Many parents make their children do chores around the house. For some families, teaching children what to do and how to do chores is easy. But in other families, getting children to do some housework can be a very big problem.
It is a good idea for parents to teach their children at an early age. All family members must work together to make the house clean, and each person must do his or her share(份) of the work. We can do this by starting plan of chores and responsibilities(责任) when children are young.
Chores are good for children—even very young ones. Doing chores can teach children many important skills(技能) like working together. Jobs also teach children what is fair(公平). The skills and value(价值) from doing chores will be good to children all their lives.
【小题1】The first paragraph(段) tells us ____________.

Be Thankful
Be thankful when you don’t already have everything you want.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something,
for it gives you the chance to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for each new challenge(挑战) ,
because it will build your strength(意志) and character(品格).
Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you important lessons
Be thankful when you’re tired,
because it means you’ve made a difference.
It’s easy to be thankful for the good things
A life of rich fulfillment(满足) comes to those
who are also thankful for the setbacks(挫折).
Gratitude(感激) can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
【小题1】According to the poem, ________ make us grow.

Making sense of how the US shows humor
Living in a new country gives me many surprises. The first surprise was the way that the US people speak
One day I saw someone was having a public speech in a square. I thought it would be a serious speech. But I soon found it became a kind of entertainment show.
The speaker told the audience to protect the environment with humorous words. Later he said some people’s behavior didn’t go with their words. He took the example of Taylor Swift’s song We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.[
He said that since Swift doesn’t want to be with the boy any more, she doesn’t need to speak it aloud, she doesn’t need to sing unless she still keeps in touch with that guy. It sounds like she is a hypocrite.
Then he sang the song in a funny way. The audience laughed out loudly. I felt a little angry because Swift is my favourite star. I couldn’t understand why they laughed at Swift.
As time goes on, I find many US people make fun of others. But they don’t mean to hurt them. They do that to show closeness and humour. And people who are laughed at seldom get angry. Now I understand the speaker at the square. Now I’ve got used to the way the US people speak.
It’s easy to find culture shock when you’re in a new place. But everyone should learn to understand different cultures and customs. 
【小题1】The man in the square was _______________.