Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently in families today than in the past, when "duty'' and "responsibility" were often the words used.

Parents today are more youthful in appearance and attitudes. Their clothes and hair-styles are more casual, helping to bridge the divide. Those who are athletically inclined also enjoy Rollerblading, snowboarding, and rock-climbing with their children.

For the past three years, Kathy and Phil Dalby have spent at least one evening a week at a climbing gym with their three children. "It's great to be able to work together," Mrs Dalby says. "We discuss various climbs and where the hard parts are. Sometimes that leads to other Conversations. We're definitely closer."

A popular movement of parent effectiveness training in the 1970s has helped to reshape generational roles. The philosophy encourages children to describe their feelings about various situations. As a result, says Robert Billingham, a family-studies professor at Indiana University, "Parents and children began talking to each other in ways they had not before."

On the plus side, he adds, these conversations made parents realize that children may have important thoughts or feelings that adults need to be aware of.

But Professor Billingham also sees a downside: Many parents started making decisions based on what their child wanted. "The power shifted to children. Parents said, 'I have to focus on making my child happy', as opposed to 'I have to act as a parent most appropriately'."

Other changes are occurring as the ranks of working mothers grow.  Time-short parents encourage children's independence, making them more responsible for themselves. "They'll say, 'We trust you to make the right decisions' (whether they're ready to assume the responsibility or not) ,"says Billingham.

The self-esteem movement of the past quarter-century has also affected the family dynamics (原动力). Some parents worry that if they tell their child no, it will hurt the child's self-esteem.

1.What's the trend in parent-child relationship mentioned in the passage?

A．Parents are chasing after fashion and ignoring the feelings of their children.

B．More parents and children are sharing the same enthusiasm for a certain sport.

C．Parents are taking more responsibility and setting more limits for their children.

D．The generation gap is narrowing and parents are respecting their children's thoughts more.

2.Which of the following has NOT contributed to the change in the parent-child relationship?

A．Younger parents.                        B．Parent effectiveness training.

C．More working mothers.                   D．The self-esteem movement.

3.What's Billingham's attitude towards parents who make children more responsible for themselves?

A．He supports them.                      B．He admires them.

C．He disagrees with them.                  D．He thinks they're unreasonable.

4.What will probably be discussed following the last paragraph?

A．The effect of more working mothers on children' s education.

B．The benefits of the new relationship between parents and children.

C．The importance of self-esteem and ways to develop children's self-esteem.

D．The risks of setting no rules and some suggestions on how to have a balanced attitude.

5.What's the best title for the text?

A．Parents and Children as Friends.            B．Parents and Professors as Debaters.

C．Growing Mutual Understanding.            D．Disappearing Responsibility.

Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.

Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.

In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.

None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.

1.The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.

A．he is out of work .                       B．whatever he does make no sense

C．he is worried about his writing.             D．he can enjoy himself in his leisure time.

2.When the writer uses the word “forget” , his real meaning is _______.

A．Somebody really forgets his cell phone at home.

B．Somebody thinks cell phone is not a suitable means of communication.

C．Somebody hates modern techniques such as the cell phone.

D．Somebody leaves his cell phone at home on purpose.

3.Which of the following is right?

A．It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now.

B．The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish.

C．Slowing down to find time and space to think and enjoy oneself is urgent.

D．We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate.

4.What does the underlined word mean?

A．difference         B．sameness          C．simplicity          D．complication

5.What is the main idea of the article?

A．The importance of spending time in quiet.

B．We can do some sports such as yoga to relax.

C．Principle or asceticism is important in one’s life.

D．The more we communicate, the more we will be closer.

阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。

In the United States, train transportation is unpopular compared with cars and airplanes. Most people like traveling by car or by air. Officials of the United States Department of Transportation made a study in 2001. The study is about how many miles Americans traveled by different means of transportation.

They only studied trips longer than 50 miles. The study showed that fifty-six percent of all miles were traveled in personal vehicle. Forty-one percent were traveled in an airplane. Two percent were traveled in a bus. And less than one percent of miles were traveled in a train. Amtrak is the national provider of train transportation in the United States. In the past ten years, the number of its passengers has increased by eighteen percent. Although the number of passengers has increased, it is still very small now. In countries such as France, Germany, or Japan, more people use trains. There are several reasons why many people ________________________.

Firstly, Americans love to drive their own cars. On highways, cars can travel as fast as trains. These highways connect all major cities in America．Secondly, many travelers like to be independent. When they use their own cars they can decide when to travel. Thirdly, many buses travel between major cities. Bus travel is less costly than train travel. In a huge country like the United States, cities are far away from each other. In some cases, travel from one city to another by train may take more than a day. Airplanes can carry passengers over long distances much faster.

People who do not want to spend long time traveling by train decide to fly. For these people saving time is the most important thing.

1.What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 8 words)

_____________________________________________________________________

2.What does the underlined word “it” refer to? ( Please answer within 4 words)

_____________________________________________________________________

3.Fill in the blank with proper words. ( Please answer within 6 words)

_____________________________________________________________________

4.Complete the following statement according to paragraph 2.( Please answer within 6 words)

When they use their own cars they are

_____________________________________________________________________

5.Why American people have to travel a long time if they go from one city to another?

(Please answer within 10 words)

__________________________________________________________________ 

每位同学都希望自己具有良好的人际关系，成为班级中受欢迎的人。请你根据下表所提供的信息，写一篇题为“Being a Popular Student”的英语短文，参加学校网站英语论坛的讨论。

注意：1．短文必须包括所有内容要点，可适当发挥；

2．短文标题与开头已为你写好，不计入总词数；  3．词数：120左右。

Being a popular student

We all hope to be popular with our classmates and teachers_________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

_________________

—You seem to be familiar with this city．

—I       here for three years．It's great to be back．

A．have lived         B．lived             C．had lived          D．live

Action, not talk was       she graded her students on．

A．that              B．how              C．what             D．which

He slowed the bleeding by      pressure to the wounds until the ambulance arrived．

A．assessing          B．approving         C．applying          D．appointing

—Was it by cutting down staff      are not diligent enough       she saved the firm?

—No, it was by improving work efficiency．

A．that; when        B．that; what         C．who; how         D．who; that

       to playing computer games, he is always absent from school．

A．Lost              B．Addicted          C．Buried            D．Absorbed

—What's the matter with John? He has been sitting there for hours．

—A postcard from his father        an attack of home - sickness in him．

A．took up           B．set off            C．brought in         D．built up