1 . 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(代沟) 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 (平等) can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot strictness and authority (权威) 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 changing 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.problem | C.difference | D.habit |
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 less about sex and drugs. |
D.Parents share more interests with their children. |
A.Less confusion among parents |
B.New equality between parents and children |
C.More 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 change of the parent-child relationship |
C.suggest the ways to handle the parent-child relationship |
D.stress the importance of parent-child relationship |
2 . How to Make Friends at a New School
Starting with a new school can be difficult. Everything seems to be different, and you don’t even know where to go for your own classes.
Remember to be nice to the people you meet at your new school. If you think that you will say something that may make them feel sad, do not say anything and just nod your head if they talk to you. Also, remember to be as helpful as possible!
Believe in yourselfA smile goes a long way. When you walk in the halls, don’t keep your eyes on the floor. Raise your head and make eye contact with other people.
You like it when people use your name, and so do other people.
A.Be friendly to others. |
B.Making new friends can be hard, too. |
C.Join after-school activities like |
D.Never change what you are to try and fit in. |
E.If you see someone you know, smile or say “Hi”. |
F.People may become angry if you just begin by saying ”Hey“ each time. |
G.Don ‘t sit at the back of the classroom where other people don’t notice you! |
3 . Family time is one of the most important times in a child’s life. My family and I spend a lot of time together, including having dinner together every night.
There have been many recent studies showing kids are “wilder” than they used to be.
I have noticed in old TV shows and my parents’ stories that not long ago sitting at the family dinner table was not a choice, but a must.
A.There are certainly many reasons for this. |
B.I did a little research on the “family table” idea. |
C.Children just watch TV and play computer games. |
D.It is important for parents to teach children how to behave. |
E.Nowadays, it seems harder for people to find time to be together. |
F.What’s more, they learn better behaviors during the time with their parents. |
G.We don’t watch television. Instead we sit down at the table to eat and discuss our days. |
4 . I grew up in the 1950s with very practical parents. My mother washed aluminum foil (铝箔纸) after she cooked in it, and then she reused it.She was the earliest recycle (回收利用) queen before people had a name for it.
My father was no different.He preferred getting old shoes fixed to buying new ones.Their marriage was good and their dreams were focused (集中).Their best friends lived just a wave away.Though my parents have passed away,I can see them now-Dad in trousers,a T-shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress,lawnmower (割草机) in one hand and dishtowel in the other.
It was the time to fix things-a curtain rod (挂帘杆) the kitchen radio, the screen door, the oven door, and so on. They fixed all things we had.It was a way of life,and sometimes it made me crazy.All that re-fixing and renewing made me want to scream.I wanted just once to be wasteful.Waste meant being rich.Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.I often thought like that.
But then my mother died,and on that clear summer night,in the warmth of the hospital room,I learnt that sometimes there isn’t any more.Sometimes,what we care about most gets all used up and goes away and it will never return. So, while we have it, it is the best that we love it,care for it,fix it when it’s broken and cure it when it’s sick.
This is true for marriage,old cars,children with bad report cards,dogs with bad hips and aging parents and grandparents.We keep them because they are worth it and because we are worth it.
1. We can learn that when the writer was young, she________.A.thought highly of her parents’ habits |
B.often helped her parents fix old things |
C.often threw things away without being noticed |
D.at times hated it when her parents fixed old things |
A.Her mother truly loved her. |
B.She had wasted a lot of money. |
C.Things may never return once they are gone. |
D.She had hurt her parents for many times. |
A.To advise us to love what we have. |
B.To encourage us to recycle old things. |
C.To explain why her parents recycled. |
D.To help us know about life in the past. |
5 . What a day! I started at my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I’d been at the school for a hundred years!
The day started very early at 7: 00 am. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn’t love me, Mom said to send them her way for a good talking to. I couldn’t stop laughing.
My mom dropped me off at the school gates about five minutes before the bell. A little blonde girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills.
I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my new friends feel the same way too.
1. How did the author feel after going to her new school?A.Exhausted. | B.Thrilled. | C.Upset. | D.Homelike. |
A.Because her mother told her a funny story. |
B.Because her mother talked to her in a funny way. |
C.Because she didn’t accept her mother’s advice. |
D.Because she thought her mother’s advice was funny. |
A.She met many nice people. | B.She had a hurried breakfast. |
C.She learned some new skills. | D.She arrived at school very early. |
A.The author’s thanks for mum. |
B.The author’s worries about the first new school day. |
C.The author’s feelings and experience on the first new school day. |
D.The author’s new friends she made on the first new school day. |
6 . Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son. Suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (依偎) against me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is understanding which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their mind. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental (思想的) break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
1. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son ________.A.keeps himself away from his parents | B.begins to dislike his parents |
C.is always busy with his study | D.doesn’t want to be ignored |
A.Their daughter isn’t as lovely as before. |
B.They can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly. |
C.They don’t know what to say to their daughter. |
D.Their daughter talks with them only when she needs help. |
A.Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. | B.Teenagers do not understand their parents. |
C.Teenagers talk little about their own lives. | D.Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
A.Parents shouldn’t be angry with teenagers. |
B.Parents have to talk with children face to face. |
C.Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
D.Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |
7 . During the winter break, I found my dad’s old CD player in a drawer that I had never seen before. It reminded me of the three CDs I recently bought from Mostly Books, a second-hand media store on South Street. I knew I could put the player to good use with them.
However, I was a naughty kid who broke closet doors and shelves, so my dad was often unwilling to let me borrow his things. I couldn’t decide whether to ask my dad about using the player. “Can you help me with your old CD player? I want to play some CDs,” I finally asked him after walking into his home office that day. Despite my worries, my dad said yes.
Growing up, I felt that my dad disagreed with nearly everything I did. I was frightened to take his advice because listening to him felt like going against my own ideas.
That day I looked at his office wall and saw a painting and he told me he bought it in the 1990s for a couple thousand dollars. Imagining him buying the artwork challenged my idea of him being too frugal (节俭的) and boring (没有情调的) to spend so much money on art.
This new side of my dad encouraged me to finally take the time to look for our similarities. I discovered how similar we really are while fixing the CD player with my dad, which helped me see him as someone I could relate to, instead of someone to avoid. Watching my dad prepare his old CD player for use was my first step toward understanding him. I observed several of his characters that I recognized in myself, like persistence, patience and calmness. Seeing these characters in my dad showed me how similar we are, which lowered the defenses (防御) I built against him, allowing our relationship to heal (愈合).
1. Why couldn’t the author decide whether to ask his dad about using the player at first?A.He had no CDs to play then. |
B.He feared his dad would say no. |
C.He figured the CD player was broken. |
D.He was afraid he’d break the CD player. |
A.They often had different views. |
B.They hardly talked to each other. |
C.They had no similar personalities. |
D.They were shy to speak for themselves. |
A.He should challenge his father. |
B.His father was very good at art. |
C.His father was a really boring man. |
D.He might not really know about his father. |
A.They often argued with each other. |
B.They greatly misunderstood each other. |
C.They got on with each other much better. |
D.They built great defenses against each other. |
8 . The input Dad has on my career is incomparable. My earliest memories are of Dad sitting in the kitchen playing the guitar, listening to his favourite song by his favourite singer, and encouraging his little girl to poke (戳) keys randomly on the piano. Even watching Top of the Pops, he would get so passionate about music in it. We weren’t a religious family, but there was something spiritual about Dad’s connection with music.
Music also became a source of comfort for me. I failed to do well academically at school and had no friends. Being at school consumed so much of my emotional energy. Instead of going to school to learn stuff, I felt as though I was simply trying to get people to like me. Things were better, but the only time I truly felt happy was when I was at home listening to music with Mum and Dad or writing songs on the piano —and the older I got, the more powerful music felt.
Dad was always my biggest supporter. When I started giving live performances at the local bar, he was the one who drove me there and back. Freeing up that time wasn’t easy for an actor. His job might mean three weeks in the Czech Republic or working with George Lucas on The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones in Hollywood.
Dad has been involved with some amazing stuff, but Daddy Pig is the one that’s had the biggest impact all over the world. When I was flying to Australia for my first tour, I was trying to find something to watch on the little screen and I noticed they had Peppa Pig. If I’m missing home and family, I always put it on. Daddy Pig is a fairly real version of my dad —he loves chocolate cake, he’s funny and usually breaks things when he’s trying to mend them. Mum and Dad were friends with one of the producers of the show and I often wonder if he looked at my dad and thought, “That’s him …that’s Daddy Pig.”
1. What can we learn about the author’s father?A.He was good at writing songs. |
B.He was attached to music in his soul. |
C.He encouraged her to play the guitar. |
D.He was passionate about watching TV series. |
A.By picking her up in a tight schedule. |
B.By doing a demanding job as an actor. |
C.By watching her musical performances. |
D.By giving live performances at the local bar. |
A.It’s her favourite childhood cartoon. |
B.She saw her father through Daddy Pig. |
C.She took pride in this world famous cartoon. |
D.It’s a cartoon about her hometown and motherland. |
A.Funny and honest. | B.Strict and hardworking. |
C.Famous and patient. | D.Supportive and influential. |
9 . Two years ago, my 11-year-old son sat me down for a talk. “Mom, it’s time,” he said. “Hear me out: It’s time we got actual TV. And you need an iPhone.”
This funny conversation two years ago marked a shift in our relationship. Perhaps for the first time, I began to really listen to my son’s opinion about our home technology. Since his reasoning was sound and his suggestions within budget, I took his advice and was pleasantly surprised with the results.
I’d known for a while that my son understands technology better than I do. On airplanes, he grabbed my phone to put it in airplane mode. He wired the speakers in our house. After something was stolen from our front yard, he picked out, set up, and now monitors our security camera. When my computer died, I took him shopping with me.
As a teenager now, he has a busy social life, with skateboarding, basketball, and online gaming with his friends. I see our time together decreasing and our shared interests shrinking. That’s why I jumped at the chance when a friend mentioned writing technology reviews. I’m a writer, but I’d need a partner who has more tech knowledge than me. When I presented the idea to my teen, he immediately accepted.
It’s changed our relationship in surprising ways. Where he used to get annoyed quickly at my technical ignorance, he’s learned to be more patient and explain things to me in a way that I can convey to an unknowing audience. The parent-child dynamic is not only changed; it’s even slightly reversed (颠倒). He’s leading me. I’m asking him for help and advice. My son has risen to the occasion. He’s taking it seriously, and to watch him mature in this way is an honor. As someone who’s not much of a reader, he now searches instruction manuals. Without any prompting, he’s even emailed and called, yes, made an actual phone call to customer service or tech support when sample products weren’t working as expected.
I never imagined being a tech reviewer, but it’s proved to be a valuable way to learn from, work with and enjoy time with my teen.
1. What did the writer think of her son’s advice?A.It sounded ambitious. | B.It was comprehensive. |
C.It was complicated. | D.It sounded sensible. |
A.Prove her son’s better mastery of technology. |
B.Give examples of her son’s gift in technology. |
C.Describe their close parent-child relationship. |
D.Express her satisfaction of her son’s competence. |
A.Because she planned to learn more tech knowledge. |
B.Because her son was experienced in review writing. |
C.Because she wanted to improve their relationship. |
D.Because she hoped that her son could be successful. |
A.Her son’s attitudes to some unknown audiences. |
B.Her son’s dominance of the parent-child dynamic. |
C.Her son’s tolerance and patience to their relationship. |
D.Her son’s growth and careful attitude to the work. |
10 . Friendships can enrich your life in many ways. Good friends teach you about yourself and challenge you to be better.
●Friends encourage healthy behaviors
One possible explanation for those health benefits is that friendships can help you make lifestyle changes that can have a direct impact on your well-being. For example, your friends can help you set and maintain goals to eat better and exercise more.
●
If you find yourself going through a hard time, having a friend to help you through can make the transition (转变) easier.
Research also shows that happiness is contagious (有感染力的) among friends. One study of high school students found that those who were depressed were twice as likely to recover if they had happy friends.
●Friends help build your confidence
●Friends push you to be your best
Great friends have the power to mold(塑造) you into the best version of yourself.
A.Friends help you beat stress |
B.Friends give you emotional support |
C.They also have a positive impact on your health |
D.They see you and love you for who you truly are |
E.Friends can also help you cope with stressful situations |
F.Everyone has self-doubts and insecurities every now and then |
G.Likewise, kids were half as likely to develop depression if their friends had a “healthy mood” |