Most people agree that it’s important to have a sense of humour. Having the abil

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Most people agree that it’s important to have a sense of humour. Having the ability to laugh can help one overcome anxiety, and make better decisions in difficult situations. People with a well-developed sense of humour appear to be happier, and some are healthier as well. This suggests that having a sense of humour is good for you. Humourless people may find themselves being treated as a fool, and become anxious and upset.
A sense of humour also plays an important role in human relationships. However, not everyone has a sense of humour. People with developmental disabilities (发展性能力丧失) can sometimes have no sense of humour, or have a very strange one.
A number of factors affect a person’s sense of humour, with the age probably being the main one. Young children are often highly amused by simple jokes or shows, while teenagers prefer to enjoy the ironic (讽刺的) events. Educational level, culture, and religious faith also affect one’s sense of humour. While Christians, for example, may have a deep appreciation of jokes about the Bible, others may find them disrespectful.
Many people believe that a sense of humour is something that develops on its own, and that you cannot teach someone to understand why jokes, certain comments, situations or events are funny. However, things can be done to enhance one’s sense of humour. Children, for example, benefit from being told jokes and encouraged to laugh, although some children’s jokes might seem rather strange to adults. If you have children, try to encourage them to tell jokes and think about what makes things funny. And it will help them develop a sense of humour.
小题1:The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A．explain what influences a person’s sense of humour

B．tell readers the importance of being healthy

C．explain how to make better decisions

D．tell readers how to understand jokes

小题2:What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 "enhance" probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Reduce.

C．Improve.

D．Prevent.

小题3:According to the passage, which of the following doesn’t influence one’s sense of humour?

A．Culture.	B．Age.
C．Educational level.	D．Family backgrounds.

答案

小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:D

解析

本文讲述了幽默的重要性以及什么影响了一个人的幽默。
小题1:细节题。根据文章结构以及第三段A number of factors affect a person’s sense of humour,可知答案为A.
小题2:猜词题。根据下文所说的鼓励孩子们笑，可知可以做些事情来增强幽默感。故答案为improve。
小题3:概括题。文中讲到了年龄、文化、受教育程度，但没有讲到家庭背景。

举一反三

Can feeling of nostalgia (怀旧) be good for you? or is it unhealthy to have a strong love for the past?
For years, medical experts have studied nostalgia and the reasons for it. Many experts warn that too much nostalgia is harmful. They say linger (徘徊) in the past shows that a person is unhappy with his present life. These feelings keep the person from living his life to its fullest.
Dr. Louise Kaplan has written several books about nostalgia. She says these feelings often begin when a young person is between 13 and 19 years old.
"This is the time when you must face the loss of your childhood, " Kaplan says. "You see your new life is easily destroyed. But you think romantically about a golden
past. You remember your childhood as a time when life was perfect."
These feelings continue as a person gets older, Kaplan adds. She says many grown persons have a hard time keeping up with changes in the modem world, so they think back to their younger years. At that time the world seemed simple and more harmless.
Kaplan says these feelings are not always actually existing. The good old days weren"t always good. However, she says nostalgia can be helpful, if used properly.
"Feelings of nostalgia can cause you to remember a time when you had high hopes and dreams, " Kaplan says. "It might give you the strong wish to catch those dreams today, in your present life." She adds that nostalgia can prevent you from "cutting yourself off from your aim."
"At its best, " Kaplan says, "nostalgia has the ideas for the future."
小题1:According to the passage, feelings of nostalgia _____.

A．can cause you to think of your past which was full of hopes and dreams

B．can make you succeed in life

C．fill one with hopes for the future

D．bring about a love for the past and a hope for the future

小题2:The reason for grown persons to think back to their past is that _____.

A．they can hardly keep up with changes in today"s world

B．times are hard, so they can not keep up with changes

C．many grown persons have little time keeping up with changes in the modem world

D．they lived in the past, of which they are always proud

小题3:Which of the following is not talked about in the passage?

A．Too much nostalgia is harmful.

B．Nostalgia shows that a person is not satisfied with his present life.

C．Only women have feelings of nostalgia.

D．A little nostalgia can make a person"s life more colorful.

小题4:According to Kaplan"s idea, _____.

A．nostalgia is sure to be harmful

B．nostalgia can be helpful

C．nostalgia is always very good

D．nostalgia is bad indeed

小题5:We may also use _____ as the topic of the article.

A．Thoughts on Nostalgia

B．The reasons for Nostalgia

C．Why Do They Think Back to the Past

D．Nostalgia, Good or Bad

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What’s delicious to eat and comes in a variety of colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg．It can be steamed, fried, and baked．It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables．
Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century BC．Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia．Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe．At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today．Instead, it’s like a white egg．Due to this egg - like appearance, eggplant got its name．In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple.” This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one" s health．People actually thought eggplant could cause madness and cancer．
Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn"t cause insanity or cancer．In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer．In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable．Since it"s high in fibre, eggplant can improve digestion．
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today．Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow - white．And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber．Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious．
Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival．The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes．There is plenty more to do and see, though．Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children"s activities all “egg – cite” festival - goers．Most people at the festival would agree—eggplant is an “egg—cellent” vegetable．
小题1:Eggplant got its name because of its _____．

A．appearance

B．taste

C．color

D．value

小题2:Which of the following does NOT belong to the qualities of eggplant?

A．It can be cooked in various ways．

B．It is easy to digest．

C．It can prevent cancer．

D．It is valuable and priceless．

小题3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Eggplant can be eaten to cure cancer

B．Eggplant used to taste bitter．

C．India produce the most eggplant in the world today．

D．Eggplant has a history of nearly 1,000 years．

小题4:Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to_____．

A．see arts and crafts

B．enjoy food with eggplants

C．take part in recipe contests

D．promote eggplant

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Now, we know that if we do not get enough vitamins, we are at risk of developing a number of diseases. As a result, vitamin supplements（补品），though expensive, are popular with people who worry that they are not getting enough vitamins from the foods they eat. But contrary to what many people think, medical experts have found little evidence that most supplements do anything to improve health or protect against disease.
In fact, medical experts warn that taking too many of some vitamins can be harmful. For example, too much vitamin E can cause bleeding. People should discuss what vitamins they take with their doctors, as some vitamins can produce harmful side effects when mixed with medicines.
Experts, however, do say that sometimes vitamins can help prevent disease. People who know they lack a particular vitamin should take vitamin supplements. Some older adults, for example, may not have enough vitamin B-twelve. This is because, as people get older, their body loses its ability to take it from foods. Also, people who spend much time inside may need some extra vitamin D as the skin makes this vitamin from sunlight.
Different vitamins are found in different foods. Vitamin A is found in fish liver oil. It also is in the yellow part of eggs. Sweet potatoes, carrots and other darkly colored fruits and vegetables contain substances that the body can change into vitamin A. Vitamin B-twelve is found in green leafy vegetables and other foods, like fruits. Vitamin K can be found in pork products.
In fact, for most people, a balanced diet can ensure enough of the vitamins our bodies need. So, it is important for us to eat a mixture of foods every day to ensure that we get enough vitamins our bodies need.
小题1:Vitamin supplements are popular with people because ________.

A．people mistakenly think that they are good for their health

B．they contain more vitamins than the foods people eat

C．food does not provide enough vitamins people need

D．people fear that a lack of vitamins will lead to disease

小题2:From the passage, we can learn that medical experts advise people _________.

A．never to take any vitamin supplements

B．to depend only on food for their vitamins

C．not to take any vitamins together with medicines

D．to consult doctors before taking vitamin supplements

小题3:For people who lack Vitamin B-twelve, they can eat more from _______.
A. sweet potatoes B. pork products C. green leafy vegetables D. eggs
42. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Getting enough vitamins through a balanced diet.
B. Vitamin supplements do harm to our health.
C. Vitamins are important to our health.
D. Lacking vitamins can cause many diseases.

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Welcome every morning with a smile. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.
Starting the day right can give good momentum (动力) for the rest of the day. Having a power morning is a key factor for a fruitful day. Here are some tips on getting the most out of the morning.
Wake up early. In theory, there’s no difference in waking up early or late as long as you get the proper amount of sleep. However, there is a psychological advantage when you wake up earlier than the average person and then you’ll have more time to do preparation before engaging in the real world.
Exercise. Good health is always a benefit with exercise, but studies have also shown that morning exercise helps you to sleep better at nights.
Eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, we should choose three from the following four: fruits and vegetables, grains, dairy, and protein. Did you know that you can actually gain weight when you skip breakfast?
Take a shower. When you shower, do you do it in the morning or at night? I used to shower in the evenings, but I found that morning showers helped me to be more alert.
Prioritize (优先) your To-Do list. Leo coined the acronym MIT to mean “most important tasks.” Our to-do list might be never ending, but put on top of the list a couple of urgent tasks that will define the day to be a successful one.
Check your emails. Only once. Getting a lot of emails can be very distractive. You actually are more productive when you check them only a few times at fixed time of the day. I only do them 2-3 times a day—once in the morning, once at lunch, and one more as it gets toward the end of the day.
小题1:The purpose for the author to write this passage is to .

A．tell you to get up early every day

B．offer you the best way to start the day

C．give you advice about how to arrange a day

D．advise you to prioritize your to-do list every morning

小题2:If you don’t have breakfast, you may .

A．lose weight.	B．be productive.
C．put on weight.	D．be more alert.

小题3:The underlined word “coined” in Paragraph 6 means .

A．invented

B．designed

C．founded

D．defined

小题4:The author advises you to check your emails only once because .

A．the emails are not important

B．reading e-mails is distractive

C．you can only read e-mails at fixed time

D．getting so many emails can distract your attention

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It seems school children all over the world complain about their school food. Cherie Blair, the wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, said that she would prepare a packed lunch for her son if school dinners do not improve. So what do students of your age eat for lunch at school?
Japan
High schools have canteens(餐厅), which serve everything from noodles to rice, but not burgers and chips. Other children bring food from home such as cold rice balls, meat or fish, pickles(泡菜) and vegetables.
Students take home a menu for the coming month containing notes on nutrition value. Twice a year parents are invited to have a taste of the food. The class with the fewest leftovers(剩饭) at the end of the month receives a prize.
Untied States
A typical menu from a US school is made up of a hamburger with fried potatoes or roast chicken, lettuce and pickles, fruit and cookies. School lunches must also provide at least one-third of the daily dietary allowances(定量) of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.
Australia
Meat pies, sausage rolls and hotdogs are all traditional dishes in Australian school shops. But as the nation pays more attention to children’s health, healthier foods have started to find their way onto school menus.
Many schools have used a traffic light system. The sale of red-labelled foods, including pastries(点心), chocolate and soft drinks, is served only twice a week. Healthier green-labelled foods such as sushi(寿司), sandwiches, corn and watermelon, however, are available every day.
In some schools, students have a choice of up to 89 foods to choose from, including popcorn and rice.
South Africa
Most of South Africa’s schools do not serve meals at all. Classes end at 1:30pm and students get their own lunches. Many students bring food from home, usually sandwiches.
Fast food and fried food sell the best among students, which has led to a rise in obesity among children. But as more people began to realize the fact that being too fat may cause different diseases, some schools in towns have led the way towards better nutrition. Now students at these schools are provided with lunches of porridge(麦片粥) with vegetables, such as cabbages, onions, beans, carrots and tomatoes.
小题1:What does the underlined word “obesity ”in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Fighting.

B．Sadness.

C．Food shortage.

D．Overweight.

小题2:We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．a typical menu from a US school consists of enough nutrition.

B．most students in South Africa eat their lunch at home.

C．many schools in Australia have traffic lights outside their school.

D．you can have whatever you like in school canteens in Japan.

小题3:What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Schools should try to satisfy the needs of students.

B．Schools serve different foods from country to country.

C．Food served in the US is the best of all.

D．School children all over the world dislike their school food.

小题4:The article is meant for ________.

A．school lunch suppliers	B．schoolmasters
C．students of your age	D．nutritionists(营养学家)

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