Most of us would say that the older we get, the less we look forward to celebrating another birthday. For children, though, a birthday is that one occasion each year when they are the center of attention all day long.
It’s not surprising, then, that children’s birthday parties have turned into big business in America. Kids—or more likely their parents—often try to outdo one another in putting on the most extravagant birthday party. In the past, you might have hired a man with a horse to come by and give everyone horse rides. Today, you can hire an entire petting zoo’s or a truck filled with animals from abroad.
Barb Hill, a mother of two girls, doesn’t hold extravagant (奢侈的) parties, but she says she does feel pressure to come up with new ideas each year. Her daughter Fiona celebrated her most recent birthday, her eighth, at a sporting-goods store. The kids enjoyed the climbing wall, as well as the pizza and cupcakes. “They always want to do something that nobody else has done yet,” Barb says. You also have to decide how many guests to invite, and if you’re celebrating at a place other than home, that means figuring out how to transport everyone.
William Doherty, a professor at the University of Minnesota, recently started a project called Birthdays without Pressure. Its website (www. birthdayswithoutpressure.org) gives parents the resources to make kids’ birthday parties less stressful and more fun for all. “Our goal was to start a local and national conversation about what’s happened to birthday parties,” Doherty told me. “We’ve succeeded beyond our expectations—tens of thousands of parents are viewing our website, contacting us and taking our online quizzes.”
In the end, most parents would agree that the best parties are usually the ones where the kids have time to hang out and play with each other. After all, isn’t what being a kid is all about?
1. The purpose of this passage is to tell us_________.
A.all the children look forward to celebrating their birthday
B.the children’s birthday parties have turned into big business in America
C.parents would like to make children’s birthday parties less stressful and more fun for all
D.parents don’t know how to hold children’s birthday parties
2. Which of the following sentences is TRUE ______.
A.The girl didn’t enjoy the party held by her mother.
B.The project called Birthdays without Pressure is popular with parents.
C.Children look forward to their birthday parties because they like extravagant parties.
D.Parents feel like hiring an entire petting zoo for their children.
3. The aim of the project called Birthdays without Pressure is to______.
A.attract parents to view the website
B.provide resources for making kids’ birthday parties
C.release parents’ stress of organizing children’s birthday parties
D.hold conversation about what’s happened to birthday parties
4. The best title for this passage may probably be ______.
A project called Birthdays without Pressure
B.Children enjoy their birthday parties
C.  How to hold children’s birthday parties
D.  How children feel about their birthday parties

Most of us would say that the older we get, the less we look forward to celebrating another birthday. For children, though, a birthday is that one occasion each year when they are the center of attention all day long.

         It’s not surprising, then, that children’s birthday parties have turned into big business in America. Kids—or more likely their parents—often try to outdo one another in putting on the most extravagant birthday party. In the past, you might have hired a man with a horse to come by and give everyone horse rides. Today, you can hire an entire petting zoo’s or a truck filled with animals from abroad.

Most of us would say that the older we get, the less we look forward to celebrating another birthday. For children, though, a birthday is that one occasion each year when they are the center of attention all day long.

       It’s not surprising, then, that children’s birthday parties have turned into big business in America. Kids—or more likely their parents—often try to outdo one another in putting on the most extravagant birthday party. In the past, you might have hired a man with a horse to come by and give everyone horse rides. Today, you can hire an entire petting zoo’s or a truck filled with animals from abroad.

       Barb Hill, a mother of two girls, doesn’t hold extravagant (奢侈的) parties, but she says she does feel pressure to come up with new ideas each year. Her daughter Fiona celebrated her most recent birthday, her eighth, at a sporting-goods store. The kids enjoyed the climbing wall, as well as the pizza and cupcakes. “They always want to do something that nobody else has done yet,” Barb says. You also have to decide how many guests to invite, and if you’re celebrating at a place other than home, that means figuring out how to transport everyone.

       William Doherty, a professor at the University of Minnesota, recently started a project called Birthdays without Pressure. Its website (www. birthdayswithoutpressure.org) gives parents the resources to make kids’ birthday parties less stressful and more fun for all. “Our goal was to start a local and national conversation about what’s happened to birthday parties,” Doherty told me. “We’ve succeeded beyond our expectations—tens of thousands of parents are viewing our website, contacting us and taking our online quizzes.”

       In the end, most parents would agree that the best parties are usually the ones where the kids have time to hang out and play with each other. After all, isn’t what being a kid is all about?

1. The purpose of this passage is to tell us_________.

A.all the children look forward to celebrating their birthday

B.the children’s birthday parties have turned into big business in America

C.parents would like to make children’s birthday parties less stressful and more fun for all

D.parents don’t know how to hold children’s birthday parties

2. Which of the following sentences is TRUE ______.

A.The girl didn’t enjoy the party held by her mother.

B.The project called Birthdays without Pressure is popular with parents.

C.Children look forward to their birthday parties because they like extravagant parties.

D.Parents feel like hiring an entire petting zoo for their children.

3. The aim of the project called Birthdays without Pressure is to______.

A.attract parents to view the website

B.provide resources for making kids’ birthday parties

C.release parents’ stress of organizing children’s birthday parties

D.hold conversation about what’s happened to birthday parties

4. The best title for this passage may probably be ______.

A project called Birthdays without Pressure

B.Children enjoy their birthday parties

C.  How to hold children’s birthday parties

D.  How children feel about their birthday parties

Our actions determine who we are and, in turn, who we are determines our actions. One thing I’ve learned is 21 we lose track of who we are, we lose track of where we’re headed in life. I once have a friend who lost track. He 22 forgetting who he was in an experience that would change us both forever.

For five years, we were best friends. We 23 　a love of comic books, action figures and Star Wars. We held a going-away party for our local comic book store when it closed. We were inseparable, he and I, and there was 　24 　when it seemed nothing could tear us apart.

And then one day, it all began to change. Slowly and 25 　he turned away from it all. He stopped reading comics and watching movies, and we grew further and further apart. He sacrificed his identity 26 a darker future. He became involved with drugs, and I watched 27 , over a period of about a year, he changed from a creative, straight-A student to someone who was 28 all his classes from skipping too much school. All the while, I could do 29 but ignore the fact that I was losing my friend.

I realized after the fact that I had 30 him slip away. I trusted he would find his own way back and pull through it 31 . I abandoned him when my help could have made all the 32. I realize now that one can’t always expect things to 33 　all right. Unless we take action and shape our present, we must accept 34 future we arrive at. Perhaps if I had spoken out and forced him to realize where he was headed, he 35 to change paths.

But I also realize that I wouldn’t 36 what happened to him to happen to me, and it’s scary to think how easily it could have. Looking back, I’m 37 to learn from his mistakes. The 38 thing I want is to abandon who I am. My identity makes me happy. I look at myself and 39 makes me appreciate life. I have 40 in myself in individuality, and the last thing I want is to serve as a scary reminder to someone else.