The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly held image of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes (态度) surprisingly shows that their family life is happier than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive (积极的) today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的)and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that these parents are much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-year-old Daniel LaSalle. “I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing. When they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Cromer, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call talk or discussion. For example, when I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion(叛逆)is not based on real facts. A researcher explains, “Teenagers were thought to be different from others in a part of time in our social history. But to our surprise, they say they are getting on well with their parents. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled.”
【小题1】The study shows that teenagers don’t want to ______________________.

A.share family dutiesB.cause trouble in their families
C.go boating with their familyD.make family decisions
【小题2】Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today’s parents ___________________.
A.go to clubs more often with their childrenB.are much stricter with their children
C.care less about their children’s lifeD.give their children more freedom
【小题3】According to the writer, teenage rebellion ____________________.
A.may be a wrong opinionB.is common at present
C.lived only in the 1960sD.was caused by changes in families
【小题4】Which title best gives the main idea of the passage?
A.Discussion in family.B.Teenage education in family.
C.Harmony in family.D.Teenage trouble in family.


Driving a car at a high speed along a highway seems to be fun. You only need to follow the bright traffic signs beside the highway and it will take you where you wish to go. But to a London taxi driver, driving is not an easy job. A taxi driver needs to have not only good driving skills but also a good knowledge of the city of London, from the loneliest street to the popular restaurant around. He has to be at the service of all kinds of passengers (乘客) at all times.
A London taxi driver said the following about his job.
During the night it is usual for him to stop two or three times for some food. He said, “I never drink when I’m working, otherwise I’d lose my license (驾驶执照).”
He normally goes home between two and three o’clock in the morning. There are times he has to stay longer and try to make more runs. He said, “That’s the worst thing about working for yourself. If you don’t make money, no one is going to give it to you. ”
London taxi drivers not only “take” but also “give”. Every summer hundreds of poor children from London go for a day at the sea ― by taxi! There rides are paid by the taxi drivers. At the sea, they are met by the mayor (市长) , and a lunch party is also held for the taxi drivers and the children. After a happy day’s running around the beaches and visiting the market there, the children go home again by taxi, free of charge of course!
【小题1】London taxi drivers try to make more runs sometimes mainly because __________.

A.they make a living by driving
B.they prefer to work for themselves
C.they want to help more passengers
D.they are used to working deep into the night
【小题2】How do London taxi drivers “give”?
A.They give the poor children a lunch party at the sea each summer.
B.They give poor children the chance to meet the maor.
C.They pay for some poor children’s rides for a day’s tour each summer.
D.They play with some poor children at the sea for a day each summer.
【小题3】Which of the following words can be used to describe London taxi drivers?
A.Brave and careful
B.Rich and generous
C.Modest and easy-going
D.Hard-working and kind
【小题4】The passage is most likely to be found from __________.
A.an advertisement of a taxi company
B.an online travel guide
C.a website about the taxi drivers in London
D.a report about living conditions in London

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