If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child into a genius（天才）, they will cause great damage to him. According to several leading educational experts, this is one of the biggest mistakes that some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parents expect. and will fall. Unrealistic（不现实）expectations of the parents can cause great damage to children.

    However, if parents are not unrealistic about what they expect their children to do, but are hopeful in a sensible（明智）way, the child may succeed in doing very well—especially if the parents are very supportive（支持的）to their children.

    Michael Li is very lucky. He likes music and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and let him attend piano and violin lessons. Although Michael's mother knows very little about music, his father is a good musician. However, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling.

    Michael's friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Although both his parents are successful musicians, they set too high a standard（水平）for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him in every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win. “When I was your age I used to win every competition I enter.” Winston's father tells him. Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he always quiet and unhappy.

1.The main idea of the passage is _________.

A. how parents should make a child a musician

B. how parents should bring up a child

C. what differences there are between the two boys

D. what aim is easier for a child to reach

2.Winston's parents set so high a standard for him that _______.

A. he has to do his best to win every competition

B. he has made greater progress in music

C. he is afraid he may disappoint them

D. he often wants to kill himself someday

3.It is one of the parents’ worst mistakes if ______.

A. they want their child to be a musician

B. they help their child to win music competition

C. they don't care for their child's education much

D. they make their child try to achieve too much

4. According to the writer's opinion, _________.

A. it's unimportant to let the children develop（=grow）in the way they want

B. sensible parents can train their children to succeed in everything

C. parents should be realistic and supportive to their children

D. unrealistic parents should arrange（安排）private lessons for their children

Welcome to England．There are many famous sights that you must go to have a visit in England．Read the following passages, we are sure you'll know something about them．

Stonehenge（巨石阵）

This stone circle is called Stonehenge．It is the most famous prehistoric monument（史前纪念碑） in Britain and it lies on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire．People think that the stones were put there about 4000 years ago, and were used for studying the movements of the Sun, Moon, and Stars．

Blenheim Palace （白金汉宫）

Blenheim Palace is a very large and beautiful house in central England, near Oxford．It is the home of the 11^th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill．There are many stately homes（豪华古宅）like this in the English countryside．

Big Ben

Big Ben is a large bell in the tower of the House of Parliament（国会）in London．It rings regularly to tell the time．The clock tower lies on the banks of the fiver Thames and is part of the Palace of Westminster（威斯敏斯特）．

Officially Big Ben is the name of the biggest of the five bells in the clock tower．The tower is also known as St．Stephen's Tower．

The London Eye

The London Eye, next to County Hall, is another of London's most modern landmarks．It is the world's biggest wheel, and carries800 passengers at a time on a thirty-minute ride．From its highest point of 450 feet, it gives views of up to 25 miles．

根据短文回答问题或完成句子．

1．What was Stonehenge used for?

2．Where is Blenheim Palace?

3．_______ is the world's biggest wheel which can carries _______ at a time．

4．____ is a large bell in the tower of the House of Parliament in London．Its tower lies on _____．

5．Which one do you think has the longest history．Stonehenge，Blenheim Palace or Big Ben?

   During the Second World War, Winston Churchill was the British Prima Minister. One day he had to go to the British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC) to make an important speech to the nation.

   An hour before the time of this speech, he stopped a taxi in the street and asked the driver to take him to the BBC, but the taxi-driver, who did not recognize him, said he could not take him anywhere just then, because he wanted to go back to his home at the other end of London to hear Churchill make a speech on the radio. Churchill was so pleased when he heard this. Churchill answered that he gave the man a pound, which was worth quite a lot in those days.

    “All right, get in,” said the driver happily, opening the door of the taxi. “I'll take you, and to hell with(让......见鬼去)Churchill and his speech!”

  (  )1.During the second World War, Winston Churchill was the _______.

      A. British Prime Minister   B. American Prime Minister 

      C. Chinese Prime Minister  D. French Prime Minister 

  (  )2.An hour before the time of this speech, he stopped a _______in the street and asked the    driver to take him to the _______.

      A. bus, VOA   B. taxi, BBC  C. taxi, VOA   D. bus, BBC 

  (  )3.The taxi-driver wanted to go back to his home ________of London to hear Churchill make a speech_ ________. 

      A. at the other end; on the radio   B. in the other end; in the radio

      C. on the other end; to the radio   D. at the other end; in the radio 

  (  )4.What do you think of the driver?

      A. He cared for Churchill more than for his speech.

      B. He cared for Churchill's speech more than for Churchill himself.

      C. He cared for Churchill and his speech more than for money.

      D. He cared for money most.

 (  ) 5. Can you imagine Churchill's expression after he heard the driver's last world?

      A. happy    B. dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的)   C. surprised    D. worried

   During the Second World War, Winston Churchill was the British Prima Minister. One day he had to go to the British Broadcasting Corporation (the BBC) to make an important speech to the nation.

   An hour before the time of this speech, he stopped a taxi in the street and asked the driver to take him to the BBC, but the taxi-driver, who did not recognize him, said he could not take him anywhere just then, because he wanted to go back to his home at the other end of London to hear Churchill make a speech on the radio. Churchill was so pleased when he heard this. Churchill answered that he gave the man a pound, which was worth quite a lot in those days.

    “All right, get in,” said the driver happily, opening the door of the taxi. “I'll take you, and to hell with(让......见鬼去)Churchill and his speech!”

  (  )1.During the second World War, Winston Churchill was the _______.

      A. British Prime Minister   B. American Prime Minister 

      C. Chinese Prime Minister  D. French Prime Minister 

  (  )2.An hour before the time of this speech, he stopped a _______in the street and asked the    driver to take him to the _______.

      A. bus, VOA   B. taxi, BBC  C. taxi, VOA   D. bus, BBC 

  (  )3.The taxi-driver wanted to go back to his home ________of London to hear Churchill make a speech_ ________. 

      A. at the other end; on the radio   B. in the other end; in the radio

      C. on the other end; to the radio   D. at the other end; in the radio 

  (  )4.What do you think of the driver?

      A. He cared for Churchill more than for his speech.

      B. He cared for Churchill's speech more than for Churchill himself.

      C. He cared for Churchill and his speech more than for money.

      D. He cared for money most.

 (  ) 5. Can you imagine Churchill's expression after he heard the driver's last world?

      A. happy    B. dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的)   C. surprised    D. worried