The Hunan Satellite TV(HNTV) show “Where are we going, Dad?” is a big hit. Many famous stars brought their children to a strange village alone, and they had to spend 72 hours with their children there. The program fully showed us a modern version of the “how to be a good father”. As the young parents today are too busy to take care of their children, this new form of “Lost on the way” played by nanny Daddy and cute kids triggered(触发)a lot of people’s emotional resonance(共鸣). Both the kids and their parents will find that their hearts are being drawn closer. But this kind of feeling has just proved that there is a big spiritual barrier between the modern parents and children.
The TV shows like “Children are hard to support!”, “Where are we going, Dad?”, “hot mom” and “cute kids” are becoming more and more popular. All of these show the new parents’ confusion in children’s education and the appeal for the balance between career and family.
In real life, on the one hand the young parents feel helpless because they are too busy to accompany their children under the pressures of work and life; on the other hand they continue to do so. The data collected by HNTV shows that nearly two-thirds of their audience are female, among whom 36% are aged from 25 to 34.We can imagine such a scene that one evening a young mother is watching the show with her young children, while her husband is still at work or trapped in socializing, or maybe is just playing computer games in the bedroom. The story of a child without the company of father is still going on. In fact, it is sometimes the same to mothers. In a modern family, it is often the old who take the responsibility of raising a child. The participation of mother in the children’s education is also very low.
It is just this kind of confusion where the parents have gone in the modern family education, and where the parents will guide their children to go that “Where are we going,Dad?” shows us. If a child wants to grow up healthily and safely into a modern citizen with independent personality and free spirit, it is very important for him or her to follow the parents who serve as their first teacher. Maybe this is the real reason why such kind of TV programs could get hot. The truth is that children will go where their parents go; and society will go where the children go.In raising a child in modern society, parents should ________.
A.play computer games with their children |
B.keep their children at home to avoid socializing |
C.balance well between family and career |
D.break down the barrier between children and teachers |
Which of the following can be inferred in the passage?
A.Parents shouldn’t entirely leave the education of children to the old. |
B.36% of the audience of the program are female aged from 25-34. |
C.The program shows us the confusion where the parents and children will go to play. |
D.In a modern family it is often mothers who are responsible for raising a child. |
Which one is the best title of the passage?
A.Confusion Behind “Where are we going, dad?” |
B.Modern Education is Important |
C.Nanny Daddy and Cute Kids |
D.New problems in Modern Children’s Education |
What attitude towards modern family education does the author express in the second paragraph?
A.Proud. | B.Worried. |
C.Optimistic. | D.Indifferent. |
China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors---silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.
It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.
My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.
I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
A.Because they are convenient and inexpensive. |
B.Because they are traditional and safe. |
C.Because they are colorful and available. |
D.Because they are fast and environment friendly. |
The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended __________.
A.to ride it for fun | B.to use it for transport |
C.to experience local skills | D.to improve his riding skills |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
A.It was boring. | B.It was difficult. |
C.It was lively. | D.It was wonderful. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience?
A.The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills. |
B.The author took great pleasure in biking. |
C.The author was praised by the other bikers. |
D.The author was annoyed by the air while riding. |
Collecting information about pre-employment and filling out an application form are closely connected, However, filling out an application form is much easier because you have total control and have enough time to think and plan.
That you are given a form to fill out does not necessarily mean that you have to answer all the questions in it. If the form contains unclear questions or terms and conditions, you can make some changes before signing(签约)it, or refuse to answer some of the questions. What you must realize is that those terms and conditions have been written by highly paid lawyers. Each word is important, or it would not be there; and you can be sure that there is not anything there that is written with your interests in mind.
I know what I speak of because, as a lawyer for Litton Industries. I wrote the terms and conditions that were printed on the back of order forms, I wrote the most tiring terms and conditions anyone has ever seen. Still, 90 percent of the buyers would just sign on them without questioning anything. If anyone questioned them, we would reach an agreement on something that was acceptable to both sides.
So when you see a preprinted application that contains questions or terms and conditions, read it all and read it slowly. If you don’t like something, you can simply change the parts you don’t like, Remember that everything can be settled by discussion. To what degree it can be settled depends on your position, of course, and that is something only you can determine.Filling out application forms is much “easier” because_______.
A.everything connected with application forms is easier |
B.you can control the form filling with enough time |
C.you can plan and have control of the needed time |
D.it is easier to collect information about pre-employment |
We can learn from the underlined part “Each word is important” that _______.
A.questions in a form must be answered |
B.everything in a form must be read carefully |
C.the conditions that interest you are changeable |
D.something of your interests is most important |
It can be inferred from the 4th paragraph that_______.
A.you must change a preprinted application before it is discussed |
B.questions in a form are more important |
C.you have little right to determine the conditions you like most |
D.it depends on yourself to settle things in a form |
We’ve reached a strange—some would say unusual—point. While fighting world hunger continues to be the matter of vital importance according to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO), more people now die from being overweight, or say, from being extremely fat, than from being underweight. It’s the good life that’s more likely to kill us these days.
Worse, nearly l8 million children under the age of five around the world are estimated to be overweight. What’s going on?
We really don’t have many excuses for our weight problems. The dangers of the problem have been drilled into us by public-health campaigns since 2001 and the message is getting through—up to a point.
In the 1970s, Finland, for example, had the highest rate of heart disease in the world and being overweight was its main cause. Not any more. A public-health campaign has greatly reduced the number of heart disease deaths by 80 per cent over the past three decades.
Maybe that explains why the percentage of people in Finland taking diet pills doubled between 2001 and 2005, and doctors even offer surgery of removing fat inside and change the shape of the body. That has become a sort of fashion. No wonder it ranks as the world’s most body-conscious country.
We know what we should be doing to lose weight—but actually doing it is another matter. By far the most popular excuse is not taking enough exercise. More than half of us admit we lack willpower.
Others blame good food. They say: it’s just too inviting and it makes them overeat. Still others lay the blame on the Americans, complaining that pounds have piled on thanks to eating too much American-style fast food.
Some also blame their parents—their genes. But unfortunately, the parents are wronged because they’re normal in shape, or rather slim.
It’s a similar story around the world, although people are relatively unlikely to have tried to lose weight. Parents are eager to see their kids shape up. Do as I say—not as I do.What is the “strange” point mentioned in the first sentence?
A.Starvation is taking more people’s lives in the world. |
B.WHO report shows people’s unawareness of food safety. |
C.The good life is a greater risk than the bad life. |
D.Overweight issue remains unresolved despite WHO’s efforts. |
Why does the author think that people have no excuse for being overweight?
A.They have been made fully aware of its dangers. |
B.A lot of effective diet pills are available. |
C.Body image has nothing to do with good food. |
D.There are too many overweight people in the world. |
The example of Finland is used to illustrate (说明)_________.
A.the cause of heart disease |
B.the effectiveness of a campaign |
C.the fashion of body shaping |
D.the history of a body-conscious country |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.Overweight or Underweight? | B.WHO in a Dilemma |
C.No Longer Dying of Hunger | D.Actions or Excuses? |
Sparrow is a fast-food chain with 200 restaurants. Some years ago, the group to which Sparrow belonged was taken over by another company. Although Sparrow showed no sign of declining, the chain was generally in an unhealthy state. With more and more fast-food concepts reaching the market, the Sparrow menu had to struggle for attention. And to make matters worse, its new owner had no plans to give it the funds it required.
Sparrow failed to grow for another two years. Until a new CEO, Carl Pearson, decided to build up its market share. He did a survey, which showed that consumers who already used Sparrow restaurants were extremely positive about the chain, while customers of other fast-food chains were unwilling to turn away from them. Sparrow had to develop a new promotional campaign.
Pearson faced a battle over the future of the Sparrow brand. The chain’s owner now favored rebranding Sparrow as Marcy’s restaurants. Pearson resisted, arguing for an advertising campaign designed to convince customers that visits to Sparrow restaurants were fun. Such an attempt to establish a positive relationship between a company and the general public was unusual for that time. Pearson strongly believed that numbers were the key to success, rather than customers’ speeding power. Finally, the owner accepted his idea.
The campaign itself changed the traditional advertising style of the fast-food industry. The TV ads of Sparrow focused on entertainment and featured original sons performed by a variety of stars. Instead of showing the superiority of a specific product, the intension was to put Sparrow in the hearts of potential customers.
Pearson also made other decisions which he believed would contribute to the new Sparrow image. For example, he offered to lower the rent of any restaurants which achieved a certain increase in their turnover. (营业额)
These efforts paid off, and Sparrow soon became one of the most successful fast-food chains in the regions where it operated. Which was one of the problems Sparrow faced before Pearson became CEO?
A.The number of its customers was declining |
B.It was in need of financial support |
C.Its customers found the food unhealthy |
D.Most of its restaurants were closed |
What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Customers of Sparrow restaurants |
B.Sparrow restaurants |
C.other fast-food chains |
D.Customers of other fast-food chains |
For what purpose did Pearson start the advertising campaign?
A.To stress the unusual tradition of Sparrow |
B.To lean about customers; spending power. |
C.To meet the challenge from Marcy’s restaurants. |
D.To build a good relationship with the public |
What was Pearson’s achievement as a CEO?
A.He made Sparrow much more competitive |
B.He managed to pay off Sparrow’s debts. |
C.He helped Sparrow take over a company |
D.He improved the welfare of Sparrow employees |
In early autumn I applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University, but my mother fought strongly against it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up.
“You can’t say it’s not a great university, just because Papa went there.”
“That’s not it at all. And it is a top university.” She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”
“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money. Do you want me to get a job to help support you and Papa? Things aren’t that bad, are they?”
“No,” she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”
Father borrowed money from his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop, His chief customers were his old college friends. To get new customers, my mother had to help. She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she could get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns. What’s more , they had not wanted enough to be rich and successful;otherwise they could not possibly have managed their lives so badly.
I was torn between the desire to help them and change their lives, and the determination not to repeat their mistakes. I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted. After months of hard study, I won a full college scholarship .My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because___________
A.his father graduated from the university |
B.his mother did not think it a great university |
C.his parents needed him to help support the family |
D.his parents did not have enough money for him |
The father started his small shop with the money from___________
A.local league | B.his university |
C.his relatives | D.his college friends |
Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?
A.To help with her husband’s business |
B.To raise money for her son |
C.To meet her long-forgotten friends |
D.To better manage her life |
According to the text, what was the author determined to do in that autumn?
A.To get a well-paid job for himself |
B.To improve relations with his mother |
C.To go to his dream university |
D.To carry on with his father’s business |