My life wouldn't be so wonderful without my parents. Every time I look at them or even think of them, I am very ______.
Our native country was Vietnam, but, to ______ the war, we had to leave our home and all our ______ and go on a long boat journey to America. I was two years old and the youngest of seven children.
This journey was not ______ for my parents, but throughout they thought of their children first. I was even told that they once ate only apple peels to ______ the fruit part for me. This was special because at that time many children were ______ by their parents because of the war.
Our journey to America was not the last of our ______. We were also faced with starting a life in America with nothing. My parents' strong ______ to give their children a good life was what has taken us where we are today. Of course, our beginning years were hard. We lived on just enough food bought with food stamps, wore old clothes and played with toys bought at secondhand shops. ______ almost everything we had was bought at secondhand shops, we were ______ because our life was really peaceful.
My parents ______ very hard to build a better life. I will always ______ how early they got up in the morning. After a few years my dad got a degree in business and then he got a(n) ______. Slowly, our living status began to ______. My parents bought a car and ______ they saved up enough money to buy a house; this was the true sign of my parents' ______.
Today we moved out of the apartment, ______ all the hard times and starting our new ______. We really live very ______ and my parents' greatest achievement is that they have ______ that nothing is impossible.
1.A. honorable B. admirable C. grateful D. powerful
2.A. prevent B. escape C. end D. stop
3.A. memories B. friends C. colleagues D. belongings
4.A. easy B. possible C. long D. dangerous
5.A. demand B. spare C. store D. find
6.A. adopted B. abandoned C. raised D. protected
7.A. struggles B. worry C. burdens D. pain
8.A. decision B. ability C. determination D. patience
9.A. Because B. Since C. Unless D. While
10.A. cautious B. happy C. nervous D. crazy
11.A. thought B. expected C. fought D. worked
12.A. cherish B. remember C. enjoy D. understand
13.A. promotion B. substitute C. status D. partner
14.A. follow B. appear C. continue D. rise
15.A. immediately B. obviously C. gradually D. suddenly
16.A. challenge B. success C. hope D. cooperation
17.A. falling B. carrying C. leaving D. forgetting
18.A. education B. family C. life D. career
19.A. confidently B. lonely C. independently D. comfortably
20.A. proven B. described C. declared D. realized
Friendship, do you value?
Friendship is a gift of God.But it may be taken for granted in some cases and not valued.1. Say one has no child even after many years of marriage and the other has many children, more than they can manage.What do you think? Will the couple with many children value the children as much as the couple which has none? Everything is relative in life.We value what we don't have and give less value to what is freely available to us.2.
Why should we value friendships? What qualities does a good friend bring to our relationship that makes the friendship so valuable? Let us examine some of these.
Judgment — A good friend is rarely judgmental.We can be open in our behavior with our good friends because we know that they will not judge us.3. With other people our actions and behavior are always calculated and guarded and that takes away lots of pleasure from our life.
Share sorrow and losses — A friend can be depended upon to share all our problems and sorrows.
4.Once I saw the image of a man left alone in a village after an earthquake.The whole village got killed except this man.With whom, will this man share his sorrow? A friend gives us this gift.
Hope — During our times of trouble, only a friend comes forward and gives us encouragement and hope.5.
A．This sharing may not reduce the loss but helps us unburden ourselves.
B．This is no small gift of friendship.
C．Some of us are blessed with good friends.
D．Friendship is one such relationship.
E．It is similar to a case of two couples.
F．We can enjoy this freedom only with friends.
G．With that inspiration, we regain confidence in ourselves.
It is not only praise or punishment that determines a child's level of confidence.There are some other important ways we shape our kids — particularly by giving instructions and commands in a negative or positive choice of words.For example, we can say to a child “Don't run into traffic！” or “Stay on the footpath close to me.” In using the latter, you will be helping your kids to think and act positively, and to feel competent in a wide range of situations, because they know what to do, and aren't scaring themselves with what not to do.
Actually, it is all in the way the human mind works.What we think, we automatically rehearse.For example, if someone offered you a million dollars not to think of a blue monkey for two minutes, you wouldn't be able to do it.When a child is told “Don't fall off the tree，” he will think of two things：“don't” and “fall off the tree”. That is, he will automatically create the picture of falling off the tree in his mind.A child who is vividly imagining falling off the tree is much more likely to fall off.So it is far better to use “Hold on to the tree carefully.”
Clear, positive instructions help kids to understand the right way to do things.Kids do not always know how to be safe, or how to react to the warning of the danger in negative words.So parents should make their commands positive.“Sam, hold on firmly to the side of the boat” is much more useful than “Don't you dare to fall out of the boat？” or “How do you think I'll feel if you drown？” The changes are small but the difference is obvious.
Children learn how to guide and organize themselves from the way we guide them with our words, so it pays to be positive.
1.Positive choice of words helps kids to ________.
A. learn in different situations B. do things carefully
C. build up their confidence D. improve their imagination
2.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
A. A child will act on what is instructed.
B. One can't help imagining what is heard.
C. A child will fall off the tree when told not to.
D. One won't think of a blue monkey when given money.
3.Which of the following commands helps kids to be safe?
A. How do you think I'll feel if you get hurt? B. Don't play by the lake.
C. Don't you dare to walk through the red light? D. Fasten your seat belt.
4.The main idea of the passage is that ________.
A. positive instructions guide kids B. praise makes kids confident
C. right instructions keep kids safe D. clear commands make kids different
Career success could be predicted as early as kindergarten, according to a 20year study recently published in the American journal Public Health.
Researchers from Pennsylvania State University and Duke University tracked more than 700 children from across the US between kindergarten and age 25 and found a significant connection between their social skills as kindergarteners and their success as adults two decades later.
In the research, teachers assessed how the kindergarteners interacted with each other socially using a range of criteria like whether they cooperate with their peers without being encouraged, whether they're helpful to others, whether they're good at understanding feelings, and whether they can solve problems on their own.
Researchers then kept track of whether the students go on to graduate from high school on time, get a college degree, and find and keep a fulltime job by 25. They also monitored the participants' involvement with crime, drug abuse, public assistance, and mental health issues.
The results showed that socially capable children are far more likely to earn a college degree and have a fulltime job by 25 than those with limited social skills. Those with limited social skills also have a higher chance of getting arrested, binge drinking, and applying for public housing.
“This study shows that helping children develop social and emotional skills is one of the most important things we can do to prepare them for a healthy future,” said Kristin Schubert, program director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the research, in a release. “From an early age, these skills can determine whether a child goes to college or prison, and whether they end up employed or addicted.”
The good news, according to Damon Jones, lead author of the study, is that intervention (干预) at a young age can help improve social and emotional skills.
“This research by itself doesn't prove that higher social ability can lead to better outcomes later on, ” he said. “But when combined with other research, it is clear that helping children develop these skills increases their chances of success in school, work, and life.”
1.What did the 20year study find?
A. Social skills play a key role in children's development.
B. Helpful children understand others' feelings better.
C. Most kindergarteners can solve problems alone.
D. Outgoing children cooperate with their peers easily.
2.What's Paragraph 2 and 3 mainly about?
A. When the researchers began their study.
B. How the researchers conducted the study.
C. How long it took to complete the study.
D. What factors were studied by the researchers.
3.What should parents do to help their children to succeed according to Kristin Schubert?
A. Teach them some basic living skills.
B. Tell them to keep off alcohol.
C. Coach them in their lessons.
D. Teach them how to cooperate with others.
4.According to the passage, it is probably intended for ________.
A. teenagers B. doctors
C. educators D. general readers
Many years ago, when we were a young couple with two small children, aged 2 and 4, we were practically impecunious. My parentsinlaws lived from hand to mouth, so we didn't expect any help from them. My parents lived a great distance away, and I was too ashamed to let them know about our situation.
My husband was trying to earn a living with an old pickup truck, carrying groceries for local shopkeepers, but it was constantly breaking down. It took almost all the money we had to have it fixed. The truck was also the only means of transportation for us.
We lived in the countryside, and we always used the back door because the driveway led to it. One winter evening, I stepped outside to take a bag of trash to the barrel and almost tripped over something. It was nearly dark, and I had to bend down to see what it was. I could hardly believe my eyes. There sat a large basket loaded with food.
It was heavy, so I called my husband to carry it into the house. Once inside, we discovered two loaves of bread, some butter, several cans of vegetables, a can of orange sauce, and a large turkey. There was so much that I couldn't remember it all, but it was everything we needed to fix a wonderful dinner — everything except potatoes.
A little while later I remembered that I hadn't taken the trash to the barrel. By now it was dark, so I had to turn on the yard light — and that's when I spotted a small bag of potatoes sitting on the porch.
That dinner was the best I could remember.
We weren't able to thank our donators, though, because we never found out who had been so generous in helping a struggling young family. Whoever it was, we are forever grateful.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “impecunious” in Paragraph 1?
A. Generous. B. Cautious
C. Stubborn. D. Penniless.
2.How did the author's husband support the family?
A. By selling food door to door. B. By delivering goods.
C. By starting a garage. D. By working as a shop assistant.
3.How did the author feel when she saw the basket?
A. She was annoyed. B. She was terrified.
C. She was astonished. D. She felt a sense of relief.
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A. A struggling young couple B. A tale of potatoes
C. A helping hand in time D. A reward from a stranger
A family vacation in the Caribbean islands doesn’t come cheap. These four affordable but wonderful kidfriendly hotels are ideal for you.
Hilton Nassau Hotel
In the Nassau's shopping district, this hotel is perfectly located to explore the nearby island, Prince George Wharf. Families can be guided to go to Bay Street for shopping or to the historic landmarks like Rawson Square. Then, return to the hotel’s pool bar for dining and overlooking Nassau Harbor and Paradise Island. The kids’ menu and high chairs make family dining a treat, especially since kids eat for free!
Dreams Palm Beach Hotel
Close to Higuey, this hotel by the sea is just the place to enjoy the feel of Caribbean sand. While adults can be organized to visit Punta Cana, go golfing and go swimming, kids will love the kids' club and the kids' pool. A range of meals from Mexican flavor to Asian and French flavor are offered there, making this hotel stand out. Need more good news? There’s a spa to really get adults in the vacation mood.
Sugar Bay Resort
You can feel right at home on your private terrace in this 31acre property. Those who prefer a little action can catch a game of tennis in the gym, or even try surfing or jet skiing. No passport is required to visit the US Virgin Islands. Kids' club is available for those who prefer to stay indoors.
Club Med La Caravelle
This hotel, on the Caribbean island of Grand Terre in Guadeloupe, is ideal for sporty families. You'll find a pool, tennis courts, a gym, and a kids’ club where the activities schedule is brilliantly packed to keep your little ones busy all day.
1.What makes eating in the Hilton Nassau Hotel most pleasant?
A. Its high chairs. B. There’s no charge for kids.
C. The speciallydesigned menu. D. It’s great to treat friends there.
2.How is Dreams Palm Beach Hotel different from the other ones?
A. Tourists can take part in sports programs.
B. There are clubs and pools designed for kids.
C. It offers a spa to relax tourists and their kids.
D. Tourists can enjoy international foods.
3.In which hotel can tourists experience the great adventure?
A. Hilton Nassau Hotel. B. Dreams Palm Beach Hotel.
C. Sugar Bay Resort. D. Club Med La Caravelle.
