For many American teenagers, having a part-time job is an important part of growing up. A part-time job can teach teenagers important skills like responsibility（责任）， independence（独立），teamwork and leadership.
Young people can expand(扩大) their social circles beyond their classmates by making friends with co-workers. And many teenagers find that earning their own money gives them a sense of pride and freedom.
The US Department of Labor allows teenagers to apply for jobs at the age of 14. Popular part-time jobs include working in ice cream stores, coffee shops, and clothing stores. During the school year, teenagers may go to work a few times a week after their classes get out, then work for longer on the weekends.
In the summer, top jobs for teens include working at camps, swimming pools and amusement parks. These jobs are great for young people who want to be active and have fun while making money.
A favorite job for many teens is babysitting(临时替人看小孩), and they can start before 14 if the parents agree. After the children are sleeping and before the parents come home, babysitters have lots of freedom.
As long as they stay in the house and make sure the kids are okay, babysitters can do their homework, enjoy a snack, watch TV, or talk on the phone with friends.
It can be stressful to balance school, homework, and a part-time job. Still, many American teenagers value their work experience and the skills they gain on the job.The author thinks a part-time job can teach teenagers many skills except _____.
| A．responsibility | B．teamwork | C．leadership | D．organization |
American teenagers can work when they are _____ years old by law.
| A．fourteen | B．thirteen | C．twelve | D．eleven |
Where do American teenagers like to work most in the summer?
| A．At a shop. | B．In the office. | C．At a camp. | D．At a clothing store. |
American teenagers like to babysit because they _____.
| A．can start before 14 | B．can make more money |
| C．like to play with children | D．have lots of freedom |
We can infer that American teenagers _____ from the last paragraph.
| A．enjoy working more |
| B．hate going to school |
| C．don’t have much homework |
| D．think that skills are important |
Once there was a forest where all the animals lived happily together. One day a family went to spend the day in the forest, and the son left his socks there. After the family left, a bear came by, found the socks, and decided to try them on. They fit so well, and he liked them so much that he wouldn't take them off.
All the animals talked about the bear's new look. Soon, in that forest, there began appearing squirrels in shirts, rabbits in shoes, and even rats (老鼠) wearing hats! The forest doctor shook his head, telling animals, "This can't be good. Animals don't need clothes!" But no one listened to him. They said he was just out of fashion.
However, it wasn't long before the first results of fashion-fever came. Several times the squirrel caught his shirt on trees, stopping him in mid-jump and sending him falling to the ground from a tree. The rat couldn't go into his hole without taking off his hat first. Even the bear, because of his socks, slipped（滑到） from the river rock and almost killed himself.
When the animals came to see the doctor, he gave them all the same advice, "Take off those clothes before one day they're going to kill you." Those who listened to the doctor's advice stopped having accidents. And the animals realized that they didn't need clothes at all. Starting to wear them had been very dangerous, and they had only done it to make others admire them, and to get attention. ______ found the socks and tried them on.
| A．The son | B．The bear | C．The rabbit | D．The rat |
From the story we can know that______.
| A．the family had a good time with the bear |
| B．the animals didn't like the bear's new look |
| C．the forest doctor told the animals not to wear clothes |
| D．the squirrel couldn't go into his hole with his hat on |
The underlined sentence "it wasn't long before the first results of fashion-fever came." probably means that_______.
| A．soon the animals had a fever because of the clothes |
| B．soon the animals enjoyed wearing clothes very much |
| C．soon the animals became healthier in the warm clothes |
| D．soon the animals had lots of accidents because of the clothes |
The story is written to tell us______.
| A．helping others is helping yourself |
| B．we should be careful in the forest |
| C．things that fit yourself are the best |
| D．animals must be looked after well |
This year 2, 300 teenagers from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions (印象) of the real American teenagers. American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and have a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In return, George's son, Mike, spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected -much harder. Students rose respectfully (尊敬地) when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The family's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
"Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it."
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools." He says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two."The whole exchange program is mainly to______.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
What did Fred and Mike agree on?
| A．American food tasted better than German food. |
| B．German schools were harder than American schools. |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly. |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America. |
What is particular in American schools?
| A．There is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings. |
| B．There are a lot of after-school activities. |
| C．Students usually take 14 subjects in all. |
| D．Students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car. |
What did Mike think after experiencing the American school life?
| A．A better education should include something good from both America and Germany. |
| B．German schools trained students to be better citizens. |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools. |
| D．The easy life in the American school was more helpful to students. |
Alice, Sonia and Bobby are looking at the employment section (招聘信息) in their local newspaper. They are looking at advertisements for different types of jobs.
"Why don't you apply for the job as a waiter, Bobby?" said Alice.
"Do you think I will have a chance?" Bobby replied.
"Of course you will." said Alice. "You're certainly honest and reliable. Everyone trusts you, and you're never late."
"I think Sonia should apply for the job as a nanny," Bobby said.
"Yes, Sonia," Alice said. "You always work so hard and you love children. You would be perfect!"
"I'd love to do it," Sonia said, "but the advertisement says they want someone who is experienced. I don't have any experience or qualifications. But what about you, Alice?
"Yes, Alice," Bobby said. "Which job would you like"?
"I think I should become a career advisor!" said Alice.What does the underlined word "nanny" mean?
| A．服务员 | B．阿姨 | C．护士 | D．保姆 |
Who is supposed to be a good waiter?
| A．Alice | B．Sonia | C．Bobby | D．Serge. |
Alice was the most active of the three in______.
| A．giving suggestions |
| B．applying for jobs |
| C．making experiences |
| D．looking at the employment advertisements |
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to connect the brain with computers. Braincomputer interface(BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two scientists, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytehnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, show a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person’s thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of body cells(细胞). These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓) to the body part to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries(脊柱受伤) or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the body part.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with outer world and also to control machines.”
The scientists designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer finds meanings of the signals and commands the wheelchair with an engine. The wheelchair also has two cameras that tell objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan , the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that finds meanings of brain signals and turns them into simple commands.” The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two kinds: communication, and controlling objects. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can get advantages from. And the other is sure that they can use the technology for long.BCI is a technology that can________.
| A．help to make computer systems more modern |
| B．connect the human brain with computers |
| C．help the disabled to be healthier |
| D．control a person’s thoughts |
Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
| A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair |
| B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair |
| C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair |
| D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair |
The team will test with real patients to_________.
| A．make money from them |
| B．prove the technology useful to them |
| C．make them live longer |
| D．learn about their physical condition |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland, the BCI research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Sickness |
In a book called Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas, a description is given of people helping others but doing it secretly. When difficult problems worried a person, friends nearby would meet to discuss possible solution without the person knowing their actions. When a solution was agreed upon, one or two of the friends would carry out the plan and solve the problem secretly, to the great delight of the worried person. The helpers would stand by privately, content with their success. No reward was given to the problem solvers, not even a sincere “thank you”, because they were never known.
This idea is popular today but in a different way. The phrase “pay it forward” is now used when one person helps another. However, the person helped may not be able to repay the person or group that helped them. So rather than return the favor to their helpers, they are supposed to help someone else in the future, which means they pay it forward. It is a sense of responsibility(责任) which makes us want to give back in equal measure to the one who has helped us. But, in this case, the responsibility turns to helping someone in the future.
Suppose your elderly grandmother pays part of your schooling. She may tell you there is no need to repay her because it is a gift from someone who loves you very much. Nothing would please her more than to have you use her money to get a good education.
You may never be able to repay her for such a gift. However, she not only gave you some money, but she provided you with an example that you should also help other people who need it.
People with serious needs are everywhere. Many are children who need better clothes, more books and even better schools. Some are elderly people who can’t afford their medicine or a doctor’s care. Consider how you can “pay it forward” rather than pay money back to your grandmother.The helpers in the book “Magnificent Obsession” were not rewarded because ______________.
| A．they hadn’t solved the problems thoroughly |
| B．they had solved the problems secretly |
| C．they were friends of the worried individual |
| D．they expected to be paid back in the future |
The underlined word “pay it forward” means ____________________.
| A．to repay someone who has helped you |
| B．to pay someone else who needs help |
| C．to help someone who has helped you |
| D．to help someone else who needs help |
What does the writer suggest with the example of “your elderly grandmother”?
| A．We should learn to respect our grandparents. |
| B．We should work hard to get a good education. |
| C．We should also lend a hand to other people in need of help. |
| D．We should never forget to repay people for their help. |
From the passage we know_________________.
| A．everybody needs help |
| B．more children need help than elderly people |
| C．it costs a lot of money to “pay it forward” |
| D．nowadays many people help others without being repaid |