In Greek mythology（神話）, the gods punished Sisyphus by forcing him to roll a rock up a steep hill for eternity（來世）. But he was probably better off than if they’d forced him to sit and stare into space until the end of time, conclude the authors of a new study on keeping busy. They found that people who have something to do, even something pointless, are happier than people who sit around.
“The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are too busy doing what they are doing in modern society,” says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. “People are running around, working hard, the way beyond the basic level.” Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, and so on. But, Hsee says, “I think there’s something deeper: We have extra energy and we want to avoid idleness.”
In a study 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one. They were given a choice of either handing in the first survey nearby or at a more distant location they had to walk to. Whichever option they chose, they received a chocolate bar. Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. Two-thirds chose the lazy option. Yet those who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who had stayed put.
But if the chocolate bars offered at the  two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a good and acceptable reason for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to show being busy right or reasonable—to benefit society. “If we can find a way for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive business,” he says. Hsee himself has been known to  give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn’t have anything to do, so he isn’t sitting around the office getting bored and depressed.

1. 1.

   The author starts the passage with the Greek mythology story to ________.

   1. A.
      make it easier to understand the passage
   2. B.
      draw readers’ attention to Greek culture
   3. C.
      show Greek people enjoyed being busy
   4. D.
      bring about the subject of the passage
2. 2.

   According to Hsee, people are busy in modern society because they want to _________.

   1. A.
      make others think they are not lazy
   2. B.
      keep their energy at the basic level
   3. C.
      earn more money to support their family
   4. D.
      avoid the state of having nothing to do
3. 3.

   The underlined phrase “stayed put” in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.

   1. A.
      remained there
   2. B.
      kept occupied
   3. C.
      got around
   4. D.
      stayed awake
4. 4.

   How does Hsee’s assistant probably feel while performing a task?

   1. A.
      Blue.
   2. B.
      Empty.
   3. C.
      Contented.
   4. D.
      Trapped.

_________ in the mountain for more than 2 days, the climbers looked pale and weak.

In Greek mythology（神話）, the gods punished Sisyphus by forcing him to roll a rock up a steep hill for eternity（來世）. But he was probably better off than if they’d forced him to sit and stare into space until the end of time, conclude the authors of a new study on keeping busy. They found that people who have something to do, even something pointless, are happier than people who sit around.
“The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are too busy doing what they are doing in modern society,” says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. “People are running around, working hard, the way beyond the basic level.” Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, and so on. But, Hsee says, “I think there’s something deeper: We have extra energy and we want to avoid idleness.”
In a study 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one. They were given a choice of either handing in the first survey nearby or at a more distant location they had to walk to. Whichever option they chose, they received a chocolate bar. Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. Two-thirds chose the lazy option. Yet those who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who had stayed put.
But if the chocolate bars offered at the  two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a good and acceptable reason for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to show being busy right or reasonable—to benefit society. “If we can find a way for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive business,” he says. Hsee himself has been known to  give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn’t have anything to do, so he isn’t sitting around the office getting bored and depressed.
【小題1】The author starts the passage with the Greek mythology story to ________.

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened(痍平) America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. A father  36  to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as  37 as a pancake.

He remembered the 38 he had made to his son: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to 39 his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins, it looked  40 .

He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. He started 41 through the ruins.

As he was digging, other helpless 42_arrived, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well-meaning (善意的) parents  43 to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: "It's too  44 ! They're all dead!"

To each parent he answered with one 45 : "Are you going to help me now?" And then he   46 to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief (消防隊長) 47 and tried to pull him 48 the school's ruins saying, "Fires are breaking out. You're in 49 . We'll take care of it. "

Bravely he went on alone  50 he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he   51 ?" He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a large stone and heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!"

He heard  52 , "Dad!?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to 53 . I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me. You promised, No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!  54 did it, Dad! We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building collapse(倒塌), it made a triangle, and it  55 us."

36.   A. passed            B. rushed                   C. came                 D. went

37.   A. strong            B. high                         C. large                 D. flat

38.   A. promise            B. decision                   C. plan                  D. lie

39.   A. blocked             B. hold                         C. fill                    D. cross

40.   A. extreme            B. familiar                    C. hopeless            D. hopeful

41.   A. dig                   B. digging                     C. dug                 D. digging

42.   A. reporters           B. teachers                    C. students             D. parents

43.   A. tried                 B. offered                         C. refused              D. managed

44.   A. serious                  B. heavy                       C. late                   D. early

45.   A. lesson               B. doubt                       C. line                   D. problem

46.   A. stopped             B. continued                 C. remembered             D. failed

47.   A. gave up             B. looked up                 C. picked up                 D. showed up

48.   A. against                  B. away                        C. off                           D. aside

49.   A. danger                  B. trouble                            C. dark                  D. surprise

50.   A. but                   B. because                    C. if                      D. until

51.   A. die                   B. died                      C. death                D. dead

52.   A. over                 B. away                        C. back                        D. inside

53.   A. cry                   B. worry                   C. sleep                     D. shout

54.   A. You                  B. We                          C. They                        D. He

55.   A. trapped             B. prevented                 C. saved                       D. blessed

____ in the iron cage of the zoo, the tiger got quite angry.

1. A.
   To trap
2. B.
   Trapping
3. C.
   To be trapped
4. D.
   Trapped