The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. 1. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to keep away from the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began.

The following are some countries’ birthday traditions:

Canada —Greasing the nose with butter. In Atlantic Canada, the birthday child’s nose is greased for good luck.

China — 2. .The birthday child pays respect to his/her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.

England —Fortune telling cakes. Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared. 3.

Italy —Pulling ears. The child’s ears are pulled as many times as how old they are turning.

Japan —New clothes. The birthday child wears entirely new clothes mark the occasion.

New Zealand— 4. .After the birthday cake is lit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year they have been alive and then one for good luck.

The United States —Cake, candles and song. 5.

A. A cake is made, and candles are put on top based on how old the person is.

B. In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child.

C. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, then you will be rich.

D. To protect them from harm, friends and family would come to stay with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes.

E. Noodles for lunch.

F. The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago.

G. Birthday claps.

Charles Dickens is often thought of as one of the greatest British writers. February 7 marked the 200th anniversary of his birthday. Yet for many, his language is old-fashioned and his stories often improbable. So why do so many people know and read Dickens today?

One reason is the British government’s insistence that every child studies a Dickens novel at school. Alongside William Shakespeare, Dickens is on every English literature school reading list.

His stories, though often long by today’s standards, are great moral tales. They are filled with colorful characters.

Earlier this month, a ceremony was held in Portsmouth, where Dickens was born. Prince Charles said at the ceremony, “Dickens used his creative genius to campaign passionately for social justice… His characterization (人物刻画) is as fresh today as on the day it was written.”

His books stand out from many other writers because of his insight into human nature. Dickens, like Shakespeare, tells us truths about human behavior. They are as true in the 21st century as they were to his readers in the 19th century.

Readers have returned to Dickens’ books again and again over the years to see what he has to say about their own times.

No surprise then that it was Dickens whom Britons turned to during the economic crisis in the last couple of years. Dickens helped them make sense of a world that was rapidly falling apart. The BBC adapted one of his less well-known novels, Little Dorrit, into a popular television drama that introduced many Brits to the novel for the first time. A dark story about greed and money, it was the perfect illustration of bad times.

As long as Dickens’s novels have something to say to modern audiences, it seems likely that he will remain one of Britain’s best-loved writers.

1. In the article, the author intends to tell us ______.

A. why Dickens’ novels still appeal to readers in modern times

B. that Dickens’ works are no longer popular among young people

C. why the British government puts Dickens on school reading lists

D. that Dickens and Shakespeare’s works are required for study at school

2.In Britain, people still read Dickens because of ______.

a) romance in his books

b) moral value in his books

c) his colorful characters

d) his insight into human nature

e) government education requirement

f) his prediction of the current economic crisis

A. abdf B. bcde C. bdef D. abed

3.We can infer from the article that ______.

A. it’s better to read Dickens in time of difficulty

B. Dickens was a great social observer of his time

C. human nature seems worse during bad times

D. Dickens’s novels are short and easy to read

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Little Dorrit is one of Dickens’ best-known novels.

B. Dickens’ novels are of greater value during economic crisis.

C. Dickens’ works have gained more popularity than Shakespeare’s

D. Dickens’ novels are still of realistic significance to today’s world.

Why do young adult children become independent so much later than they did in 1970,when the average age of independent living was 21? Why have reduced class sizes and increased per-pupil expenditures (花销)not higher academic achievement levels? Why is the mental health of today’s kids so poor when with that of children in the 1960s and before? Why do today’s become defensive when told by teachers that their children have misbehaved in school?

The answer in two words: parental . Those two words best summarize the between “old” child raising and new, post-1960s parenting. Then, the overall philosophy was that parents were not to be involved with their kids. They were available crisis, but they stood a (an) distance from their kids and allowed them to experience the benefits of the trial-and-error process. It was the child’s ,back then, to keep his or her parents from getting involved. That was children learned to be responsible and determined.

Today’s parents help their kids with almost everything. These are parents who are when it comes to an understanding of their purpose in their kids,lives. Their involvement leads them to personalize everything that happens to their kids; , the defensiveness. But given that schools and mental health professionals have been pushing parent involvement for nearly four decades, the confusion and defensiveness are .

University researchers analyzed three decades of data relating to parent participation in children’s academics. Their conclusions what I’ve been saying since the 1980s: parental help with homework a child’s academic achievement and is not reflected on standardized tests.

Parents who manage a child’s social life interfere with the of good social skills. Parents who manage a child’s after-school activities grow kids who don’t know how to their own free time. Parents who get involved in their kids, with peers grow kids who don’t know how to avoid much less trouble.

These kids have anxieties and fears of all sorts and don’t want to leave their . And their parents, when the time comes, don’t know how to being parents. You can imagine what will become of their future.

1.A. counted on B. resulted in C. touched on D. taken in

2.A. associated B. linked C. compared D. matched

3.A. parents B. adolescents C. psychologists D. youths

4.A. assistance B. protection C. involvement D. preference

5.A. differences B. similarities C. choices D. relations

6.A. slightly B. passively C. highly D. fairly

7.A. in case of B. in spite of C. in view of D. in fear of

8.A. equal B. safe C. long D. short

9.A. fault B. turn C. job D. attitude

10.A. when B. how C. why D. what

11.A. confused B. disappointed C. amazed D. satisfied

12.A. however B. still C. yet D. thus

13.A. unreasonable B. changeable C. understandable D. avoidable

14.A. confirmed B. convinced C. realized D. reflected

15.A. decides B. lowers C. helps D. stimulates

16.A. appearance B. performance C. establishment D. development

17.A. value B. devote C. fill D. save

18.A. communication B. conflicts C. cooperation D. competitions

19.A. home B. school C. career D. profession

20.A. start B. ignore C. consider D. stop

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