"Oh, you must have been a spoiled(宠坏的) kid. You must be really bossy. I wonder what you're going to be like to deal with?" That's often the response Angela Hult gets when people find out she's an only child, she told ABC News, Despite such negative(消极的) remarks, Hult has decided to have only one child herself. And she's not alone.
According to the US' Office for National Statistics, women approaching the end of their childbearing years had an average of l.9 children in 2004, compared with 3.1 for their counterparts in 1976. The percentage of one-child families in Britain had risen from 18 percent in 1972 to 26 percent in 2007.
But even though only children are becoming increasingly common, the traditional view that they're selfish, spoilt and lack social skills holds strong. Even parents of only children, like Hult, are made to feel guilty about having only one child. Worried that they're being selfish and endangering their child's future, they flock to online discussion forums seeking advice. Soon, however, they ask themselves: is this social prejudice really reasonable?
"There have been hundreds and hundreds of research studies that show that only children are no different from their peers(同龄人) ," Susan Newman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University in the US, told ABC News.
This raises another question: why are only children still viewed with such suspicion?
"There is a belief that's been around probably since humans first existed that to have just one child is somehow dangerous, both for you and for the continuation of your race," Toni Falbo, a professor of educational psychology, told the Guardian." In the past a lot of children died, You'd have had to be crazy to only have one. "
Times, of course, have changed and infant mortality(婴儿死亡率) has largely reduced. So what do only children themselves say?
Kayley Kravitz, a blogger for The Huffington Post, grew up as an only child and highly recommends the experience. "Being an only child taught me the most valuable skill of all: the ability to be alone," she said.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
| A．Are only children lonely? |
| B．Are only children common? |
| C．Are only children dangerous? |
| D．Are only children different? |
What does Susan Newman mean?
| A．Only children are as good as their peers. |
| B．Only children are more selfish and spoiled. |
| C．Parents feel guilty about having only one child. |
| D．Parents will endanger their only child's future. |
What is the common belief since human existed?
| A．The infant death rate always stays high. |
| B．People are crazy to have only one child. |
| C．It's easy for only children to earn their living. |
| D．It's hard to continue the family line with only one child. |
An only child like Kayley _______.
| A．must be difficult to persuade |
| B．can possibly learn to be alone |
| C．should value special skills |
| D．need ignore bad experience |
What's the author's attitude towards having only one child?
| A．Neutral. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Doubtful. |
“How can I learn English well?” This is a question many students ask. In my opinion, the most effective way is to learn lessons by heart. If you can recite the text and write it out, you’ve learned it fairly well. And if you can tell, in your own words, what the lesson says you’re a very successful learner indeed. Your English will be quite perfect.This is a difficult task. However, if you try to learn by heart only part of each lesson, you’ll find it not half so hard as you might have thought. Learning this way, you will make rapid progress. Of course, writing is also necessary. It helps you a lot on our way to success in English. Equally important is to feel the language. You should be able to laugh at jokes and be shocked at bad news. When using English, try to forget your mother tongue. Instead of helping you, your own language gets in your way. So, never try to see English through translation.In the writer’s opinion, the most effective way in learning English is ____.
| A．to practise speaking, writing and feeling it |
| B．to forget your own native language |
| C．to translate everything into his own language |
| D．to memorize the English words and grammatical rules |
“Instead of helping you, your own language gets in your way.”This sentence means that memorizing your own language can ________.
| A．help you to study English well | B．stop you mastering English |
| C．make English easy to learn | D．help you notice mistakes |
Equally important is to feel the language. “to feel the language” here means________.
| A．to get a knowledge of English by touching |
| B．to be able to read and write English |
| C．to translate English into your own by imagining |
| D．to be able to experience the rich sensation of the language |
All right! Enough cookies,cola, and chips! It seems that junk food is all that the children want to eat these days.Television controls their tastes.The kids see well-known personalities eating potato chips, candy and other processed food, and they want to be like their heroes.How do they do it?They eat the same food. I wish there were more characters like old Popeye（大力水手）, the sailor, who ate spinach（菠菜） and not French fries.
Now I don't expect my children to eat healthy food because I like brown rice, beans, and fresh vegetables. I'm glad to cook traditional meals of meat and potatoes for them. I really can't be too upset with the kids because most adults aren't careful about what they eat. The other night, my wife and I went to a party where there was plenty to drink but very little for us to eat. They served hot dogs and hamburgers. I can't eat hot dogs, with all those preservatives（防腐剂）, and hamburgers are filled with chemicals so that they look better. Besides the meat, they had sugar-filled cookies and cake, and of course, chips. I don't want the world to change because of me, but I think people should realize that there are alternatives(选择) to eating meat. They always tell me that I probably don't get my essential(必要的) proteins. I feel better than ever and I'm sure that it's because I'm a vegetarian(素食主义者). I would really like to see more television advertisements which show the benefits of good, healthy, natural food. According to the passage, it seems that ______.
| A．canned food is the only one that the kids enjoy most. |
| B．the children like to have fried chicken only. |
| C．the kids prefer to have cold drinks, not junk food |
| D．the children like nothing better than junk food: cookies and chips |
which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Television influences children’s food choice |
| B．The author is not single and he eats meats |
| C．Though the author is a vegetarian, he feels very healthy |
| D．It is certain that beans and spinach are not junk food |
The writer is a vegetarian, so people doubt very much _____.
| A．why he goes to the party | B．whether he gets enough proteins |
| C．whether he allows his children to eat meat | D．whether he is healthy and strong |
People in the United States honour their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers are now working outside home. More fathers must help with the children care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day, people wear carnations(康乃馨). A red one symbolizes（象征） a living mother, while a white one shows the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honour parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit cemetery ( 墓地). On these days, families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is the thought that counts. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.Which of the following is NOT a reason for parents show love and respect for parents?
| A．Parents bring up children |
| B．Parents give love and care to children |
| C．Parents educate children to be good persons |
| D．Parents pass away before children grow up |
Which do you think is true about “carnation” mentioned in paragraph 2?
| A．It has only two kinds of colours |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’Day |
| C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May |
| B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past |
| C．Not all the children respect their parents |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers |
What do you think the underlined word “florists”do?
| A．They sell flowers |
| B．They offer enough room for having family parties |
| C．They sell special clothes for Mother’s day |
| D．They make bread or pastry(点心) |
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and—WHUMP! —it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it? ”
“Please, mister, please. . . I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do! ” begged the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop! ” Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister” he said. “He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. ”Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “ Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me. ”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE—a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you. The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because _____ .
| A．the businessman drove at a high speed |
| B．he envied the brand-new car very much |
| C．he wanted to get help from the driver |
| D．he wanted to ask for some money |
Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.
b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.
e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.
| A．a, c, b, e, d | B．a, c, d, b, e |
| C．b, a, c, e, d | D．b, a, e, c, d |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Josh would accept the money from the kids. |
| B．Josh was a kind-hearted man |
| C．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors. |
| D．Josh’s new car broke down easily. |
According to the passage, the last sentence means _____ .
| A．trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble |
| B．driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous |
| C．trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life |
| D．protecting oneself from being hurt |
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The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian(so we can organize that cool keycard)but it is easy. We can't wait to hear from you. It's the best way to choose to be a winner!The Winners Club is a bank account intended for ______________
| A．parents | B．adults | C．winners | D．teenagers |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
| A．Services are convenient for its members. |
| B．The bank opens only on work days. |
| C．Special gifts are ready for parents. |
| D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
The Winners Club provides magazines which ________.
| A．encourage spending | B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．help to make more of your money | D．are full of adventure stories |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must ________.
| A．be an Internet user | B．be in your twenties |
| C．have a big sum of money | D．be permitted by your parent |