When Justin Tong was a child, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him do lots of housework such as taking out the rubbish, doing some cooking and sending newspapers. But when he grew up, he was richer than his childhood friends and lived a happier and healthier life.
This is the finding of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 children in London. It showed that the children who had worked hard in childhood had a richer and a happier future. “Children who worked in the home or community got abilities and came to feel they were important members of society, ” said Daniel Brown, the expert who made the discovery. “And because they felt good about themselves, others felt good about them.”
Brown’s study followed these children in great detail（详情）. Interviews were repeated at ages 25, 31 and 47. Brown’s research group compared the children’s mental-health（心理健康）scores with their childhood-activity scores. Points were given for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.
Working at any age is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility（责任）, independence, confidence and competence—the basics of emotional（情绪的）health. They also help him understand that people must work together and work toward common goals. The most competent（有能力的）adults are those who know how to do this.
Yet work isn’t everything. As Tolstoy once said, “One can live wonderfully in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one’s work.”
1. What do we know about Justin Tong’s childhood?| A．He came from a rich family. | B．He felt sorry for the other kids. |
| C．He often cooked for his family. | D．He sent his articles to newspapers. |
| A．Children who work hard in their daily life. |
| B．Children who enjoy happier and richer lives. |
| C．Children who take part in Daniel Brown’s study. |
| D．Children who feel good about people around them. |
| A．By giving housework and praise. | B．By interviewing and giving scores. |
| C．By setting goals and showing love. | D．By solving problems and testing them. |
| A．To explain an interesting study. | B．To introduce Justin Tong’s success. |
| C．To tell us about childhood activities. | D．To encourage children to work hard. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Did anyone plant flowers in your heart?
Flowers are beautiful living things that you can find all over the world: in gardens, parks and even at your home. ① However, there is another type of flower that you cannot see or touch. You can only feel it in the deepest part of your heart.
With each new person you meet, a new seed (种子) will be planted in your heart. ② One is when you meet people who bring difficulties to you. These people may be mean and selfish (自私的). You may think they are good-for-nothing and only come into your life to give you difficulties. However, these people actually plant seeds in your heart--seeds of hardship (困难). The seeds will soon grow as you try hard to get over the difficulties with your courage. ③ Through that, you will become stronger and get more experience. So the seeds will turn into beautiful flowers.
You may also meet people who bring you joy and happiness. They will plant another type of seeds in your heart-seeds of warmth. ④ As you slowly develop a close relationship with these people and feel their warmth, the seed will grow, out of passion and love, into a beautiful flower.
So, who planted the beautiful flowers in your heart?
1. According to the passage, you cannot see or touch the flowers ________.| A．in gardens | B．in parks | C．at home | D．in your heart |
| A．hardship | B．experience | C．courage | D．happiness |
| A．① | B．② | C．③ | D．④ |
| A．we should carefully choose our friends |
| B．a single flower does not make a spring |
| C．each person you meet will help you grow |
| D．failure (失败) is the first step to something better |
Matt and Allie were waiting in the line to sign up （报名） for the High Flyer Competition. They carried their design and they couldn't wait to start building the kite. The line was long and filled with kids of all ages. Two teenagers stood in front of them. Matt looked at their designs and his eyes widened. “their kites are a lot better than ours. Look! This kite looks like an airplane, and that one looks like a spaceship, but our kite is a boring diamond （菱形）!”
“What if we give it a cool-looking tail?” Allie suggested. They cheered up a little and worked together on their kite all the weekend. To make the kite look better, they added tail with beads（珠子） and tiny mirrors.
On the day of the compotition, Allie and Matt carried their kite to the starting place between the spaceship and the airplane. The rules were simple. The kite that flew the highest for the longest time won.
Round One began. Allie held the string（线）while Matt ran down the field with the kite. He lifted it in the air. The kite shook and fell to the ground. Round One was over for them.
Matt ran back to Allie. “It's the tail. The beads and mirrors are weighing it down. But they're so pretty,”
Allie said. “Do you want pretty or do you want to win?” Matt asked. Allie nodded. Matt pulled off the beads and mirrors. He finished just in time for the start of Round Two. As he ran with the kite, he could feel the wind picking it up. He let it go and ran back to help Allie. They let out the string as far as it would go, right past the spaceship and the airplane. Their kite flew the highest for the longest time.
“I guess looks don't mean a thing in kite flying,” Allie said.
“Yeah.” Matt said, “I certainly agree with you. Simple is best.”
1. To make the kite look better, Matt and Allie ______.| A．added a tail | B．cut a part | C．drew a plane | D．painted it red |
| A．fell behind the other kites | B．was too heavy to fly away |
| C．flew the highest for the longest time. | D．shook and fell to the ground |
| A．Matt and Allie were waiting in the line to sign up for competition. |
| B．Matt and Allie failed in Round One. |
| C．After Round One, Matt and Allie added a cool-looking tail to the kite. |
| D．Matt and Allie agreed that simple was best. |
【推荐3】Imagine there is a bank that gives you $86,400 every morning. Every evening the bank deletes(删除) the part you fail to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.
Every morning, time gives you 86,400 seconds. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposit(存款), the loss is yours.
* To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed in SSC Exam.
*To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature(早产) baby.
*To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
*To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
*To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
*To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
*To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask a person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
The clock is running. Make the most of today. And remember that time waits for no one.
1. If you want to realize the value of one week, you can ask ________| A．a student who failed in SSC Exam. |
| B．a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. |
| C．an editor of a weekly newspaper. |
| D．the lovers who are waiting to meet. |
| A．one week | B．one hour | C．one minute | D．one second |
| A．To treasure friendship. | B．To spend time with our family. |
| C．To value our time. | D．To count our loss. |
【推荐1】Body image (身体意象) is the way you feel about your body. Children who have a healthy body image feel good about their bodies. They are happy with how they look, how their bodies move and grow, and what their bodies can do.
Little children seem naturally happy with their bodies. Babies love to kick their feet and use their bodies to move.
As kids grow, they can build good feelings about their bodies. Sometimes it shows. They smile at themselves in the mirror.
Kids’ bodies change as they go through puberty. The way they feel about their body may change too.
Some kids are excited to look like an older kid, others feel shy about their changing body. It can take time to get used to a body that looks and feels different.
| A．They want to be able to do what other kids can do. |
| B．Having a good body image helps kids feel confident. |
| C．Puberty doesn’t happen at the same time for everyone. |
| D．They like how they look in a favorite coat or new haircut. |
| E．Once babies can stand and walk, they feel proud when they can do things “all by myself”. |
| Dear Aunt Ann. I am 12 years old. My twin sister is taller than me. She often calls me “shorty”! Many of the girls in my class are taller than the boys. I am even shorter than any other student in the class. Can you tell me when boys get as tall as girls? When do you think I will grow? Thank. Dave Dear Dave,It is true that from the ages of about 8 to 14 most girls are a little taller than most boys. Most boys catch up with girls around the age of 14. Then they start getting taller than most girls! I’m sorry I can’t tell you when you will grow. Everyone is different. Why don’t you tell your sister you don’t like her nickname for you? I think you should stop worrying about your height. You should have confidence (信心) in yourself! Remember all the things you are good at. Come on! I’m sure you will grow soon. Aunt Ann |
1. How old is Dave’s sister?
| A．11. | B．12. | C．13. |
①When he will grow.
②When boys get as tall as girls.
③How to ask his sister not to laugh at him.
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．①③ |
| A．About 8 to 14. |
| B．At the age of 14. |
| C．Around the age of 14. |
| A．Dave is the shortest boy in his class. |
| B．In fact, Dave doesn’t like the nickname that his sister gives to him. |
| C．Aunt Ann encourages Dave and tells him when he will grow. |
| A．Comparing the height between girls and boys. |
| B．Asking for and giving advice. |
| C．Communicating with others. |
【推荐3】Body image anxiety(身体形象焦虑) is common among teenagers. For example, Zeng, a college student from Chengdu said, “Almost all the girls in my class with single-fold eyelids (单眼皮) have had done double eyelid operations.” She also had done it this year because most people believe bigger eyes look more beautiful. Do you know why most of teenagers care about their appearance?
First of all, as the old saying goes, “Everyone has a heart for beauty.” It is natural for teenagers to look for beauty.
Besides, with the development of science and technology, teenagers have more chances to change their appearance, such as double eyelid operation and so on.
Then, perfect faces and bodies are everywhere in advertising TV shows and social medium. Maybe this has hurt their self-confidence. Seeing all these things can make anyone believe that they are too dark, too fat, too short or too tall. As a result, most of them choose to change themselves. Then they can be more confident about their appearance.
As a matter of fact, appearance is not the only judgment(判断) standard of our lives. It is clear that teenagers should change their minds. If so, they will find their inner beauty instead of paying attention to their appearance all the time. After all, health and learning are the most important things for students.
1. What does the writer mean by listing the saying “ Everyone has a heart for beauty.”?| A．We should understand the teenagers’ dream for beauty. |
| B．Teenagers should listen to others’ advice when looking for beauty. |
| C．Teenagers should look for beauty in a right way. |
| D．Looking for beauty becomes very popular among teenagers. |
| A．Because each of them has heard the old saying. |
| B．Because they can afford to change their appearance. |
| C．Because they are too dark, too fat, too short or too tall. |
| D．Because they are affected by TV shows and social medium. |
| A．Appearance | B．Inner beauty | C．Health and learning | D．Ability |
| A．More and more anxiety about body image | B．Should we pay much attention to appearance |
| C．How important perfect faces and bodies are | D．Less and less care about the inner beauty |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐1】Final exams are just around the corner. Liu Haoxuan, 14, who studies at a Beijing Dayu School, is quite busy. However, he still has to find time to practice his spoken English. That’s because he has to take a new English listening and speaking test.
Liu is not alone. This is a new test for all students who are taking senior high school entrance exams(中考) in Beijing. Junior 3 students have to take an English listening and speaking test that counts for(占) 40 points in their full English exam. The test is taken on a computer. They can take the test twice—once in December and again in March—to try to get the higher score as possible as they can. The test was just introduced in 2019.
During the 30-minute test, students have to fill in blanks, answer questions and retell stories after listening to different materials. “It pushes us to speak. Though it was hard at the beginning, It’s a good thing,” Liu said. He got a low score when he first took it last term. But the kept working hard in order to improve his pronunciation and other skills. He practiced speaking in front of a mirror every day. Later, he got a score of 39 on the test.
Liu Tianyu, 14, from Beijing Yuying Middle School, has his own way to prepare for the spoken English test. He uses apps to take practice tests every day. “The apps will score your performance so that you can improve accordingly(相应的),” he said. “ Also, the practice tests help me learn to take notes properly. They help me find out topic sentences and connection words.
1. The passage mainly talks about _________.| A．the difficulties students face in learning English |
| B．the improvement of English education in China |
| C．a spoken English class that students in Beijing have to take |
| D．a new English listening and speaking test for Beijing Junior 3 students |
| A．The test lasts for 40 minutes. |
| B．Students have to take it twice. |
| C．The test was introduced many years ago. |
| D．It is worth 40 points on the full English exam. |
a. Fill in the blanks b. Answer questions c. Retell stories d. Write stories
| A．a.b.c. | B．a.b.d. | C．a.c.d. | D．b.c.d |
| A．He got a score of 39 in the test. |
| B．He prepares for the test by using apps. |
| C．He still finds it hard to catch topic sentences. |
| D．He is not satisfied with his way to prepare for the test. |
【推荐2】① It is common to surf the Internet at home now. However, a recent survey showed over 90% of parents are not clear what websites their children visit. I strongly believe that a training project should be started to help parents to improve their internet and computer skills. Then they can better monitor and guide their children.
② Providing training would get parents to pay more attention to their children’s online activities.
This is one advantage. If parents had a better understanding of the internet and websites, they would see the need to make sure that their children use it properly and responsibly.
③ Providing training to parents would allow parents to help their children with their schoolwork as well. These days, some homework of online courses needs to be done on computer. If parents have poor computer skills, they will be of little or no help with the homework. That can make parents very upset. Some people argue that it is good that students can work independently on computers. However, it is clear that students, especially young students often need this kind of home support.
④ Improving parents’ Internet and computer skills might also be a good way for parents to improve their relationships with their children. These days, children spend a lot of their free time on computers. If parents want to be part of their free time, they need to see that playing on computers can be a fun family activity. Joining their children can help parents bridge the gap between them and their children.
⑤ Most people believe that children need to be helped and guided to use the Internet in a proper and responsible way. Therefore, training is extremely important.
1. In the passage, the writer ________.| A．advises children not to spend a lot of their free time on computers |
| B．thinks parents should improve their Internet and computer skills |
| C．tries to help children find online courses and finish the homework |
| D．explains why parents should pay more attention to their children |
| A．seldom help their children design websites |
| B．never tell their children how to surf the internet |
| C．don’t know what websites their children visit |
| D．never limit their children’s time on internet use |
| A．Being helpless with the schoolwork | B．There aren’t enough online courses |
| C．There is no computer at home | D．Giving their children too much stress |
| A．①/②③④⑤ | B．①/②③/④⑤ | C．①/②③④/ ⑤ | D．①②/③④/⑤ |
| A．班长 | B．引导 | C．监管 | D．服务 |
【推荐3】Do you know what the “score bank” is? Agree or Disagree?
Some students agree with this idea. Firstly, students pay too much attention to their scores these days. In parents’ eyes, the score means everything. The “score bank” provides them with a way to solve the problem. I can make their pressure of failing an exam less. It also encourages them to study harder in order to return the scores they borrowed before. Secondly, students think it is very difficult to get high marks all the time. After not getting the expected marks, quite a lot of students, especially excellent ones, lose confidence. The “score bank” will build their confidence and help them remain active. What’s more, being able to return marks will develop students’ sense of responsibility and self-control.
On the other hand, some are against the idea. While it can build students’ self-confidence, it can also make them feel that it’s fine to fail an exam. In the long run, students will depend on the “score bank” too much and not make progress. And parents will fail to know their children’s real performance at school, as their marks won’t show their real ability. Besides, students may develop a bad habit—spending much more than they can afford. Borrowing marks is just like borrowing money from banks. In the past, Chinese people liked to save money and then spend it slowly. Now more people like to borrow lots of money from the bank and then repay it. But many of them can’t pay it back and have a lot of debts (债). Similarly, students may not return all the marks and fail the exams again and again. Sometimes, they may put themselves under even more pressure.
Agree or disagree? What do you think?
1. According to the passage, what is the “score bank”?| A．Students can borrow marks from it and return them in time. | B．Students can borrow marks from it without studying hard. |
| C．Students think they can borrow marks from it without returning. | D．Students can borrow money from it to buy marks. |
| A．In some parents’ eyes, the score is very important. | B．The “score bank” can build some students’ confidence. |
| C．The “score bank” can make some students’ pressure less. | D．For students, it is not very difficult to get high marks all the time. |
| A．信心 | B．态度 | C．能力 | D．价值 |
| A．Parents can know their children’s real ability because of the “score bank”. | B．Students always can return the marks they borrowed. |
| C．Now, Chinese people like to save money and then spend it. | D．Sometimes students may develop a bad habit because of the “score bank”. |
| A．Because it can encourage them to study harder sometimes. | B．Because it can put them under more pressure sometimes. |
| C．Because it can develop their sense of responsibility. | D．Because it can build their confidence. |
【推荐1】I am a mother of two children. Like many other parents, I worry that my children watch too much TV. Why? First, there are lots of bad programs on TV. They may learn from them. Second, watching too much TV is bad for their eyes. Many students wear glasses because they watch TV for long hours. Third, watching too much TV makes children think little. I think it is very important for children to read some books. Reading books makes children think more. When I tell this to my children, they just don’t listen to me. So I decide to sell the TV set. Maybe it is a good idea.
1. How many children does the mother have?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Watching TV. | B．Reading books. | C．Playing computer games. | D．Doing exercise. |
| A．In films. | B．On the Internet. | C．On TV. | D．On books. |
| A．Because they study too hard. | B．Because they read many books. |
| C．Because they watch too much TV. | D．Because they have a pair of glasses. |
| A．An interesting story | B．A mother’s worry | C．Bad programs on TV | D．Don’t read books |
There was an ancient Chinese story. A naughty boy Mencius and his family lived next to the cemetery(墓地) . Mencius liked to hold funerals(葬礼) just like people around. His mother took him and they moved to a market. Then Mencius and his neighbors’ children learned to buy and sell meat. Finally, they moved again and lived next to a school. In this neighborhood, people treated each other politely. The mother of Mencius thought that it was the right living place for her son.
The story tells us the importance of people around us. For students, they can be role models. In a study, I interviewed some students at Bingham High School. These teens had lots of opinions about role models.
Teens need role models to provide directions for them. Jeff Pratt said, “Having a role model helps you decide where you want to go with your life.” A role model shows what a teen’s life could be like in the future.“Role models are people you admire, and those people can help make you be a good person.” This is Spencer Park’s opinion of what role models are and why it is important to have them.
“A role model is someone to look up to and try to learn good qualities from,” said Natalie Bean. When teens were asked “What is a role model like?” , the list included words such as encouraging, inspiring, strong-willed, honest, ready to stand up for what they believe in, helpful, easy to talk to, talented and cheerful. Teens want to learn from their role models how to succeed and how to carry on after failure.
Robbie Jenkins said, “Good role models are people that stand up for what is right and good. Role models encourage and inspire others.” Heidi Woolley said, “A good role model makes a teen do the best in school and life, and make much progress. Then he will have a right opinion of his own abilities and accept himself gradually. In this way, role models help build up a teen’s self-esteem.”
“The role models teens need are not the ones that appear in the media.” said Natalie Bean.
My study also shows students agree with that a true role model is not the person with the best job title, the greatest responsibility, or the greatest fame(名望). Anyone who inspires a child to achieve dreams in life can be a good role model.
1. The writer uses the story in Paragraph 1 to show that_________.| A．people should have good habits | B．people are easily influenced by others |
| C．people are able to choose good neighbours | D．people know how to choose a living place |
| A．Role models stand up for what is right and social. |
| B．Anyone can inspire a child to achieve dreams in life. |
| C．Having a role model decides where you want to go with your life. |
| D．A teen can learn good qualities from a good role model. |
| A．how to be a director | B．how to choose a right living place |
| C．how to succeed and how to carry on after failure | D．how to do the best in school |
| A．self-respect | B．self-control | C．self-praise | D．self-support |
| A．To know what students’ role models do. | B．To tell how a teen learns from a role model. |
| C．To find out students’ ways to be a role model. | D．To share ideas of some teens about role models. |
【推荐3】Before you go to another country it is a great help if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.
When people meet each other for the first time in Britain, they say, "How do you do?" and shake hands. Usually they do not shake hands when they just meet or say goodbye. But they shake hands after they haven't met for a long time or when they will be away from each other for a long time.
Last year a group of German students went to England for a holiday. Their teacher told them that the English people hardly shake hands. So when they met their English friends at the station, they kept their hands behind their backs. The English students had learned that the Germans shake hands as often as possible, so they put their hands in front and got ready to shake hands with them. It made both of them laugh.
1. It is ________ if you know the language and some of the customs of the country.| A．not useful | B．not helpful | C．very helpful | D．very bad |
| A．meet every time | B．meet for the first time |
| C．say goodbye to each other | D．say hello to each other |
| A．when they will be away for a long time | B．when they say "How do you do?" |
| C．when they just meet or say goodbye | D．after they haven't met for a long time |
| A．German people shake hands as often as possible. |
| B．English people like shaking hands very much. |
| C．German people hardly shake hands. |
| D．Neither English people nor Germans like shaking hands. |
| A．shaking hands | B．Languages | C．customs | D．languages and customs |
