2014英语二Text 1
What would you do with $590m? This is now a question for Gloria Mackenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged1 from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot2 in history. If she hopes her new-found fortune3 will yield4 lasting feelings of fulfillment, she could do worse than5 read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.宝马m3挑战赛怎么玩
These two academics6 use an array of7 behavioral research to show that the most rewarding8 ways to spend money can be counterintuitive9. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes10. Yet satisfaction11 with these material purchases12 wears off13 fairly quickly. What was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in14. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dumn and Mr. Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.
This slim volume15 is packed with16 tips17 to help wage slaves18 as well as lottery winners get the most “happiness bang for your buck.” It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work19, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping20 two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it). Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries21 are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly22. This is apparently the reason McDonald’s restricts the availability of its popular McRib23—a marketing trick24 that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession25.
Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged26 lot, anxious about fulfillment双环sceo论坛27, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity28 enhances29 the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone wil
l agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating31 more holiday time to reducing tax incentives32 for American homebuyers32. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.
21. According to Dunn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?
国产最好的suv[A] A big house.
[B] A special tour.
[C] A stylish car.
[D] A rich meal.
22. The author’s attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is ________.
[A] critical [B] supportive [C] sympathetic [D] ambiguous33
23. Macrib is mentioned in paragraph 3 to show that ________.
[A] consumers are sometimes irrational34
[B] popularity35 usually comes after quality
[C] marketing tricks are often effective
[D] rarity36 generally increases pleasure
24. According to the last paragraph, Happy Money ________.
[A] has left much room for readers’ criticism
[B] may prove to be a worthwhile37 purchase
[C] has predicted a wider income gap in the US
[D] may give its readers a sense of achievement38
奢华汽车
25. This text mainly discusses how to ________.
[A] balance feeling good and spending money
[B] spend large sums of money39 won in lotteries
[C] obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent
[D] become more reasonable本田思域 汽车之家40 in spending on luxuries
【干货笔记】
1. emerge v. 出现；浮现
emergence n. 出现；浮现
2. undivided lottery jackpot 头奖
3. fortune n. 财富；命运；运气
4. yield v. 屈服；生产；获利
n. 投资收益；生产量
yield lasting feelings of fulfillment 产生持久的满足感
5. do worse than … 不妨试试 …
6. academic adj. 学术的; 理论的; 学院的
n. 学者; 大学生, 大学教师
7. an array of … 一组…
9. counterintuitive adj. 违反直觉的
intuitively adv. 直觉地；直观地
10. ① visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes 幻想着豪华的汽车和奢华的房子
② fancy n. 想象力
fanciful adj. 幻想的；奇异的
③ myth n. 神话
mythical adj. 神话(式)的；幻想出来的
④ extravagant adj. 奢侈的，奢华的
11. satisfy v. 满足，使满意
be satisfied with … 对...满意 （= be content with …）
satisfaction n. 满意; 满意度
job satisfaction 工作满意度
12. material purchases 物质购买
13. wear off 磨损
14. creep in 悄然而至
15. this slim volume 这本薄薄的书
【数量】
① number n. 数量
② amount n. 数量
③ quantity n. 数量
④ volume n. 量，总量；音量；体积；容量；(书的)卷，册
16. be packed with 挤满
17. tip n. 小费；尖端；小建议，小窍门
18. slave n. 奴隶
19. shorten their commutes to work 缩短他们上下班的路程
commute n. 通勤
20. whopping adj. 巨大的
21. luxury n. 奢侈，豪华；奢侈品
22. sparingly adv. 节俭地；保守地
23. restricts the availability of its popular McRib 限制了其广受欢迎的烤汁猪扒堡的供应
24. a marketing trick 种营销技巧摩托车驾照考什么
25. an object of obsession 迷恋的对象
26. privileged adj. 享有特权的; 特许的
27. fulfillment n. 满足；完成；履行
28.【缺乏，稀少，稀缺】
① scarcity n. 不足，缺乏；稀少，稀缺性
② rare adj. 稀有的，罕见的
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