There is a Web site called the "World Database of Happiness." It combines and analyzes the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life satisfaction. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are surprising. The database makes it clear that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general contentment. It is a cliche to say that money can't buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be supported by research. Many people still cling to the belief that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably mistaken. Studies have been carried out on people who acquired sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had worn off, people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they tended to revert to the way they felt before they became rich. Previously contented people continue to be contented, while those who were miserable before sink back into misery. If material wealth does not bring happiness, then what does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with where you live. The authorities at the World Database on Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different countries. Apparently, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy. Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships in particular seem to be the key to long-term contentment. The Web site suggests that falling in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness. Nowadays people look to technology as an alternative source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet rather than spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the Web site's research is accurate, time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money. What is the best title of the passage? A) Love or money? B) Love and technology C) Material wealth can guarantee happiness D) Studies on sudden wealth
A
(Question)
My younger sister Sandy was born on May 30 in Hum t County California. She grew up there in her early years and together we moved to Southern California, and then my parents moved back to Hum t County and this was where Sandy finished primary school and high school. She took her art classes at College of the Redwoods and she became an artist, along with our mother Bea East. I lived with her. She painted paintings of the Pacific Ocean and the forest. Their paintings were hung in the art galleries and in the banks and they were sold to people as far as Los Angeles. We called our business Wood Creations. We would go out to the forest and cut down the trees to make wood planters out of them. They were very creative and very beautiful with the plants growing out of them. Our business lasted for two years, and I moved away to Santa Rosa and time moved on very fast. Sandy came to live with us in Santa Rosa and together we were going to school to become grocery clerks. She soon moved back to the country and she married and had two children, first Johnny and then Cheri, who was born from another marriage and they moved to Queen City, Missouri. Last year, I was able to go and visit with Sandy, when I first heard that she had cancer. My oldest sister and came to be with Sandy. Also my sister Judi and her two daughters came to be with us. We all rented a room in Kirksville, Missouri at the Days Inn. We all prayed together, and the time we spent together was priceless. This is the precious memories that I keep in my heart. Sandy is now unconscious. She will no longer be in all the pain and she will be in heaven watching over us. God bless you Sandy, rest in the arms of, Jesus. The author and Sandy went to the forest to _ . A) have a relaxed holiday B) make the wood planters C) paint the pictures of the forest D) plant the young trees they liked
(Answer)
B
Ques: Worms,antis,and flowers live in soil.Fish,crabs,and seaweeds live in oceans.Birds,insects,and moss live in trees.soil,oceans,and trees are habitatsplaces where animals and plants live .Besides offering food and shelter, habitats allow for growth and reproduction. Humans, however,have destroyed many habitats.We change forests into parking lots. We turn grasslands into neighborhoods.We turn beach land into resorts.We turn 0ceans into chemical dumps.Some plants and animals adapt and survive.Others,however die.The changes are too much,too fast.Sometimes the death rate becomes greater than the birth rate.then the extinction occurs.An example of this happened on Florida's east coast,the habitat of the dusky seaside sparrow.This habitat changed suddenly as land was developed. And the sparrows were not able to adapt. More sparrows died than were born. In 1987 the dusky seaside sparrow became extinct.None exist in the world today. Fortunately,conservation efforts are underway.Many states have set aside land for nature preserves. Here,plants and animals live in their natural habitats.Some states have created man-made habitats .Artificial reefs,for example,have been put in ocean waters. The artificial reefs are habitats for hundreds of fish and other marine life.In 1970 the federal government passed a law to protect habitats.'Ibis~that the efforts of development must be studied.A highway,dam,or power plant may not be built if plants and animals,endangered.We were too late to save the dusky sparrow.Hopefully,however,these new efforts will save other plants and animals. The worst that can happen when habitats are destroyed is that plants and animals A) live in their natural habitats B) become extinct C) adapt and survive D) move to new habitats
Ans: B
An endangered deer with vampire-like fangs was spotted for the first time in nearly 60 years, in a remote forest in northeastern Afghanistan. The fanged creature is known as the Kashmir musk deer, and it is native to the Himalayas of northern India, Pakistan's Kashmir region and northern Afghanistan. Only the male deer have fangs, and they use them during mating season to compete for females. A team of researchers scoured Afghanistan's Nuristan province during 2008 and 2009, and recorded five sightings of the animal. This was the first time the species had been spotted since 1948. During the survey, the researchers spotted a single male Kashmir musk deer near the same area three separate times. The researchers also recorded one female and her baby, and saw a second single female that they think may have been the same deer, without her baby. These musk deer are classified as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Musk-deer meat is a local delicacy, but the species is mostly hunted for its scent glands that are more valuable by weight than gold -- some believe the glands have pharmaceutical properties, and they sell for nearly $20,455 per pound ($45,000 per kilogram) on the black market, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Three decades of war have ravaged Nuristan province, and the continued violence and political instability make the black-market trade of scent glands uncontrollable. Furthermore, the species is quickly losing suitable habitat. All of the musk deer were spotted on sheltered rocky outcrops around 9,843 feet (3,000 meters) high. In the summer, they regularly trek along steep slopes that make them almost impossible to approach and keep them ly safe from hunters. However, heavy snowfall in the winter drives the species farther down, to more human-accessible slopes, and hunters come from all over the country to stalk the deer for their valuable scent glands. Due to violence and unrest, nongovernmental... The Wildlife Conservation Society _ . A) has been doing research on the musk deer in this area since 2010 B) has sent a small group of people to search for the musk deer C) is one of the organizations sponsored by governments worldwide D) is making efforts to help and protect this rare species in the area
D