Kindergartens( 幼儿园 ) may teach you very important things you need to know. Dancy, a 5-year-old boy, saved his father’s life with the skills he learned.

The boy’s father became seriously ill on the way home from a father-son shopping. He couldn’t speak and could hardly move, but he tried hard to stop the car safely. At that point, Dancy used his father’s phone to call his mother for help. The 5-year-old boy tried his best to give her useful information and he was able to tell where they were. Just as he had learned in the kindergarten, Dancy read the letters he saw on a nearby store sign: “F,U,R,N,I,T,U,R,E.” But that wasn’t enough for his mother to find them. Then he added that they were near a bridge. Finally, his mother understood he was talking about a store called Furniture 22 on New Jersey’s Route22.The mother called 911 and the father was saved in time.

“He just thought his dad needed help,” Dancy’s mother told the reporter. She also pointed out that her husband was a hero, too. “ It is surprising for him to get off  the highway ( 高速路 ) and get himself and his child to safety even when he was so sick,” she said.

Shine, head of the kindergarten, felt proud of his pupil. “ Dancy’s spelling skills helped him seize the moment,” he said. “And that’s the real value (价值  ) of education.”

1.When the father became seriously ill, he and his son were ________.

A．on the highway                         B．at home

C．in a shopping center                     D．in a hospital

2.Dancy called ________for help when his father couldn’t speak.

A．his mother        B．911              C．Shine             D．the reporter

3.The Chinese meaning of the word “seize” in this passage is probably“________”.

A．成功             B．抓住             C．救援             D．失去

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Dancy drove his father home.

B．The reporter was really a hero.

C．Shine sent Dancy’s father to hospital

D．Dancy saved his father with his spelling skills.

For years I wanted a garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.

But then we had Matthew, and Marvin, and the twins Alisa and Alan, and then Helen. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.

Money was not enough. Neither was time. Often when my children were little,one of them would want something that cost too much, and I’d have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.”

Finally, all the children got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about a garden.

Then, one spring morning, on Mother’s Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I looked out of the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. There were things blowing around on it. Then I put my glasses on—and I couldn’t believe what I saw.

There was a money tree in my yard!

I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills*, one hundred of them, hanging all over that tree. There was also a note among them, “Thank you for your time, Mom. We love you!”

Later, my children bought me tools, ornaments, a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books. A new page started in my life.

That was three years ago. My garden’s now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and take care of my flowers, I don’t seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they’re right there with me. Now every year when winter comes, I look out of my window and think of the flowers I’ll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes—every time.

I’m still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!

1.How many children did the writer have?

A．Three            B．Four             C．Five              D．Six

2. What did the mother mean when she said “Money doesn’t grow on trees”?

A．She was too busy to plant a money tree at that time.

B．She had to save money so that she could have a garden.

C．It wasn’t easy for her to make money to raise all the children.

D．They didn’t have much money because the mother lost her job.

3. The “money tree” appeared in the writer’s yard _________.

A．before her children were born

B．one spring morning when the children were little

C．after the children went to school

D．on a Mother’s Day after the children left her

4. The children planted a money tree in their mother’s yard because _________.

A．their mother needed money badly

B．they wanted to show their love to their mother

C．it was time for them to give the money back to her

D．they wanted to live together with their mother forever

Some children are born bosses. They have a need to make decisions, manage their environment and lead rather than follow. Too much rule in the hands of the young isn’t healthy for children or the family. Family expert John Taylor says, “Children have secret feelings of weakness. They are always trying to feel safe. ”It’s the parents’ duty－not the child’s－to provide safety.
When a “boss child’’ doesn’t learn limits（限制）at home, troubles will appear outside the family. The child may have trouble obeying（遵守）teachers, for example, or keeping friends. It can be pretty lonely as the top dog if no one likes your ruling ways.
Bossy kids are often unusually bright. Their parents need to be especially careful to manage them. Bossy kids usually work more on the mother. It’s important for both parents to know their child’s weakness, to agree on key rules and to back each up.
Even as you try to be kind—to a point—don’t give up your parental ruling post. Instead, stand your ground by using body language that tells your child who the boss is.
Good manners are important to family. Show a child by example how to ask for something rather than shout orders. Try asking your child to do things that are not too difficult. Then reward（奖励）him with a hug（拥抱）and words such as “Thank you. I like it when you listen to me.” Over time good manners will become associated（联结）with pleasure.
【小题1】Is the passage mainly about how to teach children?
【小题2】Do boss children usually feel lonely or have a lot of friends?
【小题3】Which of the parents should know their child’s weakness?
【小题4】Why is it important to teach children good manners?
【小题5】What should parents be like to teach a boss child well?