In the opinion of many people, the two­parent family is the correct way to raise children. Traditionally, this has been as the most natural way, but single­parent families have had to face prejudices(偏见) against their life­style. However, the single­parent family is the fastest growing type of family. In the United States, a national survey showed that at least 50% of children will be members of a single­parent family. So we think it is important to throw prejudices away and to see the advantages of single­parent families.
When compared to two­parent families, single­parent families are usually at a disadvantage in some ways. They are often in short of money, and children receive less attention. What’s more, single parents can find themselves under too much pressure(压力) of both work and home. Despite(尽管) these disadvantages, it is possible for single­parent families to look for support from friends, schools, communities or other organizations. They need to remember that nobody can do it alone.
Surprisingly, single­parent families also have some advantages over two­parent families. Single parents have greater flexibility(灵活性) in spending time with children, because they don’t have to consider the needs of a husband or wife. So they can develop closer relationships with their children. Another advantage comes from the fact that single parents often work together with their children to solve problems, which makes children feel more needed and valued.
It’s important to remember that single­parent families have, until now suffered prejudices from some people. They think that it’s easier for the children in single­parent families to drop out of school in teens, and to be jobless in their early twenties. But, with the support from friends, schools and communities, single­parent families become more accepted by society, and this situation is certain to improve. In the future we will probably see these prejudices disappear.
【小题1】What does the writer mainly tell us in Paragraph 1?
A. People shouldn’t have prejudices against single­parent families.
B. The single­parent family is not good for raising children.
C. The two­parent family is the correct way to raise children.
D. 50% of children will be members of a single­parent family in the USA.
【小题2】Which disadvantage of single­parent families is NOT mentioned in Paragraph 2?

B）根据短文内容及首字母提示，填写所缺单词。
Be a potato, but be the best
A young college student thought that he chose the wrong major (专业) at a common college, so he drank every day and didn’t study at all. He b  1   more and more discouraged.
But he was never a  2   from Professor Yang’s biology (生物) class. He liked the course. Besides, Yang’s class was so i  3   that he always listened carefully, never caring about w  4   the other students were paying attention or not in class.
Once he put a note in the homework he handed in, saying: “Professor, it is said that today’s college students are c  5   than potatoes. Do you agree?”
That day Professor Yang sent for him after class. When he came, he f  6  the professor at a table with food on it. They drank happily over their meal.
When they became half drunk, the professor took out a small potato that was sprouting (发芽的). “Do you know how much this c  7 ?” he asked the young man. “It’s soft but poisonous. N  8  will take it even if it’s free. ” He then threw the potato away.
The professor then showed him another potato. It was half the s  9  of a football and perfectly round. “This potato is organic (有机的). It is not only large and fresh but also free of pollution. People are in need of such k  10   of potatoes and they’re quite expensive.”
The young man was impressed by what he’d heard. “Be such a potato,” said the professor.

A popular shopping bag has been seen on the arm of some of the world’s most beautiful women. It sells at an official price of ￡5, but as much as ￡400 online. The bag called “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” is made of cotton. It is so “hot” that now everyone wants to get one. It’s fashionable, and it’s green!

Supporters see the bag as a way to move away from throwaway(一次性的) plastic bags that are given away in large numbers by supermarkets every year.

When the bags were first sold, about 500 people waited in line to buy one. So far, 20,000 of the popular bags have been sold at the second largest supermarket in Great Britain. It is one of the ways to encourage shoppers to use the reusable(可再利用的) bags, rather than the plastic ones.

The bag has also become a must-have for many famous people who want to be fashionable, and at the same time care about the environment.

The designer of the bag has been asked to develop the bag by the “We Are What We Do” group. The group believes that each person in Great Britain uses about 167 plastic bags every year. It says that small lifestyle changes can have a strong effect on reducing waste and the environmental pollution. It also says that everyone should try his best to protect the earth from being polluted.

1.We can buy the popular bag at a price of ￡5 __________.

A. on the Internet

B. from the shops all over the world

C. at the designer’s home

D. at the 2nd largest supermarket in Britain

2.According to the passage, the “We Are What We Do” group most probably means ___________.

A. those who want to do something by themselves

B. those who design the new bags

C. an organization that protects the environment

D. a business that sells bags

3.The purpose of designing the popular bags is __________.

A. to make money

B. to help famous people

C. to make women fashionable

D. to reduce the environmental pollution

A Lesson from the Elder

Grandfather was an elder Cherokee Native American who had a wrinkled, nut brown face and kind dark eyes. His grandson often came in the evening to sit on his knee and asked the many questions that children would ask.

One day the grandson came to his grandfather with a look of anger on his face and the following story. “Father and I went to the store today and because I helped him, he bought me a present---a jack-knife. I went outside to wait for father and to admire my new knife in the sunlight. Some town boys came by and saw me. They surrounded me and started saying bad things. They called me dirty and stupid and said that I should not have such a fine knife. The largest of these boys pushed me back and I fell over one of the other boys. I dropped my knife and one of them picked it up and they all ran away laughing. I hate them. I hate them all."

The elder Cherokee, with eyes that had seen too much, lifted his grandson's face so his eyes looked into the boy's face. Grandfather said, "Let me tell you a story. I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like drinking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if two wolves are inside me.... It is a terrible fight.

One wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. It will only fight when it is right to do so and in the right way. This wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, modesty, kindness, friendship, sympathy, generosity, truth, and faith.

The other wolf is full of anger. The least thing will set off his fiercest temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so much. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. This wolf represents fear, envy, greed, self-pity, guilt, lies, false pride and superiority.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me for both of them try to control my spirit. This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person too.”

The boy looked into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which wolf will win?" The old Cherokee simply replied.... "The one you feed."

1.The boy was angry because __________.

A. he was not satisfied with his present

his back was badly injured in a fight

he had waited for his father for too long

his jack-knife had been taken away by some boys

2.How does the good wolf do things in the story?

A. He never fights against others.

B. He tries to get on well with others.

C. It is hard for him to live with other wolves.

D. Sometimes he had a terrible fight because some one hit him.

3.We can learn from the third paragraph that _________.

A.  “hate” is healthy

B.  “hate” hurts oneself

C.  “hate” is complicated

D.  “hate” harms one’s enemies

4.What did Grandfather mean by saying "The one you feed" in the last paragraph?

A. We should feed the two wolves equally.

B. Living in harmony with others is important.

C. Our feelings should be expressed at the right time.

D. The choices we make determine who we will become.