Have you ever noticed how families on TV always find time to eat meals together? In reality, people today are than ever before and getting the whole family together for an evening meal is often , as all members of the family have their own activities to get on with. For most of us, sitting down together at the table is a thing of the past, but what effect does this have on family members and the relationships between them?
One of the most important of eating together as a family is that the family has a chance to communicate with one another in a social environment. Many families that the evening meal is the best time to discuss problems and share experiences. “Eating together makes us feel , and we often have our most useful conversations at these times,” says Jane Digby, mother of three. So, although organizing a family meal everyday can be a(n) , it can benefit family relationships.
In addition, family meals help to improve children’s skills. They learn how to talk, how to listen and how to show consideration for other in the conversation. Furthermore, eating together gives a sense of security. Family psychotherapist (心理治疗专家) Sue Taylor believes that children who eat with their are far more confident as well as much more faithful to their families than children who don’t.
In spite of the many advantages of eating together, the of modern life make it almost impossible for many people to do so. However, Sue Taylor insists that we should try to make for family meals. “Mealtimes are the most valuable time a family can spend together,” she says. “If you can’t eat together every day, why not and eat together three or four times a week? It really is worth the effort.”
A．smarter B．busier C．luckier D．happier
A．convenient B．necessary C．impossible D．important
A．corner B．dinner C．window D．problems
A．advantages B．challenges C．adventures D．problems
A．slowly B．calmly C．instantly D．regularly
A．doubt B．worry C．find D．hope
A．relaxed B．close C．special D．tired
A．effort B．method C．idea D．mistake
A．social B．professional C．technical D．managerial
A．topics B．audience C．teachers D．participants
A．elders B．customers C．parents D．children
A．friends B．classmates C．families D．neighbors
A．varieties B．comforts C．demands D．pleasures
A．time B．money C．food D．progress
A．escape B．ask C．pray D．try
There was a man who played the piano in a small bar. There were not too many36 , but because he was a good piano player, some people37 came in every night just to hear him play. But one night, a patron (老主顾) told him he didn’t want to hear him play but to sing a song.
The man said, “I have never38 that before in public. I think I’m39 at playing the piano.”
But the customer40 . He told the waiter, “I’m41 listening to the piano day after day. I want to hear something new and I want that guy to sing.”
The waiter42 across the room, “Hey, buddy! If you want to get43 , sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!”
44 in order to bring some money home that night, the piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And45 had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung before 46 that night by Nat King Cole, and it surprised all, including the47 himself!
He had talent he was48 on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he49 to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.
You, too, have skills and50 . You may not feel as if your “talent” is particularly51 , but it may be better than you think! And with persistence (坚持), most skills can be52 . Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you53 ! The54 is not “What ability do I have that is useful?” It is 55 “How will I use whatever ability I have?”.
Just think a minute…
A．waiters B．customers C．singers D．players
A．never B．still C．ever D．only
A．practiced B．shown C．dreamed D．done
A．better B．richer C．easier D．sooner
A．agreed B．confused C．insisted D．charged
A．familiar with B．fond of C．used to D．tired of
A．served B．explained C．shouted D．complained
A．changed B．broadcast C．paid D．drunk
A．So B．And C．Because D．But
A．nobody B．anybody C．somebody D．everybody
A．until B．after C．since D．when
A．waiter B．singer C．patron D．owner
A．sitting B．waiting C．depending D．playing
A．went up B．went on C．went off D．went away
A．advantages B．character C．principle D．abilities
A．unique B．surprising C．famous D．great
A．recognized B．wasted C．improved D．impressed
A．imagine B．possess C．expect D．develop
A．decision B．answer C．question D．solution
A．even B．rather C．pretty D．fairly
“Sixteen,” I said. I have forgotten the math question my second-grade teacher, Joyce Cooper, asked that day, but I will never forget my 36 . As soon as the number left my mouth, the whole class started 37 . I felt like the 38 person in the world..
Mrs. Cooper fixed them with a firm look. Then she said: “We’re all here to 39 .”
Once Mrs. Cooper asked us to write a 40 about what we hoped to do in the future. I wrote: “I want to be a 41 like Mrs. Cooper.
She wrote on my report, “You would 42 an outstanding teacher 43 you are determined and you try hard.” I was to carry those 44 in my heart for the 27 years.
After I graduated from high school, I got married and had children.
We needed every penny just to 45 . College and teaching were out of the question.
Then one day I thought of my 46 of how I wanted to help children. I talked it over with my family and 47 to attend college classes in the 48 before work. And when I got home from work, I would 49 . Finally, after seven years, my dream had been realized and I became a teacher.
Not long after I started 50 , something happened that brought the 51 rushing back to me. I had written a sentence with grammatical errors on the blackboard. Then I asked students to come and 52 the mistakes.
One girl got halfway through, became 53 and stopped. As the other children laughed, 54 rolled down her cheeks. I gave her a hug and told her to have a drink of water. Then, remembering Mrs. Cooper, I fixed 55 of the class with a firm look. “We are all here to learn,” I said.
A．question B．answer C．result D．reaction
A．talking B．shouting C．discussing D．laughing
A．stupidest B．happiest C．least amusing D．most important
A．work B．learn C．play D．watch
A．letter B．song C．report D．story
A．teacher B．friend C．reporter D．parent
A．develop B．change C．return D．make
A．because B．unless C．until D．before
A．reports B．words C．teachers D．classmates
A．get by B．get past C．go by D．go ahead
A．plan B．work C．dream D．idea
A．supposed B．promised C．decided D．agreed
A．evenings B．mornings C．afternoons D．nights
A．sleep B．study C．rest D．play
A．studying B．writing C．thinking D．teaching
A．teacher B．life C．past D．feeling
A．correct B．prove C．check D．read
A．mad B．excited C．confused D．confident
A．water B．tears C．seat D．smiles
A．half B．most C．the whole D．the rest
Many years ago there lived a young couple in a small town. The husband was out of job for a long time and the wife 36 make a living by sewing for others. They were so poor that there was almost nothing in the house but a jar under a37 table, in38 was a little rice 39 from their neighbor for the coming New Year. 40 New Year’s Eve, the wife had already fallen asleep, but the husband was41 in bed, worrying about the life. Suddenly he heard something. In the darkness he saw a man breaking into the room.
“It42 be a thief.” He thought, “but it43 matter, there is nothing that can be 44 .” So he 45 to be asleep and kept watching over the thief.
The thief began to 46 the room. At last he found the rice in the jar.
“But47 can I take it away?” the thief thought hard. Then he had an idea. He 48 his coat and spread it on the ground between the bed and the table. After that he turned round to take the jar.
Now the husband realized what the thief 49 . He picked up the coat quickly and 50 himself with it while the thief was turning around.
The thief 51 the jar, poured the rice out on the place where he had just spread his coat and squatted (蹲) down to feel it. But to his surprise, his coat had52 .
“Hey”, he couldn’t help 53 out. The 54 woke up the wife. She asked her husband, “Did you hear any sound? Maybe there is a thief in the room.”
“ Nonsense(胡说)!” replied her husband. “Go back to sleep. There is no thief in the room.”
“No, that’s 55 ,” the thief shouted loudly. “If there isn’t a thief, then, where’s my coat?”
A．was able to B．wanted to C．had to D．would
A．good B．old C．nice D．broken
A．it B．which C．where D．that
A．borrowed B．asked C．lent D．taken
A．During B．At C．In D．On
A．working B．sewing C．lying D．thinking
A．will B．must C．can D．may
A．isn’t B．wasn’t C．doesn’t D．didn’t
A．lost B．carried C．destroyed D．stolen
A．pretended B．tried C．decided D．started
A．look into B．search C．discover D．examine
A．what B．when C．why D．how
A．used B．took off C．put on D．brought
A．had done B．did C．would do D．could do
A．hung B．covered C．studied D．dressed
A．shook B．laid C．lifted D．touched
A．lost B．missed C．left D．disappeared
A．to cry B．crying C．to jump D．jumping
A．sound B．voice C．noise D．saying
A．right B．all right C．nothing D．impossible
I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was 36 and when I was 14 he said, “You’re never going to be 37 but a failure.” After five years of 38 jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the beatific 39 that could have happened to me. I 40 I wanted to do something positive (积极地) with my life because I wanted to prove to 41 that what people said about me was 42 . Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let’s 43 it, you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done.” So I tried hard with my 44 and went to college. My first novel 45 while I was at college. After college I taught during the 46 in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a 47in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of 48 that job to write full time 49 I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself — 50 was a working-class boy who’d 51 school early, now teaching at the university. My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I’m rich and 52 , have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. 53 what does it mean? I 54 wish all the people that have put me down had 55 : “I believe in you. You’ll succeed.”
A．bright B．useless C．simple D．hopeful
A．something B．anything C．everything D．nothing
A．low B．good C．poor D．useful
A．support B．happiness C．surprise D．thing
A．admitted B．decided C．planned D．told
A．me B．them C．her D．it
A．stupid B．right C．wrong D．faulty
A．see B．know C．understand D．face
A．experiment B．practice C．writing D．composition
A．came on B．came in C．came back D．came out
A．day B．night C．month D．year
A．graduation B．pass C．degree D．success
A．giving in B．giving back C．giving out D．giving up
A．while B．if C．or D．when
A．there B．it C．here D．that
A．left B．attended C．changed D．graduated
A．tired B．calm C．nervous . D．famous
A．And B．But C．However D．Well
A．so B．exactly C．just D．very
A．said B．praised C．answered D．advised
One sunny afternoon, a seven-year-old girl went for a walk. She crossed a large area of grassland into the woods 21 she realized that she was lost.
Sitting on a rock and 22 what to do, she began crying. After a while. She 23 to walk along a wide path lined with tall trees and thick bushes. 24 it was getting dark, she saw a small, dark wooden house. She opened the door and 25 stepped in. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise, and she ran out the door and back to the 26 . Cold and tired, she fell asleep near a 27 .
The girl’s parents were out and her dog, Laddy, was at home. Laddy 28 that his mistrees（女主人）was in danger. He jumped 29a window, breaking the glass. He looked in the fields. But he couldn’t find his mistress anywhere. However, from the ground came a 30 scent (气味) as he lowered his head. He 31 the scent and walked across the grassland. Barking 32 into the air, the dog 33 through the woods until he found the 34 . But the girl was not there, so he headed back to the woods. Much to his
35 , he saw his mistress’ blue shirt in the distance. He 36 over some bushes and saw the little stream, where the girl was 37 .
When she opened her eyes and 38 her dog standing beside her, the girl said, “you
39 me, Laddy,” and she kissed him several times. Seeing their daughter and dog coming back, the parents burst into tears of 40 That night Laddy had a heror’s supper: a huge meal of steak
A．since B．before C．while D．as
A．remembering B．forgetting C．wondering D．regretting
A．preferred B．expected C．decided D．failed
A．If B．Until C．When D．Because
A．cautiously B．carelessly C．hopelessly D．unwillingly
A．trees B．bushes C．grasses D． woods
A．rock B．stream C．tree D．house
A．sensed B．found C．heard D．smelt
A．at B．in C．through D．onto
A．terrible B．familiar C．pleasant D．strange
A．followed B．discovered C．missed D．ignored
A．calmly B．gently C．merrily D．loudly
A．looked B．wandered C．searched D．travelled
A．window B．girl C．hero D．house
A．delight B．disappointment C．embarrassment D．satisfaction
A．climbed B．jumped C．walked D．flew
A．awake B．abandoned C．asleep D．available
A．spotted B．saw C．observed D．watched
A．rescued B．comforted C．disturbed D．scared
A．relief B．shock C．sorrow D．pain