The Happiest Cities On Earth

If you’re looking for a cheery destination for your next vacation, consider these four spots and get ready to take notes on how to really live the good life.

Singapore

    With one of the highest population densities（密度）in the world and residents known for being workaholics, it’s hard to imagine the city-state of Singapore having one of the happiest populations on earth. And yet in a recent survey, 95% of them said they were either very happy or quite happy.

They give their city high marks for cleanliness and safety—subways are pristine (洁净的) and unfailingly arrive on time, and police are seen as helpful and good at their jobs. What’s more, they feel they can count on their neighbours—all 5.1 million of them.

Arhus, Denmark

The residents of Arhus cheerfully part with 68% of their income in taxes, knowing that in return they will be guaranteed free healthcare, free daycare, and a top-notch (第一流的) education for their children.

An energetic city of 300,000 with a lively cultural scene and a diverse number of religions represented, the sense of equality (the range in incomes is narrow), as well as easy access to the nearby sea and surrounding countryside, make Arhus seem more like a small town.

San Luis Obispo, CA

According to a 2008 Gallup-Healthways study, people who live in San Luis Obispo are more likely than residents of other U.S. cities to smile and experience joy and are less likely to experience pain or depression. About 64,000 of the 260,000 people in the greater metropolitan area (都市区), located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, volunteer at over 11,000 non-profit organizations.

Few journeys to work are longer than 10 minutes (one reason its members rank in the upper third for job satisfaction), so “it’s easy to be involved,” resident Pierre Rademaker said. Business signs are unobtrusive (不显眼的) by law, fewer than 11% of residents smoke—the lower rate in the U.S.—there are lots of bike lanes, and the city’s plaza draws crowds of people for free concerts on summer Fridays. What’s not to love?

Monterrey, Mexico

The people of Monterrey don’t enjoy high household incomes or access to good healthcare. Instead, there’s a profound sense of gratitude for the new political freedom enjoyed since the oppressive Institutional Revolutionary Party lost power in 2000—the first time in nearly a century—as well as an emphasis on social life over work.

Another reason Monterrey residents may be so happy is their faith in God and family, and their ability to tough it out through bad times.

“We laugh at sickness, poverty and even death,” says Basanez, a political scientist who lives in Monterrey. “We even have a holiday to celebrate death. November 2, the Day of the Dead, is one of the biggest holidays of the year.”

1.According to the passage, what do the residents in the four cities have in common?

A. All the residents can make great fortunes by working hard.

B. The residents there are mostly educators. 

C. All the residents enjoy enough material wealth.

D. The majority of the residents are satisfied with their current life.

2.According to the passage, we can infer that _______.

A. the people of Singapore expect their neighbours to come to their help when necessary

B. the people of Monterrey even observe one’s death on a special day of a year

C. the residents of Arhus happily pay 68% of their income for their children’s education fee

D. the people who live in San Luis Obispo have job satisfaction because they can enjoy good working conditions

3.According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A. The people of Monterrey didn’t enjoy political freedom until 2000.

B. The residents in Singapore feel happy because of its low population density.

C. The people of San Luis Obispo can enjoy free concerts in summer.

D. Arhus is handy to the seaside and countryside.

4.What can we learn from the underlined part “the sense of equality”?

A. The residents of Arhus have no racial discrimination.

B. Arhus is considered as a family sharing everything with each other.

C. There is no wide gap between the rich and the poor in Arhus.

D. The residents of Arhus can depend on their neighbours to help.

 

People in Shanghai can quench their thirst with high quality water if the Shanghai Water Authority (SWA) is able to make good on its word. It has vowed to make the city’s water match its status as a world class city.

   “The current tap water quality meets national standards, but, compared with that of the European Union and the United States, it still needs to be improved.” said the SWA’s director general, Hang Jiayi.

    In other developed countries, water fountains can be found almost everywhere—people do not bother with bottled drinking water.

    By 2020, the water of the Huangpu River will be treated to reduce the amount of organic waste in it. Major water works that draw water from the Huangpu will need more treatment facilities to improve the colour, texture, ammonia(氨)and nitrogen content before 2010.

    These treatment facilities are expected to cost 4 billion yuan, something that could affect the price of water, according to Chen Yin, SWA’s deputy director general.

    Chen said that replacing water pipes was also a key project. The city’s aged pipes are mostly to blame for the bad water quality.

    The SWA has started the water facilities renovation(更新)work, including the more than 14,000 kilometres of indoor piping, 107,000 tanks on top of the buildings, and more than 6,000 underground facilities.

    World Water Day came on March 22, and this year’s theme is “Water for the future”. Beijing is also drawing up plans during China’s Water Week, which runs until March 28.

    By 2010, the water for the Shanghai EXPO is to be above World Health Organization standards. And, the people of Beijing will be able to drink their tap water as well.

People in Shanghai can drink their tap water_____.

   A. by 2020       B. in the first half of this year     C. by 2010      D. by 2008

What step need not be taken in order to improve the tap water?

A. The water of the Huangpu River will be treated.    B. Aged water pipes will be treated.

C. Water facilities must be renovated.                   D. Water fountains must be found.

Which is the correct statement according to the passage?

A. The tap water quality in Shanghai hasn’t met national standards.

B. World Water Day fell on March 22 this year.

C. The people of Beijing cannot drink their tap water now.

D. The treatment of the water of Huangpu River has been finished.

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The cost of treating the tap water.

B. How to reach the water standards of developed countries.

C. The project for making tap water drinkable in Shanghai and Beijing.

D. The progress of treating the water of Huangpu River.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

D

People in Shanghai can quench their thirst with high quality water if the Shanghai Water Authority (SWA) is able to make good on its word. It has vowed to make the city’s water match its status as a world class city.

   “The current tap water quality meets national standards, but, compared with that of the European Union and the United States, it still needs to be improved.” said the SWA’s director general, Hang Jiayi.

    In other developed countries, water fountains can be found almost everywhere—people do not bother with bottled drinking water.

    By 2020, the water of the Huangpu River will be treated to reduce the amount of organic waste in it. Major water works that draw water from the Huangpu will need more treatment facilities to improve the colour, texture, ammonia(氨)and nitrogen content before 2010.

    These treatment facilities are expected to cost 4 billion yuan, something that could affect the price of water, according to Chen Yin, SWA’s deputy director general.

    Chen said that replacing water pipes was also a key project. The city’s aged pipes are mostly to blame for the bad water quality.

    The SWA has started the water facilities renovation(更新)work, including the more than 14,000 kilometres of indoor piping, 107,000 tanks on top of the buildings, and more than 6,000 underground facilities.

    World Water Day came on March 22, and this year’s theme is “Water for the future”. Beijing is also drawing up plans during China’s Water Week, which runs until March 28.

    By 2010, the water for the Shanghai EXPO is to be above World Health Organization standards. And, the people of Beijing will be able to drink their tap water as well.

People in Shanghai can drink their tap water_____.

   A. by 2020       B. in the first half of this year     C. by 2010      D. by 2008

What step need not be taken in order to improve the tap water?

A. The water of the Huangpu River will be treated.    B. Aged water pipes will be treated.

C. Water facilities must be renovated.                   D. Water fountains must be found.

Which is the correct statement according to the passage?

A. The tap water quality in Shanghai hasn’t met national standards.

B. World Water Day fell on March 22 this year.

C. The people of Beijing cannot drink their tap water now.

D. The treatment of the water of Huangpu River has been finished.

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The cost of treating the tap water.

B. How to reach the water standards of developed countries.

C. The project for making tap water drinkable in Shanghai and Beijing.

D. The progress of treating the water of Huangpu River.

People in Shanghai can quench their thirst with high quality water if the Shanghai Water Authority (SWA) is able to make good on its word. It has vowed to make the city’s water match its status as a world class city.

   “The current tap water quality meets national standards, but, compared with that of the European Union and the United States, it still needs to be improved.” said the SWA’s director general, Hang Jiayi.

    In other developed countries, water fountains can be found almost everywhere—people do not bother with bottled drinking water.

    By 2020, the water of the Huangpu River will be treated to reduce the amount of organic waste in it. Major water works that draw water from the Huangpu will need more treatment facilities to improve the colour, texture, ammonia(氨)and nitrogen content before 2010.

    These treatment facilities are expected to cost 4 billion yuan, something that could affect the price of water, according to Chen Yin, SWA’s deputy director general.

    Chen said that replacing water pipes was also a key project. The city’s aged pipes are mostly to blame for the bad water quality.

    The SWA has started the water facilities renovation(更新)work, including the more than 14,000 kilometres of indoor piping, 107,000 tanks on top of the buildings, and more than 6,000 underground facilities.

    World Water Day came on March 22, and this year’s theme is “Water for the future”. Beijing is also drawing up plans during China’s Water Week, which runs until March 28.

    By 2010, the water for the Shanghai EXPO is to be above World Health Organization standards. And, the people of Beijing will be able to drink their tap water as well.

People in Shanghai can drink their tap water_____.

   A. by 2020       B. in the first half of this year     C. by 2010      D. by 2008

What step need not be taken in order to improve the tap water?

A. The water of the Huangpu River will be treated.    B. Aged water pipes will be treated.

C. Water facilities must be renovated.                   D. Water fountains must be found.

Which is the correct statement according to the passage?

A. The tap water quality in Shanghai hasn’t met national standards.

B. World Water Day fell on March 22 this year.

C. The people of Beijing cannot drink their tap water now.

D. The treatment of the water of Huangpu River has been finished.

What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The cost of treating the tap water.

B. How to reach the water standards of developed countries.

C. The project for making tap water drinkable in Shanghai and Beijing.

D. The progress of treating the water of Huangpu River.

BC Social Report, August 14, 2010

    Scandinavians may spend a lot of the winter in darkness but they are the happiest people in Europe, according to a study showed this month. Countries like Denmark and Finland scored highest on the study of happiness in Europe carried out by Cambridge University, which also found that the sunny southern countries of Italy, Portugal and Greece got the least joy out of  life.

    The survey entitled:  "No Man is an Island" showed that countries where people enjoy time with friends and family, have trust in government and national institutions were more likely to be happy than those living in a sunny climate. The study rated respondent on their overall sense of happiness and life satisfaction on a scale of one to 10.

    Danes (丹麦人)--who expressed a high level of trust in their politicians and public institutions--came top of the field at 8.3. Italians--who reported lower levels of satisfaction with their national quality of government--came last at 6.49.' "Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany and France report the lowest levels of happiness while the Scandinavian Countries, Netherlands and Luxembourg report the highest," the study said.

    Although Europeans are generally four times wealthier than their fathers and grandfathers, their levels of happiness are either equal to or lower than 40 years ago. The study also looked at factors contributing to happiness within countries and surprisingly found that an interest in politics actually increased happiness.

    Lead researcher Luisa Corrado said tax cuts and throwing money at social problems appeared to have no effect on the happiness of citizens when compared with government policies which strengthened and supported wider social networks.  "People are less naive ( 质朴的) than one would expect, politicians need to adapted their policies and target specific problems in specific areas," she said.

1. According to the passage, we can know        .

    A. Scandinavians are the happiest people in the world

    B. the research is carried out by Oxford University

    C. the people of the northern countries are much happier

    D. Italians expressed their trust in politics and institutions

2.Which of the following factors increases happiness?

    A. Interest in polities      B. Wealth       C. Health        D. Websites.    

3.The underlined word "scale" in the second paragraph means                  

    A. sense                B. life          C. report         D. range

4. What's the writer's attitude to the study?

    A. Subjunctive.          B. Objective.     C. Pessimistic.    D: Optimistic.

5.In what column may readers probably read the passage?

    A. Lifestyle.           B. Amusement.         C. Politics.         D. Health and Happiness.