Family Disputes and Arguments
There may be nothing worse than slammed doors,raised voices and tears but,according to new research,it's actually a good idea for parents who want to be close to their teenage children to have a row(吵架）a day.
Instead of causing alienation(疏远)，conflict can strengthen parent-adolescent relationships, says Tabitha Holmes,a specialist in adolescent development.“It was a complete surprise to me to discover during my research that teenagers themselves saw heated arguments as something that brought them closer to their parents,'said Holmes.“While their parents talked about how upsetting and destructive arguing with their child was,the adolescents were able to see how arguments helped them to understand their parents' points of view more clearly.
They were also very aware that a good row forced them to think through,express and defend their opinions and desires.'According to Holmes,it is the day-to-day conflicts-the very ones that can be so draining-—that are most constructive:the endless rows over homework,clothes and friends.It's vital for conflicts to be heated: calm discussion or animated debate does not count.‘Adolescents said they only told their mothers what they really felt and thought when they were forced to defend their position.'
“If your teenager is rowing with you,it's actually a mark of respect,'Holmes said.“It shows they value you enough to tell you their genuine feelings and thoughts.'To be positive,conflicts have to be handled in the right way,Holmes admitted.Parents need to listen genuinely to their teenager's viewpoint;it's necessary for them to be able to modify their own position in the light of what their child tells them;and they need to be respectful,to go into the row acknowledging that their child's point of view is worthwhile.
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The Summer I Learned to Really See
It was a muggy(闷热)end-of-summer dog day in Missouri. I was preparing to go after the mail—about a mile's distance, through fields and forests, across a river, from our farmhouse, in which three generations of my family lived.
“Take the bucket with you,” my grandmother said, handing me the very familiar bucket.
“What for?” I asked, petulantly(使小性子). The berries had been picked, and it was too early for wild grapes, too late for roasting ears(穗).
“You'll find something to fill it with,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation.
I didn't want to take the bucket. It would be a burden to me. Twice a day I'd carried a bucket for milking. With it I'd carried feed to the chickens, salt to the cows, sugar to the neighbors. I'd had enough with carrying with the bucket!
Nevertheless, I took the bucket. Halfway to the mailbox, I set it down beneath a pokeberry bush(胡桃树). I needn't carry it the whole way, I reasoned. There was no mail. When I got back to the bucket, I saw that a few ripe pokeberries had fallen into it. With childish ill humor, I picked off enough clusters(花串) to fill the bucket, even though I thought they were good for nothing.
“Aren't they just lovely!” Grandma exclaimed admiringly when I set them on the kitchen table. She squeezed out the juice of the berries and we used the lovely red ink to paint rings on our fingers and pen letters to distant cousins.
When I went to mail the letters the next day, Grandma again told me to take the bucket along. This time I carried the bucket a little farther than the previous day before setting it down. There was only a sale catalogue in the mail. When I got back to the bucket, I dropped it in. But I felt vaguely uncomfortable, remembering the pokeberries. I caught sight of a bunch of peppermint(薄荷) growing close to the path. Funny, I had passed it every day and never noticed it before. Peppermint just doesn't spring up overnight. I picked a bucketful, its fragrance seeming to cool the day. Grandma was pleased with the peppermint. She liked to chew it and make tea with it.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
The daily routine to take the bucket along was repeated for weeks, and I began to see more.
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One day when I went home, I didn't have anything in the bucket.
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John Henderson was driving home late last night from an exhausting business trip. He had put off visiting the company’s new headquarters in order to get home before midnight, and now he was having trouble staying awake. He turned up the radio and tried to concentrate on the news—something about a robbery, but his eyes kept on closing. His wife, Marsha, was back home in Dayton, and he missed having her company on this long trip.
It was then that he noticed the hitchhiker (搭便车者) at the side of the road. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he slowed down and stopped the car. He couldn’t help feeling sorry for the young man who looked so wet and miserable in the rain. “Get in,” he said.
John remembered having to hitchhike home from the university before he had a car. He couldn’t stand sitting at the side of the road for hours, waiting for rides. The hitchhiker got in and immediately John was sorry that he had picked him up. The young man had a strange face and very sharp eyes. His clothes were old and dirty, and his long hair needed cutting. The hitchhiker lit a cigarette and said he was going to Woodsville but when John asked him other questions, the young man avoided giving him any personal information and changed the subject. John began to sweat and his thoughts turned nervously to his wallet and all the money he was carrying on the backseat. He desperately tried to remember what the newscaster had said earlier about a robbery. “Don’t be ridiculous!” He thought to himself. “Stop imagining things! This guy isn’t a criminal. What’s the use of panicking?”
At this moment, John felt like having a cigarette, even though he had quit smoking three months before. He asked his passenger for one but before lighting it, he had to wait for his hands to stop shaking.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
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“Oh, stop the car!” cried the young man all of a sudden.
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The young man looked puzzled, “It is I that am to pay!”.
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Wrapping paper flew everywhere as Cali opened her gift. Then, a pair of shining skates caught her eyes! Cali thanked her uncle and aunt but looked embarrassed. She didn't know how to skate.
Aunt Lisa, who seemed to have read Cali's mind, told her not to worry and that learning skating was fun, while Uncle George promised to take her to the ice rink（溜冰场）and teach her to skate.
Cali wasn't sure. Sometimes she had a hard time learning new things. She looked again at the skates and imagined herself skating on the ice cheerfully. It should be fun! Then she nodded, "Let's do it!"
The next day all of them went to the skating rink. Cali's eyes twinkled in excitement when watching the other skaters around her. She sat down on the bench and put on the skates. Uncle George then placed her helmet on and fastened it.
"Time for us all to hit the ice!" her uncle said, "we will hold your hands and you stand between us." Cali did so and made her first step onto the smooth ice.
"Whoa! This is slippery!" Cali nearly fell over, but her aunt and uncle pulled up on her arms and she found her balance again. She grinned and tried taking a few steps. Her legs wanted to slide out in front of her, so she made her steps smaller. That seemed to help.
"Good, Cali. Now try to glide on one foot for just a second longer on each foot as you walk," suggested Aunt Lisa. Then Uncle George skated in front of her while Lisa guided her from behind.
"Skate to your uncle now," she said, pushing her on the back a little to get more speed. Cali glided unsteadily towards her uncle, taking small steps and holding her arms wide for balance. Her uncle caught her and gave her a hug.
"Well done, Cali!" he said. "Now try it on your own." Cali wasn't too sure. Everyone else was rushing past her. Skating seemed easy for them. She started to get nervous. She lost her balance.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Struggling to rise to her feet, she determined to skate on her own.
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Seeing Cali made amazing progress, Aunt Lisa skated up to her and praised her efforts.
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In 1967, when I was 6 years old, my family moved to the small town of Oanaca, Nevada. My parents worked hard to feed us five girls. Though the community was small, everyone welcomed us and we soon made many friends. One family we grew to admire was the Wadsworths.
The first two years were filled with friendship and joy. But then disaster struck: Mrs. Wadsworth died, leaving her husband with eight children that hadn't grown up. One year later, Mr. Wadsworth also passed away.
The entire town was heartbroken. Preparations were made to send the kids to their relatives, but the Wadsworth children had different plans. The oldest son, Brent, gathered all his brothers and sisters and held a family meeting. “Our parents taught us to be responsible for each other. They wouldn't want us to be separated and unable to see each other frequently from now on,” he said seriously and firmly. The children all agreed and decided to make it on their own.
With their own efforts and the community's care and help, the Wadsworth children grew healthily and happily. Grateful for the love from the community during their hardships, they were always ready to serve others and return the favor they had received. One such time was the Christmas of 1972.
Typically, on Christmas Eve all the children from the community would gather in the church building to attend the Christmas party, the highlight(高潮) of which was a visit from Santa Claus. Santa Claus would burst into the hall, shouting “Ho, ho, ho!” Then he would sit in front of the stage, take each child on his lap to listen to their Christmas wishes, and give each a paper bag filled with peanuts, an orange and a large candy cane（糖果棒）. It was an event we eagerly looked forward to all year long.
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But this Christmas would be different with the flu(流感) spreading through the town.
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Unexpectedly, on Christmas Eve, a knock came at our front door.
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Taylor opened her sleepy eyes and looked out of the window at the foggy field below. “NO!” she cried, now fully awake. Buttermilk the cow was on Mama’s daisy land. I must have forgotten to lock the gate last night, Taylor thought as she pulled a sweatshirt over her head. Mama was planning to sell daisy bouquets(花束) at the fair next week. But Buttermilk was eating the flowers.
Taylor hurried outside and grabbed the lead rope hanging on the porch. “Why can’t you stay in the field?” she called to Buttermilk as she headed across the yard to the daisy land. Without even looking up at her, Buttermilk stood nipping(啃咬) tender flowers off their stems(茎). “When I grow up, I’ll be an artist and paint pictures all day,” Taylor thought. “I’ll never own a cow. Too much trouble.”
Just as Taylor was about to snap(扣住) the lead rope onto Buttermilk’s collar, the family dog, Red, rounded the corner of the house. The cow couldn’t stand Red. Buttermilk took off, tearing through the daisies across the yard. She finally ran through the open gate and into the field. “Thank goodness!” Taylor said as she closed the gate and secured the land.
She turned to look at the flower garden. Most of the daisies were either eaten or ruined. Mama came out of the house. “What’s going on?” She asked. She looked sadly at her garden. “I forgot to lock the gate,” Taylor said. I’m so sorry.”“I know you are.” Mama sighed and gave Taylor a hug. “You learned an important lesson today.”
Taylor’s heart was heavy as she went back into the house. She had to think of a way to make it up to her mother. A painting on the wall caught Taylor’s eye. “That’s it.” She smiled.
注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
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Taylor raced upstairs.
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The morning of the fair, Dad loaded daisy bouquets into the van.
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How can we celebrate the people we've never met who helped get us through the worst year of our life?
When I was a child, my grandmother often expressed the importance of communicating with everyone. When she walked down the street, she spoke to everyone. It did not matter if you were elderly or a child, or if you spoke English or Spanish. She had a smile and a conversation for you.
My grandmother's wisdom opened my mind to having a pen pal. This hobby-exchanging regular letters with someone on the other side of the world that you may never meet in person used to be popular in the 20th century. But many people consider the practice outdated in age of Facebook. Today, when I reveal that among my long time friendships is a relationship with a pen pal, with whom I communicate solely through long emails, people find it odd.
It isn't odd-it's wonderful. My relationship with my pen pal is one of the most valuable friendships I have ever had. even though I have never met her in person, or even heard her voice.
It all started in 2013. I was on my way to USC to meet Kerstin Zilm, a German radio personality who wanted to interview me about being a struggling student at Long Beach City College. After the interview, a woman named Renate reached out to Kerstin, inquiring how she could find me and help me financially with college. I thought it was great that Renate, who lives in Germany, wanted to assist with my education.
At first, Renate and I emailed each other twice a month. She wanted to know a lot more about my life growing up in Watts, my attempts to further my education, and whether there were ways beyond finances that she could help. I did not have a specific answer for her last question, but her moral support was important. With someone encouraging me and sponsoring my education, my spirits were greatly lifted up.
注意：1．续写词数应为150左右；
2．请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Her support kept coming, in various forms.
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But as I prepared for meeting with her, I received the worst news I'd ever gotten.
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“Attention! Everyone! I would like you guys to meet Jose from Mexico. He is a new here, so be nice to him and show him around,” said Mrs Espinoza.
No one talked and the classroom was silent. And then some students stared at Jose and began to whisper to each other. Jose was wearing loose gray pants and a dirty white shirt. His shoes made a short and loud sound when he walked to his desk. Everyone giggled (咯咯地笑) at the sound, but no one talked to him. I wondered how he felt being here and having everyone’s eyes on him and even being laughed at. I wanted to say “Hi” but I was afraid that I might be made fun of for talking to “the new kid”.
In the following days, Jose was lonely and he struggled to fit into the new life. Besides, it was hard for him to learn a new language and make new friends in the new school.
Every day he would sit by himself and eat his lunch quietly, without a word, just focusing on his food. Many of the students would pass by and make unfriendly comments on him. He would just frown (皱眉) and look down at the floor. I wanted to be kind to him but still I couldn’t take the first step.
When I got home, I talked to my sister about Jose. I told her about him being new here and about how the students at school treated him. Then I told her that I wanted to talk to him but I was worried that my friends would make fun of me. She said with a smile, “If they are your true friends, they will stick by you no matter what you do. You know, those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. “The next day, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
Paragraph 1During the lunch time, I got my lunch and walked towards Jose.
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As days went on, I kept talking to Jose but I noticed I was losing some friends.
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Gramma Goodie visits her grandkids every Sunday afternoon. Every visit starts the same. First she rings the doorbell. Then Chris bounces down the stairs. Jamie runs to open the door. And every time, Gramma Goodie has gifts. But the kids never know what she'll bring.
Sometimes it's stuff you need, like socks or underwear. It could be a kite or a stuffed baby kangaroo. It could be a lollipop that turns your tongue bright blue.
Well, one Sunday, Gramma rang the doorbell. Chris hurried down the stairs. And Jamie threw open the door.
“Hello, my darlings,” Gramma Goodie said with a smile. “Look what I have for you” She pulled out a deck of cards, and they played “Go Fish” all afternoon. At the end of the day, Gramma gave everyone kisses. Then she said her good-byes.
As she drove away, Chris and Jamie heard their parents talking. They said that Gramma Goodie's birthday was next Sunday. They were going to plan a special dinner and bake a delicious cake for her birthday surprise.
“Gramma Goodie has a birthday?” they thought. Both were a little confused. Grown-ups have birthdays? Who in the world knew? “Well, we have to get her a gift,” Jamie decided. “But what?” asked Chris. “Gramma Goodie has absolutely EVERYTHING!”
Jamie thought about scarves, flowers, and perfume. But Gramma had plenty of scarves, a humongous rose garden, and bottles of French perfume. Chris thought about books, pillows, and a flute.
A diary? She had one. An umbrella? She had that, too. A radio? There's one in her kitchen. Oh, what would Chris and Jamie do? They spent all week thinking. They thought in math class. They daydreamed during recess. They thought themselves to sleep! Nothing came to mind.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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Their parents gave them a suggestion.
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On Sunday morning, the doorbell rang.
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When I was a kid, I came across a basic series of questions every time I was introduced to a person. Most were easy: “How old are you?” “What grade are you in?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?” But there was one question that troubled me: “What do your parents do?”
Dad was a computer programmer, so that one was easy enough. “My dad works on computers,” I would say. But mom’s job was hard to explain. She called herself a “nurse practitioner”. Mom explained it easier to make me understand. “You can say I teach nursing,” she said. “My mom teaches nurses,” I would repeat what she had said to me.
When that answer led to even more questions, my response became simpler, “My mom is nurse,” though I was finally left wondering what it was she actually did. It definitely demanded a lot of time and energy and was important to the injured. I got my first clue about what mom actually did when having a late-night trip with her to the hospital in Central Phoenix.
Mom was called in to make rounds unexpectedly that night. It was dark outside and almost time for me to go to bed, so I was shocked when she asked if I wanted to come along with her. I loved the way the light from the streetlamps passed through the car. Being amazed at the view from the front seat, I didn’t say much. Some soft music was played on the radio in the car, which made me feel relaxed. When we arrived at the hospital, mom guided me through the parking garage and led me to a small emergency waiting room. There was only a row of white chairs along each wall and a TV which weighed roughly three hundred pounds.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150词左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
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My mom handed me a bag of chocolate and left the emergency room to make her rounds.
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On the drive home, I asked mom if she had seen a man whose arms were injured badly.
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