As prices and building costs keep rising, the "do-it-yourself" trend (趋势) in the U. S. continues to grow.
“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross,“ and we just didn't have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoemaking factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I've finished a car repair course; I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money, so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a DIYer, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don't have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
We can learn from the text that many newly married people .
| A．take DIY courses by the government |
| B．have to learn to make their own furniture |
| C．find it hard to pay for what they need |
| D．seldom go to a department store to buy things |
John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to .
| A．make or repair things |
| B．run a DIY shop |
| C．save time and money |
| D．improve the quality of life |
When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim .
| A．makes shoes at his home |
| B．does extra work at night |
| C．does his own car and home repairs |
| D．keeps house and looks after his children |
Jim Hatfield decided to become a DIYer when .
| A．he could not possibly do two jobs |
| B．the car repair class was not helpful |
| C．his car repairs cost too much |
| D．he had to raise the children all by himself |
What would be the best title of the text?
| A．The Joy of DIY |
| B．You Can Do It Yourself Too! |
| C．Welcome to Our DIY Course! |
| D．Ross and Hatfield: Believers in DIY |
School Activities for Kids and Teens
January is a month of fun-filled activities for kids and teens as long as you know where to find them. When you want some fun activities for January, think about these ideas happening in this month.
Secret of the Dragon Time: Mon., Jan. 1, 10:30 am Cost: Adult: $7.40 Child (under 15): half Tel.: 3403 2578 Add.: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Secret of the Dragon is a magical story about two children ride a dragon to explore the ocean. |
The Search for Life Time: Thurs., Jan. 4, 2:00 pm Cost: Adult: $14.50 Child (under 15): $8.70 Tel.: 3403 7689 Add.: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Note: Are we truly alone in space? Is there any life out there? These are the questions asked in this show. |
Magic Class Time: Fri., Jan. 12, 10:00 am Cost: Free Tel.: 3403 8470 to book your seat beforehand Add.: Centenary Community Hub, 171 Dandenong Road Note: Would you like to be a magician? Then join David, the magician, to learn about real magic with playing cards, coins, ring ropes and DIY projects and be able to become the life of the party. |
Science with Me Making Your Own Guitar  Time: Sat., Jul. 20, 3:00 pm Cost: Free Tel.: 3403 1226 to book your seat beforehand Add.: 10, Egginton Close Note: Do you want to make a guitar with Katy and her mom? Science with Me is going to be with you. Please remember to bring a piece of wood, a hammer, some rubber bands and some nails with you. |
If you want to make a guitar, you can call ________.
| A．3403 8470 | B．3403 1226 | C．3403 7689 | D．3403 2578 |
John and his 10-year-old son want to watch Secret of the Dragon. They will pay ________.
| A．$7.40 | B．$11.10 | C．$14.80 | D．$23.20 |
Rita plans to join Magic Class. She may learn about _______.
| A．real magic | B．making coins | C．magic stories | D．holding parties |
Alec is strongly interested in space life. He may go to _______.
| A．Magic Class | B．Science with Me |
| C．Secret of the Dragon | D．The Search for Life |
Hello! The Generation 90s is coming!
Wearing earphones, using net language and text messaging, the Gen – 90s following the Gen – 80s begin to make their world debut(初次露面).
Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle. Read and judge for yourself if you fit the Gen – 90s profile(形象).
Earphones
These little earphones seem to grow on the heads of the Gen – 90s. They might lead to MP4, MP5 or Iphone players and are used to listen to pop songs. But too much time on earphones is bad for ears.
Martian(火星的) Language
They have created their own online language. It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand. This is a generation full of imagination. But try not to use them when writing compositions. Teacher may get annoyed.
Self – Portrait(自我)
Saying “cheese” to their own cameras is common for this generation. A little bit of narcissism(自恋) never hurts anyone. It helps them reflect(反映) a little on their own lives. But be careful not to put all private photos online.
Text – Messaging
They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak. However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style.The readers of the passage maybe_______.
| A．Teens | B．Educators | C．Socialists | D．Parents |
The writer described the Gen-90s in _______ ways.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the Gen-90s’ happy life |
| B．the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
| C．the Gen-90s’ lifestyle and some useful advice for them |
| D．the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
According to the text, the writer will choose _______ as a good example to the Gen-90s.
| A．Li Hua likes dancing and always wears beautiful dresses. |
| B．Zhang Chao speaks English and Japanese very well. |
| C．Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends. |
| D．Fangfang likes taking photos of her own and often put them online. |
How is the passage organized?
| A．By making comparisons(比较). |
| B．By showing a topic and giving explanations(解释). |
| C．By using famous people’s words. |
| D．By listing data(数据). |
Now some women are spending a weekend at Mother’s Camp. There, husbands and children are not allowed. Why would a woman want to take a vacation without her family? Some women say they need time to be alone.
At Mother’s Camp a woman has room to herself. She can sleep, read or watch TV, and no one will bother her. No children will ask, ”Mom, what’s for dinner?” No husband will say, “Oh, dear, I can’t find any clean socks.” In fact almost 50% of women in the United States work outside the home. Many of them work full- time and then come home to a second job – taking care of their homes and families. These working women say one of their biggest problems is housework.
In the United States, working wives do about 75% of the housework. Many of their husbands say they want to help. But then they burn the rice or they can’t find the pans. They ask so many questions that their wives decide it is easier to do the job themselves.
Some women go to Mother’s Camp just to get a break from housework. For two days they don’t cook, they don’t clean, they don’t look after their children and husbands. What do they do? They enjoy warm, sunny weather, walking, swimming or boating in a clear blue lake and sing songs around the camp-fire. They relax away from home. They have a really wonderful vacation at Mother’s Camp. From this passage we can see ________ in the United States.
| A．women want to work outside the home |
| B．working wives do most of the housework |
| C．husbands do as much housework as their wives |
| D．women like being bothered by their families |
At Mother’s Camp, women can’t _______.
| A．watch TV | B．read newspapers |
| C．swim in the lake | D．bring their husbands and children |
Why would some mothers like to be alone? Because _________.
| A．they don’t like their husbands and children |
| B．they have to work full – time |
| C．they are too busy to relax themselves |
| D．they want a new life |
________ is one of the biggest trouble for working wives in the United States.
| A．Housework | B．Working outside the home |
| C．When to take a vacation | D．Looking after their children |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Busy Working Mothers | B．Welcome to Mother’s Camp |
| C．Mothers Relax Away from Home | D．Mothers in the U.S. |
A group of frogs were travelling through the woods. Two of them, Nick and Jack, fell into a deep pit(坑). All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told Nick and Jack that they were as good as dead.
Nick and Jack ignored(不理睬) what the other frogs said and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their strength. The other frogs went on telling them to stop, and that they were as good as dead. Nick listened to them and gave up. Finally, he fell down and died.
Jack continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the frogs around the pit shouted at him to stop the pain(痛苦) and just die. Jack jumped even harder and finally got out. When he was out, the other frogs asked, “Did not you hear us?” Jack explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him all the time. Nick and Jack fell into a pit when they were __________.
| A．holding a meeting | B．taking exercise |
| C．travelling through the woods | D．sleeping in the woods |
The other frogs told Nick and Jack to stop because they thought the pit was too ______.
| A．big | B．strange | C．small | D．deep |
From the story we know _______ died in the end.
| A．Nick | B．Jack | C．Nick and Jack | D．all the frogs |
When the other frogs shouted at Jack to stop the pain and just die, he __________.
| A．stopped jumping | B．jumped harder |
| C．fell down and died | D．gave up trying |
Jack finally got out because ________.
| A．the pit wasn’t deep | B．he thought the others encouraged him |
| C．he climbed a ladder | D．his friends pulled him out |
How do you make friends? Some students are sharing their ideas with us.
 TomAlthough we are quite different, Adam and I have been close friends for 5 years. We have a lot to talk. We play basketball together after school. We go for a picnic at weekends. It’s always a pleasure to be with him. |
 YumiI spend my spare time mostly with people from other countries. When I’m with them, I really get to know what they’re like and how easy they are to get along with. They help me to improve my English. |
 AnnaI’ve made some good friends at the gym I go to. People there are very friendly. Talking to them as I take exercise is a good way for us to get to know each other. |
 PeterI can make more friends on the Internet because it keeps me in touch with the whole world. I can get worldwide stories from my friends all over the world. |
Adam is ______ friend.
| A．Tom’s | B．Yumi’s | C．Anna’s | D．Peter’s |
Anna likes to make friends who ________________.
| A．are different from each other . | B．like surfing the Internet |
| C．have the similar interest | D．speak English. |
With the help of her friends, Yumi ______.
| A．takes more exercise | B．learns English better |
| C．feels happier at picnics | D．knows more about the world |
What helps Peter make more friends?
| A．The story. | B．The sport. | C．The Internet. | D．The language. |
According to the passage, which is Not True?
| A．Peter often tells his friends funny stories. |
| B．Anna often takes exercise. |
| C．Yumi’s friends are easy to get along get with. |
| D．Adam and Tom often go for a picnic at weekends. |