The first time my wife Linda gave birth was in a hospital.
When Linda got pregnant(怀孕) for the second time, we wanted a home birth, not just for ourselves, but for our daughter. We are very open with our daughter. We want to teach her respect and awe(敬畏) for the things of bodies. So she was part of the process from the very beginning.
In the morning the midwives came just as Linda was climbing into the birth tub(盆).Our daughter offered her mom water and food while she rested. When she found the noise and activity of birth, she was too nervous to stay long, so she spent a few minutes next to the tub, then went into another room to play. The midwives called her back in time to see her brother come into the world. As Linda pulled our tiny newborn son up, our daughter and I rushed to her side, all four of us hugging and crying and very excited.
That night, and many times since then, our daughter said, "I' m so proud of Mom for having a baby. "She has seen and admired the effort it takes to bring a new person into the world. It's a part of her life, something that can happen in the same room where she colors and watches movies.
It was crucial that our daughter was part of that experience, not just for her, but for Linda and me as well. Everything we wanted for her﹣trusted care providers; a very familiar environment continuing support; good food﹣were things we needed but didn't have the first time Linda gave birth.We crossed this threshold(门槛) together,as a family,and it was messy and scary and painful and unusual and mysterious and really perfect.
(1)The writer of this passage is probably .
A.a father
B. a mother
C. a daughter
D. a son
(2)What does the under lined word "midwives" probably mean .
A. carefully hardworking cooks
B. specially trained nurses
C. truly talented singers
D. very friendly drivers
(3)From the last paragraph, we can see in fact the writer .
A. didn't want her wife Linda to give birth in the family
B. didn't want their family to cross the threshold together
C. thought it was crucial that their daughter was not part of the experience
D. wanted her daughter to know that she was trusted and needed in the family
(4)According to the passage we can see .
A. the writer's first child is a son
B. there are five people in the writer's family now
C. the writers daughter saw her brother come into the world
D. the writer wanted a home birth, only just for their daughter
(5)Which is the best title(标题) for this passage?
A. My First Child Was Born in a Hospital.
B. The Second Child in My Happy Family
C. A Messy and Painful and Unusual Family
D. Why Did We Choose a Home Birth for Our Second Child?
Riding a Mobike on the street, you might hear some people speaking Chinese aloud. Turning
to the right, you see a Sichuan﹣style restaurant. After walking into a store, you see that Huawei
smartphones are on sale.
But you are not in China ﹣you're in Manchester in Britain. You might see similar things in many other cities, Chinese products have been going global(世界性的).
Chinese food has been enjoyed in Western countries for a long time. To meet local people's tastes, Chinese restaurants have made some changes to the dishes. For example, Chinese people like to eat meat with the bone in, but Western people don't. So Chinese restaurants provide big pieces of meat without bones, even for fish.
Some Chinese brands are also becoming more popular. In many cities in Europe, stores sell TCL televisions, Haier fridges and Lenovo computers.
More than half of the US﹣owned drones (无人机) are Chinese models. They're not only made in China, but also designed and developed in the country.
In the past, most Western people thought Chinese products were cheap and unreliable(不可靠的). But now, things have changed greatly. "Made in China" becomes cool.
(1)We can see more people use Chinese products in Western countries now.
(2)Chinese restaurants provide meat with bones to meet local people's tastes.
(3)More than 50% of the US﹣owned drones are designed, developed and made in China.
(4)In the past, most Western people thought Chinese products were unable to be trusted.
(5)This article is about the disadvantages of Chinese products.
Many Chinese mothers are afraid that their children will fall behind their classmates, so these mothers are becoming "tiger mothers". They believe the harder their children study, the happier life they will have in the future. Is it true? Lulu and her sister Sophia may have a say.
Lulu and Sophia have a "tiger mother". She pushed them a lot when they were young. For example, they were not allowed to get grades lower than A's. They had to practice the piano or violin for several hours a day. There were no games or TV.
The tiger mother, Amy, is a Chinese﹣American professor at Yale Law School in the USA. Several years ago, she wrote a book named Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and shared her strict parenting style(育儿方式)in it.
Many people don't like Amy's style of parenting. They once worried that her daughters would not be happy. However, the two girls have grown up and they are thankful to their mother.
Sophia has just graduated from Yale University. She is hard﹣working, friendly and helpful. Not long ago, she shared some useful studying tips online. Lulu is also a warm, smart and popular girl in her friends' eyes. She said tiger mothers believed that a child could succeed by being pushed to go all out.
Still, not everyone agrees with the tiger mother's parenting style. In fact, there isn't a parenting style that fits everyone. What's the best parenting style for you? Maybe you should work it out together with your parents.
根据短文内容,选择最佳答案.
(1)According to the passage,"tiger mothers" .
A. |
don't mind their children falling behind their classmates |
B. |
don't care about their children's feelings when they grow up |
C. |
believe pushing their children hard can help them succeed |
D. |
believe the more happily the kids study, the harder their life will be |
(2)What can we know about Amy?
A. |
She is teaching in China. |
B. |
She loves playing the violin. |
C. |
She is the mother of the two girls. |
D. |
She is liked by many people. |
(3)In Lulu and Sophia's opinion, their mother is .
A. |
great |
B. |
worried |
C. |
humorous |
D. |
hateful |
(4)What can we infer (推断) from the passage?
A. |
You can find tiger mothers only in China. |
B. |
Lulu graduated from Yale University, too. |
C. |
Sophia is not a popular girl in her friends' eyes. |
D. |
Different children need different parenting styles. |
(5)Which of the following is probably the title?
A. |
Lulu and Sophia |
B. |
Do you want a tiger mother? |
C. |
Chinese Mothers |
D. |
How can you become a tiger mother? |
Alan Smith is blind. He teaches blind children in his country. To show the world that the blind can also do something amazing, he walked across the world's largest salt desert, Salar de Uyuni, only with the help of a GPS.
Walking across the desert is not easy for an able﹣bodied person, let alone(更不用说) a blind man. Before setting off, Alan spent three years training for the journey. He studied everything he could find about the place and asked for advice from other travelers. During his journey, he only took water, food and sleeping bags. He walked about 20 kilometers a day. He showed great perseverance(毅力) and finished the 140﹣kilometer journey in just seven days.
The brave teacher thought his week﹣long journey was wonderful. He said, "The journey was quite good. There were snow storms and winds, but luckily I made it."
根据短文内容,选择最佳答案.
(1)Why did Alan cross the desert on foot?
A. |
To tell children a story. |
B. |
To have a wonderful journey. |
C. |
To take a risk for money. |
D. |
To show the ability of the blind. |
(2)The underlined phrase "setting off" in the second paragraph probably means .
A. |
preparing a journey |
B. |
starting a journey |
C. |
breaking a journey |
D. |
finishing a journey |
(3)What did Alan do during the journey?
A. |
He overcame all of the difficulties. |
B. |
He asked for advice from other travelers. |
C. |
He walked with an experienced tour guide. |
D. |
He studied something useful about the place. |
(4)How long did Alan's journey take?
A. |
140 days. |
B. |
One week. |
C. |
20 months. |
D. |
3 years. |
(5)Which of the following can best describe Alan's journey?
A. |
It is a piece of cake. |
B. |
It is between a rock and a hard place. |
C. |
Nothing is impossible. |
D. |
Learning should be a lifelong journey. |
The first floating (漂浮的) city will be in French Polynesia. That's an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Builders hope to finish much of it by 2020.
This floating city will be near French Polynesia's shore. Its people will live by the laws of French Polynesia. Other floating cities might be built in the open ocean. These cities could create their own laws.
The first floating city will be environmentally friendly. Its energy will be from the sun. People will drink recycled rain and seawater.
Floating cities will be safe from flooding. Built on platforms(平台), they will rise with the sea level. They could be moved, if needed. They would allow more people to live near the ocean.At the beginning, the first floating city will be the same size as a soccer field. Gradually, it will grow into a much larger city with homes, parks, schools, shops and restaurants in it. Would you like to live in a floating city?
根据短文内容,判断句子正(T)误(F).
(1)There will be a floating city in French Polynesia.
(2)People in floating cities will live by the laws of French Polynesia.
(3)The energy of the first floating city will be from the wind.
(4)The floating cities could move up with the sea level.
(5)At the beginning, you will find a soccer field in the first floating city.
Reading is fun. When you read, would you like a paper book or an e﹣book(电子书)? Some people choose e﹣books, some love paper books, and others prefer reading both.
Li Ming, a university professor(教授), is busy doing some research. So he is often on business.
When he is at the airport or on the train, he especially loves reading e﹣books. He also likes reading paper books in the library for his research work. Besides, he enjoys the smell of the paper books.
What's more, Li Ming would like to read with his family. There is a reading time from 8: 00 to 9: 00 each Friday evening at home. Everyone reads and shares what they learn from the books. One Friday evening. Grandma took out an old paper book and said to her grandson, "Lei Lei, this is the first book your grandpa gave me. There is his name on the front page. Whenever I read it, I can get something new from his notes. And I can still remember the happy life we lived together." Li Lei said, "But I enjoy reading e﹣books. E﹣books need no paper. Many forests will be saved." Grandma advised. "Don't read for a long time, or your eyes will get sore."
Different people have different ideas about e﹣books and paper books. No one knows whether e﹣books can replace(代替) paper books or not. Somehow, books are our friends. No matter which kind of books you choose to read, you can learn more about the world through them.
(1)Do all the people prefer reading e﹣books?
(2)When is the reading time in Li Ming's family?
(3)What does the old paper book mean to Grandma?
(4)Do you think e﹣books will replace paper books in your life? Why or why not?