1 . My dad doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would bake great bread, but he is and he does. Every Saturday he produces homemade bread. When he’s done, the whole house smells delicious.
The rest of the week, Dad fixes cars at work. The shop where Dad works is running so well that he is always occupied. He is under a lot of stress. I think Dad began baking bread to help him relax.
I’ve been feeling kind of stressed out myself since I found out I didn’t make the school swim team. Now I’ll have to wait a whole year to try out again. Plus, I’m taking some difficult classes this year.
I think Dad knew I was feeling bad. Last Saturday he asked me how things were going. I said OK, even though I didn’t feel OK at all. He looked at me for a moment, and then he said it was time for me to help. Then he headed to the kitchen.
I followed right behind him. Once we were there, Dad got out his big mixing bowl, handed me a large wooden spoon, and told me to mix while he added the ingredients. Dad isn’t big on measuring. He knows how much of each ingredient to use, and the bread always turns out great.
When I finished stirring, Dad showed me how to knead the dough (揉面团). Next came the most difficult part — doing nothing. We put the dough back into the bowl and then we waited for more than an hour for the dough to slowly rise and double in size. Next, we divided it into two and waited for it to rise again. Afterward, we put the dough into pans and waited another hour for the dough to rise and double.
Dad said the waiting is always the hardest part. “It’s hard to resist putting the dough directly into the oven, but if you do, the bread will be hard. The most important lesson of all is learning to be.” Dad taught me more than how to bake bread.
1. What can we learn about the author’s father?| A．He is living a relaxing life. | B．He tries his best to make ends meet. |
| C．He has a special way to deal with stress. | D．He is more like a baker than a mechanic. |
| A．School isn’t going well. | B．She dislikes making bread. |
| C．She feels sorry for her father. | D．Some classes aren’t worth it. |
| A．Dad is unskilled. | B．Dad dislikes measuring. |
| C．Dad has a craze for measuring. | D．Dad is careful about ingredients. |
| A．Never give up. | B．Take life easily. |
| C．Believe in yourself. | D．Enjoy time with family. |
2 . For 2-year-old girl Jordyn Cleverly, from Bose, Idaho, her white wedding served as the perfect occasion to wear her grandmother’s very own 55-year-old wedding dress. The long-sleeved dress was first worn by Jordyn’s grandmother, Penny Jensen, when she married her childhood sweetheart in 1962. In images caught by photographer Kortney Peterson, Penny can be seen looking at her granddaughter in her dress and breaking down in tears.
In an interview with Inside Edition, the young bride explained she kept the decision to wear her grandmother’s dress as a secret until the rehearsal(排演) dinner two nights before the wedding. “I didn’t want her to see it for the first time in the church and just start crying when all those memories came back to her,” she said.
Disheartened with the choice of dresses on offer in local shops, Jordyn said, “I tried on a couple of dresses at a local wedding dress shop and I just couldn’t find anything that had the style, that old style that I was looking for.” When she learned her grandma was intending to donate her old dress to charity, Jordyn felt inspired. “I wanted to pay tribute(敬意) to the dress that had been there for 55 years,” she said.
“It may be a size or two too big and so I contacted a local tailor to see if there was anything we could do with it,” she said. “Absolutely, it’s in good shape. My grandma had zero idea; she didn’t know it was in my possession(财产).”
Kortney Peterson said, “Her grandma’s reaction was one of the sweetest reactions I’ve ever seen. Tears were brought to here yes,” Jordyn’s grandfather passed away before she was born. “As she walked outside to see her grandma, it began to rain,” Kortney said. “We all viewed the rain as teardrops from heaven. Teardrops from her grandfather. It made the moment much more beautiful and special.”
1. What moved Penny Jensen?
| A．She met her grandma at the wedding. |
| B．Her images were presented at the wedding. |
| C．Her granddaughter wore her wedding dress. |
| D．Her wedding dress was found by a photographer. |
| A．Keep her wedding day a secret， |
| B．Hide her intention to wear the dress until the rehearsal. |
| C．Do the rehearsal without her grandma. |
| D．Have an interview with Inside Edition. |
| A．It was just the right size. |
| B．It was the old style she wanted. |
| C．She wanted to surprise the guests. |
| D．She wanted to stop her grandma donating it. |
| A．The wedding was put off because of the rain. |
| B．People were all moved to tears by the grandma. |
| C．Jordyn Cleverly’s grandfather died on a rainy day. |
| D．The weather made the wedding more unforgettable. |
3 . Nowadays parents and their children are spending less and less time communicating with each other.
1. Eat together & listen to each other
Most children today don’t know the meaning of a family dinnertime. Yet the communication and unity built during this time is necessary to a healthy family life. Sharing a meal together allows parents and their children to have the opportunity to talk about each other’s lives.
2. Read often
It’s important for parents to read to their children. The latest research shows that reading to your children develops an interest in knowledge and contributes to language development. It also increases their concentration on things and helps them become more curious.
3. Start a hobby or project
Choose a fun activity that your children are interested in. Activities like cooking, fishing or biking can be their great hobbies.
4. Plan a family outing
| A．It is very important for children to exercise. |
| B．They can open the door to exciting family time. |
| C．Sometimes getting out of the house is important. |
| D．Look for books that your children would enjoy reading. |
| E．New technology has made video games more popular with children. |
| F．This is also a time for parents to listen and give advice to their children. |
| G．As a result, many children are getting less love than their parents once got. |
4 . On warm winter days, Yang Liheng 89 enjoys sitting by the window and looking through old photos. These photos bring him joy and happiness once more.
For Yang, one of the long-expected activities during the Spring Festival is to take photos with family members. On the early morning of the second day of the Chinese New Year when the whole family reunite, he would dress up and wait for the photo to be taken.
Yang became a photographer in the late 1950s. With his camera, Yang recorded the great changes of his hometown over time. “I had a painful childhood. but I got a chance to be a photographer after the founding(成立)of the People’s Republic of China.” Yang told Beijing Review. “I want to record, in the form of photographs, the local customs, the scenes and people’s brave spirit of fighting against the hard conditions here in my hometown.”
“I used to take pictures for everyone else, but seldom turned my camera at my family members.” Yang said. “My grandson gave me the idea to record the growth and development of my own family.” Taking family photos then became a tradition for Yang’s family. Though now some of his grandchildren are working and living in other cities, they try their best to return home during the Spring Festival and prepare for the special moment.
Last year was an important year for Yang Liheng. Most of his photos were displayed in Yinchuan to show the development of the area over the past sixty years.
1. What does Yang expect most during the Spring Festival?| A．Wearing new clothes. | B．Having a big dinner. |
| C．Taking a family photo. | D．Visiting his relatives. |
| A．Get separated. | B．Get much wealthier. |
| C．Get improved. | D．Get together again. |
| A．When Yang was interviewed. | B．Where Yang learnt to take photos. |
| C．Why Yang had a painful childhood. | D．What Yang recorded with his camera. |
| A．It is full of love. | B．It is full of mysteries. |
| C．It is a rich family. | D．It is having a hard time. |
5 . On Mother’s Day, surprising your mother with a delicious cake is a must. Before you order a cake, you need a Mother’s Day cake design.
Dessert(甜点) Chocolate Cake
Who in the world can say no to a cake that is chocolate inside? This cake design is unique—other than the chocolate, there are delicious and lovely desserts on top of it.
Price: $42, 6-inch/$58, 8-inch
Black Velvet Cake
Black is forever beautiful! And as mothers are a long preference for love and beauty, you can pick this Black Velvet Cake to surprise your mother. As beautiful as the cake looks outside, when you cut the cake, it is relaxing to see the red and black delicious layers(夹层)inside.
Price, $32, 6-inch/$42, 8-inch
Naked Rose Cake
We know you came across the thought of surprising your mom with a bunch(束)of flowers as gifts for.
Mother’s Day, and you should go with it. With the cake design that we bring here, you can take a floral surprise ahead. Three layers of baked batter, three layers of whipped cream, and the topping of real strawberries and real pink roses!
Price: $36, 6-inch/$48, 8-inch
Wafers and Chocolate Strawberries Cake
Does your mom love wafers? Is she a fan of chocolate? And is she also mad on strawberries? Breaking the usual round shape, here is a Mother’s Day cake design in a square, which is covered with breakable wafers on the sides. Also, there is white and black chocolate and fresh strawbemes on top of it
Price: $38,6-inch/$50,8-inch
1. How much does a 6-inch Dessert Chocolate Cake cost?| A．$ 36. | B．$42. | C．$48. | D．$58. |
| A．It’s black. | B．It’s sweet. | C．It’s square. | D．It’s round. |
| A．Naked Rose Cake. | B．Black Velvet Cake. |
| C．Dessert Chocolate Cake. | D．Wafers and Chocolate Strawbemes Cake. |
6 . When I was 7 and Stevie was 6, our parents taught us how to play chess and other games. Playing games was our life back then. Stevie and I were very competitive in everything.
We got older and better so our games were more intense, but also more exciting. The strange thing is that I enjoyed the games vastly and was happy for my brother when he won. But afterwards, I felt my well-being threatened, and then my confidence suffered.
When I was 10 years old I wanted to be successful at my talents. One day, a light came on in my head. I had to find something Stevie couldn’t do. It would have to be unique in every way. Before long, I got Jimmy Nelson’s record on “How to Become a Ventriloquist (腹语师)” and I practiced faithfully every day. After summer vacation, I did my first show for my class. The response was favorable. I performed for family get-togethers and did shows on a number of occasions to practice my new skill.
It isn’t easy learning ventriloquism. The difficult part was developing the voice, because at first, it was soft and hard to hear. I memorized the routines and performed more. With time, I got better responses. The loud laughter was nonstop, in addition to the applause.
Four years later, my mother purchased professional ventriloquial figure, which I named Freddie O’Sullivan. He was lifelike, with moving eyes, moving eyebrows, and could stick out his tongue. Treating Freddie like a real person enhanced my performance.
In college, Freddie was well known. He would tell people that he was the only guy that could sleep in the girl’s dormitory. Over the years, I won many talent awards.
One time, an elderly man looked at Freddie attentively and asked him where he got his trousers. The audience nearby had tears in their eyes. I didn’t know what was going on until I was told later the gentleman hadn’t spoken for 20 years.
Thanks to my brother, I created a lifetime with Freddie.
1. How did the author feel at first when Stevie won a game?| A．Delighted. | B．Confused. |
| C．Depressed. | D．Surprised, |
| A．To gain her parents’ favor in family get-togethers. |
| B．To record her intense and competitive childhood. |
| C．To have a special talent better than her brother. |
| D．To bring joyous laughter to people around her. |
| A．Freddie trained the author professionally. |
| B．Freddie inspired an old man to restart to talk. |
| C．Freddie took the place of the author’s brother. |
| D．Freddie disturbed others in the girl’s dormitory. |
| A．Generous and grateful. | B．Modest and responsible. |
| C．Patient and honest. | D．Sensitive and determined. |
7 . My mother used to take me to my grandparents’ in Belgium during the school holidays. While I would play chess with my grandfather, he would tell me stories about growing up, falling in love, and travelling around the world.
I didn’t realize the importance of preserving memories until my grandfather passed away, which ultimately changed my outlook on remembering our loved ones and the stories we share. I thought about solutions to help other people record the precious memories for those they love—before it’s too late. So I began matching ghostwriters (代笔人) to clients to help them write a book as smoothly and beautifully as possible, and Story Terrace was born.
Since then, we have explored the power of stories and their ability to connect us with our past and make sense of the present. It has been documented that increased family connection is significantly linked to less loneliness. Learning more about one’s family history, however, has been linked to boosting emotional health, increasing compassion and providing a deeper sense of cultures and traditions.
What we have found through our own research is that so many of us have missed out on the opportunity to explore our origins. 56 percent of Brits agreed that much of their family history is lost because they are no longer able to speak with the person who knows the most about it. A further 51 percent expressed regret as they wished they could tell their younger self to document their family’s life story, feeling that most of it had been forgotten. But when it comes to telling these stories, many don’t know where to begin.
We have seen numerous times when people come to us with random journal entries and notes from over the years, and these can be developed into a wonderful work of art that can be passed down for generations to come.
Half of the projects we see at StoryTerrace are heritage stories, with family occupying a dominant theme for most stories. Alongside this, common themes we see are of course love, overcoming challenges, settling in new surroundings and so on. However, family is a thread that always ties these together.
1. What does Story Terrace do?| A．It boosts the mood of your family members. |
| B．It gives treatment to people with mental illness. |
| C．It links people from different cultures together. |
| D．It helps turn your beloved one’s stories into a book. |
| A．Why StoryTerrace matters. |
| B．How StoryTerrace functions. |
| C．What StoryTerrace focuses on. |
| D．Where StoryTerrace beings your story. |
| A．It is part of the national heritage. |
| B．Its stories are mostly about family. |
| C．It dominates half of the market. |
| D．Its stories gain much popularity. |
| A．Family Stories Worth Telling |
| B．Create Your Own Story Books |
| C．Documents of Family History |
| D．Preserve Memories with StoryTerrace |
8 . As you are growing and changing, you have more responsibilities and also more freedom to spend time with other people. While you may feel ready to make your own decisions about where and when to go, your parents will put limits on you. So you may find you are arguing with your parents more than you used to. The reason why your parents do this is that they care about you and want to protect you from danger.
Here are some tips for how to avoid and handle arguments with your parents:
(1)Discuss the rules ahead of time and not at the last minute. This way you will be able to learn their opinions before you make plans. Your parents can also explain to you why each rule is in place. Ask them to give you the chance to explain how the rules make you feel and suggest what you think are right rules. Your parents may be willing to listen to your ideas and use them when making rules that you both agree on.
(2)Try to remain calm when your parents say no to something. You will show your parents that you are responsible and mature(成熟的) by talking instead of shouting.
(3)Spend time with your family. Some teens argue with their parents over the amount of time they spend with their friends. Communicate with each other and make some special family time so that you can all enjoy the time you spend at home. Suggest activities that your whole family will enjoy together such as going on a hike, taking a bike ride, or going to the beach.
1. Your parents limit your activity mainly because they .| A．are worried about your safety |
| B．are afraid it will affect your study |
| C．think the thing you’ll do is bad |
| D．want you to be with them at home |
| A．you have to obey |
| B．you and your parents have discussed |
| C．your parents make |
| D．you and your parents can both accept |
| A．argue with them |
| B．control yourself |
| C．fight for your freedom |
| D．not listen to them |
| A．To build up their bodies. |
| B．To visit more places of interest. |
| C．To make parents happy. |
| D．To make children and their parents get along better. |
9 . New Year gift ideas for parents
Getting gifts for your parents on New Year 2021 does not have to be that hard.
A restaurant gift card for dinner.
After all those busy schedules and tough work routines, your parents definitely need a relaxing break on New Year’s Day. You can send them a restaurant gift card.
Joy and happiness.
When parents get old, they appreciate family joy time. They love partying with their grown-up sons and daughters, and spending time with their grandchildren.
A sweet New Year wish from children can bring a smile on your parents’ face. So, wish them a Happy New Year 2021 and make them feel extra-special. Write a beautiful New Year wish on a greeting card, and present it to your mom and dad with a nice bouquet of bright flowers.
Other than all this, you can also perform a secret check in your parents’ home and make a list of things that you think should be gifted to them for this New Year.
| A．This is why the new year starts with it. |
| B．Treat them to a nice dinner on New Year’s Eve. |
| C．New Year 2021 marks the beginning of the new calendar year. |
| D．Here we show you some best New Year gift ideas for parents. |
| E．Giving them a greeting card or sending them a New Year text message. |
| F．To fulfill this wish of your parents, you can arrange a grand family get-together. |
| G．That gift can be any gift that makes them remember you when they use it. |
10 . Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving them is a normal part of life.
Tell them you love them every morning. The gentle “Good morning” and “I love you” will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world.
Respect them more and value the moments with them. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for the day when you’re off on your own. It’s OK to get angry but anger doesn’t help you or your parents.
Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem as if you are going through hell when you don’t get what you want.
| A．Keep them company. |
| B．Parents will in turn volunteer to express their love for you. |
| C．You love them because they created you and raised you. |
| D．Act calmly, write down your feelings, or talk with your friends. |
| E．Please remember parents are the dearest people for us in the world. |
| F．However, you should remember it is your parents who love you and protect you. |
| G．Without your parents, you might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world. |
