A study by researchers at the University of Warwick and Cardiff University has found that money only makes people happier if it improves their social rank. Simply being highly paid wasn’t enough – to be happy, people must perceive themselves as being more highly paid than their friends and work colleagues.

The researchers said their findings could explain why the economic success over the last 40 years has not increased overall levels of happiness.

    The leading psychologist of the study, Dr Chris Boyce, said, “Earning I million pounds a year appears to be not enough to make you happy if you know your friends all earn 2 million pounds a year.”

The study found that the ranked position of an individual’s income best predicted general life satisfaction, while the actual amount of income and the average income of others appear to have no significant effect. The standard of living has gone up for each individual over the past 4 years but it has gone up for everyone. Our cars are faster now but our neighbors have faster cars too, so they haven’t got that advantage over people close to you.

The researcher added that pursuit of wealth alone was a vicious circle （恶性循环） because people had to continually work hard to keep up with the Joneses.

“So a person does not just have to increase his rank. He has to work hard just to keep up with rather than passing his friends, neighbors and colleagues,” said Dr Boyce.

The study found that relentless pursuit （不懈的追求） of economic growth would produce a wealthier society but not a happier one. Making everybody in society richer will not necessarily increase overall happiness because it is only having a higher income than other people that matters, and there was a danger that people will focus on the pursuit of money at the expense of building strong relationships with family and friends.

1．What’s the main idea of the passage?

       A．Happiness is linked to other’s wealth

       B．Money can certainly buy happiness.

       C．More money means more happiness.

       D．Better living standard means more happiness.

2．We can conclude from the passage that          .

       A．the more income you get, the happier you are

       B．the wealthier you are, the lower your ranked position is

       C．the more successful economy is, the higher happiness levels are

       D．the higher your social rank is, the happier you will feel

3．The underlined phrase “keep up with the Joneses” most probably means         .

       A．to keep up with your friends’ and neighbors’ paces of life

       B．to remain in contact with your friends and neighbors

       C．to compete with the people around you in terms of wealth

       D．to build strong relationships with family and friends

4．According to the passage, a wealthier society doesn’t necessarily means a happier one because

             .

       A．every social member wants to get wealth from others

       B．every social member wants to have the average income of others

       C．the seeking of higher income is likely to do harm to people’s health

       D．the seeking of wealth may sacrifice the relationships with family and friends

One of the most important inventions is the invention of the telephone. The idea behind the telephone is simple. a system which changes sound into a series of electrical impulses of differing frequencies （频率）, and then reverses this procedure to recreate the sound.

As early as 1831, Mickael Faraday proved that vibrations （震动） of metal could be changed into electrical impulses. This was the basic principle of the telephone, but no one made us of such technology until 1861, when German inventor, Johann Reis, successfully built some equipment that changed sound to electricity and back again. The equipment had built some equipment that changed sound to electricity and back again. The equipment had many flaws, unable to transmit many frequencies and therefore was never fully developed.

Two men in the United States Elisa Gray and Alexander Graham Bell （a Scottish inventor）, both worked hard to create what would be known as the telephone almost at the same time, and amazingly both filed for a patent within hours of one another, Bell beating his rival by merely two hours on February 14 th, 1876.

The first comprehensible telephone conversation was said to have taken place between Bell and his assistant, who was sitting in another room. Bell said, “Come here, Watson, I want you”, which Watson successful heard via the receiver and the invention of the telephone was complete. The Bell Telephone Company （AT&T） was soon established and grew to be the largest telephone company in existence.

The following year, in 1877, the first telephone system was put in place in Hartford, Connecticut, while the first exchange linking two cities was established between Boston and New York in 1883. London hosted the first exchange put into practice outside the US in 1879.

The invention of the telephone is a hot topic within the inventor circle. Many believe it to be Alexander Grabam Bell, while others believe it to be Antonio Meucci, Philip Reis, or Elisha Gray.

1．We know from the passage that         .

       A．it took almost thirty years for Michael Faradmy’s discovery to be put into use

       B．two Americans worked independently and invented the telephone at the same time

       C．the first telephone conversation was between Elisha Gray and Alexander Bell

       D．London was the first city to put the first exchange into practice in the world

2．The underlined word “flaws” is closest in meaning to          

       A．advantages          B．parts                   C．disadvantages      D．usages

3．Which is the correct order of the following events?

     a. Michael Faraday proved the basic principle of the telephone.

       b. The first telephone system was put on place in Hartford.

       c. Alexander Graham Bell invented what is called the telephone.

       d. The first exchange was built between Boston and New York.

       e. The Bell Telephone Company （AT& T） was established.

       A．a, c, b, d, e          B．a, c, e, b, d          C．c, d, a, b, e          D．c, a, e, b, d

4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

       A．Many inventors worked together to invent the first telephone.

       B．The inventors talked a lot over the telephone when it was invented.

       C．Alexander Graham Bell was the only man to have invented the telephone.

       D．Many can’t agree on who the inventor of the telephone should be.

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示；2）首字母提示；3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确、拼写正确。

My father is an ordinary – looking farmer, already in his forties.

Though he has never gone to school, he knows        （知识） is            1．       

very important. in order to make me r       better education, he                   2．       

worked extremely hard and s        money coin by coin to send                 3．       

me to the town to study.         a result, he looks older than he really          4．       

       . For him, my school work is the most important. Once when           5．       

I got first in the exam, he was so d        ,that he drank a lot. I                  6．       

didn’t know if he got d        . All I could remember was what he              7．       

said, “Although I am poor, I never mind. I am        （骄傲） of              8．        

you.” I could hardly hear       he said next because I was crying.               9．       

I swore I must study hard and offer my father a        （舒适） life.         10．       

假如你是王东，泉州某中学高三学生。最近你的美国朋友Mike通过email来信询问你高中毕业后的打算。请你根据提示用英文给Mike回信，内容必须包括以下几个方面

1．上大学很有用，它是一种人生体验，能提高个人素质和能力，……

2．上大学不是唯一的出路，只要有能力、技能，没上大学也能成功，……

3．根据考试情况再作决定……

注意：

1．信的开头已给出，不计入总词数；

2．根据内容要点适当发挥，但不要逐条翻译；

3．词数120左右。

Dear Mike,

Thank you for your mail. We’re now busy preparing for the college, entrance exam. But it is really hard for me to make a plan for my future after graduation.                           

Yours ever,

Wang Dong

— Don’ t be so naughty! Be your _____．

— Got it．

A．manners           B．age             C．behavior           D．politeness

—The film Avatar made by James Cameron is fantastic．Don’t you think so?

—_____．For years to come it will be beyond what movies can achieve．

A．Actually        B．Extremely             C．Exactly            D．Surprisingly

—Did you hear Tom was scolded for his spelling mistakes in his English composition?

—Yes, but a more careful person _____ so many mistakes．

A．wouldn’t make                                          B．needn’t have made

C．shouldn’t make                                  D．wouldn’t have made

Around 15,000 officials gathered in Copenhagen, trying to map out an effective strategy _____ the battle against climate change．

A．to win          B．will win        C．winning       D．won

A new study shows anger may help people reduce the negative impacts _____ stress and help you become healthier．

A．in           B．of          C．on        D．at

— You didn’t tell me the truth about this matter, Barbara．

— Are you _____ me of lying?

A．charging        B．reminding          C．catching         D．accusing