Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance (pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when financial (财务的) mistakes are not very costly.
How much money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish is quite different from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget (预算). Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget requires a choice between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.
Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your children for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do other work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals sometimes need to give up something. You have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowances can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance. A saving account (账户) is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest (复利息).
Compounding works by paying interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will get two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot, but over time it adds up. Parents give their children allowance in order to ______.
A.let them make more money |
B.pay for the housework they do |
C.let them learn the value of money |
D.help children manage family finance |
What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The time to give allowance. |
B.The way to spend allowance. |
C.How much allowance given to children. |
D.Considerations taken to give allowances. |
Why are parents advised to offer children allowances as planned?
A.To have children save money for larger costs. |
B.To give them more allowances next time. |
C.To help children learn to make a budget. |
D.To let children make fewer mistakes. |
What does the writer try to tell us?
A.The ways of limiting allowances. |
B.The advice on a better family budget. |
C.Offering allowance to children properly. |
D.Teaching children to use allowances wisely. |
The size and shape(形状) of your ears show your character more than any other parts of the face. Other parts of the face change shape as we get older, but ears do not change their shape. They only change in size.
Reading people’s character from their ears is an old science. In very old times people thought that a person with big ears had a good and generous character. They thought that a person with pale, small ears was dangerous. They also thought that the shape of the ear showed if a person was musical. Today, too many people believe that the size and the shape of the ear help you know if a person is musical.
Ears are all different, and each characteristic has a meaning. Next time when you look at a person, see if his ears are large, medium-size or small. Look at the lobes (the lowest part of the ear). Do they stick to the face? Ears that are always red mean a person may easily get angry, or he / she just has high blood pressure (高血压). Ears that are always cold and pale mean a person has a nervous character. And a big inside hole of the ear means a person is musical.When a baby is born, .
A.his / her ears are red |
B.his / her ears will not change all the life |
C.he / she will get large ears |
D.his / her ears will not change in shape |
We can guess Beethoven(a world-famous musician) may have .
A.ears with a big inside hole | B.round white ears |
C.ears with a hole in the lobes | D.big red ears |
Which may be the best title of the article?
A.Looking at a person in the right way |
B.Ears and characters |
C.The change of ears |
D.Ears and colours |
Riding School:
You can start horse-riding at any age. Go riding any day except weekends.
But at 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays, there are 10 kilometers of rides across farmland and open countryside. You will need a riding hat.
Opening Hours: Any weekday: 9:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Phone: (412) 396-6754 Fax(传真): (412)396-6752
Sailing Club:
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification(资格). You’ll learn how to sail safely. Have fun with other course members.
Opening Hours: Tuesdays: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Phone: (412)396-6644 Fax: (412)396-6644
Watersports Club:
We have a two-kilometer-long river for boat racing and water-skiing. You will learn to drive boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim. The club is open every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lessons all through the day.
Opening Hours: From Monday to Friday: 9:00a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Phone: (412)396-6899 Fax: (412)396-6890
Diving Centre:
Our experienced coaches offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners. There are two evening lessons a week.
Opening Hours: Monday and Friday: 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Phone: (412)396-6312 Fax: (412)396-6706Which of the following should you join if you are able to swim and want to enjoy activities that are fast and a bit dangerous?
A.Watersports Club | B.Driving Centre |
C.Sailing Club | D.Riding School |
Which number should be faxed if you like to experience a new activity in the countryside?
A.(412)396-6644 | B.(412)396-6706 |
C.(412)396-6752 | D.(412)396-6899 |
When should you attend your sailing lessons?
A.Any weekday: 9:00 a.m.-8:30p.m. |
B.From Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
C.Monday and Friday: 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. |
D.Tuesdays: 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends.They believe that their family members don’t know them as well as their friends do.In large families,it is quite often for brothers or sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas.
It is important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends.Even(即使)when they are not with their friends,they usually spend a lot of time talking between themselves on the phone.This communication is very important in children’s growing up,because friends can discuss something.These things are difficult to say to their family members. However,parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them.Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends.Have you ever thought of the following questions? Who chooses your friends? Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you? Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like? Your answers are welcome.Many teenagers think that __________ can understand them better.
A.friends | B.brothers | C.sisters | D.parents |
When teenagers are not with their friends, they often_______________.
A.talk with their parents |
B.talk with their friends on the phone |
C.talk with their family |
D.talk with their teachers |
When teenagers have something difficult to say to their parents,they usually________.
A.stay alone at home |
B.fight with their parents |
C.discuss with their friends |
D.go to their brothers or sisters for help |
Which is the best title of the passage?
A.Only parents can decide | B.Teenagers need friends |
C.Parents and children | D.A strange question |
Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today. People didn’t have modern machines. There was no modern medicine, either.
Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry more easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution. It's bad to all living things in the world.
Cars, planes and factories all pollute our air every day. Sometimes the polluted air is so thick that it is like a quilt over a city. This kind of quilt is called smog.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. Factories must now clean their water before it is thrown away, and they mustn't blow dirty smoke into the air.
We need to do many other things. We can put waste things in the dustbin and do not throw it on the ground. We can to go work by bus or with our friends in the same car. If there are fewer people driving, there will be less pollution. Rules are not enough. Every person must help to fight pollution.Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder without_____.
A.modern machines and medicine | B.cars and planes |
C.factories | D.rules |
According to the article, one of the biggest problems today is ______
A.water pollution | B.air pollution |
C.noise pollution | D.pollution |
Factories must clean their water ______.
A.before using it |
B.when using it |
C.after it is thrown away |
D.Before putting it into rivers or lakes |
What is your favourite colour? Do you like yellow, orange, or red? If you do, you must be an active person who enjoys life. Do you like blue? If you do, then you are probably quiet, shy, and would rather follow than lead.
Colours do influence our moods. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is depressing(令人压抑的). There was a black bridge over the Thames River, near London. The number of people who killed themselves on that bridge used to be larger than on any other bridge in the area-until it was repainted green.
Light and bright colours make people not only happier but also more active. In the factory, the workers will work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black.Most people feel more ______in a yellow room than in a dark green one.
A. tired B. boredC. relaxedWhy did more people probably kill themselves on the black bridge than on any other bridge?
A. Because the bridge was too crowded.
B. Because people didn’t like the bridge.
C. Because the colour of the bridge was depressing.Which could be title for the passage?
A. Your Favourite Colour
B. The Secret of Colour
C. The Colour of a Bridge