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 |
Below is some advice on how to prevent cancer:
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 remarkably cut their prostate（前列腺） cancer risk by 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. So don’t skimp（节省）on the Sushi!
6. 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.
7. 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 drinking |
| C．he is always feeling extremely stressed or worried |
| D．he likes to have meals in restaurants |
_____________________________ will remarkably reduce the risk of men’s prostate cancer.
| A．Having a proper supplement of selenium |
| B．Drinking a cup of pomegranate juice every day |
| C．Breathing fresh air now and then |
| D．Taking exercise at least once a week |
If you want to keep cancer away, it is completely 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．have exercise as often as possible |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time, about eight hours after you wake up, your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps（小睡）in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates, where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease.
Many working people, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap—even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?
| A．They eat too much for lunch. |
| B．They sleep too little at night. |
| C．Their body temperature becomes lower. |
| D．The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
The employers don’t allow taking naps, most probably because ____________________.
| A．Taking naps is no good for health. |
| B．Taking naps may lead to heart attack. |
| C．Taking naps takes up the working time and reduce production. |
| D．Taking naps may leads to low working efficiency.(效率) |
If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?
| A．About 2:30 pm | B．About 1:30 pm. |
| C．About 12:30 pm | D．About 3:30 pm |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Just for a Rest | B．Taking naps in summer |
| C．A Sleep Pattern | D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate |
Attitude is an internal (内在的) state that influences the choices of personal action made by the individual(个体的). Some researchers consider that attitudes come from differences between beliefs and ideas; others believe that attitudes come from emotional states. Here, we focus on the effects of attitudes upon behavior, that is, upon the choices of action made by the individual.
The kinds of actions taken by human beings are obviously influenced greatly by attitudes. Whether one listens to classical music or rock, whether one obeys the speed limit while driving, whether one encourages one’s husband or wife to express his or her own ideas－all are influenced by attitudes. These internal states are acquired (获得) throughout life from situations one is faced with in the home, in the streets, and in the school.
Of course, the course of action chosen by an individual in any situation will largely depend on the particulars of that situation. An individual who has a strong attitude of obeying laws may drive too fast when he is in a hurry and no police cars in sight. A child who has a strong attitude of honesty may steal a penny when she thinks no one will notice. But the internal state which remains unchanged over a period of time, and which makes the individual behave regularly in a variety of situations, is what is meant by an attitude.
Attitudes are learned in a variety of ways. They can result from single incidents, as when an attitude toward snakes is acquired by an experience in childhood at the sudden movement of a snake. They can result from the individual’s experiences of success and pleasure, as when someone acquires a positive attitude toward doing crossword puzzles by being able to complete some of them. And frequently, they are learned by copying other people’s behavior, as when a child learns how to behave toward foreigners by observing the actions of his parents. Regardless of these differences, there is something in common in the learning and modification（修正）of attitudes.
| A．come from different situations in one’s life |
| B．largely depend on one’s behavior |
| C．remain unchanged in one’s daily life |
| D．could be chosen according to one’s will |
| A．people often make mistakes when they are not noticed |
| B．people with good attitudes may sometimes do bad deeds |
| C．particulars of a situation may influence an individual’s action |
| D．an individual may change his or her attitude fairly easily |
| A．Attitudes are only learned through one’s success. |
| B．Attitudes learned in danger will last longer. |
| C．Copying others behavior is not a good idea. |
| D．Attitudes can be learned from one’s parents. |
My bookshelves are full of dust — and with good reason. When it comes to cleaning that part of my home, I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance(回避反应症).
The thing is this: when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books, which seldom happens, I place myself into a really bad situation. No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust, and wipe down the cover than I find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall. Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.
It is as if these books have voices, and each wants to say its piece. “Remember me? I was given to you when you went into the Navy, so that you would never lack for companionship,” one whispers. Another says, “I was your first book of poems, given to you before you learned to love poetry.” And a third, “I was the book that made history so attractive to you.”
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of re-organizing my books are the surprises — or better said, reunions — that occur. During my latest book-cleaning adventure, I found one that had fallen behind the shelf: “Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.” Not an unusual title, but the words written on the first page made it very special: “With Love from Mom and Dad, Christmas 1965.” What’s this? A book on the physics of lasers(激光). It is filled with mathematical statements, and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12, not long after the laser had been invented. I couldn’t understand a bit of it, but I did learn what “laser” meant.
What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section(横剖面) of my personal history. It’s like a road cut where one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms. The books I’ve read — and kept — are not just old friends. They are my résumé.
| A．He is too busy to tidy up his bookshelves. |
| B．He considers his books valuable wealth. |
| C．He has made a lot of notes in his books. |
| D．He is a lover of science books. |
| A．they bring back happy memories |
| B．they are recorded in human voice |
| C．they say a lot about human history |
| D．they offer good topics for discussion |
| A．Finding some missing books. |
| B．Putting books in good order. |
| C．Learning something new from the books. |
| D．Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books. |
| A．personal history | B．precious notes |
| C．good companion | D．simple life forms |
On Sept. 18, Scotland will head to vote on the Scottish Independence Referendum Bill.
To understand this vote, it's helpful to take a lookback at the history of the relationship between England and Scotland.
In 1602, England's Queen Elizabeth I died without leaving any heirs(子嗣) except a first cousin, Scotland's James I. King James became the ruler of both nations, though the countries kept their political independence.
However, in 1707, Scottish leaders agreed to completely merge with the English and form the United Kingdom, which led to the ending of Scotland’s parliament.
Some Scots were angry, and violent events spread across the country. Others thought that "bigger is better," and felt the two countries were stronger together.
Through the years, the Scots have tried and failed to break away from the U.K., but it wasn't until 1999 that Scotland re-established its own parliament(议会). England let Scotland make its own decisions on some local issues like health, education and housing, but the money to run that government was still given by London.
Not all of Scotland was happy with this deal, and when a new pro-independence party took control of the Scottish parliament, the new leaders demanded a vote.
There are two sides to the issue. The group Better Together believes the separation could lead to higher taxes, pension cuts and a weaker military. Yes Scotland wants a clean break and says Scotland has enough oil money to go it alone.
As we move toward the big vote, a recent poll showed a tight race: 49 percent of Scots want to remain part of the U.K., and 51 percent think it's time for a split.
| A．England and Scotland became one nation in 1602. |
| B．James I become the ruler of two nations after defeating England. |
| C．Scots have tried to break away from the U.K without success. |
| D．Most of the Scots are against the Bill to be voted. |
| A．depend on | B．unite with |
| C．communicate with | D．break away from |
| A．happy | B．angry |
| C．divided | D．unconcerned |
| A．Taxes. | B．Pension. |
| C．Military. | D．Education. |