As prices and building costs keep rising , the “do-it-yourself”(DIY) trend(趨勢)in the USA continues to grow .

“We needed furniture for our living rooms ,” says John Ross , “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it . So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs .” John got married six months ago , and like many young people these days , they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high .The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school .Now they make all their furniture and repairs around the house .

Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife has died .He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory .Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420 . “I was deeply upset about it .Now I’ve finished a car repair course .I should be able to fix the car by myself .”

John and Jim are not unusual people .Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes .And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell them how they can do things themselves.

1.We can learn from the passage that many newly married people ______ .

2.John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to _______ .

3. When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home ,he means Jim___ .

4. Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourself when he found _____ .

When I was eleven years old, God gave me a gift of happiness. One day, on my way home from school, a truck ran over me and cut off my      1   . As I lay there bleeding, I realized that I might have to live the rest of my life     2    legs. How depressing（令人沮喪的）!      3     then I realized that depression won’t get my legs back. So I decided not to      4    my life feeling depressed. When my parents arrived at the     5  , they were shocked and sad. I told them, “I’ve already    6     the fact. Now you also have to get used to this.”
Ever since then, I often see my friends getting     7     about little things: their bus comes late; they get a bad grade on a test. But I just   8    life.
I was lucky to realize that it is a waste of energy to focus on what you have     9   , and that the key to happiness is to take pleasure in what you have. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? So      10 are many people unhappy?
People often think happiness is based on what you     11  . “My whole life would improve if I had a new car.” But when you get the    12    and what happens? For a whole week you are walking on air. Then you go right back to being     13   .
Happiness is not a happening; it’s a state of     14  . You can have whatever there is in the world  and  still  be  uncomfortable.  Or  you  can  have  relatively     15   and  feel  full  of  joy. Happiness comes from mastering the art of appreciating and consciously taking pleasure in what you already have.