There is an English saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
【小题1】According to the passage, the following statements are true except       .

A．Laughter is good for health

B．Laughter can make you become old quickly

C．Laughter helps to reduce pain.

D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.

【小题2】The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “     ”.

A．delays

B．prevents

C．increases

D．reduces

【小题3】Some doctors hold laughter clinics because         .

A．they want to earn more money.

B．they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.

C．they want to improve their patients’ condition.

D．they want their patients to practice how to laugh

【小题4】According to the author, we should         .

A．laugh as much as possible	B．watch more funny films
C．smile all the time	D．spend more time in laughter clinics

【小题5】The best title for this passage may be         .

A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health

B．Laughter clinics help patients improve their condition

C．Laughter can reduce the effects of pain

D．Laughter is the best medicine.

You have the ability to decide whether you are happy or not. Happiness is a choice.
You can’t depend on someone else to make you happy. That is a lesson I learned early in my marriage. I realized that I couldn’t rely on my husband as my source of happiness. I learned that my happiness depended on myself and not my husband’s actions. I learned that you have to choose to be happy.
You can choose your emotions. True happiness comes from within, and it can’t be forced by outside force. So how do you choose happiness? The same way, you choose to smile or choose to wear a certain outfit（一套衣服）. You choose it because that’s what you want to experience in you life.
You want to buy a new pair of shoes so you choose a pair that you like and feels good. You wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes that you don’t like or that doesn’t fit well, right? So why do we keep choosing emotions and feelings that don’t make us feel good?
Choosing to be happy after you realize your anger has shown up (or even choosing to be calm) can be beneficial. We choose our feelings; no one else can do that for us. If we let others get to us, influence our emotions — we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain, we are giving them our power.
We need to keep our feelings in check and not to react（反应） automatically to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does.
Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just switch（使转变）your thoughts and feelings from anger, self-doubt, or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don’t dwell on（细想） what happens to you unnecessarily but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts, feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy.
【小题1】 What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Pretend to Be Happy

B．Choose Your Emotions

C．Choose to Be Happy

D．Find Happiness

【小题2】 The lesson the writer learned in her marriage is          .

A．one can’t depend on someone else to make himself or herself happy

B．balancing the relationship between husband and wife is an art

C．she can depend on her husband to find happiness

D．happiness can be influenced by outside force

【小题3】Why did the writer mention buying shoes?

A．To offer advice on how to choose comfortable shoes.

B．To use it as an example to illustrate（阐述）her point of view.

C．To compare choosing shoes and choosing an outfit.

D．To help move to the next paragraph easily.

【小题4】The writer suggests that we should          .

A．let others control our feelings

B．respond immediately to others’ words

C．hold back our feelings properly

D．pay more attention to words than actions

Life is too short to waste a moment, so while you still have time, let your hair down, remove that “boring” tag in your so-called life and start making it worthwhile. Below are some tips that will help you live a wonderful life.
1. Keep a Positive Attitude. Enjoy what you have and work on getting the things you desire. Psychologists believe that optimism (乐观主义) is a good defense against unhappiness, so it is better to keep your optimism alive. Feeling sad about your life will only make you sadder, so be happy.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks. Life is all about taking risks, and that’s the exciting part of it. Challenges and failure are part of life. Once you learn how to take risks, you’ll soon realize how good it feels not to let moments pass you by.
3. ... You only have one life, so make it worthwhile. Being unwilling to let the past go just keeps you away from the things you should be enjoying at the present.
4. List the Things You Want to Do. Stop lazing around and give yourself something to be busy with. Write down a list of all the things you want to do and make a timeline, not to stress you out, but to remind you of your goals. So don’t put limits to yourself because you’ll never know what may happen.]
5. Try Out Something New. Getting into something or trying something unfamiliar to you may seem scary, but nothing can make you feel happier than being able to overcome your fear. Who knows? You might enjoy it! The world is a big place and there are still lots of things waiting to be explored by you. Go to a foreign place where you know no one.
【小题1】 From Tip One we know that we should             .

A．never be afraid to take risks

B．try something new every day

C．focus on the good things in life

D．get rid of all our former habits

【小题2】What’s the best title for the third tip?

A．Enjoy Today and Let Go of the Past.

B．Never Think of Tomorrow.

C．Remember You Are the Best.

D．Never Change Your Mind.

【小题3】The writer may NOT agree that              .

A．feeling sad about your life does you no good

B．it’s good to keep yourself busy doing something

C．you shouldn’t go to a new place where you have no friends

D．you should enjoy the present instead of always thinking of the past

【小题4】 What is the writer’s attitude toward life?

A．Positive.	B．Negative.
C．Doubtful.	D．Indifferent.

When we think about giving help to developing countries, we often think about giving money so that these countries can build schools and hospitals, buy food and medicine, or find clean water supplies. These seem to be the most important basic needs of the people we are trying to help. However, it's far from enough. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got to come up with some better ideas to help them.
I was very surprised, then, when I read about a plan to make cheap laptop computers for children in developing countries. A man called Nicholas Negroponte invented a cheap laptop computer and he planed to produce a lot and sell them to the children in developing countries at a low price after he visited a school in Cambodia. The laptop will be covered in rubber so that it is very strong and won't be damaged easily. The idea is that these computers will help the children's education as they will be able to surf the Internet. By improving children's education they should help people to find their own solutions to their problems in the long term.
Another idea to help children in developing countries is to recycle old mobile phones so that they can be used again. In the UK, and probably in many other countries too, millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year. The waste created by throwing away these old phones is very bad for the environment, so it seems to be an excellent idea to recycle them. In this way we will be able to achieve two important goals at the same time. We will reduce the waste we produce and help others. In other words, we will be able to 'kill two birds with one stone’, and that is always a good thing.
【小题1】
It's an excellent idea to recycle old mobile phones because        .

A．it reduces waste and can help others

B．it prevents waste and can earn lots of money

C．it can send the waste produced by developed countries to other countries

D．it is good for the environment and very educative for phone users

【小题2】
The author gives the example of Mr. Negroponte’s cheap computers        .

A．to show what high technology can bring us

B．to show the kindness of people in the developed countries

C．to show how to find business opportunities in developing countries

D．to give an example of how to help developing countries

【小题3】
Where does this passage probably come from?        .

A．A newspaper.	B．A magazine.
C．A lecture.	D．An advertisement.

“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him，and let him know that you trust him.” These words are from the black American educator，Booker Washington. He was saying that，“If you want people to grow up，you have to stop treating them like children.”
In America，families are close but children are encouraged to be independent，to make their own decisions，even at a very early age. It’s not unusual for a child of seven to be given an allowance  (津贴) every week. The child is encouraged to save some of the money but he or she can spend it on whatever they choose，for example，buying clothes，school supplies or CDs. Some teenagers even have their own credit cards！That’s a big responsibility since even adults are tempted to overspend when they have credit cards（信用卡）.
From an early age，American children are asked for their opinions and they are included in family decision­making. At the dinner table，teenagers will be listened to on any topic，from politics to buying a new family car or where the family will go on vacation. In this way，teenagers are getting practice in becoming individuals：they are learning how to stand on their own two feet.
Many Chinese young people are becoming almost as interested as American teens in searching for independence. They want to express those qualities that make them unique human beings. You can see this in the way they dress，the music they listen to and the friends they choose.“Super Girl” Li Yuchun caught the imagination of Chinese teenagers on the “Super Girl” television contest. She was not the traditional “nice，young Chinese girl”．With her short，spiky hair and boy­like clothes，she was telling everyone that she was different. She had the courage to be her own person and to stand on her own two feet...and she won!
There is an old saying，“Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength.” If you do this，step by step，over a period of time，you may find that you have become the person you always wanted to be.
【小题1】
The passage is intended to encourage the youth to________.

A．save money for useful things	B．become independent
C．express their great ambitions	D．make important decisions

【小题2】
A child of seven is given an allowance so that he can______.

A．be accepted as a popular guy	B．learn to decide how to use money
C．overspend money without care	D．have school supplies of his own

【小题3】
The author implies that many Chinese children________.

A．are more independent than Americans

B．should become interested in America

C．are happy with their present situation

D．are not satisfied to be nice，quiet ones

【小题4】
The main idea of the last paragraph is________.

A．that we should do things step by step

B．why we should understand our desires

C．what we should plan for our own life

D．how we can manage to realize our dreams

On a cold evening I was waiting for a taxi in New York. About 5 minutes later, I was picked up by a driver, and he said how terrible some people were. I knew there was a part of me that wanted to be silent, but I had to listen out of kindness.
The man told me that he had just come from JFK Airport without a customer. Over the courses of that taxi ride, what started as anger changed slowly and he mentioned that he had read an article which said that the happiest people are the ones that give, so he hoped he’d have more chance to give in his life. I was really starting to enjoy being with this man.
As we arrived at the place where I wanted to go, I paid my money by credit card. I pulled out an extra $20 and said, “Sir, since we’ve been talking about giving this whole time, I want to share that feeling with you. I’ve already paid my money, but here’s an extra little bit. You can tell the next passenger in this taxi that their ride is a gift from another.”
I thought I was pretty cool at this point, but he turned toward me, tears in his eyes, and said, “Sir, I have a better idea. You give that $20 to a homeless person around here and I will give the next passenger a free ride myself.
It was a great honor meeting that man and learning the lesson of how everyone gives and adds joy to another with their generosity.
【小题1】According to the text, when the author got in the taxi, the driver was    .

A．angry

B．nervous

C．worried

D．regretful

【小题2】 The author gave the driver an extra $20 in order to    _.

A．help him to get out of trouble	B．know what he was really like
C．experience the joy of giving	D．learn how to get along with others.

【小题3】 What can be inferred from the taxi driver’s words in Paragraph 4?

A．A driver should be willing to help.	B．People should understand each other.
C．The driver was deeply moved.
D．One needs to keep an optimistic attitude (乐观态度).

【小题4】What would be the best title for the text?

A．A cold evening in New York	B．Learning from a taxi driver
C．A gift to a generous stranger	D．Always being a happy person

Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the grass in your garden uncut or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems，but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem (自尊)when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies，singing in a choir，and joining in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu，offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after­school activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage，friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms，or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Enroll in an adult­education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.
【小题1】 People with close friends have a ________ ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

A．less

B．greater

C．poorer

D．little

【小题2】 According to the passage，you’d better offer advice to your friends ________.

A．at any moment	B．only when they are happy
C．only when they want it	D．only when you are glad

【小题3】How many things have been mentioned that we must pay attention to in the passage to have friends?

A．3

B．4

C．6

D．7

【小题4】Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．You should have different friends for the same activities.

B．You should wait for a friend to ask a favor.

C．You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores.

D．You should never take a friendship for granted.

【小题5】The underlined word “enroll” in the last paragraph means________.

A．give

B．join

C．get

D．catch

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel（纪录片） as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before they had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.
【小题1】Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?

A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser.

B．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.

C．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser.

D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories.

【小题2】Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.

A．Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing

B．Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday

C．Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address

D．Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together

【小题3】Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?

A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest.

B．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son.

C．He had missed his son and his family for days.

D．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family.

【小题4】Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A．The Good Old Times	B．What He Valued Most
C．My lost friend	D．The Lost Childhood Days

In the fall of 1985. I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college an the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic---and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No. 3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how fully occupied I became, raising four boys under the age of 81. Our home was a complete zoo---a joyous zoo. Not surprising, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant talking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, But I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree！
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you’re looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you’re in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won’t arrive in your life on one day. It’s a process. Remember；little steps add up to big dreams.
【小题1】When the author went to Howard University, her dream was tobe    

A．a writer

B．a teacher

C．a judge

D．a doctor

【小题2】Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?

A．She wanted to study by herself.

B．She fell in love and got married.

C．She suffered from a serious illness.

D．She decided to look after her grandma.

【小题3】What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．She was buy yet happy with her family life.

B．She ignored her guilty feeling for her sons.

C．She wanted to remain a full-time housewife.

D．She was too confused to make a correct choice.

【小题4】What dose the author mostly want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．Failure is the mother of success.

B．Little by little ,one goes far.

C．Every coin has two sides.

D．Well begun ,half done.

【小题5】Which of the following can best describe the author ?

A．Caring and determine.

B．Honest and responsible.

C．Ambitious and sensitive .

D．Innocent and single-minded.

The teacher who did the most to encourage me was, as it happens, my aunt. She was Myrtle C. Manigault, the wife of my mother’s brother Bill. She taught me in second grade at all-black Summer School in Camden, New Jersey.
During my childhood and youth, Aunt Myrtle encouraged me to develop every aspect of my potential, without regard for what was considered practical or possible for black females. I liked to sing; she listened to my voice and pronounced it good. I couldn’t dance; she taught me the basic dancing steps. She took me to the theatre—not just children’s theatre, but adult comedies and dramas—and her faith that I could appreciate adult plays was not disappointed.
My aunt also took down books from her extensive library and shared them with me. I had books at home, but they were all serious classics. Even as a child I had a strong liking for humour, and I’ll never forget the joy of discovering Don Marquis’s Archy & Mehitabel through her.
Most important, perhaps, Aunt Myrtle provided my first opportunity to write for publication. A writer herself for one of the black newspapers, she suggested my name to the editor as a “youth columnist”. My column, begun when I was fourteen, was supposed to cover teenage social activities—and it did—but it also gave me the freedom to write on many other subjects as well as the habit of gathering material, the discipline of meeting deadlines, and, after graduation from college six years later, a solid collection of published material that carried my name and was my passport to a series of writing jobs.
Today Aunt Myrtle is still an enthusiastic supporter of her “favourite niece”. Like a diamond, she has reflected a bright, multifaceted (多面的) image of possibilities to every pupil who has crossed her path.
【小题1】Which of the following did Aunt Myrtle do to the author during her childhood and youth?

A．She lent her some serious classics.	B．She cultivated her taste for music.
C．She discovered her talent for dancing.	D．She introduced her to adult plays.

【小题2】What does Archy and Mehitabel in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?

A．A book of great fun.	B．A writer of high fame.
C．A serious masterpiece.	D．A heartbreaking play.

【小题3】Aunt Myrtle recommended the author to a newspaper editor mainly to ______.

A．develop her capabilities for writing	B．give her a chance to collect material
C．involve her in teenage social activities	D．offer her a series of writing jobs

【小题4】We can conclude from the passage that Aunt Myrtle was a teacher who ______.

A．trained pupils to be diligent and well-disciplined

B．gave pupils confidence in exploiting their potential

C．emphasized what was practical or possible for pupils.

D．helped pupils overcome difficulties in learning