Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, “In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence”. Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult(侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution(解决)：stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, namecalling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy(策略) for conflict resolution: listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask nonthreatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are bearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these：How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.This article is mainly about ________.
| A．the lives of school children |
| B．the cause of arguments in schools |
| C．how to analyze youth violence |
| D．how to deal with school conflicts |
From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ________.
| A．violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime |
| B．a small conflict can lead to violence |
| C．students tend to lose their temper easily |
| D．the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight |
Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
| A．To find out who is to blame. |
| B．To get ready to try new things. |
| C．To make clear what the real issue is. |
| D．To figure out how to stop the shouting match. |
After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that ________.
| A．there was a decrease in classroom violence |
| B．there was less student cooperation in the classroom |
| C．more teachers felt better about themselves in schools |
| D．the teacherstudent relationship greatly improved |
The writer's purpose for writing this article is to ________.
| A．complain about problems in school education |
| B．teach students different strategies for school life |
| C．advocate teaching conflict management in schools |
| D．inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence |
In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition （学会） of each new skill m the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing．It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child．This might happen at any stage．A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads．On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself．
Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children．Some may be especially strict in money matters．Others are severe （严格的） over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals．In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness．
As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching．To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality （道德）．Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept"．If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach （说教）, their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled．
A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment．Eagerly watching the child's acquisition of new skills, ___________．
| A．should be avoided |
| B．is universal among parents |
| C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child |
| D．will make the child lose interest in learning new things |
In the process of children's learning new skills, parents _______．
| A．should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read |
| B．should expect a lot of the children |
| C．should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own |
| D．should create as many learning opportunities as possible |
The second paragraph mainly tells us that ___________．
| A．parents should be strict with their children |
| B．parental controls reflect only the values of the community |
| C．parental restrictions vary, and are not always for the benefit of the children alone |
| D．it's parents' and society's duty to control the children |
The word "precept" in Paragraph 3 probably means "___________"．
| A．opinion |
| B．punishment |
| C．behavior |
| D．instruction |
In terms of moral matters, parents should _________．
| A．follow the rules themselves |
| B．be aware of the huge difference between adults and children |
| C．forbid their children to follow hook teachings |
| D．always ensure the security of their children |
Both warm-blooded and cold-blooded desert animals have ways to escape the desert heat. Warm- blooded desert animals, such as rats and mice, rest during the day, often staying in cool underground burrows. At night they search for food. Animals that are out during the day, such as cold-blooded lizards and snakes, are active only for short periods. As their body temperature rises, these reptiles（爬行动物） move into the shade in order to cool down. In the early evening, when the sun grows weaker, the reptiles become more active and begin their search for food again.
Getting enough water to survive is a major problem for all desert animals. Some desert animals, like desert birds, manage to find water holes. Other desert animals, such as the kangaroo rat and the related jerboa, get water only from the food that they eat. Because these animals eat mainly dry seeds, they must survive on a tiny amount of water.
Most deserts have only a small number of frogs and toads because these animals must be near water to survive. Yet even these creatures have adapted(适应) to desert conditions. When small amounts of water collect in temporary streams, the desert-living frogs and toads become active. After a rainfall, they lay their eggs. The eggs grow into tadpoles in a few days and into adults in just four weeks. When the puddles(水坑) dry up, the adult frogs or toads dig into the ground. Their metabolism(新陈代谢) slows, and they stay beneath the ground until the next rain, which may be as good as a year away. Until then, their bodily activities continue at a reduced rate.
The camel — often called the ship of the desert — is one of the most successful desert animals. Camels can go for long periods without water, but eventually they must drink. When water becomes available to them after a long drought, they may drink 95 liters of water or more. When water is not available, what helps camels survive the desert heat is the fat stored in their humps(驼峰). A camel’s hump contains about 12 kilograms of fat. Fat is rich in hydrogen. As the fat is digested, hydrogen from the fat combines with oxygen in the air that the camel breathes. The result is H2O, or water. Each kilogram of fat that a camel digests produces about a liter of water. Desert animals are usually more active at night because _____.
| A．it is cooler at night |
| B．it is easier to find water |
| C．they like the dark |
| D．they are less likely to be attacked at night |
Which of the following desert animals can get water only from the food?
| A．The camel. |
| B．The kangaroo. |
| C．The frog. |
| D．The rat. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All the desert animals rest during the day. |
| B．All the desert animals don’t rest during the day. |
| C．Cold-blooded desert animals are out most of the day. |
| D．None of the cold-blooded desert animals go out during the day. |
The title for this passage could probably be _____.
| A．Hot Deserts |
| B．Desert Animals |
| C．How Desert Animals Get Water |
| D．Ways To Escape the Desert Heat |
The underlined word “burrows” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _____.
| A．holes |
| B．caves |
| C．rooms |
| D．openings |
A guitarist was pleasantly surprised to hear from New York City police that his valuable guitar had been found. It disappeared almost a year ago when he got out of a taxi and forgot to take the guitar with him. Laurence Lennon, 44, said he was running late that day. He was talking to his manager on his cellphone when he rushed out of the taxi. He said that he gave the driver $60 and told him to keep the change. He walked through the front doors of the concert hall, still talking on the phone to his manager.
Upon discovering his loss, Lennon used his cellphone to call the police. The policewoman asked him for the name of the taxi company, the number of the taxi, and the name of the driver. He said that she must have been joking.
She told Lennon that he could apply for a missing item report online. Lennon asked for address. It was www.nypd.gov/toprotectandtoserve/haveaniceday. She told him that finding the guitar might take a couple of years for finding guitars was not as important as finding murderers and marijuana （大麻）smokers. Then she told him to have a nice day.
“This year has been depressing,” said Lennon. “I had to put off the recording of two new CDs. I’ve been using borrowed guitars. And I was losing hope of ever recovering my guitar.”
Lennon was reunited with his $100,000 guitar yesterday. The guitar had been discovered in the corner of a coffeehouse only two blocks from where Lennon had lost it. Lennon had offered a $10,000 reward for its return. He said he would give the reward to the coffeehouse owner, who had informed the police. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Careless guitarist surprised. |
| B．Valuable guitar found. |
| C．Coffeehouse owner rewarded. |
| D．Taxi driver still unknown. |
In the first paragraph, the author explained ________.
| A．how costly the guitar was |
| B．how important the concert was |
| C．why the guitarist was late |
| D．why the guitar was left behind |
By saying “she must have been joking” in Para 2, the guitarist probably means ________.
| A．it was impossible for him to answer her questions |
| B．there must have been something she felt funny |
| C．she didn’t believe at all that he had lost his guitar |
| D．she must have felt that his behavior was funny |
In the policewoman’s opinion, finding the lost guitar _________.
| A．was not important at all |
| B．wouldn’t be done online |
| C．could be a long time hunting |
| D．only depended on the driver |
I wasn’t surprised when I read that actress Helen Hunt recently stated that she would never allow her young daughter to become a child star. Ms. Hunt is the daughter of a Hollywood technical director, and grew up in Hollywood. Now in her late 40s, she started acting and modeling when she was eight and has probably seen a lot over those years in show business.
She has had a successful career. She earned four Golden Globes and four Emmys. She also attained the top honor of her profession when she won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in the 1992 movie, As Good As It Gets. Given those accolades, Ms. Hunt is successful. There is no doubt that her early experiences as a child star prepared her for what has been an outstanding adult career. Given those achievements, why would this star declare she’ll never allow her daughter, now at the age of six, to follow in her footsteps?
Everyone familiar with the entertainment scene is aware of the reasons for her attitude. Recent tabloid (小报) news headlines featuring the troubles of former child stars, among them Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and the late Gary Coleman, may answer the question. Although Ms. Hunt managed to become a successful grown-up star, she apparently believes she’s an exception.
What Ms. Hunt may be suggesting is that many very young stars go through unnatural childhoods on movie and TV sets. While they’re earning big incomes, they’re so pampered (纵容) by directors and praised by fans; they may get false impressions that their lives will always be that way. Then, within a few years, when faced with reality, they’re hurt and confused. After all the overwhelming affection, they find they can’t deal with the problems. That’s often when drugs and alcohol take over their lives.
Helen Hunt has some other reasons why she doesn’t want her daughter to be in the entertainment business. Many child stars can never make a successful transition to meaningful adulthood. However, as with many Hollywood movies, I believe there are both good and bad scenes about how it can be played out in real life. According to the passage, Ms. Hunt _________.
| A．started acting and modeling when she was a little girl |
| B．has been acting for about 30 years |
| C．is the daughter of a famous actor |
| D．started singing when she was eight |
27. The underlined word “accolades” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_________”.
| A．difficulties |
| B．awards |
| C．salaries |
| D．opinions |
The author thinks Helen Hunt’s success is mainly due to _________.
| A．her hard work |
| B．the help of a technical director |
| C．her experiences as a child star |
| D．her talent and good luck |
Helen Hunt wouldn’t allow her daughter to become a child star because she thinks _________.
| A．child stars often take drugs and alcohol |
| B．being a child star may ruin her future |
| C．child stars aren’t able to solve their problems |
| D．it is difficult to succeed as a child actor |
From the passage we can conclude that _________.
| A．few child stars will succeed in the future |
| B．there is no way to save the entertainment business |
| C．the author has a different opinion about child stars |
| D．meaningful adulthood only belongs to non-child stars |
Communicating with Gestures
When travelling, you may think that if you don't know the language, you can communicate using gestures. However, very few gestures are universally understood and interpreted. What is perfectly acceptable in this country may be rude in other cultures.
1. Pointing at something using the index finger. It is impolite to point with the index finger in the Middle and Far East. Use an open hand or your thumb in Indonesia.
2. Making a "V" sign. This means "victory" in most parts of Europe when you make the sign with your palm facing away from you. But if you face your palm in, the gesture is very rude.
3. Smiling. This facial expression is universally understood. However, cultures can provide different reasons for smiling. The Japanese may smile when they are confused or angry while in other parts of Asia people smile when they are embarrassed. People in some cultures only smile to friends. It is important not to judge people for not smiling, or for smiling at what we would consider "inappropriate" times.
4. Waving one's hand with the palm facing outward to greet someone. In parts of Europe, waving the hand back and forth can mean "No". To wave "goodbye", raise the palm outward and wave the fingers together; but this is rude in Nigeria if the hand is too close to another person's face.
5. Forming a circle with one's fingers to mean "OK". Although this means "OK" in the U. S. and many other countries, there are some notable exceptions. In Brazil and Germany the gesture is obscene(猥亵的), while in Japan it means "money". In France, it has the additional meaning of "zero" or "worthless".According to the text, when we travel to other countries________.
| A．many gestures are universally recognized |
| B．the same gesture can have different meanings |
| C．a smile always suggests friendliness |
| D．we can still communicate without knowing the languages |
What does the word "inappropriate" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Unsuitable. |
| B．Impolite. |
| C．Uncomfortable. |
| D．Ordinary. |
When you talk to people from Brazil, you should remember not to ________.
| A．smile at them |
| B．make a "V"sign |
| C．point at objects around you |
| D．make the "OK" gesture |
The text is mainly to __________.
| A．show that gestures are universally accepted |
| B．warn readers of impolite gestures |
| C．show the different meanings of gestures in different countries |
| D．teach readers how to understand gestures in other countries |