As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents' efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. "In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children's IQ scores," Lewis says. "And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is."

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. "Middle children are invisible," says Lewis. "When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it's the middle child." There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: "When the TV is on," Lewis says, "dinner is a non-event."

1.The writer's purpose in writing the text is to _________.

       A．show the relationship between parents and children

       B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

       C．report on the findings of a study

       D．give information about family problems

2.Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.

       A．they are busy serving food to their children

       B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

       C．they have to pay more attention to younger children

       D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

3.By saying "Middle children are invisible" in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.

       A．have to help their parents to serve dinner

       B．get the least attention from the family

       C．are often kept away from the dinner table

       D．find it hard to keep up with other children

4.Lewis' research provides an answer to the question _________.

       A．why TV is important in family life

       B．why parents should keep good order

       C．why children in small families seem to be quieter

       D．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

5.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

       A．It is important to have the right food for children.

       B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

       C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

       D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner

    根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier（收银台）in her general store.   1.I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you.”

At first I was paid in candy.    2.I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. My father helped me set up a bank account.   3.

By the time I was 12, My grandmother thought I had done such a good job that the promoted me to selling cosmetics（化妆品）. I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “ What color do you think I should wear?” I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup（化妆）ideas.   4.

The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn’t need to be a

Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. _5.__expect they are NO longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A.   Later I received 50 cents an hour.

B.   Before long, she let me sir there by myself.

C.   I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics.

D.   Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

E.   My grandma’s trust taught me how to handle responsibility.

F.   Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

G.   Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符（），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（）划掉。

修改：在错的词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词；

      2..只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

There are advantage for students to work while studying at school. One of them was that they can earn money. For the mostly part, students working to earn money for their own      use. Earning their own money allow them     to spend on anything as if they please. They would have to ask their parents for money or for permission to do things by the money. Some students may also to save up for our college or future use. 

 —Which of the two iPods do you prefer?

       —To tell you the truth, I don't like _____ of them．

       A．both        B．either                     C．none                 D．neither

 A survey of the opinions of experts ____ that drinking a glass of hot milk before going to bed helps one sleep well．

       A．shows         B．show          C．is showing         D．have shown

 Xiamen Xiang'an Tunnel, _____ is the first undersea tunnel built in mainland China, opened to traffic on April 26th．

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

 It rained for several weeks, completely ____ our holiday．

       A．ruined         B．ruining          C．to ruin            D．ruin

 —How long have you been here?

       —___ the end of last year．

       A．Since           B．At              C．By                  D．In

 It is every citizen's duty to _____ our country when she is attacked by the enemy．

       A．approach       B．defend         C．support           D．preserve

 China Daily is _____ a newspaper; it keeps us in touch with the world．

       A．no more than     B．not more than     C．more than         D．less than