A German study suggests that people who were too optimistic about their future actually faced greater risk of disability or death within 10 years than those pessimists who expected their future to be worse.
The paper, published this March in Psychology and Aging, examined health and welfare surveys from roughly 40,000 Germans between ages 18 and 96. The surveys were conducted every year from 1993 to 2003.
Survey respondents (受訪者) were asked to estimate their present and future life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10, among other questions.
The researchers found that young adults (age 18 to 39) routinely overestimated their future life satisfaction, while middle-aged adults (age 40 to 64) more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future. Adults of 65 and older, however, were far more likely to underestimate their future life satisfaction. Not only did they feel more satisfied than they thought they would, the older pessimists seemed to suffer a lower ratio (比率) of disability and death for the study period.
“We observed that being too optimistic in predicting a better future than actually observed was associated with a greater risk of disability and a greater risk of death within the following decade,” wrote Frieder R. Lang, a professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Lang and his colleagues believed that people who were pessimistic about their future may be more careful about their actions than people who expected a rosy future.
“Seeing a dark future may encourage positive evaluations of the actual self and may contribute to taking improved precautions (預(yù)防措施),” the authors wrote.
Surprisingly, compared with those in poor health or who had low incomes, respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline. Also, the researchers said that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability.
The authors of the study noted that there were limitations to their conclusions. Illness, medical treatment and personal loss could also have driven health outcomes.
However, the researchers said a pattern was clear. “We found that from early to late adulthood, individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic, to accurate, to pessimistic,” the authors concluded.
小題1:According to the study, who made the most accurate prediction of their future life satisfaction?
A．Optimistic adults.B．Middle-aged adults.
C．Adults in poor health.D．Adults of lower income.
小題2:Pessimism may be positive in some way because it causes people ______.
A．to fully enjoy their present life
B．to estimate their contribution accurately
C．to take measures against potential risks
D．to value health more highly than wealth
小題3:How do people of higher income see their future?
A．They will earn less money.
B．They will become pessimistic.
C．They will suffer mental illness.
D．They will have less time to enjoy life.
小題4: What is the clear conclusion of the study?
A．Pessimism guarantees chances of survival.
B．Good financial condition leads to good health.
C．Medical treatment determines health outcomes.
D．Expectations of future life satisfaction decline with age.

小題1:B
小題2:D
小題3:A
小題4:C

文章大意：議論文。通過調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)：隨著年齡的增長，對(duì)生活的期望也就下降。
小題1:根據(jù)文章中第二段第一句后半部分：while middle-aged adults (age 40 to 64) more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future. 可知。
小題2:根據(jù)文章第七段：Seeing a dark future may encourage positive evaluations of the actual self and may contribute to taking improved precautions�？芍苯拥贸�。關(guān)鍵詞：taking improved precautions。
小題3:根據(jù)文章第八段：respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline. Also, the researchers said that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability.享有良好的健康和收入的人對(duì)他們的生活的預(yù)期大大的下降。
小題4:根據(jù)文章的意思。特別是文章最后一段：We found that from early to late adulthood, individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic, to accurate, to pessimistic,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，從早期到成年后期，個(gè)人適應(yīng)其預(yù)期的未來生活滿意度從樂觀，準(zhǔn)確的說，到悲觀。可知，隨著年齡的增長，對(duì)生活的期望也就下降。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Writer Jean Stafford scoffed, “Happy  people don't need to have fun,” but studies show that the absence of feeling bad isn’t enough to make you feel good；you must try hard to find sources of feeling good. Research shows that regularly having fun is a key factor in having a happy life；people who have fun are 20 times more likely to feel happy.
Recently, I noticed a pattern among activities that people find fun：Have a mission. There’s something about having a playful purpose，of trying to achieve something that makes an activity more fun.
For example a friend told that she loved visiting flea markets（舊貨市場）and antique stores to look for old globes-not fancy ones，but cheap ones. She has a rule that she'll never pay more than＄20. She’s the kind of person who loves wandering around in those kinds of shops in any case，but having a mission makes it more fun, less aimless.
For that matter，having a collection of any sort is a very popular way to have a mission. You get satisfaction whenever you find another piece of blue sea glass on the beach or another out-of-print book by Charlotte Yonge in an old bookstore.
Taking photos is a common way to incorporate(使并入) a mission into traveling. Not only does this help keep memories vivid, it also makes you more attuned（協(xié)調(diào)一致）to your environment while traveling. For example，during my most recent visit to New Haven，I had a lot more fun wandering around once I set myself the mission of taking tourist photos of my own romance.
Why is this true? The First Splendid Truth holds that to be happier，you have to think about feeling good and feeling right，in an atmosphere of growth. The more I’ve thought about happiness，the more surprised I’ve been at the importance of the “atmosphere of growth.” I think this is a huge engine of happiness, and when you have a mission, you create an atmosphere of growth whenever you pursue that mission.
Have you found a way to have a mission? What is it and does it boost your happiness?
小題1:. According to the author, happy people____
A．don't need to have fun
B．don't have to be occupied with work
C．can have 20 times more fun than others
D．a(chǎn)re always finding sources of feeling good
小題2:. What does the underlined phrase “Having a mission" mean in paragraph 2？
A. Have fun.                               B. Join in an activity.
C. Find something interesting to do.           D: Hunting for a job.
小題3: The author explains the key factor in having a happy life by____.
A．making a comparisonB．presenting numbers
C．stating common senseD．using examples
小題4:. What will be probably the best title?
A．How to live happily
B．Where to look for fun
C．The importance of feeling good
D．Having a mission can make you happier

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (禮儀) is sort of odd (奇怪的),” Gray told the BBC. “They [elevators] are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (對(duì)角線地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the  Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed (理解) as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.
小題1:The main purpose of the article is to _____.
A．remind us to enjoy ourselves in the elevator
B．tell us some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette
C．share an interesting but awkward elevator ride
D．a(chǎn)nalyze what makes people feel awkward in an elevator
小題2:According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _____.
A．turn around and greet one another
B．look around or examine their phone
C．make eye contact with those in the elevator
D．try to keep a distance from other people
小題3:Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator?

小題4:The underlined phrase “size up” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _____.
A．judgeB．ignoreC．put up withD．make the best of
小題5:According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.
A．someone’s odd behaviors
B．the lack of space
C．their unfamiliarity with one another
D．their eye contact with one another

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

People are being lured (引誘)onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up loads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
　　Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Face book because people don't really know what their personal data is worth.
　　The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules Early on you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook you could create own little private network. Last year. The company changed its privacy rules so that many things your city. Your photo, your friends' names-were set, by default (默認(rèn))to be shared with every one on the Internet.
　　According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information They have a "less satisfying experience".
　　Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. In original business model, which involved selling ads and putting then At the side of the pages totally Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?
　　The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites."I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them," Schrage admits.
　　I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning. Which is why I'm considering deactivating(撤銷)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't trust. That's too high a price to pay.
小題1:What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A．It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.
B．It makes money by putting on advertisements.
C．It profits by selling its users' personal data.
D．It provides loads of information to its users.
小題2:What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A．They are reluctant to give up their personal information.
B．They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook.
C．They don't identify themselves when using the website.
D．They care very little about their personal information.
小題3:Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A．To render better service to its users.
B．To conform to the Federal guidelines.
C．To improve its users' connectivity.
D．To expand its scope of business.
小題4:Why does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?
A．Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.
B．Banning the sharing of users' personal information.
C．Formulating regulations for social-networking sites.
D．Removing ads from all social-networking sites.
小題5:Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
A．He is dissatisfied with its current service.
B．He finds many of its users untrustworthy.
C．He doesn't want his personal data abused.
D．He is upset by its frequent rule changes.

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their Lives．It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society．I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem．
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees．To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose． But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may softer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs．
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual．This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement．This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years．This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor．
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly．This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions．Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior daises, which can help provide a comfortable life for them．Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer．The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young．
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages．Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations．
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?
A．The problems faced by the old in society．
B．Why we should take responsibility for the old．
C．How we can improve the lives of the old．
D．Where the old can go to get their pensions．
小題2:According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire．
B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years．
C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old．
D．Make available pensions for those who have retired．
小題3:The underlined word "viable" most probably means"_       "．
A．impossibleB．practicalC．useful D．successful
小題4:What can be concluded from the passage?
A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money．
B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age．
C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people．
D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old．
小題5:What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?
A．To point out the need for government support for old people．
B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people．
C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem．
D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

How far would you be willing to go to satisfy your need to know? Far enough to find out your possibility of dying from a terrible disease? These days that’s more than an academic question, as Tracy Smith reports in our Cover Story.
There are now more than a thousand genetic tests, for everything from baldness to breast cancer, and the list is growing. Question is, do you really want to know what might eventually kill you? For instance, Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, one of the first people to map their entire genetic makeup, is said to have asked not to be told if he were at a higher risk for Alzheimer’（老年癡呆癥）.
“If I tell you that you have an increased risk of getting a terrible disease, that could weigh on your mind and make you anxious, through which you see the rest of your life as you wait for that disease to hit you. It could really mess you up.” Said Dr. Robert Green, a Harvard geneticist.
“Every ache and pain,” Smith suggested, “could be understood as the beginning of the end.” “That ’s right. If you ever worried you were at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, then every time you can’t find your car in the parking lot, you think the disease has started.”
Dr. Green has been thinking about this issue for years. He led a study of people who wanted to know if they were at a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s. It was thought that people who got bad news would, for lack of a better medical term, freak out. But Green and his team found that there was “no significant difference” between how people handled good news and possibly the worst news of their lives. In fact, most people think they can handle it. People who ask for the information usually can handle the information, good or bad, said Green.
小題1:Which of the following is true about James Watson？
A．He doesn’t want to know his chance of getting a disease.
B．He is strongly in favor of the present genetic tests.
C．He believes genetic mapping can help cure any disease.
D．He is more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
小題2:The first paragraph is meant to__________.
A．a(chǎn)sk some questionsB．satisfy readers’ curiosity
C．introduce the topicD．describe an academic fact
小題3:According to Paragraphs 3 and 4, if a person is at a higher genetic risk, it is__________.
A．necessary to remove his anxietyB．impossible to hide his disease
C．better to inform him immediatelyD．a(chǎn)dvisable not to let him know
小題4:The underlined part “freak out” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to“_________”.
A．leave offB．break downC．drop outD．turn away
小題5:The study led by Dr. Green indicates that people__________.
A．can accept some bad newsB．tend to find out the truth
C．prefer to hear good newsD．have the right to be informed

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.
The First Theft:  
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.
The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.
It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.
While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias’ apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
The Biggest Theft in the USA:
The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.
As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.
小題1: How long did it take to put back the stolen Mona Lisa in Louver ?___
A．Thirty six monthsB．Thirty months
C．Half a year D．Around two years
小題2:What does the underlined sentence, “he tried to make the best out of his stolen good” mean?
A．Chaudron wanted to sell the stolen painting.
B．Peruggia thought he didn’t need to work for Chaudon any more and wanted to market the painting.
C．Valfierno was tired of waiting.
D．Peruggia wanted to study the painting carefully.
小題3: Which case among those mentioned in the passage is still a mystery?
A．Mona Lisa case
B．Last Judgment case
C．Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum thirteen paintings case
D．none
小題4:People from the country of _____ is not involved in the passage.
A．ChinaB．FranceC．DutchD．Vantican
小題5: Which statement is WRONG according to this article?
A．Picasso was ever considered a art theft suspect.
B．Art thieves normally not work alone.
C．The first documented case of art theft was conducted by pirates.
D．The mastermind of Mona Lisa was an art faker who wanted to sell copies.
小題6: The passage is not finished, which subtitle could be the next?
A．The Economic Value of Art TheftB．The Loss to Art Lovers
C．The Most Sought After PaintingD．Boston Mob and French Art Dealers

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Chinese people are now spending more time surfing the net than watching TV, according to results of a survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) published Thursday.
The survey, of citizens of five Chinese cities, found that 79 percent of interviewees use the internet for information, and 55.1 percent to read news on the internet. About 63 percent of the interviewees use e-mail. The average times spent surfing the net and watching TV were 2.73 hours and 1.29hours, respectively.
Only 10.4 percent reported use the internet primarily to send and receive email; 65.9 percent read online news; 62.2 quite often play games on-line. More and more people have taken an interest in the entertainment opportunities online. Up to 56.5 percent of interviewees quite often download music, and 53.5 percent get entertainment messages from the internet.
Yet the survey found that television is still the dominant mass medium. Seventy-nine percent of interviewees choose to watch TV to get information, and another 75 percent take newspapers as important as TV.
Five major web sites in the Chinese language, namely Sina, Sohu, Netease, Baidu and Yahoo are still ranked top ones by web users, and those that voted for Sina as the best among them were 30.9 percent.
Authorized statistics showed that web users in China have already exceeded 100 million, second to that of the United States.
小題1:Which of the following is not true?
A．Chinese people are now spending more time surfing the net than watching TV.
B．There are more Chinese people using the internet for information compared with those reading news on the internet.
C．There are more people using e-mail compared with those searching information on the internet.
D．There are more people using e-mail compared with those reading news on the internet.
小題2:The survey shows that     .
A．Only 10.4% reported use the internet to send and receive email.
B．Less than half of the people use the internet for enter fain-ment.
C．All of the people reported like to play games on-line.
D．Most of the people reported read online news.
小題3:Which will you choose if you want to chat with your friends on the internet?
A．TVB．SinaC．telephoneD．QQ
小題4:The underlined word “exceeded” means        .
A．increased to B．increased byC．risenD．decreased

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If you watch British television on Friday March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry, they’re not mad, it’s all part of a biennial fund-raising event called Red Nose Day.
Organized by the charity Comic Relief, founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa.
Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows broadcast by the BBC. This year, for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
But Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops.
These small, inconspicuous shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop. But there’s one big difference—it’s all secondhand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don’t want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. Most items go back on sale at a small part of their original price and the money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound off-putting, but for shoppers who have less spending money, such as the elderly or those in low-paying jobs, it has been a welcome option for years.
Now, “thrifting”—shopping at charity shops— is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion.
“I love shopping at thrift stores. You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn’t bother me that other people may have worn them, I simply wash them before I wear them,” said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old Internet user from the US, in a comment on a Yahoo forum.
So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge that your money helped a good cause.
小題1:What do famous people in Britain do in support of the Red Nose Day event?
A．Appear on comic TV shows.
B．Donate large sums of money.
C．Donate expensive clothes to charity shops.
D．Play in a music video with the Prime Minister.
小題2:What do we learn from the passage about Comic Relief?
A．It was founded in 1985 by two British comedians in Africa.
B．It organizes the Red Nose Day fund-raising event.
C．It runs nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK.
D．It is financially supported by the UK government.
小題3:One reason for the popularity of the thrift shops is that __________.
A．they sell a wide variety of goods
B．their business model is simple
C．their goods are carefully checked, cleaned and priced
D．they provide things, sometimes special, at low prices
小題4:The passage is written mainly to __________.
A．inspire more people to join in charitable causes in the UK
B．introduce the traditions of the Red Nose Day
C．a(chǎn)nalyze why charity shops are popular in the UK
D．explain how charity shops work in the UK

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