There is a Website called the “World Database of Happiness”. It combines and analyzes the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life satisfaction. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are surprising.
The database makes it clear that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general satisfaction. It is a cliche to say that money can’t buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be supported by research. Many people still believe that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably mistaken.
Studies have been carried out on people who got sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had worn off, people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they tended to go back to the way they felt before they became rich.
If material wealth does not bring happiness, then what does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with where you live. The authorities at the World Database on Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different countries. Obviously, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy.
Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships in particular seem to be the key to long-term happiness. The website suggests that falling in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness.
Nowadays people look to technology as another source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet rather than spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the website’s research is right, time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money.
1.The Website World Database of Happiness is designed to______.
A.share stories of happiness B.find out the reason for happiness
C.conduct surveys around the world D.tell interviewees how to be happy
2.What does the word cliche(Para.2)mean?
A.Traditional custom. B.Proved theory.
C.Famous report. D.Popular belief.
3.Who is the happiest according to the passage?
A.An unhappy man who has won a lottery in Singapore.
B.A student who has three high-income part-time jobs in India.
C.A mother who stays with her family everyday in America.
D.A Russian falling in love with a soulmate recently.
4.What seems to be the author’s advice about happiness?
A.Levels of happiness vary from country to country.
B.Making money is not the only way to happiness.
C.It is uncertain whether technology make people happy.
D.A good family relationship is the key to lasting happiness.
5.What’s the author’s attitude to technology?
A.Neutral. B.Dissatisfied. C.Supportive. D.Doubtful.
高二英语阅读选择简单题
There is a Web site called the “World Database of Happiness”. It combines and ____ the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life ____. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are ____.
The database(数据库) makes it ____ that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general contentment. It is a cliche(陈词滥调) to say that money ____ buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be ____ by research. Many people still stick to the belief that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably ____.
Studies have been ____ on people who acquired sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had ____， people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they ____ to return to the way they felt before they became rich.____ contented people continue to be contented，____ those who were miserable in the past sink back into misery.
If material wealth does not bring happiness, then ____ does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with ____ you live. The authorities at the World Database of Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different ____. Apparently, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy.
Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships，____， seem to be the key to long－term contentment. The Web site suggests that ____ in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness.
Nowadays people look to ____ as an alternative source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet ____ spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the Web site's research is ____， time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money.
1.A. collects B. uses C. adopts D. analyzes
2.A. satisfaction B. style C. condition D. level
3.A. concerning B. surprising C. Controversial D. Contradictory
4.A. real B. true C.clear D. actual
5.A. can B. may C. can't D. mustn't
6. A. carried B. served C. supported D. satisfied
7.A. foolish B. mistaken C. correct D. stupid
8.A. carried out B. carried away C. carried on D. carried off.
9.A. worn out B. worn off C. cut off. D. cut out
10.A. intend B. tend C. attain D. attend
11.A. Previously B. Especially C.Totally D. Actually
12.A. then B. but C. so D. while
13.A. when B. what C. who D. which
14. A. where B. how C. space D. place
15.A. cites B. countries C. towns D. sections
16.A. in fact B. in particular C.in surprise D. in all
17.A. dropping B. feeling C. falling D. stepping
18.A. entertainment B. information C. technology D. study
19.A. rather than B. or rather C. more than D. other than
20. A. accurate B. Adequate(充分的,适合的) C. reasonable D. Simple
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
There is a Website called the “World Database of Happiness”. It combines and analyzes the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life satisfaction. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are surprising.
The database makes it clear that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general satisfaction. It is a cliche to say that money can’t buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be supported by research. Many people still believe that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably mistaken.
Studies have been carried out on people who got sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had worn off, people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they tended to go back to the way they felt before they became rich.
If material wealth does not bring happiness, then what does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with where you live. The authorities at the World Database on Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different countries. Obviously, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy.
Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships in particular seem to be the key to long-term happiness. The website suggests that falling in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness.
Nowadays people look to technology as another source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet rather than spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the website’s research is right, time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money.
1.The Website World Database of Happiness is designed to______.
A.share stories of happiness B.find out the reason for happiness
C.conduct surveys around the world D.tell interviewees how to be happy
2.What does the word cliche(Para.2)mean?
A.Traditional custom. B.Proved theory.
C.Famous report. D.Popular belief.
3.Who is the happiest according to the passage?
A.An unhappy man who has won a lottery in Singapore.
B.A student who has three high-income part-time jobs in India.
C.A mother who stays with her family everyday in America.
D.A Russian falling in love with a soulmate recently.
4.What seems to be the author’s advice about happiness?
A.Levels of happiness vary from country to country.
B.Making money is not the only way to happiness.
C.It is uncertain whether technology make people happy.
D.A good family relationship is the key to lasting happiness.
5.What’s the author’s attitude to technology?
A.Neutral. B.Dissatisfied. C.Supportive. D.Doubtful.
高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析
True happiness is such a rare commodity(有价值之物)that the whole of the world is continuously seeking it and failing to find it. Why is happiness such an elusive(难捉摸的) thing? Is it that it cannot simply be achieved? Or is it that it is not where all of us have been looking for it?
What is it that we consider happiness? This is how I see it: Happiness is what you feel when what you want to happen happens. And the then we can conclude that unhappiness is what we feel when what we want to happen does not happen.
The main keyword in definition is "want". The whole trouble starts when we want something. Every moment of our lives we keep on wanting something or the other. Only a small percentage of all our wishes is fulfilled in spite of all our endeavors(努力). The frustration of failing to fulfill most of our wishes sets in. We start feeling weighed down. Desire is a seed which grows fruits of unhappiness. Actually the trouble is that we demand too much. The only solution to this problem is to break out of this cycle of desires and struggles.
Actually, happiness and unhappiness are two sides of the same coin. The desire for happiness is like asking only for the light and not for darkness. But there is not much difference between light and darkness. It is matter of degree only.
If we think deeper, we will realize that it is this pain of failure, pain of frustrated desires which is of greater significance to us. It is actually like good health. One can only define health as an absence of diseases. In order to have good health we strive to avoid diseases. You cannot purchase or achieve good health directly. You have to take steps which keep your body free of diseases. Then only the organs of body keep functioning properly and you experience good health. Similarly, when one destroys the root cause of unhappiness, the problems are over. And the root cause of all our unhappiness is DESIRE.
1.According to the author, happiness means that_______
A. you have much money B. you can experience everything
C. you’re living healthily D. your wishes come true
2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined words “weighed down” in Paragraph 3?
A. Crazy B. Worried
C. Interested D. Serious
3.By discussing how people keep healthy, the author tries to_______.
A. remind people to find the direct cause of their unhappiness
B. show what people really desire
C. stress physical health and mental health are both important
D. offer ways to find the root cause of unhappiness
4.What can be concluded from the passage?
A. In fact, it takes people much to feel happy
B. No people are willing to limit their desires
C. While seeking happiness, you have to accept unhappiness
D. To have good health, people should try to feel happy
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Finland is the happiest place on Earth, according to the 2018 World Happiness Report of 156 nations.
The report, released Wednesday by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Solutions Network, ranks the countries of the world based on six different categories of well-being: income, freedom, trust, life expectancy, generosity and social support. This year's report also pays special attention to the happiness of each country's immigrants.
The U.S. dropped four spots from 2017 and landed in the 18th place, and last year's winner, Norway, came in second place — followed by Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland.
'' The top five countries all have almost equally high values for the six factors found to support happiness, and four of these countries—Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and now Finland — have been in first place in the six World Happiness Report rankings since the first report" in 2012, '' co-editor John Helliwell told CNN. '' In a division with such excellent teams, changes in the top spot are to be expected."
Rounding out the top 10 happiest countries was Canada in sixth place, then New Zealand, Sweden and Australia. The order of the top 10 nations changed from the 2017 list but the countries did not, according to the report. They were also 10 of the 11 top spots in the immigrant happiness category (including Mexico — 24th overall, but 10th in immigration).
'' The most striking finding of the report is the remarkable consistency between the happiness of immigrants and the locally born, '' Helliwell said in a statement. '' Although immigrants come from countries with very different levels of happiness, their reported life evaluations resemble those of other residents in their new countries. Those who move to happier countries gain, while those who move to less happy countries lose. ''
Other major world powers placed in significantly low spots on the list. Germany came in 15th, the UK was 19th — followed by Japan in 54th place, Russia in 59th and China in 86th.
The report, based on surveys completed by citizen volunteers, came just under a week before World Happiness Day on March 20, when the UN declared to recognize '' the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations inthe lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives''
1.What is the most significant finding of the report?
A.That immigrants are different from residents in the country.
B.That immigrants and locals feel the similar level of happiness.
C.That immigrants become happy when they leave the country.
D.That immigrants come from countries with different levels of happiness.
2.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.Happiness is no less important than any other aspect in life.
B.People’s happiness and well-being should be considered when it comes to policy-making.
C.The happiness report came under a week before World Happiness Day.
D.What the UN declared was beneficial to all human beings.
3.What is the best title of the passage?
A.World Happiness Day. B.Happiness — forever pursuit.
C.The 2018 World Happiness Report. D.What's your happiness index?
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sometimes called Amazonia, the rainforest of the Amazon River basin is the largest in the world. It stretches (延伸) across more than half of Brazil and parts of seven other South American countries (and French Guiana). With a land area of 2.7 million square miles, the Amazon rainforest is almost two thirds the size of the US.
Rainforests are important to the health of the entire planet. Often called "the lungs of the planet", the Amazon rainforest, with its rich plant life, stores carbon dioxide while giving out the oxygen we need to survive.
At one time, rainforests covered 14 percent of Earth’s surface. Deforestation has reduced that figure to 6 percent today. Much of the loss has been in the Amazon.
Fortunately, over the years, Brazil has also become a world leader in rainforest preservation. A law called the Forest Code, originally passed in 1965, requires the Amazon’s farmers to protect 80 percent of their land from farming. And democratic governments beginning in the early 1990s began to enforce it seriously.
Efforts to save the Amazon increased under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2002—2011). Brazil set aside about 150 million acres of the rainforest, an area about the size of France, for protection. Deforestation fell by 74 percent between 2004 and 2009.
Other countries of the Amazon have also done their parts. This year, Peru created a forest reserve about the size of California’s Yosemite National Park.
1.What is the size of the Amazon rainforest?
A. About the size of France.
B. Nearly half the size of Brazil.
C. Over half the size of the US.
D. About the size of seven South American countries.
2.How much of the rainforest has been lost due to deforestation according to Paragraph 3?
A. 6%. B. Approximately 8%.
C. 14%. D. More than 50%.
3.Which country contributes most to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest?
A. Peru. B. Brazil.
C. The US. D. French Guiana.
4.What does the author feel about the situation of the Amazon?
A. Optimistic. B. Moved.
C. Worried. D. Uncertain.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Dutch officials toasted on Tuesday the opening of what is being called the world’s first 3D-printed concrete bridge, which is meant to be used by cyclists. There was applause as officials wearing hard hats and workmen’s jackets rode over the bridge on their bikes at the opening ceremony in the southeastern town of Gemert.
“The bridge is not very big, but it was rolled out by a printer which makes it unique,” Theo Salet, from the Eindhoven University of Technology, told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Work on printing the bridge, which has some 800 layers, took about three months after starting in June and it is made of pre-stressed concrete, according to the university. “One of the advantages of printing a bridge is that much less concrete is needed than in the conventional technique in which a mould (泥浆) is filled,” it said on its website, adding “a printer deposits the concrete only where it is needed.”
The eight-metre (26-foot) bridge crosses a water-filled channel to connect two roads, and it was tested for safety to bear loads of up to two metric tons in cooperation with the BAM Infra Construction company. Although designed for bikes, it could take up to 40 trucks, the designers said “We are looking to the future,” said the head of BAM, Marinus Schimmel. “3D printing meant fewer rare resources were needed and there was significantly less waste,” he added.
The Netherlands is among countries, with the United States and China, taking a lead in the cutting-edge technology of 3D printing, using computers and robotics to construct objects and structures from scratch without using much traditional manpower. Last year a Dutch architect unveiled (提示) a unique 3D printer with which he hopes to construct an “endless loop” building. And a Dutch start-up called MX3D has begun printing a stainless-steel bridge, of which a third is already completed. The aim is to finish printing by March and lay the bridge over an Amsterdam canal in the future.
1.According to the text what makes the bridge unique?
A. It adopts 3D printing
B. It opens only to cyclists.
C. It is made of new material.
D. It uses much less concrete.
2.According to Marinus Schimmel. the bridge ________.
A. fails to bear heavy loads more safely
B. needs no concrete and mould
C. is designed for bikes and trucks
D. is cost-efficient and eco-friendly
3.According to the last paragraph, which of the following statement is true?
A. The 3D-printed bridges are all designed for bikes.
B. 3D-printed construction saves much human labor.
C. United States and China develop slowly in 3D printing.
D. The stainless-steel bridge by MX3D has been put into use.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. The Value of the 3D Printing Technology
B. The Netherlands Leads the Way in 3D Printing
C. World’s First 3D-printed Bridge Opens to Cyclists
D. 3D Printing is Widely Used in Building Bridges
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
House Sitting
In many countries of the world people do what is called house sitting. It means that if owners of the house are going away, they want someone to come into their home and look after the house and maybe pets while they are away.
In Australia, many people travel. After people retire, they might buy a van and travel all over the country. 1.
So if someone wants to travel or go away for some reason, they might want someone in their home to care for it and keep the gardens tidy. House sitters might have to care for pets. Also, quite a few people have swimming pools in their back yard and they need cleaning. 2. I feel it is a great way of seeing the country, because you go and stay in a new city, get to meet new people, and have time to go sightseeing in a new area.
3. There are websites where you find the advertisements by people who want to travel, and by replying to the advertisement, you can make arrangements to go and look after their home.
There are some requirements to be a house sitter. You must be a trusted person, so that the home owner knows you will not steal anything. You must be able to go when the house owner wants you to go, so you need lots of free time. 4. You need to be good with pets, able to care for cats and dogs, or other pets they may have.
Some house sitting jobs are just for a few days or a couple of weeks while the house owners have a short holiday. Sometimes it is for much longer. We have had one house sit for six months, while the home owner travelled to Europe.
5. Then you can travel to many different countries and stay there. One of the important things to get is references from the home owners where you have stayed. A reference is a written letter to say that you are trustworthy and have looked after their home well. You can show these letters to possible house sitting jobs and they know you will do a good job.
A. I have done house sitting many times.
B. Thousands of people do this all the time.
C. It is also possible to do house sitting in other countries.
D. Generally you have many opportunities to get a house sitting job.
E. You must take a little care over what your description says about you.
F. This is an international house sitting service for all city and country areas.
G. You must have a good car, so you can travel to different parts of the country.
高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇 60 词左右的内容概要。
In today’s world where we have various translation apps that allow us to talk to almost anyone “in his own language”, why do we still need to make an effort to learn a foreign language ourselves? There are practical reasons, of course. For example, those who are bilingual (具备双语能力的) have a better chance in the job market. And science has proved that learning to speak more than one
language can train one’s brain to be stronger.
But there’s more to it than that. US author Rita Mae Brown once wrote: “Language is the road map of a culture.” By taking a look at the vocabulary and idioms of a language system, we get a glimpse (一瞥) at what’s held important in a certain culture. Take the Swedish word “lagom” for example. It means “just the right amount”, which doesn’t have a matching word either in English or in Chinese. From “lagom”, we can see how much the concepts of “moderation (适度)” and “balance” are valued in Swedish culture. By learning a foreign language, you also gain a better understanding of your own culture. Irish language expert Benny Lewis explained this idea in his blog with an interesting metaphor: “Trying to understand your own culture merely from within it is like trying to understand what a bus is like if you’ve only ever ridden inside it. If you want the bigger picture, you need to get off that bus and examine it from the outside.” And by opening our eyes to different
cultures, we’re able to understand better how people grow up to be different from one another. We also learn to be more tolerant and respectful to the diversity of the world.
As Trinity University professor Leonardo De Valoes wrote on the school’s website: “Foreign language study is simply part of a very basic liberal education: to ‘educate’ is to lead out, to lead out of narrowness and darkness.”
高二英语概要写作中等难度题查看答案及解析
短文改错。
Recently, as the development of the Internet, there is a kind of language calling the Web Language. The other day our class had a discussion about if we should welcome the Web Language.
Forty percent of the students think it ridiculous. They argue that it does no good to help people communicate, nor is it useful for learning languages. Beside, it'll make Chinese more standard and pure, finally ruining our mother tongue. However, 69% of our class is fond of it. They think it is simple, convenient and helpful in expressing them. What's more, it may make the language more interesting.
Personally, it’s not good habit to use the Web Language. It may be popular, but you may also make yourself be misunderstood.
高二英语短文改错中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the north of Scotland there is a lake called Loch Ness. It is the biggest lake in Britain. It is over thirty kilometres long and in places nearly 300 meters deep. It is cold and dark and not many people went there until after 1930. Then a road was made around the lake. Holiday makers began to use the road, and this was when the stories began.
Someone said that he had seen a monster in the lake. He said it was twelve meters long. It had a long neck and a small head. Then someone else said he had seen it. Others said the same thing and in 1933 a London doctor took a photo. It looked like a monster with a long neck and a thick body but the photo was not dear. The newspapers printed the picture and called it the Loch Ness monster, or "Nessie".
Then the argument began. Some people, however, were certain there was something living in the lake. Others said there was nothing there.
In 1961, a lot of people joined together to make a real effort to see and photograph the monster if there was one! Several times people thought they saw something but after ten years there was still no real proof.
Later underwater television cameras were used, but no one found any real proof. However, they did find something interesting: a huge underwater cave. It was big enough to be home of a monster, but of course, this was not a proof.
In 1975, however, some American scientists formed a search group. They used an underwater camera. It took pictures every seventy seconds. Some of the pictures seemed to show a red-brown creature. Its body was about four meters long and had a very ugly head on the end of a four meter neck. Many people then began to believe in the monster. But even today we can not be certain.
1.Before 1930, ____.
A. few people went to Loch Ness Lake
B. many people had been there
C. nobody went to the lake
D. nobody knew about the lake
2.What did the monster look like?
A. It looked like a horse.
B. It was a creature with a long neck and a small head.
C. It looked beautiful.
D. It was tiny and pretty.
3.Who first took a photo of the monster?
A. An American
B. A television camera
C. A holiday-maker
D. A doctor from London
4.A search group formed by some American scientists.
A. found the monster itself
B. found a huge cave under water
C. believed that there wasn't any monster at all
D. took some pictures which seemed to show a monster
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析