山东省潍坊市2021届高三英语上学期期中试卷（Word版附答案）

山东省潍坊市2021届高三英语上学期期中试卷（Word版附答案）

1 2021 届高三年级第一学期期中考试 英 语 2020.11 本试卷分选择题和非选择题两部分。满分 150 分，考试用时 120 分钟。 第一部分 听力(共两节，满分 30 分) 第一节(共 5 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 7.5 分) 听下面 5 段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个选项中选出最 佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有 10 秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和 阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。 ( )1. Where are the speakers? A. At an airport. B. In a hotel. C. In a market. ( )2. Why doesn't the woman try to get a PhD now? A. She doesn't need one for her job. B. She can't afford the payment. C. She can't spare the time. ( )3. How does the boy find his parents? A. Strict. B. Tolerant. C. Considerate. ( )4. What did the woman mean? A. She failed to see the whole program. B. She stayed awake the whole night. C. She went home very late. ( )5. What are the speakers mainly talking about? A. How fruits were harvested. B. Why the fruit sales increased. C. What caused the low price of fruits. 第二节(共 15 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 22.5 分) 听下面 5 段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的 A、B、C 三个 选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个 小题，每小题 5 秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出 5 秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。 听第 6 段材料，回答第 6、7 题。 ( )6. Why doesn't the woman want to go to Sea Level? A. It's too far. B. It's too expensive. C. It's too small. ( )7. Where is Sounds of Brazil? A. Opposite a theater. B. Next to a bank. C. Across from a restaurant. 听第 7 段材料，回答第 8、9 题。 ( )8. What does the woman think of the activity holiday? A. Tiring. B. Surprising. C. Awful. ( )9. What did the woman get a prize for? A. Climbing. B. Sailing. C. Walking. 第 8 段材料，回答第 10 至 12 题。 ( )10. What is the purpose of the call? A. To arrange an interview. B. To check on a job application. C. To advertise a position. ( )11. For what day is the man's appointment scheduled? 2 A. Tuesday. B. Wednesday. C. Thursday. ( )12. What does the woman ask the man to do? A. Call her later. B. Meet with Victoria Smith. C. Wait at the front desk. 听第 9 段材料，回答第 13 至 16 题。 ( )13. Why does the school make the change? A. To repair the food machines. B. To promote a healthy diet. C. To make more profit. ( )14. What is the man concerned about at first? A. Where to get food. B. How to eat healthily. C. What to eat. ( )15. What does the woman advise the man to do? A. Lose weight. B. Drink water. C. Eat in the lunch room. ( )16. What is the man's attitude to bringing food to school? A. Doubtful. B. Disappointed. C. Approving. 听第 10 段材料，回答第 17 至 20 题。 ( )17. What made the speaker decide to study psychology? A. Her family background. B. Her education at university. C. Her observation of adults. ( )18. Who did the speaker study first? A. Ordinary people. B. Creative people. C. College students. ( )19. What is the most obvious cause of happiness? A. Concentrating hard. B. Interpersonal relationships. C. Huge achievement. ( )20. How does the speaker feel about her study? A. Amused. B. Regretful. C. Satisfied. 第二部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分 50 分) 第一节(共 15 小题；每小题 2.5 分，满分 37.5 分) 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项。 A Tongariro National Park, known for its brilliant natural features, became New Zealand's first national park in 1887. The 80，000hectare park is an ideal place to view the volcanic wonders which outstands among 13 national parks in the country. Activities Tongariro Alpine Crossing The deservedly popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing features phenomenal volcanic scenery and fine views of Lake Taupō and Mt Taranaki. Multiday Walks Overnight hikes in the park include the fourday Northern Circuit and the sixday Round the Mountain track—one of New Zealand's Great Walks. Nature Trails(路径) A series of short nature trails around Tongariro's lower valleys take in the various habitats, home to fascinating and diverse native plants and animals, and are a great way to get to know the park's special places and stories. Home to the national park visitor center, Whakapapa Village is a good place to start exploring. Water fallwatching 3 Dramatic waterfalls are a Tongariro National Park specialty. See them on a number of spectacular short walks including Taranaki Falls, Waitonga Falls, Silica Rapids and Tawhai Falls. Key Tips ● Before departing on a walk, check at the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre for up todate information on weather, volcanic activity and track conditions. ● Fill in an intention form at the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre if you plan to overnight in a hikers' hut. ● Whatever kind of accommodation you choose, it will pay to book in advance during peak season(December to March)． ( )21. What distinguishes Tongariro National Park from others? A. Its long history. B. Its massive area. C. Its volcanic wonders. D. Its colorful activities. ( )22. Which activity attracts an animal lover most? A. Tongariro Alpine Crossing. B. Multiday Walks. C. Nature Trails. D. Waterfallwatching. ( )23. What is the proper time if you want to avoid the peak season? A. January. B. February. C. March. D. April. B On the outside, 12yearold Luna seems like your average kid. It's not until you get to know her that you learn that Luna is anything but average. Born with a heart defect(缺陷) called dextrocardia, Luna has had three openheart operations and continues to pursue her interests in art and fashion. But when Luna was approached by athletic shoe company Saucony to design a shoe for sale across the country, it came as quite a surprise. “This is so incredible. I got to use my art and creativity for something new that I'd never thought I'd be able to design ，” Luna said. She is one of six patients from Boston Children's Hospital(BCH) who have partnered with Saucony to design their own shoe to launch the Shoes with Soul campaign. “Rather than just a donation, we wanted to create an experience and a moment that would not only raise money, but also awareness to highlight all the amazing work that's being done at BCH，” says Chris, Saucony's vice president. “Specifically, we wanted to give some of the BCH kids an opportunity to share their story and their talents with the world.” Luna's design is fashion. “On the tongue, they digitalized one of my drawings, and then on bottom it's a really bright pink color, and on the inside, the sole of the shoe is actually another drawing I did of a sunset，”she said. “Thinking about kids everywhere around the world wearing my shoe is amazing. It__blows__my__mind.” The income from the shoe sales will benefit the Boston Children's Hospital Cardiac Fitness Program, which encourages kids to “find your possible” through personalized exercise programs tailored for each individual patient's heart condition. “ It feels really good to help people and it's really something I can relate to，” says Luna. “The advice I would give a kid or someone like me is never give up. There are a lot of kids out there with your condition and you're not alone. ” ( )24. What can we learn from Chris' words? A. It's unwise to raise money. B. It's optional to seek donations. C. It's wonderful to study art. D. It's necessary to show kids' talents. 4 ( )25. What does Luna mean by saying “It blows my mind” in Paragraph 5? A. I'm overjoyed. B. I'm very serious. C. My mind goes blank. D. My mind is racing. ( )26. Which of the following best describes Luna? A. Gifted and determined. B. Generous and serious. C. Grateful and helpful. D. Creative and sensitive. ( )27. What is the text mainly intended to do? A. Tell us a story of a disabled girl. B. Set a good example to the disabled. C. Launch Saucony's new brand shoes. D. Introduce a campaign with kid patients. C The Assassins Creed series has been about building immersive( 沉 浸 式 的 ) and accurate historical worlds. As their newest game releases, Assassins Creed Origins, they have also released their Discovery Tours. These tours give players a chance to walk the streets of ancient Egypt, explore Alexandria and the pyramids, and learn about wildlife and geography. For students, experiencing the ancient world in this__interactive__way can be more interesting and effective than just reading a textbook or watching a documentary about what they are studying. Assassins Creed is not the only game series that can be educational either. What is important about the role of historical games is the level of choice. When watching a film, students are passive receivers of content. However, when playing a game students have an active role to play in history. A focus on choice and consequence is an important element of teaching and understanding history, so historical games can be a valuable teaching tool even if they aren't completely historically accurate. They have the power to immerse students in far away worlds and allow them to think critically about cause and consequence, think about why historical events unfolded the way they did, and even think about possible alternative outcomes. All of these are critical for historical thinking processes. No longer do students need to rely only on reading textbooks or on instructors for knowledge. When carrying this out in your class, remember that not all students enjoy playing video games, but they can still be a valuable learning tool. The instructor also needs to be an active facilitator and taking note of teachable moments. A video game is not going to teach a class; it requires an awesome instructor to make everything come together. With the power of video games, ancient worlds no longer need to be limited to the pages of a textbook. ( )28. What does the underlined phrase “this interactive way” in Paragraph 1 refer to? A. Walking an ancient street. B. Playing a new game. C. Reading a textbook. D. Watching a documentary. ( )29. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about Assassins Creed? A. Why it is different from the film. B. Why it gains popularity. C. How it benefits teaching. D. How it came into being. ( )30. Who plays a core role in gameaided teaching? A. The teachers. B. The players. C. The designers. D. The audiences. ( )31. What's the key message of this text? A. A vivid description of ancient architecture. B. An account of a new history learning method. C. A detailed explanation of a social problem. 5 D. An online advertisement of a stylish trend. D The idea that having narrow local focus leaves little room for anything but a selfish mindset is a misconception, according to a new study that found that concern for local affairs could help with global environmental conservation. You might have heard of NIMBY which means “not in my back yard” and describes an individual or group opposed to a new addition to the neighborhood, typically a factory, roadway or power station. Nimbyism and parochialism(眼界狭小), which is a focus on a local area, can go hand in hand, and there are concerns that parochialism paves the way for prejudice, narrow mindedness, and selfishness. But researchers found the exact opposite to be true in a new study published. The researchers argue that positive parochialism can inspire a larger awareness of global environmental problems and encourage people to action. “We did not find evidence that parochialism was necessarily negative and inwardlooking，” said Patrick, a researcher for the study. “It can be those things, but there's no necessary conflict between feeling connected to your local area and feeling connected to the wider world.” For the study, the researchers reviewed documents from the 1987 Parish Maps project. The researchers showed how the Parish Maps project also demonstrated a passion for the environment and conservation. The researchers say that the Parish Maps project is a strong example of “positive parochialism”， and shows that thinking locally can influence a global mindset. “For a long time, it has been generally agreed that if we want people to think about global affairs they need an international worldview—but this may not be the case ，” said Patrick. “ Given where we are now in terms of trying to encourage people to make changes to help the environment, ‘positive parochialism’ offers something that has been overlooked. ” ( )32. Which behavior can best illustrate NIMBY? A. Criticizing a friend for his selfish action. B. Accepting a proposal beneficial to locals. C. Supporting a neighborhood construction plan. D. Objecting to building an airport in the neighborhood. ( )33. Why does the author mention the Parish Maps project? A. To explain how to protect the environment. B. To offer an example of positive parochialism. C. To encourage people to take part in the project. D. To stress the importance of global mindset. ( )34. How does Patrick feel about “positive parochialism” phenomenon? A. Appreciative. B. Cautious. C. Negative. D. Puzzled. ( )35. What may be the best title for the text? A. Parochialism, a better practice? B. International view, more popular? C. Thinking locally, acting globally D. Bigger thinking, better environment 第二节(共 5 小题；每小题 2.5 分，满分 12.5 分) 阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多 余选项。 You can run pretty much anywhere, with pretty much no equipment. So it must be easy to start —just put one foot in front of the other, right? 6 Not quite. Starting a new training program, like most things, is stepping into unfamiliar area. __36__ Most people start out too hard, which leads to unnecessary tiredness and possible injury; or they just burn out, feeling that the last thing they want to do is go out for another heavy, painful run. Getting past that early period is the key to both running's benefits and pleasures. __37__ You may want to start running to make your heart stronger, to up your endurance for other sports, or even just to fit into your tux(晚礼服) again. Those are all worthy goals and setting them is a valuable aid to getting where you want to go. If you like a challenge, your goal might be running the local 5K, or something more ambitious, like finishing a Tough Mudder obstacle run or qualifying for the Boston Marathon. A typical beginner who trains properly — without overdoing it — can safely finish a 5K after about three months. __38__ Whatever you decide to aim for, committing to it will help your progress greatly. __39__ While a short, easy run a few times a week is better than nothing, it's not nearly as exciting as looking up at—then reaching—the next level. Then don't get ahead of yourself. __40__ And gradually you can become a good run beginner. A. Figure out why you're running. B. The new training program will pay off. C. And it is possible for a marathon after a year. D. Otherwise you tend to make no further progress. E. That is a remarkable achievement for a run beginner. F. You should resist the urge to run too hard, too much, or too often. G. You're eager but unsure, excited but potentially easy to make errors. 第三部分 语言运用(共两节，满分 30 分) 第一节(共 15 小题；每小题 1 分，满分 15 分) 阅读下面短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 Byrd is in her eighth year of teaching at Wilder Elementary in Mansfield. She has taught fifth grader Fisher Croney every year since he was in kindergarten. Fisher __41__ in the class by helping in Byrd's classroom whenever he has free time after class. Byrd also __42__ Fisher's mother, Shannon Croney, as an acquaintance. They would occasionally chat at their boys' baseball games. She had heard that Croney was having some __43__ problems. In January 2019 Croney received a routine blood test and found her kidneys(肾) were not __44__ normally. After going through a string of tests, doctors could not figure what caused her kidneys to __45__. But Byrd didn't know what the __46__ was until she saw a Facebook post from Fisher around Christmas of 2019. It was __47__ to help his mother find a kidney. Byrd did not __48__ to help. In March, Byrd learned that she and Croney were a close __49__. Even doctors were __50__ that they were not related in blood. Byrd was in the hospital for __51__ in June. She was never __52__ about the transplant(移植). Actually, she felt honored that her donation enabled another person to live a totally __53__ life. Today, both women are doing well. They are turning their __54__ to another member of their community, who is also sick and __55__ a kidney transplant. ( )41. A. gives out B. stands out C. looks about D. sits about ( )42. A. learned B. met C. taught D. knew ( )43. A. family B. behavior C. communication D. health 7 ( )44. A. functioning B. growing C. forming D. beating ( )45. A. miss B. ache C. fail D. improve ( )46. A. schedule B. issue C. offer D. opportunity ( )47. A. intended B. allowed C. persuaded D. urged ( )48. A. respond B. hesitate C. confirm D. attend ( )49. A. encounter B. relative C. neighbor D. match ( )50. A. excited B. embarrassed C. surprised D. relieved ( )51. A. surgery B. practice C. recovery D. training ( )52. A. curious B. nervous C. certain D. frank ( )53. A. normal B. casual C. strange D. dependent ( )54. A. back B. faith C. attention D. respect ( )55. A. in favor of B. in memory of C. in recognition of D. in need of 第二节(共 10 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 15 分) 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。 In the third century BC, the full stop(句号) or period __56__(introduce) by Greek literary critic Aristophanes of Byzantium. It is used __57__( show) the end of a sentence. However, the full stop has a different meaning to teenagers and those in their early 20s, __58__ interpret it as sign of anger. And there is a reason for that. The younger generation has grown up using the texts as their primary means of communication. When sending messages, they tend to break up their thoughts by sending each one as __59__ separate message, instead of using a full stop. They feel the full stop once __60__(use) in traditional texting is not essential at all because the message is now ended just by sending it. David Crystal, one of the world's leading language __61__(expert), argues that the usage of full stops is being revised in a really fundamental way. In his book, he says that the full stop has become an emotion marker that __62__(remind) the receiver that the sender is angry or __63__(annoy)． Though the full stop has taken on a different meaning to the younger generation, specialists noted that it is important to take language environment __64__ account. For example, using full stops in an email is __65__(perfect) acceptable and is not considered rude. 第四部分 写作(共两节，满分 40 分) 第一节(满分 15 分) 上周日你班举办了以“亲近大自然”为主题的“秋游红叶谷”活动。请你为校英文报写 一篇报道，内容包括： 1. 参加人员；2. 活动过程；3. 个人感受。 注意： 1. 词数 80 左右； 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 An Autumn Outing to the Red Leaf Valley ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 第二节(满分 25 分) 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续 写的词数为 150 左右。 An honest mistake 8 Karie doublechecked the words on her spelling test. If she got 100 percent today, she'd win her class' FirstQuarter Spelling Challenge and a brand new dictionary. Plus, Ms McCormack had promised to do a handstand if anyone got a perfect score. Three more words to go. Nicely. Quickly. Honesty. Wait! She'd spelled honesty，not honestly. She hurriedly erased the ty and wrote ly before handing in her paper. Ms McCormack graded the test papers at the break. Meanwhile, Karie sat restlessly in her seat with her fingers crossed. Then, Ms McCormack walked to the front of the room and cleared her throat. As if she were an Olympic gymnast, Ms McCormack's feet flipped(空翻) into the air. “Congratulations, Karie! You did it！” she announced while upside down. The whole class burst into applause! Ms McCormack righted herself and presented Karie with her prize. Karie grinned as she read the label on the box： To Karie Carter, for her perfect firstquarter score in spelling. “Everything OK？” Mom asked as Karie burst through the front door after school. Karie didn't answer. As if by magic, she took out her spelling test paper and prize and showed them to her mother. Mom hugged her, asking her to put the test paper on the fridge so that Dad could see it when he got home. Karie took another look at the test paper before putting it on the fridge. Her hands stopped in the mid air. She just couldn't believe her own eyes. Honesly? YES! HONESLY! Mom sensed something unusual and asked why. Karie stuffed the test paper into her backpack and explained that she was just too excited. Mom brought her some tea. Yes, a “t” was exactly what she needed. After drinking a little, Karie plodded(重步走) down the hall, lost in thought. How could she tell the class she hadn't earned the prize after all? That Ms McCormack did the handstand for nothing? Paragraph 1： Later Dad came in with excitement. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Paragraph 2： The next morning, Karie went to school earlier than usual. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 9 2021 届高三年级第一学期期中考试(潍坊) 英语参考答案及听力材料 听力 1～5 BCAAB 6～10 BAACB 11～15 ABBCA 16～20 CCBAC 阅读 第一节 21～23 CCD 24～27 DAAD 28～31 BCAB 32～35 DBAC 第二节 36～40 GACDF 语言运用 第一节 41～45 BDDAC 46～50 BABDC 51～55 ABACD 第二节 56. was introduced 57. to show 58. who 59. a 60. used 61. experts 62. reminds/will remind 63. annoyed 64. into 65. perfectly 写作 第一节 One possible version： An Autumn Outing to the Red Leaf Valley Last Sunday, we participated in a oneday trip to the Red Leaf Valley organized by our class, which intended us to get close to nature. At 6 am, we started on foot and it took an hour before we reached our destination. During the walk, we not only breathed fresh air but appreciated fantastic surrounding views. In the valley, so attractive were the red leaves that all our stress was relieved. We had some beautiful pictures taken and enjoyed a wonderful picnic. This activity rewarded us with an unforgettable memory. 第二节 One possible version： Paragraph 1： Later Dad came in with excitement.“Where's your spelling test, Karie？” Dad asked eagerly. Karie looked away from her father. Anyhow, she reluctantly went to her room and pulled out the test paper. Dad fixed his eyes on the paper, a pleasant smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “I'm proud of you, sweetie. We need to celebrate it tonight. ” Karie pretended to be smiling all the time. Meanwhile a sense of guilt rose inside her. Feeling she didn't deserve the prize, she had a sleepless night for the first time in her life. Paragraph 2： The next morning, Karie went to school earlier than usual. Ms McCormack was unlocking the classroom. “ You're an early bird. ” Ms McCormack said. Karie's hands trembled. She handed her teacher the spelling paper and the dictionary. “ I can't keep this. I misspelled ‘honestly’ and you didn't catch it.” For a moment, Ms McCormack stood quietly reading the label on the dictionary. Then picking up her pen, she crossed out the word“perfect”and wrote“honest”before returning the dictionary to Karie. “Keep this. But for honesty. ” 10 听力材料 Text 1 W: What can I do for you, sir? M: Hi, I'm staying in room 326 and I'd like to order an extra coffee without milk. W: OK! Your coffee will arrive in a minute, sir. Text 2 M: Would you like to get a PhD in something? W: Yeah, maybe one day. But it's impossible right now. I have my job and the kids. I'd have to study at midnight! M: Oh, yeah. That would be difficult. Text 3 M: My parents never let me out after 7：00 on school nights. W: Well, it probably kept you out of trouble. M：Yeah, and it also stopped me from seeing any movies or shows in the evenings. Text 4 M: I really enjoyed the TV special about Chinese culture last night. Did you get home in time to see it? W: Oh, yes, but I wish I could have stayed awake long enough to see the whole thing. Text 5 M: This year our sales increased by 23%. W: What caused the increase? M: Well, the harvest of oranges, bananas and some other fruits was good. Prices dropped and so sales increased. Text 6 W: Excuse me. Is there any club near here? M: Yes. There's a great club called Sea Level across from the National Bank. It's big and looks wonderful, but it is expensive. W: Well, are there any others? M: Yeah. There is a nice one a little farther. It's called Sounds of Brazil. W：That's perfect! Where is it exactly? M：It's on Third Avenue, opposite the Royal Theater, next to May's restaurant. It's a 15minute walk, but if you take the NO. 6 bus, you'll get there within 5 minutes. W: Thanks very much. Text 7 M: How was the activity holiday? W: It really wore me out. There were many activities : climbing, walking, sailing and so on. Every day was something different, and then on the last day they gave out prizes to the best people at each activity. M: Did you get one? W: Yeah. I was surprised to get one. Climbing was awful—I couldn't reach the top of the wall. My team were the best at the walking, though. We were left in a place and had to find our way back. We were first because luckily I could read the map. M: That's great! What about the sailing? Did you have a good time going sailing? W: Yeah. I really enjoyed the sailing, even though I wasn't very good at it. 11 Text 8 M: Hello, this is Richard Cooper. I applied for a position of a sales representative a week ago. I am calling to see if the position has been filled. W: Oh, Mr Cooper. In fact, I was just about to call you because you are one of the applicants we've selected for an interview. Could you come in this week, sometime between Tuesday and Thursday? M: Sure, Tuesday would work best for me. How about 10? W: That will be OK. Please remember that there won't be anyone at the reception desk, so come straight to room B and ask to speak to Victoria Smith. Text 9 M: The school is trying to promote healthier food. Have you read this notice about the change they are making? W: Yeah. They say the snack food machines will be removed from the school beginning next month. These machines will be replaced by those selling water, milk and fresh fruit. M: So I can't buy potato chips or cookies at school. W: Sure not. You know the garbage that is produced attracts insects, which does harm to the environment. M: I agree with you. But they don't tell me what I can and can't eat. W: Well, they are giving you the chance to eat healthier food. Also, you should lose a few pounds and this might help. M: Well, I have been thinking of going on a diet. I may drink water instead of sweet drinks. But I need to eat some foods that I can't find in the school lunch room. W: You can bring them from home. M: That's a good idea. I couldn't have thought of that. W: Sure you could. Text 10 W: I'm Rachel from the University of Chicago. I've been attracted by happiness most of my life. When I was a small girl, I noticed that though many of the adults around me were wealthy and educated, they were not happy and this sometimes led them to behave in strange ways. As a result of this, I wanted to understand what happiness was and how to achieve it. It was surprising, then, that I decided to study psychology. When I was at university, I tried to discover what made people happy. I started out by studying creative people such as musicians, artists and actors because they were people who devoted their lives to doing what they wanted to do, rather than things that brought them money. Later I expanded the study by inventing a system called the “experience examining method”. Ordinary people were asked to keep an electronic machine for a week which gave out a sound eight times a day. Every time it did so, they wrote down where they were, what they were doing, how they felt and how much they were concentrating. The answers are in agreement with my previous study: as with creative people, ordinary people are happiest when concentrating hard. I found that the most obvious cause of happiness is concentration. I have spent my life in studying happiness and now, as I look back, I wonder if I have achieved it. Overall, I think I have, and my belief that I have found the key to its secret has increased my happiness greatly.