When I decided to get married, my father decided to share some wisdom. “Lori, it is just as easy to love a rich man as it is to love a poor man, “ he said. My boyfriend didn’t have much money, but I loved him. “What?” I cried. “ How can you say that? I want to marry for love, NOT for money.” “ But why not marry someone you love who has money?” he asked. “Rich men are materialistic（物质主义的）. I’d rather marry a poor man who loves me,” I said and he gave in.
And as we went on, with my family growing, I learned why my father put such importance on money. We had to cover the rent, car, electricity, food, and medical bills. We were under lot of pressure. The worries over whether we would be asked to move out or if we had the money to wash our clothes at the Laundromat this week made me question if I did the right thing by marrying a “poor” man.
I realized that I had entered the ranks of the poor. Not that I’d ever been rich. Most of my life, I considered us in the lower middle-class rank. We had a house of our own, food on the table, cars, clothes, and money for college. But now, as I listened to an apartment neighbour talk about her monthly “Mother’s Day” gift, I realized she was talking about her welfare check（政府发放的救济金）. And another young mother tried to “help” me out by connecting me with a friend who stole baby clothes from a department store. “ For a small cut,” she said, “ I could return my ‘purchase’(购买的东西）for cash.” It made me sick. How poor was I?
I had a college education but wasn’t using it. I insisted on not missing a minute of our children’s childhood and it came at a price. My husband was working as hard as he could and it wasn’t enough. But somehow we made it.
The kids grew. Today, we look back and see the great values gained by going through those hard years. My children are not materialistic. They never thought they were poor growing up because we always managed to give a little bit of food, money, or clothes to the “poor”. They were satisfied with the simple things in life that come free such as a beach day or a horse back ride from their dad.
We had our worries, but we still treasured our very favorite part of the day when we’d nest (栖息地）under the covers and talked about our future, the kids and how much we loved each other. Sure our financial(财政的) troubles caused a lot of fights, but we didn’t leave each other. We began to live a better life. We moved to a better community(社区）with good schools for the kids. And soon, we’ll face a new challenge with wealth. But we’ll never give up.
My father died three years ago. Before he died, he knew I made the right choice. I’m proud of my decision.
【小题1】.The writer argued with her father because _________________.

When I decided to get married, my father decided to share some wisdom. “Lori, it is just as easy to love a rich man as it is to love a poor man, “ he said. My boyfriend didn’t have much money, but I loved him. “What?” I cried. “ How can you say that? I want to marry for love, NOT for money.” “ But why not marry someone you love who has money?” he asked. “Rich men are materialistic（物质主义的）. I’d rather marry a poor man who loves me,” I said and he gave in.

And as we went on, with my family growing, I learned why my father put such importance on money. We had to cover the rent, car, electricity, food, and medical bills. We were under lot of pressure. The worries over whether we would be asked to move out or if we had the money to wash our clothes at the Laundromat this week made me question if I did the right thing by marrying a “poor” man.

I realized that I had entered the ranks of the poor. Not that I’d ever been rich. Most of my life, I considered us in the lower middle-class rank. We had a house of our own, food on the table, cars, clothes, and money for college. But now, as I listened to an apartment neighbour talk about her monthly “Mother’s Day” gift, I realized she was talking about her welfare check（政府发放的救济金）. And another young mother tried to “help” me out by connecting me with a friend who stole baby clothes from a department store. “ For a small cut,” she said, “ I could return my ‘purchase’(购买的东西）for cash.” It made me sick. How poor was I?

I had a college education but wasn’t using it. I insisted on not missing a minute of our children’s childhood and it came at a price. My husband was working as hard as he could and it wasn’t enough. But somehow we made it.

The kids grew. Today, we look back and see the great values gained by going through those hard years. My children are not materialistic. They never thought they were poor growing up because we always managed to give a little bit of food, money, or clothes to the “poor”. They were satisfied with the simple things in life that come free such as a beach day or a horse back ride from their dad.

We had our worries, but we still treasured our very favorite part of the day when we’d nest (栖息地）under the covers and talked about our future, the kids and how much we loved each other. Sure our financial(财政的) troubles caused a lot of fights, but we didn’t leave each other. We began to live a better life. We moved to a better community(社区）with good schools for the kids. And soon, we’ll face a new challenge with wealth. But we’ll never give up.

My father died three years ago. Before he died, he knew I made the right choice. I’m proud of my decision.

1..The writer argued with her father because _________________.

2..After getting married, the writer questioned if she had done the right thing to marry her husband because___________.

3..After their children were born, the writer_______________.

4.. Why didn’t the writer’s children think they were poor growing up?

5..What do you think is the theme(主题）of the story?

When I decided to get married, my father decided to share some wisdom. “Lori, it is just as easy to love a rich man as it is to love a poor man, “ he said. My boyfriend didn’t have much money, but I loved him. “What?” I cried. “ How can you say that? I want to marry for love, NOT for money.” “ But why not marry someone you love who has money?” he asked. “Rich men are materialistic（物质主义的）. I’d rather marry a poor man who loves me,” I said and he gave in.
And as we went on, with my family growing, I learned why my father put such importance on money. We had to cover the rent, car, electricity, food, and medical bills. We were under lot of pressure. The worries over whether we would be asked to move out or if we had the money to wash our clothes at the Laundromat this week made me question if I did the right thing by marrying a “poor” man.
I realized that I had entered the ranks of the poor. Not that I’d ever been rich. Most of my life, I considered us in the lower middle-class rank. We had a house of our own, food on the table, cars, clothes, and money for college. But now, as I listened to an apartment neighbour talk about her monthly “Mother’s Day” gift, I realized she was talking about her welfare check（政府发放的救济金）. And another young mother tried to “help” me out by connecting me with a friend who stole baby clothes from a department store. “ For a small cut,” she said, “ I could return my ‘purchase’(购买的东西）for cash.” It made me sick. How poor was I?
I had a college education but wasn’t using it. I insisted on not missing a minute of our children’s childhood and it came at a price. My husband was working as hard as he could and it wasn’t enough. But somehow we made it.
The kids grew. Today, we look back and see the great values gained by going through those hard years. My children are not materialistic. They never thought they were poor growing up because we always managed to give a little bit of food, money, or clothes to the “poor”. They were satisfied with the simple things in life that come free such as a beach day or a horse back ride from their dad.
We had our worries, but we still treasured our very favorite part of the day when we’d nest (栖息地）under the covers and talked about our future, the kids and how much we loved each other. Sure our financial(财政的) troubles caused a lot of fights, but we didn’t leave each other. We began to live a better life. We moved to a better community(社区）with good schools for the kids. And soon, we’ll face a new challenge with wealth. But we’ll never give up.
My father died three years ago. Before he died, he knew I made the right choice. I’m proud of my decision

1. 1.

   The writer argued with her father because _________________

   1. A.
      she thought her father didn’t love her at all
   2. B.
      her father thought her boyfriend was too materialistic
   3. C.
      her father wanted her to marry a rich man while she didn’t
   4. D.
      she thought her father loved her boyfriend’s money more than him
2. 2.

   After getting married, the writer questioned if she had done the right thing to marry her husband because___________

   1. A.
      she was often scolded(责骂)by her father
   2. B.
      she found her husband was irresponsible(不负责任的）
   3. C.
      he didn’t think her husband loved her deeply
   4. D.
      they lived a poor life with children to support
3. 3.

   After their children were born, the writer_______________

   1. A.
      often regretted not using her college education
   2. B.
      worked very hard in order to make more money
   3. C.
      had to steal baby clothes from a department store
   4. D.
      looked after her children as a professional (职业的,专业的）housewife
4. 4.

   Why didn’t the writer’s children think they were poor growing up?

   1. A.
      Because the writer always gave them whatever they wanted
   2. B.
      Because the writer and her children often helped other people
   3. C.
      Because the writer didn’t let her children play with their rich neighbours
   4. D.
      Because the writer let her children have a good life through receiving help from others
5. 5.

   What do you think is the theme(主题）of the story?

   1. A.
      Women should always make a decision by themselves
   2. B.
      Listening to the old is important when people get married
   3. C.
      Money doesn’t matter as much as love in marriage
   4. D.
      Children don’t mind whether they have a poor family or not

阅读下列短文，从所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。

    What are some of the steps a person can take to prevent his house　　 from being burglarized (盗窃) while he is away? One step is to make　　 sure that the house has a lived-in lock. Living-room curtains should　　 be pulled down only half way. Bedrooms that usually have the curtains　　 pulled down at night should be left down. Another is to make sure that　　 outside locks are the dead-bolt type (双保险). Still another is　　 to leave several 100w lights burning and make sure that one is in the　　 kitchen. Lights that turn on and off by themselves are the best. Then,　　 too, it is a good idea to leave the radio turned on and set to a　　 talking station. Any type of speaking makes a burglar (a thief) think　　 twice before trying to enter. Finally, while away on vacation, make　　 sure that nothing collects in the front or in back of the house.　　 Particularly, make certain that the newspaper is stopped and that a　　 trusted neighbor has been asked to pick up the mail (邮件). Burglars　　 are especially quick to notice piled-up newspapers and overfilled mail　　 boxes.

(1) Why did the writer begin this piece with a question? _______. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　　　 A. To have the reader guess the answer before reading 　　　　 B. To introduce the topic of the piece 　　　　 C. To catch the reader's attention 　　　　 D. Both B and C are correct 　　  

(2) What is the meaning of "lived-in" in this piece? _______. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　　　 A. worn out　　  B. lively and cheerful 　　　　 C. left empty　　D. now being used by people 　　  

(3) Which of the following does the writer advise people to do?  　　　　 ________.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　　　 A. Pull the living-room curtains all the way at night 　　　　 B. Leave a guard dog tied up on watch 　　　　 C. Ask a neighbor to pick up the daily mail 　　　　 D. Make sure the newspaper is handed over every day 　　  

(4) The most important room to leave a light burning in is the  　　　　 _______.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　　　 A. bedroom　　B. study　　C. living-room　　D. kitchen 　　  

(5) Why is it a good idea to leave the radio turned on and set to 　　　　 a talking station? _______.　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　　　 A. so one won't feel lonely or afraid 　　　　 B. So a burglar cannot be sure whether or not there is some  　　　　　　one in the house 　　　　 
　　　　 C. To keep well-informed about the presence of 
　　　　　　 thieves in the neighborhood 　　　　 
　　　　 D. Because music stations are too loud

It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her two-year-old son and pushed him to the ground.

“I’d watched him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d pushed,” she says. “I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ‘No, we don’t push.’” What happened next was unexpected.

“The boy’s mother ran toward me from across the park,” Stella says, “I thought she was coming over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for blaming her child. All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted and hurt other children?”

Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has become a hidden danger.

In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encouraged. I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at mine. That’s OK between sisters but becomes dangerous when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances.

“Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they’re the property of the parent. We see our children as a mirror of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving improperly, then that’s somehow a criticism(批评) of me.”

In those situations, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two opinions.

“I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. “Usually a quiet reminder that ‘we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids have antennae (直觉) for how to behave in different settings.”

He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel careless, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too.

This is why White recommends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents and ask them to deal with it,” she says.   

Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers: “Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Start with something like: ‘I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want…’” 

What did Stella Bianchi expect the young boy’s mother to do when she talked to him?

       A. Make an apology             B. Come over to stop her     

       C. Blame her own boy          D. Take her own boy away

What does the author say about dealing with other people’s children?

       A. It’s important not to hurt them in any way

       B. It’s no use trying to stop their wrongdoing

       C. It’s advisable to treat them as one’s own kids

       D. It’s possible for one to get into lots of trouble

According to professor Naomi White, when one’s kids are criticized, their parents will probably feel ______.

       A. discouraged       B. hurt    C. puzzled      D. affected

What should one do when seeing other people’s kids misbehave according to Andrew Fuller?

       A. Talk to them directly in a mild way  B. Complain to their parents politely

       C. Simply leave them alone            D. Punish them lightly