Pushing children too hard is a really big social problem that seems to be getting worse.Now we have 6-month-olds in music classes and swimming classes.Parents fear that if other children are attending these classes,they will be holding their own children back if they do not enroll,too.
The other extreme,simply taking a laissez-faire approach and letting children do—or refuse to do—whatever they want,is not the answer either,of course.
Dr Taylor emphasizes that parents need to push their children based on what is best for the children,not what is best for themselves.If children understand that an activity is in their best interests,then they will accept it, he finds.
Dr Taylor and other family experts remain pessimistic about the possibilities for widespread social change.“The force of our popular culture,driven by money and superficial(表面上的) values,cannot be resisted,” he says.But change can take place at a“micro-level,” in families and schools.
When changes do occur,the rewards can benefit everyone in the family.One mother supporting this new approach toward parenting mentions the advantages her family experienced after her children cut back on activities.“The biggest thing is that since we have done this,we are rested,” she says.“Not only are our kids rested,because they're not in a ton of stuff, but my husband and I are rested,because we're not driving them everywhere.We weren’t living in the moment when we were always busy.We were living by the schedule.The return on our investment of spending time together has been enormous.”
60. One of the reasons why parents push children so hard is that they______.
A. believe in early development in children
B. are too busy to take care of their children
C. don't want their children to lag behindw
D. want to repeat what their parents did to them
61. The phrase“a laissez-faire approach”(in Line 1,Paragraph 2)most probably refers to________.
A. denying them what they need
B. controlling children in a flexible way
C. developing a keen interest in children
D. letting children do whatever they want
62. The best way to encourage children to work hard is_________
A. to make them believe it’s in their best interests
B. to consider the matter from parents' standpointw
C. to emphasize the importance of hard work from time to time
D. to make it interesting and enjoyable to them
63.What the author doesn’t approve of in the essay is _______.
A. achieving a balance between pushing the children too hard and leaving them alone
B. going from one extreme of pushing children too hard to the other of leaving them alone
C. involving children in activity that will probably contribute to their development
D. enrolling them in music and swimming classes at the very early age
After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping makes it possible for your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your body relaxes little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, you will dream from time to time. Scientists who study sleep point out that when you are dreaming, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people suggest breathing very slowly and very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep. The text makes us know that not getting enough sleep might make you _________.
A.suffer form poor health | B.enjoy more |
C.dream more often | D.breathe quickly |
During REM, _______.
A.you move restlessly | B.you start dreaming |
C.your mind stops working | D.your eyeballs move quickly |
The underlined word “drowsy” in the last paragraph probably means______.
A.lazy | B.sleepy | C.relaxed | D.pleased |
A good title for this text might be_________.
A.Dreams | B.Sleep | C.Good Health | D.Work and Rest |
One of the ways to fall asleep easily is to _______________.
A.breathe slowly and deeply | B.drink cold drinks |
C.get up and run | D.look for some sheep |
Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But many years ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, people never tried skating on wheels. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin’s work was making instruments. In his free time he liked to play the violin. Merlin was a man with many ideas and many dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to go to an important party. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think. He wanted to find a way to make a wonderful entrance at the party. Merlin had an idea. He thought that he would attract a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skate shoes. Merlin was very proud of them. He dreamed of arriving at the party and skating into the room while playing the violin. He was sure that everyone would be very surprised.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing his violin. Everyone was really surprised to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skating. He rolled on, playing the violin. Then, with all eyes on him, Merlin hit into a huge mirror on the wall. The mirror broke into many pieces with a very loud noise. But nobody forgot Merlin’s wonderful entrance after that.The story tells us that people began to enjoy roller-skating _______.
A.before the year 1750 | B.before the invitation |
C.because of Joseph Merlin | D.because it was dangerous |
People called Merlin a dreamer because ___________.
A.he slept and dreamed a lot | B.he was full of different ideas |
C.he was a talented violinist | D.he always made people’s dreams come true |
___________ made Merlin think of skating on wheels.
A.Merlin’s work | B.Merlin’s violin | C.A huge mirror | D.An important party |
What was Merlin’s problem after he rolled into the room?
A.He couldn’t stop his roller-skating. | B.He couldn’t attract a lot of attention. |
C.Everyone was surprised at him. | D.He couldn’t play the violin while rolling. |
The text is mainly about_________.
A.a strange man |
B.an unusual party |
C.how roller skating began |
D.how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century |
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Are you truly happy? Do you ever know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness? _____. The following are a few tips that I follow to create happiness in my life.
※ Make a plan for attaining goals that you believe will make you happy. Your moods will very likely increase if you are going after something you value.
※Surround yourself with happy people. It is easy to begin to think negatively when you are surrounded by people who think that way. _____.
※When something goes wrong, try to figure out a solution instead of being absorbed in self pity. Truly happy people don’t allow setbacks to affect their mood because they know that with a little thought they can turn the circumstances back to their favor.
※___. These few minutes will give you the opportunity to focus on the positive things in your life and will lead you to continuous happiness.
※. Whether you treat yourself to lunch, take a long, relaxing bath or simply spend a few extra minutes on your appearance, you will be subconsciously (下意识地) putting yourself in a better mood.
※Finding the humor in situations can also lead to happiness. Find a way to make light of a situation that would otherwise make you happy.
※Keeping healthy is another way to achieve happiness..
A.What makes one person happy may be very different from what makes someone else happy. |
B.On the contrary, if you are around people who are happy, their emotional state will be infectious. |
C.Being overweight or not eating nutritious foods can have a negative effect on your mood. |
D.These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves. |
E.Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the things that make you happy.
F.There are some tips in life that lead to happiness.
G.It’s also important to take some time each day to do something nice for yourself.
Do you know that a Mom deserves a special gift this year for Mother’s Day? Sure, flowers can always brighten Mother’s day and a dinner out is always appreciated. However, doesn’t she deserve something more personal or something that lasts longer than an evening?
I’m talking about the gift of fitness. Improved fitness is a gift that is invaluable to everyone. When you give a woman the gift of fitness, you are helping her open a door to better health. I can’t think of a more thoughtful gift that shows the recipient(接受者) how much you care about their well-being. By giving the gift of fitness you are providing them with unlimited health benefits. And, its a gift that you can truly feel proud to give.
Of course, we all know that exercising can help people stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great benefits of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better. Fitness has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis(骨质疏松). Not to mention that exercising also improves self-esteem, increases energy and helps you be able to do continuous work for longer.
All Moms would find these fitness benefits extremely invaluable. If they are like most of us, they have probably even mentioned how they would like to drop a few pounds or just get in better shape. In fact, experts say that about 62% of Americans are currently on a diet. By giving the gift of fitness you are helping provide your mom with extra motivation. She may be more motivated to actually get fit because she doesn’t want to feel guilty about ignoring such a thoughtful gift . The first paragraph is most likely to tell us that___________.
A.we should invite our mom to a dinner for Mother’s Day |
B.it is good to send flowers to moms for Mother’s Day |
C.we should give a special gift to our Mom for Mother’s Day |
D.moms aren’t worth special gifts for Mother’s Day |
You would like to send the gift of fitness to your mother because__________.
A.it is very expensive |
B.it doesn’t cost you too much |
C.it makes your mother healthy |
D.you will be proud of it |
You want to keep healthy you should__________.
A.reduce stress and have a good sleep |
B.try your best to get rid of depression |
C.increase your energy and work longer |
D.take an active part in physical activity |
According to this passage the gift of fitness will____________.
A.help moms to lose some more weight |
B.encourage moms to do more exercise |
C.keep moms having a healthy diet |
D.make moms look even more beautiful |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.This Mother’s Day, Give the gift of Fitness |
B.Better Pay Attention to Your Mom’s Health |
C.Mom Like to Accept the Gift of Fitness |
D.Help Your Mom Keep a Good Shape |
“The pen is more powerful than the sword(刀).” There have been many writers who used their pens to fight things that were wrong. Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of them.
She was born in the U.S.A. in 1811.One of her books not only made her famous but has been described as one that excited the world, and was helpful in causing a civil war and freeing the enslaved race. The civil war was the American Civil War of 1861, in which the Northern States fought the Southern States and finally won.
This book that shook the world was called Uncle Tom's Cabin. There was time when every English-speaking man, woman, and child has read this novel that did so much to stop slavery. Not many people read it today, but it is still very interesting. The book has shown us how a warm-hearted writer can arouse (唤起) people's sympathies. The author herself had neither been to the Southern States nor been a slave. The Southern Americans were very angry at the book, which they said did not at all represent true state of affairs, but the Northern Americans were wildly excited over it and were so inspired by it that they were ready to go to war to set the slaves free. According to the passage______
A.every English-speaking person has read Uncle Tom's Cabin |
B.Uncle Tom's Cabin was not very interesting |
C.those who don't speak English cannot have read Uncle Tom's Cabin |
D.the book Uncle Tom's Cabin did a great deal in the American Civil War |
What do you learn about Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe from the passage?
A.She had been living in the north of America before the American Civil War broke out. |
B.She herself encouraged the Northern Americans to go to war to set the slaves free. |
C.She was better as writing as swinging (挥舞) a sword. |
D.She had once been a slave. |
Why could Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe's book cause a civil war in America?
A.She wrote so well that Americans loved her very much. |
B.She disclosed the terrible wrongs that had been done to the slaves in the Southern States. |
C.The Southern Americans hated the book while the Northern Americans like it. |
D.The book had been read by many Americans. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.We needn't use weapons (武器) to fight things that are wrong. |
B.A writer is more helpful in a war than a soldier. |
C.We must understand the importance of literature and art. |
D.No war can be won without such a book as Uncle Tom's Cabin. |