Making Peace with Your Parents
As a teen, you’re going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are expanding. 1
Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are out in that world. These conflicts （矛盾） can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm houses. Sometimes conflicts can’t be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.
For instance, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted, or hungry. A good time to talk is when you’re all relaxed. Timing is everything. If the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you’d better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation -- for now. 2 Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you’re listening.3_
Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each others’ feelings can disagree without things getting ugly. _4__ How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you’re going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-makers—they’re interesting people who like to watch movies, and go shopping—just like their teenagers!
What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky? _5__ You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lend an ear.
Remember you can only change your own behavior; your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.
A．It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you’re not on the same page.
B．You can pick it up again when everyone’s more relaxed.
C．And then you’ll be able to accept what your parents say.
D．Faced with the challenge, children don’t know what to do.
E. You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.
F. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.
G. You may consider seeking outside help.
Hiking
If you like to hike during the warm months, you’ll probably like to hike in the winter. The landscape changes completely from summer to fall to winter, and the snow can make for some really beautiful photos. Be sure to bring your camera with you to capture all the awesome scenery. Because it’s cold out, you also have the added benefit of not sweating too much through your clothes, and it’s a great excuse to grab some hot chocolate when you finish your hike.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is great exercise and a great way to see the winter scenery at the same time. If you’ve never done cross-country skiing before, be sure to check with an expert before trying it yourself. Knowing what to expect can keep you safe and prevent an injury.
Snowball fighting
Everyone remembers going outside, building a snow fort(城堡),and having snowball fights when they were kids. The fun doesn’t have to stop when you’re an adult! Go outside with your friends, build a fort and start throwing snowballs at each other. If you have kids, get them in on the action. Throwing snowballs is a great way to use some extra energy and can be really fun for the whole family.
Bird-watching
Lots of birds migrate during the winter months, and these quiet, cold hours can be a great time to see them like never before. Eagles, for example, migrate through central Illinois in February, and watching them fly through Starved Rock State Park is a breathtaking sight. Check your local parks to find out what birds you can see in your area and get out there to see them.
1.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．Outdoor winter activities
B．Popular winter sports around the world
C．Fun winter activities for children
D．Best ways to enjoy winter scenery.
2.As for cross-country skiing, the author suggests people_______.
A．try to do it on their own
B．ask an expert for advice
C．take a camera with them
D．take a rest whenever possible
3.Which of the following does the author suggest for those with kids?
A．Hiking B．Cross-country skiing
C．Snowball fighting D．Bird-watching
4.What can we know about Starved Rock State Park from the passage?
A．It’s the largest natural park in Illinois.
B．It’s a good place for bird-watching.
C．It’s well-known for its strange animals.
D．It is home to a lot of birds.
Cities need to put efforts to deal with pollution and clear the air.
Chinese cities will need to put efforts to clear up the sky when a new department to improve regional air quality is set up by 2015，according to the latest plan released by the State Council.
Besides the existing pollution control program for CO2，regional emission caps(区域排放上限) for other certain chemicals will be established in the three key air polluting areas—the Yangtze River Delta，Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei region. Coal-consumption caps will also be tried out in some areas，according to the plan.
The plan is aimed at dealing with regional air pollution—such as acid rain and smog—which have become increasingly obvious in China in recent years and caused a severe threat to people’s health，Zhang Lijun，viceminister of environmental protection，said in an interview on Monday.
The air quality in a city affects the areas nearby because pollutants can travel in the sky，said Chai Fahe，vice-director of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.
“So efforts to reduce air pollution in a single city，targeting a certain pollutant(污染物) will not be enough，” Chai said.
Zhang said the country’s major industrial districts—the Yangtze River Delta，Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—have recorded more than 100 misty days annually in recent years.
These three regions，home to at least 200 million people，occupy only 6.3 percent of the country’s area but consume 40 percent of the country’s coal and produce half of its steel，according to official figures.
Studies also show that the visibility(能见度) in eastern regions of China has dropped by 7 to 15 km compared to that in the early 1960s，as a result of air pollution.
Liaoning province，the Shandong Peninsula，Wuhan in Hubei province and its surrounding area，the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan region in Hunan province，the Chengdu-Chongqing region，and the western coast of the Taiwan Straits are also listed as areas to carry out such regional air pollution control programs，according to the plan.
The new plan also requires an improved air quality system，which will measure the pollution levels. “The current system，which only measures some major pollutants，cannot reflect the_truepicture.” said Chai.
1.It will not be enough to reduce air pollution in a single city because ________.
A．air pollution has been becoming more and more serious in recent years
B．air pollution like acid rain and smog is threatening people’s health
C．air pollutants in a city can travel in the sky and affect nearby areas
D．air pollutants stay in fixed places over the cities
2.Suppose the visibility in eastern regions of China was 130 km in the early 1960s，the visibility there nowadays is ________.
A．123 to 115 km B．137 to 145 km
C．123 to 145 km D．115 to 137 km
3.The main purpose of the passage is ________.
A．to inform readers of the damage caused by air pollution
B．to introduce the new plan to control air pollution
C．to provide official figures of air pollution levels
D．to point out the regions affected by air pollution
4.What does the underlined phrase “the true picture” in the last paragraph mean?
A．The major pollutants.
B．The key polluted areas.
C．The major polluted cities.
D．The pollution levels.
I can remember the day my father came home from the war. As he walked up the front path of our home, he saw Mum and me and he dropped the suitcase.
I was only five years old so Dad made a fuss of me, then began making an even bigger fuss of my mother. This left me free to examine all the stuff lying around the broken suitcase, and I was quick to notice a newspaper advertisement displaying a new piano. When Dad saw me holding up the newspaper cutting, he smiled.
“Yes, that’s right,” he said. “I bought your mum a piano for ten pounds down and two pounds a week.”
A few moments later, a horse pulled a cart with a piano on top. Soon we all stared at it in our small lounger room. Mum had never been close to a piano before, except at the kindergarten I attended, and she used to say how wonderful it would be if the teachers could teach her to play.
After tea that night, Mum began to teach herself to play. She plinked the keys for about two hours and drove everybody in the street mad, until Dad gently said, “Enough is enough.”
From that day on, she would plink between doing the cooking and housework. Three months went by and Mum was now a skilled pianist, holding parties with all the neighbors gathering around to sing.
Although we were poor, Mum felt like a princess and was delighted at all the attention she was receiving.
At the height of Mum’s happiness, I began to notice that Dad was looking increasingly worried. It turned out that since returning from the war, he’d been unable to find a job. Then, a few weeks later, I observed two men taking Mum’s piano away. Mum sobbed in the kitchen. Suddenly, it all became clear to me: no job, no money, no piano.
Dad finally got a job. Mum was happy again as if he’d just win the lottery(彩票). Dad had to study to qualify as an account. Every night after dinner he’d place a stack of books on the kitchen table and study late into the night. Mum didn’t say much but I could tell she was proud of Dad.
Two years later, Dad bought Mum another piano. This time he paid cash for it.
1.How did the author’s Dad buy the piano for his mum?
A．He paid part of the bill regularly.
B．He earned it by winning a bet.
C．He paid cash for it.
D．He bought it as a big bargain.
2.By saying “Enough is enough”, the author’s dad meant_______.
A．practice makes perfect
B．it was time to stop practicing
C．he couldn’t bear being troubled
D．his wife played the piano well enough
3.What made the author’s mum proud of his dad?
A．His dad’s willingness to help cook.
B．His dad’s winning the lottery luckily.
C．His dad’s loyalty to his motherland.
D．His dad’s determination to rebuild his life.
Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded (包围) by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice-cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children will buy less take away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an pastime(消遣), it also give them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.
1.According to the passage, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?
A．Those who often took exercise.
B．Those who often watch TV.
C．Those who often have meals at home.
D．Those who often walk to school.
2.The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because _____.
A．their parents often cook meals for them
B．they are too busy to go out and play
C．they can’t choose what to eat
D．there are so many fast food shops around
3.The word “steering”underlined in the last sentence most probably means _____.
A．forcing B．guiding C．driving D．moving
4.The main purpose of the passage is to _____.
A．tell a story B．provide facts C．give advice D．compare opinions
Every time I passed boys who were playing basketball, I stopped to silently watch them. I really envied them. But as a girl, I once thought that I could 16 play basketball.
I like playing basketball though I'm not good at it. I've had a basketball 17 I was a child. At first, I could play freely because no one 18 when I was just a kid. But as I grew up it seemed harder and harder for me to enjoy basketball.
At school, it was always the boys who played basketball during PE classes. The girls were 19 allowed to play volleyball or badminton.
My parents did not 20 me play basketball at home. "Basketball is not fit for girls," they said. 21 I went to play basketball with my friends, boys 22 at me on the court as if I were an alien.
I was feeling 23 and had lost hope of playing basketball. 24 , something changed the first day of high school. I made some friends who also enjoyed playing basketball. They 25 me to get back on the court.
One of them told me with a smile, "Go your own 26 , let others talk." This girl would always play basketball with me. Even the boy who sat next to me in class talked about 27 with me almost every day.
I was inspired by them. Confidence and passion 28 to my heart. I am ready to stand up and play. I will play as well as I can, 29 for me, even the sky is boundless (无垠的).
Basketball has become an important part of my 30 . I am interested in it. I watch matches and enjoy playing almost every day. Through basketball, not only do I feel happy and confident, but also 31 a lot.
I've heard the NBA star Tracy McGrady say, "Nothing is impossible." It is from an advertisement on TV. I have 32 to realize that life is just like playing basketball. You should have an 33 . After that, just be confident and 34 going. Never give up and you'll make it sooner or later.
I love the motto of the NBA. It can 35 my strong feelings for basketball, "I love this game!"
1. A．ever B．often C．never D．always
2. A．when B．before C．after D．since
3. A．struggled B．cared C．enjoyed D．joined
4. A．only B．almost C．hardly D．not
5. A．encourage B．agree C．let D．permit
6. A．Still B．Yet C．Just D．Even
7. A．looked B．glared C．glanced D．stared
8. A．up B．down C．excited D．satisfied
9. A．Unluckily B．Naturally C．Unexpectedly D．Clearly
10. A．encouraged B．forbade C．ensured D．explored
11. A．effort B．way C．business D．direction
12. A．basketball B．sports C．interests D．dreams
13. A．stuck B．referred C．turned D．returned
14. A．but B．though C．and D．however
15. A．wish B．life C．work D．study
16. A．experience B．grow C．learn D．play
17. A．come B．turned C．refused D．happened
18. A．idea B．aim C．opinion D．effort
19. A．insist B．remain C．keep D．last
20. A．inform B．express C．ignore D．connect
