A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves – the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. But we really shouldn’t be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solves problems, and calm ourselves down. Beware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying, “Good job!”
Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.
Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and motive others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.
【小题1】The author argues in the first paragraph that ________.

A．words will never hurt us at all

B．words have lasting effects on us

C．positive effects last longer than negative effects

D．negative words last longer than positive effects

【小题2】Why should we not feel embarrassed when talking to ourselves?

A．Almost everybody has the habit of talking to oneself.

B．It does harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone.

C．Talking to ourselves helps us to solve all the problems.

D．Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health.

【小题3】The underlined phrase “give ourselves a pat on the back” in Paragraph 3 means _________.

A．blame ourselves	B．punish ourselves
C．praise ourselves	D．talk to ourselves

【小题4】Which of the following statements would the author agree to?

A．It is better to think twice before talking to others.

B．It is impossible for unkind words to be forgotten.

C．Words always possess long positive effects.

D．Kind words are sometimes not needed at all.

A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house, the same house I grew up in, I had a sudden, scary realization. When my parents bought the house, in 1982, they were only two years older than I am now. I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later.
It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.
My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.
This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.
Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.
【小题1】When the author walked through her parents’ house, she _______.

A．was frightened that she had no idea what she wanted from life

B．started to think about her own life

C．realized I should buy a house.

D．wondered why her parents had settled down early

【小题2】What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their                      parents according to the article?

A．Their attitude toward high technology.

B．Their ways of making their way to the top.

C．Their attitude towards responsibility.

D．Their ways of gaining experience.

【小题3】Which of the following might the author agree with?

A．It’s all right to try more before settling down.

B．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier.

C．It involves too much effort to rise vertically.

D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”.

【小题4】What can we conclude from the article?

A．The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age.

B．Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships.

C．“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and love to be taken care of by their parents.

D．The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better.

【小题5】What is the main theme of the article?

A．The sudden realization of growing up.

B．A comparison between lifestyles of generations.

C．Criticisms of the young generation.

D．The factors that have changed the young generation.

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”However, that’s not really true.Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves--the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

This“ self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down.Be aware, though, that as much as 77%of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves.We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back ,The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying“ Good job!”

Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effects they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses to others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.

Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things.Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

1.The author argues in the first paragraph that __________.

A. words will never hurt us at all

B. words have lasting effects on us

C. inspiring words give us confidence.

D. negative words may let us down

2.Why should not we feel embarrassed when it comes to talking to ourselves?

A. Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health.

B. Almost everybody has the habit of talking to oneself.

C. Talking to ourselves helps us to solve all the problems.

D. It is harmful to have “self-talk” when we are alone.

3.The underlined phrase “give ourselves a pat on the back” in Paragraph three means “ _________”.

A. blame ourselves      B. punish ourselves     

C. talk to ourselves       D. praise ourselves

4.Which of the following statements would the author agree to?

A. Unkind words are unlikely to be forgotten.   

B. Positive words may destroy all the good relations.

C. It is better to think twice before talking to others.

D. Kind words are sure to cause unfavorable response.

5.Why should we talk in a friendly way when returning an item to a store?

A. Because kind words destroy true relationships.      

B. Because the clerk in a store is hard to deal with.

C. Because critical language may hurt your feelings. 

D. Because friendly words cause positive responses.

 

A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house, the same house I grew up in, I had a sudden, scary realization. When my parents bought the house, in 1982, they were only two years older than I am now. I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later.

It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.

So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.

My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.

This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.

Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.

Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.

1.When the author walked through her parents’ house, she _______.

A．was frightened that she had no idea what she wanted from life

B．started to think about her own life

C．realized I should buy a house.

D．wondered why her parents had settled down early

2.What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their                      parents according to the article?

A．Their attitude toward high technology.

B．Their ways of making their way to the top.

C．Their attitude towards responsibility.

D．Their ways of gaining experience.

3.Which of the following might the author agree with?

A．It’s all right to try more before settling down.

B．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier.

C．It involves too much effort to rise vertically.

D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”.

4.What can we conclude from the article?

A．The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age.

B．Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships.

C．“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and love to be taken care of by their parents.

D．The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better.

5.What is the main theme of the article?

A．The sudden realization of growing up.

B．A comparison between lifestyles of generations.

C．Criticisms of the young generation.

D．The factors that have changed the young generation.

 

 A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house, the same house I grew up in, I had a sudden, scary realization. When my parents bought the house, in 1982, they were only two years older than I am now. I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later.

It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.

So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.

My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.

This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.

Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.

Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.                                                                              

By Ariel Lewiton

1.When the author walked through her parents’ house, she _______.

A．was frightened that she had no idea what she wanted from life

B．started to think about her own life

C．realized I should buy a house.

D．wondered why her parents had settled down early

2.What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their parents according to the article?

A．Their attitude toward high technology.

B．Their ways of making their way to the top.

C．Their attitude towards responsibility.

D．Their ways of gaining experience.

3.Which of the following might the author agree with?

A．It’s all right to try more before settling down.

B．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier.

C．It involves too much effort to rise vertically.

D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”.

4.What can we conclude from the article?

A．The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age.

B．Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships.

C．“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and love to be taken care of by their parents.

D．The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better.

5.What is the main theme of the article?

A．The sudden realization of growing up.

B．A comparison between lifestyles of generations.

C．Criticisms of the young generation.

D．The factors that have changed the young generation.