In Daniel Gilbert’s 2006 book "Stumbling(跌撞) on Happiness," the Harvard professor of psychology looks at several studies and concludes that marital(婚姻的) satisfaction decreases after the birth of the first child and increases only when the last child has left home. He also declares that parents are happier grocery shopping and even sleeping than spending time with their kids.
The most recent comprehensive study on the emotional state of those with kids shows us that the term "bundle of joy" may not be the most accurate way to describe our kids. "Parents experience lower levels of emotional well-being, less frequent positive emotions and more frequent negative emotions than their childless peers," says Florida State University’s Robin Simon, a sociology professor.
Simon received plenty of hate mail in response to her research,which isn’t surprising. Her findings shake the very foundation of what we’ve been raised to believe is true. In a recent NEWSWEEK Poll, 50 percent of Americans said that adding new children to the family tends to increase happiness levels. But which parent is willing to admit that the greatest gift life has to offer has in fact made his or her life less enjoyable?
Is it possible that American parents have always been this disillusioned(有幻覺的)? In pre-industrial America, parents certainly loved their children, but their kids also served a purpose—to work the farm, contribute to the household. Today, we have kids more for emotional reasons, but an increasingly complicated work and social environment has made finding satisfaction far more difficult. Raising children has not only become more complicated, it has become more expensive as well. The National Marriage Project’s 2006 report says that parents have significantly lower marital satisfaction than nonparents because they experienced more single and child-free years than previous generations.
As for those of us with kids, all the news isn’t bad. Parents still report feeling a greater sense of purpose and meaning in their lives than those who’ve never had kids. And there are other rewarding aspects of parenting that are impossible to quantify.
小題1:.
What’s the main idea of the book Stumbling on Happiness?
A.Parents are happier shopping than looking after their children.
B.Once they have children, the couples can never be as happy as before.
C.Compared with their childless peers, parents are leading a sad life.
D.The adding of children at home brings down marital satisfaction.
小題2:.
. What can we infer from Para.3?
A.The Newsweek Poll shows that people think Prof. Simon’s finding is right.
B.Many people can’t accept the fact that they are not happy with their children.
C.It isn’t surprising that Professor Simon’s controversial research made her famous.
D.Simon’s findings are based on the belief passed down from generation to generation.
小題3:.
What can we learn about American’s families in the past?
A.People had very good parents-children relationship in the family.
B.Having children could be partly out of some practical purposes.
C.Parents loved their children but they still asked them to work a lot.
D.Children had to work very hard to make their parents love them.
小題4:.
What’s the author’s opinion about having children?
A.The author doesn’t think having children is a good thing to the family.
B.The author feels children make the life of a family happy.
C.The author thinks parenting can still be rewarding in a certain way.
D.The author believes that parents sacrifice a lot for having children.

小題1:.D
小題1:.B
小題1:.B
小題1:.C

小題1:根據(jù)concludes that marital(婚姻的) satisfaction decreases after the birth of the first child and increases only when the last child has left home.描述可知選D。
小題1:根據(jù)In a recent NEWSWEEK Poll, 50 percent of Americans said that adding new children to the family tends to increase happiness levels.描述可知選B,很多人不能接受他們對他們的孩子不高興的事實。
小題1:根據(jù)In pre-industrial America, parents certainly loved their children, but their kids also served a purpose—to work the farm, contribute to the household.描述可知過去美國父母要孩子部分是處于實用目的,故選B。
小題1:根據(jù)短文最后一段的描述可知作者認(rèn)為在某種意義上來講父母對孩子的養(yǎng)育仍然值得獎勵。故選C。
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Hungry for the brightest students, many of the country’s stronger universities are actively discounting tuition (學(xué)費).And it’s the high achievers, rather than the needy students, who are getting a good chunk of the money.The practice is remarkably widespread, reaching almost all but the 30 or so Ivy and other top colleges that forbid good grades-based financial aid.Schools are also becoming more aggressive in raising their discounts.At the DePauw University Website, enter an SAT or ACT score, grade point average and class rank, and a computer program immediately tells you what kind of "award".Only "the real unlucky" pay full price any more.
About 76% of first-year students got some form of discount this year at 331 private schools.Average award per student: $7,000.At small schools with tuition under about $20,000, the average discount is even higher, with some schools returning over half their tuition.                                                         
Carnegie Mellon even tells students it will "negotiate(討價還價)" and perhaps match financial-aid packages if kids are offered bigger awards at other schools.Much as banks and insurers offer special rates to their best customers, schools are giving the biggest breaks to their top students.Public four-year colleges, too, are offering discounts.
The flip side of big discounts is that less money is available to improve academic programs and keep school infrastructure (基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施) up to date.Universities that have sharply increased their tuition discount rates have seen graduation rates fall, and that’s true even among highly selective schools.They get the students in the door, but don’t have the services to keep them.
小題1:From the first paragraph, we can judge that _______.
A.a(chǎn)ll the universities don’t offer tuition discounts.
B.Ivy and other top colleges offer financial aid to the high achievers
C.the needy students get more money from the universities
D.the graduation rates of the students from highly selected schools fall
小題2:The underlined words “flip side” in the last paragraph probably mean “_______”.
A.a(chǎn)dvantageB.disadvantageC.bad practiceD.good function
小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The brightest students are not at all hungry for stronger universities.
B.About 76% of first-year students got an award of $ 20,000 per year.
C.Public colleges never offer discounts to the students.
D.Colleges should concentrate more on the services to keep the students
小題4:This passage mainly talks about _______.
A.the great benefit of offering lower tuition
B.college tuition discounts in popularity
C.the top students in need of tuition discounts
D.reducing graduation rates due to big discounts

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

You can tell a lot about a person from the clothes they wear, but you can also tell a lot about a person simply from the handbags they carry. It's hard to believe, but you can find out a number of things about a woman's personality just by looking at the type of handbag she sports. Below you will find a number of handbag styles and colors as well as what each specific type of handbag says about the owner.
Styles:
Under-the Shoulder – handbags which are smaller and fit tightly underneath the shoulder indicate class and sophistication. A women working in an upscale office or someone of high stature would choose this form of handbag.
Big and Bulky – Big, bulky and oversized bags are casual and are often associated with younger individuals. These are used for individuals who carry a number of things (binders, books etc) and require a lot of space. Down-to-earth, lower-maintenance women would carry this type of handbag.
Designer – Designer handbags often cost an arm and a leg and therefore are usually associated with high-maintenance females. Females who are confident and require top of the line accessories will settle for nothing less than a name-brand designer purse. Guys – watch out for these girls, they tend to be a handful.
Cigar Box Purses – A women who carries a cigar box purse likes to be unique and stand out from the crowd. These women have minds of their own and cannot be told what to do. They are comfortable in their own skin and tend to be very independent.
Leather with Buckles and Zippers – women who choose leather purses with lots of buckles and zippers are leashing out their wild sides. These women tend to act before they think and are always ready for a good time. The extra buckles and zippers tend to signify a "bad girl" image.
Colors:
Bright Colors – Bright colored handbags like pink, purple, bright blue and green indicate that the woman is fun, friendly and approachable. women who are out-going and sociable will tend to choose these colors. This is the type of woman who will strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.
Black and Brown – women who choose black or brown handbags tend to be more formal in manners and are often mistaken as being snobby or restricted. These types of handbags are often associated with down-to-earth women, who are shy at first, but open up after a while. They tend to exude a shy confidence, which is sometimes mistaken as someone who thinks she's better than others.
The style and color of your handbag says a lot about you. Choose your handbag very carefully and remember you can choose more than one style. You may feel like being reserved one day and the center of attention another…it's natural to want different things in life.
小題1:. Who is likely to start a conversation with a complete stranger according to the passage?
A.A woman with her handbag carried under the shoulder.
B.A woman carrying an oversized handbag.
C.A woman carrying a bright colored handbag.
D.A woman who chooses a black or brown handbag.
小題2:.Women who choose leather purses with lots of buckles and zippers probably ______.
A. make careful decisions                 B. enjoy having fun
C. act in bad manners                    D. become bad girls
43. Which of the following can best describe women who choose black or brown handbag?
A. Reserved     B. Friendly     C. Wild     D. Unique
小題3:.A woman who carries a cigar box purse likes to ______.
A.follow others’ stepsB.live a simple lifeC.a(chǎn)ct to their own mindD.work with others

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one's mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like "I was wrong about that," and it is even harder to say, "I was wrong, and you were right about that."
I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the manager of a certain grocery store in the neighbourhood where I grew up, and he asked me if I remembered the egg boxes. Then he related an incident and I began to remember vaguely the incident he was describing.
I was about eight years old at the time, and I had gone into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping. On that particular day, I must have found my way to the dairy food department where the incident took place.
There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and half-dozen boxes. The boxes were stacked three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of a display to admire the stacks. Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart and knocked off the stacks of boxes. For some reason, I decided it was up to me to put the display back together, so I went to work.
The manager heard the noise and came rushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my knees inspecting some of the boxes to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as if I was the culprit (做錯事的人). He severely scolded me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs. I tried to explain it wasn’t me who had broken them, but it did no good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident, obviously the manager did not.
小題1:.
. How old was the author when he wrote this article?
A.About 8.B.About 18.C.About 23.D.About 15.
小題2:.
Who was to blame for knocking off the stacks of boxes?
A.The author.B.The manager. C.A woman.D.The author's mother.
小題3:.
. Which of the following statements is not true?
A.The woman who knocked off the stacks of boxes was seriously criticized by the manager.
B.The author was severely criticized by the manager.
C.A woman carelessly knocked off the stacks of boxes.
D.It was the author who put the display back together.
小題4:.
. The tone of the article expresses the author's         .
A.regret for the mistake he made in the store
B.a(chǎn)dmiration for the manager's willingness to admit mistakes
C.a(chǎn)nger against the woman who knocked off the stacks of boxes
D.a(chǎn)nger to the manager for his wrong accusation

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

NEW YORK - People who keep doing some work in their field after they retire may enjoy better physical and mental health than those who stop work completely or switch to another area of work, according to a U.S. study.
Researchers from the University of Maryland said the findings suggest that prospective retirees should consider moving into so-called "bridge employment" as a transition to full retirement.
"In essence, if someone is in a field where part-time work or self-employment is possible, he or she should consider it as they plan for retirement," researcher Dr. Mo Wang, an assistant professor of psychology, told Reuters Health.
For their study, Wang and his colleagues used data on more than 12,000 workers in a U.S. health study begun in 1992. Participants, who were between the ages of 51 and 61 at the outset, were surveyed every two years over a six-year period.
Overall, Wang's team found, people who went into some form of bridge employment reported lower rates of major diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis during the study period than their counterparts who went straight into full retirement.
The findings were not explained by older age or worse initial health among people who opted for full retirement, the investigators report in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
On top of their better physical health, "bridge" workers also tended to report fewer mental health problems, such as depression.
The same mental health benefits were not seen, however, when retirees took part-time work in other fields -- possibly, Wang said, because many of these people may have taken those jobs out of financial need rather than choice.
He noted that the lack of benefit could also stem from the fact that these retirees had to adjust to an unfamiliar job position or had to make lifestyle changes.
Bridge work, particularly in one's accustomed field, may benefit physical and mental health for a number of reasons, according to Wang.
In general, he explained, such work may help older adults maintain the active lifestyles they had during their careers and decrease any stress they might feel from the transition into retirement.  wwwWang said when it comes to mental health, for instance, bridge work may help by allowing people to keep some of the "role identity" that they have formed over their careers.
Staying active in general, not only through work, can also benefit retirees' physical health, Wang noted. He added, however, that any mental health benefits are likely to depend on the type of activity -- whether it is something that the person truly enjoys, and that helps ease any stress of moving into retirement.
"These findings," Wang said, "suggest that for retirees and prospective retirees, carefully considering whether to engage in bridge employment -- and if so, what types of bridge employment -- is quite important."
小題1: What does the underlined phrase “at the outset” mean?__________
A.a(chǎn)t leastB.a(chǎn)t leastC.a(chǎn)t the beginningD.a(chǎn)t last
小題2: People who went into some form of bridge employment have less chances to get the following diseases, EXCEPT___________.
A.a(chǎn)rthritisB.heart diseaseC.diabetesD.low blood pressure
小題3:Which of the following statement is WRONG?_________
A.As long as retirees move into “bridge employment”, they must be healthier than those who do not.
B.The participants in the study were between 51 and 61 years old.
C.The bridge workers are also less likely to get depression.
D.Staying active is beneficial to the retirees’ physical health.
小題4:What can we infer from the passage?________
A.The study was begun in 1992 and lasts for two 6-year periods
B.If a bridge worker is older than 61 years old, it does not mean that he will get a better health than others who enjoy full retirement.
C.Only by moving into “bridge employment” can the retirees enjoy better health both physically and psychologically.
D.Any activity can benefit the retirees’ mental health.
小題5:Which is the best title of the passage?
A.A US study
B.Bridge Work
C.Working after retiring can be good for your health
D.Stay active

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Students and Technology in the Classroom
I love my Blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me.I also love my laptop computer,as it holds all of my writing and thoughts.Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices(設(shè)備) and truly communicate with others.
On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers.My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas.Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule —no laptops, iPads, phones, etc.When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.
Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology.There’s a bit of truth to that.Some students assume that I am anti-technology.There’s no truth in that at all.I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.
The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and truly engage complex ideas.Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas.I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas.I want them to push each other to think differently and to make connections between the course material and the class discussion.
I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create.Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.
I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan.A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.
小題1:Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with______.
A.the course materialB.others’ misuse of technology
C.discussion topicsD.the author’s class regulations
小題2:The underlined word “engage” in Para.4 probably means ______.
A.exploreB.a(chǎn)cceptC.changeD.reject
小題3:According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may ____.
A.keep students from doing independent thinking
B.encourage students to have in-depth conversations
C.help students to better understand complex themes
D.a(chǎn)ffect students’ concentration on course evaluation
小題4:It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ______.
A.is quite stubborn
B.will give up teaching history
C.will change his teaching plan soon
D.values technology-free dialogues in his class

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Restaurant owners should not use disposable chopsticks for the good of their health and the environment , an official of the China Cuisine Association(中國烹飪協(xié)會)said.
Bian Jiang, its secretary general, recently called on restaurant owners to say no to one-off tableware(餐具), especially wooden chopsticks. “The country produces and throws away over 45 billion pairs of wooden chopsticks every year, at a cost to the environment of about 25 million tree.” Bian said.
“That’s a heavy blow to the county’s shrinking(正在減少的) forests,” he said, “We should not turn a deaf ear to the call for environmental protection. We should stop using disposable tableware from now on.”
In order to discourage the use of wooden chopsticks and to protect wooden resources, the government put a 5% tax on them in April.
The use of disposable chopsticks has been discussed for years. Their supporters say that both restaurant owners and consumers prefer them, and that an industry has grown up around their production.
. 小題1:
The secretary general suggests that wooden chopsticks be stopped from being used because           .
A.they cause a lot of pollution of the environment
B.the environment is no longer green
C.the government is not happy with that
D.too many trees are cut
小題2:
From the text we know that the idea of no disposable tableware will be           .
A.hard to put into practiceB.welcomed by a lot of people
C.receiving indifferent attitudesD.rejected by some people
小題3:
What does the underlined word “disposable” in the first paragraph mean?
A.WasteB.Expensive C.ManD.One-use
小題4:
What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Many people support the idea of saying no to using wooden chopsticks.
B.The government calls on people to stop using wooden chopsticks.
C.Disposable tableware wastes a lot of forests and does damage to the
environment.
D.People are aware of the cost of using disposable tableware

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Getting your teen to think beyond his own immediate needs can be more difficult than cracking a nut with a plastic fork.But don't worry.It's not impossible.There are many ways to encourage your teen to care about those outside his immediate circle of friends.As he begins to have responsibility towards others, he will realize he feels even better about himself.
"Teens are thinking about career, college, and what their future might look like," explains Michelle Maidenberg, a clinical director of Westchester Group Works, a center for group treatment in New York."This is very challenging and just one of the reasons why they are so focused on their own world." Once teens participate in community service, however, they begin to look beyond their personal needs.They also learn firsthand about the challenges others face, and they experience a sense of authority as they realize they can make a real difference in others' lives.
Not sure how to convince a teen to get away from the cell phone and into a community project? Teens buy into community service when the project or program is in an area of their interest.
"Finding something in an area of interest for them keeps them motivated and inspired," Maidenberg says.For instance, if he is interested in culinary (烹飪) school, he could volunteer in a soup kitchen or bake for a project that supports families in need.Volunteer projects in your teen's area of interest will build her knowledge base as well as help others.
Parents can do their part by participating in community service themselves.Teens can learn directly from their parents that personal enjoyment is not ,all that matters.
Let teens know the benefits they will obtain.“Give them every reason in the world to volunteer," Maidenberg advises.She says that working on community service projects builds confidence."By working with others, teens improve managerial, interpersonal and communication skills.Community service helps to approach maturity when they take a step back to see the needs of other people," she adds.Another reward: service hours look great on a resume!
小題1:.
According to Michelle Maidenberg, it's hard to get teens to think beyond their own immediate needs partly because ___    ___.
A.they care more about their circle of friends
B.they have no interest in doing anything
C.they have to work hard for college
D.they are facing many challenges
小題2:.
The underlined phrase "buy into" in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.
A.a(chǎn)gree to join inB.spend money on
C.get away fromD.a(chǎn)re interested in
小題3:.
The writer mentions the benefits in the last paragraph in order to ______.
A.make teens feel much better about themselves
B.encourage teens to care about his own needs
C.help parents reason teens into volunteering
D.get parents to do more community service

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Great literary works do not fade with time. Shakespeare’s plays, for example, have been read again and again by generation after generation; they have also been adapted for the big screen and shown at places other than the theater. Great literature also knows no language boundaries.  For example, Chinese classical novels like The Dream of the Red Chamber and Journey of the Monkey have been widely read not only by Chinese but also by sinologists, people who study Chinese culture, from many language backgrounds.
People read literature to enjoy great writers’ ways with words and their humor. In the English language world, William Somerest Maugham is a novelist who is good at irony, i.e., saying the opposite of what is meant, to create humor. Another reason why Maugham’s novels are well-loved is that he never fails to provide a surprise ending to amuse his readers. 
When readers become involved with what they are reading, they may behave as if they have traveled through time to live with the characters in the story. Readers of Maugham’s short story, The Luncheon, may often stop and wonder about how the main character is so easily fooled when hehas lunch with a woman he met once in Paris. They may also grow to love or hate this woman in the course of their reading.
Literary works often provide room for different interpretations. For example, poetry, because of its succinct use of words, can often be interpreted in a number of different ways. Short plays, on the other hand, contain more elaborate descriptions of the setting and the moods of the characters, not to mention the stage directions. However, almost all literary works make use of symbols to suggest ideas indirectly. Because symbols can carry different meanings in different cultures, one person’s interpretation of a symbol can be very different from another person’s. 
Great literature is not bound by time or language barriers. It will continue to speak to generations of people.
小題1:In Paragraph 3, whom does “he” refer to?
A.The author.B.The reader. C.The main character.D.Somerest Maugham.
小題2:What would be the best title for this article?
A.The Many Languages of LiteratureB.Great Literature Has No Barriers
C.Great Literature Has TimeD.The Irony of Literature
小題3:According to the passage, all the following things may draw readers’ attention EXCEPT______
A.language backgroundsB.humorous words
C.surprising endingsD.the use of symbols

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