Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral church in Paris, is the most famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages. For the French, it represents something immortal, ever-present and unchanging, like a mountain. Built over almost two centuries, the Notre-Dame is, as President Emmanuel Macron said, “where the French lived all their great moments”. Soldiers prayed here before leaving for the Crusades; Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned here; it survived the French Revolution, two World Wars and the Nazi occupation. It is where men bend their knees to profess love and thousands of tourists take photos every day.
A fire, whose cause was not identified yet, engulfed(吞没), on April 15th, the cathedral's upper structure. More than 400 firefighters took part in the 15-hour battle to control the blaze(火苗) that triggered sorrow over the globe. The extent of the damage is still unknown, but the fire destroyed much of the gothic cathedral’s wood-timbered roof and spire(塔尖). The cathedral will certainly be restored (the French government promises), but the sight of flames bringing down the spire moved the world in a manner far exceeding its religious significance.
French Culture Minister Franck Riester on Thursday said the government would draw all the consequences from the huge flames that destroyed the centuries-old Notre Dame Cathedral, adding measures to protect the national heritage were on the table. “Staff from the fire department, the culture ministry and the city town hall rushed to the Cathedral, when the fire started, to protect the main artworks that were inside. The artworks, which include relics such as the Christ's crown of thorns and French king Saint-Louis's 13th century tunic, were first moved to the city town hall and will now be transferred to the nearby Louvre Museum .” the minister told Le Parisian newspaper in an interview without giving details on the possible measures.
1. What can we learn about the Notre-Dame de Paris?| A．It is the most well-known cathedral. | B．Most of the French think little of it. |
| C．It was built by Napoleon Bonaparte. | D．It’s still in existence after two World Wars. |
| A．destroyed. | B．avoided. | C．caused. | D．prevented |
| A．Only the spire was brought down by the flames. |
| B．It was completely burnt in the fire. |
| C．The gilded crown of thorns in it was gone forever. |
| D．The cause of the accident to the Cathedral was still unknown. |
| A．Rebuild the cathedral. |
| B．Rescue the artworks inside the cathedral. |
| C．Transfer the relics to the nearby Louvre Museum. |
| D．Release the cause of the fire to the public. |
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【推荐1】Mr. Peter Johnson, aged twenty-three, battled for half an hour to escape from his trapped car yesterday when it landed upside down in three feet of water. Mr. Johnson took the only escape route-through the boot(行李箱).
Mr. Johnson’s car had finished up in a ditch(沟渠) at Romney Marsin, after skidding on ice and hitting a bank. “Fortunately, the water began to come in only slowly,” Mr. Johnson said. “I couldn’t force the doors because they were jammed against the walls of the ditch and dared not open the windows because I knew water would come flooding in.”
Mr. Johnson, a sweet salesman of Sitting Home, first tried to attract the attention of other motorists by sounding the horn and hammering on the roof and boot. Then he began his struggle to escape.
Later he said, “It was really a half penny that saved my life. It was the only coin I had in my pocket and I used it to unscrew the back seat to get into the boot. I hammered desperately with a hammer trying to make someone hear, but no help came.”
It took ten minutes to unscrew the seat, and a further five minutes to clear the sweet samples from the boot. Then Mr. Johnson found a wrench(扳手)and began to work on the boot lock. Fifteen minutes passed by. “It was the only chance I had. Finally it gave, but as soon as I moved the boot lid, the water and mud poured in. I forced the lid down into the mud and scrambled clear as the car filled up.”
His hands and arms cut and bruised(擦伤), Mr. Johnson got to Beckett Farm nearby, where he was looked after by the farmer’s wife, Mrs. Lucy Bates. Huddled in a blanket, he said, “That thirty minutes seemed like hours.” Only the tips of the car wheels were visible, police said last night. The vehicle had sunk into two feet of mud at the bottom of the ditch.
1. Which of the following objects is the most important to Mr. Johnson?| A．The hammer. | B．The coin. | C．The screw. | D．The horn. |
| A．Mr. Johnson’s car stood on its boot as it fell down. |
| B．Mr. Johnson could not escape from the door because it was full of sweet jam. |
| C．Mr. Johnson’s car accident was partly due to the slippery road. |
| D．Mr. Johnson struggled in the pouring mud as he unscrewed the back seat. |
| A．Luckily the door was torn away in the end | B．At last the wrench went broken |
| C．The lock came open after all his efforts | D．The chance was lost at the last minute |
| A．The Story of Mr. Johnson, A Sweet Salesman |
| B．Car Boot Can Serve As The Best Escape Route |
| C．Driver Escapes Through Car Boot |
| D．The Driver Survived A Terrible Car Accident |
【推荐2】From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as to severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
1. The main idea of this passage is__________.| A．traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists |
| B．thousands of people the world over are killed each year |
| C．the laws of some countries about driving are too lax |
| D．only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents |
| A．Society smiles on the motorists. |
| B．Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns. |
| C．Victims of accidents are nothing. |
| D．Society condones their rude driving. |
| A．Driving can show his real self. |
| B．Driving can show the other part of his personality. |
| C．Driving can bring out his character. |
| D．His car embodies his temper. |
| A．Build more highways. |
| B．Stricter driving tests. |
| C．Test drivers every three years. |
| D．raise age limit and lay down safety specifications. |
| A．ironical |
| B．critical |
| C．appealing |
| D．militant |
【推荐3】“ Mayday ! We got Mayday!” Frank Pisano screamed over the microphone to the air control tower at the airport. One of the two engines on his plane had failed，and he was now going down towards one of the busiest highways in America—Interstate 405，just south of Los Angeles—and there was no stopping it.
Driving south on the 405，near the airport’s runway，was John Meffert，a fire department captain. He was heading home from his shift when suddenly a low—flying plane caught his eye. After he took a second glance，a thought crossed his mind: “This plane’s going to hit me.”
He was right. The plane slammed into the road，popped up a few feet，and then clipped the front of Meffert’s car. It finally stopped after hitting the divider(隔栏). Meffert pulled over. He was unhurt，and his car had received only a large scratch，so he turned his attention to the plane. He ran towards the smoke，and then he saw Frank’s wife, Janan Pisano，pop her head up on the passenger side.
By the time Meffert reached the aircraft，part of it was on fire and Janan，who was covered in blood，was on the wing trying to pull her husband from the wreck. Meffert，afraid the plane would explode，guided her to safety behind it. Then，he ran back for Frank，who had been knocked out by the initial crash，lying across both seats.
Meffert carefully positioned himself under the pilot’s arms and lifted him from the cockpit. Then he dragged the pilot off the wing and carried him to safety，where they could see the plane in flames.
The Pisanos spent three weeks in the hospital. Remarkably，Meffert’s car was the only one hit by the plane. Had Meffert been a second or two faster，Frank said，the left propeller(螺旋桨))would have ripped the top off his car and killed him.
“I play all the what-ifs—going slower，going faster. It could have been a very different result，”Meffert said. “We just had a lot of angels.”
1. What does the underlined word “Mayday” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．A special day in May. | B．The arrival time. |
| C．A message for help. | D．The local airport. |
| A．Frank mistook 405 for the runway. | B．The plane caught fire. |
| C．The pilot was seriously hurt. | D．Only one engine was working. |
| A．His good sense of direction. | B．His low driving speed. |
| C．His second glance at the plane. | D．His belief in God. |
| A．Meffert and Frank were friends. |
| B．Meffert’s car was not totally damaged. |
| C．Janan Pisano was one of the crew of the airport. |
| D．the plane would take off again when Frank recovered. |
【推荐1】Hawaii is full of attractions, beach parks and gathering places. Looking for something new and lesser-known? Check out these public parks throughout the islands.
Kapiolani Park (Oahu)
Located in the shadow of Diamond Head close to Waikiki Beach, there's a lot to love about Kapiolani Park. It was the first public space in Hawaii, (treated in 1877 by the last king of Hawaii, David Kalakaua, who named it after his wife, Queen Kapiolani. Ifs a nice place to get a glimpse of local life in Waikiki.
Opening time: Sunday to Saturday.
Waihee Beach Park (Maui)
Located off the main tourist trail, on the lesser - visited northeast coast of Maui, is Waihee Beach Park. The beach is small but scenic, with views looking north at the mountains and plenty of shade. Though narrow, the beach is long, making it perfect for a morning or evening walk.
Opening time: Except Tuesday.
Prince Kuhio Park (Kauai)
Prince Kuhio Park on Kauai is a monument to Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole. Close to Poipu Beach, the park has a nice view of the ocean. To the naked eye, that’s about it. But this Park serves as an opportunity to learn more about the lesser-known Kalanianaole, who is so respected in Hawaii that his birthday, March 26th, is a state holiday. Read up on his contributions to Hawaii and have a peaceful afternoon.
Opening time: Weekends.
Liliuokalani Park (Big Island)
Most visitors to Hilo are so focused on Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that they don’t take time to experience the town itself. It is in and around the waterfront park, Liliuokalani Park, that you can get the best glimpse of local life. Hilo has a strong waterfront presence. Liliuokalani Park at sunset is especially nice, thanks to its ocean views.
Opening time: Tuesday to Sunday.
1. Which park is an ideal place for evening walk?| A．Kapiolani Park. | B．Waihee Beach Park. |
| C．Prince Kuhio Park. | D．Liliuokalani Park. |
| A．Monday. | B．Wednesday. | C．Friday. | D．Sunday. |
| A．Underrated. | B．Romantic. | C．Historic. | D．Well-known. |
【推荐2】There is no benefit to doing more than five hours of high-intensity (高强度) exercise a week, a Harvard study has found, as it does not help to stave off an early death. However, pushing your body as hard as you can does not have any damaging health effects.
A 30-year Harvard study of 100,000 Americans looked at how exercise impacted a person’s risk of death. It found that doing 75 minutes of intense exercise a week, the recommended amount, reduces the risk of dying from disease by 31 percent. People who do twice this—two and a half hours of intense exercise a week—see slightly greater benefits, further reducing the threat of death by four percent. However, fitness enthusiasts who do more than four times the recommended amount of intense exercise every week—five hours—do not get any additional benefit.
The same trend is seen for moderate (适度的) activities, including walking. Ten hours of moderate exercise—four times the recommended weekly activity level—has no benefits, but also no harms.
Previous research had claimed that doing too much exercise could be harmful and may actually increase a person’s risk of early death by putting added pressure on their body. But the new study found that to be untrue, as even people doing more than five hours a week of intense activity showed no bad health effects.
“This finding may reduce the concerns around the potentially harmful effect of engaging in high levels of physical activity observed in several previous studies,” noted Hoon Lee, a study author. “Our study provides evidence to guide individuals to choose the right amount and intensity of physical activity over their lifetime to maintain their overall health.”
1. What does the underlined part “stave off ” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Approach. | B．Cause. | C．Prevent. | D．Record. |
| A．Twice the recommended amount has no benefit. |
| B．2.5 hours of it weekly can reduce death risk by 35%. |
| C．5 hours of it weekly can have harmful effects on health. |
| D．The recommended amount produces the greatest benefit. |
| A．It links heart disease to early death. |
| B．It disagrees with previous research. |
| C．It needs further research on more individuals. |
| D．It needs involvement with more kinds of exercise. |
| A．Exercise properly. |
| B．Go on a diet to stay healthy. |
| C．Go outdoors as much as possible. |
| D．Engage in high levels of physical activity. |
【推荐3】Diets high in protein, particularly protein from plants, have been linked to lower risks of developing disease like diabetes, heart disease and stroke, while regular consumption of red meat and high intake of animal proteins have been linked to several health problems.
But data on the association between different types of proteins and health are conflicting. So researchers based in Iran and the USA set out to measure the potential relation between intake of total, animal, and plant protein and the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular (心血管的) disease, and cancer.
They reviewed the results of 32 studies that reported risk estimates for all causes, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality (死亡) in adults 19 years of age or older. During the follow-up period of up to 32 years, 113,039 deaths occurred among 715,128 participants. The results show that high intake of total protein was associated with a lower risk of all cause mortality. Intake of plant protein was associated with an 8% lower risk of all cause mortality and a 12% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Intake of animal protein was not significantly associated with risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality.
Possible reasons for the beneficial effects of plant protein include their association with favourable changes in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, which might help to lower the risk of conditions like heart disease, say the researchers. They say these findings “support current dietary recommendations to the general population”.
Their study excluded differences in the way studies assessed diet and the possibility that some effects may have been due to unmeasured factors. What’s more, as most of the included studies were from Western nations, the findings may not be applicable to other countries.
The researchers say they will be performing a more systematic study to assess the association between disease and eating habits.
1. How did the researchers conduct their study?| A．By doing new experiments. |
| B．By analyzing previous studies. |
| C．By including worldwide studies. |
| D．By observing objects for 19 years. |
| A．Totally avoiding red meat. |
| B．Having a high-calorie diet. |
| C．Increasing animal protein intake. |
| D．Following a plant-based diet. |
| A．Ways of research. |
| B．Sources of these studies. |
| C．Limitations of the study. |
| D．Different forms of assessments. |
| A．To inform people of a study. |
| B．To stress protein’s importance. |
| C．To give people diet suggestions. |
| D．To promote awareness of protein. |
【推荐1】The best travel movies of all time
Movie theaters around the world have closed during the coronavirus outbreak. Fortunately, there’s never been a better time to catch up on classic oldies and favorites. Below, read our picks for best travel movies:
Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
It’s one of the most satisfying films of director Wes Anderson’s works. Set in an imaginary country East European Republic of Zubrowka in the 1930s, the plot is anchored by a murder investigation peppered with stolen art, prison escapes and a secret concierge society.
Though the hotel doesn’t actually exist, much of the film was shot in the beautiful German town of Goerlitz, famous for its medieval streets.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
When Harry Potter runs through a column at King’s Cross railway station in London to get to Platform 9¾, we know it isn’t real. And yet we want to visit.
The movie’s locations are inspired by real places, as graduates of English private schools will tell you: black robe for formal hall dinners, rushing to narrow old streets to visit tea houses and sandwich shops, discovering books that are hundreds of years old.
Roman Holiday (1953)
Equal parts bittersweet and fascinating, 1953 fairy tale “Roman Holiday” features a doe-eyed princess (Audrey Hepburn) and a dashing newspaperman (Gregory Peck) in a romantic film that has them wandering the Spanish Steps and breaking into the streets of Rome on a Vespa.
In a time when those streets are quiet, the film might serve as a reminder that they will eventually spring to life again.
1. What’s the similarity between Grand Budapest Hotel and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?| A．They were directed by Wes Anderson. | B．They were set in an imaginary place. |
| C．They were shown on the screen in the same year. | D．They were shot on medieval streets. |
| A．Action movie. | B．Animated cartoon. |
| C．Romantic movie. | D．Documentary. |
| A．Students. | B．Film lovers. | C．Directors. | D．Doctors. |
【推荐2】As carmakers push ahead with self-driving vehicles, an Austrian aerospace company and its Chinese partner showed off their pilotless “flying taxi” for the first time in Europe on Thursday.
The drone(无人机)hummed loudly as it rose above the ground at Vienna’s Generali Arena, home to soccer club Austria Wien. The slim plane, which weighs 750 pounds, circled in the air briefly and came down within a few minutes.
The EHang 216, which can seat two passengers, has been tested comprehensively and is essentially ready for mass production, said Derrick Xiong, cofounder of Chinese drone maker EHang. The drone can fly at up to 150 km per hour for almost half an hour, FACC AG Chief Executive Officer Robert Machtlinger said. “It can travel between 50 and 70 kilometers depending on the load.” The passenger capsule is small, with leg room that taller passengers might find less than adequate, an Austrian photographer who took part in a demonstration(演示)flight told Reuters.
Joining the race for new autonomous aircraft services that do not require runways, EHang entered a strategic partnership last year with Austria’s FACC, owned by Chinese aerospace group AVIC, aiming to offer short-distance services for passengers, industrial equipment and urgent medical deliveries. FACC says it has already received several thousand orders for the $336000 drone, with the highest demand in China. Competitors working toward offering autonomous flying cars early in the next decade range from aerospace company Airbus to Uber and AeroMobil.
“Technically…urban mobility, flying without a pilot, is possible. It’s not a dream. It’s existing,” said Machtlinger. “What is stopping us from going into larger volumes(规模)is regulation,” he added. “A future legal framework for autonomous flying vehicles should regulate communication with other planes and helicopters and provide traffic rules,” he said. Austria supports international efforts to quickly establish the necessary regulation，said transport minister Norbert Hofer. He hopes that Austria will be the place where thousands of these air taxis will be built and that very soon we will see a lot of these air taxis in the air.
1. What stage of development is the EHang 216 at?| A．It’s being tested comprehensively. | B．It’s ready for mass production. |
| C．It’s ready for demonstration flights. | D．It’s being adapted to customer demands. |
| A．Its maximum load is 750 pounds. | B．It can carry two passengers. |
| C．It can fly for almost an hour. | D．It can travel over 70 kilometers. |
| A．Technical problems. | B．Objection of the government. |
| C．Lack of related rules. | D．Competition between aerospace companies. |
| A．By comparing it with similar products. | B．By explaining how it works. |
| C．By providing specific data of it. | D．By demonstrating its multi-functions. |
【推荐3】How do we model gratitude when we might be struggling with our own frustrations? For adults, Fehr suggests a "gratitude boot camp." This seven-day program can help adults figure out what works best for them.
Day 1: The Three Blessings: Write down three good things that happened to you that day for which you can give another person credit.
Day 2: To Whom for What: Think of three people for whom you are grateful in your life and write about the reasons.
…
Day 5: Absence of Blessing: Think about an aspect of your life for which you are grateful and spend a few minutes writing about what your life would be like without it.
Day 6: Pay It Forward: Show appreciation for another person through quality time spent together or an act of service.
Day 7: Day of Reflection: Spend a few minutes writing about your experiences over the past few days.
Fehr suggests thinking of gratitude as an everyday practice, for both the little and the big things in life, by which we express gratitude in our commonplace interactions with others. Documenting your blessings by using a journal is a good start for developing a gratitude practice, but don't keep it to yourself. "I would encourage people to take the next step in expressing it. It's really when we bring our gratitude into the world with our words and with our actions that its power can be felt. It can impact our relationships and other people's lives — that's where it really matters. "
Gratitude doesn't just encourage us to thank those who have helped us directly; it encourages helping others, in general. "Experiencing gratitude has a spillover effect, making you want to pay it forward," says Fehr.
If we all did that, what a wonderful world it would be.
1. What can we learn about the program?| A．It is designed for teenagers. |
| B．It aims to train adults to be grateful. |
| C．It will last more than seven days. |
| D．It costs less than other camps. |
| A．Think of one person to whom you should thank. |
| B．Imagine losing blessing of something in your life. |
| C．Reflecting your experience in the camp. |
| D．Make three wishes for those you love. |
| A．Write down your blessings in the diary. |
| B．Never give your blessings away. |
| C．Express your blessing freely. |
| D．Pay it forward for love or money. |
【推荐1】Residents(居民) in the poorest areas in the U.S. face a life expectancy(平均寿命) up to decade shorter than those in the wealthiest areas, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Researchers from East Tennessee State University wanted to better understand how socioeconomic status was associated with health outcomes. To find out, they divided the country’s 3,141 areas into 50 new “states” (with 2 percent of the areas in each) based on household income rather than on geography.
The researchers broke down the data by county（郡，县） since they found state-level data may hide some “effect of socioeconomic differences on both the best-off and worst-off counties.” They then examined health data from the wealthiest and poorest “states” (top and bottom 2 percent) to see how residents differed on factors like smoking, clinical care and excessive(过多的) drinking. Researchers found that there was nearly a 10-year gap in the life expectancy of men with an average of 79.3 years in the wealthy counties compared to 69.8 years in the poorest. For women, the difference was slightly less：83 years in the wealthiest counties and 76 years in the poorest.
The study authors were cautious that while they found a connection between socioeconomic status and health outcomes, they did not analyze cause and effect. But they suggest that the data shows how policy makers should not just focus on state-wide initiatives (主动性) but more targeted efforts to help those most at risk. “With limited resources, methods of knowing the poorest areas exactly can be quite significant in the equal distribution (分配)of resources and programs to those communities that are in the greatest need,’’ the study authors wrote.
1. How did Researchers divide the areas?| A．By social status | B．By income |
| C．By health | D．By living places |
| A．The women difference is less than the man in life expectancy. |
| B．The wealthiest “state” like hiding their wealth. |
| C．Most health data is unbelievable. |
| D．Most poorest “state” smoke and drink a lot. |
| A．The researchers think their study is perfect. |
| B．People still don’t know the cause of life expectancy. |
| C．The government should learn something from the study. |
| D．The American resources distribution is not fair at all. |
| A．Ways to have a long life expectancy |
| B．Great income differences in the USA |
| C．The health problem in the USA |
| D．Men in richest 10 years longer in poorest |
【推荐2】Michael was a good boy. He was hardworking but shy, so he had no friends at school. James was a new student in his class.Other students soon got on well with him except Micheal.
One day,some boys put some money into Micheal's bag and one of them pretended(假装) to have lost his money. Of course, they found the money in Micheal's bag at last.
Michael felt it shameful, but he could not say anything about it. Soon his classmates called him a thief and laughed at him at school.His teachers also believed he stole the money and called his parents to the school. Just then, James stood out and helped Michael make everything clear.
From that day on, Michael and James became good friends. James often took Michael to take part in activities and Michael became active. Michael often helped James with his math. Then Michael got more friends, and he even became the monitor in his class.
1. Michael had no friends at school because________．| A．he was a new student | B．he couldn't get on well with James |
| C．he was shy | D．he worked very hard |
| A．害怕的 | B．高兴的 | C．伤心的 | D．可耻的 |
| A．James | B．some boys | C．his teacher | D．his parents |
| A．music | B．math | C．science | D．English |
| A．The classmates were angry with James. |
| B．Michael was still very shy. |
| C．James was a good monitor. |
| D．Finally，Michael could get on well with his classmates. |
【推荐3】My son is 7 years old, and since he was six months old, people have been asking us, “When are you having another?” first, I’d answer “we’ll see,” because at the time, we were undecided not financially stable, and just learning how to be parents. Over time we decided that one is good for us. “Poor baby he’s going to be so lonely!” I have grown accustomed to these remarks.
But this week, I read a post that made my head spin. Jean Leo, a blogger at The Stir, said, “Parents who choose to have one child are just being selfish.” He says, “I understand some people are unable to have more than one kid due to medical or financial circumstances. I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about the couple who decide it’s a lot of work and they like having their freedom, so they stop at one.”
I absolutely disagree. First, it is a very hard job to raise a child. Even in a two-income-earning household, the stress of having a child is huge just to meet a child’s basic needs. Let’s not get into all the extras that start piling on as they grow older. Second, and just as equally important, is time. Carving out time for just yourself is hard enough, but when you have a family, you want to be there for everything. If you are a working parent, it’s hard balancing act between career, play, kids, and also spending time with your partner. For me, wouldn’t be able to do half the things if I had more children. There are some parents that do this well, and I high five them. But that is not me.
Whether it be one child or twenty, this parenting business is no joke and not everyone can handle what comes in the job description. I believe recognizing that you only have the strength to raise one child, and raise that child to the best of your ability is actually something to be admired.
1. According to Jean Leo, all of the following statements are false EXCEPT ________.| A．some parents are not allowed to have more than one child |
| B．some parents choose to have more than one child for their own freedom |
| C．parents who choose to have one child are selfless |
| D．parents choose to have only one child for different reasons |
| A．complains about his or her headache | B．shows his or her anger |
| C．tells us his or her disapproval | D．expresses his or her unsatisfaction |
| A．The author’s son is very lonely as he is the only child in the family. |
| B．The author subscribes to Jean Leo’s view. |
| C．The author speaks highly of those parents who can carve out time well for the whole family. |
| D．The author wants to talk about the stress of all the extras that start piling on as the children grow older. |
| A．It is worth admiring if you try your best to raise the only child of you. |
| B．No one can deal with the trouble of raising twenty children. |
| C．If you have only one child, it is an easy job to be a parent. |
| D．It is less difficult to meet children’s basic needs in a two-income-earning household. |
