The other day at a supermarket, I saw a naughty boy of about six crying loudly, falling to the floor and refusing to move. All the while the troubled mother was trying to persuade him to behave well but failed．A little smack on his bottom would have done the job，I thought．
Teenagers also cause discipline(纪律)problems．As a teacher, I had a 16-year-old student who had fallen in love with a waiter at a fast-food restaurant．In fact，she had left home to stay with him．So we decided to put her in the school hostel．She refused．When she heard her mother begging her to stay in the hostel she turned round and said：“Why don't you stay in the hostel if you like it so much?”
My palms were itching to slap her for being so rude but the poor mother continued to cajole her，hoping that gentle persuasion would work wonders．It did not．The last I heard，she had run away from home again．
The list goes on and on．Could it be that today's parents are softer and believe that they must not rod(棍棒惩罚)their children for fear of the bad result? Or do they actually believe that the children will get rid of the bad habits and behave well naturally as they grow older? I beg to disagree．I believe it is the parents' duty to discipline the children even at a young age．
My children who are now adults will prove the fact that I used the rod when I thought it necessary．Later when they went abroad，they related to their British university friends on how they were disciplined．Their friends abroad were filled with horror and told my daughter that I could be charged with child abuse(虐待)．However，my daughter showed great respect for me when she told them that she would not be where she was today if not for my strict discipline．The underlined word“cajole”probably means ．
| A．persuade | B．scold | C．forgive | D．punish |
The author would probably .
| A．beat the children every day | B．treat the children in a softer way |
| C．leave the children as they are | D．punish the children when necessary |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the naughty boy’s mother hit him |
| B．the teacher’s daughter is living with the teacher |
| C．the author’s daughter was thankful for the author’s strict discipline |
| D．the author was charged with child abuse by her daughter’s friends abroad |
Which of the following could be the best title for this passage?
| A．Spoil Kids | B．Value Discipline | C．Respect Parent | D．Protect Kids |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density(密度)in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.______
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible(灵活的),”he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who
had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists.In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to_____________.
| A．say language is also a kind of physical labor |
| B．prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language |
| C．to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language |
| D．make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means_____________.
| A．a researcher on language learning | B．a second language learner |
| C．a person who can speak two languages | D．an active language learner |
We may know from the scientific findings that_____________.
| A．the earlier you start to learn a second language the higher the grey matter density is |
| B．there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language |
| C．the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain |
| D．the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time |
In the last two paragraphs, the author wants to tell us that_____________.
| A．learning a second language is the same as studying maths |
| B．early learning of a second language helps you a great deal in study other subjects |
| C．Italian is the best choice for you as a second language |
| D．you’d better choose the ages between 2 and 34 to learn a second language |
Two worlds come together
Imagine landing in a foreign country where you cannot speak the language, understand the culture and don’t know anybody. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend who could help you out?
John Smith, an English explorer who landed in America in 1607, found the best friend ever. She was a Native American named Pocahontas (1595-1617). And she did more than teach Smith the language: she saved his life, twice.
Smith was captured(捕获) by members of Pocahontas’s tribe (部落) and was going to be killed. But for some reason, the Chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, felt sorry for Smith (who was probably the first white man she had ever seen) and threw her body over his to protect him. Smith returned safely to the small village he was living in.
During the winter the English settlers did not know how to get food from nature. Pocahontas often brought food for Smith and his friends.
A year later Pocahontas’s father tried to kill Smith again because the Native Americans were very scared the English would try to take over their land. Pocahontas warned him and he was able to escape.
Later she became a Christian and eventually married an Englishman named John Rolfe.
She spent the last year of her life in London.
Pocahontas has become an American legend. Her life story has been re-created in many books and films, including Disney’s 1995 film, Pocahontas.
One of the reasons she is so popular is that many Europeans look at Pocahontas as an excellent example of how a minority can adjust into the majority. Pocahontas is also respected because of her selfless love. She proved that people can be kind and loving even to people of a different race or culture. John Smith was very different from Pocahontas but she could see he was a good man and that was all that mattered. No race or country owns goodness, love and loyalty. What difficulties might early European settlers meet in America EXCEPT ________?
| A．the fierce conflict with Native Americans | B．bad-tempered natives who enjoyed killing |
| C．unfamiliarity with a foreign land | D．lack of food in winter |
Pocahontas saved John Smith twice because ______.
| A．he was the first white man she had ever seen in her life |
| B．she wanted to become a Christian and marry an Englishman |
| C．she believed in general kindness even to people of a different race |
| D．she was on the settlers’ side and against her cruel father |
According to the text, Europeans think Pocahontas _____.
| A．was brave to break away from her own tribe |
| B．set a good example for other natives to accept the white settlers |
| C．was a selfless Christian who can love her enemy |
| D．was open to a more advanced culture |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The battles between early settlers and Native Americans resulted from their fighting for land. |
| B．The Europeans think the early settlers should have learned to adjust to the local cultures. |
| C．The creation of America is based on the settlers’ victory over the Native Americans. |
| D．People from different cultures can never really get along well with each other. |
Decision-making can be extremely difficult. Decision-making styles are significantly different in different cultures.
In any approach to a problem and in any negotiations, the Western world turns to the“I to you” approach while Japan，the “you to you” approach. The former means both sides present their arguments openly from their own point of view. Naturally, often comes a confrontation(冲突) situation, which Westerners are very skillful in dealing with.The latter is based on each side trying to understand the other person’s point of view. Thus, the direction of the meeting is a mutual(相互的) attempt to reduce confrontation and achieve harmony.
Besides, Western decision-making goes mostly from top management(管理人员) and often does not consult middle management or the worker. However, in Japan great consideration is given to the thoughts and opinions of everyone at all levels. Based on “bottom-up direction”, ideas can be created at the lowest levels, travel upward through an organization and have an effect on the final decision.
Difference in decision-making also comes from different communication styles. The Japanese business person works to achieve harmony, even if the deal fallsthrough, and will spend whatever time is necessary to determine a “you to you” approach, communicating personal views only indirectly. They put a thorough job above the Western deadline approach. So the Japanese are thorough in their meetings. Thus Americans are often annoyed by the many meetings in many Japanese businesses. But where the American is pressingfor a specific decision, the Japanese is trying to think up a rather broad direction.
On the other hand, once a given agreement is made, it is the Japanese who sometimes wonderat the slow pace in which Westerners carry out the decision. The Japanese are eager to move forward and Westerners, perhaps, lag(落后)behind as they take the time for in-depth planning. The text mainly tells us that Japan and the Western world .
| A．face great difficulty in making decisions |
| B．are different in decision-making styles |
| C．have all members contribute to a decision |
| D．have two approaches: “I to you” and “you to I” |
Which of the following is TRUE of the Westerners?
| A．They carry out the decision once it is made. |
| B．There are many meetings in their businesses. |
| C．They work to achieve harmony in doing business. |
| D．They are good at handling confrontation situation. |
The author’s attitude towards Japanese decision-making is .
| A．positive | B．critical | C．negative | D．casual(无所谓的） |
The Ministry of Health has called for more awareness from the public on the mental health of the young, as part of efforts to mark World Mental Health Day.
More than 15 percent of the Chinese youth have been found with mental problems, and about 30 million young people under 17 are suffering from depression, the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily reported.
The World Health Organization predicted that before 2020, the rate of children with mental problems will increase to 50 percent, and mental problems will become a major factor behind death and illness in the young worldwide.
Deng Xiaohong, the spokesperson for the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau, said rapid social change is one of the reasons behind the rising number of youngsters with psychological problems. If these mental diseases are not addressed on time, occurrence (发生) of crime, drugtaking and other dangerous behavior is expected to rise.
Experts said mental disease could be caused by many factors, such as the inability to handle interpersonal relations well, unstable (不稳定的) emotions and pressure from the overload of study. A number of experts have also said the one-child policy is another reason leading to poor mental health in the young.
Children were said to be too “spoiled” and “selfish” in one-child families. Schools in many cities were reported rolling out measures to help students maintain their mental wellbeing. Yin Jingmiao, a teacher of the Beijing No. 105 Middle School, told China Daily that the school invites psychologists to provide counseling (咨询) to students three times a month. “Students can be arranged to have 40minute counseling lessons,” Yin said. The school also gives lectures on mental health to senior grade students before they take the national college entrance exams, to help ease any anxiety arising from the tests. What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To urge awareness on mental health of the young. |
| B．To give details of the problems the Chinese youth are facing today. |
| C．To recommend that schools should invite more psychologists to help students. |
| D．To show us causes of the mental problems among students. |
The underlined word “addressed” in the fourth paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．talked about | B．dealt with | C．decided | D．introduced |
From the passage we can know that the causes of mental problems are mainly the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．one-child policy |
| B．lack of ability to handle interpersonal relations well |
| C．lack of special training in mental health |
| D．heavy burden from study |
We can learn that to bring down the occurrence of mental problems among the youth, ________.
| A．special attention should be paid to the mental health of the young |
| B．psychologists must be a necessary part of schools |
| C．the government should cancel tests to ease the pressure on the students |
| D．parents must try their best to meet all the needs of their children |
What should you think about when you try to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others, and these may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at mental work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.
If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school records, for instance, may not be very good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not feel sorry about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.In the writer’s opinion, for a student to have a part-time job is probably ________.
| A．a good way to find out his weak points |
| B．one of the best ways of earning extra money |
| C．of great use for his work in the future |
| D．a waste of time he could have spent on study |
If a student’s school record is not good, according to the passage, he ________.
| A．may do well in his future work |
| B．won’t be able to find a suitable job |
| C．may be a complete failure in the future |
| D．will regret not having worked harder at school |
The whole passage centers around ________.
| A．looking for a part-time job |
| B．developing one’s abilities at school |
| C．gaining much knowledge by working hard at school |
| D．knowing yourself before trying to choose a career |