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. |
My First Long Kun
Two weeks ago, I had a quarrel with my husband. After he had driven off in anger, I realized that I wasn't going to feel any better just sitting there. Feeling abandoned and guilty, I put on my gym shoes to get some fresh air.
Our driveway has a slope(斜坡) that is easier just to jog down if you are lazy, taking advantage of gravity. Instead of stopping at the end of the slope, I decided t see if I could just jog to the end of the street. I had tried a few months ago and failed miserably. Since that first attempt I had been jogging regularly and was significantly fitter, but still very lazy. However this time around I managed to reach the stop sign with ease and I figured I would go a little further.
After about one kilometer, however, I noticed that my upper body was tense. To make the movement easier I had to relax my body, and tried to take deep breaths of air.
I kept giving myself the excuse to stop. No one would be disappointed. No one would even know. But I didn't stop. I wanted to keep going harder, better, stronger. To my great surprise, I ran 4.9 km in 31 minutes. When I got back, I had tears in my eyes. I did something I thought I could never do.
It was the first long run of my life. Since I have improved my stride (步幅) and time, after every run I feel fitter, happier and motivated to keep progressing. I love the runner's high, I normally jog because I want look good. I want to run because it makes me feel good.
| 1． |
Why did the author feet guilty? (No more than 9 words ) |
| 2． |
What did. The author fait to do miserably few months ago? ( no more than 11 words) |
| 3． |
What excuses did the author keep giving herself to stop? (no more than 9 words ) |
| 4． |
How is running different from jogging t the author? (no more than 14 words) |
A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants—the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephant
Once they obtained DNA sequences (序列) from two fossils (化石)，mammoths and mastodons the team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists.
There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species despite the elephants’ significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However, the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minois, said, “We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purpose. Since 1950 all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority (优先)for conservation purpose .”One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of ________.
| A．the Asian elephant | B．the forest elephant |
| C．the savanna elephant | D．the mastodon elephant |
The underlined word “divergence” in paragraph 4means “________”
| A．evolution | B．exhibition | C．separation | D．examination |
The researcher’s conclusion was based on a study of the African elephant’s ____________
| A．DNA | B．height | C．weight | D．population |
What were Alfred Roca’s words mainly about?
| A．The conversation of African elephants. |
| B．The purpose of studying African elephants |
| C．The way to divide African elephants into two units |
| D．The reason for the distinction of African elephants |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Naturalist’s Belief about Elephants. |
| B．Amazing Experiment about Elephants |
| C．An Unexpected Finding about Elephants |
| D．A Long scientific Debate about Elephants |
My father was Chief engineer of a merchant ship, which was sunk in Word War II. The book Night of the U-boats told the story.
Memories
In September, 1940, my mother, sister and I went to Swansea, where my father’s ship was getting ready to sail. We brought him a family photograph to be kept with him at all times and keep him sale.
Then I remember my mother lying lace down, sobbing. She had heard from a friend that the ship had been sunk by a torpedo(鱼雷).
I can remember the arrival of the telegram(电报),Which in those days always brought had new. My grandmother opened it. It read, “Safe, Love Ted.”
My most vivid memory Is being woken and brought down to sit o my father’s knee, his arm in a bandage.
He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war. For as long as I can remember, he had a weak heart. Mother said it was caused by the torpedoes. He said it was because of the cigarettes. Whichever, he died suddenly in his early 50s.
Ten years later I read Night of the U-bouts and was able to complete the story.
Torpedo
One torpedo struck the ship. Father was in the engine room, where the third engineer was killed. He shut down the engines to slow the ship making it easier for it to be abandoned.
By the time he got on deck (甲板) he was alone. Every lifeboat was gone except one which had stuck fast. When he tried to cut it free it swung against the ship, injuring his hand and arm. He had no choice but to jump—still with the photograph in his pocket.
Three days later, he and other survivors were safe in Glasgow. All 23 with him signed the back of the photograph.
In my room is the book and the photograph. Often, glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have dealt with an explosion, a sinking ship, a jump into a vast ocean rind a wait for rescue? Lest（以免）we forget, I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea ________.
| A．to meet a friend |
| B．to see the father off |
| C．to take a family photo |
| D．to enjoy the sailing of the ship |
What did the author learn about the father from the telegram?
| A．he was still alive. |
| B．His knee was broken. |
| C．His ship had been sunk. |
| D．He had arrived in Glasgow. |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to the father’s ________.
| A．weak heart |
| B．taking a shore job |
| C．failure to return to sea |
| D．injury caused by a torpedo |
What can we know about the author’s father after his ship was attacked?
| A．He lost his arm |
| B．He repaired the engines. |
| C．He managed to take a lifeboat. |
| D．He was the last to leave the ship. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A group of forgotten heroes |
| B．A book describing a terrifying battle. |
| C．A ship engineer’s wartime experience. |
| D．A merchant’s memories of a sea rescue. |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob（烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill （烤肉架）.
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with cither rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked. When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________.
| A．is splendidly decorated |
| B．has pleasant smells of kabobs |
| C．is crowded with dining tables |
| D．looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
| A．Watching news events on TV. |
| B．Drinking a kind of black coffee. |
| C．Reading local English newspapers. |
| D．Discussing world topics in low voices. |
The food of the restaurant ________.
| A．is served in small amounts |
| B．is rather expensive |
| C．is rich in variety |
| D．is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
| A．Rice | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________.
| A．occupies a large space |
| B．owns a favorable location |
| C．is popular for its special food |
| D．has a quiet environment inside |
Destiny and Personal Responsibility
One important variable affecting communication across cultures is destiny（命运）and personal responsibility. This refers to the degree to which we feel ourselves the masters of our lives, contrary to the degree to which we see ourselves as subject to things outside our control. Another way to look at this is to ask how much we see ourselves able to change and act, to choose the course of our lives and relationships. Some have drawn a parallel between the personal responsibility in North American settings and the view itself. The North American view is vast, with large spaces of unpopulated land. The frontier attitude of “King” of the wilderness, and the expansiveness of the land reaching huge distances, may relate to generally high levels of confidence in the ability to shape and choose our destinies.
In this expansive land, many children grow up with a heroic sense of life, where ideas are big, and hope springs forever. When they experience temporary failures, they encouraged to redouble their efforts, to “try, try again.” Action, efficiency（效率）, and achievement are valued and expected. Free will is respected in laws and enforced by courts.
Now consider places in the world with much smaller land, whose history re
flects wars and tough struggles: Northern Ireland, Mexico, Israel, Palestine. In these places, destiny’s role is more important in human life. In Mexico, there is a history of hard life, fighting over land, and loss of homes. Mexicans are more likely to see struggles as part of their life and unavoidable. Their passive attitude is expr4essed in their way of responding to failure or accident by saying “no mode” (“no way” or “tough lick”), meaning that the failure was destined.
This variable is important t
o understanding cultural conflict. If someone believing in free will crosses paths with someone more passive, miscommunication is likely. The first person may expect action and accountability. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the second is lazy, not cooperative, or dishonest. The second person will expect respect for the natural order of thins. Failing to see it, he may conclude that the first is forcible, rude, or big headed in his ideas of what can be accomplished or changed..
The author thinks that one’s character is partly determined by.
| A．physical senses | B．general attitude |
| C．financial background | D．geographic characteristics |
.
According to the passage, Mexicans would think that Americans are.
| A．impractical | B．dishonest | C．ambitious | D．hesitant |
.
The underlined word “subject” in Paragraph 1 probably means.
| A．a topic of a discussion | B．a branch of knowledge |
| C．a person being experimented on | D．a person under the power of others. |
.
The author would probably agree that.
| A．vast land may lead to a more controllable desire |
| B．heroic sense of life roots deeply in a small country |
| C．living in limited space contributes to an accepting attitude |
| D．fighting over land may help people gain high levels of confidence |