Most parents love the Internet and want their kids to use it. But a new survey in America finds almost as many also fear the online world—especially social networking sites such as My Space—and worry their kids will get in trouble with people they meet.

“The parents see the web’s incredible potential(可能性), and they know their kids have to be there.” says James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, which released results from a survey that looked into parental attitudes toward the Internet. “It is also what they are scared of most.”

The study was conducted online May 5-10 by Insight Research Group. It says 80% of parents are concerned about kids meeting bad people online. That’s because young people who largely have grown up with the Net think of it as a social outlet(出口), say the researchers. To young people, the benefits of giving out some personal information to reach out to friends outweigh the risks. And the study shows they are so comfortable with the medium that 78% have a personal website or blog.

Parents also recognize the importance of the Internet. The survey shows 91% think the Net helps their children explore their passions, and 77% think the Internet is one of the most valuable education tools teens have. But 88% think it’s important to know what their kids are doing online.

Findings suggest both parents and teens need more education about using online media, Steyer says.

Internet safety has become an increasing concern for parents in America. Organizations like the Non-profit Common Sense have been trying to reach and help parents pay attention to the problem.

In the second paragraph, the underlined word “It” refers to_____.

A. Common Sense Media                         B. the result of the survey

C. the web’s incredible potential                   D. the website called My Space

Why do young people give out their personal information?

A. They think it has more advantages than disadvantages.

B. They want to make themselves famous by doing that.

C. They want to have a personal website each.

D. They want to get some information from others.

Most parents think it is important to know_____.

A. where their children give out the information  B. what kind of websites they have

C. how often they go online                        D. what their children are doing online

From the passage we can infer that_____.

A. children are too young to know how to use the Internet

B. parents must teach their children how to use the Internet

C. parents also need to learn more about using the Internet

D. the Internet is the most valuable tool for children to learn

A caring mother is the single most important factor in preventing teenagers from abusing(滥用)drugs and alcohol,researchers said on Friday. An international study showed that teenagers living with both parents are less likely to suffer from alcohol and drug problems,and a strong maternal bond is the most effective way to fight against them.

  “These findings suggest that living with both parents may prevent drug use.”said Dr.McArdle,of Newcastle University in northern England, who led the study. “They also suggest that attachment(感情眷念),particularly to mothers,is a more effective factor and that this is truly across cultures and substances.” The report, which is published in the journal Addiction, involved nearly 4,000 teenagers in England,Ireland,Italy,Germany and the Netherlands. They were questioned about their use of several kinds of drugs and alcohol. The teenagers also filled in questionnaires about their relationship with their parents and grandparents, how well they were supervised(监护)after school and whether they were allowed to meet friends at home.

  “Both the quality of family relationships and the structure of families have significant influences on youth drug use,” McArdle said in a statement. But he added that a strong maternal bond offered the greatest protection against developing drug habits. The rate of drug abuse among teenagers living with both parents and who had a good relationship with their mother was 16.6 percent. If either factor was missing, the drug abuse rate rose to 32 percent.More than 42 percent of teenagers living in one parent families who did not have a strong bond with their mother used drugs.

  Drug prevention campaigns in British schools and on television warn teenagers about the danger of drugs and alcohol but McArdle said no one is dealing with the problem of their parents’ responsibility                            

The phrase“maternal bond” appears twice in this passage. Guess its meaning__________.

A.物质的奖励             B.母亲的约束             C.法律的制裁            D.学校的指导

According to McArdle,which is most likely to have the drug abuse problem_________?

A.16-year-old Tom from a happy big family             

B.17-year-old Kate supervised by her single mother.

C.18-year-old Juliet living with her single father.      

D.19-year-old Mark cared by his parents.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage__________?

A. Teenagers with both parents won’t have the drug use problem.

B. Teenagers from several countries filled in the questionnaire.

C. Teenagers were asked about their relationship with parents.

D. Teenagers in British schools are warned against drugs abuse.

The last paragraph suggests that________.

A. schools should answer for the drug problem             

B. television and media are to blame

C. parents and the society are responsible for the drug problem

D. mothers are the cause of youth drug use.


E
The small number of newborn babies, which has been caused by high prices and the changing social situation of women, is one of the most serious problems in Asia. When people talk about it, you can hear a word invented in Japan. “DINKS”, which means Double Income No Kids(小孩).
In many major Asian cities like Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo, the cost of a house is extremely high. A young couple who want to buy their own house may have to pay about $300,000 (though prices have fallen). For a flat with one bedroom, one dining-room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, the couple will pay about $900 a month. What’s more, if they want to have a child, the child’s education is very expensive. For example, most kindergarten charges are at least $5.000 a year. In such a situation, it’s difficult to afford children.
The number of married women who want to continue working increases rapidly because they enjoy their jobs. However, if they want to have children, they immediately have serious problems. Though most companies allow women to leave their jobs for a short time to have a baby, they expect women with babies to give up their jobs. In short, if they want to bring up children properly, both parents have to work, but it is hard for mothers to work. Indeed, women who want to continue working have to choose between having children or keeping their jobs.
In a word, Asian governments must take steps to improve the present situation as soon as possible.
57.What is the main problem being discussed in the passage?
A.The small number of newborn babies.
B.The changing social situation of women.
C.The high prices of houses and education.
D.The necessary steps of Asian government.
58.According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A.It is easy for a couple to afford a child in Asia.
B.The prices of houses in Asia are quite low now.
C.Fewer and fewer married women want to have a job.
D.The word “DINKS” first appeared in an Asian country.
59.To buy a flat and send a child to kindergarten, how much will a couple pay each year?
A.$5,000        B.$5,900         C.$10800       D.$15800
60.The writer seems to believe that Asian governments should ________.
A.care for the growing needs of women for jobs.
B.allow one of the parents to go out to work
C.let women stay at home and have a baby
D.punish the companies that permit women to leave.

The British aren’t having as many children as they used to. One reason is that people are having children much older than before, meaning they have fewer years in which they can have them. After years at university, they need a few years of work experience before they can get the job they want. They might then get married, but it’s incredibly expensive to buy a house in the UK.
The above explains why young British people now don’t move out of their parents’ home until they are around 30 years old on average. It is not until they are 30 that they can afford their own home. Increasingly, it is not until that age that they can afford to get married and start a new life in a new home. It’s only after this age that many young people start thinking about having a child.
So a British person manages to get a job, get a home and get married. Why isn’t he or she then having at least two children on average? The main reason is that it is quite expensive to bring up a child in the UK. Why is it expensive? Well, these days, both parents need to work just to pay for their home and living expenses. Because both parents are at work, that means they then need to pay someone to look after their child during the day. Paying for this childcare is nearly always expensive.
The recent financial crisis is making things even harder for families, since unemployment is rising and even fewer people can afford to have children. With so much pressure on families, is it any surprise that the divorce rate is so high?
So what is Britain doing to try and save the British family? The government is trying to make it cheaper to have children. For example, there have been increases in money families can claim from the state each month. Also, there are increasing government subsidies for nursery schools, so that parents do not need to pay so much for child care.
The government is also trying to reduce the number of hours British parents have to work to earn enough money to pay their bills. If parents didn’t have to work so many hours, they’d have more time to spend with their children and wouldn’t need to spend so much on childcare. On average, a Briton works 49 hours a week, which is the most in Europe. The state is now considering introducing laws to encourage companies to improve their employees’ work-life balance. Let’s hope they’re not too late to save the British family. Otherwise, the British will always be too tired, and won’t have enough time and money, to have children.
【小题1】Young British people live in their parents’ home until around 30 because         .

A.They are allowed to get married at 30
B.they can’t find jobs to support themselves
C.they can’t afford a house of their own until then
D.they enjoy family life with their parents
【小题2】The British are now having fewer children than before for all the following reasons EXCEPT that         .
A.they have fewer years to have children
B.they live much shorter lives than before
C.it is more expensive to bring up a child
D.people are losing their jobs because of the recent financial crisis
【小题3】To make it cheaper to have children, the British government is         .
A.bringing down prices
B.raising the salaries of parents
C.reducing family income tax
D.increasing subsidies for families and nursery schools
【小题4】It can be inferred from the text that         .
A.with long work hours, it is hard for British parents to balance life and work
B.more and more families in Britain are breaking up because they are having fewer children
C.among Europeans, British people work hardest and earn the least
D.childcare takes up too much energy and time for the British
【小题5】The underlined word “subsidies” in Paragraph 5 means _________.
A.food paid by the government
B.school buildings for poor students
C.free transportation
D.money from the government to benefit the public

Every year, as Spring Festival draws near, most Chinese people will get excited to make preparation for the most important festival and make plan for the winter break. It is a little like Christmas in the United States, but there are some differences between the two festivals.

Both the major Chinese and the major Western holidays come during the cold season, and special food is expected. In western countries, cookies and cakes begin just after Thanksgiving in November and show up everywhere. Turkey, potatoes and other food come later. Similar thing happens in China. Entering lunar December, most families will make shopping plans for the coming big day and food is certainly one of the most important things to be considered. At the end of the month, both parents in each family will be very busy---the father is busy buying food while the mother is busy cooking.

A deeper similarity (相似处) is tradition. Christmas, as the letters “Christ” suggests, began as a holiday to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ. Many people pray (祈祷) on this day. In China, people living in cities or towns, though they don’t plan to sow seeds(播种) this month, still celebrate on the big day for farmers.

Followers of both holidays are also different from each other. While Chinese people travel to the homes of elder relatives, Americans usually call or send cards. Westerners prefer Christmas carols to fireworks. In Christmas, many family gifts come together instead of one by one, since adults may have only one day free to celebrate.

But the most curious difference is about students. Chinese students going home for Spring Festival sometimes report that they get bored by the end of vacation, yet American students seldom get bored around Christmas and western New Year.

Not everyone enjoys classic holiday traditions. Students in western countries may get upset, as too much homework, travel or bad family relations may destroy the short holiday season. In China, more and more college students choose to travel or work during the winter holiday instead of going home to stay with their families. It’s against the tradition but many people accept it.

1.What does “the coming big day” (Paragraph 2) refer to?

A.Christmas                             B.Thanksgiving Day

C.the New Year’s Day                     D.the Spring Festival

2.The second and the third paragraphs mainly talk about ________.

A.the similarities between Christmas and the Spring Festival

B.the differences between Christmas and the Spring Festival

C.the preparations for Christmas and the Spring Festival

D.the history of Christmas and the Spring Festival

3.What does the writer mainly want to tell us in this passage?

A.Food in different festivals.

B.Differences between two festivals.

C.Festivals in China and western countries.

D.Traditional celebrations in different countries.

 

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