As any housewives who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis carried out his study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is nothing.”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
| A．show the relationship between parents and children |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C．report on the findings of a study |
| D．give information about family problems |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．get the least attention from the family |
| C．are often not allowed to come to the dinner table |
| D．find it hard to get along well with other children |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner. |
Here are some of the world’s most impressive subways
| The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines |
Features: The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines that compose Tokyo’s massive(庞大的)subway system carry almost 8 million people each day, making it the busiest system in the world. The system is famous for its oshiya— literally, “pusher”— who pushes passengers into crowded subway cars so the doors can close. And you think your commute (上下班路程) is hell. |
| The Moscow Metro |
Features: The Moscow Metro has some of the most beautiful stations in the world. The best of them were built during the Stalinist era and feature chandeliers(枝形吊灯), marble moldings and elaborate murals(精美的壁画). With more than 7 million riders a day, keeping all that marble clean has got to be a burden. |
| The Hong Kong MTR |
Features: The Hong Kong MTR has the distinction of being one of the few subway systems in the world that actually turns a profit. It’s privately owned and uses real estate development along its tracks to increase income and ridership. It also introduced “Octopus cards” that allow people to not only pay their fares electronically, but buy stuff at convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants and even parking meters. It’s estimated that 95 % of all adults in Hong Kong own an Octopus card. |
| Shanghai Metro |
Features: Shanghai is the third city in China to build a metro system, and it has become the country’s largest in the 12 years since it opened．Shanghai Metro has 142 miles of track and plans to add another 180 miles within five years. By that .point, it would be three times larger than Chicago “L”. The system carries about 2.18 million people a day. |
| The London Metro |
Features: Londoners call their subway the Underground, even though 55 percent of it lies above ground. No matter when you’ve got the oldest mass-transit system in the world, you can call it anything you like．Trains started in1863 and they’ve been running ever since. Some 3 million people ride each day, every one of them remembering to “Mind the gap”. |
Which one can provide the riders some wonderful decorations at the stations?
| A．The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines | B．The Moscow Metro |
| C．The London Metro | D．The Hong Kong MTR |
________ is done with the purpose of making money．
| A．The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines |
| B．The Moscow Metro |
| C．The London Metro |
| D．The Hong Kong MTR |
We can learn from the passage that Shanghai Metro____________．
| A．carries the most people each day |
| B．is the world’s largest |
| C．may be larger than the Chicago “L” in the future |
| D．is the busiest in the world |
What do we know about the Hong Kong MTR?
| A．It is not owned by state. |
| B．It has become the country’s largest subway since it opened. |
| C．It carries the most people every day. |
| D．It is the busiest system in the world. |
Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times，but I could hardly claim to know my way around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French.
I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret. I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ran through my mind： you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment.
There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since，I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places，without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage.
The point is that the new, the different, is almost scary by definition. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.
I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a balloon. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept anxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can accomplish wonders.The author accepted the assignment because _____
| A． he had never travelled abroad before |
| B． he hardly knew any foreign languages |
| C． he was familiar with any other country in Europe |
| D． he would learn something new and different by trying |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A． The author had been abroad only twice. |
| B． The author thought the trip was hard but worthwhile. |
| C． The author admitted that anything different was terrible. |
| D． The author must be good at doing research and making interviews. |
We can infer from the text that the author is _____.
| A．awkward | B．generous | C．stubborn | D．brave |
What's the best title of the text?
| A．An Interesting Trip Abroad | B．My First Writing Assignment |
| C．Ready to Try and Challenge | D．How to Be Daring and Brave |
阅读短文并回答问题，将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
You can't avoid a conflict at work. If you can avoid a conflict, it means you will win what you want regardless of what the other person wants. Since the potential issue has not been removed, it will simply reappear later. Here are the necessary steps to effectively get rid of conflicts at work.
★ Realize that some conflicts are unavoidable at work. On numerous occasions, conflict and disagreement are likely to happen. But when a conflict happens it's not the end of the world. On the contrary, it can be the beginning of an interesting learning process. Conflicts mean that people care enough to disagree strongly. The trick is not to allow the conflict to go on forever.
★ Handle conflicts sooner rather than later. Solve a conflict when it starts, as it only gets worse with time going by. Conflicts at work arise not from something that was said, but from something that wasn't said! Everyone's waiting for the other to admit he's wrong and gets more unpleasant after the conflict has lasted a while. It's essential to interrupt the "waiting game" before it gets to that point.
★ Ask nicely. If somebody has done something that made you angry, or if you don't understand their viewpoint or actions, simply asking nicely about it can make a world of difference. Never assume that people do what they do to annoy or hurt you. Sometimes there's a good reason why that person does what he or she does, and a potential conflict disappear right there. Do remember to make an inquiry, not an accusation of any sort.
★ Appreciate. Praise the other part in the conflict. Tell them why it's worth it to you to solve the conflict. This can be difficult as few people find it easy to praise and appreciate a person they disagree strongly with, but it's a great way to move forward.
| Topic |
How to |
| Reason |
Conflicts won't |
| ● Don't be afraid of conflicts which can happen in many ●Interrupt the "waiting game" and try to admit your ● Don’t imagine people do something to make you ● Remember not to ● Try to appreciate the other part in the conflict although it is |
|
| As long as you learn to do with conflicts, you'll work in joy. |
All young people dream of travelling the world. They are restless and very eager to see new sights. However, they have little idea how they would really do it if given the chance. Because their knowledge of geography is quite limited, they seldom know much about the places they wish to visit or how they would get there.
Already hundreds of thousands of Chinese student tourists are visiting these places-Wuyi, Lhasa, Lijiang, Dali, Vientiane and Phnom Penh. Indeed, these students will soon be the most travelled generation in China’s long history. The World Tourist Organization predicts that a quarter of a century from now the number of Chinese tourists going abroad will be twenty times what it is today. The largest percentage of these tourists will visit Southeast Asia. Not all Chinese who travel abroad will be tourists, however. More and more youths are deciding to volunteer their skills in this region; much like their peers in the Peace Corps and VSO.
Critical thinking skills required include planning for a trip and solving problems after the trip has begun. The focus is on how to read an atlas (地图集) to make travel plans and how to find ways of travelling. An atlas offers a wealth of information about geography and is one way to increase students’ awareness of their global environment. Use of an atlas especially addresses the needs of students with different visual and spatial (空间的) learning styles.The main idea of the first paragraph is ________.
| A．all young people wish to travel around the world |
| B．all young people like to learn the knowledge of geography |
| C．all young people like travelling but their knowledge of geography is quite limited |
| D．all young people are aware of the places they are going |
These places, Wuyi, Lhasa, Lijiang, Dali, Vientiane and Phnom Penh, lie in ________.
| A．China | B．Europe | C．Vietnam | D．Asia |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The number of Chinese tourists going abroad will be twenty times what it istoday in about 25 years. |
| B．The number of Chinese tourists going abroad will be twenty times what it is today in about 10 years. |
| C．Southeast Asia will become the most popular visiting place in the world. |
| D．Young people will be addicted to Internet travelling. |
One way to increase students’ awareness of their global environment is for them to ____
| A．watch TV | B．listen to radio news |
| C．read an atlas | D．plan a trip |
The underlined phrase “a wealth of” can be replaced by “_________”.
| A．a number of | B．a great many | C．a great many of | D．a great deal of |
How hard we have all prayed(祈祷) to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have.
At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you “young lady”. You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered.
But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; “Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already.”
“No”, they say, “your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good.” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket.
Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now.”
“Good, now, you can sit here and knit (编织) this for me while I go and have a rest.” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work.” You wish then you were a child again.
But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it. That’s the way it goes!The passage is told about _______ problems.
| A．a growing-up boy’s | B．a teenage girl’s |
| C．an old woman’s | D．a grown-up’s |
It is clear that the writer, as a teenager, ________.
| A．is pleased with the present life |
| B．is unhappy about growing up |
| C．doesn’t think her, present life happy enough |
| D．knows happy life will come to her soon |
How does she know her prayer has been answered?
| A．People treat her as a young lady |
| B．She is no longer a kid. |
| C．People begin to call her teenager. |
| D．She can join women in all kinds of activities. |
From what her parents say, we know _________.
| A．they don’t believe she is already a teenager |
| B．it’s dangerous for a girl to spend money |
| C．they love her more than before |
| D．they still regard her as a child |
Having heard her grandma’s criticism, _________.
| A．she has to lie in bed, doing nothing |
| B．she knows she has already worked the whole afternoon |
| C．she wishes she were not growing up |
| D．she finds it isn’t her turn to do knitting |
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