The Happiest Cities On Earth

If you’re looking for a cheery destination for your next vacation, consider these four spots and get ready to take notes on how to really live the good life.

Singapore

    With one of the highest population densities（密度）in the world and residents known for being workaholics, it’s hard to imagine the city-state of Singapore having one of the happiest populations on earth. And yet in a recent survey, 95% of them said they were either very happy or quite happy.

They give their city high marks for cleanliness and safety—subways are pristine (洁净的) and unfailingly arrive on time, and police are seen as helpful and good at their jobs. What’s more, they feel they can count on their neighbours—all 5.1 million of them.

Arhus, Denmark

The residents of Arhus cheerfully part with 68% of their income in taxes, knowing that in return they will be guaranteed free healthcare, free daycare, and a top-notch (第一流的) education for their children.

An energetic city of 300,000 with a lively cultural scene and a diverse number of religions represented, the sense of equality (the range in incomes is narrow), as well as easy access to the nearby sea and surrounding countryside, make Arhus seem more like a small town.

San Luis Obispo, CA

According to a 2008 Gallup-Healthways study, people who live in San Luis Obispo are more likely than residents of other U.S. cities to smile and experience joy and are less likely to experience pain or depression. About 64,000 of the 260,000 people in the greater metropolitan area (都市区), located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, volunteer at over 11,000 non-profit organizations.

Few journeys to work are longer than 10 minutes (one reason its members rank in the upper third for job satisfaction), so “it’s easy to be involved,” resident Pierre Rademaker said. Business signs are unobtrusive (不显眼的) by law, fewer than 11% of residents smoke—the lower rate in the U.S.—there are lots of bike lanes, and the city’s plaza draws crowds of people for free concerts on summer Fridays. What’s not to love?

Monterrey, Mexico

The people of Monterrey don’t enjoy high household incomes or access to good healthcare. Instead, there’s a profound sense of gratitude for the new political freedom enjoyed since the oppressive Institutional Revolutionary Party lost power in 2000—the first time in nearly a century—as well as an emphasis on social life over work.

Another reason Monterrey residents may be so happy is their faith in God and family, and their ability to tough it out through bad times.

“We laugh at sickness, poverty and even death,” says Basanez, a political scientist who lives in Monterrey. “We even have a holiday to celebrate death. November 2, the Day of the Dead, is one of the biggest holidays of the year.”

1.According to the passage, what do the residents in the four cities have in common?

A. All the residents can make great fortunes by working hard.

B. The residents there are mostly educators. 

C. All the residents enjoy enough material wealth.

D. The majority of the residents are satisfied with their current life.

2.According to the passage, we can infer that _______.

A. the people of Singapore expect their neighbours to come to their help when necessary

B. the people of Monterrey even observe one’s death on a special day of a year

C. the residents of Arhus happily pay 68% of their income for their children’s education fee

D. the people who live in San Luis Obispo have job satisfaction because they can enjoy good working conditions

3.According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A. The people of Monterrey didn’t enjoy political freedom until 2000.

B. The residents in Singapore feel happy because of its low population density.

C. The people of San Luis Obispo can enjoy free concerts in summer.

D. Arhus is handy to the seaside and countryside.

4.What can we learn from the underlined part “the sense of equality”?

A. The residents of Arhus have no racial discrimination.

B. Arhus is considered as a family sharing everything with each other.

C. There is no wide gap between the rich and the poor in Arhus.

D. The residents of Arhus can depend on their neighbours to help.

    根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选

项。

Brain Transplants

Research on the human brain has been attracting more and more scientists in recent years.   71   If we compare a human brain to a hard disc, what the scientists are doing is to make better use of the hard disc.

The idea that a human brain could be transplanted (移植) may come from Frankenstein. In 1999, an experiment turned a bear into a dolphin (海豚).   72   They were made of the memory area in the dolphin’s brain containing information about swimming. They had a series of useful information, which was saved into a button – sized chip (芯片). Later the information was transplanted into the action memory area in the bear’s brain.   73   It proved to be a highly successful experiment and a bear was turned into a dolphin.

Recently, another memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Rescarch Instance of the University of California. The experiment bad an entire transplant of the memory area.   74   The transplant was performed from a dog named Cenius to a dog named idiot. Cenius could follow up to 100 gestures and orders made by its master. It was a real genius in memorizing. However, Idiot had no contact with people since its birth. It because an animal with nothing in its brain, without any memory.

  75   When the two dogs woke up, Idiot had grasped all the abilities Cenius possessed; it was good at memorizing and sensible. It could follow every gesture and any command given by its master. But Cenius gave no response to its master, and did not recognize him at all.

       A．The experiment was a complete success.

       B．It included actions, moods, logic, words, images, etc.

       C．Then it was released (释放) by means of electric power.

       D．Different images have different meanings in the memory area.

       E．Using the most advanced technology, detailed images were produced.

       F．Discoveries show that messages are carried by the central nervous system in the brain.

       G．One of the latest topics is how to change the human brain or combine it with the computer.

单词拼写（共10小题；每小题0.5分，满分5分）

1.His rare gifts and bold strategy are ____________ (普遍)acknowledged.

2.There was a deep-rooted racial __________(偏见) long before the two countries became rivals and went to war.

3.The ________________(共识) among the world's scientists is that the world is likely to warm up over the next few decades.    

4.The government will provide temporary __________(住宿) for up to three thousand people in the flooded areas.

5.Helicopters arrived soon , ________________ (营救)nearly 20 people from the roof of the burning building.

6.In c_________________ with other students, Mike is more diligent.

7.You’d better make a r____________ for a room in National Holidays, because there are always many travelers then.

8.This money , i__________ for the development of the tourist industry, should be used widely.

9.It is well-known that the weather in Britain is c______________.

10.Don't worry, your memory will return g______________.

In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest growing U. S. minority. As their children began moving up through the nation schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U. S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.

Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.

Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.

1.While making tremendous achievements at college, Asian-American students           .

A. feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English

B. are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character

C. still worry about unfair treatment in society

D. generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents

2.What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?

A. A solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture.

B. Hard work and intelligence.

C. Parents’ help and a limited knowledge of English.

D. Asian culture and the American educational system.

3.Few Asian American students major in human sciences mainly because           .

A. their English is not good enough

B. they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas

C. there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures

D. they know little about American culture and society

4.Why do “both explanations” (Para. 3) worry Asian Americans?

A. They are afraid they will again be isolated from American society in general.

B. People will think that Asian students only rely on their parents for success.

C. Asian Americans will be a threat to other minorities.

D. American academic achievements have taken on too strong an Asian character.

 完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One summer day my father sent me to buy wire for our farm. At 16, I liked  36  better than driving our truck,  37  this time I was not happy. My father had told me I’d have to ask for credit at the store.
Sixteen is a  38  age, when a young man wants respect, not charity. It was 1976, and the ugly  39  of racial discrimination was  40  a fact of life. I’d seen my friends ask for credit and then stand, head down, while the store owner  41  whether they were “good for it.” I knew black youths just like me who were  42  like thieves by the store clerk each time they went into a grocery.
My family was  43 . We paid our debts. But before harvest, cash was short. Would the store owner  44  us?
At Davis’s store, Buck Davis stood behind the cash desk, talking to a farmer. I nodded  45  I passed him on my way to the hardware shelves. When I brought my  46  to the cash desk, I said  47 , “I need to put this on credit.”
The farmer gave me an amused, distrustful  48 . But Buck’s face didn’t change. “Sure, ” he said  49 . “Your daddy is  50  good for it.” He  51  to the other man. “This here is one of James Williams’s sons.”
The farmer nodded in a neighborly  52 . I was filled with pride. James Williams’s son. Those three words had opened a door to an adult’s respect and trust.
That day I discovered that the good name my parents had  53  brought our whole family the respect of our neighbors. Everyone knew what to  54  from a Williams: a decent person who kept his word and respected himself  55  much to do wrong.
36.A.something                 B.nothing                            C.anything                          D.everything
37. A.and                   B. so                                     C. but                                   D. for
38. A.prideful            B. wonderful             C. respectful                       D. colorful
39. A.intention                   B. shadow                           C. habit                                D. faith
40. A.thus                           B. just                                   C. still                                   D. ever
41. A.guessed           B. suspected                      C. questioned           D. figured
42. A.watched          B. caught                   C. dismissed                       D. accused
43. A.generous                  B. honest                   C. friendly                            D. modest
44. A.blame                        B. excuse                   C. charge                   D. trust
45. A.until                           B. as                                    C. once                                 D. since
46. A.purchases                B. sales                                C. orders                    D. favorites
47. A.casually           B. confidently            C. cheerfully                       D. carefully
48. A.look                            B. stare                                C. response                        D. comment
49. A.patiently                   B. eagerly                            C. easily                               D. proudly
50. A.generally                  B. never                               C. sometimes           D. always
51. A.pointed            B. replied                   C. turned                    D. introduced
52. A.sense                         B. way                                  C. degree                            D. mood
53. A.earned                      B. deserved                        C. given                                D. used
54. A.receive             B. expect                    C. collect                    D. require
55. A.very                            B. so                                    C. how                                  D. too