At railway stations all across Britain next week, groups of students will gather with their backpacks to wait for the trains that will carry them home for Christmas. This is as large a movement of human beings as before, but with more contradictory traffic flows, so that trains filled with the young pass each other travelling in every direction.
At first, I went home every weekend with my washing, but then those visits became less regular. How did I let my parents know I was coming? They had no phone. Perhaps I wrote to them ("Expect me with dirty shirts this Friday afternoon"), but more likely I didn't let them know, and just turned up or didn't turn up, not understanding that my parents' dashed hopes of seeing me were a greater casualty of my carelessness than a spoiled tea.
And in all this I suspect I was typical, at least of young men. As for our fathers and mothers, none of them talked of "empty-nest syndrome", even though its implication that the principal human duty is to protect and feed the young would have suited their generation better than ours. Then, the feelings of loss went without a name. Today, it's a condition with remedies, which will make parents feel more enjoyable in their life. The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests you try to maintain regular contact with your children through "visits, phone calls, emails, texts or video chats". If you feel depressed, lean on loved ones or your mental health provider. Above all, stay positive: "Thinking about the extra time and energy you might have to devote to your marriage or personal interests after your last child leaves home might help you adapt to this major life change."
What can’t be denied, however, is that children often leave home. In modern societies, this is what they do. Christmas is the very time they can be depended on to return. For the non-religious, that may be this season’s true comfort and significance.The main reason for the busy traffic across Britain next week is that .
A.young students will travel home for Christmas |
B.young people will travel in every direction |
C.it is a large movement of human beings |
D.the traffic flows will be more contradictory |
From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer .
A.went home every week to wash dirty clothes |
B.understood his parents’ desire of seeing him |
C.didn’t understand his parents’ feelings |
D.went home to see his parents regularly |
The underlined word “remedies” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .
A.reasons | B.excuses | C.habits | D.solutions |
From the last paragraph we know that .
A.in modern society, children should leave home |
B.Christmas is likely a time for family reunion |
C.the significance of Christmas is celebration |
D.Christmas is not a comfort for the non-religious |
From the passage we can infer that by writing the article the writer’s purpose is to .
A.persuade the young to show concern for their parents |
B.ask the young to go home regularly |
C.make the young understand their parents’ interests |
D.enable the young to be more independent |
A traveller was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveller's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(灵魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveller then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(镜头) cap!" The children shouted when the traveller was taking pictures of them because _______.
A.they didn't want to stop playing |
B.the traveller forgot to take off the cap on her head |
C.they didn't want to have their pictures taken |
D.the traveller was not doing well with her camera |
The traveller made an apology to (向……道歉) the head because _______.
A.she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand(事先) |
B.the children would lose their souls |
C.she had stayed in the village too long |
D.she didn't take a picture of the head first |
The traveller explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.
A.the head was very interested in her camera |
B.the head wanted to learn to take pictures |
C.she was afraid of the head |
D.she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing |
When the head smiled, it's clear that _______ .
A.the children wanted to play with her |
B.the traveller didn't know what the children meant |
C.he wanted the traveller to tell him something else |
D.the traveller didn't let him speak |
James is a good student and he has lots of friends,but he also has a problem.Some older boys are bullying(欺负)him at school.James is very unhappy and he doesn't know what to do about it.Here are some suggestions to him and other teenagers in this situation.
Don't feel worried.It's not your fault(过错)! Being bullied can make you feel very lonely and angry,but you are not alone.Don't feel that you have to hide the problem.You should find a person you can trust,and tell them.It might be your teacher,your parents,or even your friend's parents.After you tell someone,you will get some support and feel some relief(解脱).
Speaking to an adult might make you nervous,but here are other things you can do.Some people express their feelings more easily on paper.Write a letter to someone or keep a diary.Include all the details about what the bullies do, as well as when and where the bullying happens.You can use it as proof to show what is going on.And it is a wonderful idea to show your letter or diary to a teacher or another responsible adult.Then the bullies will feel very afraid if their names appear in a letter!
Also,don't show you are sad and don't try and fight with the bullies. You could get in trouble yourself. Ignore them and just walk away. The bullies will soon stop.What do you think the text is trying to tell us?
A.What to do about being bullied. | B.How to be a good student at school. |
C.What to write well in a diary. | D.How to give suggestions to teenagers. |
Why does the text advise you not to feel worried if bullied?
A.Because you are not alone. | B.Because it is not your fault. |
C.Because someone has known about it. | D.Because you' re doing something wrong. |
You'd better go and find a person you can trust and ____.
A.know what happens | B.learn from them | C.ask for help | D.make them lonely |
When you leave home to go and live somewhere else, you naturally take your own personality and cultural ways with you. When you arrive in a new country with a different culture you can experience different kinds of feelings and reactions. For example, you may feel confused and nervous, and like to depend on others.
If you do experience these things, then you are probably experiencing culture shock. For example, coming to Australia from another country certainly gives you a chance to face many new things: the buildings look different, and the food is not what you are used to. You may not be able to speak with other people confidently.
Learning to function effectively in a new culture is not easy. Meanings in cross-cultural situations are often unclear. This can be stressful because you are not sure what others expect of you or what you can expect of them. In these situations it is natural to feel anxious and frustrated(挫折). If you recognize that these feelings are a normal part of the experience of living away from “home”, you may be able to deal with them more efficiently. Your sense of humor and openness will also help. As you gain greater understanding of the new culture, you can expect the stress to disappear.
Dealing with culture shock needs a special effort, but it is the most important to remember that you are not alone in your feelings of distress. Most people in their first weeks and months in a new country experience similar reactions.This passage mainly tells us _______.
A.How to adapt(适应) to a new environment | B.how to live in Australia happily |
C.how to study in a new environment | D.how to avoid being nervous |
Why do people have many kinds of feelings in a new country?
A.Because they are surprised at everything they see. |
B.Because buildings are very beautiful. |
C.Because culture shock does have a great effect on them. |
D.Because they have to learn something quickly. |
The stress may disappear slowly as you __________.
A.have the ability to get along well with others |
B.can know more about the new culture |
C.can consider the stress to be normal |
D.are humorous and have a good mood |
Which of the following is the most important thing in dealing with culture shock?
A.Your efforts. | B.Your attitude. | C.Your feelings. | D.Your humor. |
We can offer you a place at one of the best universities in Britain. We’ll provide you with a choice of 150 first class courses developed especially to enable you to study in your own time, backed by the Open University’s own special study method—OU supported open learning.
We’ll give you the support of a personal teacher, and the chance to meet your fellow students. You can take one-off courses, diplomas (毕业证), a degree(学位) or a postgraduate degree. Subjects available include: computing, business management, technology, modern languages, social sciences, English law, arts, science, mathematics, education and health﹠social welfare.
Whether you want to study to improve your jobs or for your own personal interest, there’s almost certainly a course for you. If you haven’t studied for a while, we’ll help you get started. No previous training or degrees are required; you just need a lively power of learning and a willingness to learn. It’s real value for money and you can pay by monthly payments.
Open University course materials are of the highest quality and come in a variety of forms, including video and audio tapes as well as texts. The OU leads the world in its use of new technology for learning. A number of courses provide source material on CD Rom. What else can the Open University offer you? The best way to find out is to use the coupon below or phone us today.This is an advertisement of ___________.
A.inquiring(询问) English learning | B.setting Open University |
C.introducing famous teachers | D.attracting students |
As a student of the Open University, you don’t need to ________.
A.buy any course materials | B.have lessons all the time at the university |
C.choose which course to learn | D.pay any money for your study |
The Open University can supply you with _________.
A.a course for training your English | B.a classroom and a library for study |
C.different kinds of free instructions | D.different jobs to choose from |
We can learn from the text that ________.
A.OU courses are popular in Britain |
B.money for learning must be paid off at one time |
C.we can’t telephone the university during the night |
D.people can’t be employed without finishing OU courses |
A friend of mine was in low spirits one day. He usually dealt with this state of mind by avoiding people until the mood passed. But on that day Fred had an important meeting with his boss, so he decided to put on a false front. During the meeting Fred smiled, joked and played the part of a happy, good-natured person. To his surprise, he soon discovered he was no longer depressed.
Without realizing it, Fred chanced to find an important new principle of psychological research: acting a part can help us feel the way we want to feel — more self-assured in a trying situation, more cheerful when things go wrong.
How can you put this principle to work in your own life? There’s more involved than simply mimicking a few expressions. You have to be systematic about it. Here’s how:
Smile to cheer yourself up.
Relax to reduce anxiety or fear.
Look your best to increase your self-confidence.
Keep cool in a crisis.
Using our bodies and actions to change the way we feel can be a useful tool in helping us through life’s difficult times. As novelist George Eliot wrote more than a century ago, “Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.” People who remember that — and act upon it — can only be richer and happier for the experience.In paragraph 1 the underlined phrase “to put on a false front” means ______.
A.to wear a wrong coat |
B.to act a part unsuccessfully |
C.to show a pretended happy appearance |
D.to put on airs |
According to Paragraph 1, Fred ______before the meeting.
A.had very few spirits |
B.had many spirits |
C.was in bad mood |
D.was in good mood |
The underlined phrase “mimicking” in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______.
A.learning quickly |
B.making faces |
C.behaving well |
D.imitating others |
In the last paragraph, the quotation “Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds” may show that ______.
A.actions speak louder than words |
B.the more we do, the happier we are |
C.our feeling cannot change our behavior |
D.actions are very important for us to beat bad moods for good |