He ________ us handsomely with a lot of money for helping him.

A. rewarded               B. awarded                           C. prized                      D. offered

There exist cruel wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, so it’s not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us go through difficult times in our lives. Putting a smile on someone’s face when you know they are feeling depressed, as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.

How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your corner store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don’t know the person I’m joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is a common manner to speak to others that are around you.

I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face. They don’t get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?

Laughing is essential to keep your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to avoid the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. Therefore, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.

1.According to the author, humor is useful in the aspect that ____________.

A．it can pick up people’s spirits

B．it can help people get on well with others

C．it can help get rid of the cruelty in the world

D．it makes people more confident

2.The author answers the question in the second paragraph with ___________.

A．facts and descriptions                    B．evidence and argument

C．examples and conclusion                 D．stories and persuasion

3.The underlined phrase “busting a gut” in the 3rd paragraph can be replaced  by        .

A．keeping silent                          B．speaking loud

C．laughing hard                          D．explaining carefully

4.In writing the passage, the author mainly intends to __________.

A．talk about his own understanding of humor

B．encourage people to be humorous in daily life

C．introduce a practical way to get through daily life

D．convince people of the power of being optimistic about life

5.What is the author’s attitude towards the present world?

A．Indifferent        B．Positive           C．Satisfied          D．Critical

Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
—Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road?  To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear (灰熊) and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Ecopassages ” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders (火蜥蜴) and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!
【小题1】The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that _______.

Say you meet with difficulty, what’s the first thing you do? Call your best friend and ask for help? It turns out that doing this may be better for you than you think. Researchers find that friendship has a big influence on your health, well-being and business.
One study from scientists recently found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22% less likely to die during a 10-year period than those with fewer friends. Other researchers discovered that having a strong social network could improve brain health as we age.
Even more interesting, feeling close to your friends may give you a different view on things. Researchers gathered 34 college students out side and asked them to estimate the steepness(估计陡峭程度) of a hill after climbing it. Those standing with friends gave lower estimates, and the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.
What is the reason that friends can make obstacles seem less difficult? “People with stronger friendship networks feel that there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen A. Roberto, director of the center of the hospital at Virginia Tech. “Friendship is a valued resource (宝贵的资源).”
It is truly the fact. Friends make your life better. They provide support in hard times. They inspire you to make changes in your life, encourage you to set goals and cheer you on every step of the way until you reach them.
Want to find out more about the power of friendship? Read “Be a Better Friend”, “Make New Friends” and “Keep the Old”.
1. According to the author, if you’ve lost your job you should        .
A. turn to your best friend      B. ask for advice from your teacher
C. face it bravely by yourself    D. ask your parents for help
2. We can learn from the study in Paragraph 2 that        .
A. people with a lot of friends can stay away from illnesses
B. people with many friends may enjoy a longer life
C. 22% of the people who have fewer friends have a short life
D. those who have fewer friends may die 10 years earlier.
3. The underlined word “obstacles” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to some thing___________
A. that you are hoping to achieve by a plan
B. that happens to you when you are working
C. that makes it difficult for us to achieve something
D. that you have been trying to do
4. The fifth paragraph was written to tell us that        .
A. we should make many friends  B. true friendship lives long
C. friend ship has changed us     D. friendship should be valued

(共10分，每小题2分）从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。有两项为多余选项。

College life can become a great struggle because students have to balance school, a social life, and sometimes a job as well. The following steps could help the grades of college students.

Go to class. Why did your parents pay for your tuition or why are your parents paying their taxes for financial aid? Even when you don't feel like attending class, just go. 1.  Many classes have in-class assignments, pop quizzes, and case studies that only could be taken in class. If you are not there, you might lose points.

  2.  . College is all about multitasking. Planners can really help you to balance homework, due dates and tests. You should try to get your work done early, then you will have less stress.

Be business-like about your education. If you had a job, you would have to go to your job at 9 a.m and stay there until 5 p.m.    3.  If you did the same thing in college, you would be great. Go to class, go to the library, study seriously, at 5 p.m put away the books and go home. Once in a while you might have to work late, just like at a real job.

 4.   .Everyone studies in different ways. Some can study with a lot of noise and others want silence. Some can't even study with music on and some need dead silence. Some like the library and some like to study with friends, or even outside.

  5.   . Some students start better than they finish. They do that in order to give themselves room to slack near the end of the semester, which can be a mistake. Push yourself to do your best on every assignment. Stay on top of your game and don't lose focus.

A． Stay organized.

B．Maintain 100% effort throughout the semester.

C．You might get participation points, and the professor will also get to know you better.

D． The rest of the day would be your own time.

E.  Use your time effectively and efficiently.

F.  Find your own best method of studying.

G.  Balance work, school and social life.