Many parents who welcome the idea of turning off the TV and spending more time with the family are still worried that without TV they would constantly be on call as entertainers for their children. They remember thinking up all sorts of things to do when they were kids. But their own kids seem different, less resourceful, somehow. When there’s nothing to do, these parents observe regretfully, their kids seem unable to come up with anything to do besides turning on the TV.

    One father, for example, says, “When I was a kid, we were always thinking up things to do, projects and games. We certainly never complained in an annoying way to our parents. ‘I have nothing to do’.” He compares this with his own children today: “They’re simply lazy. If someone doesn’t entertain them, they’ll happily sit there watching TV all day.”

    There is one word for this father’s disappointment: unfair. It is as if he were disappointed in them for not reading Greek though they have never studied the language. He deplores (哀叹) his children’s lack of inventiveness, as if the ability to play were something born that his children are missing. In fact, while the tendency to play is built into the human species, the actual ability to play – to imagine, to invent, to elaborate on reality in a playful way –and the ability to gain fulfillment from it, these are skills that have to be learned and developed.

    Such disappointment, however, is not only unjust, it is also destructive. Sensing their parents’ disappointment, children come to believe that they are, indeed, lacking something, and that this makes them less worthy of admiration and respect. Giving children the opportunity to develop new resources, to enlarge their horizons and discover the pleasure of doing things on their own is, on the other hand, a way to help children develop a confident feeling about themselves as capable and interesting people.

According to many parents, if there’s nothing to do, the children would        .

    A. turn on the TV                           B. complain to their parents

    C. ask their parents to play with them          D. do all of the above

Many parents think that, instead of watching a lot of TV their children should       .

    A. sit silently studying Greek                  B. think up things to entertain themselves

    C. find chances to talk with parents            D. enjoy themselves outdoors

The father often blames their children for not being able to entertain themselves. This is unfair because        .

    A. the children are not really lazy, but there’s nothing for them to do

    B. they do not lack the ability to play

    C. they have to learn and develop their playing ability gradually

    D. the father have done nothing to help the children

When parents show constant disappointment in their children, the children will         .

    A. lose their confidence and respectability

    B. be much more disappointed

    C. refuse to learn new things

    D. discover the pleasures of doing things on their own

What is the author’s main idea?

    A. Today’s children are becoming less capable and independent than before.

    B. Parents should give children more help on how to be creative.

    C. Turning off the TV will help us solve a lot of family problems.

    D. It’s not just for parents and children to complain each other.

Many college-bound freshmen are worrying about more than just who their roommates will be this fall. They may also be nervous about the well-known fact that they are likely to gain weight this school year. Or will they? While many of us remember the extra weight that showed up right around the start of our college careers, we are not always clear on how much weight we realize gained or why.

Many nutrition experts and psychologists think that it is the change in environment and the stress of a new beginning that cause the typical college freshmen to gain extra pounds. As students start a new stage of their lives, many eat to deal with the stress of change or loneliness. Often, college students are making meals or choosing foods independently for the first time in their lives. If they live in the college dormitory, they have a wide variety of foods to select from that may be higher in calories and fatter than the foods they consumed living at home. In addition, college social events usually center around food. I clearly remember sitting in my dorm cafeteria for two or three hours on a Saturday morning socializing with my new friends. Instead of eating only one meal, we would start with breakfast, eat throughout the duration of our socializing, and finish with lunch. Food also makes an appearance after late-night parties, as part of a school day, or simply to break the monotony(单调 ).

So will this year's typical freshmen really gain 15 pounds? According to a 2006 Tufts University study, students enrolling in college this fall will gain weight, but maybe not the assumed 15 pounds. Based on the students surveyed, the study found that men can expect to gain an average of 6 pounds and women an average of 4.5 pounds during the freshman year.

According to the passage, it is obvious that __________.

A. the foods the freshmen had at home may be healthier than those in the dorm cafeteria

B. to break the monotony, the students should start with breakfast, and finish with lunch

C. the students should eat to deal with the stress of change or loneliness in new situations

D. the boys may gain less pounds than the girls during the first year in the college

Nutrition experts and psychologists think that __________.

A. students should get used to the stress of change through foods they had at home

B. the new environment and the stress have something to do with the students' extra pounds

C. students should know in what way they gain so much weight

D. choosing foods independently can make people lose weight naturally

From the writer's experience, the writer thinks that ____________.

A. foods in the dorm cafeteria are all higher in calories and fatter

B. the best way to break the monotony is through breakfast, lunch and supper

C. students in college will gain an average of about 5.25 pounds every fall

D. social events in the college are usually celebrated around food

This passage is mainly about ______________.

A how and why the freshmen gain extra pounds  

B. the experience of the freshmen in the college

C. the freshmen with trouble in a new environment

D. the views of the nutrition experts and psychologists about gaining weight

A large number of women in Western European countries wish that they were born men. The number is said as high as 60% in West Germany.

“Women often wish that they had the same chance as men have, and believe it is still men’s world,” said Dr James Holden, one of the scientists who did the study.

Anne Harper has a very good job for an international oil company. She also believes in “Women’s Liberation”. “I don’t wish that I were a man,” she says. “And I don’t think many women do. But I do wish that people would stop looking down upon us women. At work, for example, we often do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs that are usually the best ones and open only to men. If you’re a man, you have a much better chance of leading an exciting life. How many women pilots are there…or engineers or scientists?”

56. A lot of women in       wish that they were born men.

    A. European countries

B. West Germany

    C. West Europe

D. West Germany

57. “It is still a men’s would.” Means “       ”

  A. There’re more men than women in the world.

  B. There’re more men scientists or engineers than women in the world.

  C. Women cannot live without men.

  D. Women have not been given the same chance as men.

58. Anne Harper considers that women should      .

    A. be really liberated

B. live a better life

   C. be well paid

D. get better jobs than men

59. Anne Harper doesn’t wish that she were a man because she      .

  A. has got a very good job

  B. believes in “Women Liberation”

  C. does the work that a man can’t do

  D. isn’t looked down upon by anyone

60. Which of the following is NOT true?

  A. Usually the best jobs are not open to women.

  B. Women are less paid than men for the same job.

  C. There’re more men pilots, engineers and scientists than women.

B
See in your mind’s eye where you really want to be in ten years’ time．Choose your own values, activities, and relationships rather than copying tubers．
While working with troubled teens, I used to haste them do a Ten Years game in the Future exercise．I asked them to write a letter to a friend as if it was ten years in the future．Most of these boys and girls didn’t think about the next week, much less ten years to come．This lack of “foresight”was a major reason why their lives were pretty messed up．But the real story is what happened to me．I did the exercise right along with them on many occasions, writing my dreams in detail．In my letter to a friend, I had moved to the country, built my own home, authored a book, and started my own business．
Over the next ten years, something magic happened．All my dreams became true, almost as if orchestrated (精心安排) by an unseen hand．I realized that something very powerful was happening, more powerful than expected．I did write books and start my business．We did move to the country and I did build my own home．
This letter to a friend will become a magnetic factor in your life．Your vision will guide you in your yearly goals, your monthly goals, and your daily activities．
You must write your letter as if it has already happened．For example:
“Leslie, I just wanted to make contact again and tell you about my life．I started my own gardening business in 2012 and it’s really taken off．”
“Dear Harold, I met the love of my life in 2016 and we moved to Hawaii where Frank works in a bookstore and I give surfing lessons everyday．We love it．”
Remember, describe all the details as if they have already happened．This will help you make it more real for you．
Sit down and write (or type) your Ten Years in the Future letter today．
60．It seems that the author’s dream and vision became a reality because the author    ．
A．had put something magic in the letter
B．could foresee what would happen
C．was experienced in writing the Ten Years letter
D．took what was written in the letter as a guide in life
61．According to the author，“Leslie”in your letter should be the person that    ．
A．does the same exercise as you
B．will become your friend in ten years
C．you know now and may still know in the future
D．you can imagine when you write your letter
62．The author advises you to write the Ten Years in the Future letter    ．
A．as soon as possible
B．in ten years’ time
C．when you have time
D．as often as possible
63．Which of the following covers the topics in this text?
a．The author’s own experience with the Ten Years in the Future exercise．
b．How the author got the idea of the Ten Years in the Future exercise．
c．How to write the Ten Years in the Future letter．
d．The author’s experience of working with troubled teens．
e．The difficulty in dealing with troubled teens．
f．How to improve your letter writing skill．
A．a, d, f                     B．a, c, d              C．b, c, d             D．a, c, e

A. Arguments are pointless.
B. Your parents only want what's best for you.
C. Everyone's opinion matters only as much as you want them to.
D. You learn by doing.
E. Your emotions are under your control.
F. You aren't stuck in any situation
Life is the greatest teacher
There always comes a moment when I wonder where I will end up and this moment always serves as a strong motivation for me to learn life lesson. I've learned a great many things, but these are the lessons that I wish I'd learned earlier:
【小题1】_________
There was a time when everyone's opinion was mine as well. Whatever preferences I formerly held were dashed in the face of another's. This most likely came from a need to please others. Remember that your opinion matters just as much as the next guy's, whether they make more money than you or are less popular than you. Everyone's opinion holds the same weight.
【小题2】_________
Drama, chaos, and emotional unrest — these were what took up most of my time as a teenager. If I had heard someone said bad things behind my back, I'd be angry. Go crazy. Looking back on those tantrums now, I'm not too surprised. After all, when you have little self control, anything is possible. The lesson here is, remain aware of how you react.
【小题3】_________
Will one small argument among friends decide the fate of the entire universe? In my world it felt like it. I just wanted so much to be right and for them so much to be wrong. But in the end, it only resulted in me wasting my time and in the other person storming off in frustration. Is there really a point to arguing? Unless it's absolutely necessary, I've learned that it's better to hold your breath on things you can't control at all. Arguing to change someone's mind is one of them.
【小题4】_________
I'm not saying every parent wants what's best for you (there are outliers), but in general, parents do what they do for you in your best interest. My parents used to make me do the dishes, cook dinner, sweep the floors, mow the lawn, take out the garbage… the list goes on and on. And at every turn, I'd whine and complain. I'd eventually end up doing it. Now, I honestly see the value in having learned those skills. I can efficiently cook and clean up after myself.
【小题5】_________
Whenever I’d lose a friend, get an awful grade, or disappoint my parents, I stewed in my own muck. Waiting for the bad moments to go away seemed to be the only solution. Fortunately, I know now that you don’t have to be stuck in bad situations. You can go out and create better ones. It all depends on perspective; on how you see the situation. Viewing everything as a learning experience makes life more pleasurable, even during the hard times. You aren't stuck. You can move on.
I'm glad to have learned these lessons the way I did. Each experience helped shape me to become a better person. I don't know if any young people are reading this, but if they are, I'd like to say this: “Listen to life and its experiences. Everyone goes through mostly the same things.”