Thank you for persuading my mother _______ the army.

A．let me join         B．letting me join      C．to let me join       D．to let me to join

How to Release Creativity
According to most dictionaries. creativity is the ability to create. However, creativity is more than what is defined by the dictionary. It is an idea, a process, a thought。or a state of mind. One cannot learn to be creative because creativity is natural and unique to each individual. People should know that creativity doesn’t equal success. It equals the act of expressing. So. if at first the goal that is aimed for is not achieved, there is no need for worry or frustration.
Creativity can, however, be released by discovery. Some people need encouragement to help
release their creativity. There are quite a few ways to release it.
One way to release creativity would be to look for what can inspire you. Looking at the world and admiring the differences in people and places help. Creativity can be drawn from their beauty. A person can touch, taste, smell, hear, and see hundreds of different objects. Aromas from foods, textures of blankets, and sight of unusual objects can all give inspiration.
Many people are too concerned with how things should look. The focus should be on how it actually looks in the raw, to the human eye. Colors and shapes can be distorted(扭曲)by the mere fact that people want others to see it for what it is. It’s more difficult for someone to let go of all that and just let their creativity flow, unblocked.
Another way to get the creativity flowing is to research what other artists have done or are currently doing. Their cultures and biographies alone can be an inspiration. Examining their works can help some appreciate artistic expression. New techniques can even be drawn from their works.
Some people are even inspired by everyday events, like reading the newspaper or watching the news. Some can take other people’s situations and describe how it makes them feel. That is a way to release creativity. Controversial issues, such as War or abortion, can inspire writings like poems. They can be used to express death, loss, or tragedy. General topics such as religion or politics can branch off into many directions, sending creativity into overdrive.
Creativity is not about reaching a goal or being a perfectionist. It’s about being, feeling, and taking all that is inside and letting it out in one way or another. Creativity is not always expressed by paintings, drawings, or writings. One’s action is the main form to express creativity. Romance, for example, is a form of creativity. Love and emotion are inspired by one person for another. Taking something inside and then putting it back out into the world as another thing is the key of creativity. Knowing and loving someone so much that there is a need to express it is a very natural form of creativity.
Another form of expressing creativity is talking. Some people are more blessed in this area than in more obvious ones。such as painting or drawing. They Paint a “word picture”. Speeches can be centered around new ideas and thoughts. It can contain an of one’s being and transform it into either simple or complicated words.
Inspiration is vital to creativity. Even if it’s only a slight feeling or thought that inspires. Creativity can be released each time attempts are made to use the body as all outlet. Remember that creativity is not an art form, but that it forms art.
How to Release Creativity

Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly. If metal is heated and then cooled very quickly , for example by dipping it in water , it will be very hard but also very brittle(脆)---that is , It will break easily. Metal that has been annealed is soft but does not break as easily . It is possible to make metal as hard or as soft as is wished, by annealing it. The metal is heated, and allowed to cool slowly , for a certain length of time. The longer the heated metal takes to cool slowly , the softer it becomes . Annealing can also be used on other materials, such as glass.

1. Annealing can make metal _______________.

A．hard and tough (韧)                      B．hard but brittle

C．soft but tough                          D．soft and brittle

2. Why do people put hot metal in water ? ____________

A．To make it hard                         B．To make it soft

C．To make it cool                         D．To make it brittle

3. As suggested by the text , how can glass be made less brittle ?____________

A．It can be heated and then cooled quickly

B．It can be cooled and then heated slowly

C．It can be heated and then cooled slowly

D．It can be cooled and then heated quickly

Parents are a child’s first teachers. But some parents never learned from good examples. In New York City, a nonprofit agency called Covenant House tries to help homeless young mothers become good parents.

The twelve or so teenagers who live at the shelter attend parenting classes four days a week. The class is called Mommy and Me. Teacher Delores Clemens is a mother of five and a grandmother. She teaches basic skills, like how to give a baby a bath and how to dress a baby depending on the season.

She remembers one student who learned from her mother not to pick up a crying baby. The mother said that would only make the child needy and overly demanding. Delores Clemens says, “that's not true. You have to hold your baby! He is crying for a reason. If you never pick him up, he's going to keep crying. Pick your baby up. Cuddle your baby. Hug him! And she started to do that. They just want a little cuddling and a little love. And it works!”

Delores Clemens says her students also learn how to be good mothers by letting themselves be mothered. Around three hundred fifty teenage mothers graduate from Covenant House's Mommy and Me class every year.

In class, with her baby son is Natasha. She lived on the streets. She is glad not only for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House. As she told reporter Adam Phillips, she is also glad for the help they offer in seeking a more secure life.

The World Health Organization says the United States has forty-one births for every one thousand girls age fifteen to nineteen. That is higher than other developed countries, as well as some developing ones. By comparison, northern neighbor Canada has fourteen births and southern neighbor Mexico has eighty-two.

1.What is the text mainly about?

A．Parents who are a child’s first teachers.

B．A class where teens learn mothering and are mothered.

C．A nonprofit agency that offers a more secure life.

D．A kind teacher who help homeless young mothers.

2.Covenant Houses’ Mommy and Me class is intended to _____.

A．help homeless young mothers become good parents

B．provide homeless young mothers with a warm shelter

C．help mothers in New York be good parents

D．teach some parents how to love their children

3.What can we know about Delores Clemens from the text?

A．She has a mother of five and a grandmother.

B．She thinks a crying baby should be picked up and hugged.

C．She teaches advanced skills on how to be good mothers.

D．She is very glad for the warmth and shelter of Covenant House.

4.According to the World Health Organization, which country has the highest births for girls age fifteen to nineteen?

A．Canada           B．the United States of America               C．Mexico    D．Britain

One spring, when I was 10, during one of my father’s layoffs, I could tell my mother was unhappy. I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother’s Day gift.

One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins, which, I learned years later, was known for its high-end fashions and style. I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins, telling her I was looking for a Mother’s Day present.

“Do you think she’d like a purse?” she asked. “I think she might.” I told her.

She took out an Italian handbag made of leather. She asked me what I thought, and I told her that my mom would like it.

“How much money do you have?” she asked.

“Twelve dollars,” I said.

“You’re in luck,” she told me. “It’s only $11. You have a dollar left over for the card.” She wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business, and I rode off home with the package under my arm.

When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning, she asked in an accusing tone, “Where did you get this?”

“I bought it at the Agins. It cost me $11.” I said.

My mother was shocked into silence.

It wasn’t until many years later, when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars, that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me. I always felt regretful that I never had a chance to properly thank her.

“You know, my son, what really amazes me to this day,” my mother said. “Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough. But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that I’ll never forget.”

1.The author bought his mother a purse to_________.

A. surprise his mother                                         B. make his mother happy

C. show his ability of making money                     D. thank his mother for buying him a bike

2.Why was the author’s mother shocked into silence?

A. The purse was bought from the Agins.

B. She wasn’t expecting a gift from her son.

C. The author bought a card to go with the purse.

D. The Agins charged so little money for the purse.

3.Sylvia Agins’ behavior shows that_________.

A. she is critical and mean                                               B. she is kind and thoughtful

C. she is good at making money                                      D. she knows how to choose presents

4.What amazed the mother most was that_________.

A. the shop owner left one dollar for her son to buy a card

B. her son bought her a beautiful purse on Mother’s day

C. her son rode his bike to buy things by himself

D. the purse was worth several hundred dollars

5.Which can be the best title for the text?

A. An Unforgettable Event               B. A Considerate Mother

C. A Priceless Mother’s Day Gift          D. A Clever Shop Owner