Happiness is important for everyone. Most people want to be happy but few know how to find happiness. Money and success don’t bring lasting happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness.

Some people believe that if they are wealthy, they will be able to do anything they want, which means happiness. On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high position in the government is happiness. In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things which can’t be bought by money. However, other people believe that having lots of money is not happiness, nor is holding a high position in the government. These people value(重视 ) their beliefs, or their intelligence, or their health. They think these can make them happy.

Here are a few ways to help you be happier.

The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future, for example, getting into college or getting a good job, that we don’t enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives.

The second secret of happiness is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.

Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to do many meaningful things for other people. If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbor, or simply help around the house.

Now maybe you know how to find happiness!

1.The underlined word “wealthy” means “      ” in the article.

2.Some people who hold a high position in the government think they can _______.

3.The writer thinks the secret of happiness is that people _______.

4.Many people find it happy to ______.

5.The passage mainly tells us _______.

Mary’s dime（一毛钱）

It was Sunday afternoon. I decided to clean up the room nicely so that my parents would feel   1  when they returned from a long ride! Then, I sat in the room, having nothing to do.

　　 What else could I do? Then, with no reason, I suddenly  2  the pale face of that little beggar(乞丐) girl. I could see the glad light   3  her eyes when I put the dime in her little dirty hand.

　　  How much I  4  that dime, too! Grandpa gave it to me a whole month ago, and I had kept it ever since in my red box upstairs, but those sugar apples looked so attractive, and were so   5  — only a dime a piece — that I wanted to have one.

　　  I could imagine the little girl stood there in front of the  6  in her old dirty dress, looking at the   7  that were put all in a row in the window. I wonder what I should say, “Little girl, what do you want?” I gently asked. She felt   8  and looked straight at me, just as if（似乎）nobody had spoken so   9  to her before. She realized what I had meant, so she said seriously and sadly. “I was thinking how good one of those delicious hamburgers would  10 . I haven’t had anything to eat today.”

　　 Now I thought to myself, “Mary Williams, you have had a good breakfast and a good lunch today,   11  this poor girl has not had a mouthful yet. You can give her your  12 . She needs it a great deal more than you do.”

　　 I could not run away from that little girl’s sad,  13  look — so I dropped the dime right into her hand. How  14  the girl was! I am so glad I gave her the dime,  15  I had to go without the apple lying there in the window.

1.                A．disturbed       B．unhappy        C．satisfied  D．interested

2.                A．saw            B．remembered    C．forgot    D．described

3.                A．filling          B．protecting       C．attracting D．touching

4.                A．hated          B．loved          C．missed   D．noticed

5.                A．valuable        B．meaningful      C．expensive D．cheap

6.                A．market         B．library          C．store D．bookshop

7.                A．dresses         B．magazines       C．books    D．candies

8.                A．surprised       B．excited         C．pleased   D．worried

9.                A．happily         B．kindly          C．angrily   D．sadly

10.               A．taste           B．sound          C．feel  D．smell

11.               A．since          B．so             C．and  D．but

12.               A．apple          B．hamburger      C．dime D．candy

13.               A．proud          B．angry          C．calm  D．hungry

14.               A．grateful        B．unlucky        C．lonely D．friendly

15.               A．unless         B．if              C．though    D．because

The teacher is ____ with what we did.

The little boy entered the house unhappily. His mother was 31   cakes in the kitchen. She smiled as she 32   but stopped when she saw his face. “Tyler, 33  happened? Is everything okay?”

“Nothing is okay, mom.” said the boy, “Today, in our science lesson, Mrs Green was talking about the 34 . She said that the whole world is getting dirtier and that many animals and plants are dying. She wants us to think of something we can do to help. I thought all the way, but there is 35  I can do to make a difference.”

“Let me tell you 36 .” the mother said after thinking for a while. “One morning a man was walking down a beach, there he saw thousands of dying starfish covering the beach, they were pushed up by the 37 , and it was too far up for them to make their way back by 38 . The man shook his head as he walked along, ‘What a pity! So many starfish will die on the beach.’ The man felt very sorry 39  those starfish. He went on walking and just at that time he was 40 to find a boy in front who was throwing the starfish back into the sea as 41 as he could, ‘how silly you are! My 42 ,’ the man said, ‘There are so many starfish, can you throw all of them back?’ The boy didn’t stop but kept throwing, ’43 I can’t help them all. I can make a difference to this one, and this one, and this one, and this one.”

“Thinking for a moment, the man 44  to help return the starfish to their home. He smiled and said to himself, ‘Sometimes the biggest lesson in life comes from the 45  person.

9.A of             B. for              C. from             D. forward

15.A shortest             B. tallest          C. smallest         D. biggest

Jim is an American boy. He is  1  New York. He likes   2  football matches,     3  he doesn’t have enough money   4  tickets. He has to watch the matches  5 TV at home when he has   6  homework. He   7  go to school from Monday to Friday, so he missed a lot of important football matches.

A big football match would be held(举行) in the afternoon the next day.   8  wanted to watch it very much. But he couldn’t. He would have a physics(物理) test in the   9  afternoon.

“Can we have a video, mom?” Jim asked his mother   10  he went to school. “Then from our TV set you can record the match for me.”

“I’m   11  we can’t afford(买得起) one,” said his mother.

The next morning Jim went home with a smile,   12  a new video.

“But where did you get the   13  , Jim?” His mother asked in   14 .

“That’s   15  , mom. I sold our TV set.”

1.                A．on            B．at             C．from D．to

2.                A．watching        B．seeing          C．playing   D．looking

3.                A．and            B．so             C．but  D．or

4.                A．to buy          B．buying          C．buy  D．bought

5.                A．in             B．on             C．at   D．with

6.                A．few            B．a few           C．many D．quite a little

7.                A．may           B．can            C．must D．should

8.                A．Mother         B．Father          C．Teacher  D．Jim

9.                A．other          B．different        C．same D．another

10.               A．after           B．before         C．because   D．as

11.               A．glad           B．afraid          C．pleased   D．happy

12.               A．carrying        B．listening        C．watching  D．playing

13.               A．car            B．money         C．match D．TV

14.               A．surprise        B．person         C．a low voice D．great pain

15.               A．easy           B．easily          C．difficult   D．hardly