Mom was right!If you say thank you,for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness,you'll feel happy. Gratitude ,says Robert A.Emmons,a professor of psychology at the University of California,is an important element of happiness.In his recent book,Thanks!,Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom's point.In acknowledging and developing this muchignored expression of thankfulness,he explains how people have benefited--even improved their health. As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement,he admits gratitude may be difficult to express.He advises you to begin by admitting that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder.Second,recognize that the source of life's goodness is more than just you.That source may be your mom,a friend,partner,child,colleague at work or play,or any combination of these. Gratitude is always otherdirected,notes Emmons.You can be pleased or angry with yourself and feel guilty about doing something wrong,but you can never be grateful to or for yourself. Expressing gratitude shouldn't be a reaction;it should be a state of mind.To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy.To feel grateful in time of crisis--anger,hatred and bitterness--is easier.Also,too many people are aware of life's blessings only after these are lost.The voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals are many. It's crisis and chaos--danger,disease,disability and death--that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others.Yet it's the way each of us begins life and ends it.It's too bad that so many people waste those decades in between labouring under the illusion they are selfsufficient,says Emmons. To enable and embrace gratitude,Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary.He even provides easytofollow directions on how to practise and develop gratitude. I'm not a reader or advocate of selfhelp books,but I am thankful for the reference I... It will be easier for you to feel grateful when _ . A) you live a comfortable life B) you receive gifts on your birthday C) you get help during your hard times D) you are congratulated on your success
C
(Question)
The mobile phone rule is just common polite behavior. Most people today have a mobile phone. In fact, many people can't imagine how they ever get along without them. However, many people also complain about mobile phone users. People complain about other people loudly discussing personal matters in public places. They complain when mobile phones ring in movie theaters and concert halls. They complain about people driving too slow, and paying no attention to where they are going because they are talking on a mobile phone. And they complain about people walking around talking to people who aren't there. Whenever a new communication technology becomes popular, it changes the way in which society is organized. Society has to invent rules for the polite way to use the new devices . Our rules of politeness for mobile phones are still evolving(;). The mobile phone rule applies to most public places. Always try to have your phone ring as low as possible or put your mobile phone on the vibration mode, so _ does not distract the people around you. The basic mobile phone rule includes: 1. Switch it off: Turn it off when you have meetings, worship, and so on. 2. Be brief: When you get a call and you're with friends, keep the call short. 3. Permission: Often, it is correct and polite behavior to inform others at the beginning of the meeting that you are expecting an important call and get their permission. 4. Be polite: Don't scream -- speak in a lower-than-normal voice. 5. Don't distract: Avoid talking where you may be distracting to others. 6. Driving: It is not only very dangerous, but also unlawful in most countries to drive and talk on your mobile phone. Which of the tips on using mobile phones properly is mentioned in this passage? A) Concentrate on what others say. B) Speak at the top of your voice in order to make yourself heard. C) Always turn off your mobile phones. D) Had better not distract others.
(Answer)
D
Ques: While small may be beautiful, tall is just plain uncomfortable it seems, particularly when it comes to staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. The Tall Persons Club Great Britain (TPCGB), which was formed six months ago to campaign for the needs of the tall, has turned its attention to hotels and restaurants. Beds that are too small, shower heads that are too low, and restaurant tables with hardly any leg-room all make life difficult for those of above average height, it says. But it is not just the extra-tall whose needs are not being met. The average height of the population has been increasing yet the standard size of beds, doorways, and chairs has remained unchanged. "The bedding industry says a bed should be six inches larger than the person using it, so even a king-size bed at 6'6'' (6 feet and 6 inches) is falling short for 25% of men, while the standard 6'3'' bed caters for less than half of the male population." Said TPCGB president Phil Heinricy, "seven-foot beds would work fine." Similarly, restaurant tables can cause no end of problems. Small tables, which mean the long-legged have to sit a foot or so away from them, are enough to make tall customers go elsewhere. Some have already taken note, however. At Queens Moat Houses' Caledoman Hotel in Edinburgh, 6'6''beds are now put in as standard after requests for longer beds from taller visitors, particularly Americans. What is the purpose of the TPCGB campaign? A) To provide better services. B) To rebuild hotels and restaurants. C) To draw public attention to the needs of the tall. D) To attract more people to become its members.
Ans: C
Ques: What Is Self-tracking All about Have you ever monitored something about yourself? Perhaps you've tracked how many kilometers you've run, how many hours you've slept or how many calories you've eaten in a day. If so, you've taken part in a movement called the "Quantified Self Movement." Individuals gather information about their daily activities in this popular movement, also called self-tracking. This may sound difficult, but technology is making the process easier. Perhaps you've wanted to change a bad habit but couldn't. Self-tracking may be your answer. The idea is to take information about your everyday activities and analyze them to help form a healthier lifestyle. Recently, tools such as smartphones, journals and apps, along with newly published wearable things, are making self-tracking extremely easy. Today, one can use Fitbit, the Jawbone Up, Google Glass or a smart watch to record personal data including sleeping hours, stress levels, heart rate and mood. So why does a person self-track? Someone may be trying to lose weight or improve their sleep patterns. Another person feels tired after eating. Self-tracking could help him to know what foods make him sleepy and watch his diet. Monitoring daily activities isn't a new concept. In years past, athletes and their coaches kept notes detailing nutrition, training and sleep patterns in order to achieve an athletic goal. Similarly, doctors have also helped patients to record parts of their lifestyles and eating habits to help fight allergies, headaches and other health problems. However, it wasn't until 2007 that magazine editors Gary Wolf and Kim Kelly, who started tracking every move they made, coined the term "Quantified Self." Wolf says that the new tools will change our sense of self with the purpose of making us more effective in the world. Although self-tracking has many advantages, Dennis Nash, president of Data Speaks Health Solutions, says self-tracking has its drawbacks. Once people start tracking their daily activities, it can become an addition... You can find this article in the part of _ . A) Education B) Entertainment C) Health D) News
Ans:
C