If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child into a genius（天才）, they will cause great damage to him. According to several leading educational experts, this is one of the biggest mistakes that some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parents expect. and will fall. Unrealistic（不现实）expectations of the parents can cause great damage to children.
However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are hopeful in a sensible（明智）way, the child may succeed in doing very well—especially if the parents are very supportive（支持的）to their children.
Michael Li is very lucky. He likes music and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and let him attend piano and violin lessons. Although Michael's mother knows very little about music, his father is a good musician. However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling.
Michael's friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Although both his parents are successful musicians, they set too high a standard（水平）for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win. “When I was your age I used to win every competition I enter.” Winston's father tells him. Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always quiet and unhappy.
1.The main idea of the passage is _________.
A. how parents should make a child a musician
B. how parents should bring up a child
C. what differences there are between the two boys
D. what aim is easier for a child to reach
2.Winston's parents set so high a standard for him that _______.
A. he has to do his best to win every competition
B. he has made greater progress in music
C. he is afraid he may disappoint them
D. he often wants to kill himself someday
3.It is one of the parents’ worst mistakes if ______.
A. they want their child to be a musician
B. they help their child to win music competition
C. they don't care for their child's education much
D. they make their child try to achieve too much
4. According to the writer's opinion, _________.
A. it's unimportant to let the children develop（=grow）in the way they want
B. sensible parents can train their children to succeed in everything
C. parents should be realistic and supportive to their children
D. unrealistic parents should arrange（安排）private lessons for their children
Do you care about your memory（记忆力）？The following ways can help improve your memory.
Sleep: Sleep plays an important part in improving your memory. Enough sleep is very important to have a good memory.
Don’t watch TV while eating: Do not watch television while eating. Some people keep talking and eating while watching TV. Eating is a time when you can take a break from studying and rest your eyes.
Healthy food: Healthy food is important for a healthy mind. Have milk, eggs, fish and fruits. These foods have a lot of nutrients（营养成分）
Make the things interesting: If you find the things the teachers ask you to memorize interesting, you will memorize them more easily. For example, include music and different colors in the things you need to memorize.
Repeat（重复）the things: Repeat the things by singing or talking. Repeating is a good way to memorize things.
Exercise: Do exercise every day. It not only improves the body but improves the mind. Air in the morning keeps your mind clear. A clear mind is needed for memorizing things.
Have a rest: Don’t study for long hours. Have a rest from time to time. Studying for a long time will make you tired and you will find it harder to remember and learn things.
1. How many ways of improving memory are there in the passage?
A. Five. B. Six. C. Seven. D. Eight
2.Why shouldn’t you watch TV while eating?
A. Because it will make you eat less.
B. Because you need to rest your eyes.
C. Because you can’t take in enough nutrients in this way.
D. Because it is bad for your mind.
3. Which is NOT good for improving memory according to the passage?
A. Plenty of sleep.
B. Healthy food.
C. All work and a play.
D. Repeating the things you need to memorize.
4.The passage is written for _______.
A. parents B. players C. teachers D. students
“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!”
That may seem a strange thing to say it. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too. You can even feel sounds against your skin. Have you ever wanted to know why some people like very loud music? They must like to feel the sounds of music.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it. The bottoms of our feet can feel things, too. You know this when you walk on warm sand, cool grass or a hard floor. All feel different under your feet.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to feel them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. Their signs say, “Do touch!” There you can feel everything on show.
If you want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see!
1.When people buy things in shops, they often _____.
A. try them on first
B. keep their right hands on them
C. ask about them
D. feel and touch them
2. Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things”? because ______.
A. the things are used by people, too
B. people feel the things too often
C. people know how to use the things
D. the things are easy to feel
3. Which of the following is true?
A. Touching is helping us to see better.
B. Our feet, fingers, hands and skin can help us buy food.
C. People have to learn to see by feeling as they grow up.
D. Visitors can feel the things on show in some museums.
4.Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
A. Touching by Feeling.
B. To See or to Feel?
C. To See Better-Feel
D. Ways of Feeling.
I bought a jasmine（茉莉花）plant for my office. When I bought it, I was told it would bloom（开花）and the sweet smell would fill my office. I had the plant for two months, and every day I looked at it, but there weren’t any flowers or pleasant smell. I was not happy, so I gave the plant to my friend Linda.
One day, another friend Mary called and invited me to her office. When I walked in, her jasmine flowers surprised me. I reached out to touch the flowers. Mary cut some and gave them to me. I couldn’t help smelling them. Surrounded by the sweet smell of only a handful of these flowers, I suddenly understood something.
Mary bought her plant the same time I did. It took a year for her jasmine to bloom. I was so impatient for mine to bloom; regretfully, I gave it away.
In a way my life is like the jasmine plant. I need to be patient and let things happen.
Last Sunday Linda told me that she was going abroad the next week. Before she left, she returned the plant to me. This time I am going to wait. I have learned that when we want something in our life, we have to be patient. I am slowly learning to have that patience to wait for my jasmine to bloom.
1. Before she gave the jasmine away, the writer had it for.
A. one day B. one year C. two weeks D. two months
2. When the writer saw Mary’s jasmine, she felt _____.
A. unhappy B. peaceful C. hopeful D. surprised
3. What has the writer learned from her experience?
A. Patience is needed in life.
B. Flowers can make life better.
C. Friendship is necessary for us.
D. Jasmine can be a wonderful plant.
先阅读短文，掌握其大意。然后从方框中所给的词中选出恰当的10个，并用其适当形式填空，每个词限用一次。（每小题1分）
|
realize, dream, happy, love, confident, lot, around, defeat, look, different, little anxious |
Life doesn’t always give us what we want. We don’t always get our hopes and 1. . We don’t always get what we want. But be 2. and believe in yourself, because you can make a difference as time goes by. Try to find the beauty 3. you, in nature, in others, and in yourself. Believe in the love between people. You can find 4. in a helping hand or a kind word. It is all around, if you just 5. for it. Give love to others. Then you will 6. that you can do a lot for others. You have the power（能力）to make others 7. . Believe in the goodness of others. Remember that anger can be 8. by love and hope. Even when you feel there isn’t a 9. you can do to change your situation, you can always do a little. A little at a time makes a big 10. in the end.
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing! ”I thought to myself. Jeff was the last candidate（候选人）for president of Student Union. I really thought I should be chosen.
Later that day, I happened to pass Jeff in the dining room. I offered a polite “Congratulations” and walked to my usual table. To my , Jeff came to me and put his plate beside mine.
“I’m, er-I’m just wondering if you would consider coming to work on my team, ”he said nervously. “You are really and you would be a great partner.”
“I don’t think so,” I replied, feeling unsure.
“Well, you change your mind, you can tell me tomorrow. ”He said before moving to another table.
All that night, I thought about the from Jeff. Maybe being a part of the election process（选举过程）would give me a chance to make important changes at our school. I decided to Jeff.
of all, I began to create a catchy advertisement. Within a few days, we a poster with Jeff’s showing him in a number of activities. No one could walk through any hallway passing Jeff’s smiling face.
My next step was to what new activities students would like to have at our school. Many of them wanted a chess club and a volleyball team.
With the information I had collected, Jeff met with the headmaster. The headmaster agreed to add we want to our school program.
With my help, Jeff and our ideas were well received at school.
An eighth grader said, “ will be exciting to have Jeff as president.”
these words made my heart filled with pride. I had wanted to become president of Student Union to make a difference. Now I achieved that. Jeff became the most popular candidate and I was a large part of his . The fact that it has made a in other people’s lives is the real prize. What a great feeling!
1.A. us B. him C. her D. them
2.A. surprise B. luck C. fun D. love
3.A. tired B. happy C. smart D. busy
4.A. if B. because C. after D. while
5.A. message B. present C. dream D. offer
6.A. refuse B. leave C. agree D. join
7.A. first B. second C. third D. Last
8.A. sent B. invented C. designed D. bought
9.A. for B. from C. with D. without
10.A. take out B. give out C. work out D. find out
11.A. everywhere B. somewhere C. everything D. nothing
12.A. This B. It C. He D. We
13.A. Hearing B. Seeing C. Thinking D. Hoping
14.A. exercise B. class C. family D. success
15.A. friend B. difference C. mistake D. living
