Years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did：to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong wish that parents have for their children is another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities. No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The concept of generation gap. | B．The reasons for generation gap. |
| C．Ways to reduce generation gap. | D．Attitudes towards generation gap. |
| A．They depend on their parents to make a life. |
| B．They live with their parents in the same area. |
| C．They ask their parents for the best advice. |
| D．They have very little in common with their parents. |
| A．Parents should be strict with their children. |
| B．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation. |
| C．Parents couldn’t do things well themselves. |
| D．The young never want to satisfy their parents. |
| A．Parents are not strict enough with their children. |
| B．The young value the old too much for their wisdom. |
| C．Young people don’t have the knowledge of a lifetime. |
| D．The society develops too fast. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】UN Humanitarian Chief Mark Lowcock today released US$15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help fund global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus.
The announcement came as the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the global risk of the coronavirus outbreak to “very high” – its top level of risk assessment. The WHO has said there is still a chance of containing the virus if its chain of transmission is broken.
The UN funding has been released to the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It will fund essential activities including being aware of the spread of the virus, investigating cases, and putting national laboratories into use.
The WHO has called for US$675 million to fund the fight against coronavirus. There is a window of opportunity to contain the spread of the virus if countries take strong measures to detect cases early, isolate and care for patients, and trace contacts.
Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock said, “We do not yet see evidence that the virus is spreading freely. As long as that’s the case, we still have a chance of containing it, by strengthening surveillance, conducting thorough outbreak investigations to identify contacts and applying appropriate measures to prevent further spread.”
“This announcement from the UN’s Emergency Fund will help countries with fragile health systems improve their detection and response operations. It has the potential to save the lives of millions of vulnerable people.” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said,“The potential spread of the virus to countries with weaker health systems is one of our biggest concerns. These funds will help support these countries get ready for detecting and isolating cases, protecting their health workers, and treating patients with dignity and appropriate care. This will help us save lives and push back the virus.”
“At this critical moment, every effort must be made to push back against the outbreak,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “These funds will support our global efforts to promote weaker health systems and inform children, pregnant women and families about how to protect themselves.”
1. We can learn from the passage that__________ .| A．WHO referred to the COVID-19 as the medium level of risk assessment |
| B．The virus is still hard to contain even if timely measures are taken |
| C．The fund will help people with weak health |
| D．The fund released by UN is much less than WHO originally demanded |
| A．The examination of the people concerned |
| B．The monitor of the the spread of the virus |
| C．The operation of the national laboratories |
| D．The establishment of the mobile hospital |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Skeptical. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．Travel. | B．Health. |
| C．Business. | D．Lifestyle. |
【推荐2】Pickled sides are Chinese people’s solution to tasteless food. Just a spoonful of sauce or pickled vegetables over rice can make a meal taste a million times better.
During busy work schedules, many young people in China don’t have the luxury of enjoying insightful conversations with friends and family at the dinner table. Instead, they find themselves eating alone.
Chinese youth are kept company during these 20-to-30-minute windows by TV shows or short videos, which they stream on their phone, tablet, or television. On the Internet, such content has been called “digital pickled vegetables”.
Some popular picks include classic Chinese dramas and situation comedies (sitcoms) like Empresses in the Palace and My Own Swordsman. American sitcoms such as Friends and How I Met Your Mother are also favored for their amusing jokes and simple story lines. You don’t need to know anything about either to get a good laugh from a random episode.
Some have questioned the value of such videos, pointing out that some explainers ruin good films and books and that no-brainer mini-series aren’t informational. On the other hand, we see nothing wrong with some harmless fun to accompany a lonely meal after a long day of work. Instead of being accompanied by friends and family during meal my young people in China are kept company by TV shows or short videos.
Can this habit affect your diet? According to a research paper published in 2019, you may eat more unconsciously. An international research team asked 62 volunteers to follow different eating patterns on four different days. The patterns included eating while looking at the mobile phone, reading magazines and without distraction (分心). After analyzing their diets, the team discovered that eating with a distraction increased intake of calories by about 15 percent.
To explore the reason, the team also invited two groups of people: one group ate while listening to a recording about another person eating and the other listened to a clip that helped them imagine themselves eating. The results showed that the second group ate less since they were more focused on their meals. When eating with the “digital pickles”, our attention can be distracted, which leads to eating more than expected.
1. Why do many Chinese young people eat alone?| A．They hate to share food with workmates. | B．They fail to have the luxury of dining space. |
| C．They tend to have busy work timetables. | D．They prefer not to talk with strangers. |
| A．Videos you watch while eating. | B．Sauce you choose while eating. |
| C．Vegetables you like while eating. | D．Games you play while eating. |
| A．They increase our feeling of hunger. | B．They make the food more delicious. |
| C．They draw our attention to the diet. | D．They shift our attention from the meals. |
【推荐3】Every year, some 2.3 million women and men around the world died from work-related accidents or diseases — that’s more than 8, 000 deaths every single day — and at least 402 million people suffer from non-fatal occupational injuries. The number is enormous in terms of personal tragedy and hardship. And it comes with a huge economic loss. It is estimated that occupational accidents and diseases lead to a 5.4 percent loss of annual global GDP.
A safe and healthy working environment is so important that in June 2022 the ILO (International Labor Organization) took a historic step when it added a safe and healthy working environment to its Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Why does this matter? It matters because occupational safety and health can now no longer be viewed as an optional extra. All of the ILO’s 186 member states are now required to respect, promote and achieve a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work.
This is significant for several reasons. First, it recognizes that every worker has the right to be protected from dangers and risks that can cause injury, illness or death in the workplace.
By making occupational safety and health (OSH) a fundamental right, the ILO is sending a clear message to governments and employers of all countries that they must take responsibility for providing a safe and healthy working environment for all workers.
When workers feel safe and healthy in their workplace, they are likely to be more productive and efficient. This can benefit workers, employers as well as the economy. Conversely, when workers are injured or become ill due to workplace dangers, it can have a significantly negative impact on productivity and economic growth.
A safe and healthy working environment is now a fundamental right for each and every worker. Governments, employers, trade unions as well as companies must work together to make this right a reality.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To draw a conclusion. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To warn us of the danger at work. | D．To call for the need of safety environment. |
| A．It means a basic right to the ILO. | B．It means life and death to employers. |
| C．It means a fundamental obligation to workers. | D．It means economic growth to the government. |
| A．Consequently. | B．Contrarily. | C．Conventionally. | D．Commonly. |
| A．The joint efforts by the four sides. | B．The potential improvements to make. |
| C．The history of workers’ sufferings. | D．The measures workers take to get protected. |
【推荐1】Africa is often called the cradle(摇篮)of civilization. The first human beings appeared on the continent about 2 million years ago. Old civilizations grew along the banks of the Nile River. Thousands of years ago ancient Egypt became a powerful empire, to the south Nubia emerged(出现)in today’s Sudan. After 1000 AD, great empires emerged in Ghana and other areas in western Africa. City-states, including Mogadishu and Zanzibar, grew into powerful trading centers in East Africa. Towards the end of the Middle Ages the first Europeans came to Africa. From the early 1500s on, they made money by bringing slaves to North America. The British, Dutch and Portuguese set up trading posts along the western African coast where they searched for gold and ivory. In the 17th century, the Dutch set up a trading post at the Cape of Good Hope. It grew into a Dutch colony(殖民地)until the 19th century, when the British took over. At the end of the 19th century, Europeans ruled most of Africa. They saw the continent as a major source of raw materials that they could bring back to Europe for their emerging industries. As a result, the Industrial Revolution did not take place in Africa. Throughout the colonial period, European countries fought for influence and control in Africa. In the “Scramble(争夺)for Africa”, they divided the continent into areas of interest. Native Africans often resisted colonial governments and in many areas, they were killed in uprisings(起义).
One of the last countries to gain independence was Rhodesia, today’s Zimbabwe, where blacks fought for over a decade against the British. In South Africa, white Europeans gave up control of the country after Apartheid(种族隔离)ended in the 1990s.
Many African countries did not know how to deal with their newly gained independence, largely because they had no experience in administrating and governing a nation. As a result, civil wars, tribal(部落的)conflicts and power struggles broke out. They resulted in dozens of wars in Africa since the 1960s.
1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?| A．Nubia was then part of ancient Egypt. |
| B．Sudan was founded earlier than Egypt. |
| C．Africans were the earliest people on earth. |
| D．Areas along the Nile River greatly developed. |
| A．They sold low-quality items to the natives. |
| B．They treated the local Africans as goods. |
| C．They hurt and murdered the local people. |
| D．They seized local people’s fortune by force. |
| A．To fight against the local people’s resistance. |
| B．To make parts of Africa into their control. |
| C．To develop the economy of the limited parts. |
| D．To prevent local people getting into other countries. |
| A．They lack managing abilities. | B．They are short of resources |
| C．They want more free land. | D．They still have no civil rights. |
【推荐2】As we all know, children are fast learners when learning a second language. However, adults can study a second language as fast as children, a new study reports. Adults can develop the increased neural (神经的)connections with language study that can avoid dementia(痴呆)by four years, as well as make traveling a lot easier.
In an examination of Spanish second-language learners, the researchers found that after simplest training, the brain activity between sentences that relied on grammatical features unique to each language was similar to that of native speakers. “I think it is the reason why people think university foreign language teaching is good. It shows that, even with limited time in the college classroom, learning can happen quite quickly and well, ”said professor Alison Gabriele, the co-author of the paper.
Beyond that, it gives parents more reasons to study a second language as part of a family effort. Further research has shown that learning a language as a family effort improves everyone’s abilities and gives opportunities for learning something that are mostly absent from classroom settings. National Geographic reports in an interview with Christine Jernigan, author of Family Language Learning: Learn Another Language that as for immersion(沉浸)in language study, practicing a second language with people is the most important part, and who talks to each other more than a family? Language learners need to be brave. Besides, they should ready themselves for making mistakes and receive others’ advice.
Most people will be far more comfortable making mistakes around family members than in a classroom setting. Furthermore, any home activity, whether that’s gardening, playing in the yard, watching movies, going shopping, cleaning, or cooking a meal, becomes an opportunity for language learning. Jernigan suggests preparing vocabulary before an activity and using it as short homework. Jernigan suggests using subtitles(字幕)too, so you can see which words are being used.
1. What does the new study in Paragraph 1 find?| A．Kids often travel a lot on their own. |
| B．Adults have learnt a second language better than kids. |
| C．Adults can study a second language as quickly as kids. |
| D．Kids are likely to develop the increased neural connections. |
| A．It is successful. | B．It is challenging. |
| C．It is disappointing. | D．It is boring. |
| A．Helping kids form good learning habits. |
| B．Making parents control kids easily. |
| C．Keeping kids focusing on the classroom. |
| D．Having more chances to learn in different situations. |
| A．Try to take others’ advice less. |
| B．Fit in with new learning environment. |
| C．Be willing to accept others’ comments. |
| D．Spend much time doing housework. |
【推荐3】People love Shakespeare’s vocabulary and creativity. He used more than 15,000 words in this writing! But Bible’s Old Testament (旧约圣经) only contains 5,642 words, Shakespeare also invented many new terms and phrase.
If someone’s behavior suggested they were not honest and should not be trusted. Shakespeare called them suspicious. If someone was silly and perhaps looked like a fool, Shakespeare found their actions laughable. And for those who offered their opinions on something’s quality, Shakespeare called them critics (评论家). Today, foe instance, food critics and film critics give their opinions on food and film.
The familiar phrase “break the ice” comes from Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew. The “ice is broken” when people in a group, who have never met before, begin to talk to each other by doing some activities. More common words were first used by Shakespeare including “road”, “gossip”, “lonely”, “bump” and “hurry”.
Four hundred years after his death. Shakespeare surely lives on, in everyday speech, as he most famous writer of all time.
1. Shakespeare’s writings contain __________.| A．less than 5,642 words | B．less than 15,000 words |
| C．only 5,642 words | D．over 15,000 words |
| A．meaningful | B．thoughtful | C．doubtful | D．powerful |
| A．Dishonest people’s | B．Film critics | C．Food critics | D．Silly’s people |
| A．a poem | B．a film | C．a play | D．a novel |
