In the opinion of many people, the twoparent family is the correct way to raise children. Traditionally, this has been as the most natural way, but singleparent families have had to face prejudices(偏见) against their lifestyle. However, the singleparent family is the fastest growing type of family. In the United States, a national survey showed that at least 50% of children will be members of a singleparent family. So we think it is important to throw prejudices away and to see the advantages of singleparent families.
When compared to twoparent families, singleparent families are usually at a disadvantage in some ways. They are often in short of money, and children receive less attention. What’s more, single parents can find themselves under too much pressure(压力) of both work and home. Despite(尽管) these disadvantages, it is possible for singleparent families to look for support from friends, schools, communities or other organizations. They need to remember that nobody can do it alone.
Surprisingly, singleparent families also have some advantages over twoparent families. Single parents have greater flexibility(灵活性) in spending time with children, because they don’t have to consider the needs of a husband or wife. So they can develop closer relationships with their children. Another advantage comes from the fact that single parents often work together with their children to solve problems, which makes children feel more needed and valued.
It’s important to remember that singleparent families have, until now suffered prejudices from some people. They think that it’s easier for the children in singleparent families to drop out of school in teens, and to be jobless in their early twenties. But, with the support from friends, schools and communities, singleparent families become more accepted by society, and this situation is certain to improve. In the future we will probably see these prejudices disappear.What does the writer mainly tell us in Paragraph 1?
A. People shouldn’t have prejudices against singleparent families.
B. The singleparent family is not good for raising children.
C. The twoparent family is the correct way to raise children.
D. 50% of children will be members of a singleparent family in the USA.Which disadvantage of singleparent families is NOT mentioned in Paragraph 2?
| A．They are often in short of money. |
| B．Children may receive less attention. |
| C．Children also suffer from the prejudice. |
| D．Parents are under pressure of both work and home. |
How can single parents make their children feel more needed and valued?
| A．Don’t consider the needs of others. |
| B．Pay more attention to their children. |
| C．Develop closer relationships with their children. |
| D．Discuss and solve problems together with their children. |
Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages |
| B．Changing Views on Singleparent Families |
| C．Best Lifestyle for Children |
| D．Comparing Two Types of Family |
When Mencius(孟子) was a little boy, his father died. Mencius and his mother were quite poor. One day Mencius returned home from school and found his mother making some cloth. It was very beautiful and expensive.
“How much of the book have you read today?” Mencius’ mother asked him. “I haven’t read any of it yet.” Mencius replied, “I played with some friends of mine in the fields.”
When his mother heard this, she picked up a pair of scissors and cut the cloth.
“Why did you cut your cloth?” Mencius asked, “It was beautiful but now you’ve wasted (浪费) it.” “You have wasted your time,” his mother said, “now I have wasted mine. Look what terrible things we have done.”
Mencius learnt a lot from this lesson. After that, he always studied hard.When did this story happen?
| A．Not long before liberation(解放). |
| B．More than 2000 years ago. |
| C．About 400 years ago. |
| D．In the 18th century. |
What was Mencius doing while his mother was cutting the cloth?
| A．He was reading his book. |
| B．He was playing in the fields. |
| C．He was trying to help her. |
| D．He was watching strangely. |
The mother cut the cloth because _____.
| A．she thought making cloth was wasting time |
| B．she wanted to give her son a lesson |
| C．she wanted to use more beautiful and expensive cloth |
| D．she wanted her son to do his lessons at once |
Why Mencius and his mother were quite poor?
| A．Because his father died when Mencius was a child. |
| B．Because his father was ill in bed. |
| C．Because his mother cut the cloth. |
| D．Because the cloth his mother made was very cheap. |
How did Mencius’ mother feel when she knew Mencius haven’t read any book?
| A．She felt very happy. | B．She felt very sad. |
| C．She felt very excited. | D．She felt very pleased. |
Dear Lucy,
In your last letter, your asked me how to love to your parents. Here is my advice.
※Make a picture for them. Whether with pencils or paints, it will be a treasure(财富) to them forever.
※Write a letter to them. Take your time to put your thoughts in it .
※keep your room clean! Though it’s a kind of the chore, it shows mom and dad that care.
※Cook them a dinner! It can be some rice , some cheese or some hot dogs; it can give them a break.
※tell them that you love them very often. Your love can make them feel warm and proud.
※Never tell a lie(谎言) to them. Probably the biggest way to show them you love them is, never to lie. This shows them that you not only love them, but also believe in and respect(尊重) them.
※Create time to be with them. Watch a film with your mom once in a while, or go to a sports match with your dad once in a while just to show them how much you care and want to close with them.
※If you do something wrong, apologize(道歉) and explain it! They will know you are sorry. You could do something for them to show you want to make it up to them. Just saying sorry can really show how much you love them.
Yours ,
Agony AuntThe underlined word “it” refers to “__________”
| A．the picture | B．the letter |
| C．the room | D．the treasure |
_________ can give your parents a break.
| A．Studying for a test |
| B．Drawing a picture |
| C．Cooking a dinner |
| D．Telling your love to your parents |
What’s the best way to show your love to your parents?
| A．Believe in them | B．Respecting them |
| C．Making friends with them | D．Never telling a lie |
Watching a film with your mom can ___________
| A．show you want to be close with her |
| B．make her feel proud |
| C．cost her a lot of money |
| D．make both of you healthy |
Please apologize to your parents if you _________.
| A．don’t love them |
| B．go to a sports match with your dad |
| C．do a wrong event |
| D．say you are sorry to them |
Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don't have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.
Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1,646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2,159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.
Why do people work so many hours? Some people work extra hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don't pay overtime. Their workers don't get more pay for more work. Some people think it's their duty to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don't work more hours.
Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull (迟钝的) boy." If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.A Japanese worker works __ more hours a year than a French one.
| A．513 | B．1,646 |
| C．2,159 | D．3,805 |
The word "extra" in Paragraph 3 means ".
| A．正常的 | B．额外的 | C．有用的 | D．少量的 |
People in ________ get only two weeks of paid vacation a year.
| A．France | B．Germany |
| C．the United States | D．Great Britain |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．No companies offer vacations to their workers. |
| B．Many people say they have enough time to relax. |
| C．Not all companies pay their workers for more work. |
| D．More than half of workers use all their vacation days. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Many workers have to work long hours. |
| B．Many people have vacations long enough. |
| C．Work hours are the same around the world. |
| D．There are a lot of dull people in the world. |
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (疾病控制中心), if you don’t often wash your hands, you can pick up viruses (病毒)from many places and make yourself ill. You’re at risk every time you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. In fact, one of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their noses or their eyes when there are cold viruses on their hands. If you don’t often wash yours hands, specially when you’re sick, you may spread the viruses directly to others. You should wash your hands in the following situations:
After using the bathroom
After blowing your nose or coughing
Before eating, serving or preparing food
After touching pets or other animals
After visiting anyone who is sick
When your hands are dirty
There is a right way to wash your hands. Follow these simple steps to keep your hands clean.
Use warm water (not cold or hot)
Wash for 15 seconds
Rinse (冲洗) well under warm water and dry them with a clean towel.
Information Card
| Way to protect against the spread of illness |
|
| Correct way to wash your hands |
Use running water which is |
| Situations in which you must wash your hands |
After using the Before having food After visiting |
| Time needed to wash your hands |
Here in Siberia (西伯利亚), the winter is always very long and it’s very, very cold! It starts to snow in November and the snow won’t leave until May. The temperature is usually about -25℃, but it’s sometimes much colder. When it’s -35℃, children can’t go to school, but grown-ups still go to work! We wear a lot of warm clothes: socks and boots, sweaters and fur coats. All the houses have heating, so it’s never cold inside. In winter, we close the windows to stop the wind from getting in, and we don’t open them again until spring.
In spring and summer it rains a lot, and we don’t often see the sun. In summer it’s often about 25℃, but the weather is very changeable. One day it’s 25℃, and the next day it’s 10℃. People say that the weather was even colder in the past.How long is Siberia’s snowy time?
What are used in Siberia to keep the people and houses warm?
Do children go to school when it’s -35℃ in winter?
What’s the weather like in spring?
How does the weather in Siberia often change in summer?