While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon is commonly known as "Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as "distant parent phenomenon", which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome".According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by __________.
A.their earlier experience of living alone |
B.the poor living conditions in their native countries |
C.the common worry that they have not saved much money |
D.the distance between where parents live and where their children live |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to __________.
A.realize their dreams in foreign countries |
B.seek a better place for their aged parents |
C.live in the countries with more money |
D.continue their studies abroad |
If young people go abroad, __________.
A.they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
B.they can give some help to their parents back home |
C.they cannot do what they should for their parents |
D.they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that __________.
A.the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
B."Empty Nest Syndrome" has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
C.children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
D.the aged parents are not fully prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome" |
The society discussed in the passage is most probably __________.
A.France | B.America | C.China | D.Britain |
Traveling can be a way to gain life experiences,especially during Spring Break—a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip?Don't worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
Save:This probably is the most important preparation for traveling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead:Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
Do your homework:No matter where you go,research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
Plan sensibly:Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
Travel in groups:Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences.
Work as you go:Need more money to support your trip?Look for work in the places you visit.
Go off the beaten path:Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesserknown area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
Pack necessary things:The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
Use the Internet:The net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www.bargainslowestfare.com_and_www.Economictravel.com.
By planning sensibly,even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.This passage is about________.
A.how to plan your travel |
B.how to travel with enough money |
C.how to make your travel interesting |
D.how to get life experiences |
Before your trip,the first thing you should do is________.
A.to make a plan of the route |
B.to get information from the Internet |
C.to save money by spending less |
D.to buy tickets in advance |
The writer advises you________.
A.to share costs with any other people |
B.not to go to wellknown places |
C.not to visit dangerous places |
D.to buy anything you want to buy |
During your trip,________.
A.you need more shoes than clothes |
B.you shouldn't look for work all the way |
C.you can gain valuable life experiences |
D.you should forget to do your homework |
Wherever she goes, Molly leaves her mark. Without saying a word, she speaks to people with her kind eyes. Even when she walks away, she leaves an impression.Molly’s mark is a smile, stamped into the ground by the horseshoe at the bottom of her false leg.
A few years ago, Molly was badly attacked by a dog.The dog bit all four of Molly’s legs and left large cuts in her face. Molly’s owner, Kate Harris, took her to an animal hospital.Doctors there were able to save Molly’s life, but soon one of her legs became very infected(感染).
At first, doctors thought Molly would have to be put to sleep.But Molly changed their minds. This pony, doctors noticed, shifted her weight, and rested her good leg from time to time. Doctors knew that Molly had amazing intelligence, and that she wanted to live.
Several doctors operated on Molly, and removed her infected leg. A false leg was made for her. The leg was a hollow cast with a pole at the bottom for balance. Doctors gave Molly a special horseshoe at the bottom of the leg. This horseshoe she had had a stamp of a smile face in it!
After the operation, Molly walked around on all four legs, as if nothing had ever happened to her! Now, with every step she takes, she stamps a smile in the dirt.But she leaves her m ark in other ways, too.
Kaye Harris took Molly to the false leg center. There were children there who, like Molly, had artificial arms or legs. They were amazed to see a pony with a false leg. Molly made them smile and gave them hope. Soon, Molly began to visit schools, nursing homes, army bases and hospitals. A book was even written about Molly!Molly is the name of a . .
A.dog | B.horse | C.parent | D.child |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.Molly can speak to people in kind words. |
B.Kay Harris took Molly to a children’s hospital after the attack. |
C.In the beginning, doctors had planned to end Molly’s life. |
D.Molly sometimes leaves smiling marks on people’s faces. |
What is unique about Molly?
A.Molly has a false leg with a horseshoe shaped like a smiling face. |
B.Molly ran a race and won the first prize. |
C.Molly often visits places such as schools and parks. |
D.Molly has become a symbol of hope for people of all ages. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.A Book on Molly | B.A False Leg |
C.A successful Operation | D.Leaving her Mark |
Children like to imagine they are someone else in a game. As a parent you might never guess how it can benefit your child. It helps your child:
Develop Social Skills
As children play pretend games,they explore relationships between family members,friends and coworkers and learn more about how people interact.Playing doctors,they imagine how physicians care for their patients.Imaginative play helps develop empathy(移情) with others.If children can imagine how it feels to be left out of a game or to lose a pet,they are better able to help those in need.They become more willing to play fair,to share,and to cooperate.
Build Selfconfidence
Young children have very little control over their lives.Imagining oneself as a builder of skyscrapers or a super hero defending the planet is inspiring to children.It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Promote Intellectual Growth
Using imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically.This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numbers symbolize groups of objects,letters symbolize sounds,and so on.
Practice Language Skills
Kids who pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps increase their vocabulary,improve sentence structure and develop communication skills.
Get Rid of Fears
Pretending can help children get rid of their fears and worries.When children roleplay the big,bad monster under the bed,they gain a sense of control over him and he doesn't seem quite so big or so bad.Which of the following can help children develop social skills in a game?
A.Pretending to be a super hero. |
B.Preparing a delicious dinner with mud. |
C.Helping a doctor to attend patients. |
D.Pretending to be a doctor. |
Why can imagination build children's selfconfidence?
A.It makes them feel as if they were much more powerful than they really are. |
B.It helps them protect people and make much greater progress. |
C.It helps them gain control over themselves. |
D.It makes them more willing to play fair. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
A.While playing pretend games,children learn to get along with others. |
B.Playing pretend games helps children to do well while they are in school. |
C.Playing pretend games only helps children psychologically. |
D.Playing pretend games is good for children's development. |
The best title for this passage probably is________.
A.Benefits of Playing Pretend Games |
B.Tips on How to Improve Your Children's Imagination |
C.Advantages of Playing Outdoors |
D.Skills in Playing Pretend Games |
There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?
A.Laughter is good for health. |
B.Laughter can make you become old quickly. |
C.Laughter helps to reduce pain. |
D.Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body. |
The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “”.
A.delays | B.prevents | C.increases | D.reduces |
Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?
A.Because they want to earn more money. |
B.Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses. |
C.Because they want to improve their patients’ health. |
D.Because they want their patients to laugh more. |
According to the author, we should __________ in our life.
A.laugh as much as possible |
B.watch more funny films |
C.smile all the time |
D.spend time in the laughter clinics |
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health. |
B.Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition. |
C.Laughter can reduce the effect of pain. |
D.Laughter is the best medicine. |
Most of the flowers in nature are red, orange and yellow. If we have seen a black flower, it’s a chance in million. People have made a census ( 普查 ) to colors of more than four thousand kinds of flowers and discovered that only eight of them are black. As we know, sunlight is formed by seven different colored lights. The wave length of each light is different, so the quantity of heat in each light is also different. Flowers, especially their petals ( 花瓣 ) , are easy to be harmed by high temperature. Black flowers can take in all the light waves which cause the flowers to dry up in a high temperature. So black flowers can rarely survive sunlight. But red flowers, orange flowers and yellow flowers can protect themselves from sunlight by reflecting the red light, orange light and yellow light, each of which has a large quantity of heat.It is _________ to see a black flower.
A.impossible | B.seldom | C.common | D.no chance |
The passage tells us that ________________.
A.black flowers are so weak that it is difficult for them to grow up. |
B.there is only eight black flowers in nature. |
C.sunlight is formed by seven different colored lights, so the wave length of each light is different. |
D.black flowers can take in the light of all the wave lengths which make them dry up because of high temperature. |
Which of the following ideas is NOT true?
A.People have found that only a few kinds of flowers are black. |
B.Flowers are easy to be harmed by very high temperature. |
C.Red, orange and yellow flowers can also absorb the light of all wave lengths. |
D.The black flowers cannot protect themselves from sunlight. |