Parents are creating an “I want it now” generation by indulging children's every demand at Christmas,say experts.Youngsters are becoming increasingly selfish,claim the education analysts.
Consumersavvy children are forcing their families into racking up huge debts and risk becoming spoilt and dissatisfied in the future.
Behavioural consultant Chris Calland said,“Parents are desperate to make Christmas into a magical fairy tale for their kids.There's nothing wrong with that as such.The problem arises when it means always giving in to all our children's demands—even if they are beyond our price range or not ageappropriate.”
Ms.Calland,who runs “Santa Says No” style sessions with colleague Nicky Hutchinson,added, “Many of us go into so much debt providing the gifts our children want that we spend the rest of the year paying off the bills.Yet so often the parcels we've carefully wrapped,once opened,are just pushed away because the very thing our little boy or girl was once so desperate for, they have now lost interest in.”
Ms. Calland and Ms.Hutchinson have drawn up a list of guidelines to help parents manage their offspring's Christmas lists this year.They say that adults can actually improve their relationships with their children by resisting “pester (糾纏) power”.
Ms.Calland said,“All too often we say yes because we want an easier life when the fact is that we're only building up problems for the future.We are helping create a generation of youngsters who are blind to the needs of others and the necessity of hard work.”
“Children learn fast—if we sometimes change our mind,they quickly realise it might be worth lying on the floor and screaming for it.Make sure you and your partner are working together on this.Be consistent.And try not to get caught up in competition with other families or friends.”
【小題1】How is the “I want it now” generation created?
A.Parents can't afford the gifts for their children. |
B.Parents become heavily in debt. |
C.Parents are trying to make Christmas into a magical fairy tale. |
D.Parents give children whatever they want at Christmas. |
A.They are quite selfcentered. |
B.They like to live in fairy tales. |
C.They waste a lot of money on gifts. |
D.They can't keep their interest in gifts. |
A.To advise on how to wrap gifts properly. |
B.To keep children's interest in the gifts. |
C.To tell parents how to say no to children's demands. |
D.To advise parents on what gifts to buy for children. |
A.a(chǎn)nalyze children's behavior |
B.give advice to parents |
C.introduce a new generation |
D.give her support to parents |
A.buy nothing for children at Christmas |
B.choose gifts carefully for children |
C.let children choose their own gifts |
D.a(chǎn)void competing with others |
【小題1】D
【小題2】A
【小題3】C
【小題4】B
【小題5】D
解析【語篇解讀】 本文是時文閱讀。由于父母對孩子圣誕節(jié)的要求無限制地滿足,產(chǎn)生了“I want it now”一代。
【小題1】解析 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。從第一段第一句可知,“I want it now”一代的產(chǎn)生是由于父母對孩子圣誕節(jié)的要求無限制地滿足。答案 D
【小題2】解析 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。從第一段最后一句中的“Youngsters are becoming increasingly selfish”以及倒數(shù)第二段中的“a generation of youngsters who are blind to the needs of others”可知“I want it now”一代很自私、以自我為中心。答案 A
【小題3】解析 推理判斷題。根據(jù)第四、五段內(nèi)容可知,“Santa Says No”style sessions的目的是教父母如何對孩子的無限制的要求說不。答案 C
【小題4】解析 推理判斷題。綜合分析Mr.Calland的話可知,Ms.Calland在本文中為父母提出了不要滿足孩子的一切要求的建議。答案 B
【小題5】解析 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。從最后一段最后一句“And try not to get caught up in competition with other families or friends”可知答案為D。答案 D
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
“When I grow up, I want to be...”
Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school.
However, it seems career options aren’t only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige (威望) may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility.
It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models “for their wealth”. Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to “wealth”.
However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens’ survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet(美食家),waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers’ career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs.
With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?
A.Choosing a good job is very important. |
B.Careers in teenagers’ mind. |
C.Teenagers in the UK like doctors. |
D.The choice of career needs challenge. |
A.respect from others | B.upward social mobility |
C.high pay | D.the oldest profession |
A.Prestige | B.Fulfillment | C.Happiness | D.Wealth |
A.According to your particular talents and skills, you can choose your favorite career. |
B.Specific education and training can help get a good job. |
C.Whatever career you choose, you should balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. |
D.Responsibility is the most important when you choose a good job. |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺騙)?When someone tells you something that is true,but leaves out important information that should be included,he can give you a false picture.
For example,someone might say, ''I just won a hundred.dollars on the lottery(彩票).It was great.I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!".This guy's a winner,right? Maybe,maybe not.We then discover that he bought$200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner.He’s really a big loser! He didn't say anything that was false,but he left out important information on purpose.That's called a half-truth.Half truths are not technically lies,but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick.Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term,her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs.Then she seeks another term.One of her opponents says, “During Governor Smith’s term,the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true.However,an honest statement would have been,“During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths.It's against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth.An advertisement might say,''Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.'' It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often.It’s a sad fact of life:Lies are lies,and sometimes the truth can 1ie as well.
【小題1】The underlined word“opponents”in Paragraph 3 means .
A.enemy | B.partner | C.cooperator | D.a(chǎn)ssistant |
A.buy lottery tickets if possible |
B.make use of half-truths |
C.be careful about what they are told |
D.not trust the Yucky Company |
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.Using half truths is against the law. |
B.Technically,half truths are in fact lies. |
C.Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache. |
D.Governor Smith did a good job during her last term. |
A.He’s really a big loser! |
B.Sometimes the truth can lie as well. |
C.Advertisers will sometimes use half truths. |
D.It’s against the law to make false statements. |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Urbanization
(2013·高考北京卷)Until relatively recently,the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city.The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.__ 【小題1】__In fact,nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (鄉(xiāng)村的) villages.It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.
Britain was only the beginning. 【小題2】__The process of urbanization—the migration (遷徙) of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization,which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.
In 1990,fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas.Today,over 82% of Americans live in cities.Only about 2% live on farms.__ 【小題3】__
Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized.Even in advanced agricultural societies,it took about ninetyfive people on farms to feed five people in cities._ 【小題4】_Until modern times,those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite(精英) and the servants,laborers and professionals who served them.Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.
Over the past two centuries,the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. 【小題5】_Today,instead of needing ninetyfive farmers to feed five city people,one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred nonfarmers.
A.That kept cities very small. |
B.The rest live in small towns. |
C.The effects of urban living on people should be considered. |
D.Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies. |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
“When I grow up, I want to be...”
Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school.
However, it seems career options aren’t only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige (威望) may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility.
It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models “for their wealth”. Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to “wealth”.
However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens’ survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet(美食家),waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers’ career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs.
With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.
【小題1】What is the passage mainly about?
A.Choosing a good job is very important. |
B.Careers in teenagers’ mind. |
C.Teenagers in the UK like doctors. |
D.The choice of career needs challenge. |
A.Bank | B.Law | C.Medicine | D.Education |
A.respect from others | B.upward social mobility |
C.high pay | D.the oldest profession |
A.Prestige | B.Fulfillment | C.Happiness | D.Wealth |
A.According to your particular talents and skills, you can choose your favorite career. |
B.Specific education and training can help get a good job. |
C.Whatever career you choose, you should balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. |
D.Responsibility is the most important when you choose a good job. |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
(2013·高考廣東卷,D)While Jennifer was at home taking an online exam for her business law class,a monitor(監(jiān)控器)a few hundred miles away was watching her every move.
Using a web camera equipped in Jennifer’s Los Angeles apartment,the monitor in Phoenix tracked how frequently her eyes moved from the computer screen and listened for the secret sounds of a possible helper in the room.Her Internet access was locked-remotely-to prevent Internet searches,and her typing style was analyzed to make sure she was who she said she was:Did she enter her student number at the same speed as she had in the past? Or was she slowing down?
In the battle against cheating,this is the cutting_edge and a key to encourage honesty in the booming field of online education.The technology gives trust to the entire system,to the institution and to online education in general.Only with solid measures against cheating,experts say,can Internet universities show that their exams and diplomas are valid—that students haven’t just searched the Internet to get the right answers.
Although online classes have existed for more than a decade,the concern over cheating has become sharper in the last year with the growth of“open online courses.”Private colleges,public universities and corporations are jumping into the online education field.spending millions of dollars to attract potential students,while also taking steps to help guarantee honesty at a distance.
Aside from the web cameras,a number of other hightech methods are becoming increasingly popular.Among them are programs that check students’ identities using personal information,such as the telephone numbers they once used.
Other programs can produce unique exams by drawing on a large list of questions and can recognize possible cheaters by analyzing whether difficult test questions are answered at the same speed as easy ones.As in many university classes,term papers are scanned against some large Internet data banks for cheating.
【小題1】Why was Jennifer watched in an online exam?
A.To correct her typing mistakes. |
B.To find her secrets in the room. |
C.To prevent her from slowing down. |
D.To keep her from dishonest behaviors. |
A.a(chǎn)dvanced technique |
B.sharpening tool |
C.effective rule |
D.dividing line |
A.they can attract potential students |
B.they can defeat academic cheating |
C.they offer students online help |
D.they offer many online courses |
A.checking the question answering speed |
B.producing a large number of questions |
C.scanning the Internet test questions |
D.giving difficult test questions |
A.The Advantages of Online Exams |
B.The Hightech Methods in Online Courses |
C.The Fight against Cheating in Online Education |
D.The War against the Booming of Online Education |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live- in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village the chances that you will be disturbed by jet aeroplanes, transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc, are almost everywhere. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(專心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration , what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example ) may even help people to concentrate.
【小題1】The best title for this passage is________.
A.Noisy Life | B.Background Noise |
C.Disturbed Concentration | D.Changeable Noise |
A.doesn’t matter much |
B.has become worse everywhere |
C.has become better in big cities |
D.has become better in villages |
A.music played in the concert |
B.a(chǎn) kind of noise coming into your ears |
C.music helps people to concentrate |
D.music played while people are working |
A.a(chǎn)ny kind of noise |
B.great changes in level of noise |
C.background noise |
D.various background music |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Travel Unaccompanied
Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to new things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen. It is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone.It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.
Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year.He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He said he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person,” said the 30-year-old.
Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that was ready to deal with anything”. He said: “The feeling of having conquered something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”
The great 19th century explorer John Muir once said: “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.”
【小題1】Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?
A.Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone. |
B.It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries. |
C.It is comfortable to travel around without a friend. |
D.Traveling abroad helps people to find new things. |
A.it will finally build your character |
B.you have to make things on your own |
C.you depend on yourself whatever happens |
D.it is hard for you to prove yourself to others |
A.He started traveling at an early age. | B.He was once shot in the arm. |
C.His website inspires others a lot. | D.He used to work as a salesman. |
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom. I sat through the hours of Driver’s Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.
But it’s a different story for today’s teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent.
There are numbers of reasons for the fall – off. The growing responsibilities like paying for insurance and high gas prices discourage teens from getting behind the wheel. Plus, many teens today are so busy with homework, endless hours of activities and part-time jobs, that finding the time for Driver’s Ed classes may be more difficult that ever.
In addition, many states have raised the driving age, or restricted when teens can drive and who they can have in the car. Parents may also be making their own personal restrictions until they feel their teens are responsible enough to drive safely.
Driving is part of the American culture, but it’s not the central focus like it was 25 years ago. They have so many other things to do now. One of the more interesting factors delaying teens driving might be the change of their social life. Today, teens need to look no further than Face book or other social networking sites to connect with their friends. There is simply less need, maybe less desire, to be able to grab the keys and go.
Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy not to drive. “If I couldn’t get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over,” the 19-year-old said, “I could talk on IM or Skype.”
Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them?
【小題1】We can infer from the first paragraph that _______ .
A.Driver’s Ed classes allowed teens to know what maturity was |
B.getting a driving license at 16 was a must for American teens |
C.16 was considered an age when one could get his driver’s license |
D.teens could drive on the road without taking Driver’s Ed classes |
A.Desire to drive on the road declines among American teens. |
B.Getting a license costs much more than ever before. |
C.Social networking sites are changing the life of American teens. |
D.American teens are becoming more responsible than ever. |
A.why American teens are crazy about digital social life |
B.what social networking websites are bringing to American teens |
C.to what degree the Internet is affecting the American car culture |
D.what the Internet does to help teens to get a driving license |
A.the Internet has a bad effect on the teen’s social life |
B.teens should keep a balance in choosing their lifestyle |
C.a(chǎn)ctual contacts can be replaced by talking on line |
D.face-to-face friendship is always the best choice |
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