There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned in schools in most countries ,and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use some physical punishments to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages.
It ‘s easy to find reasons to allow some physical punishments. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to abandon physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this was the way they were brought up and that it didn’t do any harm to them. They believe that for the child’s sake they have the right to discipline the child in any way they consider fit ，including using some physical punishments. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket.
However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don’t have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is seat belt use ——now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits.
In conclusion, parents have to change some of their belief and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force,and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society.According to the first paragraph, many parents think that _____
| A． they are free to use physical punishment on their children |
| B． most of the children behave badly in their daily life |
| C． they have changed their attitudes towards their children |
| D． physical punishment is effective to educate their children |
Many parents won’t give up physical punishment because _____.
| A． they are disappointed with their children |
| B． they were brought up just in the same way |
| C． they don’t want to hurt their children badly |
| D． they don’t know what to do with their children |
The author gives the example of using seat belts in order to show _____.
| A． most people are used to wearing seat belts |
| B． it’s not difficult to change some negative habits |
| C． seat belts are really very necessary and useful |
| D． people won’t change their old habits unless forced |
The main purpose of the author in writing this passage is to _____.
| A． talk about a ban on using physical punishment |
| B． tell us we should educate our children in other ways |
| C． advise parents to give up using physical punishment |
| D． suggest physical punishment should be used at home |
I have always known my kids use digital communications equipment a lot. But my cellphone bill last month really grabbed my attention. My son had come up to nearly 2,000 incoming text messages, and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer and communicating more with friends from a distance. Nevertheless, he found time to keep a summer job and complete a college course in between all that typing with thumb.
I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. "Teenagers with cellphones each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average, " Nielsen Mobile said.
Some experts regret that all that keyboard jabber(键盘闲聊) is making our kids stupid, unable to read non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and other silent signals of mood and attitude. Unlike phones, text messaging doesn't even allow transmission of tone of voice or pauses, says Mark Bauerlein, author called The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.
Beyond that, though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of this trend. I' ve posted before on how I initially tried to control my kids' texting. But over time, I have seen my son suffer no apparent ill effects, and he gains a big benefit, continuing contact with others.
I don't think texting make kids stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you at the same time. And it may make them distracted. when buzzing text message interrupt efforts to noodle out a math problem or finish reading for school.
But I don't see texting harming teens' ability to communicate. My son is as accustomed to nonverbal cues as any older members of our family. I have found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a great distance. because he is constantly available by means of text message and responds with faithfulness and speed.What is Mark Bauerlein ' s attitude to texting?
| A．It is convenient for teens to communicate with others. |
| B．It is likely to cause trouble in understanding each other. |
| C．It is convenient for teens to text and call at the same time. |
| D．It will cause damage to the development of teens' intelligence. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．For Teens, Texting Instead of Talking |
| B．For Parents, Caring Much for Their Kids |
| C．Disadvantages of Texting |
| D．The Effect of Communication |
What does the underlined word "distracted" in the fifth paragraph mean?
| A．Confused. | B．Absent-minded. |
| C．Comfortable. | D．Bad-tempered. |
The author's attitude to texting is ___________ .
| A．objective | B．opposed |
| C．supportive | D．doubtful |
According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true?
| A．It is normal for a teen to send or receive 60 text messages per day. |
| B．Texting is a very popular way of communication among teens. |
| C．The writer limited his son to send or receive messages at first. |
| D．When texting, teens don't mind talking with you. |
Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives him a credit which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester. Normally a student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread the period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular practice.
For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded. and the record is available for the student to show to potential employers. All this imposes(增加) a constant pressure and stress of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student affairs. Elections to positions in student organizations arouse much enthusiasm. The effective work of maintaining discipline is usually performed by students who advise the academic authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating has to appear before a student court. With the enormous numbers of students. the operation of the system does involve a certain amount of activity. A student who has held one of these positions of authority is much respected and it will be of benefit to him later in his career.Normally a student would at least attend __________classes each week.
| A．36 | B．12 | C．20 | D．15 |
According to the first paragraph an American student is allowed
| A．to live in a different university |
| B．to change permanently his or her university |
| C．to live at home and drive to classes |
| D．to get two degrees from two different universities |
American university students are usually under pressure of work because__________.
| A．their academic performance will affect their future careers |
| B．they are heavily involved in student affairs |
| C．they have to obey university rules |
| D．they want to run for positions of authority |
Some students are enthusiastic for positions in student organizations probably because_________.
| A．they hate the constant pressure and stress of their study |
| B．they will then be able to stay longer in the university |
| C．such positions help them get better jobs |
| D．such positions are usually well paid |
The student organizations seem to be effective in__________.
| A．dealing with the academic affairs of the university |
| B．ensuring that the students observe university regulations |
| C．evaluating students' performance by bringing them before a court |
| D．keeping up the students' enthusiasm for social activities |
Are you stressed out, scared or worried all the time? Do you avoid going to certain places, seeing friends or doing certain things because of your worries? Do your worries keep you awake at night? If you’ve answered yes, you may be suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal and necessary part of life. Anxiety is your brain’s way of telling you about danger. It is anxiety which helps you jump out of the way if a car is speeding towards you. But if it gets out of hand, anxiety can get in the way of your getting on with life and can become a real problem. If this is the case for you, treatment may be a helpful way for you to get your anxiety under control.
Anxiety is a normal part of life. Some people may feel uneasy if moving to a new place and some may get overly anxious in certain situations. There are lots of reasons for this. One main reason is after a stressful thing which has happened in your life. So, if you are involved in a car crash, it’s quite likely that you will be more worried than other people around cars and driving.
Being anxious also probably runs in families. If your parents suffer from anxiety then you are more likely to be anxious too. This is probably partly due to genetics, and partly because of how things are when you’re growing up.
Even though people don’t talk about it much, anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems. About 1 in 4 people will have an anxiety problem at some time in their life.
If you have an anxiety problem it’s hard for other people to understand why something that doesn’t worry them, like being in a crowd of people, can be so scary for you. This can make you feel separated and lonely, as may become worse and worse.
The good news is there are lots of excellent treatments available for anxiety. These include taking therapies (疗法) and drugs.Which of the following statements is true about anxiety?
| A．With anxiety you are far away from traffic accidents. |
| B．It’s abnormal for people to get too anxious after a stressful thing. |
| C．Almost everybody has a certain degree of anxiety in certain situations. |
| D．When you feel stressed out, scared or worried, you are surely suffering from anxiety. |
Which of the following reasons for anxiety is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Illness. | B．Experience. |
| C．Genetics. | D．Environment. |
What can we infer from the fifth and sixth paragraph in the passage?
| A．Anxiety is the most common mental health problem. |
| B．Those suffering from anxiety need others’ understanding badly. |
| C．About a quarter of the population are suffering from anxiety now. |
| D．Once you suffer from anxiety, you’d better seek for medical treatment. |
The author will most probably talk about ________ following this passage.
| A．what is about anxiety | B．what causes anxiety |
| C．how to handle anxiety | D．when anxiety becomes serious |
1. Mean old ladies
There is always a reason why an old lady gives you a serious look – you are being too loud, dressed improperly or not crossing the street in the right place. Sometimes it can be lovely, but if you are already having a bad day, a mean old lady can drive you mad.
What to do about it:
I’ve come to realize that when people start conflicts, it is actually an expression of their inner state expressed in an outside way. You, your personality, your looks or your actions have nothing to do with it. It is not personal, so why take it personally?
2. That person, who cuts in front of everybody in line
This is something that gets me angry. Even if I am not in a hurry, I still feel bad for the other people in line who are being treated unjustly. Are you more patient than I am or do you feel annoying too?
What to do about it:
If we have negative thoughts then we are wasting our energy on negativity. Situations like this could be a great opportunity to learn to control our first negative responses and practice understanding. After all, the person may just have a quick question or maybe there is an emergency.
Friends that tell you “I told you so”
It is one thing to admit that you made a mistake and another to hear it from a friend. Friends should be there to support you and cheer you up when you are feeling down, not make themselves feel better at your expense, right?
What to do about it:
It helps to remember that when people say “I told you so”, they may mean, “Please listen to my advice to avoid future mistakes.” If this is not the help you need – voice it out, without getting defensive.According to the author, what can you do when meeting with a mean old lady?
| A．Take it personally. | B．Take it seriously. |
| C．Don’t apologize to her. | D．Don’t get upset. |
When seeing someone cutting in line, we’d better ________.
| A．stop him immediately |
| B．treat it with a good state of mind |
| C．pretend not to see it |
| D．teach him a good lesson |
The third tip intends to advise you ________.
| A．not to keep silent at a friend’s improper suggestion |
| B．to tell your friend if they have misunderstood you |
| C．not to talk to your friend if they feel better at your expense |
| D．to apologize to your friend when you’ve done something wrong |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．What to do when meeting with these people? |
| B．How to ask your friends for help when in trouble? |
| C．How to give advice to your friends when asked to? |
| D．What to say when faced with different situations? |
I once had a friend that was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the news that he might only live up to six months was a great shock to him, his family, and his friends. However, in spite of the serious illness, he was initially determined to look into all available treatments that might cure or extend his life. I think that when you find yourself in such situations, you tend to look up every possible way for hope of saving your life.
As months went on and his health grew worse, I noticed an unexpected change in attitude that came over him. He had also been a happy person with a cheerful personality, but rather than give in to discouragement and self-pity, he took comfort in God and humanity. His talks focused on others rather than himself, and he spoke of the afterlife as something he was prepared for, believing that his concerned ancestors, including his mother and father, were there waiting for him.
During the last few months, weeks, and days of his life, he was kindly cared for by family, friends, his loving wife, who looked after both his physical and emotional needs, and workers from a local hospice (安养院) came to the home to regulate his medication and provide any other needed support. He didn't complain about his fate, and he willingly allowed others to serve him.
Indeed, one might think why God allows death and suffering in our world, but for me, such experiences taught me to value family more and kindness for others. You often can't learn these important attributes in the lap of luxury, and perhaps, such an experience is the greatest and final gift the illness can give those left behind.What did the man do after he first learned of his illness?
| A．He was operated on immediately. |
| B．He retired from his job. |
| C．He researched cancer treatments. |
| D．He felt sad, doing nothing. |
What was the man's main source of comfort after several months with the disease?
| A．His family and friends. | B．His belief in humanity. |
| C．His doctors’ encouragement. | D．The care from others. |
What did the author learn from his friend’s story?
| A．Giving more respect to friends. |
| B．Extending life as possible. |
| C．Caring for yourself and enjoying luxury. |
| D．Getting comfort from God. |
What does the author mainly want to tell?
| A．All people will face death, and thus, we must prepare for it spiritually. |
| B．Our characters can be strengthened by such an unpleasant situation. |
| C．Families provide the best support system during such a crisis. |
| D．People should help those who have got serious illness. |