Your kids learn a lot from their friends—things you can’t teach them, no matter how much you
want to.
Probably the most important thing kids learn is how to have peer relationships. As a parent, you can’t do this, because you and your child aren’t equals.
For example, when you’re sitting on your family room floor and your very young child asks you to pass him the blocks, you probably hand them right over. If your child is sitting with a peer and asks the same thing, though, he might not get what he wants.
To succeed, your child will need to learn strategies for getting what he wants. For example, he might simply yank (猛拉) the toy out of his friend’s hand. If he does that, he may learn that it’s not the best way of getting what he wants because it leads to fighting and time-outs. The successful child will learn that he needs to negotiate a trade, to wait patiently, or to find something else equally fun to play with.
Friends also provide emotional support, something that is part of the foundation of healthy adulthood. You can’t be with your child on the elementary school playground or at the high school dance. Your child’s friends will be the ones to stick up for her, to include her in games, and later, to tell her she looks great even if her lousy prom (糟糕的舞会) date wanders off instead of dancing with her.
Friends also help your children learn. Friends solve problems together, imitate each other, and
pass on knowledge .
Some experts believe that the single biggest predictor of your child’s success later in life is her ability to make friends. In fact, they claim it’s even more important than IQ and grades.
This doesn’t mean that the kids who are most popular in school do the best later on in life. What matters is not the number of friends a child has but rather the quality of the relationships.
This is good news for those of us who hate to think that popularity really is the Holy Grail of childhood and adolescence. While it’s true that popularity has many advantages, and that many popular kids really are nice people—and not just the best dressed or best looking—it’s better to have a few good friends than to have the admiration of the masses.By giving the example in Paragraph 3, the author wants to show that .
A.kids can learn how to deal with the relationships when they stay with their peers |
B.parents should spend more spare time playing with their kids |
C.kids should learn how to be polite when they ask their parents for help |
D.parents can teach their kids how to be good members in the modern society in their daily life |
What does the underlined phrase“stick up for” in the fifth paragraph mean?
A.envy | B.oppose |
C.support | D.ignore |
In the author’s opinion, is more important than being popular for kids.
A.getting high grades |
B.having some real friends |
C.developing a good habit |
D.knowing how to dress themselves up |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.How to Bridge the Generation Gap |
B.What It Takes to Be a Good Friend |
C.Why Friends Are Important |
D.How to Be Popular in School |
A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces (熔炉) that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die.
The death of a star is not a quiet event. First there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns.
After the explosion gravity pulls in what’s left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds.
The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is unbelievably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can go out. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born!
That’s what we know about black holes. What we don’t know is this: What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine.
But if the black hole doesn’t keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words a black hole in our universe could turn into a “white hole” in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly—somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time — many years in the past or future.
Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black hole must remain a mystery.
Black holes are a mystery—but that hasn’t stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make use of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth’s energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could some day be used to swallow earthly waste—a sort of huge waste disposal(处理) in the sky!When the star begins to die ______.
A.there is no fuel left in it | B.its outer layer goes into space first |
C.a huge explosion will happen | D.it doesn’t give off light any longer |
Which of the following doesn’t help produce a black hole?
A.The gravity inside the star is very strong. | B.The light can’t go out of the star. |
C.The star becomes smaller and smaller | D.The dying star shines very brightly. |
The black hole ______.
A.continues becoming smaller and smaller all the time |
B.goes into another universe and becomes a white hole |
C.can pull in everything we know of in the world |
D.will appear at another place at a different time |
What’s the best title for this passage?
A.A New Scientific Discovery: Black Holes |
B.How Do Black Holes Come Into Being? |
C.What Are Black Holes? |
D.Travel Through A Black Hole |
BEIJING, Nov. 26—U.S. dollar hit another record low against the euro on Friday, with the European currency climbing above $1.32 for the first time. The green-backfellto itslowest in nearly five years against the yen the same day.
By 1943 EST, the dollar was trading at US$1.3265 per euro, compared with US$1.3270 in thin late New York trade. It was at 102.55 yen, little changed from New York after touching 102.37, a level not seen since March 2000, in London.
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki repeated his warning against dollar weakness, threatening to take action against sudden moves, but market participants said such verbal intervention (口头干涉) had long lost its clout.
Traders were expecting market liquidity to remain thin on Friday because of the extended U.S. holiday.
In such thin trading, many said a fall in the dollar past 102 yen and US$1.33 per euro was a real possibility.
Referring to recent currency movements as “brutal”, European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet, who is the most vocal European policymaker on dollar weakness, is due to make comments in Rio de Janeiro, along with ECB council member and Spanish central bank governor Jaime Caruana.
Introduced in 1999 as the common currency for 12 European countries, the euro initially(最初) dropped against the dollar but has risen some 60 percent since hitting an all-time low of 82 U.S. cents in October 2000.
64. What does “the green-back” refer to in the first paragraph?
A. U.S. dollar B. Another record
C. The euro D. European currency
65. How did Sadakazu Tanigaki feel about dollar weakness?
A. Excited B. Puzzled C. worried D. Disappointed
66. The underlined word “brutal” probably means ______.
A. cruelty B. help C. criticism D. apology
67. According to some people, it was possible for the dollar to trade ______.
A. at 1.3265 per euro B. at 1.32 per euro
C. at 1.3270 per euro D. at 1.331 per euro
PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER WANTED A well-known printing company, now well established in the UK and in the Far East, wishes to set up a manufacturing base in Europe. An experienced manager, responsible to the Production Director, is required to assist in setting up the department and will then take charge of the day-to-day work. The successful applicant will have had experience of modern methods and machines especially in the printing, multicolour work and finishing processes, he / she will have had at least three years’ experience in cost-effective management. A good working knowledge of English is essential. We offer excellent pay and prospects, with 4 week’s holiday a year plus public holidays, a company car, and a company pension scheme(养老金制度). Interviews will be arranged in the nearest city to applicant’s home. Write, with CV, to the Personnel Manager, Box 32507, Daily News, Kemsworth Street, Comston. United Kingdom SG186 37AH. |
ASSISTANT PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER An internationally recognized printing company is seeking to set up a manufacturing plant in Europe. We are appointing an assistant (male or female) to our Print Production Manager. The job-holder will carry out duties involving the buying of paper and of finishing equipment, will liaise (联络) with the supervisors of the various production lines, and will assist the Production Manager. At least three years’ experience on one or more lines as well as supervisory experience is needed. A working knowledge of English is required to communicate with colleagues in the UK. We offer excellent pay, prospects, holidays, pension scheme, sick pay, etc. Write to the Manager, Box 3526. Broad Street, Northby, Millshire BK 57PX. |
Both the printing companies ______.
A.are well-known all over the world | B.require at least three years’ experience |
C.offer excellent pay and sick pay | D.prefer to hire a man manager |
According to the first advertisement, the applicant living in a small village will ______.
A.get in touch with the Personal Manager by telephone | |
B.get the result on TV | C.be interviewed in a city |
D.write to Box 3526 to get more information |
We can infer from the two advertisements that ______.
A.the companies want to do business in Europe and Far East. |
B.cars are necessary for the successful applicants. |
C.the companies haven’t got telephones to save money. |
D.applicants should write to the company first. |
The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.
Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.
Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.
As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals—many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.
During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from. We can know from the first paragraph that ______.
A.the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody |
B.people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up |
C.patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948 |
D.the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers |
What do we know about the NHS?
A.It’s managed by the central government. |
B.Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions. |
C.It hires more people than any other unit in Europe. |
D.Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care. |
All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ______.
A.take care of the local people’s health |
B.often take part in competitions to see who is the best |
C.work under high pressure nowadays |
D.have more responsibilities than before |
What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?
A.suffering | B.different | C.prevented | D.free |
The biggest problem for the NHS is ______.
A.many hospitals are too old to be used |
B.some services are in the charge of individuals |
C.more and more patients go to GPs for treatment |
D.there is not enough money for further reform |
NEWS BRIEF
●Prime Minister Tony Blair new allegations(指控) on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser’s written opinion raising questions about the legality(合法) of the war.
●U.S. Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of $5,000 fine and/ or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs.
●In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat, soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering.
●A bomb exploded in Thailand’s mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand’s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence(暴力).
●Mechanicsburg 3, West York 1: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match.The news brief covers _____________.
A.war, law, violence, culture and agriculture |
B.sports, war, violence, politics and climate |
C.politics, culture, violence, climate and sports |
D.violence, sports, politics, law and agriculture |
From the news brief, we can learn that ____________.
A.the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match |
B.Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again |
C.quite a few violent accidents happened in Tailand before the latest one |
D.the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legaliry |
According to the U.S. Forest Service officials, those who enter the area and damage the closed roads __________.
A.shall have to pay a $ 5,000 fine for the repairs to them |
B.shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs |
C.shall be fined $ 5,000 and kept in prison for six months |
D.shall pay a fine and repair the roads as a punishment |
The study of the scientists from the UK and Denmark is about ____________.
A.the importance of climate and the growth of crops |
B.the damage caused by high temperatures to some crops |
C.the relationship between crops flowering and high temperatures |
D.the effect of high temperatures on the production of some crops |