If you lose your wallet, how often do you think someone will be kind enough to return it to you, with cash and credit cards?
Some people may be greedy, and others are simply too lazy to bother(打攪) with the trip to the post office to send back a wallet to a stranger. But according to a psychology study by Dr. Richard Wiseman, there’s one thing that’ll greatly increase your odds of being reunited with a lost wallet: a photograph of a cute baby.
In the study, hundreds of wallets were scattered(分散) around the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. The psychologists wanted to see how many strangers would take the trouble to return them to the addresses listed on the drivers’ licenses inside—but more than that, they wanted to find out what would make a person more likely to help out a stranger.
To finish this, they included personal things in most of the wallets: some included a photo of a happy elderly couple, some contained a cute puppy, some contained a family portrait, and some held a photo of a lovely baby. Others had receipts(發(fā)票) showing that the wallet’s owner had recently donated to a charity（慈善）. Some contained no personal details.
As the psychologists soon discovered, the sight of a smiling baby is enough to warm nearly any heart: only one in ten of the strangers who retrieved such wallets did not return them. In contrast, the second most successful image, the puppy, had a 53% return rate. When the wallet included no photograph, it stood only a one in seven chance of being returned to the owner.
The success of the baby photograph shows a human compassion(同情) for the young that’s been passed down through the ages, according to Dr. Wiseman. “The baby kicked off a caring feeling in people, which is not surprising from an evolutionary perspective(進化的角度),” he told the Times.
To ensure our species’ survival, scientists think that we must feel empathy and compassion for our young. Scientists say that this study supports the argument that we won’t feel compassion only for our own babies, but for any that we see—hence, the strong desire a stranger would feel to return a wallet to the baby’s parent.
On a more basic level, the study also provides a great tip to help ensure that if your wallet is ever lost, you’re more likely to get it back. “If you want to increase the chances of your wallet being returned if lost, gain a photograph of the cutest baby you can find and ensure that it is clearly displayed,” said Dr. Wiseman.
小題1:The main purpose of the psychologists’ leaving hundreds of wallets around was to find out________.
A．whether people were as honest as before
B．what made people willing to help strangers
C．what kind of feelings could be caused by a smiling baby
D．how evolution influenced human beings
小題2:The underlined word “retrieved” in Para. 5 probably means “________”.
A．picked upB．spread outC．found outD．looked for
小題3:Why did people return a wallet with a photograph of a cute baby in it?
A．Because the wallet was not attractive enough to keep.
B．Because the sight of a baby could cause a caring feeling in them.
C．Because they were curious to know the parents of the baby
D．Because the sight of a cute baby reminded them of their own children.
小題4:If there are 30 lost wallets with a photograph of a cute baby, how many of them will probably be returned?
A．Only 3. B．About 15.C．20 or so.D．About 27.
小題5:We can learn from the last two paragraphs that________.
A．humans usually have compassion for the young
B．the caring feeling in people is gone during evolution
C．scientists believed that people only feel compassion for their own babies
D．a(chǎn) wallet with a cute baby’s picture in it cannot be lost

小題1:B
小題2:A
小題3:B
小題4:D
小題5:A

試題分析：本文講述的是一個調(diào)查報告：掉了錢包以后，有多少錢包還能被還回來？
小題1:B 推理題。根據(jù)文章第二段But according to a psychology study by Dr. Richard Wiseman, there’s one thing that’ll greatly increase your odds of being reunited with a lost wallet: a photograph of a cute baby.
In the study, hundreds of wallets were scattered(分散) around the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. The psychologists wanted to see how many strangers would take the trouble to return them to the addresses listed on the drivers’ licenses inside—but more than that, they wanted to find out what would make a person more likely to help out a stranger.可知這個研究的目的就是為查明究竟是什么讓人們愿意把錢包還給別人。故B正確。
小題2:A 推理題。根據(jù)本句only one in ten of the strangers who retrieved such wallets did not return them.說明這里的 retrieved 是指撿起錢包這件事情，故A正確。
小題3:B 推理題。根據(jù)文章最后一段前4行To ensure our species’ survival, scientists think that we must feel empathy and compassion for our young. Scientists say that this study supports the argument that we won’t feel compassion only for our own babies, but for any that we see—hence, the strong desire a stranger would feel to return a wallet to the baby’s parent.可知這樣的照片讓人們想起了自己的孩子，所以才會更有同情心，故B正確。
小題4:D 細節(jié)題。根據(jù)As the psychologists soon discovered, the sight of a smiling baby is enough to warm nearly any heart: only one in ten of the strangers who retrieved such wallets did not return them.只有十分之一的沒有換，故30個這樣的錢包大約有27個被還了過來。故D正確。
小題5:A 推理題。根據(jù)文章最后一段1,2行To ensure our species’ survival, scientists think that we must feel empathy and compassion for our young.可知A正確。
點評：本文講述的是一個調(diào)查報告：掉了錢包以后，有多少錢包還能被還回來？測試考生在閱讀基礎(chǔ)上的邏輯推理能力，要求考生根據(jù)文章所述事件的邏輯關(guān)系，對未說明的趨勢或結(jié)局作出合理的推斷；或根據(jù)作者所闡述的觀點理論，對文章未涉及的現(xiàn)象、事例給以解釋�？忌紫纫屑氶喿x短文，完整了解信息，準確把握作者觀點。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.
The First Theft:  
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.
The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.
It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.
While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias’ apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
The Biggest Theft in the USA:
The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.
As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime.
小題1: How long did it take to put back the stolen Mona Lisa in Louver ?___
A．Thirty six monthsB．Thirty months
C．Half a year D．Around two years
小題2:What does the underlined sentence, “he tried to make the best out of his stolen good” mean?
A．Chaudron wanted to sell the stolen painting.
B．Peruggia thought he didn’t need to work for Chaudon any more and wanted to market the painting.
C．Valfierno was tired of waiting.
D．Peruggia wanted to study the painting carefully.
小題3: Which case among those mentioned in the passage is still a mystery?
A．Mona Lisa case
B．Last Judgment case
C．Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum thirteen paintings case
D．none
小題4:People from the country of _____ is not involved in the passage.
A．ChinaB．FranceC．DutchD．Vantican
小題5: Which statement is WRONG according to this article?
A．Picasso was ever considered a art theft suspect.
B．Art thieves normally not work alone.
C．The first documented case of art theft was conducted by pirates.
D．The mastermind of Mona Lisa was an art faker who wanted to sell copies.
小題6: The passage is not finished, which subtitle could be the next?
A．The Economic Value of Art TheftB．The Loss to Art Lovers
C．The Most Sought After PaintingD．Boston Mob and French Art Dealers

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Japanese couples, too busy for a normal social life, are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives.
Several agencies have sprung up(涌現(xiàn))offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals.The first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 agencies now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events.
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai, which means “I want to cheer you up”, charge around ￡100 for each “guest”. Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra.
The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan.With lifetime employment (終身雇傭制)a thing of the past, couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding.Increasingly busy and put upon, many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends.
When they marry, however, they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner’s wedding guests.
Office Agents, the largest provider of pretend friends, makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding.
Hiroshi Mizutani, the company’s founder, said the fake friends he provides must look happy, be well dressed and look like people with good jobs.
小題1:Why did fake friends industry come into being in Japan?
A．Because of social and economic changesB．Because of lifetime employment
C．Because of normal social lifeD．Because of work pressure
小題2:Pretend friends will be present at the following occasions except ________.
A．weddingsB．funerals C．workD．family gathering
小題3:The agents make sure that ________.
A．fake friends have done their houseworkB．fake friends have good jobs
C．fake friends must look happy and be well dressedD．fake friends feel uncomfortable
小題4:What is the best title of this passage?
A．Japanese Couples are Under Pressure to Get MarriedB．Japanese Couples’ Social Life
C．The First Guest-for-hire Company in JapanD．Japanese Couples Rely on Fake Friends

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If you watch British television on Friday March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry, they’re not mad, it’s all part of a biennial fund-raising event called Red Nose Day.
Organized by the charity Comic Relief, founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa.
Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows broadcast by the BBC. This year, for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
But Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops.
These small, inconspicuous shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop. But there’s one big difference—it’s all secondhand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don’t want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. Most items go back on sale at a small part of their original price and the money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound off-putting, but for shoppers who have less spending money, such as the elderly or those in low-paying jobs, it has been a welcome option for years.
Now, “thrifting”—shopping at charity shops— is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion.
“I love shopping at thrift stores. You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn’t bother me that other people may have worn them, I simply wash them before I wear them,” said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old Internet user from the US, in a comment on a Yahoo forum.
So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge that your money helped a good cause.
小題1:What do famous people in Britain do in support of the Red Nose Day event?
A．Appear on comic TV shows.
B．Donate large sums of money.
C．Donate expensive clothes to charity shops.
D．Play in a music video with the Prime Minister.
小題2:What do we learn from the passage about Comic Relief?
A．It was founded in 1985 by two British comedians in Africa.
B．It organizes the Red Nose Day fund-raising event.
C．It runs nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK.
D．It is financially supported by the UK government.
小題3:One reason for the popularity of the thrift shops is that __________.
A．they sell a wide variety of goods
B．their business model is simple
C．their goods are carefully checked, cleaned and priced
D．they provide things, sometimes special, at low prices
小題4:The passage is written mainly to __________.
A．inspire more people to join in charitable causes in the UK
B．introduce the traditions of the Red Nose Day
C．a(chǎn)nalyze why charity shops are popular in the UK
D．explain how charity shops work in the UK

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Poverty today is a major global issue. Although there are all kinds of definitions used to explain it, in simple words, it means the inability of a person to even get his basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, safe drinking water, health and education. Poverty can be found in each and every corner of the world, although the causes may differ from country to country. Given below are the main causes of poverty in the world today.
Overpopulation is one of the main causes behind the threatening of poverty on an individual level as well as a social level. This is simple math. If there are more mouths to feed and less income, definitely much will remain poor.
Another theory which is used as an explanation for poverty is lack of education. If you look at any of the underdeveloped countries, you will find that the level of education there is very low. Lack of education means lack of employment opportunities, thus leading to unemployment coupled with poverty in the future.
Moving away from one’s own homeland to another city or country in search of employment leads to poverty too. It may take these people a lot of time to find jobs. Meanwhile they live in bad conditions. The cost of living in the city or country is most of the time too high for them.
There may be other causes of poverty like the change in business. For example, in America, a couple of decades ago, heavy industry flourished, which employed a lot of African-American people. But now, the focus is more on information technology and health care, both of which employ only skilled and trained people. This has led to unemployment among African-Americans.
Poverty has many ill effects on society. That’s why steps should be taken to get rid of it!
小題1:What’s the meaning of the underlined word “flourished” in Paragraph 5?
(No more than 5 words)
小題2:Why is overpopulation a cause of poverty today?  (No more than12 words)
小題3:What’s the situation of education in underdeveloped countries?  (No more than 8 words)
小題4:What does the passage mainly talk about?   (No more than 10 words)
小題5:In your opinion, what’s the most significant cause of poverty today? Please give your reason.  (No more than 25 words)

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Let’s say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and a hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, and the nail is a mean rumor(謠言) about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you’re obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there’s still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.
There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying(欺侮). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it’s usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It’s the same thing as teasing, only it’s done behind someone’s back instead of to his or her face.
When you spread a rumor about someone, you’re sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You’re making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it’s okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.
We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.
Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let’s say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard (暴風雪) is coming. Expecting a day off, you don’t do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle(毛毛雨), and school isn’t off after all. You get zeroes on your work.
小題1:To tell a rumor and a tease apart, you depend on ______.
A．whether it is done behind someone
B．whether it is painful or not
C．whether it is a kind of bullying
D．whether it is spread fast.
小題2:If a rumor is spread about someone, others may_______.
A．point out his or her advantages
B．keep away from him or her
C．not feel he or she is an outsider
D．be hurt if getting close to him or her again.
小題3:The purpose of this passage is to _______.
A．a(chǎn)dvise on how to deal with rumors
B．teach us how to judge a rumor
C．find out why rumors spread fast
D．explain why rumors hurt

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In modem society there is a great deal of argument about competition．Some value it highly，believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity．Others say that competition is bad, that it sets one person against another and that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people．
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied(依賴)on how well they performed at tennis and other skills．For them，playing well and winning are often life-and-death affair. In their single-minded pursuit(追求)of success，the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten．
However，while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed，others take an opposite attitude．In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players，they strongly blame competition．Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society．Teaching these young people，I often observe in them a desire to fail．They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success .By not trying，they always have an excuse：“I may have lost，but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.’’ What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost，that would mean a lot．Such a loss would be a measure of their worth．
Clearly，this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves．Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others．Both are afraid of not being valued．Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve(緩解)can we discover a new meaning in competition．
小題1:What does this passage mainly talk about?
A．Competition helps to set up self-respect．
B．Opinions about competition are different among people．
C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development．
D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition．
小題2:Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
A．It pushes society forward．
B．it builds up a sense of duty．
C．It improves personal abilities．
D．It encourages individual efforts．
小題3:The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means________．
A．those who try their best to win
B．those who value competition most highly
C．those who are against competition most strongly
D．those who rely on others most for success
小題4:What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?
A．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others’．
B．One’s success in competition needs great efforts．
C．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills．
D．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried．
小題5:Which point of view may the author agree to?
A．Every effort should be paid back．
B．Competition should be encouraged．
C．Winning should be a life—and—death matter．
D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A recent survey shows that the alarming rate of child suicide(自殺) in Hong Kong, raising levels of stress and anxiety among young people, increasing conflicts between children and teachers, and children’s complaints that their parents do not understand their problems—all point to a drop in “emotional quotient” (EQ) (情商), the ability to handle relationships.
EQ is defined as the ability to deal with oneself and others effectively. High EQ, psychologists say, is easy to spot. Some of the greatest humanitarian (人道主義的) leaders have high EQ, along with successful managers and inspirational and respected teachers. The problem is not how to spot high EQ but to improve on low EQ, so society as a whole can benefit.
In the United States, declining EQ among young people is seen as one of the factors behind rising young people’s crime because youths fail to understand others’ feelings—one of the key components of EQ. While the situation in Hong Kong is not so bad, there are warning signs that the levels of anxiety among youth may become critical. Declining EQ among Hong Kong teenagers has been acknowledged by several studies including a key study by the education concern group, the Learning-Teacher Association, which found a high degree of anxiety among students over the future and also that young people lacked confidence in dealing with problems. Parents and teachers will also need to develop their own EQ skills in order to deal with them effectively.
Daniel Goleman cites a number of basic elements of high EQ: first, awareness of your feelings as you experience them which is very important to making good decisions in life; second, feeling or awareness of what others are feeling. “90% of emotional information is expressed non-verbally and people vary in their ability to pick it up,” Dr. Goleman says in his book.
Dr. Goleman argues that without high EQ even highly-educated, highly-intelligent people will not find success in life. Or those with low EQ, even though they may be brilliant, tend to lack feeling and impulse control. They fail easily, and they are easily intolerant and often aggressive in interpersonal relations. Some educational psychologists believe work on EQ may be important in Hong Kong with its high rate of suicide among school children. EQ test may be able to help predict those most at risk, and those least able to deal with their own emotions or unable to deal with others, including parents and teachers.
小題1:According to the passage, children in Hong Kong commit suicide at an alarming rate as a result of _______.
A．parents not understanding their children
B．the rising levels of stress and anxiety among young people
C．the inability of dealing with relationships
D．increasing conflict between children and teachers
小題2:We can infer from the passage that people with low emotional quotient _______.
A．a(chǎn)re least likely to become good leaders
B．can deal with oneself and others effectively
C．a(chǎn)re beneficial to society
D．a(chǎn)re more likely to be respected
小題3:The word “its” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A．the work on EQ
B．Hong Kong
C．EQ
D．China
小題4:Daniel Goleman believes that _______.
A．one can be just as successful without having a high EQ
B．only people with both high EQ and high IQ will be successful in life
C．people with low intelligence will not get a successful life
D．people not having high EQ may not be successful in life despite being extremely intelligent

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Millions of British people have ditched the traditional ‘thank you’ and replaced it with the less formal ‘cheers’, according to a survey.
Although the average person will say ‘thank you’ nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to throw in a ‘cheers’ or ‘ta’ where it’s needed, rather than risk sounding old fashioned.
One in 20 now say ‘nice one’ instead, while younger generations are more likely to offer a ‘cool’ than a ‘thank you’.‘Merci’, ‘fab’ and even ‘gracias’ were also listed as common phrases to use, as was ‘much appreciated’.
One in twenty who took part in the survey of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24, 2011, said a formal ‘thank you’ was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly won’t say thank you if they are in a bad mood. Most people declared that saying thank you was something drilled into them by their parents. A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say thank you to a person’s face without even meaning it, while a fifth avoid saying it when they know they should — on at least two occasions every day.
It seems our friends and family get the brunt (壓力) of our bad manners with half admitting they’re not good at thanking those closest to them — many justifying (為…辯解) the lack of thanks because their family ‘a(chǎn)lready know I’m grateful’.
When spoken words won’t do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people. A third will still send a handwritten thank-you note — but 45 percent admit it’s been more than six months since they bothered to send one.
A quarter of British people say thank you with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake.
It follows that 85 percent of people will be annoyed at not getting the gratitude (感激) they feel they should receive.
小題1:Most of the people who took part in the survey say that they say “thank you” _____.
A．when they are in good mood
B．completely out of habit
C．when they feel truly grateful
D．purely out of politeness
小題2:The underlined word “ditched” in Paragraph 1 means “________”.
A．given upB．usedC．sharedD．grasped
小題3:It can be learned from the passage that _______.
A．different ways of expressing gratitude are all fashionable
B．people should avoid saying “thank you” nowadays
C．a(chǎn) thank-you note is still appreciated by most people
D．people in a bad mood never say “thank you”
小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Most people express their gratitude to others by buying food for them.
B．About fifty percent of people try not to say thank you when they should.
C．Most people may feel natural when they fail to receive others’ gratitude.
D．Many people think it unnecessary to say thanks to their family members.

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