Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.

I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.

1.Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?

A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated.

B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.

C. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.

D. Move an object out of the way before it trips (绊倒) someone.

2. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______.

A. keep her appointment with the eye doctor

B. meet her father who was already an old man

C. join in the holiday celebration of the company

D. finish her work before the deadline approached

3.What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Emotional Well-being.

B. The Two Saddest Words.

C. The Most Useful Rule.

D. The Peace of Mind.

根据对话内容,从对话后的选项中选出最佳选项,并将其答案标号填入题后的空白处。选项有两项为多余选项。

___1.____ Most big name companies have websites offering information on their products and online stores allowing shoppers to purchase them in the comfort of their homes.

The first things that became wide spread online were computer equipment and accessories(附件). It is still seen everywhere in our life today, but we can find much more on the internet. Some flower shops accept orders for flowers to be sent to anywhere around the globe. ___2.____ Travelers can easily search for the cheapest airplane tickets and hotel rooms.

___3.___ Office supplies, electronics, appliances, clothes, books, furniture, and jewelry are not everything there is. Factor in the auction sites like eBay, every average computer user can buy and sell virtually anything; even automotive parts from junkyards.

The advantages of shopping online include cheaper prices, fast searching and no time constraints(限制). 4. Because of the informational globalization, consumers are provided with the opportunities of getting everything they want. On the other hand, security might fail and lead to credit card frauds(诈骗). A variety of ads in our email accounts become a part of life. 5.

A. Almost every type of consumer products can be ordered online.

B. Today a large number of people like surfing the web at home.

C. Online shopping has become very convenient in recent years.

D. In addition, shopping online means more options.

E. Pizza is delivered by ordering on their web sites.

F. And atrophy(肌能萎缩) takes over because we are all sitting down.

G. And we are living a wonderful life.

I live in the land of Disney, Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive and exciting, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.

Many intelligent people still consider happiness equal to fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more lasting emotion.

Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.

I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful people have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that brings “happiness”. But in memoir after memoir, famous people expose the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun — depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and extreme loneliness.

Ask an unmarried man why he refuses to get married even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he’s honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure and excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.

Similarly, couples that choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness. They can dine out whenever they want and sleep as late as they want. Couples with babies are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children.

The way people stick to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever achieving real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness, then pain must be equal to unhappiness. As a result, they fear the pain unavoidably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment and self-improvement.

But, in fact, the opposite is true. More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain. The very efforts are the source of true happiness. Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we can ever come to.

1.According to the writer, an important role Hollywood stars have to play is to ________.

A. give audience enough fun

B. write memoirs to introduce their lives

C. show unhappiness behind fun

D. tell people what happiness is

2.In the writer’s opinion, marriage ________.

A. means the end of fun

B. leads to less sleep

C. leads to raising children

D. means responsibility

3.Many people fail to enjoy real happiness because ________.

A. they don’t have religious beliefs

B. they get married and have children

C. they believe fun is equal to happiness

D. they can’t free themselves from commitment

4.If one understands the nature of happiness, he will ________.

A. try to be a responsible person

B. enjoy life by spending all his wealth

C. stop seeking fun from daily life

D. keep himself with his family

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