C．meaningless talks | D．the voice of a chatterbox |
| A．about whatever they have prepared |
| B．about whatever they want to |
| C．in the hope of learning something new |
| D．in the hope of getting on well |
| A．To discuss why people like talking about weather. |
| B．To encourage people to join in conversations. |
| C．To persuade people to stop making noises. |
| D．To explain why people keep talking. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health, wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (冒犯) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was sounded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have realized its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly all act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others: nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrong doings. These people should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
【小题1】People who are unhappy ．
| A．always consider things differently from others |
| B．usually are affected by the results of certain things |
| C．usually misunderstand what others think or say |
| D．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things |
| A．have a good taste with social life | B．make others unhappy |
| C．tend to scold others openly | D．enjoy the pleasure of life |
| A．we should pity all such unhappy people |
| B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life |
| C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness |
| D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons |
| A．prevent any communication with them |
| B．show respect and politeness to them |
| C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects |
| D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes |
| A．describes two types of people |
| B．laughs at the unhappy people |
| C．suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habits of unhappiness |
| D．tells people how to be unhappy in life |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
People think what I do is so wonderful because I interview stars.And I have to admit that when I first started working at Sassy in 1987 I was excited about that part of my job for the first couple of months，anyway.Then I noticed how stars would fool me around for months.I could never get enough time with a star to find out anything interesting，and some acted just simply rudely.I started hating the way I was treated，and I was really disappointed to see that these people I had worshipped (崇拜) before were pretty ordinary.So I decided I would just tell the truth instead of keeping up their myths (神秘)．If the star was a bad guy，I would say so.If I thought anyone was stupid，I did not hold back that information.
I thought readers would appreciate that kind of honesty.Surprisingly，many of them hated me for it.I have gotten so many attacks on my character.In their eyes，being famous is everything，even more desirable that being truly creative and talented.
Why do we need stars？In fact，the media created stars to satisfy our basic need for gossip (闲聊)．Over time，talking about people we have never met and we are never likely to meet has become what we are crazy about.Thus，some people are more interested in the personal lives of the stars than in the lives of their own family and their own friends.That is why it is so ridiculous when a star wants to discuss only his or her work in an interview—as we care.We want the dirt on their personal lives.
There is another reason we worship stars.As a whole，our society is not as religious as it once was.It seems that people need something to fulfill them the way religion once did.Star worship exists as an unfulfilling desire for true heroes.
We make them stars，but then their reputation makes us feel unimportant，and we truly feel better about ourselves when they die.I am part of this whole process.No wonder I feel soiled at the end of workday.
【小题1】What are the stars like according to the author?
| A．They always treat others rudely. |
| B．They always talk about something dull. |
| C．They are actually ordinary people. |
| D．They are usually honest and polite. |
| A．we need true mental heroes to support us |
| B．we can learn something useful from famous stars |
| C．we concern about the stars，family and friends |
| D．we like talking about the star's dressing styles |
| A．excited | B．angry |
| C．worried | D．calm |
| A．To show the disadvantages of working with stars. |
| B．To remind us not to worship famous stars blindly. |
| C．To laugh at the failures of stars he has interviewed. |
| D．To talk about the reasons why we worship stars. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Sometimes people call each other "freaked-cat", but have you ever thought about this expression? When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in the chemicals in its bloodstream．Although the cat doesn't realize this, its body is getting ready for action．If the danger continues, the animal will do one of two things．It will defend itself, or it will run away as fast as it can．
Something like this also happens to people．When we are excited, angry, scared, or aroused by other emotions （feelings）, our bodies go through many physical changes．Our hearts beat faster, and our muscles get tense．All of these changes make us more alert and ready to react．We, too．get ready to defend ourselves or run．
Human beings, however, have a problem that animals never face．If we give way to our feelings and let them take over, we can get into trouble．Have you ever said something in anger —or hit somebody—and regretted it later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher, told somebody you were lonely, or said you were in love, and then wished later you had kept your mouth shut?
It isn't always clever to express your feelings freely．
Does this mean that it's smarter always to hide our feelings? No! If you keep feelings of anger, sadness, and bitterness hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense．Physical illness can develop．It can actually be bad for your health．（It isn't good to keep pleasant feelings inside either; all feelings need to be expressed．）
Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don't just go away．It's as if you bought some bananas and stuck them in a cupboard．You might not be able to see them．but before long you' d smell them．And if you opened the cupboard, chances are that you'd see little fruit flies flying all over them．They'd be rotten．
You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard．You can hide them and you can pretend they don't exist, but they'll still be around．And at last you'll have to deal with them．just like those bananas．
【小题1】The best title for this article is_____．
| A．Emotions Affect Our Bodies |
| B．What Happens to A Frightened Cat |
| C．What Happens to An Excited Person |
| D．Feelings That People Have |
| A．excited | B．scared | C．angry | D．shocked |
| A．have fewer problems than animals |
| B．have the same problems as animals |
| C．have more problems than animals |
| D．have cleverer problems than animals |
| A．gradually they'll disappear |
| B．they won't exist any more |
| C．they will fly all over |
| D．your body stays tense |
| A．tell us that it isn't good to keep feelings inside |
| B．give us some advice on how to express our feelings |
| C．make us face the problem that we have to deal with feelings |
| D．make us know that it isn't always wise to express our feelings freely |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more long-lasting emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”. But in memoir(回忆录) after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children, and long-time loneliness.
The way people hold on to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually decreases their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, charitable work and self-improvement.
【小题1】According to the passage, “fun activities” ____________.
| A．are the things we do before we find happiness |
| B．may help us relax and forget our problems sometimes |
| C．will lead us to the true happiness |
| D．could provide long-last positive effects |
| A．possess happiness because they are rich and famous |
| B．experience almost all kinds of happy things |
| C．tell us happiness isn’t equal to fun using their own stories |
| D．have to suffer a lot before they become successful |
| A．they believe happiness is the fun life without pain |
| B．they find pain equals unhappiness |
| C．they fear to lose what they already have in life |
| D．they are afraid all their efforts were in vain |
| A．describe the difference between happiness and fun |
| B．show the true meaning of happiness |
| C．encourage people to pursue fun activities |
| D．advise people to find their real life |
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