Part II Reading Comprehension (40 points)

　　Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.

　　Passage One

　　Ask a mom if she's happier now that she has a child, and she'll usually say yes. But psychologists who study happiness often report a different picture. Being the mom of a young child (especially one under 3) is rewarding, but also a real strain on your mood. "Moment to moment, you may be tired and sometimes angry, though kids do bring joy" says Peter Ubel, M.D., a professor of medicine and psychology at the University of Michigan. In fact, on their list of enjoyable activities, moms rank childcare lower than eating, exercising, or watching TV, according to a University of Michigan study, and kid care rates only slightly higher than housework, working, or commuting!

　　One reason for the difference between moms and experts: selective memory. When psychologists ask moms in a general way if they like spending time with their kids, the overwhelming majority say they do because they're thinking of fun activities like reading a book or playing in the park. When they're specifically asked to describe their actual daily routine, they remember the hours they spent struggling to get their child dressed or ready for bed.

　　Maybe, though, the psychologists are missing the intensity of joy that time spent with your child can bring. Luckily, those moments can overcome your daily frustrations. "Happiness is more than just that smiley feeling," says Karen Reivich, Ph.D., a research associate in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. "It's also feeling a connection to something larger than yourself. When people are in service to something bigger, they describe their lives as filled with meaning."

　　16. Which of the following best summarizes Peter Ubel’s opinion of being the mom of a young child?

　　A. It makes the mom exhausted.

　　B. It is both rewarding and stressful.

　　C. It makes the mom easily irritated.

　　D. It is quite frustrating an experience.

　　17. According to a University of Michigan study, which of the following ranks higher than childcare on moms’ list of enjoyable activities?

　　A. eating, housework or commuting

　　B. eating, exercising or watching TV

　　C. exercising, housework or watching TV

　　D. exercising, commuting or watching TV

　　18. What does the underlined phrase selective memory in the third paragraph mean?

　　A. Moms often tend to remember only the happy moments with their children.

　　B. Moms often tend to remember only the hours they spent taking care of their children.

　　C. Experts tend to remember only the happy moments the moms spend with their children.

　　D. Experts tend to remember only the hours the moms spend with their children.

　　19. According to Karen Reivich, how do the moms’ moments of intense joy compare with their daily frustrations?

　　A. Those moments make them feel more excited.

　　B. Those moments make them feel more relaxed.

　　C. Those moments can overcome their daily frustrations.

　　D. Those moments can do nothing about their daily frustrations.

　　20. From the last sentence of the passage we can infer that__________.

　　A. Moms have only the smiley feeling about childcare.

　　B. Moms feel frustrated at taking care of their children.

　　C. Moms enjoy doing housework as a part of their childcare.

　　D. Moms regard childcare as a meaningful part of their lives.