It's common for parents to feel emotional when the moment comes for their child to leave home and go to university. Even parents who don't speak about the event are likely to feel a sense of sadness because it’s the end of an era where you and your family were at the centre of your child's world. As a parent you’ll probably continue to support your child in different ways, but the main job of raising your child is over. It's a huge change for everyone involved.
There are a few things that you can do to make the transition easier. Plan carefully for your child's departure and think about how you can help. Many parents take their child to university for the first time. If you decide to do that, be ready to feel a real wrench when the time comes to say goodbye. Your child will probably be as nervous as you are about the moment when you finally say goodbye – but that might not show!
Be positive and cheerful about the choice your child has made to continue studying, and plan to leave once you've unpacked the car and looked around your child's new living accommodations. If you can, save your tears for the car – you'll make things easier on your child and yourself.
The more you've invested in being a parent, the more you'll feel a sense of loss, so the sadness you feel now is a sign that you've been a good mom or dad. Remind yourself that parenting is all about raising an independent and confident child who functions well without you. If your child quickly settles and starts enjoying himself, you should congratulate yourself.
It's also only fair to allow yourself some time to grieve(悲痛). Don't expect to pick yourself up and move on straight away. But you may decide to find a hobby or sport to fill your extra time. Perhaps you've always wanted to learn a new language, go to yoga classes or take up swimming. You may decide to spend more time with family and close friends, who are likely to be feeling the absence of your child as well.
Agree on the best approach to staying in touch before your child leaves, and stick to your agreement. Try not to panic if your child doesn't respond immediately – remember, they're starting a new and busy life.Why do parents feel sad when their child leaves home for college?
A.Because the absence of their child makes them feel lonely. |
B.Because their children will start a new life in college. |
C.Because it means the end of love between parents and their child. |
D.Because they are no longer the main focus of their children’s life. |
The underlined word “wrench” in Paragraph 2 means a feeling of ________.
A.sorrow | B.regret | C.anger | D.love |
What does good parenting consist of?
A.Supporting your child in different ways all the time. |
B.Congratulating yourself when your child goes to college. |
C.Preparing your child to stand on their own feet in the future. |
D.Investing as much as possible in the growth of your child. |
What’s NOT advised as the way to recover from your child’s departure?
A.Developing a new hobby or sport |
B.Learning a new language. |
C.Spending more time with close friends |
D.Staying in touch with your child. |
What would be an appropriate title for the whole passage?
A.Staying in Touch with Your Child |
B.Preparing to Say Goodbye to Your Child |
C.Dealing with Your Child Leaving Home for University |
D.Life after Your Child Has Left Home for University |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive (欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, someone might say, I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery (彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!
This guy's a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents (对手) says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers (广告商) will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.How much did the lottery winner lose?
A.One hundred dollars. | B.Two hundred dollars. |
C.Three hundred dollars. | D.Four hundred dollars. |
We may infer that the author believes people should ______.
A.buy lottery tickets |
B.make use of half-truths |
C.not take anything at false value |
D.not trust the Yucky Company |
What do the underlined words net gain in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.final increase | B.big advantage |
C.large share | D.total saving |
What can we know from the example of the Yucky Pill advertisement?
A.False statements are easy to see through. |
B.Half-truths are often used to mislead people. |
C.Doctors like to act in advertisements. |
D.Advertisements are based on facts. |
Hillary Diane Clinton arrived at the White House after serving as First Lady of Arkansas for twelve years. During that time she worked as a full-time partner of a law firm, chaired an education committee that set public school standards in Arkansas, managed a home, and cared for her husband and child.
Hillary Diane Rodham, daughter of Hugh and Dorothy Rodham, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1947. She and her younger two brothers grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, as a close-knit family. As an excellent student, she was also a Girl Scout and a member of the local Methodist youth group. Hillary also enjoyed sports and was always interested in politics. She entered Wellesley College in 1965. Graduating with high honors, she moved on to Yale Law School, where she served on the Board of Editors of the Yale Review of Law and Social Action. While at Yale, she developed her special concern for protecting the best interests of children and their families. It was there that she met Bill Clinton, a fellow student.
In 1973, Hillary became a lawyer for the Children’s Defense Fund. In 1975 Hillary left Washington and followed her heart to Arkansas(阿肯色州), marrying Bill Clinton. The couple taught together in the University of Arkansas. Their daughter, Chelsea, was born in 1980.
As First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary continued to work tirelessly on behalf of children and families. In addition to chairing the Arkansas Education Standards Committee, she founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She introduced a pioneering program called Arkansas Home Instruction for Preschool Youth, which trained parents to work with their children in preschool preparedness and literacy. Hillary also served on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital. In recognition of her professional and personal accomplishments, Hillary was named Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983 and Arkansas Mother of the Year in 1984.
Women’s International Center proudly presents the Living Legacy Award to Hillary Rodham Clinton for her vast contributions in so many fields, especially honoring her work for women and children. Hillary did all the following things before going to college EXCEPT.
A.joining the local Methodist youth group |
B.taking an active part in sports |
C.showing great interest in politics |
D.beginning to care for the interests of children |
The topic sentence of the fourth paragraph is .
A.sentence 1 | B.sentence 2 | C.sentence 4 | D.sentence 5 |
What is the main reason why Hillary won the Living Legacy Award?
A.Her being Arkansas Woman of the Year in 1983. |
B.Her tireless work for woman and children. |
C.Graduating with high honors from Yale. |
D.Being a perfect wife and caring for her child |
What do we know about Hillary from this passage?
A She and Bill Clinton were schoolmates at Yale.
B. She was in her thirties when she married Bill Clinton.
C. She has been a full-time lawyer for more than 20 years.
D. She once worked as a doctor in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Most Americans believe that someone isn’t grown-up until the age of 26 and they should complete their education, have a full-time job, have a family to support and be financially independent. They also believe that becoming a real grown-up is a process which begins at about the age of 20 and takes about five years, according to the report from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.
The findings are based on a representative sample of 1,398 people over the age of 18 who were surveyed in person. The survey found that people expect the transitions to grown-up status to be completed at the following ages: age 20.9 self-supporting; age 21.1 no longer living with parents; age 21.2 having a full-time job; age 22.3 education completed; age 24.5 being able to support a family financially; age 25.7 getting married; and age 26.2 having a child.
“There is a large degree of agreement across social groups on the relative importance of the seven transitions,” said Tom Smith, director of the survey. The only obvious pattern of differences is on views about supporting a family, having children and getting married. Older adults consider these more important than younger adults do. This probably shows in large part a change in values across generations away from traditional family values. The most valued step toward reaching adulthood, the survey found, is completing education, followed by full-time employment, supporting a family, financial independence, living independently, and marriage.According to the first paragraph, someone is a grown-up when he _______.
A.has found a full-time job |
B.has finished his study in university |
C.can make money and support himself after completing his education |
D.can support a family and be financially independent after graduation |
A young man of 24 may be busy ________.
A.finding a job | B.finding a girl friend |
C.making money | D.preparing for his wedding |
The underlined word “status” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
A.position | B.rank | C.level | D.situation |
From the passage, we learn that _________.
A.being grown-up is just a matter of age |
B.being grown-up is a process which takes some time |
C.all people think completing education means being grown-up |
D.the survey found everyone had a different view about being grown-up |
The best title for the passage should be “________”
A.It takes a long time to grown up. |
B.Are we grown-up yet? |
C.Getting married means being grown-up. |
D.Completing education means being grown-up. |
From their beginnings New England towns had a special democratic system of government. At a stated time all the citizens would assemble at a town meeting, where they would discuss local problems and express opinions freely. They also elected the town’s officials at these gatherings and made decisions about the taxes they would pay and about other community matters. These meetings were usually held at the town hall, which was located in the central square.
In the eighteenth-century town meetings, only men who owned property and who were church members actually voted, although everyone present was allowed to express their opinions. Later, all citizens were allowed to vote. Thus the town meeting became truly democratic. Town meetings are still common in New England communities.
In recent years the town meeting idea has been widely imitated. There are open sessions of this kind on radio and television. Occasionally a meeting of this type is called by a government agency in order to give an opportunity for free and open discussion on current problems and policies.At a town meeting, people do the following things EXCEPT __________.
A.express their opinions about the government |
B.elect officials of the towns |
C.make a decision about whom they should marry |
D.discuss some community matters |
In the 18th century, who had the right to vote?
A.All the citizens. |
B.All the men except those who were church members. |
C.The rich. |
D.The rich men and the church members. |
Why has the town meeting been widely imitated?
A.Because many people are interested in it. |
B.Because it is very democratic. |
C.Because many people enjoy themselves at town meetings. |
D.Because sometimes government agencies call them. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Citizens can elect the officials in the town meeting. |
B.In recent years, town meetings are often called by a government agency. |
C.People can say what they want to say at the town meeting. |
D.Nowadays this kind of meeting is also held on radio and television. |
This passage mainly talks about _______.
A.the New England town meeting | B.modern town meetings |
C.a democratic meeting | D.New England towns |
Down-to-earth means being honest, open, and easy to deal with. It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to. He or she accepts others as equals. A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society, of course, but they do not let their importance go to their heads, and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have his nose in the air. There is no way a person with his nose in the air can be down-to-earth.
Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He has what is called common sense. He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world. Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground.
The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others, and our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.If a person has his nose in the air, he ____.
A.is down to the earth |
B.is easy to deal with |
C.always thinks he is more important than others |
D.is confident |
If a person has both feet on the ground, he ____.
A.is in touch with reality, and doesn’t have any dreams |
B.has some dreams but he is realistic |
C.is honest, open and easy to deal with |
D.is honest, open but hard to deal with |
From the second paragraph, we know that sharp words from a teacher can usually ________.
A.help a student get down to the earth |
B.wake a student up |
C.help a daydreaming student come down to the ground |
D.help a daydreaming student to become more realistic |
The underlined sentence “But the opposite is not always true.” most probably means that ______.
A.the person who has his nose in the air is not true |
B.a man with his head in the clouds is often not intelligent |
C.the opposite direction is always wrong |
D.a person who has both feet on the ground may not be down-to-earth |
From the passage, we can infer the person who is _______ is the most popular kind of person.
A.down-to-earth | B.standing on the ground |
C.with his nose in the air | D.with his head in the clouds |