As a teen, you’re going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are expanding. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.
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 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. You can pick it up again when everyone’s more relaxed. Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you’re listening. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you’re not on the same page.
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.
You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence(独立) if your parents believe in you. 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(冷酷的)? You may consider seeking outside help. 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.
【小题1】What does the underlined part “lend an ear” in the passage mean?

阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。
首先，请阅读以下专家的解答：
A.First, let' s talk about your boyfriend.If he' s laughing at you about it and won' t stop (even after you've talked to him about the fact that it hurts and annoys you) then you might need to stop being friends with him. If he really doesn't care about how he is hurting you, then he's not good enough to be your boyfriend. Second, if that girl is bothering you and threatening to beat you up you really need to turn to an adult for help. If you can't feel safe at school, you can't concentrate and will get poor grades, which will affect your future.
B.It' s true that your first year in high school is important. It's a fresh start with your grades and it affects the rest of your high school years, but if you just stay calm, optimistic, and focused, you'll do fine. There's really no need to worry about grades as long as you work hard. Try to stay happy and confident. I think a good way to get an extra confidence boost is to wear your favorite clothes.
C.You' re already on the right track by knowing what you want to change about yourself and why you feel the way you do. Understanding yourself is a big step! One good thing to do is to hang out with people a lot like you. If you have more in common with someone, then it is much easier to talk to them. Usually when you feel comfortable around a group of people, your confidence increases a lot.
D.What I've discovered from my years of school changing is that confidence is the key to a good first day. Make sure you're not too threatening to your new classmates in any way, and it usually helps to be twice as nice as usual. Just smile and try to have fun. Also, about the clothes, wear something cute with bright colors. Then you'll look good, but you won' t have too many eyes on you all at once. Good luck and have fun!
E.Usually it helps your grades if your family life is less of a challenge. If you get better grades and quit running up high phone bills, you would get along better with your parents. Getting along with your parents is pretty important.They've been through a lot and are usually good people to go to for help. So try your best to get along with your family.
F.If you don't feel pretty, remember that everyone looks different. There are different kinds of "pretty”, believe it or not. Some people have great smiles, some have great hair, and some have nice eyes. Pay more attention to the parts of you that you like and pay less attention to what you don't like.
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【小题1】I am in eighth grade and am about to start high school.I am super nervous about going to high school and afraid that I won' t fit in and get good grades. It is all I think about nowadays and it is ruining my life. What should I do? Please help me!
【小题2】I had a fight with a girl at school and ended up almost getting forced to leave school. Everybody makes fun of me and now my boyfriend is joining in with them. I have told him that it hurts my feelings, but he says that it is just a joke and that he may do it again. I feel scared to go to school, because I knocked her down at school and she'll get all her friends to beat me up the next time she sees me. I run as fast as I can to attend classes. Please help me!
【小题3】My dad and mom always get me mad. I have bad grades.My cell phone's bill is quite high. I think it' s because of my anger at my dad and mom. What should I do to get along well with my family?
【小题4】My family will move to a new city and I will have to start a new school. I'm really nervous about being a new kid. I don' t know what kids wear in a completely new school, how they act, or anything else. I don't want to make a bad impression on my first day. Oh, I will be in 10th grade and I've never changed schools before.
【小题5】When I was eight my parents divorced(离婚).I used to be willing to do something and talk to someone I didn't know without being nervous. After the divorce I switched(转变) to many different schools and got really shy.My problem is that I'm shy around boys. I have to get to know them a lot to open up more and I think I might have ruined it a couple of times. I want my old self back. How do I open up even more without feeling scared?

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the street of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country held Tom Thumb’s weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
【小题1】“the talk of the town” means      .

Unlike many surfers who sought the perfect wave, my interests always lay beneath the sea' s surface in a world I could only imagine and dream of．When I was twelve, I made my first adventures in the deep．Later I would learn how to dive, expanding my world of exploration many times over．
Perhaps the greatest turning point in my life came when I was in high school and I wrote a letter to the famous Scripps Oceanographic Institution, asking how I might learn more about the sea．A kind scientist answered my letter and told me how to apply to Scripps for a summer scholarship, which I received．During one of their courses that summer, I met Dr．Robert Norris, a marine geologist．He loved the sea almost as much as I did．Soon he suggested I consider his school, the University of California, for my study．One year later I became a member of the freshman class．
Now my love affair with the sea became a serious endeavor（艰苦的努力）．If I wanted to be an undersea explorer, I needed to learn as much as I could about the laws of the physical world that controlled the environment I wanted to enter．The undersea world is not our natural world．It is unforgiving to those who make mistakes．At its greatest depths the water temperature is near freezing, the pressure is eight tons per square inch, and it is totally dark．It is easy to get lost in such a world．I needed to learn a lot about geography, navigation, geology, biology, and many other things．
I decided another important thing for me to do was to join the U．S．Navy．If I was going to be an undersea explorer, I would have to lead men and women on dangerous adventures where they might get hurt, and I didn't want that to happen．
In the Navy I learned discipline, organization, and how to motivate and lead people on adventures so that we could explore the wonders of the deep．
Finally, the time came to put all that I had learned to use, to go forth with a team of men and women and explore an adventure I am still on and hope to be on for many years to come．
【小题1】What happened to the author at the age of twelve?

There is more to tourism in Britain than you might think.
When you think of tourist sites in Britain, what do you think of? Big Ben and the Tower of London? Lock Ness? Shakespeare’s birthplace at Strafford-upon-Avon? There are many famous tourist attractions in the UK and they attract millions of visitors each year. But along with the famous names there are thousands of other interesting places that are only open to the public for a few days each year. Heritage Open Days takes place each September and lets the public visit places that would normally be out of bounds. Among the thousands of historic sites there are castles and factories, town halls and churches. Here we look at some of the places that most tourists might not know about.
Roman Baths --- Chester
These Roman baths are almost two thousand years old and a fascinating insight into the history of the city but they aren’t often open to visitors because they are under a clothes shop and a shop that sells baked potatoes! In Open Days week, visitors can go downstairs to the basement of the shops and find a little piece of history.
Tennis Club --- Birmingham
Edgbaston Tennis Club opened in 1860 and is the oldest tennis club in the world. Visitors can see the club’s collection of tennis clothes and equipment and learn about the game’s rich history.
Ardman Animation --- Bristol
The studios that produced the famous Wallace and Gromit animated films open its doors to the public to let people find out more about how the films are made.
Paddock Wood --- Kent
A family house where some of the rooms are unchanged since the 1920s. The home’s owner, Sarah Hamilton, is happy to open her doors to the public, saying “I’m passionate about history and I love taking to people.”
These are just a few of the thousands of places to visit each year. If you’re visiting Britain in September ---- look out for Open Days!
【小题1】Where is the Roman Baths --- Chester?