Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true. Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge the generation gap (代沟).

Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.

Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorbike. They argued over it. But they finally came to a compromise. Michael bought the motorbike, but only drove it on certain days.

Of course, your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship（关系） strong.

Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.

A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try!

根据短文内容，选择正确答案。

1.According to the passage who have a communication problem?

A．parents and other people                 B．only school kids and their parents

C．teachers and their students                D．parents and children of all ages

2.How many pieces of advice does the writer give us to bridge the generation gap?

A．5.               B．4.                C．3.               D．2.

3.The underlined word “bridge” in the passage means “______”.

A．建立             B．消除             C．通过             D．到达

4.If the values of your parents are different from those of yours, you’d better ______.

A．argue with them                        B．keep away from them

C．agree with them all the time               D．tell your parents what you care about

5.The best title for the passage is______.

A．How to bridge the generation gap           B．How to deal with family problems

C．How to be good parents                  D．How to be a good child

To save yourself from embarrassment (尴尬)， it’s good to read a few books or research online about the culture and customs of the country you plan to visit.

Clothing: Wearing shorts in public is generally not acceptable in most parts of the world, including some European countries.

Greetings: Handshake is a usually accepted form of greeting, although in some countries, like Japan, a traditional bow(鞠躬) is preferred. Be careful how you talk with someone; don’t use first names unless you are invited to do something.

Language/Gestures: learn some polite expressions (hello-goodbye-thank you) and relax. English is pretty common worldwide, especially in tourist areas and you can always use body language to get your message across. However, some Americans gestures have different meanings in other countries. For example, in Bulgaria, shaking your head usually means  “yes”; shaking it “vertically” means “ no”.

Food/Drink: you may find yourself looking down at a local delicious snake soup in china, sheep’s eyes in Saudi Arabia… and wonder what to do; especially you are guests in someone’s home. Be brave, take small bites, and pretend it tastes like something you like. Remember that some Buddhists don’t eat beef, and Muslims don’t eat pork. If you are eating with Muslims, never touch food with left hand (the left hand is for bathroom use).

Conversations: if you know the history and culture of the country, you will be confident. The French are angry at the classic American question: “What do you do for a living?” and so on.

1.You should learn about _______ of the country if you want to go to another country.

A．the people and the food

B．the culture and customs

C．the language and people

D．the behavior and conversations

2.A Japanese meet you for the first time, he/ she will ________.

A．shake hands with you                    B．hug with you

C．kiss you                               D．bow to you

3.In Bulgaria, shaking your head usually means______________.

A．yes              B．no               C．victory            D．calm down

4.Which of the following isn’t right?

A．You can’t wear shorts in public in most parts of the world.

B．You can use body language to communicate with people.

C．You can use your left hand to touch food when you eat with Muslims.

D．You can get along well with people you visit if you know their culture and customs well.

“Are you happy?” The simple question usually makes people confused (迷惑的). Even Mo Yan, who won a Nobel Prize, replied to it by saying, “I don’t know.”

When a migrant worker (农民工) was asked, “Are you happy? (Ni Xing Fu Ma?)” by a CCTV reporter, he looked confused before replying, “My family name is Zeng. (Wo Xing Zeng.)” This has become a joke. But his answer showed migrant workers and TV reporters live in different worlds and they cannot even communicate with each other.

Similarly, when asked, “Are you happy?” a 73-year-old man, collecting used plastic bottles in a street in Zhejiang, said, “The bottles can be sold for 0.1 yuan each.” Asked again, he said, “The government is good.” The reporter went on, “My question is ‘Are you happy?’” The old man answered, “My hearing is not good.”

The reporter probably tried to reach the same answer that the interviewees(被采访者) including the migrant worker and the old man are “happy”.

In fact, when the question is asked, we should learn about people’s true situation and their true wishes and opinions but their “Yes” or “No”.

Luckily, the government has paid more attention to the importance. Now there are many TV programs giving common people the chance to give their opinions.

“Everything we do is aimed at letting people live more happily.” At last year’s National People’s Congress (人大), Wen Jiabao said and agreed that increasing happiness would be a top aim for the 12th five-year plan.

1.Ten plastic bottles could be sold for ________ to the 73-year-old.

A．0.1 yuan          B．1 yuan            C．10 yuan           D．20 yuan

2.The government has paid more attention to the importance of ________.

A．learning about people’s true wishes and opinions

B．people’s different replies to “Are you happy?”

C．improving migrant workers’ education

D．keeping the old people’s health

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The reporters wanted the people to say “Yes” when asked “Are you happy?”

B．Letting people live more happily is a top aim in the next five years.

C．The reporter asked the old man three different questions.

D．We can call the migrant worker Mr. Zeng.

4.This passage is mainly about ________.

A．the questions                          B．the happiness

C．the popular songs                       D．the education