Every culture has a recognized (公认的) point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She remembered the pressure, especially from kids from richer families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families will buy cars for their children. In cities with subways (地铁) and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban (郊区的) areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents think carefully before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing (奚落) from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said. “But I’d rather be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road either.”
In China as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?
1.The story is mainly about _______.
A. the recognized point between childhood and adulthood
B. American teens want to drive a car when they turn 16
C. whether teenagers should have a car
D. the fact that it’s safer for teens to drive a car at an younger age
2. Which of the following is not one of the reasons that kids want to have a car?
A. With a car, it would be easy to move around.
B. A great number of teenagers have cars.
C. Having a car would mean more excitement.
D. Parents’ support for kids to have a car at an early age.
3..Which of the following is not true?
A. Some of Chad’s friends have cars.
B. When deciding whether to buy a car for their kids, safety weighs heavily on many parents’ mind.
C. In the US, 16 is considered the point between childhood and adulthood.
D. More kids from cities own cars than those from the countryside.
4.The word “license” in Paragraph 2 means closest to ______.
A. driving permit B. ID card C. learner’s permit D. test result
If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of out brains are not getting enough exercise, and as a result, we are growing old unnecessarily soon.
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why quite healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a rather early age, and how the speed of getting old could be slowed down.
With a team of researchers at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain sizes of a thousand people of different ages with different jobs.
Computer technology helped the researchers to get most exact measurements of the sizes of the front and side parts of the brain, which have something to do with thinking and feeling, and decide the human character. As we all know, the back part of the brain, which controls task like eating and breathing, does not contract(萎缩) with age.
Contraction of front and side parts, as cells(细胞) die off, was seen in some people in their thirties, but it was still not found in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.
Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple way to prevent the contraction---using the head.
The findings show that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than those in the towns. Those with least possibility, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White-collar workers doing the same work day after day in government offices are, however, as possible to have contracting brains as the farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.
1. The team of doctors wanted to find out ____.
A. at what point people grow live longer.
B. how to make people live longer
C. the size of certain people’s brains.
D. which group of people are the busiest
2.Their research findings are based on ______.c
A. an examination of farmers in northern Japan
B. using computer technology
C. examining the brain sizes of different people
D. tests given a thousand old people
3.The doctor’s tests show that ______.
A. our brains contract as we grow older
B. one part of the brain does not contract
C. sixty-year-olds have better brains than thirty-year-olds
D. contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country
4. According to the article, _____ are growing mentally old earlier.
A. engineers B. office clerks C. professors D. researchers
5.The most possible conclusion of the article is that ____.
A. most of us should take more exercise
B. it’s better to live in the towns
C. the brain contracts if it is not used
D. the more one uses his brain, the sooner he becomes old
Nowadays, any traveler might be treated as a terrorist (恐怖分子) by the immigration (入境) officers in the USA.
We returned from Iraq and landed safely. My heart 16 when I was asked to the back room by the immigration officer. My 17___, with his very American last name, had no trouble at all. In fact, I am 18____ American born and raised, but they weren’t quite ready to let me in yet. The only reason was 19___ they thought my name looked like the one of 20___ who’s on their wanted list (通缉令) and I had to wait till they checked me out 21___ Washington.
Time passed 22___ . One hour, one hour and a half…I could not wait any longer and 23___ my cellphone out to call the friend I had planned to meet that evening. An officer 24___ over. “No Phone!” he said, “For all we know you could be calling terrorists and giving them 25___.”
Oh, my God! I was just a university professor. I had no 26___ but to put my phone away. My husband and I were getting hungry and 27_____. I wanted to cry, to 28____ onto a chair and shout: “I am nothing but an American professor!”
After two hours in the back room, without explanation and 29____, I was allowed to go after he gave me a piece of paper with a(n) 30_____ on it and told me I could write to the department if I wasn’t 31____ with the treatment. He also 32___ that nothing could stop it from happening again.
I shared my experience with my friends and the 33____ was I should change my name. But name is personal, like the town you were born in.
Even though I had a troublesome experience at the airport, which made me realize being American could ever be so 34_____, like my father, I’ll keep the 35____.
1.A. ached B. beat C. sank D. rose
2.A. son B. daughter C. friend D. husband
3.A. still B. also C. already D. never
4.A. that B. because C. why D. whether
5. A. everyone B. anyone C. someone D. all
6. A. with B. to C. through D. of
7. A. quickly B. carefully C. dangerously D. slowly
8. A. put B. pulled C. used D. caught
9.A. went B. came C. cried D. rushed
10.A. news B. truth C. information D. reply
11.A. response B. voice C. choice D. face
12. A. silent B. tired C. comfortable D. clear
13. A. sit B. run C. jump D. lie
14. A. expressions B. words C. thanks D. apologies
15. A. address B. name C. number D. map
16. A. sad B. disappointed C. happy D. angry
17.A. added B. spoke C. talked D. argued
18.A. advice B. result C. way D. agreement
19.A. easy B. long C. hard D. high
20.A. experience B. name C. story D. passport
--- It’s more expensive to live in the city than to live in the country, I think.
--- ____ . Living in the city brings people better conditions, though.
A.That’s all right. B.I’m sorry to hear that
C.That is really necessary D.I couldn’t agree more.
____ abroad for two years, the two astronauts went back home last year.
A. Educating B. Educated C. Having been educated D. being educated
________ the normal condition, he can read 150 words a minute.
A. Below B. Under C. With D. In
