Combining families with kids can be tough and offers even more unexpected problems. You just don’t know how things will shake out until everyone is under one roof, trying on new roles with name that start with “step”. This is what happened to Sheila and Will, and Sheila’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley. After the couple got married, and Will became the member of the new family, things got worse than expected. How did they make it work? Read the full version of the story here.
Shelia’s Turn: When Shelia and Will were dating, he seemed like kids, especially Ashley. He’d bring her presents, play games with her. But after the wedding, things took a turn. Will suddenly became a super strict stepfather, scolding Ashley for watching too much cartoons, constantly picking fights and punishing her for offenses as small as spilling milk. Shelia’s thought about leaving Will, but soon after they married, they had a son, Billy. Will adores his well-behaved boy, but Ashley hates him. Shelia doesn’t know what to do--- her daughter is miserable, but leaving her husband might mean losing her son.
Will’s turn: Will was so excited to be a male role model in Ashley’s life. He didn’t just want to be a guy living in her house; he wanted to treat her like his own daughter, which, to Will, meant giving Ashley more rules and help her learn responsibility. He’d always felt that Shelia let Ashley loose on everything. But after the wedding, Will was surprised that Shelia didn’t want him to do that. If Will takes away Ashley’s TV privileges or tells her to clean up her room, Shelia just lets Ashley do what she likes and does it herself. Will was tired of this and he’d rather take his son and go.
The advisor’s turn: The counselor(顾问) quickly recognized their conflict as a classic case of unspoken, hidden expectations. Before the wedding, when it was just Shelia and Will, everything was easy. But now, everyone in their big family is competing for attention, and the couple never sat down and discussed the biggest issue---their child-upbringing philosophies(育儿经). The counselor suggested Shelia allow Will to give some rules on Ashley but Will’s punishments couldn’t be extreme. Once Ashley saw that her mom and stepdad had become a united front, she cooperated more.The text is most likely to be found in a book about______.
| A．popular science | B．historical events |
| C．social problems | D．political systems |
The reasons for Ashley’s dislike of Will are as follows except_____?
| A．Will often picked fights with Ashley. |
| B．Ashley often spilled milk on the floor. |
| C．Will always punished her for bad behaviors. |
| D．Ashley was stopped watching too many cartoons. |
What can we know about Will?
| A．Will has a good intention. |
| B．Will does not love children |
| C．Will does not love Shelia any more |
| D．Will’s way of parenting is very perfect. |
It can be inferred from the passage that the advisor’s attitude to their problem?
| A．Negative | B．Objective | C．Critical | D．. Subjective |
The parents of a troubled teen may feel unsure as to whom to turn to in order to find help for their child. They may feel as if they have exhausted all of their options, and sometimes they are on the verge of giving up. But there is hope. Schools for troubled teens offer discipline and in some cases, drug treatment programs that can provide important life skills, and more importantly, a fresh start.
The following is a list of the most effective types of schools for troubled teens. Not every facility is a match for every child, but by knowing the differences between them, parents can make a better educated decision about where to send their teenager.
Boarding Schools
When a child is unable to deal with the relative freedom of a standard school day, boarding schools might be a good choice. At boarding schools, the child lives in a dorm setting, where almost every minute of the day is scheduled by school administrators.
Treatment Centers
When a teenager has an addiction to drugs or alcohol, a residential center that specializes in young people is an outstanding way to help them break the cycle of addiction. Treatment centers feature individual and group counseling to help identify the root causes of the drug problem and help develop the life skills needed to stay clean when the program is over.
Wilderness Programs
Designed to help improve the discipline and self-reliance of the child, wilderness programs send kids back to nature. By placing them in a foreign and sometimes uncomfortable setting, wilderness programs hope to improve children’s behavior. Programs generally include hikes, exercise programs and team building exercises.
Boot Camps
Boot camps are the most extreme style of school for troubled teens. These facilities are modeled after actual military boot camps, where the individual must get into shape, work as part of a team, and follow a long, hard set of rules and regulations. However, boot camps might not be the best choice for a teen with a drug addiction.
| A．Teachers. | B．Parents. |
| C．Students. | D．Experts. |
| A．can be a good choice for some desperate parents |
| B．can completely help and change troubled teens |
| C．are becoming popular with teens in trouble |
| D．care more about discipline than life skills |
| A．provide children with more freedom |
| B．have their students’ time managed carefully |
| C．pay much attention to team building exercises |
| D．can make children feel safer |
Taking exams in a large group setting can be stressful for students and for the staff members who are watching over them.
When classrooms are crowded and desks are close together, cheating might be tempting.
One university in Thailand came up with an anti-cheating hat that makes it almost impossible for students to see other students’ papers. A photo of the students wearing the anti-cheating hats made its way to the Internet, and the university was criticized for making students wear those ridiculous looking homemade hats. The hats were made by stapling pieces of paper onto a headband, one to each side of the head.
After being criticized, senior academic staff at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, released a statement saying that the hats idea came from students. They said that in a bid to prevent cheating they asked the students for ideas on how to prevent cheating in the upcoming exam, which was being taken by almost one hundred students. Students came up with different ideas, then the paper hat idea was selected by them as the most suitable.
The university claimed that no one was forced to use the hat, but they all chose to do so. “When wearing the hat during the exam, students felt more relaxed, ”Nattadon Rungruangkitkrai, a lecturer at the university said. “It was not meant to indicate that Kasetsart students often cheat on exams. I apologize if the photo makes other people look at my students in a negative way, ”Rungruangkitkrai added.
| A．When desks are crowded into a classroom. |
| B．When students are too stressful. |
| C．When too many students are sitting in a classroom. |
| D．When the staff members who are watching over them are not responsible. |
| A．The university was too strict. |
| B．The university made students wear strange looking hats. |
| C．The university prevented students cheating. |
| D．The students chose to use the hats. |
| A．The students are not forced to wear the hats when taking the exam. |
| B．The senior academic staff at the university made the paper hat idea. |
| C．The students felt more stressful when wearing the hat during the exam. |
| D．The students don’t like wearing the hats when taking the exam. |
| A．How to make the anti-cheating hat |
| B．Anti-cheating hat was criticized |
| C．Anti-cheating hat was considered the most suitable choice |
| D．Anti-cheating hat |
A new research of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression . The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression—eating or mood changes —and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
| A．Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness. |
| B．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior. |
| C．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions. |
| D．Careless parents whose children are deep in love. |
| A．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly. |
| B．The older a woman is，the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance. |
| C．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents. |
| D．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression. |
| A．Confused. | B．Disinterested. |
| C．Scared. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Parents should forbid their children’s love. |
| B．Puppy love may bring young people depression. |
| C．Romance is a two edged sword for adults. |
| D．Romance is good for young people. |
When Nancy Lublin got $5,000 from her grandpa in 1996, she never once considered taking a vacation or paying off student loans .Instead, the 24-year-old New York University law student began thinking about helping low-income women get better jobs. "If a woman goes for a job interview poorly dressed, she won't get the job." Lublin says. “ But without a job, she can't afford suitable clothes."
So with the money Lublin founded "Dress for Success” and began collecting women's clothes which were still in good condition but which their owners no longer needed. "So many women have clothes lying around that they will never wear again," one of Lublin's assistants says "Nancy's idea is so simple and yet so important to women."
Many women come to Lublin's office before going to a job interview. Here, they receive a suit, shoes and any other things they need, Since it was set up, more than 1,000 women have turned to "Dress for Success" for help. Many of them have won jobs. Some have round jobs after being out of work for many years. Jenny, a 32-year-old woman who was recently hired as a law-firm office manager says, "I made a good impression because of “Dress for Success”
| A．Nancy's grandfather lent her the money to set up the office. |
| B．Nancy set up "Dress for Success" to make money |
| C．Low-income women can get jobs at "Dress for Success" |
| D．Nancy's office gathers used clothes from women |
| A．need to look smart when looking for a job |
| B．like the design of the dresses |
| C．prefer buying clothes at a low price |
| D．like to wear different clothes. |
| A．clothes from Nancy's office helped to get her a job. |
| B．she is working happily at her present job |
| C．she got a lot of good ideas from Nancy |
| D．"Dress for Success" has a good business relation with her firm. |
| A．Keep Your Old Clothes |
| B．A Successful Clothing Business |
| C．Nancy: A Successful Law Student. |
| D．A Helping Hand for Women |
When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners’ good luck didn’t last.
Then, I realized I was not alone after all.
A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.
Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug(地毯) on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The joy in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. “All her work.” He said affectionately, “Nothing here hasn’t felt the touch of her hand.”
One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. “She always does that,” he explained, “It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child’s hair after she has brushed it. I don’t know why I do it. I just do it.”
As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman’s expression. The man stared at the picture. “Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!” “Where is she now?” I asked. “Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday,” he said slowly. “She will be back on Saturday, in the evening.”
That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.
Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. “We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?” “Oh yes,” the man replied. “A letter.” He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, “Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I’m going to tell her this time!” “No, you mustn’t do that, Henry,” the grey-haired miner said. “I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so.”
Saturday finally came.
I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.
Henry’s friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. “Drop that! Take the other.” he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew paler and paler. “Boys,” he said, “I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down.” Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.
In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, “Please don’t go, gentlemen. She won’t know me. I am a stranger.” They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, “She? Poor thing, she’s been dead nineteen years!” “Dead?” I whispered. “That or worse.” he said.
“She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She’s never been heard of since. Henry went insane. He thinks she is still alive. When June comes, he thinks she has gone on her trip to see her parents. Then he begins to wait for her to come back. We drop in here, three days before she’s due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. On Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We’ve done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he’s all right for another year.”
The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau.You can sense the existence of a woman from the following sentences EXCEPT “______”.
| A．Soft winds touched the trees in Stanislau. |
| B．There was a bright rug on the shining wooden floor. |
| C．There were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. |
| D．A little black shelf held a small picture of a woman. |
Tom cried when Henry read the yellowed letter, because ______.
| A．he was getting older and older |
| B．he was moved by the loving messages in the letter |
| C．he felt sad at the thought of Henry’s wife |
| D．he was disappointed that Henry’s wife would arrive so late |
Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because ______.
| A．there was not enough whiskey for Henry |
| B．he didn’t want me to get drunk |
| C．that glass of whiskey was drugged |
| D．it was for Henry’s wife |
The underlined phrase “went insane” probably means “lost his______”.
| A．hope | B．mind |
| C．heart | D．temper |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．Henry’s wife was 38 when she was last seen |
| B．Tom and Joe have heard the letter many times |
| C．the author stayed in Henry’s house because he was lost |
| D．the two miners came on Saturday to share past memories |
The story is mainly about ______.
| A．ever-lasting love |
| B．lifelong friendship |
| C．an unforgettable experience |
| D．charming Stanislau |
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