1 . Children with strong family connections are associated with a high likelihood of flourishing in life, a study found. “What is different about this study is that it shows that family connection is associated with thriving and not just surviving or avoiding harm,” said lead study author Dr. Robert Whitaker.

Researchers surveyed over 37,000 children in 26 countries. In the study, family connection was determined by a mean score of five categories: care, support, safety, respect, and participation. Flourishing was determined by a mean score of six categories: self-acceptance, purpose in life, positive relations with others, personal growth, environmental mastery and autonomy. The essence of family connection is children feeling that they are accepted and cared for at home, which allows them to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are in a safe environment as they are building their identity,Whitaker said.

Children with the greatest level of family connection were over 49% more likely to flourish compared with those with the lowest level of family connection, according to the study. The highest scores in both family connection and flourishing came from children who said they lived with both parents, had enough food or never had their family worrying about finances. Researchers then controlled the data for families’ poverty levels to remove the effect they might have had on the numbers. After controlling the data, the strength of family connection still impacted how much children flourished.

According to Whitaker, adults have a very powerful influence on the emotional climate in the home, so it’s important to create a space where children feel seen and heard. A great opportunity to strengthen family bonds is around the dinner table. Adults should create an environment where children feel comfortable speaking freely. While they are talking,grown-ups should show that they have a genuine interest in what their children are saying. Silence is also another powerful form of communication, Whitaker said. Children and parents spending time together in silence or even doing chores can create a connection.

1. What is the study mainly about?

A．The importance of family connection to children’s survival.

B．The relationship between family connection and children’s success.

C．The factors affecting children’ self-acceptance.

D．The impact of poverty on children’s development.

2. Who are more likely to achieve high scores in both family connection and flourishing?

A．Children who live with a single parent.

B．Children who have enough food and money.

C．Children who know of their strengths and weaknesses.

D．Children who have a whole family and economic security.

3. Which of the following might be an influencing factor in the result?

A．Family income.	B．Parents’ educational level.
C．Children’s age and gender.	D．The number of people in the family.

4. How can adults strengthen family bonds during mealtime?

A．By showing respect when children are talking.	B．By talking about their own problems.
C．By keeping silent when disagreements arise.	D．By backing children’s opinions forever.

2 . For working parents with busy schedule, mornings are hell: preparing meals, ironing clothes, feeding the children, packing lunches, ensuring everyone has what they need for the day... But I’m pleased to say my perspective on mornings is sunnier than most parents, though being woken at 6 am by kids was hardly a welcome addition to the night owl like me.

The different views first arise partly from opinions on television. I don’t see the harm in letting my kids watch a bit of television before school, so long as they still make time to get dressed, eat breakfast and brush their teeth. This balance took years to achieve: a routine steadily drilled into them via daily practice -pause the TV program with complaints and screams-to fulfil each everyday activity; but, now they’ve observed that the quicker they perform their essential tasks, the quicker their entertainment will restart.

With morning necessities completed with speed and proficiency, then comes the 15-minute walk to school. In our family, it’s me and the dog who do the school run, and it’s actually one of my favourite times of the day. This quarter of an hour provides me privileged access to my kids when they’re at their freshest; rather than at the end of the day, when they’re tired, hungry and annoyed. They ask stimulating questions, “How is ice cream made?” “How long would it take to drive to Mars?”, but they usually can’t hear my answers over the drowning noise of the traffic.

Best of all, there’s the walk back: just me and the dog, enjoying the silence. A moment to recharge and reset, ahead of a day’s work, and I am grateful for the joy of my family, and perhaps more grateful still that someone has just taken them off my hands for the day. Oh, what a beautiful morning!

1. What do mornings mean to most working parents?

A．Peaceful moments.

B．Welcome additions.

C．Impressive memories.

D．Rushed routines.

2. How has the author’s family achieved a balance in their morning tasks?

A．With regular alarm.	B．With strict rules.
C．With a tight schedule.	D．With freedom and self-discipline.

3. Why does the author enjoy the 15-minute walk to school?

A．He can keep his children fit by walking.

B．He can spend quality time alone with children.

C．He can usually find a low-carbon way to get to school.

D．He can satisfy his children’s curiosity with his answers.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Parenting at Noon.	B．Reuniting with Children.
C．Walking on Sunshine.	D．Scheduling in the Morning.

3 . Children develop their habits and attitudes(态度)about money from their parents and how money is managed at home.

Giving kids pocket money is a great chance to teach children the value of money and help them understand about saving, spending and donating. Giving your children money can help them to make money decisions.     1    or save it up for something bigger. Paying pocket money is not appropriate for every family, so it is up to you if you prefer to use other ways to teach your children about money. Which jobs you pay for and the ones you don’t will be different from family to family.     2    .

Getting to know which family tasks you pay your kids for is important. Family jobs that you might not pay your children for could be things like setting the table for dinner,making their bed, washing up and tidying their room.     3    , like sorting washing, or sweeping the floors. Pocket money could be paid to encourage a good work ethic(伦理). If you set certain tasks for your kids and the tasks are not completed, you could choose not to pay pocket money for those jobs or pay them less.     4     .That is:you only get paid in full when you complete the job properly.

    5    . It’ll help you get an idea about what other people are doing. You can find out what jobs they pay their kids for, how much they are paying and how often they pay their kids. Getting other parents’ opinions can help you work out a system that suits your family.

A．Here are some suggestions

B．This will teach them a lesson

C．Talking to other parents can be useful

D．Managing å child’s pocket money is important

E．They can choose whether to spend their money now

F．There’re many reasons for not giving children·pocket money

G．Paid jobs could be tasks that a parent would have to do if they don’t do

4 . Everyone needs to be part of a family no matter what it consists of. A family may consist of all or any of the following: parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and more.     1    

Show sincere concern for your family members. Do not keep your feelings in your heart.     2    

If you care about them, then let them know about this. Go out of your way to remind each family member what glues you all together — love, care and support.

Care about the interests of each of your family members.     3     Ask them how their hobbies, their interests and their work are going. Be an active listener when they tell you and think about what you can do for them if they have any trouble.

    4     It is very important that you let them know about your life, so that they can understand you and generally know what’s going on in your life. In turn, it is equally important that you know about their lives, too, so that they feel understood, supported and can be reassured that they are not alone.

Try small gestures. Even the smallest things count. With a simple text or a brief phone call, you can make someone’s day.     5    When you know that someone is going through a hard time, call him and tell him that you would like to do everything for him.

A．Spend time with your family members.

B．There are some ways to help protect the family.

C．Talk to your family members.

D．If you love them, then tell them that you love them.

E．Learn what they love doing and ask questions about it.

F．It’s obviously important to do your best to make the family happy.

G．Just make sure you leave a positive message that will make him feel happy.

5 . Every day in the morning I make different sounds, starting with an “oomph” as I move to an upright position, then an “ahhh” as I swing my legs off the bed, followed by an “arrrrrrrgh” as I get to my feet. Then there’s an “oh God” as I realize that my knees are unequal to the task they’ve been set.

My wife Jocasta believes in positive thinking. “All sighing and complaining will simply make you feel worse,” she says. “If you act like a young gazelle (羚羊), then you’ll feel like a young gazelle. “I’m guessing Jocasta doesn’t know many young gazelles, at least not ones with aching knees and tired ankles. I then decide to follow her instructions, but to the power of ten.

I draw the curtains open, allowing sunlight to flood the room. “What a beautiful morning!” I say in a too-cheerful voice. “I’m planning a pot of Sri Lanka’s finest tea for you. It is picked on the cool slopes of the country’s mountainous central district and will be served with milk given by a diligent young cow.”

“Oh, God! Can you give it a rest?” says Jocasta. “Sure, your knee aches, but you can still get around. Pull your shoulders back, lift your head high, and highlight the positive. The science about positivity is that the body responds to signals sent by your brain. When you spend 23 hours a day sounding like a miserable old man, you’ll turn into a miserable old man.”

I take a sip of tea before raising another case. “Yes,” I say, “but the research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain shows that people can bear pain if allowed to swear. So,” I continue, “when I limp off to work, yelling ‘Oh God, my knee’, I’m just acting on the latest science.” This is replied with Jocasta’s dark looks. “I’m not anti-swearing; I’m just anti-complaining.”

There’s enough tea in the pot for a second cup. It is somehow more delicious for the way I imagine out loud where it is picked and how the milk is produced. The sunlight streaming in, I find myself humming a happy tune when a “horrific” thought hits me—Jocasta seems to have made it!

1. Why does the author make various sounds when getting up?

A．To grab his wife’s attention.	B．To express his dissatisfaction.
C．To complain of his discomfort.	D．To get himself totally refreshed.

2. What can we learn about the man from paragraph 3?

A．He has been to Sri Lanka.

B．He is expert at making tea.

C．He unwillingly follows his wife’s advice.

D．He agrees with his wife’s way of thinking.

3. What is the science about positivity according to the wife?

A．Swearing to relieve the pain.	B．Behaving like young gazelles.
C．Following signals sent by the brain.	D．Focusing on the positive part of life.

4. What does the man try to convey in the last paragraph?

A．He shouldn’t hum a tune.	B．His wife has been proved right.
C．What the journal says is wrong.	D．He can’t bear the pain any more.

6 . Family meals are important and connect family members.    1    There is no need to worry about going to school, work and more.

Studies have shown family mealtime increases positive social skills, school engagement and decreases the frequency of negative behaviors.    2     Trying new food or not restricting on food is encouraged. Children who engage in family mealtime are less likely to have eating disorders. In addition, those who share frequent family meals are more likely to eat a larger number of fruits and vegetables and be less picky about food.

    3    For example, we need to consider the budget, the time for meal preparation, the availability of recommended foods or supplements(补充物品)at a typical grocery store.    4    Members may have various cultural or dietary preferences. In view of this, we should make sure that the eating plan offered nutritional value for different calorie and nutritional needs-for people of different ages, different activity levels and health conditions.

Healthy eating should be a family affair, and some recommended diets will help you reach that goal by highlighting eating plans that are safe, flexible and nutritious for everyone at the table. In addition, the foods in the diets can be purchased fresh, canned or frozen.    5    

A．They prefer junk food like hamburgers, fried chicken.

B．A team of health experts think family meals are difficult.

C．They can get people to relax and make their relationship closer.

D．It also offers an opportunity to set healthy eating habits for kids.

E．Thus, It is convenient and easy for families to have family meals.

F．We also considered how adaptable this diet would be for a whole family.

G．We should have a balanced diet and pay attention to what we have every day.

7 . Nowadays, family life has become even more challenging than before. Then, how can we create a happier family life? Let’s see some advice.

Enjoy togetherness. When children are babies, parents are advised to spend one-on-one time with their babies.     1     This can be a big mistake since enjoying each other’s company (陪伴) is one of the easiest ways for families to create lasting happiness. Parents should regularly spend quality time with their children doing activities together like playing games, sports.

    2     Although the Internet has certainly made communication easier, it is still important to have face-to-face time with your family members. Try to avoid using your cell phone so much.     3     Many families have regular meetings where they discuss issues affecting (影响) the family. This can be a great way to start talking face to face. You can talk about your family’s values, or how you can work together as a group to solve problems that affect the family.     4    

Plan fun activities as a family. This can be something that you do once or twice a month, or even once a week. This can be something as easy as going to the beach, a park, or going on a trip to visit relatives.     5     Doing the activities regularly can help you build stronger relationships with your family members, and relieve (释放) stress that many families feel.

A．Talk more as a family.

B．Let family members talk about activities.

C．But, as children get older, the one-on-one time is reduced.

D．Parents need to help their children manage their daily stress.

E．Make quality conversation with your family members, instead.

F．You can also try simpler ones such as camping overnight in your backyard.

G．Regular communication like this can help you build stronger family relationships.

8 . In many countries, it is still common to see the whole family cooking together. You will find parents, their children and their children's grandparents in the same kitchen at the same time cooking as a family. They talk with each other, have fun and make a great meal at the same time. However, a lot of families are too busy nowadays to spend this time together.

In fact, it is very important to find some time to cook together. Even if it is just once a month, whenever it is possible, cooking as a family should be done. Family members rarely get a chance to connect with each other as a family, and cooking together can do that. It can also foster an interest in different types of foods, such as healthy food like vegetables and fruits. What's more, a home - cooked meal is often healthier than the one cooked at a restaurant.

Having kids cook with their family in the kitchen also helps develop their self-confidence (自信心). They can feel like they are doing something important by contributing to the needs of their family. It is also more likely that the family will eat dinner together if they prepare it together. This will increase the quality time that the family spend with each other.

Cooking as a family will also help members understand family values. This has many benefits, one of which is that children who spend more time with their parents are less likely to do dangerous things. Cooking together is sure to bring the family closer.

1. According to the passage, family cooking is ________.

A．cooking as a family	B．fun in a restaurant
C．cooking with friends	D．eating out

2. The underlined word “foster” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．change

B．lose

C．show

D．develop

3. Having kids cook with their family helps to ________.

A．stop them eating out in restaurants

B．increase their self-confidence

C．prepare them to meet others' needs

D．make them do dangerous things

4. What’s the main purpose of the author’s writing this passage?

A．To talk with parents in their kitchens.	B．To tell us the benefits of family cooking.
C．To introduce some cooking skills.	D．To give some advice to young students.

9 . Scientists have discovered a common household item is the perfect host for bacteria: the kitchen sponge (海绵块). According to the new research, a sponge is a better habitat for diverse bacterial communities than a laboratory petri dish.

Some bacteria prefer living with a collection of microbial species, while others prefer solitude. “Bacteria are just like people living through the pandemic — some find it difficult being set apart while others thrive (繁育),” says study co author Lingchong You, a professor of biomedical engineering at Duke, in a statement.

In their study, researchers distributed different strains of E. coli (大肠杆菌菌株) onto plates with different numbers of wells, which functioned as physical separation. The large wells allowed microbial species to mix freely, while the small wells let species keep to themselves. After 30 hours, they looked at the number and types of bacterial on each plate, which had anywhere from six to 1, 536 wells. The scientists found that a moderate level of physical separation, similar to the structure of a kitchen sponge, allowed both kinds of bacteria — those that live in groups and those that live alone — to thrive.

After the researchers ran their initial experiments, they recreated the experiment on a sponge. They found that the bacterial community growing on a kitchen sponge was more diverse than those produced in laboratory petri dishes, which are designed to host bacteria. “Sponges are not really well-suited for kitchen cleanness.” says Markus Egert, a microbiologist at Furtwangen University. “There’s hardly any sterile surface at home, but the kitchen sponge is probably the most thickly populated item at home.”

To keep bacterial growth to a minimum (最小量), Markus recommends microwaving your kitchen sponge for one to two minutes, keeping it away from raw meat, and replacing it every couple of weeks.

1. What does the underlined word “solitude” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Being alone.	B．Growing in the soil.
C．Being in air.	D．Living in groups

2. Why is a sponge a better host for bacteria according to paragraph 3?

A．It mixes microbial species to a different level.

B．Its moderate holey structure maintains both kinds of bacteria.

C．It offers a high level of nutrients to bacteria.

D．It allows bacteria communities to keep to themselves.

3. What can we learn from Markus Egert’s words?

A．Raw meat is a major source of bacteria.

B．The sponge is a necessity in every kitchen.

C．The sponge should be removed from the kitchen.

D．Bacteria can grow on almost every item at home.

4. What’s the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To urgently call for kitchen cleanness.

B．I o explain how we easily fall victim to bacteria.

C．To call on people to abandon kitchen sponges.

D．To report kitchen sponge is a better home for bacteria.

10 . I had not realized how the pandemic(疫情）had influenced my children until I took them recently into a store in the city center several hours from our home. It was a food market that carries specialties(地方特产）from all around the world.

For me, it was a quick and necessary stop to get something for dinner. But for my children, who had hardly left our small Canadian town for 14 months, it was an adventure into a world they'd completely forgotten about. They'd seldom even been to the store because it was a task my husband or I usually did alone.

While I loved seeing their excitement, it also filled me with sadness. Even though our experience of the pandemic has been much easier than that of families living in populated cities, I hadn't known just how small their world had become until that moment.

Because they're so young, they don't have the same memories(记忆）of the busy marketplaces and restaurants that I hold in my heart, thanks to the years I spent living in cities and visiting often after moving away. I remember those ordinary experiences with nostalgia(怀旧）but know for sure that they will come back one day.

Moved by the children's excitement, I realized the best I could do was bring the world to them. I bought the food they wanted in the store. At that moment, I felt a new understanding of food, for its ability to take us to different places, to start discussions with children about where it comes from and how it' s prepared, and to create powerful family memories. We cannot travel right now, but we can cook and eat together, and that is the next best thing.

1. What did the family do recently?

A．They opened a store in a town.

B．They shopped in a food market.

C．They traveled to a Canadian town.

D．They bought specialty foods online.

2. Why did the author feel sad?

A．Her family's backyard was too small.

B．Her children enjoyed fewer activities.

C．She failed to buy what her children wanted.

D．Her family lived too far from the city center.

3. How did the children feel about their trip?

A．Curious.	B．Tired.
C．Worried.	D．Thankful

4. What did the author do for her children in the end?

A．She made a quick meal.

B．She planned a world tour.

C．She chose a traditional way of cooking.

D．She opened conversations about foreign food.