It is normal for parents to question their children's hairstyle or the clothes they wear. But today teenagers and their parents argue over something else: money.
Children are spending lots of it. Parents used to say to their children, "You're wearing that?" Now they say, "You paid how much for that?"
Children in the US today spend five times more money than their parents did when they were young.
So what are all these children buying? The list is long: ipods trainers(训练鞋), cellphones and jeans are typical items that children "have to" buy. And they will do anything to get them. They ask their parents over and over until they buy them.
But parents also need to take the blame for spending so much money. They want their children to have the best stuff. They end up competing with other parents over what their children have.
So no wonder children find it hard to learn the importance of saving money rather than spending it all the time.
And it's hard to save when companies use advertising and clever slogans to encourage young people to buy their products. They even encourage children to keep asking their parents for something until they get it.
Today, you don't even need to have money in order to buy something. Banks give out credit cards and loans all the time so people are saving less and less. We are used to there being lots of money around. And if you don't have much you can always borrow some.
But this hasn't always been the case. When our grandparents were young there was very little money and everyone had to save hard for things they bought. They only bought things they needed, not things they just wanted.
The older generation made the wise expression, "Money doesn’t grow on trees." This is as true now as it was 50 years ago. They give money a great deal of value. And we all have a lot to learn from them.
【小题1】The text mainly tells us ________.
| A．divisions between teenagers and their parents |
| B．children's high consumption (消费) of products |
| C．what is popular among children at the moment |
| D．how to spend money wisely |
| A．they encourage children to care about the latest fashion |
| B．their consumption habits set a bad example for children |
| C．they always give children too much pocket money |
| D．they do nothing to help children establish healthy consumption habits |
| A．banks provide credit cards and loans |
| B．advertisements draw people’s attention to new products |
| C．people have more money than in the past and saving is out of date |
| D．people's living standard has improved and they can buy what they want |
| A．the older generation understood how to teach children to save |
| B．in the past, people attached more importance to saving money |
| C．money has a great deal of value |
| D．money is not easily earned and people should be careful spending it |
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
As a solo artist, Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her musical styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here(Britain) – the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber (he much older, she his muse) seems for ever frozen.
The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5 I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe（辣妹三人舞） Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”
The first paragraph tells us that _____.
A. Brightman is very popular around the world except in America
B. Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz
C. the British people don’t like her for her style of music
D. Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber
Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.
A. she could adopt one B. her life and career were unbelievably rich without children
C. she felt it normal not to have children D. she was too busy
The following statements are true except ______.
A. Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5
B. Brightman disliked life on the campus
C. Brightman was very gifted when she was young
D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous
The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.
A. located B. admired C. followed D. found
What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?
A. Brightman has to accept the fact that she is liked in Britain
B. Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country
C. The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland
D. Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2012届山西省太原五中高三9月月考英语试卷 题型：阅读理解
Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied.
I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates 
of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job.
One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost.
In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
【小题1】We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.
| A．a doctor | B．a model | C．a teacher | D．a reporter |
| A．marry a better man\woman | B．become a model |
| C．get an advantage over others in job-hunt | D．attract more admirers |
| A．everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost |
| B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs |
| C．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career |
| D．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery |
| A．He hates to be called a short man. |
| B．He tries to increase his height through surgery. |
| C．He just accepts it as it is. |
| D．He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact. |
tle for the passage should be “________”.| A．Young Graduates Have Higher Expectation |
| B．Young Graduates Look to Surgery for Better Jobs |
| C．Young Graduates’ Opinion About Cosmetic Surgery |
| D．Young Graduates Face a Different Situation in Job-hunt |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年江西省会昌中学高二第二次月考英语卷 题型：阅读理解
The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony（交响乐） that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5，I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe（辣妹三人舞） Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”
【小题1】The first paragraph tells us that _____.
| A．Brightman is very popular around the world except in America |
| B．Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz |
| C．the British people don’t like her for her style of music |
| D．Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber |
| A．she could adopt one |
| B．her life and career were unbelievably rich without children |
| C．she felt it normal not to have children |
| D．she was too busy |
| A．Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5 |
| B．Brightman disliked life on the campus |
| C．Brightman was very gifted when she was young |
| D．The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous |
| A．located | B．admired | C．followed | D．found |
| A．Brightman has to accept the fact that she is not liked in Britain |
| B．Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country |
| C．The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland |
| D．Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年山西省高三9月月考英语试题 题型：阅读理解
Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied.
I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job.
One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost.
In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
1.We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.
A. a doctor B. a model C. a teacher D. a reporter
2.Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to ________.
A. marry a better man\woman B. become a model
C. get an advantage over others in job-hunt D. attract more admirers
3.According to the passage, the author believes that ________.
A. everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost
B. it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs
C. it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career
D. media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery
4.What does the author think of his height?
A. He hates to be called a short man.
B. He tries to increase his height through surgery.
C. He just accepts it as it is.
D. He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.
5.The best title for the passage should be “________”.
A. Young Graduates Have Higher Expectation
B. Young Graduates Look to Surgery for Better Jobs
C. Young Graduates’ Opinion About Cosmetic Surgery
D. Young Graduates Face a Different Situation in Job-hunt
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2013届江西省高二第二次月考英语题 题型：阅读理解
The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony（交响乐） that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5，I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe（辣妹三人舞） Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”
1.The first paragraph tells us that _____.
A. Brightman is very popular around the world except in America
B. Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz
C. the British people don’t like her for her style of music
D. Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber
2.Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.
A. she could adopt one
B. her life and career were unbelievably rich without children
C. she felt it normal not to have children
D. she was too busy
3.The following statements are true except ______.
A. Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5
B. Brightman disliked life on the campus
C. Brightman was very gifted when she was young
D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous
4. The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.
A. located B. admired C. followed D. found
5. What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?
A. Brightman has to accept the fact that she is not liked in Britain
B. Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country
C. The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland
D. Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain
查看答案和解析>>
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