For many in the United States, Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population. Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine, many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds.
Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800’s when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as “Amreeka”.
Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves. The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924.The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian, and some Egyptian immigrants. These new immigrants, who were mostly Christian, came to America in search of better opportunities. Even the doomed Titanic, which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard. The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants; they are the third or more generation Americans.
The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East. This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims（穆斯林）and continues to this day.
Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States, according to demographers. And quite different from popular belief, 64 percent of them are American-born. Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens.
Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income. Education is important among Arab-Americans; 82 percent have high school diplomas, 36 percent have bachelor’s degrees or higher, and 15 percent have graduate degrees. The-median（中位数的）average income among Arab-Americans is $39,580, which is higher than the US average.
【小题1】The first wave of immigrants took place because__________.

A saint (圣人) found a group of family members shouting angrily at each other on a river bank. He asked his disciples(信徒), “  1  do people shout when they are angry with each other?” The disciples 2  for a while and one of them said, “Because they lose their calm.”

“But why should they shout when the other persons are just 3  them? They can tell them what they have to say in a  4  manner.” Asked the saint.

The disciples gave some other answers but  5 made the saint pleased. Finally the saint  6  , “When two people are angry with each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout in order to  7 each other. The angrier they are, the 8 they will have to shout to cover that great distance. What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very close. The distance 9 them is very small or doesn’t exist(存在).”

The saint looked at his disciples and continued, “So when you argue with other people, do not say words that distance each other, or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the  10  to return.

1.                A．What          B．When          C．Where   D．Why

2.                A．thought        B．laughed         C．cried D．rested

3.                A．far from        B．next to         C．across from    D．in the front of

4.                A．hard           B．lively           C．soft  D．bad

5.                A．everyone       B．anyone         C．someone D．none

6.                A．explained       B．answered       C．replied   D．asked

7.                A．see            B．watch          C．hear D．listen to

8.                A．softer          B．louder          C．larger    D．higher

9.                A．by             B．near           C．among   D．between

10.               A．way           B．answer         C．home D．person

In a US study, researchers measured (测量) the happiness of 4739 people over 20 years. The study found that a person’s happiness depends on the happiness of people he connects with. Surprisingly, it also found that happiness spreads not only between direct friends, but also among friends of your friends’ friends! And those good feelings seem to have the greatest influence among friends of the same sex (性别).
“People with more good friends are less likely to develop depression (情绪低落) and worry,” says Dr. Toupey Luft. “Though you can’t choose your family or workmates, you do have control over friendships.” With a little effort, you can add more positive (正面的,积极的) relationships to your social circle. Here’re the suggestions:
“Nobody is all positive or all negative,” says Luft. “But there are people you may feel more positive. Use that as your way to check people and keep records.” When spending time with others, pay attention to your feeling. Are you feeling tired and unhappy？To help you keep records, Luft suggests taking a moment when you get home to write down what your feeling is when around them.
While it’s great to gather with positive friends, it’s also good to stay with others in the same life situations. “But if you’re all just complaining (抱怨) and nothing is changing, it’s not healthy,” says Luft. Are your friends negative, or are you doing most of the complaining? Considering the answers to these questions can help you decide if you want to stand in front of them. Or you could let the relationship disappear slowly.
Sometimes your hobbies can lead to true friendships. Check out newspapers and websites to find a group or class for something you enjoy. These friends can always be there for you and can care each other through difficulties, illness and death.
Not into groups? Look for individual (个人的) communication instead. Luft says, “Set small goals, such as having coffee with one new person, and develop friendship according to a plan. If someone suggests going for lunch sometime, set a date.”
“If you’re feeling disappointed (失望) with a friend, try talking about what you both need,” says Luft. For example, tell her what you want during hard times in your lives. While your friend may need to be left alone, you may want caring phone calls. With some friends you laugh and have fun together at the movies—and that can be enough. With others, you pay attention to your deep connection.
【小题1】What does your happiness depend on, according to the passage?