Many people think teachers give pupils too much homework. They say that it is unnecessary for children to work at home in their free time. Moreover, they argue that most teachers do not 1.(proper) plan the homework tasks they give to pupils. The result is that pupils have to repeat tasks which they 2. (do) at school already.
In Greece, many parents complained about the difficult homework that teachers gave to their children. The parents said that most of the homework was 3. waste of time, and they wanted to stop it. Spain and Turkey are two countries 4. stopped homework recently. In Denmark, Germany and several other 5. (country) in Europe, teachers cannot set homework at weekends. In Holland, teachers allow pupils 6. (stay) at school to do their homework. The children are free to help one another. Similar 7. (arrange) also exists in some British schools.
Most people agree that homework is not fair. A pupil who can do his homework in a quiet and comfortable room is in a much 8.(good) position than a pupil who does his homework in a small, 9. (noise) room with the television on. Some parents are ready to help their children with their homework. But other parents even take no interest 10. their children’s homework at all.
Pass Your Love On
Waiting for the airplane to take off, I was happy to get a seat by myself. Just then, an air hostess approached me and asked, " Would you mind ______ your seat? A couple would like to sit together." The only ______ seat was next to a girl with her arms in casts (石膏绷带), a black-and-blue face, and a sad expression. “ ______ am I going to sit there,” I thought immediately. But a soft voice spoke,“She needs help.” Finally, I ______ to move to that seat.
The girl was named Kathy. She ______ hurt in a car accident and now was on her way for ______ .
When the snack and juice arrived, it did not take me long to ______ that Kathy would not be able to ______ herself. I considered ______ to feed her but hesitated, as it seemed too ______ to offer a service to a ______ . But then I realized that Kathy's need was more ______ than my discomfort. I offered to help her eat, and ______ she was uncomfortable to accept, she ______ as I expected. We became closer and closer in a short period of time. By the end of the five-hour trip, my heart ______ , and the ______ was really better spent than if I had just sat by myself.
I was very glad I had reached ______ my comfort zone to sit next to Kathy and feed her. Love ______ flows beyond human borders and removes the fears that keep us ______ . When we ______ to serve another, we grow to live in a larger and more rewarding world.
1.A. losing B. changing C. taking D. giving
2.A. comfortable B. suitable C. available D. favorable
3.A. No problem B. No way C. Nowhere D. No doubt
4.A. decided B. wanted C. regretted D. promised
5.A. has been B. would be C. used to be D. had been
6.A. treatment B. travel C. pleasure D. business
7.A. know B. say C. realize D. recognize
8.A. eat B. feed C. choose D. support
9.A. offering B. needing C. stopping D. trying
10.A. impolite B. far C. close D. fast
11.A. girl B. neighbor C. passenger D. stranger
12.A. unusual B. direct C. important D. shameful
13.A. when B. although C. since D. as
14.A. refused B. wondered C. cried D. did
15.A. had warmed B. had jumped C. had broken D. had cheered
16.A. life B. money C. time D. energy
17.A. below B. through C. across D. beyond
18.A. seldom B. never C. hardly D. sometimes
19.A. separate B. independent C. silent D. upset
20.A. happen B. stretch C. wait D. continue
The act of giving gifts is a gesture of friendship, love, celebration and thanks. With a little planning, your gifts will be remembered for years.
1. Put a reminder in your diary one or two weeks before the occasion so that you can start doing your shopping. If your receivers live very far away and you need to mail the gift, then advanced planning is even more important. It will make sure that your gift gets to them on time.
Don't give gifts based on what others give you. We often hear people say, “She’s spending $ 100 on me, so I should spend $ 100 on her”.2.Your gifts should be based on what is on your heart for your receivers. Don't worry about whether your receivers are going to give you something back or how much they are spending on your gifts.
Respect your budget.3. Gifts given with sincerity are appreciated even more than expensive items. By planning how much you need to spend on your gifts for others and assigning a dollar amount to each desired gift on your list, you'll be better prepared to shop within your budget.
Be aware of wrappings.4. A tastefully wrapped gift with materials that can be reused or recycled shows your caring for the environment.
Present your gift with respect.5. And when you do, present your gift by holding with both your hands as though you were holding it on a silver platter.
A. This thinking completely ruins the value of giving gifts to each other.
B. Beautiful gifts don't necessarily need to rely on ribbons or boxes.
C. The cost of your gift will not be the main factor in its success.
D. The best way to present a gift is always presenting it in person.
E. This is adopted from Asian culture to show respect and care.
F. You shouldn't buy gifts which are out of your budget.
G. Keep a schedule of the special dates.
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name，repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name mad pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
Use associations.
Link each person yon meet with one thin
g you find interesting or unusual. For example，you could make a mental note:“Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair.” To reinforce your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others—an automatic review for you.
1.How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
A. They will be moved. B. They will be annoyed.
C. They will be delighted. D. They will be discouraged.
2.When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember __
A. all their names B. a couple of names first
C. just their last names D. as many names as possible
3.What does the text mainly tell us?
A. Tips on an important social skill.
B. Importance of attending parties.
C. How to make use of associations.
D. How to recite and repeat names.
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣橱)？”Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully, “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested
for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t you great – great grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank into a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.
1.According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means .
A. a family honor B. a family secret
C. a family story D. a family treasure
2.Jessica’s mother fell down into a faint because she was .
A. knocked B. frightened
C. injured D. surprised
3.Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home? _________.
A. She was curious about it.
B. She planned to keep it for fun.
C. She needed it for her school task.
D. She intended to scare her parents.
4.Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because .
A. they were crazy
B. they were overexcited
C. they realized their misunderstanding
D. they both thought they had won the quarrel
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mom was one of those people.
My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life. We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day, my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I returned to school — walking on my own!
When the Great Depression (大萧条) hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.
Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel (汽车旅馆) for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business, we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed. Fifteen years later, we had the largest hotel system in the world — Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situation. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.
1.What Kemmons’ mom often told him during his childhood was ______.
A. caring B. moving
C. encouraging D. interesting
2.According to the author, who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?
A. Doctors. B. Nurses.
C. Friends. D. Mom.
3.What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
A. His terrible experience in the hotel.
B. His previous business success of various levels.
C. His mom’s support.
D. His wife’s suggestion.
4.Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?
A. Modest, helpful, and hard-working.
B. Loving, supportive and strong-willed.
C. Careful, helpful and beautiful.
D. Strict, sensitive and supportive.
