上海市2020年中考英语专题复习阅读理解之哲学(13篇含答案及部分解析)

Passage 1
“Time,” says the proverb, “is money”. This means that every moment well spent may put some money into our pockets. If our time is usefully employed, it will either turn out some useful and important piece of work which will fetch its price in the market, or it will add to our experience and increase our capacities so as to enable us to earn money when the proper opportunity comes.
Our life is nothing more than our time. To kill time is therefore a form of suicide. We are shocked when we think of death, and we spare no pains, no trouble, and no expense to preserve life. But we are too often indifferent to the loss of an hour or of a day, forgetting that our life is the sum total of the days and of the hours we live. Our life is a brief period measuring some seventy or eighty years in all. But nearly one third of this has to be spent in sleep; some years have to be spent over our meals; some in making journeys on land and voyages by sea; some in merry making. Now if all these years were to be deducted(扣除) from the term over which our life extends, we shall find about twenty or thirty years at our disposal for active work. Whoever remembers this can never willingly waste a single moment of his life.
All time is precious，but the time of our childhood and of our youth is more precious than any other portion of our existence，for those are the periods when we can acquire knowledge and develop our capacities. If we allow these morning hours of life to slip away, we shall never be able to recover the loss. Just as money laid out at interests doubles and trebles itself in time, so the precious hours of childhood and youth, if properly used, will yield us incalculable advantages.
1. Why does the author quote the proverb “time is money” in the beginning?
A to explain the meaning of the proverb
B to show how precious time is
C to compare the importance of time and life
D to warn us not to waste time
2. According to the author, which of the following is right?
A A day or an hour wasted is so much life lost.
B We shouldn’t spend one third of our life sleeping
C Merry making is something unnecessary in our life.
D We have less than twenty or thirty years to do active work
3. What is the best title for the passage?
A Time is money B The value of time
C How we spend our time D The morning hours of life
4. In the last paragraph, the author warns that _____.
A one must do his best to acquire knowledge and develop its ability when young
B young people must deposit enough money to make large interests in the future
C the morning hours are important for the young and shouldn’t be wasted
D the time of childhood and youth should be used to acquire countless advantages.



Passage 2
Here are a few of our favorite entries so far in our "Your Life: The Reader's Digest Version" contest” After reading these, head over to Face book and submit(提交) your own story a-bout a special moment or lesson that shaped your life．
"There's Always a John"
By Darla Boyd.
My first year of teaching, there was a kid named John in my class. John was difficult to control and he nearly drove me crazy. While talking about him one day, an old teacher put his hand on my shoulder and said, “There will always be a John. Your job is to learn to discover what makes him different and help him succeed.” The next year, there was indeed another John.? But that advice taught me that there is something to appreciate in everyone.
“An Early Key Lesson”
By Elaine West.
Before I began my first teaching job, my mother, a teacher of 30 years, gave me a very special gift, five simple words that have had an effect on my entire life. “Make friends with the janitor (门卫).” Her wisdom taught me the respect for all types of characters and continues to enrich my life to this day. Just five little words but what an impact they can have when you take them to heart.
“Raising Mommy”
By Jan Davis.
Being a mother can always present challenges and rewards. Someone told me early that children will teach you everything you need to know. Being a mother is being raised. Our children become our advisers. Their dreams become our professors, as we are taking notes carefully. The sounds of their laughter and smiles are a great reward to us. Their tears remind us that it is okay to fail, and that we should wipe the tears away and try again.
1．What did the old teacher mean by saying "There will lava’s be a John"
A．There are always difficult students like John．
B．John will always be an ordinary student．
C．It is important to change John．
D．John is a very common name．
2．What did Elaine West's mother advise her to do is?
A．Don't treat students differently．
B．Take care of janitors．
C．Respect people from different backgrounds．
D．Don't judge people by appearance．
3．Which of the following would Jan Davis roust probably agree withal
A．A mother should be given more care．
B．A mother improves herself greatly in parenting．
C．Being a mother has more challenges than rewards．
D．Children should realize the dreams of their parents．
4．The text is most probably a（n）_______.
A．notice inviting contributions
B．introduction to a contest
C．ad for three new books
D．poster about a lecture





Passage 3
People aren’t walking any more--- if they can figure out a way to avoid it.
I felt superior about this matter until?the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in any hurry, either, I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.
It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune(免疫的), for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as a sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced –and beat—a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty.
Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrhams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercise. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise--- the most familiar and natural of all.
It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the?trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world. He cannot learn in a car.
The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach Nature anymore; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.
1. What was life like when the author was young?
A. People usually went around on foot.
B. people often walked 25 miles a day
C. People used to climb the Statue of Liberty.
D. people considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship.
2. The author mentions Henry Thoreau to prove that
A. middle-aged people like getting back to nature
B. walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind
C. people need regular exercise to keep fit
D. going on foot prevents heart disease
3. What is compared to “a steel river” in Paragraph6?
A.?A queue of cars B. A ray of traffic light
C. A flash of lightning D. A stream of people
4. What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?
A. To tell people to reflect more on life.
B. To recommend people to give up driving
C. To advise people to do outdoor activities
D. To encourage people to return to walking




Passage 4
Some years ago, three brothers left the farm to work in the city. They were all hired by the same company and on the same pay. Three years later, Jim was being paid $500 a month, Frank was receiving $1000, but George was making $1500.
Their father was confused and decided to visit the employer. After listening to the father, the employer said, “I will let the boys explain for themselves.”
Jim was called to the office and was told, “Jim, I learn the Far East Importers has just brought in a large transport plane loaded with Japanese import goods. Will you please go over to the airport and get a cargo inventory(运货清单)?”
Three minutes later, Jim returned to the office. “The cargo was one thousand bolts(卷) of Japanese silk,” Jim reported. “I got the information over the telephone from a member of the crew.”
When Jim left, Frank, the $1000 a month brother, was called in.
An hour later, Frank was back in the office with a list showing that the plane carried 1000 bolts of Japanese silk, 500 transistor radios(晶体管收音机), and 1000 hand painted bamboo plates.
George, the $1500 a month brother, was given the same instructions. Working hours were over when he finally returned. “The transport plane carried one thousand bolts of Japanese silk,” he began. “It was on sale at sixty dollars a bolt, so I took a two-day choice on the whole lot. I have telegrammed a designer in New York offering the silk at seventy-five dollars a bolt. I expect to have the order tomorrow. I also found five hundred transistor radios, which I sold over the telephone at a profit of $2.30 each. There were a thousand bamboo plates, but they were of poor quality, so I didn’t try to do anything with them.”
When George left the office, the employer smiled. “You see,” he said, “the future is full of promise for one who shows initiative.”
1. The best title of this passage is ______.
A. The story of three brothers B. The importance of doing market research
C. A business deal D. A clever employer
2. According to George, how much money did he expect to get for his company?
A. $1,150 B. $61,150 C. $16,150 D. $76,150
3. According to the passage, which of the following best explains the meaning of the underlined word “initiative”?
A. Doing a lot of extra work without complaining
B. Having patience in difficult situations without giving in
C. Having the sense of marketing and economics
D. Making decisions and take action actively without being told to




Passage 5
One day the employees of a large company in St Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering (阻碍) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral (葬礼) in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be.
The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well, at least he's no longer here.”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin (棺材) and when they looked inside it they became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin. Everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who can set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize (彻底改变) your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.
Your life does not change when your family changes, when your friends change, when your boss changes, and when your company changes.
Your life changes when you change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
1. The writer's purpose in writing the article is to tell us that ________.
A. the harder we work, the more successful we will become
B. our work and life are closely connected with others
C. changing our lives is down to ourselves
D. we will have a better future if people do not hinder our development
2. People were speechless when they looked inside the coffin because ________.
A. there was nothing but a mirror inside B. they could see their own souls inside
C. their closest colleague lay inside D. what was inside told a great truth
3. Who probably wrote the sign on the front door?
A. The company boss.
B. A worker who liked to make fun of others.
C. The director in charge of production.
D. A worker who wanted to teach others a lesson.
4. What can we conclude from the article?
A. The employees went to the gym to join the funeral.
B. The lesson the employees learned would influence them greatly.
C. The employees' lives depended on the attitude of their boss.
D. The employees got angry after the funeral.



Passage 6
Recently, a professor of philosophy in the United States has written a book called Money and the Meaning of Life. He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day-to-day life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to keep record of every penny they spend for a week. From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value in life.
He says our relation with others often become clearly defined when money enters the picture. You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you may think that you are very good friends. But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money. If he does, it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before. Or it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn’t. This person may say that he has a certain feeling, but if it is not carried out in the money world, there is something less real about it.
Since money is so important to us, we consider those who possess a lot of it to be very important. The author interviewed some millionaires in researching his book.
Question: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich, because you are a self-made man?
Answer: The most surprising thing is how people give me so much respect. I am nothing. I do not know much. All I am is rich.
People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? How much do I need for any given purposes in my life? In his book, the professor uncovered an important need in modern society: to bring back the idea that money is an instrument rather than the end. Money plays an important role in the material world, but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life.
1. According to the first paragraph, people have not realized ____.
A. how important money is in their day-to-day life
B. how one spends money shows what is important to him
C. that money is more important than their philosophy of life
D. that their understanding of life is more important than money
2. The author seems to believe that asking your friend to lend you some money ____.
A. is a good way to test your friendship B. will do harm to your friendship
C. will strengthen your friendship D. is a good way to break off your friendship
3. What can we learn about the millionaire from his answer in the interview?
A. He does not feel that he is well educated.
B. He does not think that he is a very important person.
C. He doesn’t think that being rich is worth so much attention.
D. He doesn’t consider himself to be very successful.
4. What does the American professor of philosophy want to explain in his book?
A. Money is an end. B. Money is a means.
C. Money is everything. D. Money is unimportant.
5. Which of the following might the author disagree?
A. Money is important in modern society.
B. The meaning of life does not completely lie in money.
C. Wealth will surely bring the owner happiness.
D. Happiness is not necessarily the result of wealth.


Passage 7
Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. I and many others have followed his lead for the past three or four years. They helped me a lot. My words for last year were “passion”，“focus” and “delegate” and I stayed true to them. This year,2012，my goals are more personal and less professional.
FOCUS
Focus is making a repeat appearance on my list this year because I'm always taking too many tasks. The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. When I was working as a writer，all my projects were handled via a schedule，which kept me organized. This year I'm going to have each task scheduled. I'm putting a fitness and housekeeping routine into my schedule.
HEALTH
I get busy taking care of everyone else. I forget to take care of myself and this has to change. My health suffers and my weight suffers. I have to get my health in check，not only for me but because I promised my 9?year?old son. I'll make sure to take time to exercise every day and make good food and lifestyle choices. I miss being thin，and it's time to get it back.
CELEBRATE
What good is having it all if I'm not taking time to enjoy it？I have a wonderful job，a happy family，and so much to be thankful for. So how come I spend all my time working？Last summer my family took our first vacation in four years，the best thing I've done for myself and my family in a long time. This year，I'm making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings.
Do you have any words for 2012?
1．Why does the writer have “health” as one of his three words?
A．He wants to take better care of others.
B．He's gaining weight and feeling bad.
C．He did not take any exercise in the past.
D．He got the idea from his son.
2．What can we learn from the passage?
A．The word “celebrate” can remind the writer to enjoy life.
B．The writer has a vacation with his family every four years.
C．The word “focus” can help the writer focus on his family.
D．The writer used to be overweight for lack of exercise.
3．The best title for the passage might be ______.
A．Three Words for 2012 B．Health Should Go First
C．Keep Organized D．Goals for 2012





Passage 8
Success doesn’t begin until you begin the walk down the way towards your goals. And your walk down the way always begins first with a baby step. Why do we call them baby steps? Are they really anything more than our next step down life’s way?
Baby steps are the first steps we take as an act of faith. We see others stepping out and we want to show our ability to walk by following them. As we grow, we continue our development by taking extra baby steps. Sometimes we fall; sometimes we fail. After that, all steps become an act of faith; we just become more practiced. If you say to yourself“I don’t want to make a fool of myself”or“I’d better be good at this”, you’ll probably never take the baby steps towards your goals and end up lying in your own self-pity.
As a culture, we focus on results. We think about every risk that must be taken to reach our goals. There are few people who are excellent performers of any tasks the first time they try them. They fail and succeed. Then, they build upon their abilities learned each time. They practice their skills and use their talents through baby steps before they are ready to prove them to the whole world.
So, learn to take those baby steps to reach the goals before you. Know that you can depend on God to show you the way. As you become more experienced, your baby steps become a walk, then a jump, and finally a sprint. That’s how our baby steps lead us through the marathon of life.
1. What does the writer mainly discuss in the text?
A. The power of faith in our life.
B. The importance of baby steps.
C. The abilities to achieve success.
D. The cause of cultural differences.
2. Which of the following is thought most important in taking baby steps?
A. Faith. 　　 B. Practice. 　 C. Skill. 　 D. Examples.
3. In the third paragraph, the writer expresses the view that______________
A. we can’t expect to succeed without working hard at first
B. adults should learn from babies in dealing with hard tasks
C. we must make full use of our skills in order to get rewards
D. baby steps play the key role in leading us towards success
4. The underlined word“sprint”in the last paragraph probably means“______________”.
A. slow rush B. sudden stop C. hard climb D. fast run
5. What’s the writer’s tone in the text?
A. Light-hearted. B. Regretful.
C. Encouraging. D. Concerned.




Passage 9
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington D.C. I saw many of our nation’s treasures, and I also saw a lot of unfortunate people like beggars and homeless folks in the streets.
Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended(伸出). In a natural reaction, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it in her hand. I didn’t even look at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar.
But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help finding the post office.”
Immediately, I realized what I had done. I acted with prejudice(偏见)—I judged another person simply for what I thought she was.
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant. I left Honduras and arrived in America at the age of 15. Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, cashier, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other jobs, and finally I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice. I remember a time, at age 17— I was a busboy, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well at school, he would end up like me.
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going. That blind woman on the street of Washington D.C. cured me of my blindness. She reminded me to always keep my eyes and heart open.
1. When the author came to America at first ______.
A. he usually did some work with a little payment.
B. he used to beg for some money on the street.
C. he lived a comfortable life as a network engineer.
D. he was respected by others all the time.
2. According to the passage, what did the author re
A. That he gave all his change to the blind woman.
B. The way he treated the blind woman.
C. That he came to Washington D.C. for a visit.
D. That he didn’t tell the woman the way to the post office.
3. The father mentioned in the passage wanted ______.
A. to encourage his son to make a living by himself
B. his son to become a busboy in the future
C. his son to work harder at school
D. to remind his son to depend on himself at school
4. We can infer all of the following statements from the passage EXCEPT ______.
A. He disliked being bothered by beggars.
B. He was delighted to give away his money to beggars.
C. He once suffered a lot.
D. The blind woman didn’t beg for money at that time.
5. What does the author want to tell us through this story?
A. Don’t dream up ways to get what you want.
B. Money is the root of all evils.
C. An easy life makes a person forgetful. D. Be good to others all the time.



Passage 10
Mark, a young person, tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there’s a big difference between “being a writer” and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. “You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded(报答). When I left a 20-year job in the U. S. Coast Guard to become a writer, I had no hopes at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t got a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering “what if”. I would keep putting my dream to the test — even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
1. The passage is meant to _______.
A. warn young people of the hardship that a successful writer has to experience
B. advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a professional writer
C. show young people it’s unrealistic for writers to seek wealth and fame
D. encourage young people to seek good jobs
2. What can be concluded from the passage?
A. Real writers often find their work interesting and rewarding.
B. A writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort.
C. Famous writers usually live in poverty.
D. The chances for a writer to become successful are small
3. Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing work?
A. He wasn’t able to produce a single book.
B. He hadn’t seen a change for the better.
C. He wasn’t able to have a rest for a whole year.
D. He found his dream would never come true.
4. “Shadow land” in the last sentence refers to _______.
A. the wonderland one often dreams about
B. the bright future that one is looking forward to
C. a world that exists only in one’s imagination
D. the state of uncertainty before one’s final goal is reached



Passage 11
Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.
Successful and happy people have a vision of how their life should be and they set lots of goals (both short-term and long-range) to help them reach their vision. By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind (her goal) which is laid out for her on a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas and oil. Which driver do you want to be?
Winners in life set goals and follow them. Winners decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set and they aren’t difficult to reach. It’s up to you to find out what your goals, ideals and visions really are. You are the one who must decide what to pursue and in what direction to aim your life.
Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular fashion you are able to stimulate your subconscious to be continuously alert to situations that will further your goal.
1) The example of two drivers in the second paragraph is cited to show __________.
A. the difficulty of driving without a map
B. the foolishness of the second driver
C. the importance of avoiding wrong turns
D. the significance of setting goals
2) Successful people differ from unsuccessful ones in that __________.
A. the former set goals which are difficult to achieve
B.the latter make unreasonable demands of themselves
C.the former have goals in life and make plans to carry them out
D. the latter set goals and try to get other people to help them
3) According to the writer, what is the most important in the whole process of realizing one’s goal?
A.Trying to be realistic about one’s capabilities.
B. Analyzing problems that may be involved.
C. Having a clear understanding of what one wants in life.
D. Dreaming of a very beautiful future.
4) What is suggested if people want to realize their goals without fail?
A. They should write down their goals.
B. They should sign a contract with other people involved.
C. They should be aware of the difficulties they are faced with.
D. They should discuss with other people about their goals.
5) Which of the following statements is closest to the main idea of the passage?
A. Success is possible only when a person has set his or her goal clearly.
B. Goals enable people to achieve everything they desire in life.
C. Winners of any competition should never be satisfied with themselves.
D. Goals must be realistic and within the realm of possibility.



Passage 12

The mayor of a small town invited a wise man to dinner. The town’s economy was bad and the local people were disappointed. They wanted this wise man to give them some help.
During his speech, the wise man took a large piece of white paper and made a small black dot in the centre of it with a marker pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw.
One person quickly replied, “I see a black dot.”?????
“Okay, what else do you see?”
Others joined in agreement, “A black dot.”
“Don’t you see anything besides the dot?” he asked.
“No,” all of them replied.
“What about the piece of paper?” asked the wise man. “I am sure you have all seen it,” he said, “but you have chosen to overlook it.”
“In life, we often overlook many wonderful things that we have, or that happen around us and we only focus on small, dot-like failures and problems. The so-called ‘problems’ that we have are usually like the black dot on the paper. They are small and unimportant if we can look at the whole picture.”
Are you one of the people who focus on dot-like problems?
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The people in the town didn’t believe the wise.
B. The wise man took out a piece of paper to test the people’s eyes.
C. The people in the town were very rich.
D. The people in the town were worried about their economy.
2. According to the wise man, “the black dot” represents ______.
A. problems in life B. things people like
C. people’s lives D. the centre of the paper
3. What did the wise man think according to the passage?
A. The people in the town were foolish.
B. There was something wrong with the people’s eyes.
C. Things were not so bad as the people thought.
D. The town’s economy was in serious trouble.

Passage 13
Daily life can be made happier. It is a matter of choice. It is our attitude that makes us feel happy or unhappy. It is true, we meet all kinds of situations during the day, and some of them may not be?conductive（有好处的）to happiness. We can choose to refuse to think about the unhappy events. If we let outer events influence our moods, we become their slaves. On the other hand, we can free ourselves from outer influences. We can choose to be happy, and we can do a lot to add happiness to our lives.
What is happiness? It is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It is usually experienced when there are no worries, fears or confused thoughts, and this usually happens when we do something we love to do or when we win, gain or achieve something that we value. It seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside,?triggered（触发）by outer events.
For most people happiness seems passing quickly. One of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily?meditation（冥想）. As the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happiness habit.
Here are a few tips for increasing happiness in daily life:
Try hard to change the way you look at things. Always look at the bright side.
Think of solutions, not problems.
Listen to relaxing, uplifting music.
Watch funny comedies that make you laugh.
Each day, devote some time to reading a few pages of an inspiring book or article.
Whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, start thinking of pleasant things.

1. For most people happiness seems passing quickly because _______.
A. they let changing outer circumstances affect them
B. they hope that even greater happiness will come
C. they have no friends to share happiness with them
D. they don’t want to achieve any greater happiness
2. We can learn from the passage that our happiness is _______.
A. that we own a great deal of money?????? ?B. to achieve the goal we have been seeking
C. a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction??D. the feeling that we are admired by others
3. According to the author happiness depends on _______.
A. outer circumstances?????????????????????????????B. our attitude toward it
C. the conditions we have?????????????????????????D. the objective world
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Happiness Is the Goal in Daily Life.??????B. Happiness Exists in Everyone’s Mind.
C. Happiness Can Be Chosen by Us.?????????D. Tips for happiness in Daily Life.

1参考答案：BABA
2参考答案：ACBA
3参考答案：A BAD
4参考答案： ACD
5参考答案 C D A B
6 参考答案： BACBC
7 参考答案1．B　根据第三段中的“I forget to take care of myself...My health suffers and my weight suffers...to take time to exercise every day and make good food and lifestyle choices.”可知，作者是由于自己增肥和感到身体不适才关注身体健康的，故选B项。
2．A　根据文章倒数第二段中的“I'm making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings.”可知，CELEBRATE一词提醒作者要懂得享受生活，故选A项。
3．A　第一段说去年关注的三个词是 “passion”，“focus” 和 “delegate”，通读全文可知，文章主要介绍了作者在2012年所关注的三个重要的词，并不是2012年的目标，故A项正确。
8参考答案：BADDC
9参考答案： ABCBD
10【答案与解释】不少年轻的文学爱好者梦想成为作家。作者以自己的亲身经历告诫他们：“写点东西”与“当作家”是完全不同的两码事，那些成功或出名的作家是通过鲜为人知的艰难跋涉走过来的幸运者。
1. A。主旨题。从第 2 段第 1 句话 The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded 可得到答案。
2. D。主旨题。从文章第 2 段的第 1 句可推知答案为 D。
3. B。语义理解题。从第 3 段第 2 句话 It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat 中便知。
4. D。词义猜测题。从最后一段的最后两句不难猜测出 Shadow land 指的是最终目标得以实现前的那种半信半疑的状态。
11 参考答案：DCACD
12 参考答案：DAC
13 参考答案：ACBD