Given that motivation is so central to our lives, what do we truly understand about how it operates and about its role in our lives? The assumption is that it’s driven by a positive, external (外部的)reward. Do this, get that. But the story is much more complex.

One of the most striking aspects of motivation is that it often drives us to achievements that are difficult, challenging and even painful. You may think that you would be happy to spend all your time sitting on a white-sand beach drinking and that as long as you get to fill your days this way, you would be happy forever. But while a few days of enjoyment might be fun from time to time, I can’t imagine that you would be satisfied by spending your days, weeks, months, years and even your life this way.

Research that examines the differences between meaning and happiness finds that the things which give us a sense of meaning don’t necessarily make us happy. Moreover, people who report having meaningful lives are often more interested in doing things for others, while those who focus mostly on doing things for themselves report being only superficially happy, in other words, just externally and apparently delighted. The essential quality of “meaning” has to do with having a sense of being involved in something bigger than the self.

We all know people obtain a great sense of meaning even in the most unpleasant of circumstances. Many volunteers spend portions of their lives working in dangerous, war-tom areas, tiding to keep disease and death from innocent civilians or teaching orphans to read. Their pain is real; their sense of doing something truly meaningful is substantial (丰富的).They show how our deep-rooted desire to believe that our lives have purpose beyond our lifespan drives us to work extra hard, even to the point of our own personal suffering, in order to gain more meaning.

The point is that these seemingly unusual and irrational (不合理的)motivations get us to do things that are complex, difficult and unpleasant. But they go beyond helping people in need. They motivate us in every aspect of our lives 一 whether in our personal relationships, in our individual pursuits or in the workplace.

1.What’s the main idea of the passage? (No more than 10 words)

2.Why is motivation so significant to our life? (No more than 15 words)

3.What is the meaning of the underlined word “superficially” in Paragraph 3? (No more than 1 word)

4.What can volunteers obtain working in dangerous, war-tom areas? (No more than 10 words)

5.Do you agree with the opinion that motivation is driven by a positive, external reward? Why or why not? (No more than 20 words)

In our modem world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The __ is that countries around the world have growing mountains of __ because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.

How did we __ a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to __ an object than to spend lime and money to repair it. __ modem manufacturing and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products arc plentiful and __.

Another cause is our __ of disposable products. As __ people, we are always looking for __ to save lime and make our lives easier. Companies __ thousands of different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.

Our appetite for new products also __ to the problem. We are __ buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that __ is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we __ useful possessions to make room for new ones.

All around the world, we can see the __ of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To __ the amount of rubbish and to protect the __, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. __ t this is not enough to solve our problem.

Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions __ throwing them away. We also need to rethink our attitudes about __ Repairing our possessions and changing our spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.

1.A. key B. reason C. project D. problem

2.A. gifts B. rubbish C. debt D. products

3.A. face B. become C. observe D. change

4.A. hide B. control C. replace D. withdraw

5.A. Thanks to B. As to C. Except for D. Regardless of

6.A. safe B. funny C. cheap D. powerful

7.A. love B. lack C. prevention D. division

8.A. sensitive B. kind C. brave D. busy

9.A. ways B. places C. jobs D. friends

10.A. donate B. receive C. produce D. preserve

11.A. adapts B. returns C. responds D. contributes

12.A. tired of B. addicted to C. worried about D. ashamed for

13.A. newer B. stronger C. higher D. larger

14.A. pick up B. pay for C. hold onto D. throw away

15.A. advantages B. purposes C. functions D. consequences

16.A. show B. record C. decrease D. measure

17.A. technology B. environment C. consumers D. brands

18.A. However B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. Meanwhile

19.A. by B. in favour of C. after D. instead of

20.A. spending B. collecting C. repairing D. advertising

Chinese Women’s Volleyball team stood1.the top of the Olympic podium for the third time in the history of volleyball at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Coach Lang Ping also made her own history. She has become2.first to win Olympic gold medals as a coach and player. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she and her teammates got their first Olympic medal. Since then, Chinese Women’s Volleyball team3. (think) as a flagship by all Chinese people for their fighting spirit.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chinese Women’s had a bad start. They finished fourth in the group stage, after4. (fail) in 3 consecutive games. Lang Ping, the coach, challenged her players to find ways to grow from their struggles with the world watching. Lang always believed that her players had the talent and 5.(determine) to complete in the top volleyball teams in the world.

They did make it. Chinese Women’s volleyball team exhibited the same fight a year ago 6.they played the World Cup in Japan, and then got to Rio de Janeiro and worked through women initial rough Olympic moments.

Lang Ping challenged her players to support one7.through the ups and downs, and to grow from each defeat and triumph on the pressure-packed Olympic stage. They responded, and seemed to play 8.(good) than before when the moments were critical.

Lang Ping has not just trained 9.shaped Chinese Women’s Volleyball team. What she does is more than simply arranging players, but cultivating them.

“The spirit of Chinese Women’s Volleyball team is never to give up. My duty as a coach is to instruct this young team 10. (carry) on this spirit,” said Lang.

Our success, satisfaction and general happiness in life is not dependent on what happens to us but how we deal with it.

You will probably know from personal experience what a difference your attitude can make when, for example, you,re returning faulty goods or making a complaint. An open, polite and friendly approach,expecting a satisfactory result,normally results in one as people tend to respond with a similar attitude. If, however, you present an argument with an angry, accusing tone, expecting trouble, there is little doubt that this is what you’ll get!

Some people see the world through a filter of optimism and some through a filter of pessimism (悲观) which largely comes down to having a positive or negative (消极的) attitude. People who are suffering from a negative attitude primarily think that something can’t be done; they talk about problems, see all the difficulties, find fault with and criticize other people and focus on all the things they would like but haven’t got. On the contrary, people blessed with a positive attitude think that anything is possible. They look for ways to solve the problems, they see the good in everybody,and they are grateful for all the good things in their lives.

Whether suffering from or blessed with your attitude, this is not something that is put on us from the outside. We are very much responsible for our own attitude. We all start out with a “clean” board but this can get muddied by our experiences in life. As children we are made fun of and even get bullied (欺侮) and rejected, start to experience doubt and lose our self-confidence. If this continues into adulthood, it can result in a bad attitude in later life.

1.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that people are likely to treat others __________.

A. the way they are treated

B. better when they are satisfied

C. worse when they are in trouble

D. the way they consider appropriate

2.According to the writer, what affects people’s life attitude?

A. The situation they face.

B. The people around them.

C. Their expectations of life.

D. The way they view the world.

3.What is the purpose of the writer in writing this passage?

A. To show how to avoid a negative attitude.

B. To show the importance of a positive attitude.

C. To share his positive attitude with his readers.

D. To describe the effects of a negative attitude.

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