Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when MR. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
‘‘I would never have said to my mom, Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?”says Ballmer. There was just a complete gap in taste. Music was not the only distance. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectation: earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families: Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent-child activities, from shopping to sports, involve feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, "To my mother, my best friend."
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parent. “ There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening," says Kerne, a psychology professor, at Lebanon Valley College. "In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents."
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic(民主) process that encourages everyone to have a say,
“My parents were on the 'before' side of that change, but today's parents. the 40-year-old were on the 'after' side," explains Mr. Ballmer. "It's not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now."
Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
A.Parents help their children develop interests in more activities. |
B.Parents put more trust in their children's abilities. |
C.Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs. |
D.Parents share more interests with their children. |
The change in today's parent-child relationship is ________.
A.more confusion among parents |
B.new equality between parents and children |
C.less respect for parents from children . |
D.more strictness and authority on the part of parents . |
By saying "today's parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the “after' side." the author means that today's parents _________.
A.follow the trend o f the change |
B.can set a limit to the change |
C.fail to take the-change seriously |
D.have little difficulty adjusting to the change |
The purpose of the passage is to ________.
A.describe the difficulties today's parents have met with |
B.discuss the development of the parent-child relationship |
C.suggest the ways to handle the parent-child relationship |
D.compare today's parent-child relationship with that in the past |
It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of the road. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had to get there but no one could take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into a stranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Houses of Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and they started to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficulty in finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed a square and at last after about half an hour’s walk they arrived at the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn’t understand how the stranger found his way. “It is wonderful,” he said. “How do you find the way in the fog?”
“It is no trouble at all to me,” said the stranger, “I am blind.”According to the passage, we can infer that “bump into” means _______.
A.knock off |
B.meet by chance |
C.strike |
D.traffic accident |
Which of the following statements are NOT true?
A.The stranger has a better sight than Mr. Smith. |
B.Heavy fog can cause traffic accidents. |
C.It’s easy to get lost in a foggy day. |
D.The fog was getting thicker and thicker. |
Why is it no trouble at all to the stranger to find the way in the fog?
A.Because he is a local inhabitant of London. |
B.Because he lives next to the Houses of Parliament. |
C.Because he is familiar with the route. |
D.Because he finds the way not by sight but by heart. |
This article mainly tells us that ________.
A.London is a foggy city. |
B.Mr. Smith works for the government. |
C.A blind stranger led the way for Mr. Smith in a foggy day. |
D.Mr. Smith had a very important meeting and lost his way in the fog. |
Pop music is the name for different forms of popular, commercial(商业) music. It had its beginning in the USA and spread throughout the whole world during the 1950s and 1960s. It is widely liked by the young people. The best known early form of pop music was “rock’ n’ roll”; another was “blues”. A more recent development is “folk-rock”. Pop music has taken the place of native music in many parts of the world; it has caused the number of people for jazz to become much smaller than it was in the 1950s and earlier, and it has now begun to rule musical stage productions. It’s a big industry. Much pop music is without artistic value, but the work of some pop singers, e.g. the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the groups like Floyd and Crosby, Stills and Nash, is on a higher musical level. And there is still a great interest in it today. Pop music concerts and festivals are held all over the world.All of the following forms belong to pop music EXCEPT _______________.
A.blues | B.rock’ n ’roll | C.jazz | D.folk-rock |
According to the article, the number of people for jazz in the 1950s and earlier was ___________ it is today.
A.much greater than | B.much smaller than | C.as great as | D.as small as |
Which of the following is TRUE?
A.No pop music is on a high musical level. |
B.Much pop music is very artistic. |
C.Pop music is highly artistic. |
D.Not all pop music is without artistic value. |
As the global financial crisis hits the economy, it’s tough finding a job — especially if you’re competing with thousands of other hopeful students. Sometimes you get the interview, but don’t quite seem to land the job because you don’t have related experience. Don’t despair! Here are a few tips that might give you an edge.
1. Get connected to your network and try to expand it. Talk to friends, family and acquaintances. Let everyone know you are looking for a job.
2. Prepare your resume (个人简历) carefully and be sure it’s perfect. Have someone else read it over for typos (打字错误) and grammatical errors. Get professional help. It’s worth the money to present yourself well. If money is tight, read books on resume writing from your public library or search for free help on the Internet.
3. When you apply for a job, be sure you have the skills listed on the posting. If you get an interview, be sure to describe those skills thoroughly. Just having the skills is not enough. Expressing your abilities well can make all the difference in getting the job.
4. Research typical interview questions and practice interviewing. Be well prepared for every interview.
5. Don’t be afraid to accept a position for which you are overqualified — if there’s room for advancements. Many great job advancements come from first doing well at an entry-level position. If you have the right skills and attitude, it won’t be long before you’re in the job you want.
6. Volunteer for a few weeks in your field of study to gain experience if you feel your resume needs an improvement.
7. When deciding what to wear for an interview, think about the position level and the dress code of the organization.
8. Use every tool available to you. For example, this site has many job links for your use.
Good luck!What’s the author’s advice on preparing a resume?
A.To read it over several times by yourself. |
B.To get professional help even if it costs money. |
C.To copy something from books. |
D.To publish it on the Internet. |
If you lack related experience you can ____.
A.make up some in your resume |
B.read books to get second-hand experience |
C.do some related voluntary work |
D.get some training at schools |
The purpose of the text is to ____.
A.show how to prepare for an interview |
B.wish people good luck |
C.encourage people not to despair |
D.give advice on how to find a job |
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born on April 10, 1990) is an English actor. The son of an actor and a former fashion model, he began his career as a child fashion model at the age of seven, modeling for labels such as GAP, after meeting Ralph Lauren in a toy store in New York City. He attended Twickenham Preparatory School in Hampton and later the Mall, a small private school in Twickenham and as a schoolboy, performed in plays, including Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
“When you go through such a long process of auditioning you kind of forget about getting it. It’s more like you keep going up and having a little bit of fun,” Pettyfer said.
The film became a hot topic for film critics. One review of Pettyfer’s performance described him as playing the role with an “earnest seriousness”, although another noted that he “isn’t quite at ease as an actor”. Media reports have specified that the film is expected to make Pettyfer a “teen idol”.
After Pettyfer completed filming on Stormbreaker, he did not discuss the film with anyone at his school, and decided to leave school and concentrate on his film career, as well as study drama full time at college. Now he is studying at Shiplake College boarding school. Pettyfer likes skiing, dancing, and hockey when not working.What’s the CORRECT time order of these events in Pettyfer’s career?
① He made his first appearance in a film.
② He made his first appearance in a play.
③ He made his first appearance on television.
④ He made his first appearance as a model.
A.①②③④ | B.①②④③ | C.④③①② | D.④②③① |
Anthony Horowitz chose Pettyfer as the main character in Stormbreaker because ____.
A.Pettyfer was born in a family of actors and models |
B.Pettyfer made his first public appearance at an early age |
C.Pettyfer performed well in Tom Brown’s Schooldays |
D.Pettyfer performed best among the 500 boys who auditioned |
What can be inferred about the film version of Stormbreaker?
A.It was a hit film. |
B.All the reviews of this film are positive. |
C.Petty![]() |
D.Pettyfer wasn’t satisfied with his performance in it. |
Which of the following statements best describes Pettyfer?
A.He’s always ready to help others. |
B.He’s too confident of his ability. |
C.He prefers drama to films. |
D.He likes doing sports in spare time. |
By the year 1869 when the first transcontinental railroad was finished, over 350,000 pioneers had taken the Oregon Trail to head west and start a new life, which is known as the Gold Rush Period in American history. Many of these were women and most were accompanied by children.
Before heading west, many women often spent their day doing nothing more than visiting, needlework, and the occasional gardening of flowers. Others were not from as wealthy families and had to work alongside their men as laborers. Neither type was in most cases prepared for the hardships that lay ahead.
Once they did reach their destination, the work was far from over. A house would need to be built. Women quickly learned to use all kinds of tools right alongside their husbands. At the first sign of spring, a garden would need to be planted. Pioneer women also had to deal with dangerous wild animals, including bears and lions. Indians were also a concern, and some did fall to their deaths by the Indians’ hand. Where were the men when all this was being done? Working the fields and mining were the two most usual occupations. Their remaining work, which there was plenty of, fell to the women and the oldest children if there were any.
Women who headed west learned quickly that there was much more to life than teas and visiting. They had no choice but to struggle for survival. This was their life.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Changes in the Gold Rush Period. |
B.New life in the West. |
C.Great people in American history. |
D.Pioneer women to the West. |
By mentioning women’s life before heading west in paragraph 2, the author implies (暗示) that .
A.it was a real struggle for women to adapt to the hard life in the West |
B.it was not reasonable for women to give up their comfortable life |
C.it was a better choice for women to experience a new and hard life |
D.it was necessary for women to change their lifestyle completely |
According to the passage, which was NOT the problem women faced when heading west?
A.They had no choice but to throw away many of their beloved things. |
B.They could not take their children along because of the hard journey. |
C.It was common that they lost their husbands in some accidents. |
D.They suffered from diseases or even lost their lives. |
Women were kept busy with all the following work EXCEPT _________.
A.building a house |
B.planting a garden |
C.driving wild animals away |
D.caring for the Indians |