Just like the young character in Hannah Montana, who so often fights with her father over her desire to be more independent, British teenagers also have their troubles.
A recent survey among 2,000 British parents shows that girls and boys experience similar kinds of stress, with some slight differences .
Girls want to grow up fast, demanding greater freedom. They feel pressure from their peers to be thin and sometimes dangerously experiment with alcohol .
Girls over 14 are more concerned with getting a boyfriend, make-up and going out with friends than with their schoolwork. They are more likely to complain about pocket money .
Parents found they have their toughest time with boys over the age of 15. Their sons are battling bad skin, are reluctant(不情愿的) to speak, and just like girls over 14 are little interested in their studies. Seven out of ten parents said their sons become frustrated(挫败的) when they are not understood .
Unsurprisingly, it isn’t just British teenagers who have such problems.
In a survey published in the US last month, two out of three high school students said their life was tough. There was a universal worry over body image and ability to fit in socially.
Plenty of the teenagers feel great pressures to get good grades, with nearly half regarding this as their top worry. The next biggest issue is pressure they face to get into good college. According to the survey, 66 percent reported saving their money to pay for all or part of college.
“Today’s American teens have witnessed what their families have endured during recent economic challenges, and they are much more aware of the importance of planning ahead,” said Stuart Rubinstein, managing director with TD Ameritrade, which carried out the survey.What is the article mainly about?
A.What makes the lives of teenagers so hard? |
B.How to deal with teen problems? |
C.Stress faced by UK and US teenagers. |
D.Peer pressure faced by UK and US teenagers. |
According to the survey, boys over 15 often feel great pressure to ______.
A.grow up fast | B.experiment with alcohol |
C.get into a good college | D.be more open and communicative |
The underlined word “universal” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.global | B.common | C.average | D.reasonable |
How have recent economic challenges affected American teens?
A.They have become more concerned about their future. |
B.They are now more worried about the ability to fit in socially. |
C.They are attempting to learn more about money management. |
D.They are spending more time developing their practical skills. |
BERLIN-A German woman,fearful that a burglar(夜贼)was trying to break into her second storey apartment,called police after she heard someone climbing up to her balcony shortly after midnight,police said Thursday.
Police discovered the “burglar” was a man carrying flowers and a bottle of wine who turned out to be the woman’s boyfriend.But then arrested him on an outstanding reason.
“He was trying to surprise her with the flowers and a bottle of wine but it all went wrong,”said Korbach police spokesman Volker Koenig.He said the man jumped down from the balcony and tried to escape but was quickly caught by police.
“He nevertheless gave the police who were taking him to jail the bottle of wine as a gesture of thanks for the friendly treatment after the arrest.”Koenig said.
LONDON-A smoker who died after battling emphysema(肺气肿)has had his dying wish granted with the placement of a “SMOKING KILLED ME” sign on his hearse and his grave.
Albert Whittamore blamed his youthful smoking habit for the lung disease. He said before he died in February that he wanted the sign to serve as a warning to young people about the dangers of tobacco smoking.
The sign was designed to look like the health warning on a packet of cigarettes. The printed notice at his grave will be left in place for a week. The hearse carrying his body through the town of Dover 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of London and several of the printed signs displayed in the windows.
49. The man climbing up .
A. was actually a wanted thief
B. was put into prison in the end
C. thanked the police for setting him free
D. was treated badly by the police
50. The best title for the first news item might be “ .”
A. A burglar’s love B. A devoted boyfriend
C. Flowers and wine D. Price for being romantic
51. The public paid more attention to the smoker because .
A.he died after smoking for many years
B.he had the sign put on his hearse and his grave
C.he(tied of a lung disease without any treatment
D.he wanted the sign left on his grave for one day
52.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.The sign will be printed on the packet of cigarettes.
B.The signs were also shown in the windows of the hearse.
C.London is to the northwest of the town of Dover.
D.The smoker regretted forming the habit of smoking.
Listen carefully,working people! We would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free!
It’s“no”.What do you ask? We’ll say it again:“No”,a sweet and simple“no”.Say“no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears.
“Saying ‘no’ to others means you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself. Time is precious.People are spending money buying time。And yet we are willing to give up our time because we can’t say ‘no’.”said Leslie Charles,a professional speaker from East Lansing,Michigan.Susie Watson,a famous writer,said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt(内疚)or fear of punishment.“I would rather have someone give me a loving‘no’ than all obligated(强制的)‘yes’,”she said.She feels “no” need to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally.Does she feel guilty about it?“Not at all,”said Watson,who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middlebury.Connecticut.“Most people are afraid of saying ‘no’.My advice is to say ‘yes’ only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time.“Every year there are more demands on your time.Other people are happy to use up your time.”Watson said.Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend.
“No” can be your new friend.a powerful tool to take back your life.“No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”.“No” is power and strength.“No” now seems completely correct.
“Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy.But finally it’s greatly liberating,”Charles said.But,he added,a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term
habit.But.he also warns:“Don’t go to extremes.Don’t find yourself saying ‘no’ to everything. In return you should learn to hear ‘no’.”
45.The underlined part “you are saying ‘yes’ to yourself” probably means that .
A.you can have more time to play with others
B.you needn’t mind other’s feeling when happy
C.you are selfish and may treat others rudely
D.you can do with your business as planned
46.When you say “no” to others,you should say it .
A. secretly B.politely C.proudly D.guiltily
47.In Watson’s opinion,people can save much time if they .
A.1earn to refuse B. refuse as much as possible
C.fear to refuse D. refuse without hesitation
48.If you say “no” to everything.you’11 .
A.make a lot of money B.enjoy a more wonderful life
C.face difficulty in life D. forget to say “yes” in the end
After lunch,I walked back home. I was just to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but,as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter.It Can be nothing more than a penny.Whatever the coin is,no one ignores the sound of it.It got me thinking about sounds again.We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention.
People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine,a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street.When I’m in New York,I’m a New Yorker.I don’t turn either.Like the natives,I hardly hear a siren(警报)there.
However,at home in my little town in Connecticut,it’s different.The distant sound of a police car, all emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed.It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us.not the loudest.In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away thigh three closed doors.I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imaginnation turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house.How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?
I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are,I’ve turned against whistling,for instance:I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been associating the whistler with a nervous person making unconscious noises.The tapping,tapping,tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me.I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it.
41.The sound of a coin dropping makes people.
A.think of money B.look at each other
C.pay attention to it D.stop crossing the street
42.The author dislikes whistling because.
A.he has got tired of it B.it reminds him of tense people
C.he used to be happier D.he doesn’t like workers
43. What kind of sound does the author find pleasant?
A.Tapping sound of his typewriter. B.Clinking sound of keys.
C.Tinkling sound of a coin dropping.D.Creaking sound of footsteps.
44.How does the author feel about sounds in general?
A.They make him feel al home. B.He thinks they should be ignored.
C.He prefers silence to loud noises.D.He believes they ale part of our life.
On Anger
Doctors say anger can be an extremely harmful emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that angry feelings can lead to heart disease, stomach problem, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, losing control of themselves. But other people repress their anger. They cannot or will not express it.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (激素) that are produced during tense situations. They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood and narrow the blood vessels to the interstices (空隙). In general, the person feels excited and ready to act.
Doctors said that repressing these feelings only makes the feelings continue. And this can lead to many medical problems. Doctors thought a person could prevent these problems by letting the anger out by expressing it freely. But recently some doctors held a different view. They said that people who express anger repeatedly and violently did become, in fact, more and not less angry. They said this, too, can cause medical problems.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger strongly may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious, enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
69. Repressing anger was considered to be dangerous because of all the following EXCEPT that __________ .
A. the heart rate increases B. the blood pressure rises
C. the blood contains sugar D. some blood vessels become thinner
70. Which of the following is the more recent view about the expression of anger?
A. It is dangerous to express anger repeatedly or repress one’s anger.
B. One can avoid his medical problems by expressing his anger freely.
C. One’s heart rate will increase if his anger is repressed.
D. One is likely to suffer from high blood pressure in a fit of great anger.
71. When you get angry, which of the following should you do for the sake of health?
A. Repressing the anger. B. Expressing the anger.
C. Treating the anger properly. D. Learning how to make a deal.
72. What is the central topic of this passage about?
A. The different ways of dealing with anger.
B. The dangers of anger and the solution
C. New medical discoveries.
D. The argument between the new and old views about anger.
The journey two divers made some time ago to the deepest point on the earth makes us realize how much of the world still remains to be studied. The two men went down seven miles to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean inside a small steel ball to find out if there are any ocean currents(水流) or signs of life.
It was necessary to set out early, so that the ball would come to the surface in daylight, and be easily found by the mother ship which would be waiting for it. The divers began preparations early in the morning and soon afterwards, when all was ready, the steel ball disappeared under the surface of the water.
The divers felt as if they were going down steps as they passed through warm and cold layers (层) of water. In time the temperature dropped to the freezing point. They kept in touch with the mother ship by telephone telling how they felt. Then, at a depth of 3,000 feet, the telephone stopped working and they were quite cut off from the outside world. All went well until some four hours later at 30,000 feet, the men were frightened by a loud, cracking noise. Even the smallest hole in the ball would have meant instant death. Luckily, though, it was only one of the outer windows that had broken. Soon afterwards, the ball touched the soft ocean floor raising a big cloud of "dust" made up of small dead sea creatures. Here, powerful lights lit up the dark water and the men were surprised to see fish swimming just above them quite untroubled by the great water pressure. But they did not dare to leave the lights on for long, as the heat from them made the water boil. Quite unexpectedly, the telephone began working again and the faint but clear voices of the divers were heard on the mother ship seven miles away. After a stay of thirty minutes the men began their journey up, arriving three hours later, cold and wet through, but none was worse for their experience.
65. The purpose of the divers' journey to the deepest point on the earth was to find
A. if there are water currents, and life in the great depths
B. if people can stand the severe cold in the great depths
C. if there are steps in the great depths
D. if the telephone works well in the great depths
66. The divers set out early in the morning so that .
A. they could return to the surface during the day
B. they could see at the bottom of the ocean
C. they could avoid the cold at night
D. they could stay long at the bottom
67. As the divers went down to the ocean floor, the telephone .
A. kept working all the time
B. stopped working at a depth of 3,000 feet and began working again after they reached the bottom
C. stopped working at a depth of 3,000 feet and began working again at 30,000 feet
D. stopped working at a depth of 3,000 feet and began working again when they returned to the same depth
68. On the ocean floor, the divers found that .
A. there was no life but some small dead sea creatures
B. fish were swimming as freely as they do near the surface
C. fish were not swimming freely in the dark water
D. fish were not swimming freely under the high water pressure