Question

Like most big projects, learning to manage your mother well is what you should do. Here are what I believe the best steps towards a better relationship with her. They are not necessarily surprising or revolutionary, but they have worked for many people. Try them.

Remember your mother’s age. As children, we often do not think of our mother as having an age. Even when we become conscious of her as an individual, age does not change our view; she is still our mother. Knowing our mother’s age, not just in numbers of years but in terms of her psychological and physical state, often helps us to understand her better.

Listen to your mother. I have found that sometimes the things my mother told me long ago are remarkably useful. If your mother knows that you respect her point of view, even if you do not share it, it will help her feel close to you.

Remember that your mother has a past. A key step in managing our relationship with our mother is to find out about her early life. Niclle’s mother suffered much during the Second War World War. “My parents are both Jewish-Turkish. They met in France and married young for love. They were in their twenties when war broke out and because they were Jews, they had to go into hiding. She does speak to me about the war, and I think it is important to know what she went through. It is a part of her life that must have affected her deeply. ” Sometimes, in learning about our mother’s past, we know that it can encourage us to think about her whole life.

Ask your mother about your childhood history. My grandparents died when I was young. If you are fortunate enough to have living family, think of your life as a jigsaw puzzle and ask as many questions as you can to put the picture together. Understanding your roots and your childhood can help you now more clearly who you are, as part of a family which you share with your mother.

Keep a sense of humor about your mother. When we hear about someone else’s misfortunes with their mothers and are amused by them, our laughter is one of recognition. I have often listened to stories of difficult mothers and I have also listened to the following piece of advice they have found most helpful is: “Don’t have a sense of humor failure about your mother. ”

Remember that managing your mother is really about managing yourself. Taking any measure to managing our mother is the issue of how we manage ourselves. No matter how difficult we find her, it is important to remember that is not her behavior it self that is causing us discomfort, but the way we feel about her behavior. We should follow the way of her life. At the heart of managing your mother is being able to accept your flawed self. Only then are you able to accept your mother—-with all her failings.

The followings are the steps you can take to get on with your mother EXCEPT________.

A. Remember your mother’s age and past  

B. Share your roots and your childhood with your mother

C. Have a sense of humor failure about your mother

D. Managing your shortcoming while managing your mother

What does the underlined phrase “a jigsaw puzzle” mean?

A. 拼图玩具         B. 浏览迷宫        C. 填充字谜       D. 游戏人生

Which of the following is implied but not stated in the passage?

A. It will help you have a better relationship with your mother if you respect her opinion.

B. You should follow a most useful piece of advice——a sense of humor.

C. The key measure of managing our mother is how we manage ourselves.

D. It is unreasonable to expect our mother to change totally from the way she was brought up.

The main purpose of writing the text is ________.

A. to give information about how we think of your mother.

B. to improve the relationship with your mother.

C. to keep a sense of humor about your mother all day long.

D. to accept your mother—-with all her failings.

Answer 1

【小题1】C

【小题2】A

【小题3】D

【小题4】B

解析:

【小题1】事实细节题。A项直接可从标题中得出答案。B项可根据第四条第一段最后两句得出。和母亲一起分享家族史和自己的童年。C项错在应该是：Don’t have a sense of humor failure about your mother。D项可参照最后一条，并由上下文了解flawed self有缺陷的自己；与shortcoming同义。

【小题2】词语猜测题。可根据句中上下文及put the picture together短语判断。

【小题3】断推理题。A项在第二条listen to your mother中有陈述。B项在Keep a sense of humor about your mother. 条中可知。C项是最后一段中的事实陈述。D项文中并未陈述,但可根据全文及最后一条中的We should follow the way of her life一句可知。

【小题4】判断推理题。A错在文章不仅仅是给出有关这方面的信息；而重要的是B项中的如何去改善与母亲的这种关系。选项C、D是改善这种关系的具体内容和细节。