1 . “Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it’s a girl.”
Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different answer from every man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had a lot of experience with them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.
Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the change from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few tries have been made to educate fathers in this re-socialization process. Although many good books have been written about American mothers, only recently have some books discussed the role of a father.
It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father’s role, although difficult, is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother’s role. The mother’s role seems to require a complete transformation of daily routine and adaptation to a new life, on the other hand, the father’s role is less immediate. However, even though we have mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.
1. According to the author, being a father ________.| A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men |
| B．has a different meaning for those who have daughters |
| C．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy |
| D．means nothing but more responsibilities |
| A．some parents are prepared to have a child |
| B．young couples do not like children at all |
| C．working couples do not have much time to take care of their children |
| D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child |
| A．changes her life style in a quite different way |
| B．makes a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation |
| C．stays at home to take care of the baby |
| D．helps her husband in his re-socialization process |
| A．have to do more in the household | B．have to make more difficult adaptations |
| C．have an easier job to do | D．can usually do a better job |
2 . For most people, the longest relationship they will have is with their sibling (兄弟姐妹). It’s a shame, then, that we can’t choose them. As children, my younger sister and I were always
Take 1940s movie star Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine as an example. The competitive relationship between these sisters is famous in Hollywood. “I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did. And if I die first, she’ll
But it’s not just in
The brothers never spoke to each other again and their rivalry
But not all successful siblings
So, now that we’re adults, have my sister and I learnt to be more like the William sisters and less like the Dasslers? Well, I’d love to say “yes” but the
| A．competing | B．dealing | C．communicating | D．agreeing |
| A．anything | B．something | C．everything | D．nothing |
| A．sadly | B．undoubtedly | C．unequally | D．negatively |
| A．passionate | B．public | C．unreasonable | D．fierce |
| A．show | B．family | C．manufacture | D．trade |
| A．familiar | B．friendly | C．different | D．positive |
| A．Otherwise | B．Meanwhile | C．Additionally | D．Eventually |
| A．After all | B．By comparison | C．In response | D．On the whole |
| A．livened | B．enlarged | C．divided | D．widen |
| A．mix with | B．take on | C．look after | D．set up |
| A．shoes | B．clothes | C．glasses | D．watches |
| A．like | B．hate | C．ignore | D．value |
| A．way | B．surface | C．side | D．court |
| A．designed | B．easy | C．truthful | D．acceptable |
| A．reputation | B．beauty | C．difference | D．dream |
Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their friends and regard it as a slur (诋毁) on their own cooking, or cleaning, or furniture, and often are foolish enough to let the teenagers see that they
Disillusionment (醒悟) with the parents, however good and adequate they may be both as parents and as individuals, is to some degree inevitable.
Most children have such a high ideal of their parents,
Victorian parents believed that they kept their dignity by retreating (伪装) behind an unreasoning authoritarian attitude; In fact they did nothing of the kind, but children were then too frightened to let them know how they really
4 . When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has long realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on the phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to shout at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing (令人相信的)，“This is Mrs. Tan. "
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don't send me check already two week late. "
And then, in perfect English I said: "I'm getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived. "
Then she talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss. "And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can't tolerate (容忍) any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week. "
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’ s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
1. Why was the author's mother poorly served?| A．She was unable to speak good English. | B．She was often misunderstood. |
| C．She was not clearly heard. | D．She was not very polite. |
| A．good at pretending | B．rude to the stockbroker |
| C．ready to help her mother | D．unwilling to phone for her mother |
| A．they forgave the stockbroker · | B．they failed to get the check |
| C．they went to New York immediately | D．they spoke to their boss at once |
| A．It confuses her. | B．It embarrasses her |
| C．It helps her understand the world. | D．It helps her tolerate rude people. |
Richard Branson: Rags to Riches Richard Branson was not a good student. In fact, he quit school at the age of 16. That, however, did not stop him from becoming successful. Today, this billionaire is formally known as Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson. And he is one of the richest men in the United Kingdom. He is worth about US$4.6 billion. He even owns his own island.
After he left school, Richard started a magazine called Student. It was an overnight success. From there, he got involved in the record industry. He started a successful record store in London. After that, he started a record label called Virgin Records.
Clearly, music has been important to Richard’s success, but it is not the only thing he is involved in. He is the founder of the Virgin Group, which employs more than fifty thousand people and operates in fifty different countries. The groups is made up of hundreds of companies. Perhaps you have flown on a Virgin Airlines plane or bought music from a Virgin Megastore. If you dream of space travel, Virgin Galactic might be able to one day make that dream a reality.
The key to Sir Richard Branson’s success has been his ability to connect with people. He may not have gotten the best grades in school, but he is a charming and likeable businessman. Sir Richard’s story is unusual, but it provides hope to people all over the world. From average beginnings to great success, his story is truly one of “rags to riches.”
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6 . Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent-child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
1. The underlined word “gulf” in Para. 3 most probably means ________.| A．interest | B．distance |
| C．difference | D．separation |
| A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities. |
| B．Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities. |
| C．Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs. |
| D．Parents share more interests with their children. |
| A．more confusion among parents |
| B．new equality between parents and children |
| C．less respect for parents from children |
| D．more strictness and authority on the part of parents |
| A．describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with |
| B．discuss the development of the parent-child relationship |
| C．suggest the ways to handle the parent-child relationship |
| D．compare today’s parent-child relationship with that in the past |
7 . I believe in figuring out my own way to do things. This approach can yield great results, but it's got its negative sides. Much of my individualist, bone-headed nature comes from my grandfather.
Opa grew up in New York's rough-and-tumble Lower East Side, didn't go to college, but owned and ran two successful business: a restaurant and a car wash. He figured out what he wanted to do, and how to do it without studying a manual. He used his own creativity to solve problems as they came up.
After he died, realtors (房产经纪人) tried to sell his home. They discovered he had devised his own way of hooking up the septic system. No one could figure out how it worked, so it couldn't pass codes. But it worked, and for many years beyond his time.
Sometimes I wonder if my banjo (班卓琴) playing would pass codes. I didn't learn to play bluegrass, classic music or jazz in school. I took banjo lessons from some of the best, but my breakthrough moments came when I left the lesson plans. I remember seeing jazz great Chick Corea when I was 17. There was a moment of revelation when I realized that all the notes he was playing had to exist on my banjo. I went home and stayed up most of the night, figuring out the scales, modes and arpeggios (琶音) for myself, mapping out the banjo fingerboard in my own way.
When I perform with my own group, my map of the banjo is all I need. But when I move into, more conventional jazz or classical situations, I don't always have the tools to fit in. I can barely read music. I don' thoroughly understand the conventions of each tradition and I'm not sure how to voice jazz chords — which notes to leave out and all the rhythmic concepts. I worry that my approach might not be built on a strong enough musical foundation.
It's this fear that allows me no rest in my musical pursuits. When I'm at work — whether it is writing, practicing or editing and mixing CDs — I obsess. To say that I am picky is understatement. Delegating is pretty much impossible; I can be downright controlling. I have to get everything just right. Then, one day, the intensity disappears. This usually means the project is done.
1. What can we learn about the grandpa according to the passage?| A．His secret weapon of problem-solving is his innovation. |
| B．He owned a restaurant and a car factory. |
| C．He can wash cars without studying a manual. |
| D．His design of septic system was recognized before he died. |
| A．He couldn't remember the rhythmic concepts. |
| B．He found it difficult to read music. |
| C．He didn't know how to fit into the classical situations. |
| D．He didn't have an appetite for conventional jazz. |
| A．The author's major is music in college years. |
| B．His awareness of insufficiency urges him to pursue music. |
| C．He works at a band and is famous. |
| D．He can control all kinds of music later. |
| A．show the power of constant pursuit |
| B．express his love of music |
| C．show how his grandpa helped him |
| D．express his regret for not learning basic music knowledge |
8 . Is there a magic cutoff period when children become responsible for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators in the lives of their children and shrug, "It's their life, " and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital passage waiting for doctors to put a few stitches (缝线) in my son's head. I asked, "When do you stop worry?" The nurse said, "When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked continually and disrupted the class. As if to read my mind, a teacher said. "Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them" My mother just smiled faintly faintly and said nothing.
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said, "They're trying to find themselves. Don't worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying. They'll adults. "My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
By the time I was 50, I was sick and tired of being weak. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle, there was nothing I could do about it. My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.
I continued to suffer from their failures, an be absorbed in their disappointments. My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted (萦绕心头) by my mother's warm smile and her occasional "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home. Are you depressed about something?" Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry?
One of my children telephoned me last month, saying, "Where were you? I've been calling for three days, and no one answered. I was worried."
I smiled a warm smile.
1. The author intends to tell us in the passage that________.| A．parents long for a period when they no longer worry about their children |
| B．there is no time when parents have no worry about their children |
| C．it's parents' duty to worry about their children |
| D．parents don't have to worry their children |
| A．her mother shared the same idea as the nurse |
| B．her mother wouldn't express her opinion upon the matter |
| C．her mother felt much relieved to know there was nothing serious about her grandson |
| D．her mother didn't agree with the nurse |
| A．the hard times she experience in her life | B．the different stages of her children |
| C．she had been worrying about her children in her life | D．the support she received from her mother |
| A．Finally the mother didn't have to worry about her children. |
| B．The mother was pleased that her child began to worry about her, too. |
| C．At last the mother could live her own life without worry. |
| D．The mother felt satisfied that she had succeeded in turning her children into adults. |
在成长过程中，人们常会被贴上各种标签，如“乖巧听话”（obedient）、“有个性”（cool）、“书呆子”（a nerd/geek）、“00后”（post-millennials）等。校报特辟专栏对此进行讨论，请以李华为名投稿，内容需包括：
1.描述自己或他人曾经被贴过的标签；
2.你对“贴标签”（labelling）的看法。
I met Kumkum at a children’s home in Delhi. It is a home where children
Upon meeting, we took an instant liking to each other. Every Saturday I would visit Kumkum and play with her. She would love to sit on my lap. It was one such moment that the child felt like kissing me....and I suddenly remembered that she
