八年级英语阅读新文章(2016.01)

Happiness: what’s the big deal?

Have you ever noticed how much people talk about happiness? People are always giving out advice on how to be happier. And many scientific studies have different opinions on what it means to be happy.

Joseph Mercola, a US physician, found that healthy habits could lead to a happier lifestyle (生活方式). He found happier people eat right, exercise and get better sleep. His research found that a positive lifestyle could strengthen your immune system and prevent heart disease.

Professor Sir Richard Peto, Oxford University, found the opposite to be true. His new study found happiness has nothing to do with your health or how long you will live.

Researchers at the University of Oxford studied 1 million UK women over 10 years. The women answered questions on their health, happiness, amount of stress and how they felt about their lives.

Unhappy women often had bad health before they were unhappy. This study said that studies in the past were getting the cause and effect (因果关系) confused.

He found unhappy people were no more likely to get sick than happy ones. “Of course people who are ill tend to be unhappier than those who are well,” said Peto, co-author of the study.

On the other hand, a study from Australasian Science said that negative people are actually more careful thinkers than happy people. Experts say there is too much pressure to reach this goal of happiness. In turn (相应地), it makes us less happy. So what do you think it means to be happy?

1. What did Dr Joseph Mercola’s research find?

A. Happier lifestyles led to healthy habits. B. Happier people had the same lifestyle. C. Happier people didn’t get heart disease.

D. A happier lifestyle could mean people are healthier.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about Oxford University’s experiment?

A. Professor Sir Richard Peto proved Dr Joseph Mercola’s study is true. B. One million women from several countries took part in the experiment. C. The women answered questions on their health, happiness, stress and feelings. D. Most of the women had bad health before they took part in the experiment. 3. What did the study from Australasian Science say?

A. Unhappy people seldom got sick. B. Bad health made people unhappy.

C. Unhappy people are more careful thinkers than happy ones. D. It’s bad for our health to try to reach the goal of happiness.

- 1 - 八年级英语课外阅读新文章(2016.01)

Effort in the right place

A giant ship’s engine broke. So the ship lost power. The ship’s owners were very worried. They tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure out how to fix the engine.

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was young.

He carried a large bag of tools with him. When he arrived, he immediately went to work. He examined the engine very carefully, from top to bottom.

The ship’s owners were there, watching the man. They hoped he would know what to do.

After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something.

Instantly, the engine started back up. He then carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the ship owners received a bill from the old man for $10,000. “What?!” the owners shouted. “He hardly did anything!”

So they wrote the old man a note saying, “Please send us an itemized (逐条记录的) bill.” The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer…………$2.00. Knowing where to tap…………..$9,998.00.

Effort (努力) is important, but knowing where to put the effort in your life is all the difference. 1. From paragraphs 2-3, we learn that _____.

A. the old man was talented B. the old man was experienced

C. the old man found it easy to fix the engine D. the old man couldn’t find the problem

2. What does the underlined word “examine” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. look for B. look at C. look after D. look over 3. The right order of how the old man fixed the ship is _____.

① He pulled out a small hammer. ② He tapped with a hammer. ③ He checked the engine carefully. ④The engine was fixed. A. ③①②④ B. ①②③④ C. ①③②④ D. ③②①④ 4. The owners felt very _____ when they received the old man’s bill.

A. happy B. surprised C. worried D. upset 5. Why was fixing the engine so expensive?

A. Because the old man asked for too much. B. Because no one else could do the work.

C. Because the engine on the ship was expensive. D. Because the old man knew where to put the effort.

- 2 - 八年级英语课外阅读新文章(2016.01)

How people give gifts on Xmas

Christmas traditions are different from country to country and even family to family. But there’s one thing in common: giving and receiving Christmas presents.

You have probably heard of the happy man called Santa Claus. He is said to bring presents to children on Christmas Day. But first, kids need to let Santa know what they want for Christmas.

In the US, kids can write Santa a letter, nicely asking him for what they want. Then, they send it through the post office addressed to the North Pole. They might even get a letter back from post office workers pretending to be Santa.

In reality, parents buy presents for their kids. So then where will the gifts go? Well, under the Christmas tree of course! Along with gifts, stockings are hung over the fireplace. They are for each family member to get a few small treats (礼物). It is said that if kids have been naughty the past year, they may get coal in their stockings instead of candy.

Sometimes, instead of everyone in a family giving each person a gift, people will do Secret Santa.Before Christmas, everyone picks a piece of paper from a hat. There is a name written on each one. Whoever you pick, you must get them a gift, but it’s a secret! So no one knows who is buying their gift until Christmas Day.

1. What is a common Christmas tradition for different countries and families?

______________________________________________________________________ 2. If kids want gifts from Santa Claus, what do they need to do first?

______________________________________________________________________ 3. Where do kids in the US usually send their letters to Santa Claus?

______________________________________________________________________ 4. Where do people place their Christmas gifts?

______________________________________________________________________ 5. Who will you get a Christmas gift for if you do Secret Santa?

______________________________________________________________________

- 3 - 八年级英语课外阅读新文章(2016.01)

Magician’s best hiding trick ever

A magician (魔术师) was working on a ship in the Caribbean. Every night he put on magic shows. The magician always had a parrot with him. But whenever the magician did a trick, the parrot would give it away.

One time, the magician did a trick with a knife. He played around with it for a few minutes, and then it was gone! “It’s in his pocket. It’s in his pocket,” the parrot said. The people watching the show laughed at him because the parrot gave away his trick.

For the next trick, he waved a dress around, and suddenly it was gone! “It’s up his sleeve (袖子)! It’s up his sleeve!” the parrot said. The magician got mad because he couldn’t keep any of his tricks a secret. The parrot kept giving them away.

One day the ship sank. The magician and the parrot made it to a small island. After a few months on the island, the parrot suddenly cried: “OK, I give up! Where did you hide the ship?”

任务型阅读一篇

When you are away from home for a long time, you start to miss your good old bed, and your good old parents. Believe it or not, you’re feeling homesick (想家的). You can help yourself feel less homesick. Here’s how:

● 1. ________ If you’re going away from home, take your favorite pajamas (睡衣) with you. You can also bring some pictures of the people who you may miss the most. You can look at them any time you want.

● 2. ________ The busier you are, the less time you’ll have to feel homesick. Spend your free time listening to music, playing sports or reading books. Try to join in activities wherever you are.

● 3. ________ You can make a plan for when you’ll call your mom and dad. You can also keep in touch with family and friends by e-mails and text messages.

● 4. ________ Sometimes, telling someone that you’re feeling a little homesick will help you feel better. Maybe you can tell a friend that you feel homesick and the two of you can do something fun together.

1-4. 从A、B、C、D中选择正确的选项作为文章第2~5段的小标题。

A. Keep yourself busy. C. Stay in touch.

B. Tell someone your feelings. D. Bring something familiar with you. B. How to do something fun D. How to miss your home

5. Which is the best title for the passage?

A. How to stay away from home C. How to feel less homesick

- 4 - 八年级英语课外阅读新文章(2016.01)

参

八年级英语课外阅读新文章(2016.01)

Happiness: what’s the big deal?

1-3. DCC

Effort in the right place

1-5. BDABD

How people give gifts on Xmas

1. Giving and receiving Christmas presents.

2. They need let Santa know what they want for Christmas.

3. They send them through the post office addressed to the North Pole. 4. Under the Christmas tree.

5. The one who you pick up his or her name from a hat.

任务型阅读一篇

1-5. DACBC

- 5 - 八年级英语课外阅读新文章(2016.01)