When we think about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, a pinnacle (頂點) of sheer
(純粹的) delight. And those pinnacles seem to get rarer the older we get. 
     1_____ I remember playing police and robbers in the woods, getting a speaking part in the school play.
Of course, kids also experience lows, but their delight at such peaks of pleasure as winning a race or getting
a new bike is unreserved.
     For teenagers, or people under 20 the concept of happiness changes. 2_____ I can still feel the pain of
not being invited to a party that almost everyone else was going to. I also remember the great happiness of
being invited at another event to dance with a very handsome young man.
     In adulthood the things that bring great joy-birth, love, marriage-also bring responsibility and the risk of
loss. 3_____ For Mulls, happiness is complex. 
     4_____ But I think a better definition (定義) of happiness is "the ability to enjoy something". The more
we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from loving and
being loved, the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, even good health.
     While happiness may be more complex for us, the solution is the same as ever. Happiness isn't about
what happens to us; it's the ability to find a positive for every negative (否定), and view a difficulty as a
challenge. 5_____

A. Love may not last; loved ones die.
B. For a child, happiness has a magic quality.
C. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life.
D. Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect.
E. The dictionary defines "happy" as "lucky" or "fortunate".
F. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.
G. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love, and popularity.

                                                Success Is Not a Destination (目的地)
     Should people stop once they have achieved something? No! In life, they are always trying to make
things better or have more of the same success.
     Athletes are constantly striving (努力) to shorten time for races, increase heights or distances.
     The world of medicine has had its series of successes, too. Christian Barnard performed several
successful heart transplants. Other medical experts have achieved organ transplants. Throughout the
ages, mankind has found treatments and cures for cancer and other diseases. A cure for AIDS might
soon be discovered.
     Age does not seem to slow down achievers. Tina Tuner at 54 is still singing in abundance (豐富)
and attracting sell-out crowds wherever she goes.
     Comedian George Burns, in his 90s, wants to perform at Caesar's Palace when he turns 100.
     Success does not belong only to the rich and famous. It should be the goal of everyone. Many
successful people have had humble beginnings.
     Would you believe that actress Michelle Pfeifer of Cat was a supermarket checkout girl?
     At work, we strive for achievement, too. Success may mean organizing a conference more effectively
and efficiently each year. Sometimes, it is not a pat on the back or the promotion that makes it worthwhile.
     Often, it is the inner thrill (一陣激動) and satisfaction of achievement, no matter how small it may be.
     Aiming for success doesn't mean you are greedy or dissatisfied. It is all part of gaining new experiences.
It ultimately (最終) makes you a more interesting and useful person in society.
     The journey to success has its road blocks, discouragement and distractions. It takes great resourcefulness
and achievement to overcome obstacles and setbacks to move on successfully.

1. If an athlete can shorten time in races, he/she _____.

A. is a real success
B. will stop his/her steps forward
C. is always sure to win
D. is the best runner of all

2. The expression "a pat on the back" probably means "_____".

A. patting somebody on the back
B. something important
C. singing somebody's praises
D. anything important

3. Which statement below is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Man now can transplant organs.
B. Man now can cure AIDS.
C. Not all successful people have humble beginnings.
D. Michelle was once a supermarket checkout girl.

4. The writer of the passage agrees to all the ideas EXCEPT that _____.

A. any small success will make us excited
B. organizing a conference is a success
C. aiming for success is to gain new experiences in life
D. the journey to success is not so smooth to make

     Healthy relationships are fun and make you feel good about yourself. The relationships that you make in
your teenage years will be a special part of your life. They will teach you some of the most important lessons
about who you are. This may help you understand different kinds of relationships, what makes each
relationship special, and how to communicate in a positive way.
     What makes a relationship healthy?
     _____: The most important part of any healthy relationship between two people is being able to talk and
listen to each other. You and the other person can find out what your common interests are. You can share
your feelings with the other person and trust that he or she will be there to listen to you and support you. In
healthy relationships, people don't lie. Communication is based on honesty and trust. By listening carefully and
sharing your thoughts and feelings with other people, you show them that they play an important part in your
life.
     Respect and Trust: In healthy relationships, you learn to respect and trust important people in your life.
Disagreements may still happen, but you learn to stay calm and talk about how you feel. Talking calmly helps
you to understand the real reason for not getting along. It makes it much easier to figure out how to deal with
it. In healthy relationships, working through disagreements often makes the relationship stronger. In healthy
relationships, people respect each other for who they are. This includes respecting and listening to yourself and
your feelings so you can set boundaries (設(shè)限) and feel comfortable. You will find that you learn to understand
experiences and feelings of others as well as having them understand your experiences and feelings.

1. To have a healthy relationship, you shouldn't _____.

A. talk and listen to each other
B. have common interests
C. disagree and quarrel with each other
D. take as much as you give

2. When disagreements happen, you need to learn to stay calm because _____.

A. talking calmly helps you to understand the real season for not getting along
B. talking calmly makes it much easier to figure out how to fix them
C. working through disagreements often makes the relationship stronger
D. all of the above

3. What is suitable for the blank of Paragraph 3?

A. Help Your Friends
B. Honesty and Trust
C. Communication and Sharing
D. Do Tell the Truth

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Healthy Relationship
B. How to communicate
C. A Guide for Teens
D. Advice on Healthy Relationship

[1] Many people spend a lot of time making money because they believe the money itself will make them
happy, or will guard them against things that will make them unhappy. They make great efforts to achieve
that perfect relationship, the perfect house, the beautiful body, the approval of others, all in an attempt to
be happy.
[2] Sometimes these things make people happy; other times, people stress over not having reached the goals,
or reach them and find they're still unhappy. Other times, people focus on just one goal and don't have time
for other things that will make them truly happy.
[3] Some experts studying human happiness and the factors that contribute to it have identified several key
areas of life that seem to be more related to personal happiness. Some of them are the things like money,
friends, health and living conditions; others are things you may not think of in your daily life, such as your
neighborhood and sense of meaning in life.
[4] So while setting your goals, remember all of the areas of life that are important to you and find a balanced
lifestyle including social support, personal development, physical health and meaningful pursuits (追求) besides
career success and financial security. _____, your attitude about life and the things that happen to you each
day can also have a great effect on your level of happiness and life satisfaction. In addition to being optimistic,
happy people tend to believe they are the masters of their fate, rather than the victims of circumstance.
[5] Explore the state of your life, assess how truly happy you are, and find a direction to work toward that will
likely bring more happiness. Reach your goals, set new ones and live a life that truly makes you happy.

1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about? (Please answer within 15 words.)
     ______________________________________________________________________
2. Which sentence in the text is closest in meaning to the following one? It's impossible for those that stick
    to one thing only to experience happiness from other things.
    ______________________________________________________________________
3. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words. (Please answer within 5 words.)
    ______________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think money could bring true happiness? Why? (Please answer within 30 words.)
    ______________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 into Chinese.
    ______________________________________________________________________

                                                   A Full-Time School Called Life
     You are enrolled in a full-time school called "life". Each day in this school you will have the opportunity
to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your
curriculum.
     Why are you here? What is your purpose? Humans have sought to discover the meaning of life for a
very long time. What we and our ancestors overlooked, however, is there is no one answer. The meaning
of life is different for every individual.
     Each person has his or her own purpose and distinct path, unique and separate from anyone else's. As
you travel your life path, you will be presented with numerous lessons that you will need to learn in order
to fulfill that purpose. The lessons you are presented with are specific to you; learning these lessons is a
key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and connection of your own life.
     As you travel through your lifetime, you may encounter challenging lessons that others don't have to
face, while others spend years struggling with challenges that you don't need to deal with. You may never
know why you are blessed with a wonderful marriage, while your friends suffer through bitter arguments
and painful divorces, just as you cannot be sure why you struggle financially while your peers enjoy
abundance. The only thing you can count on for certain is that you specifically need to learn; whether we
choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you.
     The challenge here, therefore, is to align (與……保持一致) yourself with your own unique path by
learning individual lessons. This is one of the most difficult challenges you will be faced with in your lifetime,
as sometimes your path will be completely different from others. But, remember, don't compare your path
to the people around you and focus on the difference between their lessons and yours. You need to remember
that you will only be faced with lessons that you are capable of learning and are specific to your own growth.
     Our sense of fairness is the expectation of equity-the assumption that all things are equal and that justice
will always prevail. Life is not, in fact, fair, and you may indeed have a more difficult lift path than others
around you, deserved or not. Everyone's circumstances are unique, and everyone needs to handle his or her
own circumstances differently. If you want to move toward calm, you will be required to move out the
comparing phrase of "it's not fair". Focusing on the unfairness of circumstances keeps you comparing
yourself with others rather than appreciating your own special uniqueness. You miss out on learning your
individual lessons by distracting yourself with feeling of bitterness and anger.

1. According to the passage, how can the meaning of your life be realized?

A. Having the same opinions as others.
B. Taking the distinct path from others.
C. Learning the lessons presented to you.
D. Doing the different things from others.

2. From the passage we can conclude _____.

A. everyone has his own track to follow
B. the same thing usually happen to the peers
C. a painful divorce must lie in financial problems
D. a wealthy man must have a wonderful marriage

3. In your lifetimes, the lessons you are faced with _____.

A. are beyond your power
B. keep you from growth
C. limit your development
D. help you with your success

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A. All things are equal and justice will always prevail.
B. You should learn to appreciate your specific uniqueness.
C. One has to fix his mind on unfairness of circumstances.
D. The teachers have designed the lessons as part of your curriculum in the life school.

5. Life is called a full-time school, because _____.

A. it is full of all lessons to learn
B. you have plenty of time to learn lessons
C. you meet with specific lessons every day
D. there are so many subjects for you to choose

     Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to
choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret.
Can science help?
     Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists
are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make
up your mind.
     Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision-making, but in fact they
are a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain's emotional centre is active. University of
Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasia, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of
their brains, and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasia thinks
this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choice, which we use to help the present
decision-making.
     However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger for
example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers
were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems
that anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.
     All emotions affect our thinking and motivation,so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under
their influence. Yet strangely there is one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American
researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the
best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the
world.

1. What does the underlined word "central" mean?

A. in the middle
B. easy to reach
C. important
D. having power

2. Damasia's study suggests that _____.

A. emotions are the enemy of decision-making.
B. our brain has nothing to do with decision-making.
C. people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds.
D. our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions.

3. According to the text, what may help us make better decisions?

A. To think about happy times.
B. To make many decisions at a time.
C. To stop feeling regretful about the past.
D. To learn about the process of decision-making.

4. Why are angry shoppers more likely to choose the first thing they are offered?

A. They often forget their past choices.
B. They make decisions without much thinking.
C. They tend to save time when shopping.
D. They are too angry to bargain.

5. What do we learn from the text?

A. Emotions are a part of decision-making.
B. Sad people always make worse choices.
C. No emotion seems to help us make good choices.
D. Only sad feelings affect our thinking and motivation.