Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently in families today than in the past, when "duty’’ and "responsibility" were often the words used.
Parents today are more youthful in appearance and attitudes. Their clothes and hair-styles are more casual, helping to bridge the divide. Those who are athletically inclined also enjoy Rollerblading, snowboarding, and rock-climbing with their children.
For the past three years, Kathy and Phil Dalby have spent at least one evening a week at a climbing gym with their three children. "It’s great to be able to work together," Mrs Dalby says. "We discuss various climbs and where the hard parts are. Sometimes that leads to other Conversations. We’re definitely closer."
A popular movement of parent effectiveness training in the 1970s has helped to reshape generational roles. The philosophy encourages children to describe their feelings about various situations. As a result, says Robert Billingham, a family-studies professor at Indiana University, "Parents and children began talking to each other in ways they had not before."
On the plus side, he adds, these conversations made parents realize that children may have important thoughts or feelings that adults need to be aware of.
But Professor Billingham also sees a downside: Many parents started making decisions based on what their child wanted. "The power shifted to children. Parents said, ’I have to focus on making my child happy’, as opposed to ’I have to act as a parent most appropriately’."
Other changes are occurring as the ranks of working mothers grow. Time-short parents encourage children’s independence, making them more responsible for themselves. "They’ll say, ’We trust you to make the right decisions’ (whether they’re ready to assume the responsibility or not) ,"says Billingham.
The self-esteem movement of the past quarter-century has also affected the family dynamics (原动力). Some parents worry that if they tell their child no, it will hurt the child’s self-esteem

1.
What’s the trend in parent-child relationship mentioned in the passage?
1. A.
  Parents are chasing after fashion and ignoring the feelings of their children
2. B.
  More parents and children are sharing the same enthusiasm for a certain sport
3. C.
  Parents are taking more responsibility and setting more limits for their children
4. D.
  The generation gap is narrowing and parents are respecting their children’s thoughts more
2.
Which of the following has NOT contributed to the change in the parent-child relationship?
1. A.
  Younger parents
2. B.
  Parent effectiveness training
3. C.
  More working mothers
4. D.
  The self-esteem movement
3.
What’s Billingham’s attitude towards parents who make children more responsible for themselves?
1. A.
  He supports them
2. B.
  He admires them
3. C.
  He disagrees with them
4. D.
  He thinks they’re unreasonable
4.
What will probably be discussed following the last paragraph?
1. A.
  The effect of more working mothers on children’ s education
2. B.
  The benefits of the new relationship between parents and children
3. C.
  The importance of self-esteem and ways to develop children’s self-esteem
4. D.
  The risks of setting no rules and some suggestions on how to have a balanced attitude
5.
What’s the best title for the text?
1. A.
  Parents and Children as Friends
2. B.
  Parents and Professors as Debaters
3. C.
  Growing Mutual Understanding
4. D.
  Disappearing Responsibility

Salvation Army Angel Program
Angel Tree collects gifts for children and families in need. Participate by selecting an angel from any Angel Tree at all Cyprus Credit Union location or any Utah Macy's Department store. Shop for your angel, then return your new, unwrapped gift to the same Angel Tree. Gifts must be returned before December 14. For more information, call (801) 988-5678 in the Salt Lake area,(801) 374-2588 in the Provo area.
Utah Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Holiday Gift Box Program
The program serves primarily low-income adults with intellectual disabilities who don't qualify for other programs because of age limits, said Joyce Whalen, the association's board president. To donate, visit the association at 1326 S.2100 East from 9am to about 5:30 pm to choose an ornament (装饰物) that provides information about an individual who will benefit from the program. Shop for new items and return them by December 14. Donations of generic items, such as towels, socks and hygiene products also accepted, as are monetary donations. For more information, call 801-440-1674.
Utah Foster Care Foundation's Giving Tree Program
The program seeks new gifts and cash donations to fulfill the holiday wishes of more than 1,000 children in state-licensed foster homes." Many of the children in care have been removed from their biological homes because of neglect or abuse," said Nikki Mackay, the foundation's director. " Christmas can be a difficult time for them." To learn how to support the program, call 877-505-5437.
Utah State Hospital Forgotten Patient Program
The program provides Christmas gifts for hundreds of patients with mental illness. In the history of the program--which may go back as far as 60 years, organizer Shawna Peterson said, "we've never had a forgotten patient." And she doesn't want this year to change that. To support the program, contact Peterson at 801-344-6088

1.
After you buy an angel, you should ________
1. A.
  post it to where you bought
2. B.
  open its package to examine it
3. C.
  send it to families in need for yourself
4. D.
  bring it back in its original form
2.
If you want to help adults with intellectual disabilities, you should call_____
1. A.
  801-440-1674
2. B.
  801-988-5678
3. C.
  877-505-5437
4. D.
  801-344-6088
3.
The underlined phrases "biological homes" in the third program refers to ______
1. A.
  homes where they are just brought up
2. B.
  homes where their natural parents live
3. C.
  homes where they learn biology
4. D.
  homes where are related to bacteria
4.
From the last program, we can infer that ______
1. A.
  the patients often forgot to come to the hospital
2. B.
  the patients are often forgotten to be looked after
3. C.
  the patients are being taken good care of
4. D.
  the patients had a poor memory in the hospital

It was the old lady’s eightieth birthday. She was sure Myra wouldn’t forgot her mother’s birthday, even if she was busy. After all, eighty was a special birthday. Perhaps Myra might come. Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited like a child.
Mrs. Morrison had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake. Johnnie, the little boy next door, was now up with her with a packet of sweets.
“I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents, ” he said. “I did last week when I was six.”
What would she like? A pair of slippers, perhaps. A blue new cardigan. Or a table lamp. Or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.
She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.
“Granny, granny, ” Johnnie returned. “I’ve got your post!”
He gave her four envelopes. Three were from old friends. The fourth was in Myra’s writing.
“No parcel(包裹), Johnnie?”
“No, granny.”
Almost reluctantly, she tore the fourth envelope open. Folded in the card was a check. Written on the card was a message: Happy Birthday—Buy yourself something nice with the check, Myra and Harold.
The six-figure check fell to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.

1.
As can be inferred from the passage, _______.
1. A.
  the old lady lived alone in a flat away from her daughter
2. B.
  the friends sent the old lady many lovely presents by post
3. C.
  Myra was stopped by her husband from seeing her mother
4. D.
  the neighbours cared little about the old lady in daily life
2.
The old lady felt _______ when she saw no packet came with her daughter’s card.
1. A.
  excited
2. B.
  happy
3. C.
  disappointed
4. D.
  impatient
3.
Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?
1. A.
  The Present
2. B.
  The Check
3. C.
  The Birthday
4. D.
  The Daughter
4.
The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.
1. A.
  she was sure her daughter would come, not the check
2. B.
  she didn’t notice there were six figures on the check
3. C.
  she didn’t think the check was large enough for a present
4. D.
  she would prefer a present with love from her daughter

Abby Subark is a mother of two from Boston. “For my kids, I’m nervous. I don’t know if they’ll be able to achieve their American dream.” She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich.
It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, poor scores, in the bottom on tests when they are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That’s what the working persons’ children are up against.
The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status. That’s about 200 years. The hallmark (特征) of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility (变动).
If you look at the mechanisms (机制) for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care.
White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, where you end up depends on where you start.
If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you.
But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class.

1.
The main idea of the passage is _______.
1. A.
  How the middle class comes about in the U.S.
2. B.
  It’s hard to realize the American dream for the poor.
3. C.
  Wealth and social status depend on family background.
4. D.
  Upward mobility in America is never easy.
2.
Which of the statements is NOT true according to the passage?
1. A.
  People used to have job opportunities and welfare for upward mobility.
2. B.
  A great many poor people can hardly realize their American dream.
3. C.
  You can make all your dreams come true in America if born rich.
4. D.
  Rich kids are more likely to go to college than poor kids.
3.
The underlined sentence “where you end up depends on where you start” most probably means _______.
1. A.
  Your starting point cannot determine your destination.
2. B.
  Only a high goal can ensure success.
3. C.
  One’s birth has nothing to do with his fate.
4. D.
  One’s family lays solid foundation for his future achievements.
4.
Why is Abby Subark nervous?
1. A.
  Her kids don’t want to compare with other rich kids in achievements.
2. B.
  Her kids don’t want to achieve success at all.
3. C.
  Her kids can achieve success through hard work and education.
4. D.
  Her kids can’t reach their goal without a rich family.
5.
What can we infer after reading the passage?
1. A.
  Poverty causes people much pain.
2. B.
  People below the poverty line can never be in the middle class.
3. C.
  Lower starting point makes it hard for people to realize their dream.
4. D.
  Poor people’s starting point is too low.

Nickname:  Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size:        4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677.The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71°F and 77°F year around .
Beaches:     47 ; Golf Courses: 20 ; Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet.
Agriculture: The bulk (主体) of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya.
Hotels:     9,655 rooms total; Nightly rates range from $ 35—$ 5,000.
Airports:    Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts.In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxi.
Resources: Call (800) 648—2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau.See www.bigisland.org for updated information.
Shopping:  The large shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kohala Coast.

1.
The passage is intended to be read by _______.
1. A.
  students
2. B.
  businessmen
3. C.
  tourists
4. D.
  immigrants
2.
The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.
1. A.
  28
2. B.
  32
3. C.
  37
4. D.
  44
3.
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?
1. A.
  By train.
2. B.
  By air.
3. C.
  By rental car.
4. D.
  By taxi.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have given $500,000 to help the town of Joplin —a town near the Mississippi River, where Pitt’s mother went to school recover from a huge tornado (龙卷风)that struck on May 22, 2011.
The couple made the donation through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation on Thursday to help rebuild the town of Joplin after about 30% of the buildings were destroyed by the tornado. Over 150 people were killed.
“The Joplin community faces great challenges ahead,” said Brad. "Having spent most of my childhood there, I know these people to be hardworking, humble and especially resilient.
“The locally based Community Foundation of the Ozarks will be working shoulder to shoulder with these Joplin citizens for long to rebuild their lives. We, too, hope to further help with these rebuilding efforts.”
“Last year 42 million people worldwide were hurt by natural disasters,” added Angelina. “So often, these disasters seem far away; but now, the need is right here at home for thousands of people. Our hearts go out to the families in Joplin who have lost so much.”
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks was founded in 1973 and has since grown to include 43 branch community foundations. The Foundation’s task is to improve the quality of life in the Missouri Ozarks area through resource development, community grant making, working together, and public leadership.
“We had a call in the first day or two afterward from an organization representing them,” said Brian Fogle, president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. "They made several calls afterwards, but we learned that they made a donation.

1.
Where did the disaster most probably happen?
1. A.
  in Britain
2. B.
  in the USA
3. C.
  in Australia
4. D.
  in China
2.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $500,000 after the disaster_______.
1. A.
  by post
2. B.
  in the flesh
3. C.
  through a foundation
4. D.
  through the local Red Cross
3.
The best title for the passage is______.
1. A.
  A disaster by a huge tornado in Joplin
2. B.
  Rebuilding efforts after the disaster
3. C.
  The Community Foundation of the Ozarks
4. D.
  A donation from the Pitts

When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices（装置）tell the time—which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007.
But while the wise have realized that they don’t need them, others—apparently including some distinguished men of our time—are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £250.000 for a piece.
This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches come with extra functions—but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.
Watches are now classified as“investments”(投资). A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £350, 000, while the 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15, 000 to £30, 000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It's a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up—they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £350, 000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex

1.
It seems ridiculous to the writer that_______________
1. A.
  people dive 300 meters into the sea
2. B.
  expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones
3. C.
  cheap cars don’t run as fast as expensive ones
4. D.
  expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell
2.
What can be learned about Swiss watch industry from the passage?
1. A.
  It’s hard for the industry to beat its competitors
2. B.
  It targets rich people as its potential customers
3. C.
  It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising
4. D.
  It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches
3.
Which would be the best title for the passage?
1. A.
  Watches? Not for Me!
2. B.
  My Childhood Timex
3. C.
  Timex or Rolex?
4. D.
  Watches—a Valuable Collection

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities （设施） for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes （样品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation （朝向）,”Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.

1.
How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?
1. A.
  They lost balance in excitement.
2. B.
  They showed strong disbelief.
3. C.
  They expressed little interest.
4. D.
  They burst into cheers.
2.
Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?
1. A.
  Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.
2. B.
  Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.
3. C.
  Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.
4. D.
  Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.
3.
What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?
1. A.
  The large size.
2. B.
  Limited facilities.
3. C.
  The desert climate.
4. D.
  Poor natural resources.
4.
What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?
1. A.
  They are questionable.
2. B.
  They are out of date.
3. C.
  They are advanced.
4. D.
  They are practical.

Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime “business hours” are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant （不相关的）. A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.
The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more “flexible,” is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?
These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the “law of time” even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years—but unless we meet the truant officer （学监）, we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents’ demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with “extra pay for overtime working,” but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes （构成）“overtime” is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: “Here is the law in action”? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law — as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess.

1.
By saying “Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be”, the writer means that_____ .
1. A.
  work time is equal to rest time
2. B.
  many people have a day off on Monday
3. C.
  it is hard for people to decide when to rest
4. D.
  the line between work time and rest time is unclear
2.
The author raises the questions in Paragraph 2 to introduce the fact that people
1. A.
  fail to make full use of their time
2. B.
  enjoy working overtime for extra pay
3. C.
  are unaware of the law of time
4. D.
  welcome flexible working hours
3.
According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they ______.
1. A.
  need to acquire knowledge
2. B.
  have to obey their parents
3. C.
  need to find companions
4. D.
  have to observe the law
4.
What is the main idea of the passage?
1. A.
  Our life is governed by the law of time.
2. B.
  How to organize time is not worth debating.
3. C.
  New ways of using time change our society.
4. D.
  Our time schedule is decided by social customs.

comb

A.
habit
B.
debt
C.
substance
D.
above

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What’s the trend in parent-child relationship mentioned in the passage?

Which of the following has NOT contributed to the change in the parent-child relationship?

What’s Billingham’s attitude towards parents who make children more responsible for themselves?

What will probably be discussed following the last paragraph?

What’s the best title for the text?

After you buy an angel, you should ________

If you want to help adults with intellectual disabilities, you should call_____

The underlined phrases "biological homes" in the third program refers to ______

From the last program, we can infer that ______

As can be inferred from the passage, _______.

The old lady felt _______ when she saw no packet came with her daughter’s card.

Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?

The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.

The main idea of the passage is _______.

Which of the statements is NOT true according to the passage?

The underlined sentence “where you end up depends on where you start” most probably means _______.

Why is Abby Subark nervous?

What can we infer after reading the passage?

The passage is intended to be read by _______.

The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?

Where did the disaster most probably happen?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $500,000 after the disaster_______.

The best title for the passage is______.

It seems ridiculous to the writer that_______________

What can be learned about Swiss watch industry from the passage?

Which would be the best title for the passage?

How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

By saying “Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be”, the writer means that_____ .

The author raises the questions in Paragraph 2 to introduce the fact that people

According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they ______.

What is the main idea of the passage?

comb

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