One school night this month I walked quietly up to Alexander, my 15-year-old son, and touched his cheek gently in a manner I hoped would seem casual．A year ago he would have ignored this disturbance but now he reacted impatiently and leaned back to his computer screen．
I made a mistake: breaking into my teenager's personal space. “The average teenager has pretty strong feelings about his privacy," Lara Fox and her friend Hilary Frankel told me. Mr．Frankel and Mr．Fox, both 17, are the authors of Breaking the Code, a new book that seeks to bridge the generational divide between parents and adolescents．It is being promoted by its publisher as the first self-help guide by teenagers for their parents, a kind of "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus" that explains the language and actions of teenagers．The girls dealt with issues including hanging out late, money, school pressures, smoking etc．
Personally, I welcome their opinions．The most common missteps in interacting with teenagers arise from the war between parents exercising their rights to know what goes on under their roof and teenagers firmly guarding their privacy．Teenagers can be quick to interpret their parents' remarks and respond with anger that masks their vulnerability （脆弱）. Ms Fox said, "What we want above all is your approval．Don't forget, no matter how much we act as if we don't care what you say, we believe the things you say about us．"
Nancy, a New York child-raising expert said she didn't agree with everything the authors suggested but found their arguments reasonable．"When your kids are saying, ' You don't get it, and you never will, ' there are lots of ways to respond so that they will listen and that is what the writers point out．"
" My parents helped me see that, " Mr．Fox told me, " even though they used to stay out late and ride their bicycles to school, times have changed and the way parents educate children is different．These days there is a major fear factor in bringing up kids．Parents worry about their child crossing the street．" The writers said they hoped simply to throw light on teenage thinking．According to the two girls, teenagers nowadays are ____．
| A．independent | B．intelligent |
| C．inconsiderate | D．sensitive |
The underlined sentence "You don't get it, and you never will" in the 4th paragraph implies that ____．
| A．the teenagers don't want/to admit their weakness |
| B．the teenagers think that their parents will never understand them |
| C．the parents do not necessarily force into the world of their children |
| D．the generation gap cannot be shortened despite their parents' efforts |
It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that ____．
| A．teenagers should guard their privacy |
| B．Nancy totally agrees with the two girls' opinions |
| C．parents are more concerned about children's safety |
| D．the two girls have obtained numerous support from the public |
Why does the author mention the book "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus ?
| A．It is one of the best-sellers |
| B．It is also written by the two girls |
| C．The two books have the similar theme |
| D．The two books have different opinions |
Not long ago, people thought babies were not able to l
earn things until they were five or six months old. Yet doctors in the United States say babies begin learning on their first day of life.
Scientists note that babies are strongly influenced by their environment. They say a baby will smile if her mother does something the baby likes. A baby learns to get the best care possible by smiling to please her mother or other caregivers. This is how babies learn to connect and communicate with other human beings.
One study shows that babies can learn before they are born. The researchers placed a tape recorder on the stomach of a pregnant woman. Then, they played a recording of a short story. On the day the baby was born，the researchers attempted to find if he knew the sounds of the story repeated while in his mother. They did this by placing a device in the mouth of the newborn baby.
The baby would hear the story if he moved his mouth one way. If the baby moved his mouth the other way, he would hear a different story. The researchers say the baby clearly liked the story he heard before he was born. They say the baby would move his mouth so he could hea
r the story again and again.
Another study shows how mothers can strongly influence social development and language skills in their children.
Researchers studied the children from the age of one month to three years. The researchers attempted to measure the sensitivity of the mothers. The women were considered sensitive if they supported their children’s activities and did not interfere unnecessarily. They tested the children for thinking and language development when they were three years old. Also, the researchers observed the women for signs of depression.
The children of depressed women did not do as well in tests as the children of women who did not suffer from depression. The children of depressed women did poorly in tests of language skills and understanding what they hear.
These children also were less cooperative and had more problems dealing with other people. The researchers noted that the sensitivity of the mothers was important to the intelligence development of their children. Children did better when their mothers were caring, even
when they suffered from depression.According to the passage，which of the following is NOT the factor that influences the intelligence development in babies?
| A．The environment. | B．Mother’s sensitivity. |
| C．Their peers (同龄人). | D．Education before birth. |
What is the purpose of the experiment in which newborn babies heard the stories?
| A．To prove that babies can learn before they are born. |
| B．To prove that babies can learn on the first day they are born. |
C．To show mothers can strongly influence the int elligence development in their babies |
| D．To indicate early education has a deep effect on the babies’ language skills. |
Which group of children did the worst in tests of language skills?
| A．The children of depressed mothers who cared little for their children. |
| B．The children of women who did not suffer from depression. |
| C．The children of depressed but caring mothers. |
| D．Children with high communication abilities. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Scientific findings about how babies develop before birth. |
| B．Scientific findings about how the environment has an effect on babies’ intelligence. |
| C．A study shows babies are not able to learn things until they are born or six months old. |
| D．Scientific findings about how intelligence develops in babies. |
A handsome middleaged man walked quietly into the 
cafe and sat down. Before he ordered，he couldn’t help but notice a group of younger men at the table next to him. It was obvious they were making fun of something about him and it wasn’t until he remembered he was wearing a small pink ribbon(丝带) on the lapel of his suit that he became aware of what the joke was all about.
The man pretended not to notice it，but the whisper and laughter began to get to him. He looked one of the rude young men straight into the eye，placed hi
s hand beneath the ribbon and asked，“This？”
With that the young men all began to laugh out loud. The man he spoke to said，“Hey，sorry，man, but we were just commenting on how pretty your little pink ribbon looks against your blue jacket！”
The middleaged man calmly invited the joker to come over to his table, and politely seated him. As uncomfortable as he was, the young guy had to, not really sure why. In a soft voice，the middleaged man said, “I wear this ribbon to bring awareness about breast cancer. I wear it in my mother’s honor.”
“Oh, sorry. She died of breast cancer？”
“No, she didn’t. She’s alive and well. But her breasts nourished me as a baby，and were a soft resting place for my head when I was scared or lonely as a little boy. I’m very grateful for my mother’s breasts, and her health.”
“Umm,” the young replied “yeah.”
“And I wear this ribbon to honor my wife” the man continued.
“And she’s okay, too？”the young guy asked.
“Oh, yes. She’s fine. Her breasts have been a great source of loving pleasure for both of us，and with them she nurtured and nourished our daughter 23 years ago. I’m grateful for my wife’s breasts，and her health.”
“Uh, huh. And I guess you wear it to honor your daughter, also？”
“No. It
’s too late to honor my daughter by wearing it now...”
Shaken and ashamed，the young guy said, “Oh, I’m so sorry，mister.”
“So, in my daughter’s memory, too, I proudly wear this little ribbon, which allows me the opportunity to enlighten others. And here...”With this，he reached in his pocket and handed the young man a little pink ribbon. The young guy looked at it, slowly raised his head and asked, “...？”The young men joked about the middleaged man’s________.
| A．looks | B．ribbon | C．attitude | D．clothes |
What may have happened to the man’s daughter?
| A．She died of breast cancer. | B．She was ill with cancer. |
| C．She had gone abroad. | D．She got married. |
What will the young man probably ask at the end of the story?
| A．May I give it to my mother? | B．Can you h elp me put it on? |
| C．Will you please forgive me? | D．Shall we have some drink together? |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．An Unusual Meeting | B．An Impressive Lesson |
| C．Be Grateful to Your Beloved | D．A little Pink Ribbon |
ALBANY，New York—Students who rely on working at night to improve their
grades might want to sleep on that strategy: A new survey in the US says those who never study all night have slightly higher grades than those who do.
A survey of 120 students at St.Lawrence University found that students who had never pulled an allnighter on average had higher grades than those who had. The survey found tho
se who did not study through the night had a grade point average of 3.2 compared to 2.95 for those who did.
The study, by assistant professor of psychology Pamela Thacher, is to be included in the January issue of BehavioralSleepMedicine.
“It's not a big difference，but it's pretty striking, ” Thacher said, “I am primarily a sleep researcher and I know nobody thinks clearly at 4∶00 in the morning. You think you can do，but you can't.”
Many college students, of course, have inadequate or irregular sleep, for reasons ranging from excessive caffeine to poor time management.
“A lot of students were under the impression that allnighters were a very useful tool for accomplishing work, and that caffeine intake was very useful in meeting deadlines and stuff like that, ”said Mr Chatani, who had a 3.4 grade point average last term.
Dr Howard Weiss, a physician at St.Peter's Sleep Center in Albany, said the study results made sense.
“Certainly that data is out there showing that short sleep duration absolutely interferes with concentration and performance on objective testing, ”he said.
“Some night owls do get good grades, of course，which may be explained by circadian (昼夜节律的
，生理节奏的) rhythms, ”Weiss said, “Some people have different 24hour body clocks from others, and may do better depending on classes and testing time.”The purpose of the passage is to tell us
| A．the bad effects of pulling an allnighter |
| B．pulling an allnighter leads to sleep problems |
| C．Thacher's doubt about allnighters |
| D．allnighters influence students' grades |
According to Thacher's study，around 4 o'clock in the morning is a time when .
| A．one can think more clearly |
| B．one has his/her best memory |
| C．one can't learn efficiently |
| D．one's brain falls into a period of deep sleep |
What can we know from Dr Howard Weiss' words？
| A．Thacher's study is not convincing enough. |
| B．He believes in Thacher's study. |
| C．Thacher's study makes no sense. |
| D．Thacher should take exceptions into consideration. |
Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. Then I was born in E1 Paso，Texas and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles.
Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They influenced us with the concepts of family, faith and nationalism.
I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad injured his back working in a cardboardbox factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little shopping mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr.Ben’s Coiffure.
The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week，which meant getting up at 3 a．m..To pick up rubbish, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I’d sleep in the car on the way home.
I did this for two years，but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired discipline and a strong work ethic(道德), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life’s competing interests－in my case，school，homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of a high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flip
ping burgers at a fastfood joint while taking a full load of college preparation courses.
The hard work paid off. I attended the U．S.Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California StateAssembly(州议会)．In these jobs and in everything else I’ve done, I have never forgotten those nights in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor.Before my father got injured，we________.
| A．didn’t like living in the USA | B．lived a poor but happy life |
| C．were lucky to move to the USA | D．had many ways to make money |
When he recovered，to make a living my father________.
| A．ran a small shopping mall | B．did a parttime job |
| C．worked as a barber | D．became a street cleaner |
Working in the parking lot for two years had tau
ght me________.
| A．how to obey school discipline | B．how to do two things well at a time |
| C．that discipline and work were of equal value | |
| D．that I must do as many things as possible at a time |
The au
thor tells us in the last paragraph that we should be proud of those who________.
| A．have done all kinds of jobs | B．are cleaning the parking lot |
| C．have achieved a lot in their lives | D．are bearing their responsibilities |
Do you ever run out of great books to read? So what should I read next? Is fast-paced crime fiction your thing? Try the new Patricia Cornwell book, Scarpetta (Putnam). She is such an able writer and handles complex forensic(法庭的) intelligence with ease. You need to be prepared, though, for the world you're entering—this isn't for the faint of heart, let's say.
If peace is more your thing, try Mary Pipher's wonderful new book, Seeking Peace:Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World (Riverhead). Mary is a lovely, comfortable writer who takes the reader through her personal awakening after reputation and fortune came her way. Even if you've never experienced life as a bestselling writer (as she has done, in her book years back, Reviving Ophelia), you'll totally understand and sympathize with her renewed need for privacy, distance and quiet.
What if you want a straightforward, totally thrilling read with vivid characters, set about World War II? You cannot go wrong with Jim Lehrer's new novel, Oh, Johnny (Random House), about a young Marine whose life is changed forever when he meets a woman on his way to war. His relationship with her lasts him through danger and hardship, and there's an impressive ending. See our interview with the productive novelist/newsman in the current issue of Reader's Digest (March, on stands now), by the way, for insight into the very talented Mr. Lehrer and what interests him.
Well, what about something wickedly funny and totally offbeat? Does the name Carrie Fisher do anything for you? Try her vivid and new life in Hollywood and elsewhere, Wishful Drinking (Simon & Schuster). Be prepared for humor as sharp as knives. In which column will you probably find the above passage?
| A．Advice. | B．News story. |
| C．Advertisement. | D．Comments. |
What does the writer intend to tell us by the underlined sentence?
| A．The world is complex and hard. | B．Scarpetta is a thriller. |
| C．The fiction is hard to understand. | D．Society is hard to fit into. |
Which of the following is true of Mary Pipher?
| A．She is an adventurous writer. |
| B．She doesn’t care about fortune. |
| C．Her books normally sell well. |
| D．She can help you achieve writing skills. |
To get further information about Jim Lehrer, you may________.
| A．go to Reader’s Digest issued in March |
| B．go to Random House |
| C．analyze the characters in Oh, Johnny |
| D．read the novel Oh, Johnny |
Which book isn’t directly based on the writer’s own life?
| A．Seeking Peace. | B． Reviving Ophelia. |
| C．Wishful Drinking. | D．Oh, Johnny. |