Perhaps you have seen them on the playground, at preschool drop-off or piano lessons, or even in TV shows like Up All Night. They are the stay-at-home dads, and lately, it seems they’re everywhere.
The latest research shows that 32 percent of dads regularly care for their children, and among those with preschool-age kids, one in five dads is the primary caregiver. In families where mom works, that figure rises to nearly one in three. Stay-at-home dads have become so common that even toy makers like Mattel are catering to(迎合) them.
A recent study finds that today’s full-time fathers aren’t trying to be “Mr. Moms”. Instead, they’re carving out their own unique roles as parents. I spoke with some experienced stay-at-home dads, who agreed that their parenting styles are different. “I do let the kids take more risks on the playground, while my wife tends to get nervous that they’ll fall and hurt themselves,” says Kyle, 38, an artist.
Besides, as there are more and more stay-at-home dads, they are turning to each other for support. They have created Meet Up groups and held Dads Nights Out. Kyle admits he had noticed a change recently. “Several years ago, I was checking out at a store with the kids, and the cashier was very curious why I was buying food instead of my wife. I told her that I was a full-time dad, and she commented, ‘Wow, I have never met one of you before.’ Now, my next-door neighbor is a dad who works from home and we often trades off watching the kids after school. ”
As for my own husband, although he admits that being a full-time dad is encouraging, he’s also proud of the strong bond with our daughter, which will offer her benefits that last for years. Children wit caring dads tend to have higher intelligence and more confidence, and do better in school. They also are less likely to experience depression or get into trouble, and have better social skills.Why toy makers catering to stay-at-home dads?
| A．Kids like playing with them. |
| B．They influence the choices their children make. |
| C．They are the money-makers in their families. |
| D．Kids like toys bought by them. |
According to Paragraph 3, stay-at-home dads _______.
| A．can never replace moms’ love. |
| B．can be as good as moms at parenting. |
| C．try to learn from moms about parenting. |
| D．have different parenting styles from moms. |
What change has Kyle noticed recently?
| A．The founding of Meet Up groups. |
| B．The change of people’s attitude towards them. |
| C．The increase in the number of stay-at-home dads. |
| D．The development of new communication methods. |
Children with full-time dads are more likely to be ______.
| A．smart and positive. | B．energetic and brave |
| C．sociable and patient. | D．confident and careful. |
If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
If you say to your children “I’m sorry I got angry with you, but …” what follows that “but” can make the apology ineffective: ” I had a bad day” or “your noise was giving me a headache ” leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior.
Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say “I’m sorry you’re upset”; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
These pseudo(虚假的)-apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness, Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not turn to these pseudo-apologies.
But even when presented with examples of true regret, children still need help to become aware of the difficulties of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling(糟蹋) other children’s expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that taking away the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent’s clothes without permission is not.If a mother adds “but” to an apology,________.
| A．the child may find the apology easier to accept |
| B．the child may feel that he should apologize to her mother |
| C．she does not realize that the child has been hurt |
| D．she doesn’t feel that she should have apologized |
According to the author, saying “I’m sorry you’re upset” most probably means”_______”
| A．You have good reason to get upset |
| B．I apologize for hurting your feelings |
| C．I’m wrong for making you upset |
| D．I’m aware you’re upset, but I’m not to blame |
We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry______.
| A．their ages should be taken into consideration |
| B．parents should be patient and tolerant |
| C．parents need to set them a good example |
| D．the difficulties involved should be ignored |
It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is _________.
| A．not necessary among family members |
| B．a sign of social progress |
| C．not as simple as it seems |
| D．a matter calling for immediate attention |
As the pace（步速） of life continues to increase , we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is completely necessary for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact , it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand(忍受) depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises（危机）we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established（确定的）links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.According to the writer, the most important character for a good manager is his ________.
| A．not fearing stress |
| B．knowing the art of relaxation |
| C．high sense of responsibility |
| D．having control over performance |
Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
| A．We can find some ways to avoid stress |
| B．Stress is always harmful to people’s health. |
| C．It is easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work. |
| D．Different people can withstand different amounts of stress |
In the last sentence of the passage, “do so” refers to .
| A．“expose ourselves to stress” |
| B．“find ways to deal with stress” |
| C．“remove stress from our lives” |
| D．“establish links between diseases and stress” |
According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is .
| A．to avoid it |
| B．to try to deal with it |
| C．to regard it as a vital motivation |
| D．to find some relaxation |
My son. The phrase felt difficult and strange the first time I said it, and I had to practice it a thousand times． I started saying the words to myself the day when the ultrasound told me we were having a baby．
Finally, my son was born.
The nurse came out of the delivery room, holding a tiny, howling human being wrapped in a white sheet, his small hands and delicate fingers shaking nervously. “Baby Sanchez?” she asked, looking at the room full of expectant fathers.
I stood up, holding my breath． She showed me my baby． “My son,” I whispered. The little guy screamed, “waaaaaaaaaah.”
But in my heart I heard him cry out, “Daaaaaaad!” I don’t care if everyone in the room will swear they didn’t hear my baby say that. I called him, “My son,” and he called me “Dad,” and that’s that.
People ask me, “What did you feel at that moment?” I can’t even begin to answer. I’m a writer yet I try hard to find the right words. Joyful isn’t powerful enough. Bliss(狂喜) is not sweet enough. Peaceful isn’t calm enough. Happy isn’t tense enough.
After my son was taken away to the nursery, I sat down and shut my eyes. But tears escaped them away. Then out of the blue, my 80-year-old father entered, and we embraced.
“Dad,” I whispered.
“My son,” my heart heard him saying.
Suddenly the past 33 years folded into the present and I was now the baby bundled in white, with my father standing over me.
“My son,” I imagined him saying.
“Daaaaaaaaaad!” I cried my little lungs out.
At that point, I knew I was going to be a great father. The old man in front of me seemed to agree. He smiled and we walked out of the room in search of the tiny human being that would change our lives for ever.Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．His son called him “Dad” when the writer called him “My son”． |
| B．All the people didn’t hear the baby say except the writer． |
| C．Sanchez is the writer’s family name． |
| D．The baby was taken away because the nurse found there was a mistake． |
The author couldn’t tell how he felt at the moment because ________．
| A．he was a writer |
| B．he was too excited |
| C．he was too nervous |
| D．it’s a feeling too complex to express |
We can learn the following from the passage EXCEPT that ________．
| A．the author got his first baby |
| B．he probably had a lung disease |
| C．the author didn’t really hear “Daaaaad” from his baby |
| D．the baby would change the author’s life |
Why was the writer sure he was going to be a great father?
| A．Because his son is so gifted． |
| B．Because he had much experience in bringing up children． |
| C．Because his father promised to help him． |
| D．Because his father had already set him a good example． |
For many years, I had a belief that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts, and rejections with it.
Many weight－conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved，being special, and being cherished. We fantasize（幻想） about what it will be like when we reach the long－awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self－worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.The passage tries to highlight the importance of ________.
| A．body size |
| B．attitudes toward life |
| C．culture difference |
| D．different beauty standards |
What does the word “everything” in paragraph 2 mean?
| A．All the problems. | B．All the properties. |
| C．The whole world. | D．The absolute truth. |
What can be inferred about the author?
| A．The author is a Samoan. |
| B．The author succeeded in losing weight. |
| C．The author has been troubled by her/ his weight. |
| D．The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents. |
According to the author, what is the common view of those who have lost some weight first and gained it back later?
| A．They feel angry about the regained weight. |
| B．They are indifferent to the regained weight. |
| C．They feel optimistic(乐观的) about future plans on weight control. |
| D．They think they should give up their future plans on weight control. |
GARDEN RESTAURANT
Address: 9020 Bridgeport Road
Open: Mon. to Fri. 7:00a.m. --- 2:30p.m.and 5:00 p.m. --- 9:00p.m.
Sat. 7:00a.m. --- 11:00a.m. and 5:00p.m.--- 9:30p.m.
Sun. 11:00a.m. --- 2:00p.m. and 5:00p.m.---9:30p.m.
NEW YORK MUSEUMTelephone: 364431
Address: Vanier Park, 1100 Chestnut St. New York America’s largest museum specializing in American history and part of our native people.
Open: Mon. to Fri. 9:00a.m.---5:00p.m. (Monday free)
Sat. 9:00a.m.---1:00p.m.
LANSDOWNE PARK SHOPPING CENTERTELEPHONE: 3562367
Address: 5300 NO.3 Road
Open: Mon. Tues. and Sat. 9:30a.m. ---5:30p.m.
Wed. Thurs. and Fri. 9:30a.m. ---9:30p.m.
Sun. 11:00a.m. --- 5:00p.m.
SKYLINE HOTELTelephone: 2785161
Address: 3031 NO.3 Road ( at Sea island Way)
The Hangar Den: Wed. to Sun. Lunch from 10:30a.m.
Coffee Shop: Mon. --- Fri. 6:00a.m. ; Sat. 6:00a.m. and Sun. 7:00a.m.
Mon. --- Wed. to 10:00p.m.; Thurs. --- Sun. to 11:00p.m.If you want to go out for lunch on Tuesday you can call up the number ________.
| A．2706630 | B．7364431 | C．3562367 | D．2785161 |
You do not have to pay on Monday if you go to ________.
| A．Skyline Hotel |
| B．Lansdowne Park Shopping Center |
| C．New York Museum |
| D．Garden Restaurant |
Suppose you want to buy some gifts for your friends, you can go to ________.
| A．3031 NO.3 Road |
| B．Vanier Park, 1100 Chestnut St. |
| C．9020 Bridgeport Road |
| D．5300 NO.3 Road |
What can you do after 9:30p.m. on Sunday?
| A．Visit New York Museum. |
| B．Do some shopping in Lansdowne Park shopping Center |
| C．Go to Garden Restaurant |
| D．Go to the Coffee Shop of Skyline Hotel |