During my childhood in the 1960s, my parents were always busy with work and meetings. They left early in the morning and came back late in the evening. My sisters, my brother and I were left alone with Grandma. We saw our parents only on Sundays and during the few holidays. The only long period （一段）of time during which the whole family could be together once a year was the Spring Festival. We missed our parents badly, but didn’t say so because we had been told that hard work was everyone’s duty and that we could not have our own small family without a big family.　　  Later I was a hard working student and, during summer or winter holidays, often stayed alone at university to have more time to study. I was always encouraged by my parents, for whom the holiday was less important than “work” and “study”. Holidays were a waste of time and I felt as if I had done something wrong if I took a holiday or did nothing during a holiday.

I spent the most difficult period of my life abroad. But when I joined this company, my boss didn’t seem to think it right for me to work like that. When I called him at home after office hours for business purposes （目的）, he politely told me that he preferred talking about work with me in the office.

When the holiday season came near, he asked me to plan my leave beforehand （提前）. He talked with me about his holiday and also asked about mine. For him, leave was a right.　　  Giving up a holiday for the company is encouraged in China, but is foolish here. I began to think about holidays.

Today my parents are retired （退休）and stay home with a lot of time for their children. But we are all grown- up and live far away. We miss each other, but we cannot afford to see each other very much and they often feel sorry for the fact that they were too busy to be able to take care of us when we were young.

Nowadays, Chinese take long weekends and have paid holidays. But do they use their holidays to enjoy family life? I hope so because my experience in China and Europe has helped me understand that work is not my whole life and that a family is also very important. I do not want to feel sorry in the future as my parents do and I certainly spend as much time with my son as possible. There is nothing wrong with either working hard or taking holidays, but we shouldn’t have one instead of the other. It is important to keep a balance （平衡）between work and play.   

1. What do the underlined words “paid leave” mean?

A. You have to pay when you take a holiday.　　 

B. Someone will pay for your holiday.　　 

C. You are still paid when you have your holiday.　　

D. You can’t leave until you pay for the holiday.   

2. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Working is the only part of the life.      

B. Traveling is the best way to spend your holiday.　　 

C. Enjoying holidays is as important as working　　 

D. Sharing happiness with your family is more important   

3. The writer talks about her own experience because she hopes that the Chinese will _______.　　  A. plan their holiday beforehand　　  B. get used to long holidays and enjoy themselves　　  C. give up a holiday for their work　　   D. bring business home after work hours

A long walk in the desert or the mountains can be exciting. And it’s a great way to keep fit. If you carry a tent and some food, you can camp overnight. But wild places can be dangerous. Here’s how you can enjoy walking and camping safely.

Before your trip

☆ Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. If you don’t return on time, the people at home will know that you are lost or in trouble. They will know where to look for you.

☆ Make sure you’ve got a good map of the area that you’re going to.

☆ Make sure you’ve packed the right equipment for your activities. The desert is often hot, but nights can be very cold, and sometimes there are big rainstorms. In the mountains, the weather can change suddenly. A sunny day can turn cold and cloudy quickly.

The tools for survival(生存)

Sunglasses, sun hat, sun cream, windproof jacket, good walking shoes or boots, food, water, maps, compass, first-aid kit, matches, rope, knife, ground sheet,

the pack to carry your equipment.

What to do if you get lost

☆ If you’re in a car and it has broken down, stay with your car.

☆ If you are not traveling by car, make yourself easy to see. A signal fire can be seen at night. During the day, smoke may be used to show where you are. A brightly-colored blanket(毯子) may help rescuers to find you.

☆ Stay where you are.

☆ If you walk for any reason, avoid walking during the hottest part of the day. Morning and evening walking is better for saving your energy water.

☆ Keep yourself away from the rain, wind and sun, but remember: try to make yourself be in sight.

1.According to the passage, we should make a fire to _________. 

   A. show where we are                                   B. keep warm at night

   C. cook our meal                                              D. drive animals away

2.If we get injured, we can choose ________from the following tools.

   A. a ground sheet                                            B. a first aid kit

C. matches                                                    D. sun cream

3.What can we know from the passage?

   A. A map and a compass will show the right direction to us.

   B. It is a secret for us to tell where to go or when to return.

   C. We should leave our car when it breaks down in the desert.

   D. We have to keep walking while the sun is shining brightly.

A long walk in the desert or the mountains can be exciting. And it’s a great way to keep fit. If you carry a tent and some food, you can camp overnight. But wild places can be dangerous. Here’s how you can enjoy walking and camping safely.
Before your trip
☆ Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. If you don’t return on time, the people at home will know that you are lost or in trouble. They will know where to look for you.
☆ Make sure you’ve got a good map of the area that you’re going to.
☆ Make sure you’ve packed the right equipment for your activities. The desert is often hot, but nights can be very cold, and sometimes there are big rainstorms. In the mountains, the weather can change suddenly. A sunny day can turn cold and cloudy quickly.
The tools for survival(生存)
Sunglasses, sun hat, sun cream, windproof jacket, good walking shoes or boots, food, water, maps, compass, first-aid kit, matches, rope, knife, ground sheet,
the pack to carry your equipment.
What to do if you get lost
☆ If you’re in a car and it has broken down, stay with your car.
☆ If you are not traveling by car, make yourself easy to see. A signal fire can be seen at night. During the day, smoke may be used to show where you are. A brightly-colored blanket(毯子) may help rescuers to find you.
☆ Stay where you are.
☆ If you walk for any reason, avoid walking during the hottest part of the day. Morning and evening walking is better for saving your energy water.
☆ Keep yourself away from the rain, wind and sun, but remember: try to make yourself be in sight.

1. 1.

   According to the passage, we should make a fire to _________. 

   1. A.
      show where we are
   2. B.
      keep warm at night
   3. C.
      cook our meal
   4. D.
      drive animals away
2. 2.

   If we get injured, we can choose ________from the following tools.

   1. A.
      a ground sheet
   2. B.
      a first aid kit
   3. C.
      matches
   4. D.
      sun cream
3. 3.

   What can we know from the passage?

   1. A.
      A map and a compass will show the right direction to us.
   2. B.
      It is a secret for us to tell where to go or when to return.
   3. C.
      We should leave our car when it breaks down in the desert.
   4. D.
      We have to keep walking while the sun is shining brightly.

Winter is dangerous because it’s so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place so easily. Fog can be waiting to meet you over the top of a hill. Ice might be hiding under the melting(融化)snow, waiting ahead to send you off the road. The car coming to you may suddenly slip across the road.
Rule Number One for driving on icy roads is to drive smoothly(平稳地). Sudden movements can make a car very difficult to control. So every time you either start or stop your car, increase or reduce your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Suppose you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. Drive so that you wouldn’t spill(溅) it.
Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the further down the road you have to look. Test how long it takes to gently stop your car. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. Generally, allow twice of your usual stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all times and you will not get into trouble.
【小题1】The writer tries to       in this passage.