The most popular names in the west
Every year in Englishspeaking countries，people list the most popular names. Here are some examples. In the United States at the moment the three most popular names for girls are Emily，Emma and Madison. For boys，they are Michael，Joshua and Mathew. In Britain a parent today might call their little girl Grace，Jessica or Ruby. If they have a little boy they could call him Jack，Thomas or Oliver.
In China names have very clear meanings. If a girl is called Mei，her name means “beautiful”. If a boy is called Wu，his name means “like a soldier”. Names in Englishspeaking countries are like this too. The girl's name Joy is probably partly chosen because the parents wish their daughter to be joyful and bring joy to others. If a girl is called Ruby，it may be because of the beautiful red precious（宝贵的）stone.
Parents often pick names that can be shortened. This can be confusing（困惑的）for Chinese people. Parents might choose such names because they want to be able to speak to their kid in a personal way.
For example，a popular name is William. But William can be shortened to Will，Willy，Bill and Billy. The same is true of the favourite old name for a girl，Elizabeth. Elizabeth can be shortened to Beth，Liza and Liz.
Another reason why kids get the names they do is that parents want to name their boy or girl after someone who is famous，such as an actor，a pop music star or a sports star. David is a popular name in Britain，partly because of the fame of the footballer David Beckham.In Britain，people may call a little girl ______.
| A．Emily | B．Grace |
| C．Mathew | D．Oliver |
Which name may have something to do with “gladness”？
| A．Mei. | B．Wu. | C．Joy. | D．Ruby. |
In Englishspeaking countries，parents often choose shortened names because they want to keep what they and their children talk about ______.
| A．short | B．quiet |
| C．loud | D．personal |
It was Molly’s job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work.
One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag. This one was worn and held together with staples (订书钉) 。
“Why two bags?” her father asked. “The other is something else,” Molly answered. “What’s in it?” “Just some stuff. Take it with you.”
Not wanting to discuss the matter, he put both bags into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off. At midday he opened Molly’s bag and took out the contents: two hair ribbons(丝带), three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a tiny sea shell, a small doll, and 13 pennies… The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean into the wastebasket, Molly’s stuff included.
That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper. “Where’s my bag?” “What bag?” “The one I gave you this morning.” “I left it at the office. Why?” “I forgot to put this note in it,” she said. “And, besides, Daddy, the things in the sack are the things I really like — I thought you might like to play with them. You didn’t lose the bag, did you, Daddy?” “Oh, no,” he said, lying. “I just forgot to bring it home. I’ll bring it tomorrow.” While Molly hugged her father’s neck, he unfolded the note that read: “I love you, Daddy.” Molly had given him her treasures — all that a 7-year-old held dear.
Love in a paper bag, and he missed it — not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket. So back he went to the office. Just ahead of the night janitor(看门人), he picked up the wastebasket. He put the treasures inside and carried it home carefully. The bag didn’t look so good, but the stuff was all there and that’s what counted.
After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack. It took a long time to tell. Everything had a story or a memory.
“Sometimes I think of all the great times in this sweet life,” he thought.
We should all remember that it’s not the destination that counts in life, but the journey. That journey with the people we love is all that really matters. It is such a simple truth but it is so easily forgotten.Why did Molly give her father a second bag?
| A．She didn’t want to keep the things in the bag. |
| B．She hoped those things would bring happiness to her father. |
| C．She wanted to remind her father of the stories behind the things. |
| D．She enjoyed playing with her father. |
How did father deal with the bag after he opened it?
| A．He kept it in the drawer. |
| B．He took it back home. |
| C．He threw it into the wastebasket. |
| D．He put it on his table. |
After father heard what his daughter said, he felt_____.
| A．regretful | B．surprised | C．sad | D．satisfied |
Which of the following is the most suitable title of the passage?
| A．An important journey | B．Two bags |
| C．Father and daughter | D．Love in a paper bag |
During the school year many parents take on the role of driver as they drive their children from one lesson to another .Understandably so. Many of us want our children to have a little taste of everything, from organized sports to music, dance and more. But we can overdo it, leaving our children feeling a little burnt out, and according to parent educator Diane Loisie ,it’s their school work which suffers the most. “After school, if they’re busy in a number of sporting events, besides they need to do their homework, then the time they’ll feel sleepy is in the classroom. Your child needs free time. So if you’re filling up that after school time, then it’s during the day that they’re going to be taking a break.”
Professor Claire McDermott agrees that there’s a lot to be gained from sometimes putting those scheduled lessons and activities away. “Relaxing time is important for children. It’s time just to do the things they want to do. A child can go up to their room, or they can play around. It doesn’t look like productive time; parents certainly wouldn’t be saying ‘Wow, are they ever learning things now?’ But this relaxing time gives both the body and the brain just a wonderful chance to relax after a day. It helps a child prepare for sleep, but it also helps to understand the learning that’s gone on that day.”
It’s hard to prevent signing our kids up for some activities and lessons. After all, many of us want our children to have a head start in life and the chance to join in great activities in the arts or sports is a part of that. However, Loisie feels that in the long run most children feel better with just a few key activities because it gives them an opportunity to master them. “When we get our children in too many activities because we want our children to experience everything, then what we’re doing is setting them up not to be good at one thing or gaining a skill.” So choose your children’s activities wisely. It may be one of the best things you’ve ever done for your kids… and for the family drivers!What is the biggest disadvantage for children to attend too many lessons after school?
| A．They can get bored easily about everything. |
| B．They might have no time to do the homework. |
| C．They might not pay much attention to learning. |
| D．They cannot easily focus on learning during the day. |
What should we think of children’s playing around aimlessly?
| A．It is productive. | B．It is helpful. | C．It is a bad habit. | D．It is a waste of time. |
Why should parents limit the activities our children attend?
| A．Because children have no time. |
| B．Because children cannot learn many things. |
| C．Because children do not have enough sleep. |
| D．Because children cannot focus on too many activities. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Don’t be children’s drivers after school. |
| B．Choose activities for your children wisely. |
| C．Make your children learn as much as possible. |
| D．Let children learn something from various subjects. |
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those of the first kind are born idlers (游手好闲者), taking interest in nothing. It seems what they live for is to pass time idly. They simply don’t know why they have to do so, nor will they bother to ask. The other kind are those who take things seriously and never wish to idle away their life. But only a part of the second group are eager enough to make success. All the others fail to make enough effort to make their dreams come true.
Why do things so happen to them? What are the reasons?
I later find out that some people are determined. They are “igniters” that catch fire of their own, giving light and heat. But that’s not the case with others. They may be fuels but not igniters. As pieces of wood or coal, they need a match or a lighter to make them burn so that their energy can be released to give off light and heat.
The majority of people need some igniter to light them. Thus igniter becomes a must for those people to succeed. Unless a suitable igniter comes their way, they will always remain idle like cold unused firewood or coal.
Fortunately, such an igniter is not difficult to meet. One may find it in an instructive book, a film story, a few words of a close friend, some advice of a good teacher, a pleasant journey, or an unexpected love.
Any of these, coming at the right time, can serve as an igniter to start one’s enthusiasm for learning or for a better career, to turn him from a passive state of waiting to an active state of pursuing, to lend him strength to go ahead bravely. In that case, what he has prepared for years will be quickly turned into fruitful reality.
Such an igniter may turn up of itself, but most likely we have to find it ourselves. Never let a chance slide away, for it is the key to your success. According to the text, “________” are the persons that can light many people so that their energy can be released to give off light and heat.
| A．idlers | B．igniters | C．fuels | D．serious people |
According to the writer, what do most people definitely need to succeed?
| A．Storing a lot of energy. |
| B．Great interest in everything. |
| C．An igniter coming at the right time. |
| D．Wonderful dreams about a bright future. |
The writer writes the article to _________.
| A．describe two kinds of people |
| B．encourage people to find chances to succeed |
| C．praise those who work hard |
| D．make fun of idlers |
For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts and rejections with it.
Many weight-conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved, being special, and being cherished. We fantasize about what it will be like when we reach the long-awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self-worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.What does the underlined word “everything” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．All the problems. | B．All the properties. |
| C．The whole world. | D．The absolute truth. |
What can be inferred about the author?
| A．The author is a Samoan. |
| B．The author succeeded losing weight. |
| C．The author has been troubled by her weight. |
| D．The author probably got wounded in an accident. |
According to the text, those who have lost weight first and gained it back later feel _______.
| A．angry about the regained weight |
| B．indifferent to the regained weight |
| C．optimistic about future plans on weight control |
| D．they should give up their future plans on weight control |
The text tries to stress the importance of ____________.
| A．body size | B．attitudes toward life |
| C．culture difference | D．different beauty standards |
How to protect children Web fans from unsuitable material on-line while encouraging them to use the Internet has long been discussed in the U.S.
For some parents, the Internet can seem like a jungle, filled with danger for their children. But jungles contain wonders as well as dangers and with good guides, some education, and a few precautions(预防措施), the wilds of the Internet can be safely navigated(航行). “Kids have to be on-line. If we tell our kids they can’t have access(机会) to the Internet, we’re cutting them off from their future,” said an expert.
Most kids have started to use search engines. Many of them are great for finding tons of interesting Internet sites, and they can also locate places where you might not want your kids to go. There are search engines designed just for kids. A certain software contains only sites that have been selected as safe. The most popular way to limit access would be to use what is known as a “content screener(过滤器)”. But this can’t be wholly reliable(可靠), and the best thing parents can do is to talk to their kids and let them know what is OK or not OK to see or do on the Internet. Another way is that mum or dad is nearby when the child is surfing(浏览) the Internet.
A few other tips●Don’t put the PC in a child’s room but keep it in an area where mum or dad can keep an eye on things. That also makes the Internet more of a family activity.
●Ask your child what he or she has been doing and about any friends they make on-line.
●Tell your child not to give on-line strangers personal information, especially like address and phone number.
●And tell your children never to talk to anyone they meet on-line over the phone, send them anything, accept anything from them or agree to meet with them unless you go along.The passage is mainly about the subject of _______.
| A．American children going on-line | B．Internet in America |
| C．appreciating Internet | D．opposing children’s on-line |
The best way to protect children from improper material is _______.
| A．to install(安装) a content screener on the computer |
| B．to buy some search engines for the children |
| C．to be nearby when they are surfing the Internet |
| D．to talk to the children and persuade them to tell right from wrong |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
| A．Surfing the Internet is the best method of educating children. |
| B．Children’s not having access to Internet may have effect on their progress. |
| C．Using a content screener is most reliable for keeping children having access to Internet. |
| D．Searching engines can help children to select materials fit for them. |
According to the passage, we can infer that _______.
| A．soft wares fit for children want programming |
| B．a child who is on-line is in danger |
| C．Internet is a jungle full of danger |
| D．Internet contains a lot of harmful sites |
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