Do a country 's people get happier as it gets...

Do a country 's people get happier as it gets richer? Most governments seem to believe so, given their continuous focus on increasing GDP year by year. Reliable, long-term evidence linking wealth and happiness is, however, lacking. And measuring well-being is itself filled with problems, since it often relies on surveys that ask participants to assess their own levels of happiness subjectively.

Daniel Sgroi of the University of Warwick and Eugenio Proto of the University of Glasgow, both in Britain, think, nevertheless, that they have an answer.

By examining millions of books and newspaper articles published since 1820 in four countries (America, Britain, Germany and Italy), they have developed what they hope is an objective measure of each place’s historical happiness. And their answer is that wealth does bring happiness, but some other things bring more of it.

In Britain, for example, happiness fell sharply during the two world wars. It began to rise again after 1945, peaked in 1950, and then fell gradually, including through the so-called Swinging Sixties, until it reached a nadir around 1980.

America’s national happiness, too, fell during the world wars. It also fell in the 1860s, during and after the country 's civil war. The lowest point of all came in 1975, at the end of a long decline during the Vietnam war, with the fall of Saigon and America’s humiliating defeat.

Overall, then, Dr Sgroi and Dr Proto found that happiness does vary with GDP. But the effect of health and life expectancy is larger, even when the tendency of wealth to improve health is taken into account.

A one — year increase in longevity, for example, has the same effect on national happiness as a 4.3% increase in GDP. And, as the grand historical sweep suggests, it is warfare that causes the biggest drops in happiness.

On average it takes a 30% increase in GDP to raise happiness by the amount that a year of war causes it to fall. The upshot appears to be that, while increasing national income is important to happiness, it is not as important as ensuring the population is healthy and avoiding conflict.

1.According to the passage, why do most governments continuously focus on increasing GDP year by year?

A.To increase its people 's wealth.

B.To strengthen its people 's health.

C.To improve its people 's happiness.

D.TO improve its overall national strength.

2.What do Daniel and Eugenio probably agree?

A.Warfare has no effect on happiness.

B.Happiness has nothing to do with GDP.

C.GDP is the most important factor in improving people 's happiness.

D.Health and life expectancy bring more happiness than GDP does.

3.From the passage we can know that ________.

A.Happiness rose to the top in Britain around 1980.

B.America’s national happiness fell to the bottom in 1975.

C.A one — year increase in longevity has the same effect as GDP on happiness.

D.The fall of happiness caused by war takes a 30% increase in GDP to raise.

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A.What on earth can bring people 's happiness?

B.Why wealth can 't bring people 's happiness?

C.What effect can war have on people 's happiness?

D.Why health can bring happiness to people?

高一英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Which comes first,happiness or money?Are richer people happier?And if so,how do people get much richer?A recent study could tell you the answer.

The study looked into thousands of teenagers and found that those who felt better about life as young adults tended to have higher incomes by the time they turned 29.Those who were happiest earned an average of $8,000 more than those who were the most depressed.

The researchers,from University College London and the University of Warwick,say that very gloomy teens,no matter how tall or smart they were,earned 10% less than their peers,while the happier ones earned up to 30% more.

Happier teenagers have an easier time getting through school,college and a job interview,chiefly because they always feel better about life.It may also be true that happier people find it easier to make friends,who are often the key to homework help or networking.

A report in June suggested that professional respect was more important than dollars in terms of workplace happiness.In August scientists announced that they had found the gene for happiness in women,Alas (the same gene doesn't appear to have the same effect on men).And in October researchers in the UK and in the US announced that people who eat seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day report being the happiest.

The big question is: if it really is true that happier kids end up being wealthier kids,is it necessary for parents to get their kids to do the homework?The fact is that no homework will make kids happy but surely hurt their grades. Studies do show,after all,that more education leads to better-paid jobs,which may give us a deep thought.

"These findings show that the teenagers’ happiness is important to their future success,"one of the report's authors writes."But what is the most important is that we should find a way to help children gain more satisfaction from doing schoolwork."

1.What conclusion can the researchers draw from the recent study?

A. Happy teenagers grow up to be wealthier.

B. Money can make people become happier.

C. Wealth has nothing to do with happiness at all.

D. Schoolwork can help teens achieve success.

2.The main reason why happier people have more chances to succeed is that_____.

A. they are easy to communicate with others

B. they are good at doing their schoolwork

C. they are hopeful and optimistic about their life

D. they eat much more fruit and vegetables a day

3.The underlined word “gloomy” in Paragraph 3 probably means “______”.

A. upset　　 B. glorious

C. happy　　 D. wealthy

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. The way to educate kids.　　 B. The source of happiness.

C. How to achieve your goal.　　 D. The secret of being wealthier.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Every year, as Spring Festival draws near, most Chinese people will get excited to make preparation for the most important festival and make plan for the winter break. It is a little like Christmas in the United States, but there are some differences between the two festivals.

Both the major Chinese and the major Western holidays come during the cold season, and special food is expected. In western countries, cookies and cakes begin just after Thanksgiving in November and show up everywhere. Turkey, potatoes and other food come later. Similar thing happens in China. Entering lunar December, most families will make shopping plans for the coming big day and food is certainly one of the most important things to be considered. At the end of the month, both parents in each family will be very busy---the father is busy buying food while the mother is busy cooking.

A deeper similarity (相似处) is tradition. Christmas, as the letters “Christ” suggests, began as a holiday to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. Many people pray (祈祷) on this day. In China, people living in cities or towns, though they don’t plan to sow seeds（播种） this month, still celebrate on the big day for farmers.

Followers of both holidays are also different from each other. While Chinese people travel to the homes of elder relatives, Americans usually call or send cards. Westerners prefer Christmas carols to fireworks. In Christmas, many family gifts come together instead of one by one, since adults may have only one day free to celebrate.

But the most curious difference is about students. Chinese students going home for Spring Festival sometimes report that they get bored by the end of vacation, yet American students seldom get bored around Christmas and western New Year.

Not everyone enjoys classic holiday traditions. Students in western countries may get upset, as too much homework, travel or bad family relations may destroy the short holiday season. In China, more and more college students choose to travel or work during the winter holiday instead of going home to stay with their families. It’s against the tradition but many people accept it.

1.What does “the coming big day” (Paragraph 2) refer to?

A．Christmas                             B．Thanksgiving Day

C．the New Year’s Day                     D．the Spring Festival

2.The second and the third paragraphs mainly talk about ________.

A．the similarities between Christmas and the Spring Festival

B．the differences between Christmas and the Spring Festival

C．the preparations for Christmas and the Spring Festival

D．the history of Christmas and the Spring Festival

3.What does the writer mainly want to tell us in this passage?

A．Food in different festivals.

B．Differences between two festivals.

C．Festivals in China and western countries.

D．Traditional celebrations in different countries.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Most people know how difficult it is to get along with others. 1.If one doesn’t get along with himself, how could he be expected to get along with others?

Getting along with self is the most important point in getting along with others in this world. So first and foremost you must learn truly to appreciate and love yourself. 2.Some people live in the worst situations but are wonderful in their ability to get along with themselves. Others have every chance in the world, but they cannot get along with themselves. 3.You must not wait for your situations to change. If you wait for that, you will never make any progress. There is no excuse that you cannot correct yourself because of any other conditions.4.If you want to meditate(冥想), you will find a way to meditate in spite of your surroundings. If you want to study to improve your English, you will do so regardless of (不管)outer conditions.

5.So you are the only one who knows whether you can get along with yourself. That is why it is up to you to struggle every day to find out whether you are at peace with yourself. When you learn to get along with yourself, you will know how to get along with everybody.

A. They are constantly at war with themselves.

B. You hide yourself very cleverly from others.

C. We should learn to show concern for others.

D. You can tell yourself you’re all right in spite of your environment.

E. Children should be taught how to get along with others.

F. But I do not mean love for your selfishness or self-interest.

G. But have you ever given thought to getting along with yourself?

高一英语任务型阅读中等难度题查看答案及解析

High school students are some of the busiest people in the world. To get the most from all you do, you must be in control of your time. Otherwise decision that affect how well you play the game, what position you play and when you get to play will be decided for you. Your success in high school depends on your use of time. Here are some important things to remember.

·Begin each term by filling in a master plan. First fill in things you must do (classes, work, practice, etc. that you can’t change.) Then find the most effective use for these times.

·Set a regular time and place for study. This will save your time in the long run. If you have a study hall in your school, use it!

·Use daylight hours to study whenever possible. For most people for every hour of study done in daylight hours, it will take them one and a half hours to do the same task at night.

·Take breaks. Don’t plan marathon study time. Have a short rest before you study again.

·By using flash cards or summary sheets, you can use odd times to study while you’re waiting for class to start or for a friend to pick you up.

·If possible, plan study time with a partner. Choose your partner wisely however. Make sure you study, not socialize.

·Do the most difficult tasks for times when you are active. (For example, when you’re energetic, it will become easier to solve maths questions; when you’re tired, it will be impossible!)

·Make a daily checklist. Do the most important tasks first.

1.According to the passage, your success in high school mainly lies in _________.

2.We should use daylight hours to study whenever possible because __________.

3. On how to use our time, we should follow the following suggestions EXCEPT _______.

高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The Last Robot-Proof Job in America?

You can get most food, such as warm cookies or vodka, to your doorstep in minutes. But try getting a red snapper (红鲷鱼). Until recently, if you could obtain it, it would likely have been pre-frozen and shipped in from overseas.

A new tech startup is aiming to ____________this situation. Based inside the Fulton Fish Market, a seafood wholesale market, the startup, called FultonFishMarket.com, allows customers across the whole country, both restaurants and individuals, to buy from the market. The fish is shipped ____________, rather than frozen, thanks to an Amazon advanced logistics system. Mike Spindler, the company’s C.E.O., said recently, “I can get a fish to Warren Buffett, that’s as fresh as if he’d walked down to the pier (码头) and bought it that morning.”

There is one thing, ____________, that the sophisticated logistics system cannot do: pick out a fish. If Warren Buffett orders a red snapper, the company needs to ____________ that his fish is actually red snapper, and not some other. According to the ocean-conservation organization, more than 20% of the seafood in restaurants and grocery stores in America is ___________. For this task, the company has employed Robert DiGregorio, a forty-seven-year veteran of the business, who possesses a blend of judgement and ___________ knowledge that, so far, computers have yet to replicate.

“___________ the food-safety stuff, our business could be any market from the last three thousand years of human history,” Spindler told me. He is experienced in the ___________ business. When he arrived at the fish market in 2014, people were cautious. “They thought selling fish on the Internet was___________.” DiGregorio said, speaking for the fishmongers(鱼贩). “They didn’t see how it could possibly work.” Five years ago, DeGregorio didn’t know how to use a computer, but when the Web-site people arrived at the market, he sensed an opportunity. Together, they’ve created a human-machine fish-buying operation.

By 1 a.m. each night, the company collects __________ from around the country and sends them to DiGregorio. He heads into the market, carrying his tablet computer. The company’s algorithms（算法） ___________ data on their sources and can tell DiGregorio, for example, which stall to go to get the best tuna (金枪鱼). The computer is a “learning system,”, so if DiGregorio makes a choice it didn’t ___________, it asks, “Was the fish not available? Was it damaged?” All that information is fed back in for next time.

Then, what can a fishmonger see that a computer can’t? DeGregorio showed me his part of the ___________ process. “I’m assessing a few things,” he said. First, ___________. Fish should have “nice” slime(粘液). Then, smell. He sniffed the air above the box. “when fish goes bad, it smells like ammonia.” Besides, to get the best stuff, “Fishmongers have to have a relationship with you. To trust you.” He added.

Is he ever __________being replaced by the learning system of computers? DiGregorio shrugged. “By the time they invent a computer that can do what I can do,” he said, “I’ll be dead.”

1.A.maintain B.remedy C.substitute D.recognize

2.A.free B.overseas C.separate D.fresh

3.A.therefore B.otherwise C.however D.thus

4.A.ensure B.propose C.concede D.remind

5.A.overpriced B.misidentified C.displaced D.modified

6.A.computer B.cuisine C.fish D.marketing

7.A.Rather than B.Thanks to C.Except for D.Prior to

8.A.fund-raising B.online-grocery C.fish-selling D.non-profit

9.A.significant B.worthy C.responsible D.ridiculous

10.A.sales B.orders C.alternatives D.statistics

11.A.analyze B.supply C.prioritize D.feed

12.A.require B.process C.predict D.value

13.A.calculation B.decoding C.correction D.selection

14.A.smash B.touch C.wipe D.roll

15.A.concerned about B.eager for C.delighted with D.capable of

高一英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析

—What do you think of Chinese today?

—Quite popular. It 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 communicating with other countries.

A．gets along well with

B．is based on

C．takes a note of

D．plays an important part in

高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

- You’ve just come back from Sydney. 　　　　　 ？

- It’s a beautiful country.

A．How did you get there

B．Do you like the country

C．How do you find Australia

D．Do you like swimming there

高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

—You’ve just come back from Sydney. _____?

—It’s a beautiful country.

A．How did you get there                   B．Do you like the country

C．How do you find Australia                 D．How have you been

高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Most people think that the older you get, the harder it is to learn a new language. That is, they believe that children learn more easily and efficiently than adults. Thus, at some point in our lives, maybe around age 12 or 13, we lose the ability to learn languages well. Is this idea a fact or myth(悬念)？

Is it true that children learn a foreign language more efficiently than adults? On the contrary, research studies suggest that the opposite may be true. One report, on 2,000 Danish children studying Swedish, concluded that the teenagers learned more, in less time, than the younger children. Another report, on Americans learning Russian, showed a direct improvement of ability over the age range tested; that is, the ability to learn increased as the age increased, from childhood to adulthood.

There are several possible explanations for these findings. For one thing, adults know more about the world and therefore are able to understand meanings more easily than children. Moreover, adults can use logical(逻辑的) thinking to help themselves see patterns in the language. Finally, adults have more self-discipline (self-control) than children.

All in all, it seems that the common idea that children are better language learners than adults may not be a fact, but a myth.

1.The main idea of the passage is ____.

A．teenagers are more difficult to teach

B．Danish teenagers can learn Swedish faster than younger children

C．adults are more logical than children

D．the ability to learn languages increases with age

2.According to the passage, teenagers can learn a foreign language _____ than younger children.

A．harder                               B．more efficiently

C．more slowly                           D．more carefully

3.Which of the following possible explanations for older student’s better achievement is not mentioned in the above passage?

A．Adults know more about the world.         B．Adults can use logical thinking

C．Adults have more self-discipline.            D．Adults can read better.

高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析