In the year after my mother left us, my father was 42 and he knew that he wasn’t going to make it to 43. He wrote a letter to me and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life.

Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. One part always stands out. “Right now, you are pretending to be a time killer. But I know that one day, you will do something great that will set you among the very best.” Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself. “You will do something great.” He didn’t know what I would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I’ve felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask, “Is this what you were talking about , Dad ? Should I keep going?”

A long way from 12 now, I realize he would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though, I’ve come to believe he would want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of , and believe in somebody else. It’s time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don’t hold back because they’re afraid to fail. They’re only afraid of failing us. They don’t worry about being disappointed. Their fear ---- as mine was until my father’s letter---- is of being a disappointment.

Give your children permission to succeed. They’re waiting for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me: That belief will be more complete , that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts ：“Don’t worry; you’ll do something great .”Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back.

1.We learn from the text that the author__________.

A．lost his father when he was young

B．worked hard before he read his father’s letter

C．asked his father’s permission to believe in himself

D．knew exactly what great thing his father wanted him to do

2.What does the author tell us in the 3rd paragraph?           

A．Children need their parents’ letters.

B．Children are afraid to be disappointed.

C．His children’s fear of failure held them back.

D．His father’s letter removed his fear of failing his parents.

3.Which of the following is true of the author?

A．He got no access to success.

B．He wrote back to his father at 12.

C．He was sure his parents loved him.

D．He once asked his father about the letter.

4.The main purpose of the text is to        .

A．describe children’s thinking

B．answer some questions children have

C．stress the importance of communication

D．advise parents to encourage their children

 

All parents know that one of their most important tasks is to prepare their children for an independent life, but any parent can tell you that it’s hard to let go of your children. That balance between keeping your children safe and allowing them to learn from their own mistakes can be heartbreaking. Years of experience means that parents often do know best, but on the other hand, the young, being less bound by tradition, are often more creative, more able to find new solutions to old problems. Revolutions are led by the young.

Good teachers make the growth of critical (批判性的) thinking easier in their students, only to find that this can lead to a questioning of the teachers’ basic beliefs. Schools encourage parents to become involved, but are often embarrassed when parents have reservations about some of the educational methods being used. Governments encourage unimportant groups to empower themselves in order to participate fully in the development process. And they are often surprised when the new leaders of these groups turn around and attack the policies of that same government. The rebellions (叛逆的)young and the newly unimportant groups are important in social development. They are not necessarily representatives of those they want to represent or not realistic in their demands, but their voices must be heard.

Good parents know that just forbidding particular behaviors does not prevent their children from finding ways to engage in these forbidden activities. Indeed, sometimes the forbidden fruit is more inviting, just because it is not accepted by authority. Parents must work with their children to educate them on the facts, know as much as possible about he lives of their children, provide a good example, encourage more wholesome activities but also support their children when they don’t follow what is expected of them. But the most important point is that they also need to learn how to let go.

1.By saying “Revolutions are led by the young”, the author indicates that young people are more     .

A．conventional       B．realistic           C．creative           D．heartbreaking

2.From the second paragraph we know         .

A．teachers’ basic beliefs should be questioned by students

B．schools encourage parents to question their education methods

C．movement is satisfied with the new leaders’ attack on the policies

D．the voice of the rebellious young should be heard by the government

3.In order to educate children well, parents should          .

A．forbid particular behaviors in their daily life

B．know them well and set a good example to them

C．educate them with facts and expect much of them

D．know as much as possible as their children

4.From the passage we can learn that the author prefers         .

A．free parenting                         B．traditional parenting

C．critical parenting                        D．smart parenting

5.What is the best title of the passage?

A．Letting Go – for Children’s Independent Life

B．Parents’ Tasks – in Children’s Development

C．Way of Growth – for the Young Groups

D．Teaching Methods – for Teachers and Schools

 

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

 

Weight loss is a hard topic. Lots of people aren’t satisfied with their present weight, but most people aren’t sure how to change it. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines or on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic(现实的) for you .___ 1._

So what should you do about your weight control?

2.  The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian（营养学家)._ 3.____If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

_4.__People who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all of the pounds they lost, because they haven’t permanently(永久地) changed their habits. Therefore, the best weight management ways are those that you can maintain for a lifetime.

Small changes are a lot easier to stick with(坚持做) than large ones. Try reducing the size of what you eat._ 5.__ Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

It’s a good idea to maintain a healthy weight because it’s just that: healthy.

A．Try giving up regular soda for a week.

B．Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you’re full.

C．Weight management is about long-term success.

D．Besides, no magical diet will make you look like someone else.

E．Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you.

F．Changing from whole to nonfat or low-fat milk is also a good idea.

G．They will compare your weight with healthy standards and help you set goals.

 

Japanese students work very hard but many are very unhappy. They feel great pressure from their parents to do well in school and in college. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have successful future. Although this may be good advice for those who are very bright, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.

Unfortunately, a number of students actually kill themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some students, however, do bad things with groups of bad people and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but, in spite of all their tries, have failed in certain examinations and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important than everyone else they meet and leave school before they finish their study.

It is surprising that although most Japanese parents are anxious for their children to do well at school, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are unable to help their children with their lessons and that it is the teachers’ job to help their children.

To make matter worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evenings and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams; they do not try to educate students in any real sense of the world. Thus comes a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior high school students attend these cram schools.

Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the length of students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bags. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They believe that no sense of moral(道德) values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.

1.Many Japanese students are unhappy at school because          .

A．the school work is too much

B．their teachers are too strict with them

C．their parents put much pressure on them

D．they can’t get on well with their friends

2.How many unexpected things will some of Japanese students do when they are not doing well in their studies?

A．Two

B．Four

C．Six

D．Eight

3.What’s some experts’ opinion about Japanese school rules?

A．They are a set of effective rules.

B．They can help the students to be useful persons.

C．They are bad for the development of each student.

D．They stress the importance of sense of moral values.

4.According to the third paragraph, who have not tried their best?

A．The schools.	B．The students.
C．The teachers.	D．The parents.

5.choose the best title for this passage:

A. Poor students in Japan

B. poor students in campus in Japan

C. wrong educational system in Japan

D How to develop a student

 

Tim Becker and his neighbors are doing something to make their neighborhood a trouble free area.

When Tim Becker gets in his car to go shopping, he doesn't __36__drive to a store and back home. He always looks__37__ 37 up and down the streets of his neighborhood. He looks for anything___38  such as strange cars, loud noises, __39  windows, or people gathering on street corners.

Tim__40 to a neighborhood watch group in Stoneville, Indiana, USA. The neighborhood watch group__41 on the third Wednesday of every month. That's__42  Tim gets together with about ten of his neighbors to discuss community__43. Members of the neighborhood watch group want to help the police__44_their homes, streets, and families safe.

Tina Stedman, president of__45   neighborhood watch group, agrees with Tim. “People seem to think that crime(犯罪) happens to other people but not__46  them. Well, it's never happened to me,” she said,“but I don't think anyone has the__47  to steal from other people or to make them feel__48  sitting in their own homes.”

Alex, a member of the group, said that all the neighbors__49_our for one another.“We__50 each other's homes. We keep watch on the neighborhood at night and on weekends. Usually a __51 _ of four or five of us goes out together. If something doesn't look right, then we call the__52 . For example, if we notice a group of teenagers who seem to be looking for__53 , or someone destroying property(财产), we report to the police.”

Alex feels the neighborhood watch groups__54  a lot in keeping crime down. Her husband Jim agrees, “Police are good people, but they can't do __55  .”

36.  A. yet           B. still        C. just           D. rather 

37.  A. carefully     B. clearly      C. nervously      D. coldly 

38.  A. familiar      B. unusual      C. expensive      D. interesting 

39.  A. curtained     B. open         C. old            D. broken 

40.  A. attends       B. belongs      C. goes           D .turns 

41.  A. meets         B. quarrels     C. sings          D. searches 

42.  A. where         B. why          C. when           D. how 

43.  A. politics      B. wealth       C. health         D. safety 

44.  A. keep          B. hold         C. let            D. protect  

45.  A. its           B. his          C. their          D. your 

46.  A. round         B. on           C. about          D. to 

47.  A. right         B. chance       C. courage        D. mind 

48.  A. unlucky       B. unsafe       C. disappointed   D. discouraged 

49.  A. set           B. let          C. hold           D. look 

50.  A. care          B. enter        C. watch          D. manage 

51.  A. group         B. set          C. number         D. crowd 

52.  A. judges        B. police       C. firemen        D. doctors 

53.  A. work          B. burden       C. service        D. trouble 

54.  A. produce       B. find         C. get            D. help 

55.  A. anything      B. everything   C. harm           D. wrong