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
AFRICAN MANGO FAQs
Q : How do I use AFRICAN MANGO?
A : It’s simple… Just take one rapid – release capsule (胶囊), 3 times daily before meals (i.e., 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.)
Q : Is it safe?
A : Yes. Unlike other diet pills, Pure African Mango Extract (lrvingia gabonensis) does not contain any natural or artificial stimulants. Clinical studies have shown this nutrient to be both safe and well-tolerated. It’s easy on your system and helps you lose body fat naturally.
Q : Who uses AFRICAN MANGO?
A : Everybody from A-List Hollywood movie stars to everyday men and women who want to lose pounds and inches of excess body fat. It’s currently popular in Hollywood today because many of today’s movie scripts call for actors and actresses to be in their absolute best shape.
Q : Do I have to exercise and diet in order to see results?
A : Research shows 100% Pure African Mango Extract helped people lose weight and belly fat without additional diet or exercise. However, in order to achieve your best weight–loss results, we highly recommend incorporating fun lifestyle exercises (like walking, tennis, etc.) and replacing high-calorie foods with healthy nutrient–dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and lean proteins. Also, drinking more water daily speeds weight loss, according to a new study from Viginia Tech University.
Q : When I place my order, it’s a one-time-only transaction (交易), right?
A : Yes. Rest assured. When you shop with us, you can shop with confidence and peace of mind. Every order placed with us is 100% safe and secure. Our site is scanned and tested daily by McAfee SECURE. “The McAfee SECURE” trust mark (see the upper-left corner of our website) only appears when the website has passed their intensive, daily security scan.
What’s more, our customers never have to worry about being enrolled in auto-reship or auto-rebilling (自动付款) scams (骗局). Each and every order placed with us is a one-time-only transaction.
CONSUMER TIP: Beware of sites that offer “free trials”, which claim to charge only a small fee for shipping. However, more often than not, these “free trials” websites will continue to charge your card for regular monthly shipments if you don’t return your “free trials” within 10 to 14 days.
As the Official Website of African Mango, we offer only the purest, most effective African Mango available. What’s more, as an accredited business, we do not engage in auto-rebilling, auto-reshipping, or any other business practices that are considered morally unacceptable. Your results, and your satisfaction, are 100% guaranteed. What does the word FAQs in the title of the article mean?
A.Fully accepted qualities. | B.Fantastic African qualities. |
C.Face – to – face associated quotations. | D.Frequently asked questions. |
In what way will the medicine take effect to its fullest?
A.Take pills regularly and you are sure to achieve your absolute best shape. |
B.Drinking more water daily will guarantee the pills to work efficiently. |
C.A healthy diet, adequate water and more exercise will contribute. |
D.High-calorie food and enough water are essential to make the pills work well. |
It can be learned from the passage that___________________. .
A.the pills are unpopular with film stars |
B.auto-rebilling and auto-reshipping are reliable business practices |
C.Virginia Tech University doubted whether drinking water helps lose weight |
D.the one-time-only transaction service ensures customers’ confidence |
How can we buy African Mango securely?
A.We can place an order securely with the help of search engine. |
B.The official web site is your best choice. |
C.McAfee SECURE promises the security of your order. |
D.Many web sites providing “free trials” service are considered to be secure. |
The centenary(百年)of the birth of William Faulkner, one of the great modern novelists, was celebrated in September 1997. Faulkner wrote about the southern states of the United States of America where he grew up, and where his family had an important part to play in the history of that region. His work became a touchstone for insights into the troubled issues of southern American identity, race relations, and the family interrelationships of the old time southern gentry(贵族).
Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi on September 25, 1897. Despite his interest in writing, he left Oxford High School, Mississippi, without graduating. After World War I, he entered the University of Mississippi as a special student, a right to study which was granted to retired soldiers, although Faulkner had only finished training with the Air Force in Canada, and not entered combat(战斗).
Faulkner began to write poems, a verse play, short stories and finished his first novel Sartoris in 1928. His fiction was centered for 14 of the 19 novels published during his lifetime in a fictional region called Yoknapatawpha County. The name is said to come from the Indian Chickasaw word meaning split land.
In December 1950, Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. When he accepted it in Stockholm, his speech emphasized that he wished to continue writing, but in a positive way that affirmed the power of humanity to prevail over adverse circumstances. As he said in his speech, he still felt that, despite the threat of nuclear war then hanging over the world, the central concern of the writer should be “the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself”. He wanted the tensions and problems that he had cast the spotlight on in the southern states of America to be resolved by the life-affirming attitudes and action of his characters. Like playwright Tennessee Williams, Faulkner was a major voice who spoke for the troubled heart of the southern states of America. His achievement is all the more remarkable because, as a schoolboy, he was not only a frequent absentee but also reportedly failed to reach pass grades in English class. His collected short stories, novels, poems, and other writings form a legacy(遗产) of literature which casts profound illumination(启发) on the special culture of the South, a culture which developed from a history and social circumstances that were always unique.
From the focus on a fictional county, and by remaining true to his view of a close-knit but real society that reflected the greater world around him, Faulkner in the end fashioned a legend of the Deep South that is one of the major achievements of the 20th century literature.Which of the following statements about William Faulkner is NOT true?
A.William Faulkner’s work focuses on several troubled problems of southern America. |
B.William Faulkner died one hundred years ago. |
C.Although William Faulkner did not graduate from high school, he had great interests in writing. |
D.William Faulkner once took part in the army when he was young. |
Why did William Faulkner write about the southern states of America?
A.They were the place where he grew up and his family took an important role in the history of that region. |
B.His work became a touchstone. |
C.He cared about the troubled issues of southern America. |
D.He felt sympathy for the poor in southern America. |
Which of the following statements about Tennessee William is true?
A.Both Tennessee William and William Faulkner are playwrights. |
B.Tennessee William was a major voice who spoke for the troubled people in southern America. |
C.Like Faulkner, he once won Nobel Prize for literature. |
D.Tennessee William had to pursue his writing career through difficult times. |
What was William Faulkner’s attitude toward the troubled issues of southern America?
A.He reflected them by writing and criticized them. |
B.He intended to call on the troubled people to rebel. |
C.The troubled issues of southern America just provided many elements for his novels. |
D.He advocated resolving them in positive attitudes and actions. |
Below is some advice on how to prevent cancer:
8 Ways to Avoid Cancer in Your Life
1. Eat Blueberries
Aside from being a healthy and delicious snack, blueberries contain pterostilbene, which has important colon(结肠) cancer-fighting prosperities. But wait, it gets better. Blueberries also offer a large dose of vitamins C (14 milligrams per cup). So at breakfast, try to take in a cup and a half of blueberries in your cereal or yogurt, or mixed with other berries.
2. Drink Pomegranate(石榴)Juice
The deep red juice of the pomegranate contains polyphenols, isoflavones and ellagic acid, which together create a powerful anticancer mixture. Most recently, researchers from the University of Wisconsin at Madison has discovered that 16 ounces of pomegranate juice per day also may inhibit the growth of lung cancer.
3. Relax
Feeling stressed or worried? Find ways to relax and you may reduce your chances of developing cancer. Purdue University researchers tracked 1,600 men over 12 years and found that half of those with high levels of worry died during the study period. Only 20 percent of the optimists died before the study were completed, while 34 percent of the extremely anxious men died of some type of cancer. Instead of stressing about the past or future, focus on the present and relax!
4. Take Selenium(硒)
Selenium is well known for its cancer-fighting properties. In a study of almost 1,000 men, researchers from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that when men with the lowest initial levels of selenium in their bodies received a daily supplement over a 4 year period, they cut their prostate(前列腺) cancer risk by a remarkable 92 percent. However, it is possible to get too much of a good thing, so monitor your intake of selenium-containing supplements, Brazil nuts, tuna, meats and grains carefully.
5. Eat Sushi(寿司)
Seaweed may not be your idea of a great snack, but it is high in fiber, calcium and iron, and dry, roasted seaweed sheets used in sushi provide the additional benefits of vitamins A and C. Sushi rolls are also high in protein— a typical spicy tuna roll has only 290 calories but packs 24 grams of protein. So don’t skimp(节省)on the Sushi!
6. Enjoy the Outdoors
Vitamin D causes early death of cancer cells. A study published in the American Journey of Clinical Nutrition reported that women who supplemented their diets with 1,000 international. Units of vitamin D every day had a 60 percent to 77 percent lower incidence of cancer ever a four-year period that did women taking a placebo(无效对照剂). Experts recommend supplementing your fun in the sun with 1,100 to 2,000IU of vitamin D each day.
7. Breathe Clean Air
There’s no question that secondhand smoke kills. A recent American Journal of Public Health study showed that nonsmokers working in smoky places had three times the amount of carcinogen(致癌物质) in their urine(尿) than nonsmokers working in smoke-free locations. What’s worse, their levels of the carcinogen rose 6 percent for every hour worked. Nine states have banned smoking in all workplaces, bars and restaurants. The message is clear: Do whatever you can to avoid the cloud of smoke.
8. Break a Sweat
Even a small amount of exercise can offer major cancer-fighting benefits. In a study of 29,110 men published in the International Journal of Cancer, men who exercised just once a week had a percent lower risk of metastasis(转移性) prostate cancer than men who didn’t work out at all. The better the frequency, duration and intensity of the exercise, the bigger the reduction in risk, according to the study. To prevent yourself from catching colon cancer, you should eat ____ as often as possible.
A.sushi | B.blueberries | C.pomegranates | D.Vitamin D |
A person is very likely to catch some type of cancer if ______.
A.he is very fond of exercise every day. |
B.he is addicted to smoking |
C.he is always feeling extremely stressed or worried |
D.he likes to have meals in restaurants |
If you want to keep cancer away, it is particularly important to ______.
A.have a daily supplement of vitamins B and C |
B.try to ignore the secondhand smoking |
C.take in as many selenium-containing supplements as possible |
D.having exercise as often as possible |
Brrriiinnng. The alarm clock announces the start of another busy weekday in the morning. You jump out of bed, rush into the shower, into your clothes and out the door with hardly a moment to think. A stressful journey to work gets your blood pressure climbing. Once at the office, you glance through the newspaper with depressing stories or reports of disasters. In that sort of mood, who can get down to work, particularly some creative, original problem-solving work?
The way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the conditions that promote flexible, open-minded thinking. Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when we’re unfocused. If you are one of those energetic morning people, your most inventive time comes in the early evening when you are relaxed. Sleepy people’s lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving. By not giving yourself time to tune into your wandering mind, you’re missing out on the surprising solutions it may offer.
The trip you take to work doesn’t help, either. The stress slows down the speed with which signals travel between neurons (神经细胞), making inspirations less likely to occur. And while we all should read a lot about what’s going on in the world, it would not make you feel good for sure, so put that news website or newspaper aside until after the day’s work is done.
So what would our mornings look like if we wanted to start them with a full capacity for creative problem solving? We’d set the alarm a few minutes early and lie awake in bed, following our thoughts where they lead. We’d stand a little longer under the warm water of the shower, stopping thinking about tasks in favor of a few more minutes of relaxation. We’d take some deep breaths on our way to work, instead of complaining about heavy traffic. And once in the office—after we get a cup of coffee—we’d click on links not to the news of the day but to the funniest videos the web has to offer.According to the author, we are more creative when we are _______.
A.focused |
B.relaxed |
C.awake |
D.busy |
What does the author imply about newspapers?
A.They are solution providers. |
B.They are a source of inspiration. |
C.They are normally full of bad news. |
D.They are more educational than websites. |
By “tune into your wandering mind” (in Para. 2), the author means “_______”.
A.wander into the wild |
B.listen to a beautiful tune |
C.switch to the traffic channel |
D.stop concentrating on anything |
The author writes the last paragraph in order to _______.
A.offer practical suggestions |
B.summarize past experiences |
C.advocate diverse ways of life |
D.establish a routine for the future |
Plastic is everywhere because plastic is an extremely useful material. It is cheap, strong and lightweight. What’s more, it can take on nearly any form or shape, from soft and stretchy (有弹性的) to hard and glasslike.
Plastic, however, is far from perfect. It may even be bad for us. Studies now suggest that poisonous chemicals can get out of some types of plastic, get into our bodies, and cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, birth defects and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (注意缺陷障碍).
Two types of chemicals in particular have raised special concern lately. They are called phthalates (邻苯二甲酸盐) and Bisphenol-A (二酚基丙烷), BPA for short. Not all plastic products contain them. But the ones that do are surrounded by controversy (争议). That’s because experts disagree on how dangerous these chemicals are.
Plastic is a single word, but plastic isn’t just one thing. What all plastics share in common are plasticizers -- special chemicals that allow the material to be changed into nearly any shape or texture. Plasticizers (塑化剂) are added to plastic during the manufacturing process.
Phthalates and BPA are two types of plasticizers that work in different ways. Phthalates add softness to things like shampoo bottles, raincoats and rubber. They are also used in perfumes and makeup. BPA, on the other hand, gives a hard, clear, almost glasslike feel to products such as infant bottles. BPA also appears in food and soda cans, DVDs and other unexpected places.
How do these chemicals get into us? When plastic is heated in the microwave or dishwasher, chewed on or scratched, the chemicals can seep (渗透) out of the plastic. Even though we can’t see them, we eat them, drink them and breathe them in.
Scientists and parents are especially worried about young children, who tend to chew on everything, including plastic.Dozens of countries, including the European Union, Japan, Canada and Mexico have already banned phthalates from products made for children younger than three. California and Washington have done the same. And a number of other states are considering similar rules. As for BPA, Canada became the first country to ban the chemical from baby bottles. A dozen states are considering it.What can we know about the plastic from the first paragraph?
A.Its characters and effects. | B.Its wide use and bad points. |
C.Its importance and chemicals. | D.Its popularity and advantages. |
Which of the following products contains BPA?
A.A soft plastic cup. | B.A pencil eraser. |
C.A baby milk bottle. | D.A new perfume. |
Phthalates and BPA can get into us __________.
A.through mouth or nose | B.through blood transfusion |
C.by feeling plastic products | D.by heating in the microwave |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.A new ban on plastic products. | B.Problems caused by the plastic. |
C.Good points of the plastic. | D.The use of plasticizers. |