The Best of Friends

　　The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families.But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents,which is the opppsite of the popularly held image(印象)of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.

　　An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past.”We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seen to be about their families,”said one member of the research team.”They’re expected to be rebellious(叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds;they want a car and material goods,and they worry about whether school is serving them well.There’s more negotiation(商议) and discussion between parents and children,and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process.They don’t want to rock the boat.”

　　So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to theat their children as friends.”My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,”says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall.”I always tell them when L’m going out clubbing.As long as they know what I’m doing,they’re fine with it.”Susan Crome,who is now 21,agrees.”Looking back on the last 10 years,there was a lot of what you could call negotiation.For example,as long as I’d done all my homework,I could go out on a Saturday night.But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”

　　Maybe this positive view of family life shoululd not be unexpected.It is possible that the idea of teenages rebellion is not rooted in real facts.A researcher comments,”Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in out social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings.But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled.The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change fromm helping out with the family business to taking it over.”

　　1.What is the popular images of teenagers today?

　　A. They worry about school

　　B. They dislike living with their parents

　　C. They have to be locked in to avoid troubles

　　D. They quarrel a lot with other family members

　　2.The study shows that teenagers don’t want to ___

　　A. share family responsibility

　　B. cause trouble in their families

　　C. go boating with their family

　　D. make family decisions

　　3.Compared with parents of 30 years age,today’s parents___.

　　A. go to clubs more often with their children

　　B. are much stricter with their children

　　C. care less about their children’s life

　　D. give their children moren freedom

　　4.According to the authour,teenage rebellion____.

　　A. may be a false belief

　　B. is common nowadays

　　C. existed only in the 1960s

　　D. resulted from changes in families

　　5.What is the passage mainly about?

　　A. Negotiation in family

　　B. Education in family

　　C. Harmony in family

　　D. Teenage trouble in family

Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down. “I wish I could take one of my children out alone,” said Christie.

　　Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I’ll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I’ll take someone out.

　　The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie’s daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “She’s like a different child when there’s no one else around,” Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn’t have to make an effort to gain attention.

　　Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering(口吃的)son, Tom, doesn’t stutter once during our activities since he doesn’t have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who’s always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.

　　The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child ---talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves(应得到)to be an only child at least once in a while.

　　6. What is the text mainly about?

　　A. The experience of the only child being with mother.

　　B. The advantage of spending time with one child at a time.

　　C. The happy life of two families.

　　D. The basic needs of children.

　　7. Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were _____________.

　　A. happy B. curious C. regretful D. friendly

　　8. What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?

　　A. The daughter acts like a leader. B. Sam holds her hand more often.

　　C. The boys become better followers. D. Tom has less difficulty in speaking.

　　9. The author seems to believe that ___________.

　　A. having brothers and sisters is fun

　　B. it’s tiring to look after three children

　　C. every child needs parents’ full attention

　　D. parents should watch others’ children

It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.

　　The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries(食品杂货)，saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.

　　I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.

　　People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced(影响)us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.

　　10. Why was the bike so important to the couple?

　　A. The man’s job was bike racing. B. It was their only possession.

　　C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed. D. They used it for work and daily life.

　　11. We can infer from the text that ____________.

　　A. the couple worked 60 hours a week. B. people were busy before Christmas

　　C. the stranger brought over the bike D. life was hard for the young family.

　　12. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?

　　A. From radio broadcasts. B. From a newspaper.

　　C. From TV news. D. From a stranger.

　　13. What do the couple learn from their experience?

　　A. Strangers are usually of little help. B. One should take care of their bike.

　　C. News reports make people famous. D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

　　答案

　　1-5 B .B .D .A .C

　　6-9 A . D . D . A

　　10-13 B . D . B . C