We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang．Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.
The guests arrived．I introduced my two daughters to each of them．The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.
Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile．They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.
I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big "to do" over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt．We do it with the best of intentions.
But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child．I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined．I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes．I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying.
I said, "What are you doing, my dear?"
She turned to me with a sad expression and said, "Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I ‘m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?"
I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better.
Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.
1.The underlined expression “make a big ‘to do’ over” (paragraph 4) means ______.
A．show much concern about B．have a special effect on
C．list jobs to be done for D．do good things for
2.The guests praised Kelly for carrying coats upstairs because of her ______.
A．beautiful hair B．pretty clothes
C．lovely smile D．young age
3.Kristen felt sad and cried because ______.
A．the guest gave her more coats to carry
B．she didn’t look as pretty as Kelly
C．the guests praised her sister more than her
D．her mother didn’t introduce her to the guests
4.We can conclude from the passage that ______.
A．parents should pay more attention to the elder children
B．the younger children are usually more easily hurt
C．people usually like the younger children more
D．adults should treat children equally
“Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it’s a girl.”
Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different answer from every
Man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers．Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experience with them， others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them．Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time．For other couples， pregnancy was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.
Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child， it is obvious that the shift from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task．Yet， unfortunately， few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this remobilization process．Although numerous books have been written about American mothers， only recently has literature focused on the role of a father.
It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father‘s role， although difficult， is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother‘s role．The mother‘s role seems to require complete transformation in daily routine and highly innovative adaptation; on the other hand， the fathers role is less demanding and immediate．However， even though we mentioned the fact that growing number of women are working outside the home， the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.
1.According to the author，being a father_________.
A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men
B．has a different meaning for those who have daughters
C．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy
D．means nothing but more responsibilities
2.It is stated in the passage that__________.
A．some parents are not prepared to have a child
B．young couples do not like children at all
C．do not have much time to take care of their children
D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child
3.The transition to the mother‘s role requires that the wife__________.
A．change her lifestyle in a highly innovative way
B．make a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation
C．stay at home to take care of the baby
D．help her husband in his remobilization process
4.Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles， fathers， compared with mothers， ___________.
A．have to shoulder more burdens
B．have to make more difficult adaptations
C．have an easier job to do
D．can usually do a better job
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises form the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix heir attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. by their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing （批评）and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation（模仿）. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. Of they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a work to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad bait and bee pleased with is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and other. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact（接触）with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and
Sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes missed up in their quarrels.
1.People who are unhappy .
A．always consider things differently from others
B．usually are affected by the results of certain things
C．usually misunderstand what others think or say
D．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things
2.The phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means “ ”.
A．have a good taste with social life B．make others unhappy
C．tend so scold others openly D．enjoy the pleasure of life
3.We can conclude from the passage that .
A．we should pity all such unhappy people
B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life
C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness
D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a 36 part of
the learning process. But all too often as parents and teachers we disallow this 37 right to our
children.
When I see a child 38 to this kind of pressure, I think of Donnie.
Donnie was my youngest third grader. His 39 of failure kept him from classroom games
that other children enjoyed. He 40 answered questions—he might be wrong.
I tried my best to build his 41 .But nothing changed until midterm , when Mary Anne , a student teacher , was assigned（安排） to our classroom .
She was young and pretty , and she loved children . My pupils , Donnie included , all 42 her.
One morning , we were working on math problems at the chalkboard . Donnie had 43 the problems with pains-taking tidiness . Pleased with his progress , I 44 the children with Mary Anne and went for art materials . When I returned , Donnie was in 45 . He’d missed the third problem .
My student teacher looked at me in despair . Suddenly her face 46 . From the desk we shared , she got a container filled with pencils .
“Look , Donnie,” she said, kneeling beside him and gently 47 the tear-stained face from his arms . “I’ve got something to 48 you.” She removed the pencils , one at a time , and placed them on his desk .
“See these 49 , Donnie,” she continued . “They belong to Mrs . Lindstrom and me . See how the erasers are 50 ? That’s because we make mistakes too . But we erase the mistakes and try again . That’s what you 51 learn to do , too.”
She kissed him and stood up . “Here”, she said , I’ll leave one of these pencils on 52 desk so you’ll remember that everybody makes mistakes, 53 teachers.” Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and a smile .
The pencil became Donnie’s 54 possession . That, together with Mary Anne’s frequent encouragement, gradually 55 him that it’s all right to make mistakes—as long as you erase them and try again .
1.A．small B．basic C．necessary D．large
2.A．correct B．same C．important D．natural
3.A．suffering B．object C．fall D．subject
4.A．fear B．lesson C．chance D．sense
5.A．always B．often C．never D．seldom
6.A．self protection B．self improvement C．self confidence D．self learning
7.A．respected B．disliked C．avoided D．minded
8.A．worked out B．copied C．gone over D．learned
9.A．left B．offered C．missed D．parted
10.A．surprise B．astonishment C．anger D．tears
11.A．darkened B．brightened C．pulled D．loosened
12.A．lifting B．picking C．holding D．pushing
13.A．help B．show C．reward D．promise
14.A．pencils B．mistakes C．marks D．containers
15.A．used B．built C．worn D．damaged
16.A．may B．must C．will D．can
17.A．my B．someone’s C．the teacher’s D．your
18.A．still B．also C．even D．not
19.A．prized B．own C．kept D．expected
20.A．warned B．informed C．persuaded D．reminded
Opportunities are always as long as we use our minds.
A．available B．permanent C．relative D．stable
She was so to me that I recognized her voice the moment I picked up the phone.
A．familiar B．sensitive C．confident D．devoted
