Hello. It’s one of the first words we learn as babies, yet it’s one of the last words we think to use as adults today. That’s unfortunate, because saying hello is more than just saying hello——it is recognition of another’s worth. How might the world change——how might we change——if we mastered this word? To find out, I spent one month saying hello to every person I met. Here’s what I’ve learned.

　　 It can boost (促进) productivity. In one of the few studies ever done on this subject, Allan All day, an assistant professor of special education at Oklahoma State University, had middle school teachers greet their students individually each morning. This exchange of greetings raised the kids’ productivity. School went from impersonal to personal, and that resulted in more class participation and better grades.

　　 Environments influence friendliness. One study found that people in the city were less likely to shake hands with a stranger than those in the countryside. My experience was similar. Whatever the reason, my urban hellos were answered far less often than my rural ones. Similarly, people in vacation spots were far friendlier than those hurrying work downtown.

　　 It’s a form of universal health insurance. It’s impossible to say hello without smiling. And smiling has been shown to lower blood pressure, relieve stress and boost happiness. Apparently, a smile creates a similar effect in the recipient (接受者).

So maybe we can make the world a better place by____________.  After a month of doing it, I feel lighter and I have a better sense of well-being.

1. What does the author say about the adults’ saying hello today?

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?

　　Teachers and students got friendlier so that the students became more active in learning and scored higher in tests.

　　____________________________________________________________________

3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (within 5 words)

　　____________________________________________________________________

4.What are the three effects of smiling on health according to the text. (within 8 words)

Smiling can ___________________________________________________________

 

If you have ever gone through a toll booth(收费所), you know that your relationship to the person in the booth is not the most intimate you'll ever have. It is one of life's frequent affairs: You hand over some money; you might get change; you drive off.

　　Late one morning in 1984, headed for lunch in San Francisco, I drove toward a booth. I heard loud music. It sounded like a party. I looked around. No other cars with their windows open. No sound trucks. I looked at the toll booth. Inside it, the man was dancing.

　　"What are you doing?" I asked.

　　"I'm having a party," he said.

　　"What about the rest of the people?" I looked at the other toll booths.

　　He said, "What do those look like to you?" He pointed down the row of toll booths.

　　"They look like……toll booths. What do they look like to you?"

　　He said, "Vertical coffins. At 8:30 every morning, live people get in. Then they die for eight hours. At 4:30, like Lazarus from the dead, they reemerge and go home. For eight hours, brain is on hold, dead on the job. Going through the motions."

　　I was amazed. This guy had developed a philosophy, a mythology about his job. Sixteen people dead on the job, and the seventeenth, in precisely the same situation, figures out a way to live. I could not help asking the next question: "Why is it different for you? You're having a good time."

He looked at me. "I knew you were going to ask that. I don't understand why anybody would think my job is boring. I have a corner office, glass on all sides. I can see the Golden Gate, San Francisco, and the Berkeley hills. Half the Western world vacations here……and I just stroll in every day and practice dancing."

1.According to the first paragraph, in most cases, how do you describe the relationship between drivers and toll booth?

A．most intimate      B．very tense         C．pretty ordinary     D．extremely hostile

2.Why did the author go to San Francisco?

A. To attend a party

B. B. To have a meal

C. To dance with the worker in the toll booth

D. To hand in the repair fee of his car

3.The underlined name “Lazarus” mentioned in the eighth paragraph probably refers to a person___________.

A. who was very active in his life

B. B. who was dead and revived from death

C. who was going to San Francisco

D. who liked dancing at work

4.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．The author passed by the toll booth every day.

B．The worker enjoyed his work very much.

C．Only western people like to spend their holidays in the Berkeley hills.

D．The dancing worker was getting badly along with his colleagues.

5.After hearing what the worker said, the author would probably_________.

A．go to the worker’s senior to complain about his bad attitude towards job.

B．go climbing the Golden Gate and the Berkeley hills to have a vacation.

C．learn to take a positive attitude to job and appreciate valuable things in life.

D．go back home instead of wasting time traveling to San Francisco.

 

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

If you are hungry, what do you do? Have your favorite meal and stay quiet after that?_66 But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your friends or favorite stars. So it silently serves your needs and never lets itself grow. When mind loses its freedom to grow, creativity sets a full stop. This might be the reason why we all sometimes think “What happens next?”, “Why can’t I think?”

67 Why reading but not watching TV? It is because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from childhood. Since it develops other aspects of our life, we have to take help from reading.

Once you read a book, you run your eyes through the lines and your mind tries to explain something to you. 68 Now this seed is unknowingly used by you to develop new ideas. If it is used many times, the same seed can give you great help to relate a lot of things, which you would have never thought of in your wildest dreams!

This is nothing but creativity. 69 Within no time you can start talking with your friends in English or any other language and never run out of the right words.

So guys, do give food for your thoughts by reading, reading and more reading. 70 Go and get a book!

A.　　 The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed.

B.　　 Why not do some reading while you are hungry?

C.　　 Just like your stomach, your mind is also hungry.

D.　　 Now what are you waiting for?

E.　　 Hunger of the mind can be actually solved through wide reading.

F.　　 Reading can help you make more friends, too.

G.　　 Also this makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary.

Is this _____ ?

A. you are looking for　　　　　　　　 B. that you are looking for　

C. what are you looking for　　　　　　 D. what you are looking for