Among rich countries, people in the United States work the longest hours. They work much longer than in Europe. This difference is quite surprising because productivity per hour worked is the same in the United States as it is in France, Spain and Germany, and it is growing at a similar speed.
In most countries and at most times in history, as people have become richer they have chosen to work less. In other words they have decided to “spend”a part of their extra in come on a fuller personal life. Over the last fifty years Europeans have continued this pattern, and hours of work have fallen sharply. But not in the United States. We do not fully know why this is. One reason may be greatly lower taxes in America, which increase the rewards（回报）to work. Another may be more satisfying work, or less satisfying personal lives.
Longer hours do of course increase the GDP（国内生产总值）. So the United States had produced more per worker than, say, France. The United States also has more of its people at work, while in France many more mothers and older workers have decided to stay at home. The overall result is that American GDP per head is 40% higher than in France, even though productivity per hour worked is the same.
it is not clear which of the two situations is better. As we have seen, work has to be compared with other values like family life, which often get lost in its interest. It is too early to explain the different trends（趋势）in happiness over time in different countries. But it is a disappointing idea that in the United States happiness had made no progress since 1975, while it has risen in Europe. Could this have anything to do with trends in the work-life balance（平衡）?
(1)From the text we know that the author ___________.
[ ]
A．believes that longer working hours is better
B．prefers shorter working hours to longer ones
C．says nothing certain about which pattern is better
D．thinks neither of the patterns is good
(2)Which of the following countries had more of its people at work?
[ ]
(3)In the last paragraph, the underlined word“which”refers to _________.
[ ]
(4)What message can we get from the text?
[ ]
A．The GDP of Europe is higher than that of America.
B．Two possible reasons are given for working longer hours in the US.
C．People all over the world choose to work less when they are richer.
D．Americans are happier than Europeans.
(5)Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
[ ]
A．Americans and Europeans
B．Staying at Home
C．Work and Productivity
D．Work and Happiness
科目：高中英语 来源：设计必修二英语北师版 北师版 题型：050
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Zinc(锌) is one of about 20 elements necessary for good health. It is present in the body in a very small amount but makes it possible for important chemical actions to be carried out in cells. Scientists are just beginning to discover how zinc and other elements work.
Researchers first studied zinc as a way to speed recovery. Dr. Waltor Powys formerly with the United States Air Force noted that the laboratory animals recovered faster when some matters were added to their food. One of these matters was zinc. Dr. Powys later tested the zinc treatment on an American airman recovering from medical operations. The airman who received zinc sulphate(硫酸盐) recovered in half of the usual time. Other doctors studied persons who had a number of strange disorders. The doctors learned that all of these problems were caused by lack of zinc in the body. They treated these disorders successfully by giving the patients zinc sulphate.
The amount of zinc in the body can be found by examining blood and hair. A lack of this important element is not uncommon among people in both industrial and developing countries. Zinc is found in most high protein(蛋白质) foods such as meat, milk, fish and eggs. It is also found in whole grains. But many people do not eat enough of these food. Food markets should add these elements so that more people could get needed amount of these necessary matters.
1. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Scientists found how zinc works a long time ago.
B. People need a large amount of zinc to be healthy.
C. Zinc allows important chemical actions to take place in cells.
D. Zinc must be used in the course of medical operation.
2. One of the results from the study of zinc is that _______.
A. there’s only a little zinc in the human body
B. food rich in protein contains more zinc
C. some physical problems are caused by lack of zinc
D. any patient who receives zinc sulphate gets well immediately
3. The best title for the passage may be _______.
A. A New Discovery B. Zinc and Health
C. How Zinc Works D. Add Zinc to Your Food
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年湖北省沙市中学高一下学期第二次周练英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121st birthday.
When it comes to long life, Jeanne Calment is the world’s recordholder. She lived to the ripe old age of 122. So is 122 the upper limit to the human life span（寿命）? If scientists come up with some sort of pill or diet that would slow aging, could we possibly make it to 150－or beyond?
Researchers don’t entirely agree on the answers. “Calment lived to 122, so it wouldn’t surprise me if someone alive today reaches 130 or 135, ”says Jerry Shay at the University of Texas.
Steve Austad at the University of Texas agrees. “People can live much longer than we think, ”he says. “Experts used to say that humans couldn’t live past 110. When Calment blew past that age, they raised the number to 120. So why can’t we go higher? ”
The trouble with guessing how old people can live to be is that it’s all just guessing. “Anyone can make up a number, ”says Rich Miller at the University of Michigan. “Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine. ”
Won’t new anti-aging techniques keep us alive for centuries? Any cure, says Miller, for aging would probably keep most of us kicking until about 120. Researchers are working on treatments that lengthen the life span of mice by 50 percent at most. So, if the average human life span is about 80 years, says Miller, “adding another 50 percent would get you to 120. ”
So what can we conclude from this little disagreement among the researchers? That life span is flexible（有弹性的）, but there is a limit, says George Martin of the University of Washington. “We can get flies to live 50 percent longer, ”he says. “But a fly’s never going to live 150 years. ”Of course, if you became a new species （物种）, one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story, he adds.
Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve （进化）their way to longer life? “It’s pretty cool to think about, ”he says with a smile.
【小题1】 What does the story of Jeanne Calment prove to us?
| A．People can live to 122. |
| B．Old people are creative. |
| C．Women are sporty at 85. |
| D．Women live longer than men. |
| A．the average human life span could be 110 |
| B．scientists cannot find ways to slow aging |
| C．few people can expect to live to over 150 |
| D．researchers are not sure how long people can live |
| A．Jerry Shay. | B．Steve Austad |
| C．Rich Miller | D．George Martin |
| A．Most of us could be good at sports even at 120. |
| B．The average human life span cannot be doubled |
| C．Scientists believe mice are aging at a slower speed than before. |
| D．New techniques could be used to change flies into a new species |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年辽宁沈阳铁路实验中学高一下学期期中考试英语卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
Tourism probably started in Roman times. Rich Romans visited friends and family who were working in another part of the Roman empire. But when the empire broke down, this kind of tourism stopped.
In the early 17th century, the idea of the“Grand Tour”was born. Rich young English people sailed across the English Channel. They visited the most beautiful and important European cities of the time, including Paris in France, and Rome and Venice in Italy. Their tours lasted for two to four years, and the tourists stayed a few weeks or months in each city. The“Grand Tour”was an important part of young people’s education—but only for the rich.
In the 18th century, tourism began to change. For example, people in the UK started to visit some towns, such as Bath to“take the waters”.They believed that the water there was good for their health. So large and expensive hotels were built in these towns.
In the 19th century, travel became much more popular and faster. When the first railways were built in the 1820s,it was easier for people to travel between towns, so they started to go for holidays by the sea. And some started to have holidays in the countryside as cities became larger, noisier and dirtier.
Traveling by sea also became faster and safer when the first steamships were built. People began to travel more to far away countries.
The 20th century saw cars become more and more popular among ordinary people. Planes were made larger, so ticket prices dropped and more people used them.
Thus tourism grew. In 1949, Russian journalist Vladimir Raitz started a company called Horizon Holidays. The company organizes everything—plane tickets, hotel rooms, even food—and tourists pay for it all before they leave home. The package tour and modern tourist industry was born.
The first travel agency in China was set up as early as 1949.But tourism did not take off until 1978.In 2002,the industry was worth 500 billion Yuan and became an important part of China’s social development.
【小题1】In the early times, the travelers ________.
| A．all came from Roman | B．were very young and strong |
| C．had lots of money | D．traveled by boat |
| A．Education | B．Money | C．Transportation | D．People’s ideas |
| A．in 1949 | B．in Roman times |
| C．in the early 17th century | D．in the 19th century |
| A．a plane rising into the air | B．develop very fast |
| C．remove hats and clothes | D．bring down the prices |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2010-2011学年四川省高三第一次月考英语卷 题型：阅读理解
My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it’s Christmas again. They can’t see that we live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren’t much good. But Johnny and children can’t see this. What a pity it is that our neighbours have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we’ve saved isn’t nearly enough.
The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn’t eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer(下水道). Why , is it only because they have money? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn’t there?
Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn’t rich, but she knows things. She understand people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I’d like to see the children will be like Miss Jackson when they grow up.
1. This passage mainly suggests that the writer _______.
A. is easy to get along with
B. is unhappy with the life they are living
C. is good at observing and understanding
D. is never pleased with her neighbours
2.What do you think of McGarity girl?
A. She is proud and hungry. B. She is selfish and cruel.
C. She is lonely and friendless. D. She is unhappy and misunderstood.
3.In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _______.
A. money is the key to everything
B. the more money you have, the less happy you’ll be
C. there is something more important than money
D. when talking to people we should look into their eyes
4. Pick out the one that does NOT describe the writer’s view on money.
A. Why, is it only because they have money?
B. There is more to happiness than money.
C. Miss Jackson isn’t rich, but she knows things.
D. The money we saved isn’t nearly enough.
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互联网违法和不良信息举报平台 | 网上有害信息举报专区 | 电信诈骗举报专区 | 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区 | 涉企侵权举报专区
违法和不良信息举报电话：027-86699610 举报邮箱：58377363@163.com
