单选题 Happiness is U-shaped, for we are happier at the start and end of our lives but hit a slump when we are 25 , British and US researchers say.
Economists from the University of Warwick, central England, and from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, looked at data on the 26 health of two million people from 80 countries.
In Britain, the 27 of depression for men and women peaks at around 44 years of age, Warwick University said in a press release.
In the United States, though, there was a big 28 between men and women.
Among women, unhappiness peaked at around the age of 40, 29 among men, it was about 50.
But the U-shape of happiness is constant around the world, and mid-life depression occurs regardless of marital status, changes in job or income.
The study appears in Social Science & Medicine, published by the Dutch publishing house Elsevier.
'It happens to men and women, to single and 30 people, to rich and poor, and to those with and without children.' said co-author Andrew Oswald.
One possibility may be that people realize they won't achieve many of their 31 at middle age, the researchers said.
Another reason could be that after seeing their fellow middle-aged 32 begin to die, people begin to value their own remaining years and embrace life once more.
But the good news is that if people make it to aged 70 and are still physically fit, they are on average as happy and 33 healthy as a 20-year old.
'For the average persons in the modern world, the dip in mental health and happiness comes on slowly, not suddenly in a single year,' Oswald said, 'Only in their fifties do people 34 from this low period.'
A. difference B. meanwhile C. completely D. mental
E. tendency F. aspirations G. probability H. emerge
I. physical J. middle-aged K. whereas L. peers
M. mentally N. aged O. married

问答题

【正确答案】J

【答案解析】文章开头提到“人一生的快乐呈U形走向”，然后进一步说明“童年和老年时期最快乐”，由此可推知，人在中年时期并不快乐，即hit a slump(处于最低谷)。J项middle-aged意为“中年的”，符合句意。因此选择middle-aged“中年的”。

问答题

【正确答案】D

【答案解析】本文研究的是人一生的快乐情况，即人各个年龄段的精神状态，由此可推知，此处是对精神健康状况进行了研究，D项mental意为“精神的，心理的”，符合句意。因此选择mental“精神的，心理的”。

问答题

【正确答案】G

【答案解析】空前是定冠词the，空后是of，故此处应填一个名词，文章开头提到，人在中年时期处于情绪的低谷，因此男性和女性在44岁左右最郁闷，也就是男性和女性在44岁左右郁闷的可能性达到峰值。G选项probability意为“可能性”，符合句意。因此选择probability“可能性”。

问答题

【正确答案】A

【答案解析】此空所在段与上一段形成对比，标志词为though(可是)，上一段提到“英国的男性和女性在44岁左右最郁闷”。由此推知“在美国，男性和女性(情绪低谷期)则有很大差别”。故此处应填difference。因此选择difference“差别”。

问答题

【正确答案】K

【答案解析】空前句子意为“女性在40岁时最不开心”，空后句子意为“男性则在50岁左右最郁闷”，前后两句形成转折关系，K选项whereas意为“然而”，符合句意。因此选择whereas“然而”。

问答题

【正确答案】O

【答案解析】该空所在短句与to men and women和to rich and poor并列，而每一个小短句都是由and连接两个对应词，故此处应填与single对应的词，即married。因此选择married“已婚的”。

问答题

【正确答案】F

【答案解析】此空所填的词与动词achieve搭配，此空所在段讲述了人到中年心情郁闷的原因。根据上下文可推知，此句意思应为“人到中年后会意识到自己的很多理想已经不可能再实现”。F项aspirations意为“抱负”，符合句意。因此选择aspirations“抱负”。

问答题

【正确答案】L

【答案解析】此空所在段讲述的依然是人到中年心情郁闷的原因，此段后半句意为“所以开始珍惜余下的岁月，并再次拥抱生活”。由此可知，之所以有意识珍惜剩下的岁月，是因为人到中年后目睹了一些同龄人的离世，L选项peers意为“同龄人”，符合句意。因此选择peers“同龄人”。

问答题

【正确答案】M

【答案解析】空前中心词是They are，空后是形容词healthy，故此处应填一个副词，根据句意“但庆幸的是，如果你到了70岁，身体还很健康，那么……就会像20岁一样健康。”可知人到老年身体健康，对应的心理也会健康。physically对应的是mentally。因此选择mentally“心理上，精神上”。

问答题

【正确答案】H

【答案解析】此空所在句缺谓语动词，故此处应填一个动词充当谓语，文章多次提到人处于40～50岁之间最郁闷，由此可推知，人到50多岁时可以慢慢走出低谷。H项emerge意为“出现”，与其后的介词from结合构成短语emerge from，意为“摆脱出来；走出阴影；自……出现”，符合句意。因此选择emerge“出现”。