CHICAGO ---Call it a reward, or just “bribery(贿赂)”.
Whichever it is, many parents today readily admit to buying off their children, who get goodies(好东西) for anything from behaving in a restaurant to sleeping all night in their own beds.
That’s what worries parenting experts.
“I think that reward systems have a time and a place and work really well in certain situations,” says Marcy Safyer, director of the Adelphi University Institute for Parenting.
“But what often gets lost for people is being able to figure out how to communicate to their kids that doing the thing is rewarding enough,” Safyer says.
Parents and experts alike agree that the dynamic(动力) is partly a reflection of the world we live in. It’s unrealistic to think a parent wouldn’t reward their children with material things sometimes, says Robin Lanzi, a clinical psychologist and mother of four who’s the research director at the Center on Health and Education at Georgetown University.
“But you want to make sure that they match the behavior, so it’s not something huge for something small,” Lanzi says.
She recalls hearing about a father who offered his child a Nintendo Wii game system for scoring a couple goals in a soccer game.
Elizabeth Powell, a mother of two young daughters in Austin, Texas, knows what she means.
“You want to raise them in a way that they’re respectful and appreciate things,” Powell says of her children. “But sometimes, you wonder now if kids appreciate even a new pair of shoes. ”Parenting experts are worried that ____ .
A.today’s children are fed up with material things |
B.parents are rewarding their kids improperly |
C.today’s children are more and more demanding(苛求的) |
D.there is lack of communication between parents and children |
What Safyer says suggests that ____ .
A.reward systems are quite limited in developing abilities |
B.reward systems work well regardless of(不管) time and place |
C.reward systems are still not made full use of to develop abilities |
D.reward systems are often used at the wrong time and place |
What can we learn from what Robin Lanzi says?
A.She holds a different opinion from other parenting experts. |
B.She thinks children can’t behave well without being rewarded. |
C.She holds a similar belief to Safyer and gives further explanation. |
D.She doesn’t believe in rewarding children for good behavior. |
The father who offered his child a Nintendo Wii game system can be regarded as
_____.
A.over-rewarding his child |
B.giving his child proper reward |
C.respecting and appreciating his child |
D.giving something small for something huge |
You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don't let jealousy spoil your relationships. Tackle it head-on and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think.
It can be hard to walk up to friends and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you'll have to do just that. Don't approach them and ask why they are jealous of you(unless of course you want to appear totally conceited). Just take some time alone with them and let them know that you've been feeling like there's been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s) he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example,(s) he says that (s) he feels like (s) he doesn't get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swimming team then maybe you could invite him or her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise. Don't limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best friendships can be tinged by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can't, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won't. According to the author, the jealousy emotion is __________.
A.normal |
B.productive |
C.destructive |
D.extreme |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to confront your friend when jealousy happens?
A.Walking up to him/her and asking him/her why he/she is jealous of you. |
B.Walking up to him/her and asking him/her what the problem is. |
C.Spending some time with him/her and letting him/her know how you feel. |
D.Spending some time with him/her and letting him/her know you think there's something between you. |
The purpose of the passage is __________.
A.to explain what causes jealousy |
B.to offer some advice on making friends |
C.to introduce the way to cope with a jealous friend |
D.to explain how destructive the jealousy emotion is |
Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a well-known pat-tern,"said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. " Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework. "
He points out that differences among households (家庭)exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. " And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.
Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976,women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping and dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from 6in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21 hours a week.
Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men. Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands' 10 hours. According to the "well-known pattern" in Paragraph 1,a married man __________.
A.takes on heavier work |
B.does more housework |
C.is the main breadwinner |
D.is the master of the house |
How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s?
A.About 28. |
B.About 26. |
C.About 13. |
D.About 6. |
What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text?
A.An unmarried man. |
B.An older married man. |
C.A younger married man. |
D.A married man with children. |
What can we conclude from Stafford's research?
A.Marriage gives men more freedom. |
B.Marriage has effects on job choices. |
C.Housework sharing changes over time. |
D.Having children means doubled housework. |
Tens of thousands of theatre tickets will be given away to young people next year as part of a government campaign to inspire a life-long love for theatre.
The plan to offer free seats to people aged between 18 to 26-funded with £2. 5 million of taxpayers' money-was announced yesterday by Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary. It received a cautious welcome from some in the arts world, who expressed concern that the tickets may not reach the most underprivileged.
The plan comes as West End theatres are enjoying record audiences, thanks largely to musicals teaming up with television talent shows. Attendances reached 13. 6 million in 2007,up 10 percent on2006,itself a record year. Total sales were up 18 percent on 2006 to almost £470 million.
One theatre source criticized the Government's priorities (优先考虑的事)in funding free tickets when pensioners were struggling to buy food and fuel, saying : " I don't know why the Government's wasting money on this. The Young Vic, as The Times reported today, offers excellent performances at cheap prices. "
There was praise for the Government's plan from Dominic Cooke of the Royal Court Theatre, who said :" I support any move to get young people into theatre, and especially one that aims to do it all over England, not just in London. "
Ninety-five publicly funded theatres could apply for funding under the two-year plan. In return, they will offer free tickets on at least one day each week to 18 to 26-year-olds, first-come, first-served. It is likely to be on Mondays, traditionally a quiet night for the theatre.
Mr. Burnham said : " A young person attending the theatre can find it an exciting experience, and be inspired to explore a new world. But sometimes people miss out on it because they fear it's ‘not for them'. It's time to change this perception. "
Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Culture Secretary, said : "The real is-sue is not getting enthusiastic children into the theatre, but improving arts education so that more young people want to go in the first place. For too many children theatres are a no-go area. " Critics of the plan argued that __________.
A.the theatres would be overcrowded |
B.it would be a waste of money |
C.pensioners wouldn't get free tickets |
D.the government wouldn't be able to afford it |
According to the supporters, the plan should __________.
A.benefit the television industry |
B.focus on producing better plays |
C.help increase the sales of tickets |
D.involve all the young people in England |
Which of the following is TRUE about the plan?
A.Ninety-five theatres have received funding. |
B.Everyone will get at least one free ticket. |
C.It may not benefit all the young people. |
D.Free tickets are offered once every day. |
We can infer from the passage that in England __________.
A.many plays are not for young people |
B.many young people don't like theatre |
C.people know little about the plan |
D.children used to receive good arts education |
According to the passage, the issue to offer free tickets to young people seems __________.
A.controversial |
B.inspiring |
C.exciting |
D.unreasonable |
A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.
Grimsvotn is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes Grimsvotn different is that it lies under a huge glacier(冰川)of ice up to 12 meters thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer(层)of water between the glacier and the volcano. This layer of water puts pressure on the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava (岩浆)from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what happened today.
Now, airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM, one of Europe's biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane's engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them from eating ash-covered grass or the sharp objects. What makes Grimsvotn different from other volcanoes?
A.It is below ice. |
B.It lies under the sea. |
C.It is the largest volcano. |
D.Its lava affects the airlines. |
What keeps Grimsvotn still?
A.The slow flow of water. |
B.The low water temperature. |
C.The thick glacier. |
D.The water pressure. |
Which of the following is the result of the volcanic eruption?
A.People stop traveling in Europe. |
B.Airlines suffer from the loss of planes. |
C.It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside. |
D.Farmers have lost many of their animals. |
This text is most probably taken from __________.
A.a research paper |
B.a newspaper report |
C.a class presentation |
D.a geography textbook |
The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition-and I told the sisters : You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words "Thank you" and she died.
I could not help but examine my conscience before her and I asked what I would say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. So did that man whom we picked up from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for," he said at the end. And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus has said : I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.
And with this prize that I received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread. And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace, the good news to the poor, the poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world. When pick up a person from the street, hungry and I give him a plate of rice or a piece of bread, I am satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But to a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, who has been thrown out from society, that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable...And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something. What can be learned from the second paragraph?
A.The woman should have paid more attention to herself. |
B.The man couldn't blame anyone. |
C.The author is religious. |
D.The man died in the street. |
The purpose of this passage is __________.
A.to appeal for more donation for the poor |
B.to call on the public to love each other |
C.to tell the readers the poor are wonderful |
D.to express how moved the author is to receive the prize |
Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the passage?
A.The author has few supporters. |
B.The author was somewhat surprised at what the man said. |
C.The author is delighted to help others in trouble. |
D.The author may agree to solve social problems in soft ways. |
What's the best title of this passage?
A.Have Sympathy for the Poor |
B.The Poor Are Wonderful |
C.Smile and Love |
D.Relieve Poverty |