Nearly every parent says that we never grow up．In fact, we are maybe 16 or 17 years old．In their eyes, we are always little ones and always do wrong things．For example, when I need to stay at home alone, they always worry about me and my life without them.
Most parents always think that they have offered the best things they can make their children live in a comfortable world．They buy their children pretty clothes, cool shoes, expensive school things, and often a thousand-Yuan-cost bike．They think that they have done everything that they can for their dear children．In return, they only want their children to get good results in the examinations.
But why their children still can’t understand them? Does it mean that they still want more material （物质的） things? No．In fact, what they want is a true family．What does a true family mean? I think it means a place where we can hide ourselves from the cold world outside．From here, we can get warmth, we can get consolation （安慰）, and we can get happiness．And one important thing is that we should be stronger and more confident in the outside world because we know that we have a family.
So I think that parents should sit down to talk with their children to let them know that they have a true family, so the children and their parents could understand each other more and more．Then, no children will be regarded as little ones.
Questions | Answers |
What are we always like in our parents’ eyes? | In their eyes, we are always little children and always1. __________. |
What do our parents expect us to do when they give us so much? | They only want us to 2.________________in the examinations. |
Do children want a true family? | Yes, they do. |
What does 3. ___________________ mean? | It means a place where children can hide themselves from the cold world outside. |
How can our parents no longer regard us as little children? | They can talk with us and we can 4._______________more and more. |
Are you the only child in the family? If so, you are the most important in your family．Parents are the closest people to you in the world．But a lot of middle school students have a problem．They feel they’re not as close to their parents as before．①They even think their parents are unfair（不公平） to them.
Some students complain that their parents say a lot to them, but never listen to them．Some say, “my parents don’t allow me to play computer games, but other classmates are doing that.” Others say when they’re making phone calls to friends, their parents like to ask if they’re speaking
to a boy or a girl．These make them very unhappy．Some students even decide to leave home．② But they don’t know running away may bring them some more problems．Show your parents you’re growing up．Then they’ll feel you’re no longer a small child.
③If you follow the advice, you’ll have a happy life and never think of running away.
1.根据①处完成下面句子（每空一词）
They even _____ ______ their parents are fair to them.
2.将②处译成中文。
__________________________________________________________________________
3.根据③处完成下面句子（每空一词）
_______ you follow the advice, you _______ not have a happy life and think of running away.
Each nation has many good people who help to take care of others．For example, some high school and college students in the US often spend many hours as volunteers in hospitals, orphanages（孤儿院） or homes for the aged．They read books to the people in these places, or they just visit them and play games with them or listen to their problems.
Other young volunteers go and work in the homes of people who are sick or old．They paint, clean up, or repair their houses, do their shopping or mow their lawns．For boys who no longer have fathers there is an organization called Big Brothers．College students and other men take these boys to baseball games or on fishing trips and help them to get to know things that boys usually learn from their fathers.
Each city has a number of clubs where boys and girls can go to play games or learn crafts．Some of these clubs show movies or organize short trips to the mountains, the beaches, museums or other places of interest．Most of these clubs use a lot of high school and college students as volunteers because they are young enough to remember the problems of younger boys and girls．Volunteers believe that some of the happiest people in the world are those who help to bring happiness to others.
1.How do volunteers usually help those who are sick or old?
A．They mow their lawns, do their shopping and clean up their houses.
B．They cook, sew or wash their clothes.
C．They tell them stories and sing and dance for them.
D．They clean, wax and repair their cars.
2.What is Big brothers?
A．It’s the name of a club．
B．It’s a home for children who have no brothers.
C．It’s the name of a film．
D．It’s an organization for boys who no longer have fathers.
3.Why do most of the clubs use many high school and college students as volunteers?
A．Because they have a lot of free time.
B．Because they can still remember what they felt when they were younger.
C．Because they know how to do the work.
D．Because they like younger boys and girls.
4.What do volunteers believe?
A．To make others happy, they have got to be unhappy.
B．The happiest people in the world are those who make themselves happy.
C．The happiest people in the world are those who are young and healthy.
D．Bring happiness to others makes them the happiest people in the world.
In Britain life used to be fun for teenagers．They used to have money to spend , and free time to while away．They used to wear teenage clothes, and meet in teenage coffee bars and discos．Some of them still do．But for many young people, life is harder now．Jobs are difficult to find．There’s not so much money around．Things are more expensive, and it’s hard to find a place to live in．Teachers say that students work harder than they used to．They are less interested in politics （政治）, and more interested in passing exams．They know that good exam results may bring them better jobs.
Most young people worry more about money than their parents did twenty years ago．They try to spend less and save more．They want to be able to get homes of their own one day.
For some, the answer to unemployment（失业） is to leave home and look for jobs in one of Britain’s big cities．Every day hundreds of young people arrive in London from other parts of Britain, looking for jobs．Some find jobs and stay．Others don’t, and go home again, or join the unemployed in London.
1.What does the underline phrase “while away” mean in Chinese?
A．消磨 B．浪费 C．花费 D．节约
2.What are British students interested in now?
A．Clothes． B．Finding jobs．
C．Politics． D．Passing exams.
3.What can we know from the passage?
A．Young people can find jobs easily in London.
B．Students have to study hard to find better jobs.
C．Parents spend less and save more for their children.
D．Young people have to leave home after graduation.
Which proverb means “If you want to do difficult things successfully, you should work with others together”．
A．Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today．
B．One finger cannot lift a small stone.
C．You can’t wake a person who is pretending to be asleep.
D．Be careful of the dog that does not bark.
What shouldn’t sixteen-year-olds be allowed to do?
A．Surf the Internet B．Choose their own clothes
C．Study in groups D．Drive on the road
