Americans gave nearly $300 billion away last year. Do you know the reason? Beyond the noble goals of helping others, it is that giving will make them happier. It is a fact that givers are happier people than non-givers. According to the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, a survey of 30,000 American households, people who give money to charity are 43% more likely than non-givers to say they are "very happy" about their lives. Similarly, volunteers are 42% more likely to be very happy then non-volunteers. The happiness difference between givers and non-givers is not due to differences in their personal characteristics, such as income or religion. Imagine two people who are identical in terms of income and faith, as well as age, education, politics, sex, and family circumstances, but one donates money and volunteers, while the other does not. The giver will be, on average, over 40 percentage points more likely to be very happy than the non-givers. A number of studies have researched exactly why charity leads to happiness. The surprising conclusion is that giving affects our brain chemistry. For example, people who give often report feelings of euphoria, which psychologists have referred to as the "Helper's High". They believe that charitable activity produces a very mild version of the sensations people get from drugs like morphine and heroin. Of course, not only does giving increase our happiness, but also our happiness increases the possibility that we will give. Everyone prefers to give more when they are happy. Researchers have investigated this by conducting experiments in which people are asked about their happiness before and after they participate in a charitable activity, such as volunteering to help children or serving meals to the poor. The result is clear that giving has a strong, positive causal impact on our happiness, so does happiness on giving If a person feels happy, he may _ . A) ask for more donations B) stop charitable activity C) be likely to give more D) cook food for the poor
C
Matt and his wife lived in the country. Matt was very mean and hated spending money. One day a fair came to the nearby town. They went to the fair and looked at all the things to buy. Matt's wife wanted to buy a hat only costing $28, but was refused. Later on, a comb of $5 attracted her attention, but he would not let her spend any money. Then, in a nearby field, they saw a small airplane. "Fun flight!" the notice said, "$10 for 10 minutes." Matt had never been in an airplane and he wanted to go on a fun flight. However, he didn't want to pay for his wife either. "I've only got $10," he told the pilot. "Can my wife come with me for free?" The pilot wasn't selling many tickets, so he said, "I'll make a bargain with you. If your wife doesn't scream, she can have a free flight." Matt agreed, and got into the small airplane with his wife. The pilot took off and made his airplane do all kinds of things. At one moment it was flying upside down. When the plane landed, the pilot said, "OK, your wife didn't make a sound. She can have her ride free." "Thank you," Matt said, "it wasn't easy for her, you know, especially when she fell out." The passage is intended to _ . A) teach readers a lesson B) attract tourists C) make readers laugh D) praise the couple
C
Q: Children today spend less time outdoors than ever before and it may be harmful not only to their physical health, but also to their cognitive development. A year-long study, recently published in the Sciences, found that elementary school children who were exposed to more green space within or directly outside their school showed improved learning and memory. The findings reinforce that of a recent six-year study on 905 Massachusetts public elementary schools, which found that students in schools that had more "greenness" in their surroundings reported higher scores on standardized testing in English and math. "There is an expanding body of scientific evidence linking the human experience in the natural world to better physical and mental health and improved cognitive abilities," journalist Richard Louv, co-founder of the Children & Nature Network, said in an email to The Huffington Post. "An increasing number of homeschoolers, nature preschools, independent primary and secondary schools, and forward-thinking public schools are incorporating nature experience into learning." The new study was conducted on more than 2,500 children in second, third and fourth grade at 36 primary schools in Barcelona, Spain. Researchers found that the students who attended schools with more green space showed a 5 percent improvement in the short-term memory that's critical for reasoning, learning and comprehension. But their inattentiveness decreased slightly. Spending time outside could have a number of benefits for children beyond improved memory and attention. Another recent study found that adventurous outdoor play such as climbing, rough and tumble play, and exploring alone improves children's physical health while also help them develop creativity and social skills greatly. Some schools are starting to take notice, creating more space for children to enjoy being in nature, including community gardens, outdoor playgrounds and small parks. According to the passage, what can we know about Richard Louv? A) He discourages students from getting close to nature to gain experience. B) He is one of the founders of the Children & Nature Network. C) He conducted the study on 905 Massachusetts public elementary schools. D) He often contributes articles to The Huffington Post.
A: B
Q: The Regional Director of the National Heritage Conservation Commission Kagosi Mwamulowe said the Barotse Plains is unique and it deserves to be on the list of the World Heritage Sites. Mr. Mwamulowe said the Barotse Plains deserves to be included on the World Heritage List because it has a rich cultural heritage which includes the burial sites of former kings. The Director said he hoped that the landscape would be declared as a heritage site next year in June. He also said it was important to protect Zambia's unique culture for education and entertainment. Chief Natural Heritage Officer Muyumbwa Ndiyoi said there will be a lot of benefits when the Barotse Landscape is declared a World Heritage Site because it will attract many tourists and business investments will increase. Mr. Ndiyoi said the site will also benefit young people as knowledge will be passed down from generation to generation. He was reacting to a question from Nalolo District Labour Officer Jason Ngoma who wanted to know how the people of Western Province will benefit once the Barotse Landscape is declared a World Heritage Site. And University of Zambia Lecturer Charles Namate said there is a need for the site to be included on the World Heritage List because 50 years after its independence Zambia only has one heritage site, which is the Victoria Falls. Lecturer Namate said the Barotse Landscape was facing a lot of environmental degradation , and that's why there is a need to recognize the value of its landscape and the memories of dead kings. The National Heritage Conservation Commission together with the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs are in Western Province to hold meetings with Heads of Government Departments. The Commission also held closed-door meetings with the Litunga Lubosi Imwiko II of the Barotse Royal Establishment. In the text, Lecturer Namate expressed his concern about _ . A) the future of the Barotse Plains B) the development of Western Province C) the development of tourism in Zambia D) the environmental problems of the Barotse Plains
A: D