Sometimes doing something for yourself - even shopping--can give others a lift. That's the case at charity shops and non-profit stores such as Ten Thousand Villages which helps provide skilled workmen with money in developing countries.
Their handicrafts(手工艺品) are sold throughout North America in 180 stores, 95 of them operated by Ten Thousand Villages.
"People come into the store because we have a lot of interesting things, but then they're drawn to us by the mission(慈善的行动) ," says organization spokeswoman Juanita Fox.
"It just feels good to be making a difference when you're buying something."
In the Alexandria, Virginia shop, generals display windows draw you in. They are filled with practical, attractive home furnishings in blue and white, all international in mood.
Once inside though, it's clear that this isn't just another import store. On the wall behind the cash register is the following note:
"Ten Thousand Villagers provides necessary, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Your Buying Makes a Difference. "
The store was opened in 1994 as part of a network of shops across the USA run by the Mennonite Church, which is based in Akron, Pennsylvania.
Currently, 60,000 skilled workmen from 32 countries provide goods to the stores, with all proceeds (收益) re-invested in the organization.
Management of the Alexandria shop is overseen by an all-volunteer board of directors. More than 40 additional volunteers help doing everything from working the register to unpacking stock.
Maria Yannopoulos got involved after visiting a store and getting to know another volunteer. "Since we are non-profit, we are really looking for value because the more we sell, the more jobs we can create. Giving someone job rather than charity helps in so many ways. "
【小题1】The underlined part "give others a lift" in the first paragraph means ______.

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human condition is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression(沮丧) to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

    Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.

Interpersonal relationships are important because they can ________

    A. make people live more easily         B. smooth away daily problems

    C. deal with life changes               D. cure types of illnesses 

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word "cushions"?

　  A. takes place of                       B. makes up of

　  C. lessens the effect of                D. gets rid of

What is the subject discussed in the text?

    A. Interpersonal relationships.         B. Kinds of social support.

    C. Ways to deal with stress.                D. Effects of stressful condition.

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母或汉语意思，在答题纸上按题号写出各单词的正确的完全形式（每空限写一词）。
【小题1】There are different t________ of blood, as you know.
【小题2】He seems to be doing nothing , but _____________ ( 实际上 ) he is just waiting for his chance.
【小题3】There was a choice of four prizes, and the winner could s____________ one of them.
【小题4】The two brothers looks the same in a_____________，but they are different in character.
【小题5】The family began to d___________ the Christmas tree with glass balls and lights a week ago.
【小题6】After p_____________ him to give up smoking, Kate was in relief.
【小题7】We can d____________ many songs from the internet nowadays.
【小题8】Since we are short of money, I can’t afford to buy a new car to _________ (取代) my old one.
【小题9】I would be most g__________ if you would send me the book immediately.
【小题10】Ye Shiwen won two gold m____________, which surely makes the “west society" uncomfortable.

Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cellphones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cellphone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.
【小题1】The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships．One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful（有压力的） conditions．Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems．People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties．Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely．

       Social support cushions stress in a number of ways．First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us．Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties．Second, other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them．Third, we typically find social companionship supportive．Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting（转移注意力） us from our worries and troubles．Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — money aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems．

Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______．

       A．make people live more easily  B．smooth away daily problems

       C．deal with life changes      D．cure types of illnesses

The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______．

       A．lies in the social medical care systems which support them

       B．has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

       C．depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

       D．is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?

       A．takes place of          B．makes up of

       C．lessens the effect of  D．gets rid of

Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______．

       A．instrumental support       B．informational support

       C．social companionship      D．the strengthening of self-respect

What is the subject discussed in the text?

       A．Interpersonal relationships．

       B．Kinds of social support．

       C．Ways to deal with stress．

       D．Effects of stressful conditions．