I feel it important for families to have regular meals together. One of my best childhood memories was dinner with my parents and two sisters. As a result, last year I decided that the entire family would have dinner together three days a week. Because my husband and I both work and our three kids are busy with school activities, we could hardly have a chance to get together as a family. But we thought it possible for everyone to set aside three evenings a week for a sit-down dinner.
First we tried setting three fixed days for our experiment Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After trying the plan some weeks, almost everyone was unhappy. Then my son had the idea of having everyone post his or her schedule for the week on the fridge every Sunday. I would choose the three best days.
For a while, the kids continued to resist (抵触) the idea, saying they would rather spend the time with their friends or joining in sports or other activities, But with time going on, they began to see these evenings together positively. We discussed each other’s, problems. We made vacation plans. We laughed a lot. Months later, anyone who had to miss a family meal felt regretful.
We all now feel that we’ve been able to build stronger relationships within the family and communicate better. The idea of having regular family meals together, which seemed difficult at first, has brought about many positive changes in our lives.
1. What made the writer decide to have regular family meals together?| A．Her good childhood memory. | B．Her kids’ needs for help. |
| C．Her husband’s advice. | D．Her son’s idea. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．On Mondays. | B．On Wednesdays. | C．On Fridays. | D．On Sundays. |
| A．To Keep Positive, Talk More Often | B．To Stay Healthy, Have More Sports |
| C．The Kids That Are Often Busy Feel Happy | D．The Family That Eats Together Stays Together |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Nuclear (核心的) Family
53.7% of Canadians live in nuclear families. A nuclear family usually has parents and children. It is also called the traditional family. This kind of family was the most popular in the 950sand 1960s. Now the traditional family is choosing to have fewer children than in the past.
Single-Parent Family
In this kind of family, there is only one parent caring for one or more children. The number of single-parent families is becoming larger. The environment of single-parent family is not very good for the mental and physical health of children.
Extended (几代同堂的) Family
There are grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in this kind of family. Members of the extended family live together for many reasons, such as helping to raise the children, caring for each other and dealing with money problems. The number of this kind of family has increased by 40 percent in the past ten years.
Childless Family
A childless family is the one that choose not to have children. The couple has never had children because of some reasons. Most have thought carefully about whether to be parents but finally give up because they think it wasn’t really right for them. To replace children, childless families usually have pets instead.
1. There are ________ in the nuclear family.| A．only parents | B．grandparents and children |
| C．parents and children | D．aunts, uncles and cousins |
| A．the single-parent family | B．the traditional family |
| C．the extended family | D．the childless family |
| A．The number of the extended family is the largest of the four kinds of families. |
| B．Now the nuclear family is a family that chooses to have more children. |
| C．A childless family is a family that chooses to have one child. |
| D．Members of the extended family can help each other. |
【推荐2】My 7-year-old daughter Leeny always has her nose in a book. She even took to reading in the car on the long drive to summer camp, which was where she lost the book. This is the first lost library book in my life. My family has always been overeducated, but we were poor. I didn’t own books. I borrowed books. However, my daughters have more books now than I owned my whole childhood, and I knowingly contribute to it by adding to the stacks (堆). So it's probably my fault that when Leeny realized she had lost the book, she shrugged (耸肩). “Sorry. I can't find it.” she said. “It’s only $20, right? What’s the big deal?”
I felt the need to make her feel responsible for the book. She agreed to help me clean the chicken coop (笼子) in trade for my paying the library fine. I thought this idea was very clever because cleaning the coop is some work I had been avoiding for months. It was summertime, and dust floated in the dry air.
But my girl, my animal-loving mini-me, thought shoveling chicken poop (铲鸡粪) was the most fun she’d had on a Saturday morning in a long time. She did not feel any of the emotions that punishment is supposed to introduce. In fact, she looked as if she might lose another book on purpose in order to clean the coop again. I stood, somewhat dumbfounded (发愣的), watching her.
It took me a while to realize what had happened, why my punishment had failed so completely and why I didn't care. The fact is that I had Leeny help me clean the chicken coop. I was there, too, shoveling chicken poop, fetching the clean straw and feed. Leeny’s little sister, Vicki, was inside watching a cartoon while my husband paid bills. Only Leeny and I were outside. She had me all to herself for the first time since Vicki was born, and she was enjoying all the attention for once. I don't know what she learned about responsibility, but I found that I didn't care about the book anymore. We bonded over that unpleasant job and spent quality time together: mother, daughter, and chicken poop.
1. How does Leeny find reading?| A．It is very challenging. |
| B．It is full of enjoyment. |
| C．It inspires her to be a camper. |
| D．It teaches her to love her family. |
| A．the author could never have enough books to read |
| B．the author’s daughters often lost library books |
| C．the author’s daughters own too many books |
| D．the author didn’t own any books |
| A．What I owe to Leeny: more attention |
| B．My punishment failed, but I didn’t care |
| C．My daughter drove me crazy, but I felt grateful |
| D．Surprise: my daughter loves cleaning chicken coops |
【推荐3】A quarrel at home may result in you falling ill. Don't laugh, it's true. Family matters including living habits and even the way we speak have a big effect on our health, doctors say.
Wang Xiaoyu, a Senior 2 girl from Xichang, Sichuan Province, fainted (晕倒) in class when she heard her classmates quarrel at the top of their voices. Quarrels between her parents also put the girl into a coma. It is because she is suffering from depression , caused by bad relations at home, doctors explained."We don't get sick or stay well by ourselves," says Dr Robert Ferrer from the US. Ferrer shows that family forces may explain up to a quarter of health problems, in his recent research.
The genes you get from your family may cause illness. If one of your parents has a heart attack, your risk of being affected (影响) may double. But effects on health are not only written in our DNA.
Unrelated people who live under the same roof also get similar problems. Diet, lifestyle and environment affect our health, too.
Ferrer's research also found that if teenagers feel they are ignored (忽视) or unimportant at home they are more likely to get sick.
We may never fully understand all the effects that families have on our health. But just as individual problems can have effects on others, a small improvement can have big benefits , Ferrer said.
1. Which of the following can best explain why Wang Xiaoyu fainted in class?| A．Because her classmates often quarreled in class. |
| B．Because her parents used to quarrel. |
| C．Because of her depression caused by bad family relations. |
| D．Because her classmates shouted loudly at her. |
| A．We get sick or stay well by ourselves. |
| B．Only the genes we get from our family have a big effect on our health. |
| C．Our health has nothing to do with diet, life style and environment. |
| D．Teenagers who are ignored at home get sick more easily than those who are not. |
| A．embarrassment | B．faint | C．tiredness | D．sadness |
| A．Family relations. | B．The reasons why we get sick. |
| C．Happy family makes you healthy. | D．A research about teenagers' health. |
On her first birthday, the doctors informed Alex’s parents that if she beat her cancer it was doubtful that she would ever walk again. Just two weeks later, Alex slightly moved her leg at her parents’ request to kick. This was the first indication that she would turn out to be a courageous and confident child with big dreams and big accomplishments.
By her second birthday, Alex was able to stand up with leg braces（支架）. She worked hard to gain strength and to learn how to walk. She appeared to be overcoming the difficul-ties, until the shocking discovery within the next year that her tumors （肿瘤）had started growing again. In the year 2000, the day after her fourth birthday, Alex received a stem cell transplant（干细胞移植）and informed her mother, “When I get out of the hospital I want to have a lemonade stand. ” She said she wanted to give the money to doctors to allow them to help other kids, like they helped me. True to her word, she held her first lemonade stand later that year with the help of her older brother and raised an amazing $ 2,000 for her hospital.
People from all over the world, moved by her story, held their own lemonade stands and donated the earnings to Alex and her cause. In August of 2004, Alex passed away at the age of 8, knowing that, with the help of others, she had raised more than $ 1 million to help find a cure for the disease that took her life. Alex’s family—including brothers Patrick, Eddie, and Joey—and supporters around the world are committed to continuing her inspiring cause through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
1. It can be learned from the text that Alex .
| A．couldn’t walk until she was four |
| B．held her first lemonade stand in 2001 |
| C．was the only daughter of the Scotts |
| D．was born with cancer |
| A．To promote her lemonade. |
| B．To attract public attention to her disease. |
| C．To set up a children’s hospital. |
| D．To collect money to help children with cancer. |
| A．They helped her sell lemonade. |
| B．They donated money to her foundation. |
| C．They provided free stands for her. |
| D．They donated stem cells for her operation. |
| A．Stubborn. | B．Determined. | C．Innocent. | D．Energetic. |
【推荐2】An average but an extraordinary charitian, Matel Dawson gave away $ 1.3 million to charity over his lifetime.
Born the fifth of seven children in 1921 , Matel Dawson learned the value of hard work at a young age. He left school in the ninth grade to help support his family. By the time he was eighteen, Dawson had moved to Detroit in search of a better job. In those days, the North held better prospects for an African American man. He quickly landed a job with Ford Motor Company where he worked until he retired at the age of eighty-one.
Although never receiving much education, Matel Dawson valued higher education as a key to success for students of all races and backgrounds. Over his lifetime, Dawson donated over $ 600, 000 to Wayne Stale University alone. In 1996 he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from WSU, a sign to recognize his contribution to the university.
Although, at one time, he owned a large house and nice cars, Dawson lived a more modest lifestyle. He drove a used car and moved into a small apartment. He used to work seven days a week and put in overtime. After retirement, he stayed active at People's Community Church, where he had been a member for decades. Additionally he enjoyed the company of his daughter and grandson.
Dawson, exceptional generosity serves as a model for nontraditional charity. His contributions show that one need not be a millionaire or live like one to give away over one million dollars and to make a lasting change on the lives of fellow citizens.
1. Why was Dawson offered a job in Detroit quickly?| A．Because of his hard work. | B．Beause of his past experience. |
| C．Because of his background. | D．Because of his political stand. |
| A．Rich. | B．Hard. | C．Poor. | D．Simple. |
| A．A short time. | B．Many years. | C．All life. | D．Retirement time. |
| A．An Average Man, a Great Charitian | B．Matel Dawson's Retirement Life |
| C．Matel Dawson Changed People's Life | D．A Great Life and an Honorable Dealth |
【推荐3】Spring lifts our spirits and makes us full of energy. It’s a time for Nature to bring us back to life after a cold season. I live not far from a park, which is one of the largest gardens in Japan, and famous for its near 10,000 plum trees(李子树). I am fortunate to have them all outside my backyard, and take advantage of the walking paths daily.
I see the same trees and swans(天鹅) every day, but that day was different. At the edge of the small lake, I saw some new-born black swans. They were pretty and cute. They stayed with their mom. While taking a few photos of the sunset, I was interrupted(打断)by a high sound going on for some time.Therefore, I turned around and saw one little swan was stuck by two stones. Its mother was trying to make it out but failed. I tried to get near but the mother was ever so angry! She wouldn’t allow me to get close, so I turned to an old man sitting on the bench and said, “Excuse me; the baby swan can’t move and I want to help it, but the mother is extremely angry! Could you please do me a favor?”
After hearing my words, the man smiled at me first and then agreed to help me. He drove the mother away with great efforts, and for several times, he was almost hurt by the mother. Thanks to him, I was able to get there and pull the little swan out of the gap finally. Oh, I really hoped it wasn’t injured, but at least it was alive and swimming!
In spring, I become more physically active. Things around don’t make us, but nature does, and it keeps us going. I am positive that all of us have a little piece of nature in our own neighborhoods. Somewhere we will be reminded why natural life is so important—because we grow with it! Personally, I am happy that baby birds can put a smile on my face! I struggle for having a small number of “things” in life, and being filled with simple reality—at one with Nature.
1. What can we know about the author from Paragraph 1?| A．Her favorite season is spring. |
| B．She enjoys doing outdoor sports. |
| C．Her backyard is filled with plum trees. |
| D．She is satisfied with her living environment. |
| A．She took a few photos of the sunset. |
| B．She made a little swan’s mother angry. |
| C．She met some swans and helped one of them. |
| D．She met an old man and made friends with him. |
| A．Well-known. | B．Warm-hearted. |
| C．Selfish. | D．Outgoing. |
| A．Nature. | B．Kindness. |
| C．The garden. | D．The things around. |
【推荐1】A 45-second video of a Nigerian boy dancing barefoot in the rain has landed the aspiring (有抱负的) dancer a scholarship to New York's ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Dance, one of America's most outstanding ballet schools.
The boy Anthony's dance video spread quickly on social media with hundreds of thousands of views from people all over the globe.
The video eventually caught the attention of Cynthia Harvey, a former principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre and the current artistic director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Dance.
“A friend who lives in the UK sent me the video,” Harvey told Cincinatti Enquirer. “Within a day, I was trying to find him.”
Two days later, Harvey managed to contact the boy and his teacher. Soon after, she offered a full scholarship so Anthony could attend the ABT virtual Young Dancer Summer Workshop, a three-week intensive program. “You just have to help a child who shows this much devotion, she said.
Anthony's teacher, Daniel Ajala Owoseni, is a self-taught dancer who opened the Leap of Dance Academy in his own small home.
The video of Anthony was filmed outside of his home due to limited space inside.
“It made us just feel very astonished and grateful. We cannot believe our eyes, and so much support, sometimes we think we're dreaming. God has been so gracious to us by providing all these things. Anthony is very excited and has always been a hard worker. He is happy to continue pursuing his dreams and have this opportunity.” Owoseni told Boredpanda.
1. What do we know about the video?| A．It was shot by Harvey. | B．It won an award for the boy. |
| C．It spread viruses online. | D．It benefited the boy a lot. |
| A．She was deeply touched by him. | B．Her friend asked her to do so. |
| C．Her school was expecting students. | D．She wanted to realize her dream. |
| A．Light-hearted. | B．Kind-hearted. | C．Sensitive. | D．Selfish. |
| A．He never went to school. | B．He learned dance by himself. |
| C．He is diligent and ambitious. | D．He opened a dance school. |
【推荐2】“Please, mother, do sit down and let me try my hand ."said Fred, a bright , active boy twelve years old. A look of relief came over his mother's face as she seated herself who looked pale and worn. Fred washed the dishes, swept the kitchen, and then set out for school. After school, he hurried home, set the table and again washed the dishes.
He kept on in this way for several days till his mother was able to resume her usual work and he felt fully rewarded when the doctor, who happened in one day, said, "well, madam, it's my opinion that you would be very sick if you had not kept quiet"
The boys missed Fred because he had been in the habit of going early to school and staying to play after it was dismissed. Their curiosity was excited when he would give no other reason than that he was "wanted at home". One boy secretly detected Fred washing dishes from his kitchen window and reported this at school and various were the greetings poor Fred received during break. "Well, you are a brave one to stay at home washing dishes." “Girl boy!" "Pretty Bessie!" "Lost your apron, haven't you, Polly!"
Fred was not wanting either in spirit or courage, and he was strongly tempted to resent（对....气愤）these insults and to fight some boys. But his consciousness of right and his love for his mother helped him.
While he was struggling for self mastery, his teacher appeared at the door of the schoolhouse. Fred caught his eye, and it seemed to look, if it didn't say, "Don't give up! Be really brave!" He knew his teacher had heard the insulting remarks of his thoughtless schoolmates.
The hoys received notice during the day that Fred must not be teased in any manner. They knew that the teacher meant what he said.
1. How do we understand the doctor's words?| A．The mother was sick because she didn't keep quiet |
| B．Encourage more children to learn from Fred. |
| C．The mother recovered due to her remaining quiet |
| D．Hope the mother would exercise more than keep quiet. |
| A．Teases. | B．Admiring remarks. |
| C．Criticisms. | D．Sympathetic remarks. |
| A．Fred's courage enabled him to tight. |
| B．Fred's love for mother helped him fight. |
| C．Fred had neither spirit nor courage to fight. |
| D．Fred's a flection for mother stopped him fighting. |
| A．A considerate teacher helped Fred. |
| B．A strong-willed boy overcame himself. |
| C．A sick mother recovered finally. |
| D．A thoughtful boy helped a sick mother. |
【推荐3】Daniella Wride was brushing her daughter’s long brown hair when she noticed that with each stroke, clumps of it were coming out. That was January 1, 2017, Within 20 days, seven-year-old Gianessa Wride’s hair and eyebrows were completely gone, and her dermatologist said they would never grow back. Gianessa had become one of the 6.8 million Americans with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
Alopecia isn’t painful, but for kids who suffer from it, the agony comes from standing out from the crowd. For the most part, the students in Gianessa’s first-grade class in Salem, Utah, were understanding. But the occasional taunt(嘲弄) of “Baldy” made her feel like an outcast. “I did not want her to not feel beautiful,” her mother told Today.
Then the school announced its “Crazy Hair Day” competition in April, and Daniella and Gianessa decided that rather than hiding Gianessa’s baldness under scarves or a wig(假发), they would celebrate it. Daniella bought scrapbook-sticker jewels and decorated her daughter’s head with floral designs and even an owl. “They just fit her personality,” Daniella told CNN. “She’s so lively.”
On the morning of the competition, Gianessa was nervous. Would her friends think it was funny or freaky? She had nothing to fear. Bedazzled Gianessa was a hit-and the winner of the crazy-hair competition. Gianessa is now glad she dared to go bare. “I was sad at first when I lost all my hair,” she told people, “but now I love being bald. I can do things to my head that other kids can’t. I’m thinking now it might be fun to decorate my head with some sparkly butterflies and flowers.”
1. Why did Gianessa become bald?| A．Because she wanted to be different |
| B．Because she had all her hair cut |
| C．Because her mother combed her hair too often |
| D．Because she suffered from a kind of disease |
| A．Worry | B．Delight |
| C．Pain | D．Pride |
| A．Optimistic | B．Upset |
| C．Indifferent | D．Worried |
| A．Gianessa’s hair was gone | B．Being bald is beautiful |
| C．Crazy hair day | D．An incurable disease |
