1 . I once knew a high school teacher who made, in my mind, a curious comment. Referring to a naughty student, he remarked, with a tone of gloomy resignation, “People don’t change.” I knew the kid well. He was what one would call a “juvenile delinquent(不良少年)”. But if schooling held no promise of making positive changes in kids, what was the point teaching?
My own son, Alyosha, growing up, was athletic, energetic, and occasionally hard to handle. But he never showed the least interest in tools, or working with his hands in any way. The result was that he couldn’t tell a screwdriver from a paintbrush. I recall one day, as I fussed under the car, calling out to him to bring me an adjustable wrench(知动扳手). He fetched a pair of pliers(钳子). “No,” I pleaded while trying to hold an oily car part in place. “Pliers.” He went back into the garage and returned with a bar. “No, no,” I corrected him. “The adjustable wrench! For loosening a nut.” To which, in his own defennce, he exclaimed, “Well, I don’t know!”
Years passed. And then, one day, well into his 20s, he told me he had decided on a technical school: machinery technology. I nodded approvingly, but already knew that it was a challenging field, full of moving parts, tools, and dreaded math.
During his period in Coast Guard technical school I thought about him daily, wondering what the outcome would be. I had prepared myself for the phone call telling me that it was just too much and he was being sent to sea as a deckhand.
It didn’t happen. The phone did ring, but it was Alyosha asking me to fly to Virginia to attend his graduation and pin his new rank on his collar. Prouder I couldn’t have been.
As I stood before my son, Alyosha, standing at attention and staring dead ahead, glanced at me. “You want me to help you, Dad?” he said. “Always,” I answered, “but not this time.”
Yeah, people do chance. And, in my experience, it’s usually something to see.
The examples in Paragraph 3 are used to show Alyosha___________.
| A．lacked team spirit | B．knew nothing about mechanics |
| C．had a bad relationship with his dad | D．was unwilling to learn any handwork |
2 . • 94% of 3-and 4-year-olds have been spanked(打屁股) at least once during the past year, according to one study.
• 74% of mothers believe spanking is acceptable for kids ages 1 to 3, says another study.
• 61% of parents take spanking as a "regular form of punishment" for young children, according to a different study.
Sometimes children do not do what their parents tell them to do. When this happens, a parent tries to help the child to do the right thing. When this does not work, the parent usually punishes the child.
There are many things that a parent can do. One thing that people have done is to spank the child. When a parent spanks a child, they will use their hand or a hard object to strike them on their bottom. This is meant to show the child that they have done something wrong.
One parent remembers being spanked when he was a child. His parents used a wooden spoon. When he spanked his own children with his hand, he saw that he put a red mark on his child's leg. He never did that again.
One problem with spanking is that it teaches the child to hit someone when they do not like what the other person is doing. Another problem with spanking is that the parent is usually angry and can hit the child too hard. Sometimes parents will use spanking for everything and not try other ways to get the child to do the right thing.
Many parents are not sure of what to do instead of spanking. Some people think that their religion tells them that spanking is okay. Some think that the law lets them do it. The courts say that parents have the right to teach their children how to behave.
Other things should be tried before a parent decides to spank a child. Telling the child exactly what is wanted from them can be one thing. Giving a child more than one choice is another thing that can be tried. Getting down to the child's level and taking a more child-friendly approach can help as well.
1. According to one study, how many parents are in favour of spanking?| A．None. |
| B．Most. |
| C．Few. |
| D．All. |
| A．Parents are very tired. |
| B．The courts give the parents the right. |
| C．Parents want to teach the children to hit someone. |
| D．Children do something wrong. |
| A．Agreeable |
| B．Unconcerned |
| C．Unfavorable |
| D．Interested |
| A．parents should try their best not to spank their children |
| B．good children always do the right thing |
| C．parents have no choice but to spank their children when they do something wrong |
| D．children can have more than one choice to avoid being spanked |
3 .
Have deliberate conversations about money.
Talk openly with your kids about the money you make and what it pays for, such as home, food, clothing and transportation. A conversation like this will give them context and will help them grasp early on that it costs money to have the essentials and that everything else is extra.
Give them a modest allowance.
A child who is old enough to count is old enough to get allowance. The amount should be an age-appropriate amount where stuff they’ll want will require at least a few weeks of saving to buy.
Your kids have “regular” chores, already. By all means feel free to offer up those bigger, unpleasant tasks as optional paid jobs — weeding, shoveling snow, whatever they’ll really have to work at to earn those extra bucks m and kick back while they learn the value of a dollar.
Be a good financial role model.
| A．Children are always curious. |
| B．Money matters a lot in our daily life. |
| C．Don’t tie this money to chores, either. |
| D．Create opportunities for extra earnings. |
| E．Children learn by observing adult behavior. |
| F．Avoiding the subject actually creates unnecessary negative feelings. |
| G．It’s never too early or too late to teach the children the value or a dollar. |
4 . "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
-Albert Einstein
If you have a kid with special needs in the school system, chances are you’ve come across that saying hanging on a classroom wall. My five-year-old daughter Syona has cerebral palsy (a medical condition affecting someone’s control over their movement ) and it means ,combined with her communication challenges and sight problems , that standard assessments (and by “standard”, I mean the ones used to assess kids with special needs ) aren’t always an accurate measure of her abilities.
By now you have probably heard about Chris Ulmer, the 26-year-old teacher in Jacksonville, Florida ,who starts his special education class by calling up each student individually to give them much admiration and a high-five (a gesture of greeting or congratulation ). I couldn’t help but be reminded of Syona’s teacher and how she supports each kid in a very similar way. Ulmer recently shared a video of his teaching experience. “I have seen their confidence and self-worth increase rapidly,” he said . All I could think was: How lucky these students are to have such inspirational teachers.
Syona’s teacher has an attitude that can best be summarized in one word: awesome. Her teacher doesn’t focus on what can’t be done—she focuses on what can be done. Over the past several months, my husband Dilip and I have seen Syona’s confidence increase tenfold. She uses words she wouldn’t have thought of using before. She recently told me about her classmate’s trip to Ecuador and was very proud when I understood her on the first try.
I actually wonder what the influence would be if we did something similar to what Ulmer does with his students in our home .We’ve recently started our day by reminding each other of the good qualities we all possess. If we are reminded of our strengths on a regular basis, we will become increasingly confident about progress and success.
Ulmer’s reach as a teacher goes far beyond the walls of his classroom. In fact, he teaches all of us to take a moment and truly appreciate the strengths of an important person in our lives.
1. What does the author think of Einstein’s quote?| A．Funny |
| B．Strange |
| C．True |
| D．Confusing |
| A．He is Syona’s favorite teacher. |
| B．He praises his students one by one |
| C．He use videos to teach his students |
| D．He asks his students to help each other |
| A．she has developed a cool attitude |
| B．her mother knew what she expressed |
| C．her progress was appreciated by her parents |
| D．she had been to Ecuador with her classmate |
| A．They give each other praise every day |
| B．They visit Ulmer’s classroom regularly |
| C．They feel grateful to people in their lives |
| D．They invite Ulmer’s students to their home |
In Italy, kids are encouraged to be part of every social occasion that revolves around food — it’s not about dividing the children from the adults, giving them separate meals or putting them to bed early. In Britain, by contrast, my sister and I often see children eating separate meals from their parents.
Letting children experience food like an Italian will develop not just their palate(味觉) but also their social skills, manners, teaching them new and mature ways to interact. Here are some food customs that are part of every Italian child’s upbringing.
One of the most celebrated Italian food customs is the morning coffee. Coffee shops and bars have customers streaming in and out of them each morning as the Italians get their daily dose–and this habit is just as much about the social setting as it is about the coffee.
While the morning is all about coffee, pre-lunch or dinner, it’s all about the local snacks. Most often, Italian city centres and squares are jam packed with locals who come out with their kids to enjoy this pre-dinner treat, and children are encouraged to enjoy snacks available. This is a brilliant way to get kids to try new tastes without the pressures of meal times. It’s important to note that “kids’ menus” do not exist in Italian restaurants—children are treated like adults and are offered plates from the main menu — in smaller amounts, if they’re young.
Post-lunch, most cities can seem quite deserted. But by 4 p.m. onwards, the crowds start to re-emerge. One by one, families spill out and the streets liven up. Everyone begins their afternoon stroll, enjoying the afternoon snacks, like ice-cream, which turns over a huge trade in Italy.
1. What will parents do at meal times in Italy?
| A．Let children have their meals separately. |
| B．Offer children plates from kids’ menu. |
| C．Order some food for children but in small amounts. |
| D．Encourage children to eat with them. |
| A．Cooking ways. | B．Sense of taste. |
| C．Social skills. | D．Interacting manners. |
| A．It is most often about coffee. |
| B．It can get children to experience new foods with ease. |
| C．It is unavailable in city centres and squares. |
| D．It can reduce the pressure of meal times. |
| A．To introduce different Italian local foods. |
| B．To stress the importance of food for Italians. |
| C．To show Italians’ children education. |
| D．To advertise Italian food trends. |
6 . Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way. "He was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.
Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.
Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.
Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.
"Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today."
"I learned that the population of Nepal is ...."
Silence.
Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. "The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well ..." he'd say. "Get the map; let's see where Nepal is. " And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.
This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.
As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.
Later during my training as a future teacher I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.
1. What do we know from the first paragraph?| A．The author's father was born in a worker's family. |
| B．Those born stupid could not change their life. |
| C．The town elders wanted to learn about the world. |
| D．The poor could hardly afford school education. |
| A．one new thing | B．a request | C．the news | D．some comment |
| A．enjoyed talking about news |
| B．knew very well about Nepal |
| C．felt regret about those wasted days |
| D．appreciated his father's educational technique |
7 . Earlier this month, blogger Lisa Henderson announced that she and her husband John had decided not to have Christmas. The family, who lives in Utah, will still put up decorations, but presents from Santa are a no-go this year.
“John and I feel like we are fighting a very hard uphill battle with our kids when it comes to their rights,” Henderson wrote on her blog. “It is one of the biggest struggles as a parent these days in middle class America. Our kids have been acting so ungrateful lately ...” John said, “We shouldn’t just celebrate Christmas. And, so that’s what we did.”
Instead, the Hendersons are putting the money they would have spent on gifts toward service projects in order to teach their three sons the “pleasure of giving.” The children will still receive gifts from grandparents and other family members, but this year, she said, their letters to Santa will be asking him to find someone who needs presents more than they do.
In an interview with ABC News, 11-year-old Caleb Henderson admitted that he and his brothers had been behaving badly. “We would hit each other. We were fighting and crying,” he admitted, and Lisa said that when she broke the news to her sons, they cried pretty hard.
But so far, Henderson told Fox News last week, the family is having a sudden turning this into a different kind of gift. They have already held a clothing drive and sent boxes of clothes and candy to a village in the Philippines that was hit hard last year by Typhoon Haiyan.
“The children were excited and kept wanting to give more and more,” she reported on her blog.
Many readers responded positively to Henderson’s post. Some sharing their own stories of limiting Christmas in order to teach their children to be charitable(仁慈的) or grateful. “As parents you’re giving your kids something so much more special than a bunch of gifts on Christmas,” one wrote.
But Henderson received negative follow-ups as well on her blog. Responding to critics, she updated her blog with a statement that reads, in part:
I just wanted to explain a couple of things. First, my kids are in no way hurt for things.... They have reacted by making gifts for each other and packing them into each other’s stockings stealthily(偷偷地). They are learning exactly what we wanted them to learn, because they are not moving around feeling sorry for themselves. They are thinking of others.
The second thing I wanted to explain is why I wrote this post. Some people seem to think I wrote this for attention. Ummm, the attention you get from posts like this is not good and actually extremely difficult to deal with.... The reason I wrote this post is I want to empower parents to feel like it’s okay to take a stand. ... I wanted to share what we are doing, so any parents that feel they are struggling with the same issues in their home can see what others are doing and get ideas for their family. My intention is to help support other parents and to raise amazing kids.
1. The Hendersons decided not to spend Christmas because_______.| A．they wanted to make their kids understand the pleasure of giving |
| B．their kids could receive presents from their other family members |
| C．the struggling couple tried to save some money to buy kids gifts |
| D．the whole family would go to the disaster areas in the Philippines |
| A．when Lisa told the kids they didn’t spend Christmas, they felt extremely sad |
| B．all the kids let out an excited cry when Santa sent them Christmas presents |
| C．the moment Lisa said the Philippines was hit by typhoon, they burst into tears |
| D．when their grandparents didn’t send them gifts, the kids couldn’t help crying . |
| A．the writer wants to share his experiences of raising amazing kids |
| B．educating kids needs regular communication and great patience |
| C．the writer strongly called on people to care for the unfortunate |
| D．parents should praise children for their kindness to other people |
| A．Why These Parents Decided Not To Celebrate Christmas. |
| B．How Americans usually Spend A Traditional Christmas. |
| C．A Hard Battle between Kids And Parents At Christmas. |
| D．What American People Do To Have A Nice Christmas. |
From an early age, American children learn responsibility（责任感）. Children as young as 2 begin to put away their toys and dress themselves. At 3, many children do simple chores like setting the table.
Using money wisely is also taught early. As soon as a child understands the value of money, he or she receives a weekly allowance. This is used for things the child wants, like toys or treats. The child can spend or save it, usually with little guidance（指导） from parents. If the child wants money besides his or her allowance, it must be made by doing extra chores.
Children are taught early in life to think for themselves. They are allowed to make some decisions—and make mistakes. Failure（失败）often teaches more than success.
1. Many American young people begin to live on themselves __________.
| A．at eighteen years old | B．from childhood |
| C．after they get married | D．from an early age |
| A．find a full-time job |
| B．rent an apartment |
| C．put on his or her own clothes |
| D．do lots of chores |
| A．零花钱 | B．奖品 | C．财产 | D．礼物 |
| A．understanding the value of money |
| B．helping the rich |
| C．reading many books |
| D．doing extra chores |
| A．the guidance from parents |
| B．the value of money |
| C．the independence of American children |
| D．failure and success of American children |
9 . In America, parents tend to encourage their children to develop their potential (潜能) to the fullest extent. Fathers and mothers frequently teach their children both ambition and the confidence necessary to work toward their goals. American parents are always active in concentrating on what their kids can do, not what they can’t. As a result, millions of American boys and girls grow up hoping to become actors and athletes, diplomats and doctors. Many of them even want to become president.
American parents often encourage their children to become involved in extra activities of all types at school, such as student government, sports and music. They believe that only through taking part in these activities can their children become mature young adults.
As we all know, school work is important. But parents should realize that the social skills their children learn from natural conversations with each other are as important as schoolwork and the skills they will need in the future work. What’s more important in their work is that their children should have a sound knowledge of physics or the ability to communicate effectively.
As a rule, Chinese parents don’t educate their children about the same kind of ambition and confidence as Americans do, nor do they encourage the same level of participation in extra activities. Children are typically advised to study hard and pass exams. They have to spend a lot of time in doing much schoolwork every day. It is a great waste of time to do so.
Now more and more Chinese parents have recognized that they should pay attention to developing the potential of their children. I hope that leaders in Chinese educational circles should take some measures to develop the potential of their children. I am very confident about it.
1. From the passage, we know the American parents pay much more attention to .| A．the social skills than Chinese parents |
| B．their children’s studying hard and well |
| C．what their children want but they can’t |
| D．extra activities than schoolwork |
| A．know more than American parents to educate their children |
| B．owning ambition and confidence is necessary and important |
| C．pay much more attention to their children’s fine future |
| D．don’t encourage their children to participate in extra activities |
| A．American children are brave and adventurous |
| B．American children are more active in their studies |
| C．Chinese children have the ability to communicate effectively |
| D．something should be done to develop the potential of the children in China |
| A．Neutral. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Positive. | D．Negative. |
10 . When it comes to President Obama, most of his personal business is already known by the public. Personal information about his children, Malia and Sasha, however, has been kept a little more under wraps.
The New York Times recently released a list of rules that Michelle Obama has mentioned over the years that Malia and Sasha must follow during their time in the White House, as well as in general. See how the first family educates their children:
The girls must write reports about what they’ve seen on their trips, even if it’s not required by their school.
Malia may use her cell phone only on the weekend, and she and her sister cannot watch television or use a computer for anything but homework during the week.
Malia and Sasha have to play two sports: one they choose and one selected by their mother.
Malia must learn to do laundry (洗衣服) before she leaves for college.
The girls have to eat their vegetables, and if they say they are not hungry, they cannot ask for cookies or chips later.
While these might be shocking to some, Michelle said, “They’re not little princesses. It’s just basic rules, boundaries, and expectations that we would have normally.”
Michelle also mentions another set of rules ：
The girls must do their chores (家务), though the White House has a large staff. Malia and Sasha have chores of their own.
They must play a team sport, because it’s about learning how to play on a team, how to lose and how to win gracefully.
…
It sounds like Michelle and Barack want the best for their kids and to make them as well rounded as possible. What are your thoughts on the Obama family rules?
1. What’s the passage mainly about?| A．The first family rules. |
| B．The first family daily life. |
| C．How to be good parents. |
| D．How to be good children. |
| A．Attractive. | B．Secret. |
| C．Calm | D．Public. |
| A．Emails. | B．Reports. |
| C．Homework. | D．Photos. |
| A．To learn to do laundry. |
| B．To play two sports. |
| C．To use cell phone freely. |
| D．To eat their vegetables. |
