In 2016, inspired by a challenge called the “16 for 16”, where a mother gave her daughter $1,600 when she turned 16 if she stayed off social media, Lorna Klefsaas decided to up the ante (赌注) to two extra years and $200 more for her son, Sivert Klefsaas.
As a 12-year-old, Sivert wasn’t using social media much. The only app he had prior to the bet was Snapchat — which he deleted a day after trying it out. So it wasn’t too difficult to live without social media, and he didn’t think about it much during the six years. “I wouldn’t say there was ever a time when I thought I was about to break,” he said. “As it went on, it was more of a pride thing.”
Lorna never had to check for any secretly downloaded apps. “I got to avoid all the unnecessary drama that was on there. I had my friends to keep me up to date on the latest information or trends.” Sivert said. “It meant I had more time to focus on my grades and sports instead.”
On February 19, 2022, Sivert claimed his prize. Now $1,800 richer, Sivert hasn’t thought about what to buy, but it’ll likely be something for his dorm room at the University of St. Paul, which he’ll attend in the fall.
After Sivert’s success, Lorna turned to Facebook to share the challenge. She said it was some of the best money she ever spent. Other parents seemed interested in trying it out too. “We are certainly not against social media, but it’s the healthy using of it,” Lorna noted. “It’s about not letting yourself get weighed down by it, or addicted to it, or affected by things that people post.”
Now Sivert has a new perspective on staying off social media. “It was awesome. Ah, what about 6 more years? Thank you, Mom.”
1. Why did Lorna bet her son?| A．To challenge. | B．To persuade. | C．To punish. | D．To imitate. |
| A．He almost became broken down. |
| B．He jumped at the idea and stuck to it. |
| C．He tried out his new app continuously. |
| D．He just downloaded an app, Snapchat. |
| A．By being supervised by his mother. |
| B．By watching dramas in the theater. |
| C．By aiming at his academic standards. |
| D．By dreaming of his prize with eagerness. |
| A．A successful 18-for-18 bet. | B．A social media campaign. |
| C．Sivert, a boy who won the bet. | D．Lorna, a mother who awarded her son. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on well with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly-held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it had ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds: they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s more negotiation(商议) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with me.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion(反抗) is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, “Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over. ”
1. According to the author, teenage rebellion______| A．may be a false belief | B．is common nowadays |
| C．existed only in the 1960s | D．resulted from changes in families. |
| A．share family responsibility |
| B．cause trouble in their families |
| C．go boating with their family |
| D．make family decisions |
| A．go to clubs more often with their children |
| B．are much stricter with their children |
| C．care less about their children’s life |
| D．give their children more freedom |
| A．Negotiation in family. | B．Education in family. |
| C．Harmony in family. | D．Teenage trouble in family. |
【推荐2】
When Facebook was entirely used by people under the age of 25, things were simple. But now an important social question has appeared — should you “friend” your child, or accept a parent as a “friend”?
Lindsay Stewart, 15, completely understands why you’d refuse a parent’s friend request. Her parents have agreed on not becoming Facebook friends. Lindsay says, “She said she wasn't going to ask to be friends. My brother and I were relieved (放心的). ”
Though there may be nothing embarrassing or secrets being discussed, it’s not a place she wants her mother to have access to. Lindsay explains, “My mum is my mum. I like her, but she's not necessarily what I’d call my friend.”
Mum is Sandy Stewart, a 50 year old Indiana-born mother of two now living in South London. Mrs. Stewart has strong opinions about what role a parent should play in the world’s biggest networking site — stay away from your children. “I wouldn't dream of being friends. There’s no way,” Mrs. Stewart insists and suggests trying “friending” could seem like an invasion of privacy (侵犯隐私).
Yet Tim Harness, 54, and his daughter Josie, 18, are “friends” on Facebook and perfectly happy. Josie left home in the summer for university in Plymouth, and Mr. Harness can see her online. “I have a little look at her photos now and again,” he explains. “She seems to be having a good time.”
Josie tells me it’s reassuring (令人安心的) to know that her father’s checking up on her every few days. She has plenty of family friends and what they see on her Facebook doesn’t concern her. “ The worst dad might see is a photo of me a bit drunk, ” she says.“Is it an invasion of privacy? Not really. Everyone has Facebook these days. In my view, the only reason why you wouldn't want them is if you've got something to hide.”
1. Which of the following best describes Lindsay’s parents?| A．Understanding. | B．Outgoing (外向的). |
| C．Warmhearted. | D．Caring. |
| A．Social websites are not safe enough. |
| B．Parents should care more for their kids in real life. |
| C．Tim Harness checked up on Josie’s Facebook with her agreement. |
| D．It is only an excuse for kids to refuse their parents on Facebook. |
【推荐3】For the brave in the army, being sent away from home is just part of the duty. However, it's never easy especially for those with children. So, when I found out I was going to stay in South Korea for a year, I was nervous about how my five children, particularly my eldest daughter Abigail, would take the news since it meant I wouldn't be home to see her graduate from high school
To my surprise, Abigail told me not to worry and even suggested we make the news known among family members. "We've been lucky you haven't had to be sent abroad yet. Anyway, we can get connected through the Internet. See me on your phone." Abigail said. She stepped into many of my roles when I was gone. I wanted to find a way to thank her and show her how proud I was of her. I started planning the special surprise when my request to return home a few weeks earlier to attend Abigail's graduation ceremony was agreed to.
When my time in South Korea finally came to an end, I flew home, and stayed in a hotel. On Abigail's graduation day, I hid in an office behind the stage waiting until I heard her name called. I just kept thinking "Don't cry. Don't trip in your heels. Don't fall over." At last! Abigail was up on stage. I slipped up behind her, whispered in her ear, and around she turned! "I was just thinking, like, ' You aren't supposed to be here. What? What? How?' It was the biggest shock…I'm pretty sure my dad made people he didn't even know cry. Emotional for everyone." Abigail cried.
You know what followed: embraces, kisses, tears, laughs, flowers, wishes…; aren't they what a family have in store?
1. What worried the author most?| A．His duty in South Korea. | B．His five children's safety. |
| C．His eldest daughter's study. | D．His absence from a big event |
| A．She was the smartest kid in her family. |
| B．She got angry because her father had to leave home |
| C．She took good care of the other four kids when her father was away. |
| D．She gave a speech to express her thanks to her father on graduation day. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Overjoyed. |
| C．Nervous. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．The meaning of family tie. |
| B．The way to plan a big surprise. |
| C．A soldier's personal sacrifice (牺牲). |
| D．A father's contribution to a family |
【推荐1】We all need a little change in our lives. For Ahi, the change was much bigger. Just this past January he immigrated to Canada from Pakistan at the age of 18. The reasoning? “A voice in me was shouting to go somewhere where there are opportunities,” Ali said.
While it was a hard decision to leave his hometown, his native country, and his loved ones, Ali is excited about his new life. “In Canada you will find yourself surrounded by more opportunities, more ways to accomplish what you want, and people are very helpful.” Months after changing around his whole life, Ali dove right into helping the community. In March, he worked with Be the Change. Ali describes the organization as “a youth program which gives confidence and skills of making a negotiation (谈判).”
“The most impressive part of Be the Change is that we don’t just work with pen and paper,” he said. “You are given a task to go out and ask people for the problems in the community, work on it, and then make a proposal for the authority to work on it.”
Now Ali has a new project he is working on. He was inspired to get involved with the organization because it is a platform for him to do good for the world. One of Ali’s most favorite parts of working with the Peace Welcome Club is that it allows face-to-face interaction rather than just the use of social networking sites.
“This gives me opportunity to spread the message of Peace Welcome Club. It enables me to hear something from other communities and to work on something they want to change in their community.” Another added benefit? Ali has met a wealth of mew people and has made many new friends.
1. Ali went to Canada probably because ________.| A．he was forced to leave Pakistan |
| B．he wanted to meet his close friend |
| C．he was eager to make his life different |
| D．he decided to accept further education |
| A．missed his parents very much | B．found people around friendly |
| C．had no time to have a good rest | D．made a large amount of money |
| A．was a strange organization |
| B．was quite easy to get along with |
| C．offered him a job with pen and paper |
| D．made him more and more confident |
| A．liked talking with others online |
| B．enjoyed traveling around the world |
| C．benefited much from the Peace Welcome Club |
| D．could make good use of social networking sites |
| A．He was friendly and helpful. |
| B．He did well in his lessons at school. |
| C．He was thought highly of by others. |
| D．He hoped to succeed in the future. |
A few weeks ago he boarded the bus. A few stops later, a young woman boarded. She swiped (刷) her bus-card, only to find the machine would not accept it. The driver told her to pay the $2.25 fare. “I just bought this card,” she said. “I paid the money...”
The driver said she could take the card back to the sales office and explain the problem. In the meantime she would have to pay the fare for that day. The woman became confused and distressed. The rest of us just watched, wondering how the problem would be solved. Suddenly the man rose from his seat, dropped a few coins into the fare box.
“You’re lucky,” the bus driver said quietly. “He paid for you.” Silence fell over the bus. The rest of us had watched the woman’s discomfort, but he felt it. We lawyers, journalists and business people headed downtown to help fix the world. He fixed her world.
I haven’t seen him since that day. Some people believe angels occasionally drop down and move among us. All I know is that I have a new respect for the simple act of kindness. It speeds us along on our way.
1. According to the first paragraph, the author _______.
| A．thinks highly of the man |
| B．often gives the man some help |
| C．knows the man very well |
| D．considers the man strange |
| A．exited | B．generous | C．bored | D．anxious |
| A．to show concern for other people. |
| B．to lead a happy life like the man. |
| C．to share what he has with us. |
| D．to believe that people are born kind. |
【推荐3】Growing up in Venezuela, there was never really much cause to learn English. For five years, I spent two hours a week completely involved in understanding "to be", numbers, colors, and the differences between saving “good evening” and “good night”. I would always get top marks. Yes, that used to be me, walking like a queen among everyday, Spanish speakers. “Bring it on, life.” I said. “I can deal with whatever you've got.”
But when I moved to Canada, life hit me so hard that it knocked me down. Years later, I am still recovering. Living in a new land, with different people, new rules, new weather, a new culture and language, 1 was no longer a queen. Did I speak English? No, not at all. So, I went back to school, thinking that it was a challenge I would conquer in record time. But English was more like a wall in my path. Even after getting a job, it took all my courage to stop myself from crying, completely at a loss and scared. Learning English, speaking, listening—it hurt me. Not the language. Not the unkind people. It hurt because I wasn't good, despite my efforts.
Now, after almost seven years in Canada, I've decided not to say sorry for my accent. grammar mistakes, or pronunciation. I'm going to run after my dreams and enjoy a beautiful, rich and fascinating language. Don't get me wrong. My brain still screams “Give me a break!" from time to time, but that's completely natural. I know it's going to take a while, but at least now I accept the person I am— not the perfect person I thought I was.
1. What can we learn about leaning English in Venezuela from the passage?| A．Everyone put much lime in it. | B．It didn't need much effort. |
| C．Its standard was very high. | D．It brought advantages to students. |
| A．She was proud of her level of foreign languages. | B．She fell confident enough lo face any challenge. |
| C．She was brave in competitions. | D．She looked down on others. |
| A．She found her feet in the new environment quickly. | B．She regretted not working hard in English. |
| C．She quickly put her language talent to use. | D．She expected to improve her English easily. |
| A．has a practical understanding of herself | B．can now speak English quite beautifully |
| C．has conquered English finally | D．is worried about her English |
I am Linda from the USA. About six years ago, I decided that I needed to improve my fitness. After months of circuit training at the gym, I thought it might be fun to go to work by bicycle. I lived about 12 miles from work, so this was a reasonable and serious try.
After thinking it over, I finally reinforced my determination and rode to work. It was hard, but I enjoyed it. At lunchtime, I thought it might be cool to cycle into the city to eat. However, I discovered my bike had a puncture (轮胎穿孔). This upset me a bit as I was not fully prepared to be dealing with such problems on day one. Eventually, I got the puncture repaired and set off. But in a hurry, I ignored to tighten the front wheel nuts! About 2km down the road, the inevitable happened. While jumping a gutter (排水沟), the front wheel separated from the forks and I crashed hard onto the pavement.
I don’t really know how long I just stood there, bleeding and wondering what to do next. Suddenly, a white truck stopped and a one-armed man appeared. Without even asking, he placed my bike into the back and guided me to the passenger seat. He asked me where I wanted to be taken. Confused, I asked him to take me to my workplace, which he did. He unloaded my bike and locked it up for me in one of the bike lockers. Then he drove off without a word.
Soon Carrie, a co-worker who returned from lunch, discovered me and took me to the hospital. I turned out that I had broken a bone in my left hand. A few days later, I was able to thank Carri in person. However, I never saw that my mysterious one-armed man again.
Now I am always carrying a full repair kit and trying to go out of my way to assist other cyclists, and even motorists, who are in trouble. It’s my way to give a little back and show kindness that was shown to me.
1. Why did the author decide to go to work by bike?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 probably mean?(no more than 5 words)
3. What mainly caused the author’s accident?(no more than 10 words)
4. Why did the one-armed man take the author to the workplace?(no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of the author’s behaviour in the last paragraph? Why? (no more than 20words)
【推荐2】Most students of UR will spend at least one evening at Tin Roof, the only bar located a block away from campus before they graduate. Kaleb Chitaphong, who spent numerous nights there as an undergraduate, bought the place.
Chitaphong didn’t intend to own a bar after graduation, instead hoping to follow his Political Science education through to a Ph.D., and probably find a career in academia. But when his frequented place was facing closure last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), Chitaphong decided he couldn’t let that happen. “I grew up in this area, so when finding out the business was closing, I contacted the owner. Initially, I had no plans to buy it. But when we got talking more, things worked out and I was able to gain ownership,” he said.
Chitaphong has experience in the restaurant industry from his family. But even with background knowledge, he still had a crash course in owning a bar the hard way-learning the laws, earning his alcohol license, understanding requirements-all during the pandemic. Chitaphong reopened the restaurant this past February, starting small.
Although loved by students, Chitaphong’s hope for Tin Roof is to attract local residents as well. “It’s important for me to have a place where everybody can come and have a good time,” he said. While Chitaphong wants to have a bar that isn’t exclusive to just UR students, he also wants to remain close to campus life. “I want it to be a UR bar, in whatever way that means,” he expressed. “I’ve talked to sports teams of UR to get some jerseys (球衣) hung up.”
As COVID-19 limitation continues to ease up, Chitaphong has plans to host more events. In addition to Disco Tuesdays, he recently added Karaoke Fridays. He’s also planning cooperation with UR’s Standup Comedy to try out Stand-Up Wednesdays.
Despite his big plans, Tin Roof isn’t Chitaphong’s end game. He may open up another business. But right now he’s focusing on this space to make it the best time for as many people as possible.
1. What was the root cause of Chitaphong taking over the bar?| A．His intention of running a business. |
| B．His emotional attachment to the bar. |
| C．His positive attitude to the pandemic. |
| D．His friendship with the boss of the bar. |
| A．His family background. |
| B．His academic performance. |
| C．The characteristics of his restaurant. |
| D．Hard preparations of starting his bar. |
| A．Familiar. | B．Near. |
| C．Specific. | D．Harmful. |
| A．Tin Roof: The Home of UR Students |
| B．Chitaphong: A Business -minded Graduate |
| C．UR Graduate Brings New Life to Tin Roof |
| D．How Does a Bar Regain Its Appeal to the Public? |
【推荐3】When asking for money, teens usually spend money in eating and having fun. But Garland Benson, a 14-year-old boy in Austin, Texas, asks for money to help his sister, Christiane.
Garland is trying to raise ＄l million to help cover the cost of starting a clinical trial (临床试验) to develop a treatment for Batten disease that can cause blindness. Christiane was found having Batten disease at age 5,and she was 15 in 2018.
“It’s $1 million that I’m going to raise by myself,” Garland told KXAN. “My first goal was to get 100,000 people to give $10 each, and I can do that by spreading it on social media, getting people to donate (捐赠) ＄10 until 10 people and then keep going like that and finally I’ll get there．”
Garland’s $1 million plan, called “Be a Hero!”, started in February, 2017. He has nearly reached his goal and he has raised $869,525. He has used school projects and even at school-based group of brothers called “Brothers for Batten“ who do things like garage sales to raise the money.
Christiane hasn’t allowed Batten disease to keep her from experiencing life. She still goes skiing with her family, rides horses and is a part of her school’s cheerleading squad (啦啦队).
Garland and Christiane’s parents, Charlotte and Craig, started the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation in 2008 in the hope of funding a clinical trial for treatments that may slow the progress of Batten disease. Mom Charlotte is proud of both her kids for doing what they can to help each other and others with Batten disease.
1. Why does Garland Benson want to raise $1 million?| A．To pay for his sister’s schooling. |
| B．To help fight his sister’s disease. |
| C．To collect money for his daily fun. |
| D．To do a research on a deadly disease. |
| A．It has nearly succeeded. |
| B．It is a school-based group of brothers. |
| C．It helps slow the progress of Batten disease. |
| D．It is a website designed for people with Batten disease. |
| A．Cheerful and brave. |
| B．Clever but depressed |
| C．Unfortunate but positive. |
| D．Active and hard-working. |
| A．She takes pride in her children. |
| B．Her efforts to fund a clinical trial failed. |
| C．She is proud of her children’s achievement in study. |
| D．She once turned to the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation. |
| A．A Little Girl Fights Against Disease. |
| B．A Great Project Treats Volunteers. |
| C．Batten Disease Can Cause Blindness. |
| D．A Boy Raises Money To Help His Sister. |
