For many parents , raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming, the goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right, it doesn’t matter what the topic is----politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg ----the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority ---- someone who actually knows something ---- and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress. Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?
| A．both can continue for generations. |
| B．both are about where to draw the line. |
| C．Neither has any clear winner. |
| D．Neither can be put to an end. |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict. |
| B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict. |
| C．The teens accuse their parents of misleading them. |
| D．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents. |
Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________.
| A．give orders to the other |
| B．know more than the other |
| C．gain respect from the other |
| D．get the other to behave properly |
What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Causes for the parent-teen conflicts. |
| B．Examples of the parent-teen war. |
| C．Solutions for the parent-teen problems. |
| D．Future of the parent-teen relationship. |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomachaches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully. Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their .
| A．cultural values | B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences | D．physical reactions to the color |
Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to buy the goods. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
What color might help lose weight according to the text?
| A．Red | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences |
| D．The Meaning and Function of Color |
As a parent you might never guess all the ways a good imagination benefits your child. It helps a preschooler(学龄前儿童)：
Develop social skills
As children play pretend, they explore relationships between family members, friends and coworkers and learn more about how people interact. Playing doctor, they imagine how physicians care for their patients. Playing house, they learn more about how parents feel about their children. Imaginative play helps develop empathy(同情) for 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(摩天大楼) or a superhero defending the planet is empowering to a child. It helps them develop confidence in their abilities and their potential.
Boost intellectual growth
Using the imagination is the beginning of abstract thought.Children who can see a king's castle in a mound(堆) of sand or a delicious dinner in a mud pie are learning to think symbolically(象征性地). This skill is important in school where a child will have to learn that numerals symbolize groups of objects, letters symbolize sounds, and so on.
Practice language skills
Kids who play pretend with their friends do a lot of talking.This helps boost their vocabulary, improve sentence structure and promote communication skills.
Work out fears
Playing pretend can help children work out their fears and worries. When children roleplay about 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. Imaginative play also helps kids vent(发泄) confusing feelings they might have, such as anger toward a parent or compete with a new sibling(兄弟姐妹)．
To encourage your youngster's imagination, read to him every day. Books offer children the opportunity to visit other worlds and create new ones of their own.
For generations children have enjoyed reading the story of Peter Pan because Peter takes them on fascinating adventures.Reader's Digest Young Families offers a beautiful typical Disney edition of Peter Pan, which is an iParenting Media Award winner. Click here to find out how you can get this classic story along with 2 free books-Bambi and Pinocchio.What's NOT the advantage of children having a good imagination?
| A．Understanding the other people's feelings and problems. |
| B．Expressing their feelings like anger. |
| C．Having a strong faith in their own abilities and potential. |
| D．Helping them form a good habit of reading stories. |
What does the underlined word “Boost” mean?
| A．Improve. | B．Limit. | C．Push. | D．Praise. |
From the last paragraph we can learn that ________．
| A．Reader's Digest Young Families wins an iParenting Media Award |
| B．Disney edition of Peter Pan can be got online for free |
| C．the story of Peter Pan has been popular with kids |
| D．Bambi and Pinocchio are offered for free because of bad sales |
What's the purpose of writing the article?
| A．To tell readers the benefits of encouraging children's imagination. |
| B．To introduce some wonderful Disney stories to readers. |
| C．To provide ways of helping make kids more imaginative. |
| D．To persuade parents to buy the Disney edition of Peter Pan. |
The number of accidents involving pedestrians (行人) wearing headphones is on the rise , a report suggests, causing fresh warning from road safety groups in Britain .
A US-based study found a total of 116 reports of death or injury to pedestrians wearing headphones between 2004 and 2011 , jumping from 16 in 2005 to 47 in 2011 .
Most victims were men (68%) and under the age of 30 (67%) , with around one in ten of all cases (9%) under the age of 18 .Some 89% of the cases occurred in urban areas and more than half (55%) of the victims were struck by trains .
Eighty-one of the 116 accidents (70%) resulted in the person’s death--- even though a warning was sounded in around a third of the cases .
The study concluded , “ The use of headphone may be a safety risk to pedestrians , especially in environments with moving vehicles（cars） . Further research is needed to determine if and how headphone use threatens pedestrian safety .” British road safety groups warned pedestrians to be careful.
Floor Lieshout , director of Youth For Road Safety , said, “ This study shows once more the importance of using all of our senses while we are near traffic . It is important that we find an attractive way to make youth learn about the risks of wearing headphones in traffic .”
Andrew Howard , who is the head of road safety at the Automobile Association , added that some pedestrians can be “so focused in their own little world they forget the world going on around them”.That can include headphone wearers , Howard said, but also people talking on phones.
However , Howard said that more researches needed to be done.
Earlier studies have shown that people wearing headphones or talking on phones can suffer “inattentional blindness” which makes them isolated (孤立) from the world around them .
Ian Harvey , at the charity Civic Voice , said that “ to defeat isolation and to help build a civic(文明的) society , people need to interact(交往) with each other .
He said , “ A basis for any civilized society is communication--- Surfing the web , listening to MP3s , reading blogs or sending e-mail is not interacting with a person; it’s interacting with a machine.
“If people feel socially isolated , they need to have more face-to-face interactions with other human beings and in time , will begin to feel happier and more connected to the world and place they live in .”What does the text mainly discuss ?
| A．Recent research on the risks to pedestrians |
| B．Safety problems caused by wearing headphones. |
| C．The advantages and disadvantages of headphones |
| D．Traffic accidents in the United States |
We can learn from the Us-bases study that _________ .
| A．most victims died in the accidents |
| B．most accidents were caused by cars |
| C．most accidents happened in the countryside |
| D．most victims are under eighteen |
Howard will probably agree that ____________ .
| A．it is safe if you wear headphones in a proper way |
| B．people wearing headphones are more likely to go blind |
| C．most people wear headphones because of loneliness |
| D．it is dangerous to talk on phones while walking |
What Lan Harvey said shows the importance of ___________ .
| A．beating isolation | B．communication between people |
| C．building a civilized society | D．new technologies |
A portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal life is being developed by scientists.
The Swansea University scientists say it could take many years before the device(装置) , the size of a spectacle box (眼镜盒) , is available . Lung patients , who have seen how it would work , have welcomed the research.
Its research suggests that one person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease---- this equates to approximately 8 million people. As of 6 March 2009, 217 people were on the waiting list for a lung transplant（移植） according to figures by NHS Blood and Transplant .
Now scientists in Swansea are developing a portable artificial lung which could transform (改观) the lives of patients . Researchers claim that in the long term the device could offer an alternative to lung transplant , giving hope to those who suffer from conditions such as emphysema(肺气肿) and cystic fibrosis.
The device mimics the function of a lung---by getting oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood stream . Professor Bill Johns came up with the idea after his son died of Cystic Fibrosis . It is important that we make something that will help people , who instead of being confined (局限) to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle , can actually walk around and do things for themselves , he said.
Although the research has been welcomed by leading charities(慈善) , caution has also been voiced over the length of time it will take before a portable lung will become available .
“We have to stress that this is several years away from being used , even in a trial stage,” said Chris Mulholland , head of the British Lung Foundation.
Patient Elizabeth Spence from Swansea has been refused the double lung transplant she needs but remains hopeful that one day the new device could save her . “ My body will reject the lungs , so this possibly could be an answer--- another way of getting new lungs without actually having the transplant,” she said.Which of the following about the portable lung would the author agree?
| A．It can help a lot in lung transplants |
| B．It was once on display |
| C．It works differently from the normal one in the body |
| D．It’s just like an oxygen bottle. |
It seems as if _______ really matters before the portable lung is put into use.
| A．support | B．money | C．time | D．trial |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the portable lung ?
| A．Negative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Curious. | D．Objective. |
Which edition can you probably find the passage ?
| A．Science. | B．Culture. | C．Economy. | D．Education. |
The booking notes of the play “ the Age of Innocence” .
Price: $ 10
BOOKING:
There are four ways to book seats for performance :
---In person
The Box Office is open from Monday to Saturday , 10 a.m. --- 8 p.m.
---By telephone _
Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card (Visa , MasterCard and Amex accepted )
---By post
Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office .
---On line
Complete the on-line booking form at www.Satanfiedtheatre.com
DISCOUNTS:
Saver : $ 2 of any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday . Savers are available for children who are below the age of 16 years old , over 60s and full-time students.
Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion . It is advisable to book in advance . There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show .
Standby: best available seats are on sale for $ 6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible (suitable ) for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers .
Group Bookings : there is a ten percent discount for parties of twelve or more .
School : school parties of ten or more can book $ 6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free .
Please note : we are unable to exchange tickets or refund (退还) money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances .If you want to book a ticket , you CANNOT ___________.
| A．use the Internet |
| B．go to the Box Office on Sundays |
| C．ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card |
| D．complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office |
According to the notes , who can get $ 2 off ?
| A．A 55-year-old woman |
| B．An 18-year-old teenager |
| C．A 20-year-old full-time college student |
| D．The people who book the tickets on Fridays |
If you make a group booking for a group of 16 adults , how much should you pay ?
| A．$ 120 | B．$ 126 | C．$ 144 | D．$ 150 |
From the passage we can know all the following are true EXCEPT that ___________.
| A．there are only 8 wheelchair spaces in the theatre |
| B．a group of 12 persons can get 10 percent discount |
| C．the audience can’t refund money if the performance is on show |
| D．a school party of 15 students should pay $ 90 for the standby tickets |