There is a fine line between a parent who is active and open-minded and one that doesn’t know when to let go （放手）．As my daughter, Nicole, prepares to leave home for college, I’m discovering how hard it is to stay on the __1__ side of this line．When I hold __2__ the apron strings （围裙带） connecting us, Nicole, eager to __3__ independence, tries to loosen my grasp．What results is a （an） __4__ mother-daughter, push-me, pull-you kind of tango．

For the past two years, it’s gone like this:

Mother’s question: “Have you thought of taking an advanced placement class （大学预修课程） so that you can earn college credit?”

Daughter’s __5__: “No, I’m not interested in that．”

………

I bit my lip a few times and Nicole shot me a few glares．

Two months ago, she was _6__ to a great university．However, I was still the mother having a __7_ time letting go．The night before the introductory meeting of the university, I had read the course catalog carefully and __8__ courses which I thought looked good．We met on the campus the next afternoon, and Nicole’s face _9__ with excitement．“I have had my entire schedule figured out,” she said．“Already?” I was astonished, __10__ she should have discussed it with me．I examined the schedule．Nicole hadn’t taken a （an） __11__ one of the courses I had suggested．Every course she had chosen __12__ suited her interests．Just then I saw a mature, capable young woman with a __13__ mind and the ability to shape her future．She no longer needed her mother __14__ every decision she made．I felt proud, though still a bit __15__．

I __16__ the lessons carefully．Nicole has struggled to learn over the past 18 years: __17__, sympathy, and hard work．There have been a few holes along the way．__18__, she is well-equipped and eager to __19__ the future．The next step, I recognized, was mine to take: giving my daughter and myself the _20__ we both needed．

1．A．left　　　　 B．right　　　 C．either　　　 D．each

2．A．onto　　　　 B．up　　　　　 C．back　　　　 D．out

3．A．keep　　　　 B．refuse　　　 C．taste　　　 D．bear

4．A．awkward　　　 B．relaxing　　 C．lively　　　 D．beautiful

5．A．comment　　　 B．word　　　　 C．concept　　 D．response

6．A．received　　 B．invited　　 C．treated　　 D．accepted

7．A．good　　　　 B．great　　　 C．hard　　　　 D．easy

8．A．taken　　　　 B．underlined　 C．offered　　 D．emphasized

9．A．lit up　　　 B．built up　　 C．turned up　 D．made up

10．A．imagining　 B．thinking　　 C．hoping　　　 D．adding

11．A．only　　　　 B．just　　　　 C．even　　　　 D．single

12．A．mostly　　　 B．hardly　　　 C．exactly　　 D．slightly

13．A．sharp　　　 B．normal　　　 C．different　 D．typical

14．A．encouraging B．evaluating　 C．disagreeing D．agreeing

15．A．anxious　　 B．excited　　 C．sad　　　　 D．tense

16．A．reviewed　　 B．observed　　 C．checked　　 D．studied

17．A．competence　 B．creativity　 C．responsibility　　　　　 D．confidence

18．A．Therefore　 B．Instead　　 C．Still　　　 D．Besides

19．A．embrace　　 B．discover　　 C．determine　 D．control

20．A．character　 B．strength　　 C．relief　　　 D．independence

 

it tastes just chicken

  Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．

  Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"

  Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's bear's paw soup．

  Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．

  Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What's for dinner? Don't ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．

1.The purpose of the article is to ____．

 A．introduce unfamiliar food

 B．share the writer's personal experiences

 C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier

 D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food

2.According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．

 A．the way it looks                   B．safety worries

 C．lack of information about it         D．the unfamiliar atmosphere

3.From the article we can infer that ____．

 A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin

 B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites

 C．English-language menus are not always dependable

 D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures

4.One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．

 A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations

 B．greeting people with different dieting habits

 C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival

 D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal

 

It tastes just like chicken

Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．

Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow it．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"

Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie ? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's bear's paw soup．

Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to cut any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．

Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What's for dinner? Don't ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．

1.The purpose of the article is to ____．

A．introduce unfamiliar food       

B．share the writer's personal experiences

C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier

D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food

2.According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．

A．the way it looks  

B．safety worries

C．lack of information about it      

D．the unfamiliar atmosphere

3.From the article we can infer that ____．

A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin

B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites

C．English-language menus are not always dependable

D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures

4.One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．

A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations

B．greeting people with different dieting habits

C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival

D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal

 

It tastes just like chicken

Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．

Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"

Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's bear's paw soup．

Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．

Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What's for dinner? Don't ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．

1.The purpose of the article is to ____．

  A．introduce unfamiliar food

  B．share the writer's personal experiences

  C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier

  D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food

2.According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．

  A．the way it looks                  B．safety worries

  C．lack of information about it       D．the unfamiliar atmosphere

 

3.From the article we can infer that ____．

  A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin

  B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites

  C．English-language menus are not always dependable

  D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures

4.One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．

  A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations

  B．greeting people with different dieting habits

  C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival

    D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal

 

It tastes just like chicken

Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．

Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"

Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie or sirloin? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's bear's paw soup．

Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to slice any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．

Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What's for dinner? Don't ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．

The purpose of the article is to ____．

    A．introduce unfamiliar food

    B．share the writer's personal experiences

    C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier

    D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food

According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．

    A．the way it looks                     B．safety worries

    C．lack of information about it         D．the unfamiliar atmosphere

From the article we can infer that ____．

    A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin

    B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites

    C．English-language menus are not always dependable

    D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures

One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．

    A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations

    B．greeting people with different dieting habits

    C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival

    D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal