1 . My Father, the Family Man
This year, my seasonal depression took me deeperssion the past, and a new portrait of my father came into my mind. He was a sometimes difficult, always determined man.
In my early memories, I was sitting at the kitchen table listening to my father yelling (叫嚷) about his challenges as an Italian immigrant. Back then, I couldn’t have known his pain as he struggled to find his footing in this new land.
“We left Italy to give you three girls more opportunities for a better life,” he said. “But we’d had a shaky start. The apartment your aunt had secured for us fell through at the last minute. It went to someone without children. So the five of us moved into your aunt’s living room.”
Bills mounted up. “And then I saw your mother’s face was as white as a sheet.” He said bitterly but soon stared down at the table to compose himself. “And the baby was crying. I worried that the houseowner would come knocking on the door.”
Dad jumped to the end of his story, “What more can I say? I went looking for a job. I found one.”
Armed with a few English phrases and determination, he’d walked for miles in a city he didn’t know, stopping at every hair salon, asking for a chance to show his skills as a hair stylist, his profession and passion. That’s what he’d been doing all day, supporting for his family.
Forty years later in Toronto, he sat at the table, asking if I thought he’d provided well for his family. I answered. His eyes watered. Mine did, too.
1. What did the author think of her father in the early years?| A．The father left Italy for a better job. |
| B．He was moved by his father’s story. |
| C．The father’s early struggle was in vain. |
| D．He didn’t realize his father’s difficulties. |
| A．Show off. | B．Cheer up. | C．Calm down. | D．Make up. |
| A．The father had a big family to support. |
| B．The author’s eyes watered for her childhood. |
| C．The father and daughter misunderstood each other. |
| D．The father learned to be a hair stylist in Toronto. |
2 . It was the scene from every parent’s worst nightmare when 8-year-old Rihaan was left lying in the middle of the road, with his bike bent beside him as the car that hit him stopped suddenly.
On hearing the loud bang, my husband, Ashish, ran down the driveway, picked his limp son up into his arms and carried him inside. Seeing Rihaan was bleeding badly from his head, legs and arms, my husband and I were both terrified he’d been so seriously injured.
I called triple zero. But I was overcome with shock and struggling to speak. It was young Aarush, Rihaan’s brother, who took over the call, communicating key information to emergency services. Then, he quickly took clean towels to press on Rihaan’s wounds and stop the blood. When he noticed his brother’s eyes wide with fear and tears falling down his cheeks, he also tried to comfort him.
After a short time, an ambulance and the police arrived, and the professionals could take over from Aarush. Rihaan was rushed to hospital where scans showed he was concussed (脑震荡) but luckily had broken no bones.
“He’d been thrown 7 metres in the air.” Ashish recalled. “And wearing no helmet (头盔), he was very lucky the driver was not speeding. We don’t blame the driver, for it could have been anyone,” Ashish said.
With Rihaan recovering well, it meant the focus turned quickly to his brave brother. After the accident the operator who took Ashish’s call, Nick Smith, nominated (提名) him for a Junior Triple Zero Hero award. As for Rihaan — who is back on the bike and always wears a helmet now — he agrees his brother was a hero. “But I’d quite like a medal too,” Rihaan, said cheerfully, “I suffered all the pain and then he got the award!”
1. What happened to Rihaan?| A．He was hit by a car. | B．He broke his arms. |
| C．He was trapped in a car. | D．He fell off his bike. |
| A．Mom was helping his father. | B．Mom was too nervous to speak. |
| C．Mom wasn’t sure what to say. | D．Mom was taking care of Rihaan. |
| A．The driver broke the speed limit. | B．Traffic rules should be improved. |
| C．The family would charge the driver. | D．Rihaan should have worn a helmet. |
| A．Active and talented. | B．Calm and caring. |
| C．Kind and humorous. | D．Honest and brave. |
3 . 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. |
From Penny To Anna
Subject A family memory
Hi Anna,
Great to hear from you! Yes, we had a fantastic holiday. Mum, Dad and I went camping in Beidaihe. In fact, we stayed at the same campsite as we did ten years ago. Dad showed me a photo we had taken then—just see how time flies!
Dad has changed quite a bit! In his thirties, he was quite thin and pale, and he had red, bushy hair. Nowadays, he’s well-built and tanned. He’s always had a square jaw, but now he’s grown a beard. Strangely, his beard is still red even though his hair is turning grey!
Mum looks almost the same, though. She still has smooth skin and straight black hair, and jogging has kept her slim and fit.
I still have light skin and black hair, of course. But I usually wear my hair in a ponytail these days as it has got a lot longer. Mum says I had cute rosy cheeks, but now I have freckles. I think they are kind of cute too, right?
Can’t wait to see you back in school!
Penny
1. What did Penny’s dad look like ten years ago?
2. What does Penny’s mum look like now and why?
3. How does Penny look different now compared to ten years ago?
5 . My 15-year-old boy is a high achiever. He is very bright, pursuing everything he does with devotion and determination. And he is a great kid; honest, kind, faithful and caring.
Like a lot of kids who are high achievers, he is a perfectionist and very easy to fall into anxiety. That is manifested in his study, and other things he does as well. For example, he loves tennis but he is often worried about losing in the game. Now he has to stop competing because the pressure he puts on himself is becoming unhealthy. He still plays, but playing socially rather than competitively means that it’s an outlet for him rather than a source of stress.
He does not manage stress well. He puts so much pressure on himself to the point of worrying himself sick over just about every assessment. And he gets so negative about it, everything I say to him is met with negativity, every suggestion with a response that it won’t work, and honestly it’s depressing and tiring.
To help my son, I had a patient conversation with him, and he finally followed my advice about physical exercise to ease stress. Whenever he was under a lot of pressure, I would run with him for half an bour and do some push-ups to relax the pressure. Gradually, he became less nervous in the later exams and his scores became more and more stable.
Pressure from grades and perfectionism can be really hard to manage when it comes to schooling. As kids, what they need is effective communication and sincere encouragement. So I have always told and shown my son that we’re proud of him, and that pride doesn’t merely depend on top grades.
1. Which of the following best explains “manifested” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Exchanged. | B．Explored. | C．Achieved. | D．Reflected. |
| A．He is a high achiever. | B．He’s easy to fall sick. |
| C．He hopes to release stress. | D．He wants to win the game. |
| A．His son fails to handle stress properly. | B．His son becomes tired of stress. |
| C．His son is good at some sports. | D．His son is doing well at school. |
| A．Taking up a new hobby. | B．Hanging out with some friends. |
| C．Doing some exercise with him. | D．Talking to friends as much as possible. |
6 . If you are looking to improve your relationship with your parents, you are not alone.
Be grateful. Consider all that your parents have done for you. You may find yourself feeling thankful to your parents. You will be more willing to improve the relationship. Let your parents know that you are appreciative for all they have done for you.
Avoid unnecessary arguments. Sometimes arguments are unavoidable, but do your best to avoid unnecessary quarrels. This may mean that you have to bite your tongue when one of your parents says something controversial.
Don't ask for their advice unless you really want it. Sometimes problems arise in relationships between parents and children, particularly at the teenage years and beyond, because parents can try to give advice that might hurt your sense of independence.
| A．Put yourself in their shoes. |
| B．Be happy with them for this. |
| C．Show your appreciation with your actions. |
| D．It can hurt to feel taken for granted, even for parents. |
| E．Problems between parents and children are common. |
| F．So try only asking for their advice when you really want it. |
| G．Determine whether the need to respond is really necessary. |
