In many countries, __1.___ is not unusual for families of different backgrounds to live together in the shared space. __2.___, in the United States, this idea may still be considered strange.
But this type of housing, __3.___(call) co-housing, is gaining __4._ (popular) in the United States, too. Co-housing complexes are popping up across the country. For many people, this way of life is a relief to the busy modern lifestyle. A co-housing community has ___5.___ (private) owned houses and shared land. There is often a “common house” with __6.___ kitchen and dining room, meeting room, and maybe a workshop of library or music room. About 25 co-housing communities __7.__ (build) in recent years, and 150 more are planned.
A co-housing complex is a place __8.___ residents shop, cook, and eat together. Residents of a co-housing complex like its sense of shared community. Children have other kids to play __9.___, which many families like. Other residents like the feeling of living in a “village”. Residents also say that they can live in co-housing for _10. ___ money than they would pay for nearby apartments.
I was tired and hungry after a long day of work. When I walked into the living-room, my 12-year-old son looked at me and said “I love you.” I didn’t know what to say. several seconds all I could do was to stand there and down at him. My first thought was he must need while doing his homework he was trying to prepare me for some . Finally, I asked, “What was that all about?” “ .” He said, “My teacher said we should tell our parents that we love them and see what they say. It’s an . ”
The next day I his teacher at my office to find out more about this “experiment” and how the other parents had responded . “ Basically , most of the fathers had the same reaction as you did.” The teacher said, “When I first we try this, I asked the children what they thought their parents would say. Some of them thought their parents would have heart trouble. The point is,” the teacher explained, “feeling is an important part of . It’s something all human beings . What I’m trying to tell the children is that it’s too that we don’t express those feelings. A boy should be able to tell his dad that he loves him. ” The teacher, a middle-aged man, understands how difficult it is for some of us to say the things that would be good for us to say. When my son came to me , I held on to him for an extra second. And just he pulled away, I said in my deepest, most manly voice, “Hey, I love you. ”
I didn’t know if saying that would make of us healthier, but we did feel pretty . Maybe time when one of my children says “I love you”, it would not take me a whole to think of the right answer.
1.A. down B. away C. out D. up
2.A. After B. For C. In D. On
3.A. glare B. get C. stare D. knock
4.A. money . B. time C. help D. paper
5.A. or B. but C. when D. while
6.A. money B. news C. test D. explanation
7.A. Anything B. Nothing C. Important D. Interesting
8.A. experiment B. experience C. excuse D. expert
9.A. advised B. told C. called D. informed
10.A. allowed B. agreed C. suggested D. planned
11.A. loved B. helpful C. interested D. trusted
12.A. body B. work C. study D. health
13.A. agree B. understand C. know D. require
14.A. bad B. good C. easy D. hard
15.A. that day B. that moment C. that evening D. that morning
16.A. before B. after C. because D. as
17.A. neither B. either C. most D. few
18.A. terrible B. disappointed C. bad D. good
19.A. next B. last C. each D. every
20. A. afternoon B. morning C. day D. week
Most of us lead a busy life. 1. We think, “If I reached my goal, then I would be happy”, or “If I could get a better job, then I would enjoy life.” But why not enjoy life right now?
Firstly, take time to notice and appreciate the beauty in your own surroundings. 2. “There is a great big world of wonder and beauty around us!” And as Brodersen explains，“Look for the beauty of the sunrise and of a friend’s smile that brightens your day. Open your eyes to see the beauty you might not normally see. Doing so helps to cheer you up.”
Secondly, taking time to experience some simple pleasures also can bring joy to your heart and ease your stress. Take me for example. 3. One universal simple pleasure is finding things that make you laugh. Make time to laugh every day.
Thirdly, don’t take your family and friends for granted. Rich, rewarding relationships add greatly to the enjoyment of life. When you think of someone, why not call, e-mail or write them? 4. As Wayne Lawton explains, “Invest time in relationships. Remove the attitude, what’s in it for me? Happiness is found in putting other’s interests, desires and concerns ahead of our own whenever possible. Selfishness is a dead-end street.” 5. .
A. Be aware of beauty in nature.
B. In my spare time, I enjoy collecting stamps and reading novels.
C. Driven by the “urgent”, we forget to enjoy life.
D. A short e-mail or phone call can make a world of difference to someone.
E. You don’t need to travel far to find beauty.
F. I delight in simple things like my favorite tea drink, a bubble bath or family photos.
G. So please treasure relationship.
Do dogs understand us?
Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.
The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
1.From paragraph 2 we know that _______ .
A. animals are as clever as human beings
B. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees
C. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills
D. dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children
2.Both experiments show that_______ .
A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right
B. Rico can recognize different things including toys
C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics
D. Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them
3. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities.
B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.
C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.
D. Rico is born to understand its owner's commands.
4.What does the writer want to tell us?
A. To train your dog.
B. To talk to your dog.
C. To be friendly to your dog.
D. To be careful with your dog.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in l564 and where he grew up. The property(房产)remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806 .The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the world ,for over 250 years.
◆Enter through the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare's World，a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
◆Stand in the rooms where Shakespeare grew up.
◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
◆Enjoy the traditional(传统的)English garden，planted with trees and flower mentioned in the poet’s works.
The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map；nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ Walk).
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition．and the garden are accessible (可进入的)to wheelchair users.
The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
1.How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children？
A．￡9.80． B．￡12.00．
C．￡14.20． D．￡16.40．
2.Where is the nearest parking place to Shakespeare’s Birthplace？
A．Behind the exhibition hall．
B．Opposite the Visiturs’Centre．
C．At Windsor Street．
D．Near the Coffee House．
3.A wheelchair user may need help to enter_________．
A．the House B．the garden
C．the Visitors’Centne D．the exhibition hall
An old friend from California called from the airport to tell me that he had arrived. I was not able to leave the office, but I had made plans for his arrival. After explaining where my new house was, I told him that I had left the key under the doormat (门垫). Since I knew it would be pretty late before I could get home, I suggested that he make himself at home and help himself to anything that was in the refrigerator.
Two hours later my friend phoned me from the house. At the moment, he said, he was listening to some of my records after having had a delicious meal. Now, he said, he was drinking a glass of orange juice. When I asked him if he had had any difficulty finding the house, he answered that the only problem was that he had not been able to find the key under the doormat, but luckily, the living room window by the apple tree had been left open and he had climbed in through the window. I listened to all this in great surprise. There is no apple tree outside my window, but there is one by the living room window of my next door neighbor's house!
1.An old friend of mine called ______.
A. to tell me to meet him at the airport
B. to tell me about his arrival
C. to ask me to leave the office
D. to ask me to make plans for his arrival
2.My friend climbed into the room because ______ .
A. there was an apple tree outside
B. the living room window was left open
C. he had difficulty opening the door
D. he hadn't found the key
3.My friend telephoned me two hours later ______ .
A. from my home
B. at the airport
C. in his office
D. from my neighbor's house
