My husband and children think they are very lucky that they are living and that it’s Christmas again. They can’t see that we live on a dirty street in a dirty house among people who aren’t much good. But Johnny and children can’t see this. What a pity it is that our neighbours have to make happiness out of all this dirt. I decided that my children must get out of this. The money that we’ve saved isn’t nearly enough.

The McGaritys have money but they are so proud. They look down upon the poor. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of candy while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts; and when she couldn’t eat any more she threw the rest down the sewer(下水道). Why , is it only because they have money? There is more to happiness than money in the world, isn’t there?

Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn’t rich, but she knows things. She understand people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. She can read your mind. I’d like to see the children will be like Miss Jackson when they grow up.

This passage mainly suggests that the writer _______.

A. is easy to get along with　　　　　　

B. is unhappy with the life they are living

C. is good at observing and understanding　　

D. is never pleased with her neighbours

What do you think of McGarity girl?

A. She is proud and hungry.            B. She is selfish and cruel.

C. She is lonely and friendless.          D. She is unhappy and misunderstood.

In this text, the writer tries to tell us that _______.

A. money is the key to everything　　

B. the more money you have, the less happy you’ll be

C. there is something more important than money

D. when talking to people we should look into their eyes

Pick out the one that does NOT describe the writer’s view on money.

A. Why, is it only because they have money?

B. There is more to happiness than money.

C. Miss Jackson isn’t rich, but she knows things.

D. The money we saved isn’t nearly enough.

Just like the young character in Hannah Montana, who so often fights with her father over her desire to be more independent, British teenagers also have their troubles.

A recent survey among 2,000 British parents shows that girls and boys experience similar kinds of stress, with some slight differences .

Girls want to grow up fast, demanding greater freedom. They feel pressure from their peers to be thin and sometimes dangerously experiment with alcohol .

Girls over 14 are more concerned with getting a boyfriend, make-up and going out with friends than with their schoolwork. They are more likely to complain about pocket money .

Parents found they have their toughest time with boys over the age of 15. Their sons are battling bad skin, are reluctant(不情愿的) to speak, and just like girls over 14 are little interested in their studies. Seven out of ten parents said their sons become frustrated(挫败的) when they are not understood .

Unsurprisingly, it isn’t just British teenagers who have such problems.

In a survey published in the US last month, two out of three high school students said their life was tough. There was a universal worry over body image and ability to fit in socially.

Plenty of the teenagers feel great pressures to get good grades, with nearly half regarding this as their top worry. The next biggest issue is pressure they face to get into good college. According to the survey, 66 percent reported saving their money to pay for all or part of college.

“Today’s American teens have witnessed what their families have endured during recent economic challenges, and they are much more aware of the importance of planning ahead,” said Stuart Rubinstein, managing director with TD Ameritrade, which carried out the survey.

What is the article mainly about?

       A. What makes the lives of teenagers so hard?

       B. How to deal with teen problems?

       C. Stress faced by UK and US teenagers.

       D. Peer pressure faced by UK and US teenagers.

According to the survey, boys over 15 often feel great pressure to ______.

       A. grow up fast             B. experiment with alcohol

       C. get into a good college             D. be more open and communicative

The underlined word “universal” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ______.

       A. global               B. common            C. average             D. reasonable

How have recent economic challenges affected American teens?

       A. They have become more concerned about their future.

       B. They are now more worried about the ability to fit in socially.

       C. They are attempting to learn more about money management.

       D. They are spending more time developing their practical skills.

A traveler was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveler's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(灵魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveler then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(镜头) cap!"

The children shouted when the traveler was taking pictures of them because _______.

A. they didn't want to stop playing                  

B. the traveler forgot to take off the cap on her head

C. they didn't want to have their pictures taken 

D. the traveler was not doing well with her camera

The traveler explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.

A. the head was very interested in her camera  

B. the head wanted to learn to take pictures

C. she was afraid of the head   

D. she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing

Which of the following is NOT right?

A. The traveler knew something about people in some countries.

B. The children wouldn't mind if the traveler took pictures of them.

C. The head was afraid that the traveler's camera would hurt the children.

D. The traveler didn't understand why the children shouted.

Warning: reading too much Cinderella to your daughter may damage her emotional health in later life. A paper to be developed at the international congress of cognitive psychotherapy in Gothenburg suggests a link between the attitudes of women abused by their parents and early exposure to the wrong sort of fairy tales. It says girls who identified with Cinderella, Rapunzel and Beauty in Beauty and the Beast were more likely to say in destructive relationships as adults.

    The theory was developed by Susan Darker Smith, a psychotherapist at the University of Derby. She interviewed 67 female abuse survivors and found that 61 put up with severe abuse because they believed they could change their partners with patience, composition and love. The same view was taken by male survivors who had been abused as children. Hardly any of the women in a control group, who had not experienced abuse, thought they could change their partners in this way.

These women and men said they would leave a relationship rather than put up with abuse from a partner. Ms Darker Smith found the abused women were much more likely to identify with Cinderella and other submissive female characters in fairytales, who were later rescued by a stranger prince or hero.

Although most girls heard the stories, damage appeared to be done to those who adopted the characters as role models. “They believe if their love is strong enough they can change their parents’ behaviors,” she said. “Overexposure in children to stories that emphasize the transformational qualities of love may make women believe they can change their partners.” For example, they might never have understood the obvious flaw in the story of Rapunzel, who remained locked in a high tower until rescued by a knight on a white horse, who broke the door down. “The question,” said Ms Darker Smith, “is why she did not break the door down herself.”

The passage is especially intended for _________.

    A. parents with young daughters

    B. girls who like reading fairy stories

    C. girls who think they can change their partners

D. parents with grown-up daughters

Cinderella, Rapunzel and Beauty in Beauty and the Beast are similar in that _________.

A. they all married some princes                        B. they all changed their partners with love

C. they were all abused by their partners             D. they all put up with abuse

Which of the following statements is true of the women in a control group?

A. They don’t believe in fairy tales.

B. They don’t believe in the transformational qualities of love.

C. They have also experienced abuse.

D. They survived abuse.

What does the underlined word “submissive” in the 3rd paragraph probably mean?

A. kind-hearted             B. passive                     C. gentle               D. easy-going

Talking to Teachers—Teachers are just people．Behind that desk, is a living, breathing human being．And just like any human being, they will probably be friendly to people who talk nicely to them．Teachers also seem to get along better with children who take schoolwork seriously and are prepared for class．And, just like any other human being, teachers like to be appreciated．The next time your teacher helps you solve a math problem or figure out a science project, say thank you with a smile.

Talking to Parents—Parents can be very supportive if their children ask for help．If you think there’s something your parents can do to help you socialize more or feel more comfortable around people, then ask them．Very often, parents want very much to help, but really don’t know what to do．Pick a quiet time of the day and ask to talk．Tell them how you feel．Maybe they had the same trouble when they were kids.

This Stranger Thing—This is always a tough one．How do you deal with a neighbor, the mail carrier, or someone walking down your street—situations that often seem to cause arguments between kids and parents．The answer to these questions will vary from kid to kid, from parent to parent because all cultures are different．Some folks live in small towns where a hello to everyone is “what’s done”．Then there are kids who live in the city who may have been taught not to speak to anyone they don’t know．If you’re having trouble with this and always feel awkward in these kinds of situations, you might want to talk to your parents or a teacher about it．Where do they think you should draw the line? When is silence rude and when is it wise?

From the first paragraph we may learn that teachers dislike____ .

       A．being talked to nicely                                 

       B．their students to be serious with the schoolwork

       C．the students’ appreciation

       D．the students who are not ready for classes

If your parents are not supportive and you are not getting along quite well with your parents, who or what is to blame?

       A．Your parents.          B．Yourself.               

       C．Lack of communication.        D．Your teachers.

The underlined word in the third paragraph is close in meaning to____.

       A．afraid       B．puzzled     C．strange     D．familiar

The passage doesn’t say but it implies that in daily communication____.

       A．arguments often happen between kids and parents

       B．we should talk to the neighbors and other people according to different cultures

       C．city people and country people greet in the same way

       D．we should fit our words with proper situations