Dr. Wiseman started the “l(fā)augh lab” project in September 2001. It is the largest study of humor. Participants are invited to log on the laugh lab website, give a few personal details, tell their favorite jokes and judge the jokes told by other people.
Their project will last for a year, and the organizers hope to finally discover the world’s funniest joke. But there is also a serious purpose. The researchers want to know what people from different nations and cultures find funny. And they want to find out the differences between male’s and female’s sense of humor. The idea is that if we want to understand each other, we have to find out what makes us laugh.
This is a subject that has long interested psychologists (心理學(xué)家) and philosophers (哲學(xué)家). Most of the time, people are not completely honest. We do things that society expects us to and say things that help us get what we want. But laughing cannot be controlled. When we laugh, we tell the truth about ourselves.
By December 2001 over 10,000 jokes had been submitted (公認(rèn)的). This gave the scientists enough evidence to make early conclusions. It seems that men and women do have different senses of humor, for example.
“Our findings show the major differences in the ways in which males and females use humor,” said Dr Wiseman. “Males use humor to appear superior (高傲的，有優(yōu)越感的) to others, while women are more skilled in languages and prefer word play.”
Researchers also found that there really is such a thing as a national sense of humor. The British enjoy what is usually called “toilet humor”. But the French like their jokes short and sharp, “You’re a high priced lawyer. Will you answer two questions for $ 500?” “Yes. What’s the second question?”
The Germans are famous for not having a sense of humor. But the survey found that German participants were more likely to find submitted jokes funny than any other nationality. Perhaps that proves the point. Is this joke funny? I don’t know, but let’s say yes, just to be safe.
Dr Wiseman and his workmates also submitted jokes created by computer. But none of those who took part in the survey found any of them amusing. Perhaps this is relief (安慰). Computers already seem like they can do everything. But at least they should leave the funny things to us.
小題1:The scientist started the “l(fā)augh lab” project ________.

A．to find the funniest joke in European countries

B．to know what funny people are from different nations and cultures

C．to find out the differences between the male’s and female’s sense of humor

D．to get more personal details about participants

小題2:The writer gave the examples of the British, the French and the Germans_____.

A．to show that the French people have a better sense of humor

B．to prove the British people have a sense of “toilet humor”

C．to show people from different nations have different senses of humor

D．to prove that the Germans have no sense of humor

小題3:Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．The jokes by computer are less funny than those by humans.

B．The Germans cannot find the submitted jokes amusing.

C．Males are better at word play compared with women.

D．Females like to use humor to show that they are superior.

What is it that makes a house a home ? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other , who are harmonious and closer inside with one another than they are outside with those in the workplace or with classmates at school . A home is a place of companionship that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love , sharing and appreciation , and the members help each other .
I have seen families on the street. But if they live , sleep , talk , and eat together , they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to live in them . The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby . The parents work. The children do wrong . They don’t talk and eat together every day . They rarely see each other . The truly homeless people are those with babysitters , caretakers , gardeners and maids. Parents are unaware , too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in . This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless . Who is to be pitied ?
Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time , the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home . Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped . The computer eats up the time that one should be giving to others within the home . Using the computer moderately gives us time for gentleness , play and communication , not with a screen , but with a human being.
小題1:The purpose of the first paragraph is to _____________ .

A．tell us that where there is home there is love

B．tell us what people think home is

C．show the author’s concept of home

D．tell people how to have a happy home

小題2:The underlined word those  in the second paragraph refers to _____________ .

A．people who build multi-million-dollar houses

B．people who have lost their family members

C．people who don’t spend time with the family

D．homeless families living on the street in America

小題3:Which statement is Not True according to the passage ?

A．A home is a place where you are willing to stay .

B．Even the poorest person can have a happy home .

C．Computers and the Internet are important for a happy family.

D．Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied .

小題4:Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage ?

A．How to make a house a home	B．What makes a house a home
C．Who are homeless , the poor	D．What’s a home for

As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler(學(xué)齡前兒童)：
Develop social skills
As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and co­workers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop empathy(同情) for others. If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet, they are better able to help those in need. They become more willing to play fair, to share, and to cooperate.
Build self­confidence
Young children have very little control over their lives. Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers(摩天大樓) or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Boost intellectual growth
Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound(堆) of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically(象征性地). This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.
Practice language skills
Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and promote communication skills.
Work out fears
Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children role­play about the big, bad monster under the bed, they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad. Imaginative play also helps kids vent(發(fā)泄) confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or compete with a new sibling(兄弟姐妹)．
To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.
For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures.Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful typical Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books-Bambi and Pinocchio.
小題1:What's NOT the advantage of children having a good imagination?

A．Understanding the other people's feelings and problems.

B．Expressing their feelings like anger.

C．Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential.

D．Helping them form a good habit of reading stories.

小題2:What does the underlined word “Boost” mean?

A．Improve.

B．Limit.

C．Push.

D．Praise.

小題3:From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．

A．Reader's Digest Young Families wins an iParenting Media Award

B．Disney edition of Peter Pan can be got online for free

C．the story of Peter Pan has been popular with kids

D．Bambi and Pinocchio are offered for free because of bad sales

小題4:What's the purpose of writing the article?

A．To tell readers the benefits of encouraging children's imagination.

B．To introduce some wonderful Disney stories to readers.

C．To provide ways of helping make kids more imaginative.

D．To persuade parents to buy the Disney edition of Peter Pan.

Mother’s Day is a holiday for mothers. It is celebrated(慶祝)in the United States, England, India and some other countries. In a short time, it becomes widely celebrated. Mother’s day falls on the second Sunday in May. On that day, many people send gifts(禮物)of love to their mothers.
Those whose mothers are still living often wear a pink or red rose or carnation(康乃馨)， while those whose mothers are dead wear a white one.
The idea of a day for mothers was first given by Miss Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. As a result of her hard work, the celebration of the first American Mother’s Day was held in Philadelphia(費(fèi)城） on May 10, 1908. Soon the holiday became popular all over the country and around the world.
In China, people do the same on the day for mothers. And, in some cities, people sometimes ask a song to be broadcast(廣播) for his or her mother only. This might cost a little money for some of them, but, as it is said, “Love is invaluable.”
On May 8, 1999, just the day before the Mother’s Day that year, a Chinese mother was killed in criminal bombing(罪惡轟炸). Her name is Shao Yanhuan, a heroic mother. All the Chinese will remember her forever.
小題1: Mother’s Day         .

A．is a holiday for mothers

B．is celebrated in the United Stated only

C．falls on May 10 every year

D．was given by Miss Anna Jarvis

小題2:What was the date of the Mother’s Day in 1999?

A．May 7.

B．May 8.

C．May 9.

D．May 10

小題3:On Mother’s Day, people       .

A．send some flowers to their mothers.

B．wear a pink or red rose or carnation

C．wear a white flower

D．send gifts of love to their mothers

小題4: the underlined word “invaluable” means “   ”.

A．美好的

B．無價的

C．永恒的

D．無私的

小題5:Maybe you’ve known the criminal bombing, which of the following ideas do you agree to?

A．Shao Yunhuan is a heroic mother.

B．A Chinese mother is the same as an American mother.

C．The bombing cannot get away with the crime (難逃罪責(zé)).

D．All of the above

“Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Do you agree with this old saying? Joanne Gordon does. She is the author of Be Happy at work and other books about careers(職業(yè)). Gordon believes that about 30% of employees(雇員) in North America do not like their jobs, and she thinks that is terrible. She wants to help people who do not feel satisfied with their jobs find work that is good for them. Joanne says, “There are no happy jobs, only happy workers.” She believes that happy workers share three main characteristics.
First, happy workers enjoy the daily activities of their jobs, and they look forward to the workday. Take Tony Hawk, for example. At age 14, he became a professional skateboarder. Now he is a businessman working on projects related to skateboarding—films and video games, but he still skates every day. He once said, “My youngest son’s pre-school was recently asked what their dads do for work. My son said, ‘I’ve never seen my dad do work.’” Tony agrees that his job doesn’t look like work. He has found a way to spend each day doing a job he enjoys.
Second, happy workers like the people they work with. Sally Ayote says, “I work with the coolest people in the world.” She and her group cook for almost 1,200 people in Antarctica. Most of these people are scientists who are doing research. Sally loves to sit and talk with them. She says, “There is no television here, no radio, so I get to know the scientists and what they’re studying.” Sally thinks she has a great job, and the best part about it is the people.
Third, happy workers know that their work helps others. Caroline Baron’s work helps people who have had to leave their home countries because of war or other dangers. She is a filmmaker who started an organization called FilmAid, which shows movies in refugee(難民) camps around the world. Caroline believes that movies can be very helpful in these camps. For one thing, entertaining movies let refugees forget their troubles for a little while. Movies can also teach important subjects like health and safety. For example, in one camp, thousands of refugees saw a movie about how to get clean water. Caroline knows that is helping other people, and this makes her feel proud and happy about her work.
Tony Hawk, Sally Ayote, and Caroline Baron all get great satisfaction from their work. Tony Hawk says, “Find the thing you love. If you are doing what you love, there is much more happiness there than being rich or famous.” Joanne Gordon would agree. She encourages people to find something they enjoy doing, find people they like to work with, and find ways to help others. Then they can be proud of what they do, and they will probably be happy at work.
小題1:Who is the book, Be Happy at Work, written for?

A．Joanne Gordon herself.

B．Tony Hawk, Sally Ayote, and Caroline Baron.

C．People who do not feel satisfied with their jobs.

D．The workers who agree with the author’s ideas.

小題2:Why did Tony Hawk’s son say, “I’ve never seen my dad do work.”?

A．Because Tony Hawk’s job doesn’t look like work.

B．Because Tony Hawk always finds something enjoyable in his job.

C．Because Tony helps people forget their troubles while skating.

D．Because the best part about his job is to spend each day skating.

小題3:Tony Hawk, Sally Ayote, and Caroline Baron are good examples that show us ____________.

A．how to be a successful businessman

B．how to help people in difficulties

C．how to get along with the coolest people

D．how to become a happy worker

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Some people believe that only a few kinds of jobs can really make people feel happy.

B．The writer of the passage tells us that many different kinds of work can be enjoyable.

C．The author of Be Happy at Work thinks that happiness at work is really important.

D．Joanne Gordon believes that people will probably be happy at work when they are proud of what they do.

完形填空（共20小題；每小題1．5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項。
Wranglers（爭吵者） and Stranglers（扼殺者）
Years ago there was a group of brilliant young men at the University of Wisconsin, who seemed to have amazing creative  36  talent. They were would-be poets, novelists, and essayists. They were extraordinary in their  37   to put the English language to its best use. These promising young men  38  regularly to read and critique (評論) each other's work. And critique it they did!
These men were merciless with one another. They  39  the minutest literary expression into a hundred pieces. They were heartless, tough, even mean in their  40  .The sessions became such areas of literary criticism that the  41  of this special club called themselves the “Stranglers (扼殺者)”.
In order to  42  , the women of literary talent in the university  43  to start a club of their own, one comparable to the Stranglers. They  44  themselves the “Wranglers (爭論者)”.They, too, read their  45  one another. But there was one great difference. The criticism was much softer, more  46  , more encouraging. Sometimes, there was almost no criticism at all. Every effort, even the weakest one, was  47  .
Twenty years later an alumnus (男校友；男畢業(yè)生) of the university was making an exhaustive (詳盡的；徹底的)  48   of his classmates' careers when he  49   a vast difference in the literary accomplishments of the Stranglers as opposed to the Wranglers. Of all the  50  young men in the Stranglers, no one had made a significant literary  51   of any kind. From the Wranglers had come six or more successful  52  , some of national renown (名望；聲譽(yù)) such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who wrote The Yearling.
Talent between the two？Probably the same. Level of  53  ？Not much difference. But the Stranglers were strangled, while the Wranglers were determined to give each other a(an)  54  .The Stranglers  55   an atmosphere of argument and self-doubt. The Wranglers highlighted the best, not the worst.

小題1:	A．a(chǎn)rchitectural B．a(chǎn)rtistic C．literary D．musical

小題2:	A．strength B．a(chǎn)bility C．performance D．power

小題3:	A．gathered B．organized C．challenged D．collected

小題4:	A．turned B．translated C．combined D．divided

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)ppreciation B．criticism C．a(chǎn)ssessment D．judgment

小題6:	A．leaders B．organizers C．members D．a(chǎn)rrangers

小題7:	A．participate B．practice C．succeed D．compete

小題8:	A．determined B．a(chǎn)greed C．promised D．dreamed

小題9:	A．regarded B．called C．thought D．recognized

小題10:

A．works B．letters C．books D．papers

小題11:

A．fantastic B．critical C．positive D．serious

小題12:

A．required B．spared C．made D．encouraged

小題13:

A．experiment B．study C．a(chǎn)nalysis D．judgment

小題14:

A．reflected B．resolved C．explained D．noticed

小題15:

A．optimistic B．confident C．bright D．honest

小題16:

A．a(chǎn)chievement B．influence C．contribution D．improvement

小題17:

A．engineers B．writers C．doctors D．lawyers

小題18:

A．courage B．patience C．education D．skill

小題19:

A．reward B．favor C．honor D．lift

小題20:

A．ruined B．lightened C．promoted D．enjoyed

Amusement parks make most of their money from admission fees paid by guests attending the park. Other sources include parking fees, food and drink sales and souvenirs. Practically all amusement parks operate using one of two admission principles:
Pay-as-you-go In this form, a guest enters the park at little or no charge. The guest must then buy rides one by one, either at the attraction’s entrance or by buying ride tickets. The cost of the attraction is often based on its complexity (復(fù)雜性) or popularity. The park may allow guests to buy unlimited admissions to all attractions within the park. A pass is then shown at the attraction entrance to gain admission.
Disneyland opened in 1955 using the pay-as-you-go form. Initially, guests paid the ride admission fees at the attractions. Soon, the problems of dealing with so many coins led to the development of a ticket system that, while now out of use, is still part of the amusement-park vocabulary. In this new form, guests bought ticket books that contained a number of tickets, with “A,” “B” and “C.” Rides and attractions using an “A-ticket” were generally simple, with “B-tickets” and “C-tickets” used for the larger, more popular rides. Later, the “D-ticket” was added, then finally the now-famous “E-ticket,” which was used for the biggest rides, like Space Mountain. Smaller tickets could be traded up for use on larger rides. Disneyland, as well as the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, gave up this practice in 1982.
The advantages include:
guests pay for only what they choose to experience
attraction costs can be changed easily
The disadvantages include:
guests may get tired of spending money almost continuously
guests may not spend as much on food or souvenirs
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?

A．Attractions of amusement parks

B．Admission fees of amusement parks.

C．Admission principles of amusement parks

D．Sources of income of amusement parks.

小題2:According to the pay-as-you-go principle, guests _____.

A．don’t pay at the gate of the park

B．must pay for each ride they take

C．have to pay for all rides in the park

D．needn’t pay after entering the park

小題3:According to the passage, what is the meaning of the underlined word “Initially” in Paragraph 3?

A．Gradually.

B．At the beginning.

C．At last.

D．Commonly.

小題4:What would be introduced following the passage?

A．The other admission principle

B．Amusement parks’ earnings.

C．Some other admission principles

D．Users of the pay-as-you-go principle.

To be sure, only children experienced some things differently from those with sisters and brothers. Many feel more pressure to succeed. In the absence of brothers and sisters, only children also tend to look more exclusively to their parents as role models.
In India, 10-year-old Saviraj Sankpal founded a support group for the tiny minority of only children. Among other things, the group does volunteer work to counter the myth that they are not responsible. “People think we’re treated too kindly and ruined,” says Sankpal, a computer engineering student. “But I’d like to remind them how lonely it can get.”
Most only children, however, say they wish for sisters or brothers only when it comes to caring for aging, unhealthy parents. Britain’s David Emerson, coauthor of the book The Only Child, says that such a person bears a terrible burden in having to make all the decisions alone. Emerson knows from experience: After his father died, he chose to move his elderly mother from their family home, where she was vulnerable(易受攻擊的) to house breakers, to a new one with more security. “The move was quite hard on her, and she might feel that I pushed her into it,” he says. “After all, I am left with that responsibility.”
In the future, more and more only children will likely face similar choices. With working mothers increasingly the rule, many families are finding they simply don’t have the time, money or energy to have more than one child. As only children become common, perhaps the world will realize that the charge made against them is unjust.
小題1:It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s attitude towards only children is 　　　. 

A．critical

B．objective

C．hostile

D．unjust

小題2:It can be inferred from the passage that only children’s parents should 　　　.

A．find a support group for their only children

B．do volunteer work to help their only children

C．let their only children make all the decision alone

D．set good examples for their only children

小題3:Emerson decided to move his elderly mother to a new house because he 　　　.

A．is the only one who cares about her

B．doesn’t want to leave her alone

C．wants to share the responsibility with her

D．is worried about her safety

小題4:It is quite usual now for a working mother to 　　　.

A．spend all her time and money on her only child

B．be responsible for bringing up her only child

C．have and bring up only one child

D．devote all her energy to her job

Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in different cultural experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three typical characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness of being unclear.
Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm when things do not go as one wants them to, or as one hopes they would, or even as one was sure they would. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.
A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in his own reaction than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.
  “The awareness of being unclear” is a more difficult concept to understand than patience and a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear as they are newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in a certain situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like that I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said. “Things are just so different here.”
小題1:The passage mainly tells us ______.

A．a(chǎn)bout some uneasy traveling experiences in foreign countries

B．a(chǎn)bout the three main ways to communicate with foreigners

C．a(chǎn)bout some typical characteristics in different cultural experiences

D．how to show your characters to foreigners

小題2:According to the passage, which characteristic should be focused on most?

A．The ability to keep cool.	B．The sense of humor.
C．Patience.	D．The awareness of being unclear.

小題3:“The awareness of being unclear” refers to “______” .

A．not knowing what is happening in a situation

B．not understanding the local language well enough

C．being aware that the situation is unclear

D．not knowing how some system or organization works

小題4:By what the Chinese graduate student said, we can learn that ______.

A．he is not used to the culture of America

B．he went to the United States to study the moon

C．he is a person with a sense of humor

D．he has just returned from the moon

A capsule inn is a kind of cheap and small hotel where people just sleep in rectangular containers(容器). After experiencing popularity in Japan for more than 30 years, capsule inns have now entered the Chinese market. This new style is becoming popular with many visitors, but some are less than what they expected. The capsule inn covers an area of more than 300 square meters, with 68 very small bedrooms for guests to rest. Each room is 2.2 meters long and about 1 meter wide.
As small as the capsules are, they provide more than enough daily necessities(必需品) for visitors. They do have plenty of functions. Each includes independent power sockets, clocks, lights, and flat screen televisions. People can also enjoy wireless Internet service. The basic fee(費(fèi)用) for each capsule is 28 yuan, and guests will be asked to pay an extra 4 yuan every hour. The highest cost could reach 88 yuan per day.
Ta Zan, capsule inn Manager, said, “Capsule inns are similar to Internet cafes. When they first appeared more than 10 years ago, people thought they might not succeed. But now it’s a common thing in our lives.” He believes that more capsule inns will open around the nation very soon. He is sure about the future of his business.
小題1:How much will you pay if you want to stay in a capsule inn for 12 hours?

A．88 yuan

B．76 yuan

C．28 yuan

D．4 yuan.

小題2: What does the underlined word “functions” mean in Chinese?

A．價格

B．功能

C．方法

D．需求

小題3:For whom, a capsule inn is a good choice while traveling around?

A．A family who like to cook by themselves.

B．A young student who likes watching TV or surfing on the Internet.

C．An old man who would like to stay in a big house with his wife.

D．A business man who wants to have a meeting with others.

小題4:Why does the manager compare(比較) his inn to Internet cafes?

A．Because he thinks they are similar in shape.

B．Because he knows Internet cafes were popular 10 years ago.

C．Because he thinks capsule inns are a common thing in our lives.

D．Because he believes both will have good development.