When it comes to relationship, we spend a lot of time discussing their joys, but rarely talk about the pain when they break down. Yet most people have a story about a broken relationship.
For Jane Black, a six-year friendship ended when her friend was rude to one of her children. “After quite a few drinks at a party in my house, she said something rude to my child. I ended the friendship face to face at the party,” she says. “I didn’t realize what I was doing at the time, I was simply standing up for my child, but in her eyes any challenge was a betrayal.”
When Angela Thompson noticed a seven-year friendship disappearing, she let it go. “I didn’t know how to deal with the issue. I didn’t sit down for a grown-up conversation; I just walked away quietly.” The decision caused a reaction among Thompson’s other friends. “The other friends in the circle are the worst people when you are trying to break up with a friend,” she says. “They don’t want you to stop being friends, because it puts them in a difficult position. You get told to just get it over.”
Though we have plenty of measures for handling conflict at work or family fight, we still don’t have good ways of ending friendships. Do we sit down and properly break up, or just walk away? Psychologist Serena Cauchy has the following advice.
Don’t blame.
Talk about your needs and feeling rather than talking like a Dutch uncle.
Do talk about your needs.
Talk about why the friendship is not working for you—about how your needs aren’t being met.
Don’t gossip.
Negative talk hurts everyone involved and in some cases can make matters worse.
Don’t be so accessible.
If there is a common wish to conclude the friendship, then you can remove it.How did Angela Thompson deal with her friendship when it went wrong?
| A．She ended it face to face. |
| B．She left it as it was. |
| C．She turned to her friends for advice. |
| D．She made a direct challenge. |
According to the third paragraph, we learn the other friends________.
| A．will help you to fix a broken friendship |
| B．will choose either of the sides who broke up |
| C．will ask you to forgive each other |
| D．will be the worst people to break up with you at the same time |
Which is NOT mentioned by Psychologist Serena Cauchy?
| A．End the friendship if it can’t be renewed. |
| B．Don’t complain behind one’s back. |
| C．Express what you want and expect. |
| D．Sincerely talk about friends’ shortcomings. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A True Friendship |
| B．When Friendships disappear |
| C．How Friendships Last |
| D．Ways to Fix Friendships |
American Girl
It's packed with the things that matter most to girls: party plans, games, crafts and girl-to-girl advice.
American Girl is an appealing, age-appropriate teen magazine that allows young girls to be themselves.
The magazine features fun contests, puzzles, giggles, and more! Stories, creative games, cool contests and great sports tips for girls aged 7-11 are available in each issue of American Girl magazine.
Issues per year: 6 Cover price: $ 27.95 Sale price: $22.95
Ladybug
Beautiful, colorful, and delightful to read, each issue is filled with charming read-aloud stories, games for memory and skill building, songs, poems, and activities for beginning readers. Parents can visit our online Parents Companion that recommends additional activities, crafts, and books.
Issues per year: 9 Cover price: $44.50 Sale price: $33.95
Cicada
A monthly magazine for teenagers and young adults aged 14 and up. It offers high-quality fiction and poetry dealing with the issue of growing up, leaving the joys and pains of childhood behind, and becoming an adult. Cicada magazine also encourages its teen readers to submit their own writing for publication. It’s so inspiring and humorous that you will not be able to put it down.
Issues per year: 6 Cover price: $51.00 Sale price: $33.95
Sorts Illustrated for Kids
It covers sports kids like. Featuring interviews with sports heroes, entertaining comics, breathtaking action photos, tips from the pros (职业运动员), news items of recent notes, games, puzzles, cartoons, fiction, advice from athletes, etc. Sports Illustrated for Kids is a magazine for children aged 8 and up.
Issues per year: 12 Cover price: $47.88 Sale price: $ 24.95Which of the four magazines is the most suitable for a 4-year-old child?
| A．American Girl. | B．Ladybug. | C．Cicada. | D．Sports Illustrated for Kids. |
American Girl is a magazine different from the others because_______.
| A．it features fun stories and great sports tips |
| B．it’s written specially for girls |
| C．it offers high-quality fiction and poetry |
| D．it comes out six times per year |
If you order a magazine with interviews with sports heroes for one year, how much can you save?
| A．$5.00 | B．$10.55 | C．$17.05 | D．$22.93 |
Play is the basic business of childhood, and in recent years more and more research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest infancy （婴儿）, every child needs opportunity and the right material for play, and the main tools of play are toys. The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and assist play. To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often and will come back to again and again. Therefore, it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development.
In recent years research on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited(遗传的) abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life. So a baby's ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated. A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully.
The next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds. Every type of suitable toy should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability. Bricks and jigsaws and construction toys; painting, scribbling(乱涂) and making things; sand and water play; toys for imaginative and pretending play; the first social games for learning to play and get on with others．
By the third stage of play development—from five to seven or eight years old— the child is at school. But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school. It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys.
Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child. But once reading has been mastered, then books and school become the main source of learning. Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed —to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun. The writer wants us to understand that a child_______.
| A．cannot grow up without toys | B．matures（使成熟） through play |
| C．uses toys as friends | D．has to be taught how to play |
According to the passage, the abilities a child has inherited from his parents ________.
| A．determine his character |
| B．will not change after the age of three |
| C．partly determine the standard he is likely to reach |
| D．to a large extent determine the choice of toys |
The passage tells us that children are the most curious when they are about______.
| A．two years old | B．one year old | C．six years old | D．four years old |
The article is about_______.
| A．the importance of play |
| B．the importance of books |
| C．the relationship between play and work |
| D．children’s speech development |
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob(烤羊肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Easterner cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plate piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.
The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill (烤肉架).
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different styles of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked. When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________.
| A．is splendidly decorated | B．has pleasant smells of kabobs |
| C．is crowded with dining tables | D．looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
| A．Watching news events on TV. |
| B．Drinking a kind of black coffee. |
| C．Reading local English newspapers. |
| D．Discussing world topics in low voices. |
The food of the restaurant ________.
| A．is served in small amounts | B．is rather expensive |
| C．is rich in variety | D．is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
| A．Rice. | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________.
| A．occupies a large space |
| B．owns a favorable location |
| C．is popular for its special food |
| D．has a quiet environment inside |
Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people(ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life—married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the large and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. “I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.”
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by “providing different feedback(反馈) about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. “I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?
| A．To offer students public services. |
| B．To help students improve their grades. |
| C．To organize sport activities for young people. |
| D．To provide partnership and fun for young people. |
According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with .
| A．advice from her teachers |
| B．a new way to assess herself |
| C．a new way to judge her schoolmates |
| D．more comments from her schoolmates |
Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?
| A．She used to be a volunteer. |
| B．She needed a part-time job. |
| C．She felt a bit bored with her life. |
| D．She wanted to get a challenging job. |
According to the passage, “vulnerable young people” are probably those who are .
| A．popular at school | B．rather weak physically |
| C．easily hurt emotionally | D．confident in themselves |
Make Up Your Mind to Succeed
Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because “everyone’s winter.” And their report cards sounded more positive(正面的) than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them “the overpraised generation.”
Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years．Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here’s how they work:
A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent(才能) is genetic—you’re a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.
On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego(自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.
We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.What does the author think about the present generation?
| A．They don’t do well at school. |
| B．They are often misunderstood. |
| C．They are eager to win in sports. |
| D．They are given too much praise. |
A fixed mind-set person is probably one who .
| A．doesn’t want to work hard |
| B．cares a lot about personal safety |
| C．cannot share his ideas with others |
| D．can succeed with the help of teachers |
What does the growth mind-set believe?
| A．Admitting failure is shameful. |
| B．Talent comes with one’s birth. |
| C．Scores should be highly valued. |
| D．Getting over difficulties is enjoyable. |
What should parents do for their children based on Dweck’s study?
| A．Encourage them to learn from failures. |
| B．Prevent them from making mistakes. |
| C．Guide them in doing little things. |
| D．Help them grow with praise. |
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