PartIVTranslation:
Almost30millionAmericansweightatleast20percentmorethantheiridealweight.Infact,theUnitedStateisthemostoverweightcountryinthewild.(PassageThree)
IliveinthelandofDisney,Hollywoodandyear-roundsun.Youmaythinkpeopleinsuchaglamorous,fun-filledplacearehappierthanothers.Ifso,youhavesomemistakenideasaboutthenatureofhappiness.
Manyintelligentpeoplestillequatehappinesswithfun.Thetruthisthatfunandhappinesshavelittleornothingincommon.Funiswhatweexperienceduringanact.Happinessiswhatweexperienceafteranact.Itisadeeper,moreabidingemotion.
Goingtoanamusementparkorballgame,watchingamovieortelevision,arefunactivitiesthathelpusrelax,temporarilyforgetourproblemsandmaybeevenlaugh.Buttheydonotbringhappiness,becausetheirpositiveeffectsendwhenthefunends.
IhaveoftenthoughtthatifHollywoodstarshavearoletoplay,itistoteachusthathappinesshasnothingtodowithfun.Theserich,beautifulindividualshaveconstantaccesstoglamorousparties,fancycars,expensivehomes,everythingthatspells“happiness”.Butinmemoiraftermemoir,celebritiesrevealtheunhappinesshiddenbeneathalltheirfun:depression,alcoholism,drugaddiction,brokenmarriages,troubledchildrenandprofoundloneliness.
Askabachelorwhyheresistsmarriageeventhoughhefindsdatingtobelessandlesssatisfying.Ifhe’shonest,hewilltellyouthatheisafraidofmakingacommitment.Forcommitmentisinfactquitepainful.Thesinglelifeisfilledwithfun,adventureandexcitement.Marriagehassuchmoments,buttheyarenotitsmostdistinguishingfeatures.
Similarly,couplesthatchoosenottohavechildrenaredecidinginfavorofpainlessfunoverpainfulhappiness.Theycandineoutevertheywantandsleepaslateastheywant.Coupleswithinfantchildrenareluckytogetawholenight’ssleeporathree-dayvacation.Idon’tknowanyparentwhowouldchoosethewordfuntodescriberaisingchildren.
Understandingandacceptingthattruehappinesshasnothingtodowithfunisoneofthemostliberatingrealizationswecanevercometo.Itliberatestime:nowwecandevotemorehourstoactivitiesthatcangenuinelyincreaseourhappiness.Itliberatesmoney:buyingthatnewcarorthosefancyclothesthatwilldonothingtoincreaseourhappinessnowseemspointless.Anditliberatesusfromenvy:wenowunderstandthatallthoserichandglamorouspeopleweweresosurearehappybecausetheyarealwayshavingsomuchfunactuallymaynotbehappyatall.
1.Whichofthefollowingistrue?
A.Funcreateslong-lastingsatisfaction.
B.Funprovidesenjoymentwhilepainleadstohappiness.
C.Happinessisenduringwhereasfunisshort-lived.
D.Funthatislong-standingmayleadtohappiness.
2.Totheauthor,Hollywoodstarsallhaveanimportantroletoplaythatisto__.
A.ritememoiraftermemoirabouttheirhappiness.
B.tellthepublicthathappinesshasnothingtodowithfun.
C.teachpeoplehowtoenjoytheirlives.
D.bringhappinesstothepublicinsteadofgoingtoglamorousparties.
3.Intheauthor’sopinion,marriage___.
A.affordsgreaterfun.
B.leadstoraisingchildren.
C.indicatescommitment.
D.endsinpain.
4.Coupleshavinginfantchildren___.
A.areluckysincetheycanhaveawholenight’ssleep.
B.findfunintuckingthemintobedatnight.
C.findmoretimetoplayandjokewiththem.
D.derivehappinessfromtheirendeavor.
5.Ifonegetthemeaningofthetruesenseofhappiness,hewill__.
A.stopplayinggamesandjokingwithothers.
B.makethebestuseofhistimeincreasinghappiness.
C.giveafreehandtomoney.
D.keephimselfwithhisfamily.
Passage3
Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
UnliketheirAmericanorEuropeancounterparts,carsalesmeninJapanworkhardtogetabuyer.Insteadoflyinglazilyaroundshowroomswaitingforcustomerstodropby,manyJapanesecarsalesmenstillgoouttogetthem.Theywalkwearilyalongthestreetscarsdoor-to-door.Newcustomersarehuntedwithfruitandcakesontheirbirthdays.Butlifeisgettingtough,andnotjustbecausenew-carsalesarefalling.
WithmoreJapanesewomen(whooftencontrolthehouseholdbudget)goingouttowork,thesalesmenincreasinglyfindnobodyathomewhentheycall.Thatmeansanothervisitintheeveningortheweekend.Thentheyfaceanextraproblem:morepeople,especiallytheyoung,prefertochooseanewcarfromashowroomwheretheycancomparedifferentmodels.
Evenaslateasthemid-1980ssome90%ofnewcarsweresolddoor-to-door.Insomeruralareasmostnewcarsarestillsoldthisway.Butinthebigcitiesmorethanhalfthenewcarsarenowsoldfromshowrooms.
AlthoughinvestinginshowroomsisexpensivebecauseofthehighcostofJapaneseland,dealershavelittlechoice.AlaborshortageandhigheramongJapan’sworkforcearemakingitdifficulttohiredoor-to-doorsalesmen.MostofaJapanesecarsalesman’sworkingdayisspentdoingfavorsforcustomers,likearranginginsuranceorpickingupvehiclesforservicing,ratherthanactuallyselling.
Japan’sdoorstepcarsalesmenarenotabouttovanish.Thepersonalservicetheyprovideissodeep-rootedinJapanthattheyarelikelytooperatealongsidetheglitteringnewshowrooms.Thetwosystemsevencomplementeachother.Whatincreasinglyhappensisthattheshowroomattractstheinterestofapotentialbuyer,givingthefootsoresalesmenafirmleadtofollowupwithahomevisit.
11.Japanesecarsalesusuallydonotwaitatshowroomsforcustomerstodropby;instead,.
A.theysellcarsdoor-to-door
B.theybuypresentsfortheircustomers
C.theyenjoythemselvesinrecreationcenters
D.theygoouttodomarketresearches
12.Impliedbutstated:thecompetitionincarmarketis.
A.lightB.moderateC.fierceD.unfair
13.Youngpeopleliketobuyanewcar.
A.athomeB.fromashowroom
C.madeintheU.S.A.D.madeinJapan
14.ThesquadronofJapanesecarsalesmenisreducingbecauseof.
A.alaborshortage
B.higherexpectationsamongJapan’sworkforce
C.highcostland
D.bothAandB
15.Japanesecarsalesmentotheircustomersmanyfavorssuchas.
A.showingthemaroundinanexhibition
B.arranginginsurance
C.payingthemavisitonweekends
D.sellingolecarsforthem