On day one of my self-proclaimed Month of Gratitude，my five-year-old son woke up bored at 5:15 a.m.，I spied a speeding ticket in my wifes purse，and our water heater spluttered to its death as I was getting into the shower. Ordinarily，I would have started complaining and the day wouldve been off to an ugly start. But this day was different. How cute my childs dimples are. How fetching my wifes taste for adventure. Only 29 days to go.
Just a week earlier，as I struggled with the feeling that Id been put on this earth to load and unload the dishwasher，Id decided it was time to end my reflexive complaining. But it wasnt simply the little things that were annoying me. All of a sudden，my friends were dealing with bad news--cancer diagnoses，divorce，job loss. Shouldnt I be celebrating my relative good fortune?
Id heard about the feel-good benefits of a gratitude attitude. Hoping for tips,I called professor Emmons，who pioneered research on the benefits of positive thinking. Emmons quoted new studies that indicated that even pretending to be thankful raises levels of the chemicals associated with pleasure and contentment. He recommended keeping a log of everything Im grateful for in a given week or month.
I followed his suggestions，but my first attempts at keeping a gratitude list were pretty weak: coffee，naps，caffeine in general. As my list grew，I found more uplift: freshly picked blueberries;the Beatles White Album;that Im not bald.
By day three，I was on a tear，thanking every grocery bagger and parent on the playground like Id just won an Oscar and hanging Post-it notes to remind myself of the next days thank-you targets: the mailman，my sons math teacher. But soon，the full-on approach started to bum me out. Researchers call it the Pledge of Allegiance effect. If you overdo gratitude，it loses its meaning or，worse，becomes a chore, professor Emmons told me when I mentioned my slump. Be selective，he advised，and focus on thanking the unsung heroes in your life.
Then professor Emmons suggested a gratitude visit. Think of a person who has made a major difference in your life and whom youve never properly thanked. Compose a detailed letter to him or her that expresses your appreciation in concrete terms，then read it aloud，face-to-face.
I immediately flashed on Miss Riggi，my eighth-grade English teacher. She was the first one to open my eyes to Hemingway，Faulkner，and other literary giants. To this day，I am guided by her advice . I booked plane tickets to my hometown，Scranton，Pennsylvania.
Miss Riggi was shorter than I remember，though unmistakable with her still long，black hair and bright，intelligent eyes. After a slightly awkward hug and small talk，we settled in. I took a deep breath and read.
I want to thank you in person for the impact youve had on my life, I began. Nearly 30 years ago，you introduced my eighth-grade class to the wonders of the written word. Your passion for stories and characters and your enthusiasm for words made me realize there was a world out there that made sense to me. And whether it was Miss Riggis enormous smile when I finished the letter，or the way she held it close as we said goodbye，my feeling of peace and joy remained long after I returned home.
Since then，I have written several more gratitude letters，and my wife and I both summon our training when we feel saddled by life. The unpleasant matters are still there，but appreciation，Ive learned，has an echo--and its loud enough to drown out the grumbling of one man emptying the dishwasher.
1. The author didnt start complaining when he met with unpleasant experiences because
A. he thought the day was different from before.
B. it was one of his self-proclaimed day of Gratitude.
C. his son became more cute and his wife more adventurous.
D. he could manage these little unhappy things in life.
2. According to the passage，what did professor Emmons propose to have a gratitude attitude?
A. Making oneself appear to be grateful.
B. Keeping an elaborate dairy.
C. Thinking positively in a given time.
D. Recording everything appreciated for a certain time.
3. According to the context，gratitude visit in Paragraph Six refers to
A. visit someone with a detailed letter.
B. call on someone with an appreciated letter.
C. see someone you are indebted to.
D. see someone personally.
4. The authors reunion with his English teacher，Miss Riggi，shows that
A. the author was desperate to see his teacher.
B. his teacher had great impact on him.
C. his teacher still had a deep impression of the author.
D. the author wanted to testify the professors proposal.
5. The last paragraph shows that
A. professor Emmons suggestions were effective to the author.
B. professor Emmons suggestions were unpractical to the author.
C. the author and his wife learn how to show gratitude to others.
D. professor Emmons suggestions were considered as unacceptable.
6. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A. How to pay a gratitude visit.
B. How to make matters differently.
C. How to be thankful and improve your life.
D. How to become an appreciated man.
答案解析：
1.因果细节题。定位到第l段。根据第1段第2句可知，在以前如果碰到一些不开心的事情，作者会开始抱怨，但是今天是不同的。因为今天是他自己规定的感恩月中的一天。他看到的是孩子可爱的酒窝，妻子对冒险活动的独到见解等等。故选B。A没有说到 不同的原因;C只是具体的现象;D也不是原因，他一直都有能力处理日常生活的不快，但如果不是他的感恩日子，他也许还是会抱怨，故排除。
2.细节判断题。定位到第3段，根据第3段最后一句可知，D正确。教授提到新研究结果表明，就算是假装感恩也能让人觉得开心和满足。但他建议的是，让作者在给定的一周或一月内把每件值得感激的事情全都记下来，因此不选A。
3.短语含义理解题。根据第6段的第2句可知，感恩拜访指的就是对你的人生有重大影响而你却未曾表达谢意的人登门造访。所以选项C正确。
4.细节推断题。从第6段第2句对拜访对象的解释及第7段首句可知他的英语老师是对他人生影响最深的人，从第9段信件内容也可知道这一点，故选B。
5.段落细节题。最后一段讲述感恩月过后作者及其妻子的改变：生活中不愉快的事情时有发生，但是保持一颗感恩的心将会让你忘掉一切不开心。这表明Emmons教授的建议是非常奏效的。故选项A符合题意。
6.全文主旨题。文章主要描述了作者在感恩月中的体验及感恩月之后的改变。选项A、B以及D。
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