Parents are a child’s first teachers. But some parents never learned from good examples. In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents.
The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week. The class is called Mommy and Me. Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother. She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season.
She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby. The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding. Delores Clemens says, “that's not true. You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason. If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying. Pick your baby up. Cuddle your baby. Hug him! And she started to do that. They just want a little cuddling and a little love. And it works!”
Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered. Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year.
In class, with her baby son is Natasha. She lived on the streets. She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life.
The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen. That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones. By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A.Parents who are a child’s first teachers.
B.A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered.
C.A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life.
D.A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers.
2.Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____.
A.help homeless young mothers become good parents
B.provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter
C.help mothers in New York be good parents
D.teach some parents how to love their children
3.What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?
A.She has a mother of five and a grandmother.
B.She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged.
C.She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers.
D.She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House.
4.According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?
A.Canada B.the United States of America C.Mexico D.Britain
Read this article and find out which one is a must-read for your children for Thanksgiving.
Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit
Clifford has to stay home with his neighbors, as Emily Elizabeth’s family goes visiting her grandmother. At first, Clifford feels lonely, thinking of his own family, but then he decides to visit his mother too. He travels many miles, crosses bridges, and he even gets into the subway! Follow Clifford’s trip to the big city! At http://www.powells.com. it is $3.99. The author is Norman Bridwell. It is for children aged 4-8.
The Magic Tree House
The Magic Tree House describes how Jack and Annie return back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the pilgrims(移民) as well as Squanto, a native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as their adventures and excitements. It is for ages 4-8. The book costs $2.50 at http://www.powells.com. The author is Sal Murdocca.
Franklin’s Thanksgiving
Franklin thinks that there will be an over-abundance of food for Thanksgiving dinner. So he invites his teacher and friends for Thanksgiving dinner. It costs $2.50 at www.Powells.com. The book is for children aged 4-8. The author is Paulette Bourgeois.
The First Thanksgiving
The First Thanksgiving is for ages 4-8 and it tells about the story of the pilgrims’ learning languages. It is beautifully illustrated with plenty of beautiful watercolors(水彩画). The author is James Waiting and the price of the book is $2.50. You can find it on http://www.powells.com.
1.Clifford travels to the big city probably because ________.
A.he is eager to visit his grandmother
B.he is not happy at home
C.he misses his neighbors very much
D.he likes traveling very much
2.If you are interested in the pilgrims’ life you can read ________.
A.Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit B.The Magic Tree House
C.Franklin’s Thanksgiving D.The First Thanksgiving
3.Kids can understand The First Thanksgiving better with the help of ________.
A.teachers B.other readers C.pictures D.computers
I had made up my mind a long time ago that I would not give a homeless person money, because I could never be sure what that money would be used for. Instead, I decided, I would buy them a sandwich, a cold drink on a hot day, a cup of coffee, whatever I could manage.
I was out recently and saw a homeless man outside of a Starbucks. I decided I would buy this man lunch. I bought a sandwich and soda.
Just as I was leaving the store, two policemen were approaching the man. Obviously the shop owners had complained of his wandering and the police were there to draw him away from the storefronts. Just as they were about to wake him, I asked one of the officers if it was all right if I just gave the man something before he went. I was not sure why I asked the permission but the policeman said sure and I just left the bag in the man’s cart, got in my car and drove off.
As I was driving off I remember thinking “I hope people saw that”. Then I had to seriously ask myself why I hoped people had seen me give the man a sandwich from Starbucks. Was it because I wanted people to think, “She’s such a nice person!”? Why did I hope others had seen me do it? I continued to wonder this all evening.
The next morning, it came to me that I wanted people to have witnessed that small act of kindness not so that I would receive credit and praise but so that they might be inspired to do the same and in so doing that others still would witness their acts of kindness. Thus the whole spirit of pity and giving would be lasting.
1.The underlined word “Starbucks” in the second paragraph is the name of a _________.
A.shop B.bookstore C.bank D.man
2.When the author saw the homeless man, he was __________.
A.begging outside B.buying goods
C.staying awake D.falling asleep
3.What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To show the author is great.
B.To encourage people to help others.
C.To introduce an experience that changed the author.
D.To call on people not to give money to a homeless man.
4.The author can be best described as __________.
A.bad-tempered B.hard-working
C.kind-hearted D.self-confident
A long time ago, there was an emperor. One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and 1 as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered. 2 enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and 3 as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He 4 riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was 5 and tired, he did not stop 6 he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was 7 . Then he asked himself, “Why did I 8 myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only 9 a very small area to 10 myself.”
The above story is 11 to the journey of our 12 . We push ourselves very hard every day to make more 13 , to gain power or recognition. We neglect our 14 , time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding 15 and the things we love to do. One day 16 we look back, we will 17 that we don’t really need that much, 18 then we cannot turn back time for what we have 19 .
Life is not about making money. Life is definitely not about work! Work is only 20 to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.
1. A.use B.cover C.work D.get
2. A.Good B.Strange C.Sure D.Interesting
3. A.rode B.ran C.expanded D.struggled
4. A.kept on B.asked for C.gave up D.succeeded in
5. A.sad B.excited C.confused D.hungry
6. A.but B.so C.because D.if
7. A.sleeping B.arguing C.dying D.smiling
8. A.push B.make C.destroy D.prove
9. A.need B.have C.find D.show
10. A.live B.bury C.support D.sleep
11. A.useful B.certain C.similar D.special
12. A.future B.past C.history D.life
13. A.friends B.progress C.discoveries D.money
14. A.health B.career C.honor D.freedom
15. A.things B.condition C.people D.beauty
16. A.before B.when C.unless D.since
17. A.realize B.regret C.apologize D.explain
18. A.or B.until C.however D.but
19. A.saved B.missed C.reduced D.won
20. A.possible B.probable C.necessary D.suitable
—Thank you for your wonderful meal.
—______.
A.No, it was just so-so B.The same to you
C.No, that’s all right D.It’s my pleasure
______ you’ve got a chance, you might as well make full use of it.
A.Now that B.After C.Although D.As soon as