If you have a brother or sister, you already know you are different from each other. You live together in the same house and the same parents, but you have different personalities(性格).
Why is this? One possible reason is the way your parent treat you.
First –born children receive all the attention from their parents. Most families have twice as many photos of a first-born than any other child. Parents usually give first-born more responsibility and depend on them to take care of younger brothers and sisters. As a result, first -born are often responsible, hard-working, and jealous(嫉妒的). They often want to do well at school and work. There are more first-born American Presidents, for example, George Bush, George Washington, and Lyndon Baines Johnson than second or last-born children.
When a second child arrives, parents are more relaxed. The second child has to compete(媲美) with the first-born for the parents’ attention and love. Their children often choose different sports and hobbies to do well at school and work, but have to be creative to get their family’s attention. They are often friendly and cool. Many famous talk-show hosts were born last.The writer thinks that the second children are often ______.
| A．outgoing and jealous |
| B．cool and friendly |
| C．hard-working and serious |
| D．creative and responsible |
The underlined word “responsibility” means _______ in the passage.
| A．关注 | B．溺爱 |
| C．快乐 | D．责任感 |
______is usually the happiest in the family according to the passage.
| A．The eldest child | B．The second child |
| C．The youngest child | D．The father |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．the second child is very similar to the first-born child |
| B．brothers and sisters usually have the same personalities |
| C．it’s easy for the second child to get his or her parents’ attention |
| D．there are more first-born successful people than second or last-born people |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．birth order and personalities |
| B．the personalities of the second child in a family |
| C．the personalities of the eldest child in a family |
| D．the personalities of the youngest child in a family |
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers secretly. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced (宣判) him to death. While in prison (监狱), it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order |
| D．he didn’t want to be a soldier |
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．it is a good idea to celebrate (庆祝)Valentine’s Day in China |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
| A．Valentine’s Day |
| B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．A Romantic Man |
Qi Haoran, a Junior Grade One student at a High School Attached to Harbin Institute of Technology, was quite busy over the past winter holiday – and not just with homework. Qi, together with 10 other classmates made a volunteer group to call on people to join the Clean Your Plate Campaign（光盘行动）.
These students went to many restaurants and told people the importance of saving food. “Excuse me, do you know that 950 million people around the world still haven’t got enough to eat? Please don’t waste food.” They would say this kind of thing hundreds of times every day.
The Clean Your Plate Campaign began on the Internet in January. It calls on people to reduce food waste. China in recent years has experienced serious problems with wasted food. CCTV reported in January that the food Chinese people waste every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year.
Chinese people are well-known for being hospitable（好客的）and generous. Many even feel that they lose face if their guests have eaten all the food.
Luckily, the campaign has got a lot of support. In a restaurant in Xinjiang, the owner gives the guests who have eaten up all that they ordered a sticker. People can enjoy a free meal when they have 10 stickers. More than 750 restaurants in Beijing have begun to offer smaller dishes and encourage their guests to take leftovers home.
To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time. It’s important that everyone does their bit, just like Qi. Did you finish your meals today?
| A．in a big restaurant | B．in a CCTV programme |
| C．in a high school | D．on the Internet |
| A．gave the guests a sticker if they ate up the food |
| B．offered the guests 10 stickers if they ordered a lot |
| C．offered smaller dishes to the guests |
| D．encouraged customers to take leftovers home |
| A．in a science book | B．in a newspaper |
| C．in a tourist guide | D．in an advertisement |
London used to be “foggy”（ 有雾的） for the same reason that cities like Beijing or Chongqing are “foggy” today. The “fog” was in fact smog（烟雾）, a mixture of smoke and fog．In other words, it was made by air pollution. In London, some of this pollution came from factories, but much of it came from the coal(煤)that people burnt in their houses to keep warm during the winter. By the 1950s, London’s smog problem had become so bad that the government decided to do something to clean the air. A new law was made and nobody could burn coal in any British city. In a few years, the air became much cleaner. There were no more “pea-soupers”.
Many Chinese cities now face the same sort of problem with air pollution that London faced 40 or 50 years ago. However, this problem is more difficult for Chinese cities to solve. One reason is that more of the pollution comes from the factories, rather than from coal burnt in people’s houses. If these factories were closed, this would harm the economy and lots of people would lose their jobs. Another reason is that changing from coal to cleaner fuel(燃料), like gas, is quite expensive.
However, the air in many Chinese cities is becoming cleaner and cleaner, as the government and people pay more and more attention to cutting down pollution. As a result, there are fewer “pea-soupers” in Beijing than there used to be.
| A．There was too much smoke in the sky． |
| B．There were too many factories in the city． |
| C．People burnt too much coal in the houses． |
| D．The city was too big for the cleaners to clean． |
| A．Smog | B．Smoke |
| C．Gas | D．Coal |
| A．Air pollution is serious in Beijing and Chongqing． |
| B．Using coal is much more expensive than using gas． |
| C．Factories made much more pollution in China． |
| D．The reasons of air pollution in London and Beijing are different |
I had the meanest (最吝啬的) mother in the whole world. While other kids were________ candy for breakfast, I had to have porridge, eggs or toast. _________ others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. But at least I wasn't_________ when I was sad. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother _________ to know where we were all the time. She knew who our friends were and where we were going. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath every day. While the other kids could wear the same __________ for days. We could not lie in bed "sick" in order to miss school.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and get up at six the next morning. We couldn't sleep __________ noon like our friends. So while they slept, my mother was brave to ___________ the Child Labour Law (儿童劳动法). She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook and all kinds of things at home. I believe she lay awake __________ all things for us to do.
But my mother was successful as a mother. All of __________ children received further education. She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. I am trying to keep my three children this way. I am filled with __________ when my children call me mean. Because I had the meanest mother in the world, and yet she gave me a happy life.
| A．selling | B．buying | C．making | D．eating |
| A．Until | B．Before | C．When | D．After |
| A．alone | B．excited | C．tired | D．worried |
| A．wanted | B．seemed | C．asked | D．preferred |
| A．clothes | B．hats | C．glasses | D．shoes |
| A．by | B．on | C．at | D．in |
| A．follow | B．break | C．obey | D．make |
| A．thinking of | B．thinking over | C．thinking about | D．thinking up |
| A．her | B．his | C．your | D．my |
| A．sadness | B．pride | C．fear | D．surprise |
配对阅读: 左栏是对五个人的描述，右栏是七个节目介绍。请将这五个人与适合他们的节目配对。
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