Over the last 70 years．researchers have been studying happy and Unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference．Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes．However of all the factors，wealth and age are the top two．
Money can buy a degree of happiness．But once you can afford to feed，clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference．
Researchers find that，on average，wealthier people are happier．But the link between money and happiness is complex．In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries，yet happiness levels have remained almost the same．Once your basic needs are met，money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends，neighbors and colleagues．
“Dollars buy Status(社会地位)，and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts，which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors，for example-may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs．
In a research，Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires-not just for money，but for friends，family, job，health-rose furthest beyond what they already had，tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap(差距)．Indeed，the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone．“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income，”says Michalos．
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age．Old age may not be so bad．“Given all the problems of aging，how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen．
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it，or they're more realistic about their goals，only setting ones that they know they can achieve．But Carstensen thinks that with time running out，older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't．
“People realize not only what they have，but also that what they have cannot-last forever,” she says．“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85，for example，may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”
【小题1】According to the passage，the feeling of happiness _________.   

A．make them feel much better	B．provide chances to make friends
C．improve their social position	D．satisfy their professional interests

A．optimistic

B．practical

C．successful

D．emotional

D
In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin. Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressure even within the same racial group. As a result, more and more people with dark skin are using skin-lightening products, even if they may face health risks.
Many people believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives. They think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care products contain chemicals that make skin lighter. This process is also called bleaching (漂白). But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. One chemical has been linked to kidney (肾) damage and some kinds of cancer. It also causes low birth weight in babies when used by mothers-to-be.
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter. But after long-term use they can cause problems. The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin. The skin loses its natural barrier to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse.
Fatimata Ly treats skin problems in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal. She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger. Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent skin damage.
And these are not the only risks. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regret and sadness. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was.
63. Why has skin lightening become popular all over the world?
A. There are many ways to help change skin color.
B. Many people with dark skin have no confidence.      
C. Light skin seems to bring more advantages than dark skin. 
D. People with dark skin are facing the pressure from their family.
64. According to the passage, people using bleaching products would risk         .
A. thinner skin      B. low weight          C. lung cancer       D. emotional damage
65. Which of the following is NOT true about bleaching products?
A. Some of them contain dangerous chemicals.
B. They will not make the skin color lighter. 
C. They may cause skin damage.          
D. They are likely to bring health risks.
66. The writer's attitude toward using bleaching products is ________.
A. supportive  B. positive      C. uncertain    D. negative

第三节：阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，共30分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Strong winds, sand in the air, poor visibility (能见度), we all know the characteristics of a sandstorm. But what else do you know about them?
Did you know, for example, that the first sandstorm of 2009 hit north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region late February?
Sandstorms are today a feature of life in northern China because of desertification (沙漠化) and the retreat (退化) of the northern grasslands. They usually occur between February and May.
Fortunately, sandstorms this year should be fewer than in past years in north China, according to the National Meteorological Center (中央气象台).
And the chances of sandstorms hitting Beijing are small, because recent rain has stopped drought and reduced dry dirt and dust. Tree planting, and other measures taken by the government, has also helped decrease the chance of sandstorms in the city.
Sandstorms can be dangerous. However, there are measures you can take to protect yourself from harm.
﹡Wear a mask. Cover your nose and mouth with a mask that can keep out sand, or use a damp handkerchief.
﹡If you are driving and the storm is at a distance, it may be possible to outrun (超过) it. If it looks like you will be caught in the storm, stop and wait it out.
﹡Take a cover. If there is no shelter, then lie down. Keep eyes, nose and mouth covered. Cover your head with your arms or a backpack to protect yourself against flying objects.
If you are caught in a desert sandstorm, take the following actions.
﹡Mark your direction before lying down. It is easy to get lost in a desert.
﹡Keep plenty of water at hand. If you get lost, you need water to survive until you find your way or help arrives.
﹡Stay together if traveling in a group. Lock arms if caught in a sandstorm. The most useful measure would actually be to make sandstorms disappear forever. To make this goal come true, people should plant trees, and stop desertification.
Today, the straight-line distance between Tiananmen Square and a desert called Tianmo in Hebei province is only about 80km. If desertification is not stopped, environmental protection experts say, it will probably not be long before Beijingers can catch a camel to work.
56.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. So far in 2009 no sandstorm has happened.
B. Sandstorms usually happen in spring.
C. Sandstorms are a feature of life in China.
D. In sandstorms in cities, what you need to protect yourself from is just the sand in the air.
57.Which may not be the right action to take to protect yourself from harm in a sandstorm?
A. Finding a shelter.
B. Covering your head with a bag.
C. Lying down.
D. When driving, speed up and rush through the sandstorm.
58.What can we infer from the passage ?
A. North China has been suffering from sandstorms for several years.
B. The distance between Beijing and the desert has made the chances of sandstorms hitting Beijing small this year.
C. Planting trees can help make sandstorms disappear.
D. It is more dangerous to be caught in sandstorms in cities because there are more flying objects.
59.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The realities of sandstorm                          B. The cause of sandstorm.
C. The influences of sandstorm                       D. The future of sandstorm.

Canadian experts have found that so – called self – help books may actually do more harm than good to people who really need help．Researchers say that individuals （个人） with low respect felt much worse after repeating positive statements about themselves．
In their study, psychologists Joanne Wood and John Lee sought to determine how positive thinking affected people with different levels of self – confidence．They questioned dozens of people both made and female, analyzed their self – worth and optimism by means of the standard psychological methods and then asked them to write down their thoughts and feelings．The scoring system ranged from 0 to 35．
During the experiment, the researchers asked a total of 68 participants to repeat the self-help book phrase, “I am a lovable person．” After that they measured the participants’ moods and their feelings about themselves．The results revealed that the participants in the low self – respect group who repeated the mantra （颂歌）, were feeling much worse afterwards, when compared to other participants in low self – respect group who did not repeat the phrase．Those with low self – respect who repeated the phrase scored an average of 10 points．Their counterparts （对比者） with equally low self – respect who were not asked to repeat the statement, were able to score a little higher average of 17 points．
However, individuals with high self – respect reported feeling better after repeating the positive self – statement – but only slightly．They scored an average of 31 points, compared with an average of 25 for those with equally high self – respect who did not repeat the phrase．
Professor Wood urged those who promote self – help books, magazines and television shows to stop telling people that simply repeating a positive mantra could change one’s life．First, people start following this idea and feel like they are not alone．They are told that all they have to do is just to read that book and then to repeat these positive statements in a hope that things will be better, and when it does not work for them and they realize that nothing gets better, then it is really frustration to people．
Researchers concluded: “Repeating positive self – statements may benefit certain people such as individuals with high self – respect but discourage the very people who need confidence the most．”
【小题1】The experts tried to find out, when repeating positive self – statements,         ．

LONDON----Here’s a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly.
Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods — even if you also exercise regularly — could be bad for your health. And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place — at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV — just the overall number of hours it occurs. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.
　　In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin EkblomBak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.
　　While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven’t suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
　　"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating(调节) the amount of glucose（葡萄糖） and fat in the body start to shut down.
　　Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day — but still spend a lot of time sitting — might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout.（一回）
　　Still, in a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, independently of whether or not they exercised.
　　"We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad," said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study. "But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior, the better."
　　Figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting in cars.
　　Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible tooffset those effects.
　　"People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits," Ekblom-Bak said. "But when they’re in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible," she said.
【小题1】What is the best title for the text?