Some American parents might think their children need better education to compete with China and other countries’ children． But how much do the parents themselves need to change?
A new book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother written by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting． Ms． Chua is a professor at the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, and a mother of two daughters． She was raised in America by immigrant Chinese parents． In her book, Ms． Chua wrote about how she demanded excellence from her daughters． For example, she threatened to burn her daughter’s dolls unless she played a piece of music perfectly． She would scold her daughters if they failed to meet her expectations．
Ms． Chua had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do: “Attend a sleepover, have a play date, watch TV or play computer games, be in a school play, get any grade less than an A．” Many people criticize Amy Chua, saying her parenting methods were cruel and violent． She even admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style． But she says that is the way her parents raised her and her three sisters．
Ms． Chua says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted “I hate my life! I hate you!” But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children’s abilities． Amy Chua thinks one of the biggest differences between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents take on strength rather than fragility．”
Stacy DeBroff, who has written four books on parenting, says: “Parents should rethink, what does it mean to be a successful parent and what does it mean to be a successful child?” She says Amy Chua’s parenting style is not limited to Chinese families． It represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children． But she also sees a risk． When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life． Stacey DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised．Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is mainly about ___________．
| A．how to teach children to learn music |
| B．how to change the ways of parenting |
| C．Amy Chun’s experience in parenting |
| D．Amy Chun’s reflection of her family life |
The underlined word “rebelled” in Paragraph 4 probably means “____________”．
| A．disobeyed | B．succeeded | C．failed | D．panicked |
According to Ms． Chua, Chinese way of parenting is powerful because ____________．
| A．parents set good examples to children |
| B．parents understand their children better |
| C．parents usually treat their children as friends |
| D．parents have high expectations of their children |
What is Stacy DeBroff’s warning to immigrant parents?
| A．Don’t expect too much from their children． |
| B．Don’t allow them to communicate with others． |
| C．Don’t give them freedom to do what they want to． |
| D．Don’t bring up their children as their parents did． |
Half of the world’s population lives in areas affected by Asian monsoons（季风）, but monsoons are difficult to predict. American researchers have put together a 700-year record of the rainy seasons, which is expected to provide guidance for experts making weather predictions.
Every summer, moist（潮湿的）air masses, known as monsoon, produce large quantities of rainfall in India, East Asia, Indonesia, Northern Australia and East Africa, which are pulled in by a high pressure area over the Indian Ocean and a low pressure area to the south.
According to Edward Cook, a weather expert at Columbia University in New York, the complex nature of the climate systems across Asia makes monsoons hard to predict. In addition, climate records for the area date to 1950, too recent and not detailed enough to be of much use. Therefore, he and a team of researchers spent more than fifteen years travelling across Asia locating trees old enough to provide long-term records. They measured the rings（年轮）or circles, inside the trunks of thousands of ancient trees at more than 300 sites.
Rainfall has a direct link to the growth and width of rings on some kinds of trees. The researchers developed a document—a Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas（地图集）. It shows the effect of monsoons over seven centuries, beginning in the 1300s.
Professor Cook says the tree-ring records show periods of wet and dry conditions. “If the monsoon basically fails or is very weak one year, the trees affected by the monsoon at that location might put on a very narrow ring. But if the monsoon is very strong, the trees affected by that monsoon might put on a wide ring for that year. So, the wide and narrow ring widths of the tree chronology（年表）that we developed in Asia provide us with a measure of monsoon variability. ” Armed with such a sweeping set of data, researchers say they now can begin to refine climate computer models for predicting the behavior of monsoons.
“There has been widespread famine and starvation and human dying in the past in large droughts. And on the other hand, if the monsoon is particularly heavy, it can cause extensive flooding,” said Eugene Wahl, a scientist who is with America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s paleoclimate（古气侯）branch studying weather patterns over the history of the Earth. “So, to get a knowledge of what the regional moisture patterns have been, dryness and wetness over such a long period of time in great detail, I would call it a kind of victory for climate science.”What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．A breakthrough in monsoon prediction. |
| B．The necessity of weather forecast. |
| C．The achievements of Edward Cook. |
| D．The effects of Asian monsoons. |
It is difficult for experts to predict Asian monsoons because______.
| A．it is hard to keep long-term climate records |
| B．they are formed under complex climate systems |
| C．they influence many nations |
| D．there is heavy rainfall in Asia |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The trees affected by monsoon grow fast if the monsoon is weak. |
| B．The Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas has a monsoon record for about 1,300 years. |
| C．Long and detailed climate records can offer useful information for monsoon research. |
| D．The rainfall might be low although the monsoon is strong in monsoon- |
affected areas.According to Professor Cook, the rings of the trees_________.
| A．determine the regional climate |
| B．have a great influence on the regional climate |
| C．offer people information about the regional climate |
| D．reflect all kinds of regional climate information |
What do we know about the research according to Eugene Wahl?
| A．It will help people prevent droughts and floods. |
| B．It should include information about human life in the past. |
| C．It has analysed moisture models worldwide. |
| D．It is a great achievement in climate science. |
Which of the following best describes the tone of this passage?
| A．Friendly. | B．Pessimistic. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Matter-of-fact. |
Where Are We Going, Dad? has become one of China’s most popular television shows, since its debut（首次登场）in October, averaging more than 600 million viewers each week. Sponsorship rights（冠名权）for the show’s second season were sold for 312 million yuan（about $ 50 million）, more than ten times higher than the rights to the first season.
What accounts for its popularity? The show features a mew generation of Chinese fathers, who, as part of the country’s new middle class, have faced more problems with modern child-raising techniques such as taking an active role with their children.
Part of the appeal of the show is the chance to throw a glance at the lives of Chinese celebrities（名流）and their children. Audiences are interested in watching the failed attempts of celebrity dads making dinner, doing hair, and disciplining（管教）children — tasks often left to mothers in a society still influenced by the saying that “men rule outside and women are inside.” “In traditional Chinese culture, fathers are strict and mothers are kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentler on their kids and more involved in their upbringing,” said Li Minyi, an associate professor. “This show raises an important question for modern Chinese society — what is the role of fathers in today’s China?”
After each episode（集）goes to air, the Chinese Internet explodes with comments on each celebrity’s parenting style.
Actor Guo Tao tries to communicate with his son, Shitou, but is seen as a more traditional Chinese father, and has been criticized online for being too harsh. Zhang Liang, a supermodel, is an audience favorite for treating his son, Tiantian, more like a friend. The show’s most famous celebrity, Lin Zhiying, a film star, was originally praised as patient with his son Kimi. But as the season progresses, fans begin to criticize him for raising a spoiled, undisciplined boy. Director Wang Yuelun is at a complete loss when it comes to care of his daughter’s hair.
Even the People’s Daily is pleased with the success of the show.Sponsorship rights for the show’s first season were sold for ________.
| A．312 million yuan |
| B．about 50 million yuan |
| C．more than 600million yuan |
| D．about 30million yuan |
According to the passage, the show_________.
| A．gives audiences the chance to raise the stars’ children themselves |
| B．invites some famous film stars to take part in it |
| C．lets people think about the role of fathers in modern families |
| D．raises people’s concern about women’s role in the society |
The underlined word “harsh” in the fifth paragraph most probably means “_____”.
| A．careless | B．strict | C．clumsy | D．kind |
According to the writer, _________ is the most successful father.
| A．Zhang Liang | B．Guo Tao |
| C．Lin Zhiying | D．Wang Yuelun |
People in the United States love their dogs and treat them well. They take their dogs for walks, let them play outside and give them good food and medical care. However, dogs without owners to care for them lead a different kind of life. The expression, “to lead a dog’s life”, describes a person who lives an unhappy life.
Some people say we live in a dog-eat-dog world. That means many people are competing for the same things, like good jobs. They say that to be successful, a person has to work like a dog. This means they have to work very, very hard. Such hard work can make people dog-tired. And, the situation would be even worse if they became sick as a dog.
Still, people say every dog has its day. This means that every person enjoys a successful period during his or her life. To be successful, people often have to learn new skills. Yet, some people say that you can never teach an old dog new tricks. They believe that older people do not like to learn new things and will not change the way they do things.
Some people are compared to dogs in bad ways. People who are unkind or uncaring can be described as meaner than a junkyard dog. Junkyard dogs live in places where people throw away things they do not want. Mean dogs are often used to guard this property. They bark at or attack people who try to enter the property. However, sometimes a person who appears to be mean and threatening is really not so bad. We say his bark is worse than his bite.
Husbands and wives use this doghouse term when they are angry at each other. For example, a woman might get angry at her husband for coming home late or forgetting their wedding anniversary. She might tell him that he is in the doghouse. She may not treat him nicely until he apologizes. However, the husband may decide that it is best to leave things alone and not create more problems. He might decide to let sleeping dogs lie.
Dog expressions also are used to describe the weather. The dog days of summer are the hottest days of the year. A rainstorm may cool the weather. But we do not want it to rain too hard. We do not want it to rain cats and dogs.To achieve success, you must____________.
| A．work like a dog | B．feel dog-tired |
| C．become sick as a dog | D．be meaner than a junkyard dog |
To everyone’s surprise, Jack has been employed by a big company, about which we can say, “______”.
| A．Jack works like a dog |
| B．Every dog has its day |
| C．His bark is worse than his bite |
| D．Jack really lives in a dog-eat-dog world |
If you are in the doghouse,_________.
| A．you must be forgetful |
| B．someone is annoyed with you |
| C．you are living a hard life |
| D．you can get along with your partner |
What kind of people live a difficult life?
| A．Those who is in the doghouse. |
| B．Those who have the dog’s. |
| C．Those who lead a dog’s life. |
| D．Those whose bark is worse than his bite. |
What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．Dogs’ life in America. | B．How to treat dogs well. |
| C．Why Americans love dogs. | D．Expressions with the word “dog”. |
Children form opinions about drugs and alcohol at a very early age. Even four and five year olds have definite opinions about alcohol. Preschoolers, because of the commercials they see on TV, often think that alcohol helps people have more fun and be better athletes! Images of alcohol are everywhere in out society—consumption of alcohol is represented twice per hour in daytime shows, and three times in an average evening program.
Despite the wide spread of alcohol in our society, and the problems that can be connected with it, many parents feel uncomfortable when talking about alcohol with their children, or are not sure when and how to start. Many parents believe that teenage drinking is something that their children would never be involved in.
Unfortunately, teenage drinking is very common in North Dakota. In a state wide survey of adolescents in junior and senior high school. Only 24% claimed to have never consumed alcohol. When asked about their drinking in the past 30 days:
·61% adolescents reported drinking
·42% drank five or more drinks in a row
·17% reported binge drinking
·4.2% reported driving and drinking
Other research on rural youth in North Dakota has found that about 10% of a sample of fifth and sixth graders were engaged in frequent drinking. Teenagers who reported alcohol use (especially those who began use in late elementary school and junior high school) were more likely to be depressed, feel less positive about both their family and friends, and have poorer grades.
Research has found that children and even teenagers look to their parents in making decisions about important things in their life. Decisions about using alcohol are undoubtedly something that parents will want to provide guidance about. Here are some suggestions about talking to children about alcohol.The author’s attitude towards images of alcohol is ___________.
| A．negative | B．responsible |
| C．shocking | D．positive |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that _____________.
| A．many parents don’t realize the seriousness of teenage drinking |
| B．many parents feel uncomfortable with teenage drinking |
| C．many children would never be involved in teenage drinking |
| D．alcohol is a general topic between parents and children |
Which of the following is a misguided idea?
| A．Teenagers involved in drinking tend to have poorer grades. |
| B．Teenagers involved in drinking alcohol tend to be better athletes. |
| C．Teenagers reporting alcohol use are more likely to be depressed. |
| D．Teenagers reporting alcohol use feel less positive about their family. |
What will the article probably talk about next?
| A．How to be supportive of your children. |
| B．Means of teaching children to make important decisions. |
| C．Advice about talking to children about alcohol. |
| D．Why teenagers look to their parents in making decisions. |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Keeping Away from Alcohol |
| B．Teenage Drinking Becoming Very Common |
| C．Tips on How to Talk to Children about Alcohol |
| D．Talking with Young Children about Alcohol |
Laws that would have ensured pupils from 5 to 16 to receive a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up’. An application is calling on the next government to bring it back.
At school the children are taught to add up and subtract(减法) but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account — let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England. Children from 5 to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say. And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month — the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed. Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.
As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits of young children do not last long. Over 75% of seven- to-eleven-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends. By this age, 26% see a credit card or overdraft(透支) as a way of extending their spending power. Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school.”
The UK has been in the worst financial recession(衰退)for generations. It does seem odd that — unless parents step in — young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university. In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents.
| A．how to manage school lessons |
| B．how to deal with the financial crisis |
| C．teaching young people about money |
| D．teaching students how to study effectively |
| A．the author complains about the school education |
| B．pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract |
| C．students have been taught to manage their finances |
| D．laws on financial education have been effectively carried out |
| A．instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money |
| B．promote the connection of schools and families |
| C．ask the government to dismiss the parliament |
| D．appeal for the curriculum of financial education |
| A．stress the necessity of the curriculum reform |
| B．show the seriousness of the financial recession |
| C．make the readers aware of burden of the parents |
| D．illustrate some people are strongly against the proposal |