题干

   Ask most people anywhere in the world what they want out of life and the reply will probably be“to be happy”. Ed Deiner,an American psychology professor,has spent his whole life studying what makes people happy,comparing levels of happiness between cultures and trying to find out exactly why we enjoy ourselves.

Many people would say that this question does not need an answer. But Professor Deiner has one anyway. “If you’re a cheerful,happy person,your marriage is more likely to last,and you’re more likely to make money and be successful in your job. On average,happy people have stronger immune systems(免疫系统),and there is some evidence that they live longer. ”

So who are the world’s happiest people?It depends on how the word is defined. There is individual(个人的)happiness,the sense of joy we get when we do something we like. But there is also the feeling of satisfaction we get when we know that others respect us and approve of how we behave. According to Professor Deiner,the Western world pursues individual happiness while Asia prefers mutual satisfaction.

“In the West,the individualistic culture means that your mood matters much more than it does in the East. People ask themselves if they are doing what is fun or interesting. They become unhappy when they can’t do any of these things. If you ask people from Japan or China whether they are happy,they tend to look at what has gone wrong in their lives. If not much has gone wrong,then they are satisfied. ”

“People from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries have the happiest culture,”Professor Deiner found. “The biggest cultural difference is to do with pride and shame. Hispanic cultures report much more pride and much less shame than others. ”

Income(收入)also makes a big difference to people’s happiness,but only at the lowest levels. Average income earners in the US are much happier than people in poverty. But millionaires are only a little bit happier than people on average incomes. It seems that money makes us happy when we have enough to feel safe.

【小题1】According to the passage, happy people enjoy the following except _______.
A.a long marriageB.career success
C.better healthD.respect from others
【小题2】What can be inferred from the fifth paragraph?
A.Hispanic cultures put stress on pride and shame.
B.Spanish people take too much pride in themselves.
C.Opinions towards pride and shame decide Spanish happiness.
D.If you are from Spain,you are the happiest.
【小题3】In the last paragraph,what does the writer want to tell us?
A.Poor people enjoy the same happiness as millionaires.
B.The higher income one gets,the happier life he lives.
C.Enough money can make us feel safe and happy.
D.Average income earners live the happiest life.
【小题4】What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.Cultural differences in happiness.
B.Reasons for happiness.
C.The happiest culture.
D.People’s opinions of happiness.
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同类题1

The Brown Bear

My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.

Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, "Dad! The bear is right behind us!" An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back — the sign (迹象) of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.

I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.

Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.

The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.

Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five or six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back towards the forest, before returning for another attack — the first time I felt panic.

Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I'm proud that my family remained clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.

【小题1】The brown bear approached the family in order to   _______.
A.catch shore birdsB.start an attack
C.protect the childrenD.set up a barrier for itself
【小题2】The bear finally went away after it   _______.
A.felt safeB.got injured
C.found some foodD.took away the camera
【小题3】The writer and his family survived mainly due to their_______   .
A.prideB.patience
C.calmnessD.cautiousness

同类题4

Twelve years ago, Danny called me from a dark, damp subway station. “A baby!” he shouted. “Get down here, and flag down a police car or something.” By nature, Danny is a remarkably calm person, so when I felt his heart pounding through the phone line, I ran.
When I got to the subway station, Danny was holding a light-brown-skinned baby, about a day old. The baby had been wrapped in an oversize black sweatshirt and left on the ground in a corner behind the gate.
Three months later, Danny appeared in family court to give an account of finding the baby. Suddenly, the judge asked, “Would you be interested in adopting this baby?” The question stunned everyone in the courtroom, except Danny, who answered, simply, “Yes.”
“But I know it’s not that easy,” he said.
“Well, it can be,” assured the judge before barking out orders to allow me to be a parent-to-be.
My first reaction, when I heard, went something like: “Are you crazy? How could you say yes without consulting me?”
In three years as a couple, we had never discussed adopting a child. I was an ambitious playwright working as a part-time word processor. Danny was a respected yet wildly underpaid social worker. We had a roommate, who slept in our living room, to help pay the rent.
We knew how many challenges couples usually faced when they wanted to adopt. And while Danny had patience and selflessness, I didn’t know how to change a diaper(尿布), let alone nurse a child. I didn’t trust the system and was sure there would be obstacles. Also, I couldn’t handle parenthood. So I promised myself I wouldn’t get attached.
The caretaker held him and then placed him in my arms. But when the baby stared up at me, with all the innocence and hope he represented, I, like Danny, was completely hooked.
【小题1】Why did the author rush to the subway station?
A.Because Danny finally found their long lost son.
B.Because she sensed Danny met something urgent.
C.Because Danny was knocked down by a police car.
D.Because Danny wasn’t a remarkably calm person by nature.
【小题2】How did the author react on hearing Danny’s answer to the judge’s question?
A.Surprised by the question.
B.Crazy to be a parent-to-be.
C.Annoyed at Danny’s decision.
D.Interested in adopting this baby.
【小题3】It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_________.
A.the author will adopt the baby
B.the caretaker will take the baby away
C.the couple love each other very much
D.the baby will bring hope to the family
【小题4】What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To introduce a story of a poor family.
B.To inform people of how to adopt a baby.
C.To call on people to donate money to them.
D.To show human’s kindness and love by nature.