When young children are learning to ride a bicycle, they require that their parents hold on to the back
of the bike so that they gain confidence and won't fall off.
     However, when children leave to go to college, or get married, parents must accept that their children
are riding off into their own future. At this time, parents shouldn't stand back and with the children gone,
they are left with an empty nest. How can parents get through this period of life?
     The first thing you should do is nothing at all. You should actually take some time to rest since your
 child was born. Just relax and reward yourself for the work you put into your child.
     Taking some time for yourself will allow you to adjust to the change and figure out how you really feel
about your child's departure (離開). You shouldn't compare how you feel with how other people feel, as
everyone's experience of an empty nest is different.
     Exercise is a great mood lifter. A physical fitness program may have been one of the first sacrifices (犧
牲) you made when your child came along; now, with fewer duties, you'll have time to hit the gym regularly.
If you have a friend who also has become an empty nester recently, you may have found a new companion.
Not only will you get the chance to share dealing with tips, you'll also create social opportunities for yourself,
which will get you out of that empty house if you need to. We all have those things that we say we'll do or
learn"someday".
      If you're an empty nester, the "someday" might just be now. If you're not sure exactly what to do in all
your spare time, take your time and think about it. It will, however, probably be easier to figure out your
dream when you're out. Try exploring a nearby museum or attraction you've never visited.
     Many parents may fear an empty nest because they worry that their little birds have flown away forever.
Try setting up a regular phone date with your child. A once-a-week call may make you feel satisfied while
giving your child a reasonable degree of freedom.

     Every kid wishes to be an adult. But now as grown-ups, some adults find they cannot leave childhood
behind. They become "kidults" (kid+adult). Being a kidult has become a lifestyle-choice among young people
across Asia. Some kidults collect toys they once played with. Hello Kitty, Garfield, and Snoopy have many
adult fans around the world. It is not unusual to see a 20-something woman with a big, Garfield-shaped
cushion on her sofa or a Hello Kitty mobile phone accessory.
     Other kidults still enjoy children's stories and fairy tales. For example, Bloomsbury even published the
Harry Potter novels with an adult cover. That way, no one else on the subway will know that an adult is
actually reading a children's book!
     "Kidults can be like vitamins to society. Adults who value their childhood and hold on to pure, child-like
emotion may be needed in such a rough and dry society," said Lee Sojung, professor of Foreign Studies at
Hankuk University (韓國(guó)外國(guó)語(yǔ)大學(xué)). He added that kidult culture may fill the generation gap between adults
and kids. It could give children and their parents books, movies, and cartoon shows to enjoy together. He
may be right.
     Tim Greenhalgh, a professor, explained that some kidults just refuse to grow up. They value childhood
because life in a busy and stressful city frightens them. Kidults would like to forget their age and openly
show their fear of society and adulthood.

1. We can infer from the article that _____.

A. Kidults miss their childhood so much that they can't give up their toys
C. Kidults like to have vitamins very much
B. Bloomsbury knows some kidults don't want people to know that they are kidults
D. Some toys are so interesting that even adults like them very much

2. According to the author, being a kidult is good in some way except that _____.

A. it can improve the relationship between parents and their kids
B. it can help kidults feel relaxed
C. it is helpful to solve some social problems
D. it can make people loyal to one's parents 

3. According to the writer, _____.

A. being a kidult is nothing wrong
B. kidults have mental problems
C. our society is very dull
D. some people can never grow up

     Just getting accepted to an American college or university does not guarantee that you will get a visa.
And getting a visa just lets you arrive in the United States. It does not guarantee that an immigration officer
will permit you to enter the country.
     If you are requesting a visa for the first time, you will probably have to go to an American embassy or
consulate (領(lǐng)事館). You will need to bring a government form sent to you by your American school that
shows you have been accepted.
     You will also need banking and tax records that show you have enough money to pay for your education.
And be prepared to provide evidence that you will return to your home country after your studies end.
     All of this is important in satisfying the requirements to get a visa. A consular official will also take your
picture and your fingerprints.
     Foreign students must contact their local embassy or consulate to request an interview and to get other
information. This includes directions about how and where to pay the visa application charge. The cost is
two hundred dollars.
     You should apply for the visa as soon as you have been accepted to a school in the United States. The
government needs time to perform a background investigation.
     You cannot receive a visa more than one hundred twenty days before the start of your program. And if
you are coming as a student for the first time, you cannot enter the country more than thirty days before
classes begin.
      Once you come to the United States, you can stay for the length of your period of study. Your school
is required to provide the Department of Homeland Security with reports on your status as a student.

1. What do you have to take to the American embassy if you request a visa for the first time?

A. A government form.
B. Banking and tax records.
C. Pictures and fingerprints.
D. Both A and B.

2. When should you apply for a visa?

A. The moment you have been accepted to a school in the US.
B. One hundred twenty days before you go to the US.
C. Thirty days before classes begin.
D. After the immigration officer permit you to enter the US.

3. How much will you be charged for the visa application?

A. Free of charge.
B. Two hundred dollars.
C. One hundred twenty dollars.
D. Thirty dollars.

4. What may be the main idea of this passage?

A. When to get a visa.
B. Some tips on how to get a visa.
C. How to enter the US.
D. Ways to be accepted by American universities.

      1   Well, maybe you don't really hate him. But you do get really angry every time you think of him. If you
don't overcome this anger, it can turn into bitterness (痛苦). Bitterness can result when we can't forgive
someone who has hurt us or made us angry. Someone might say or do something that hurts us.   2   Before
long,a bitter feeling begins to grow. The bitterness shows when we constantly criticize the one who hurts us.
We may think we're hurting that person,but we're really only hurting ourselves.
        3   It can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure. Bitterness can keep us from
concentrating on important things. Finally,holding on to bitterness can hurt our relationships with friends and
family members. No one enjoys being around an angry, negative person for a long time.
     Author Chuck Swindoll once said, "Life is 10％ what happens to us and 90％ how we respond to it."   4 
 You can choose to 1et go of hurt, or you can hold on to hurt,which results in bitterness.
     If you see bitterness in your life, the best thing you can do is to forgive and forget.You probably can't
completely put the anger out of your mind.   5   Let it go and move on. You'll enjoy better health and peace
of mind.

A. Is there something you hate?
B. That means when someone hurts you, your response is more important than what happened.
C. But instead of working through the anger, we keep it deep inside.
D. Is there someone you hate?
E. Bitterness is a harmful emotion that affects the whole body.
F. But you can decide to forgive the other person.
G. We should never hate others.

     London, Reuters-What could annoy teenagers enough to make them stop hanging out with friends and
go home?
      No, it's not a visit from their mothers, and not a threat to take away their cellphones or pocket money.
      It's high-frequency noise. The UK police recently agreed to use a device (裝置) called the Sonic Teenager
Deterrent. It sends out a sound that makes teenagers become so impatient and angry that they have to cover
their ears tightly and walk away.
     The sound is at extreme high-pitch that can be heard by those under 20. The body's natural ability to detect
some wave bands (波段) decreases almost entirely after 20, so few adults can hear the sounds. The black-box
device, nicknamed the Mosquito because of its sound, can be fixed to the outside walls of shops, offices and
homes. It sounds to youngsters like a crazy insect or a badly played violin. But it causes no physical damage.
     A number of police forces and councils have given permission to use the system and want to install it at
trouble spots.
     Staffordshire Police Inspector Amanda Davies, who has given the device to shopkeepers in the Moorlands
area, said," It is controlled by the shopkeepers--if they can see through their window that there is a problem,
they turn the device on for a while until the group has run away."

1. The device can be used to _______.

A. threaten teenagers in public
B. drive away trouble-makers under 20
C. help mothers control their teenage children
D. help the police control shopkeepers

2. From the passage we can know that _______.

A. young people often suffer from pains in ears
B. shopkeepers are troubled by noisy insects
C. high-frequency noise is beyond the listening ability of people over 20
D. the police invented a new device to deal with teenagers

3. The purpose of the writer to write the passage is _______. 

A. to advertise a new hi-tech device
B. to tell the reader a piece of news
C. to sell the device to shopkeepers
D. to inform the public as the spokesman of the police

4. Who will welcome the device most?

A. Shopkeepers.
B. The police.
C. Young people.
D. The producer.

     Remembering your dreams will require some efforts on your part. But what your dreams can offer and
tell you about yourself will be well worth it. Here are some tips to help recall your dreams:
     1. Before going to bed, keep a clear mind. Tell yourself that "I will remember my dreams when I wake up".
This is actually a proven and effective way to recall your dreams.
     2. Have a regular bedtime and wake-up time. Make this your routine. Going to bed and waking up at a
regular time every day could aid in dream recollection.
     3. Avoid drinking and taking medicine before going to bed. These things may prevent you from
remembering your dreams.
     4. Keep a pencil and a notebook next to your bed so that they will be within reach as soon as you wake up.
Having a small lamp by your bedside is also a good idea, so you wake up in the middle of the night and can
record your dreams immediately.
    5. Do not get out of bed immediately. Upon waking from a dream, lie still in your bed, keeping your eyes
closed and moving as little as possible. Let your mind wander among the images of what you have just dreamed.
     6. Write down as many details in your dreams as you can, no matter how seemingly unimportant they may
be. Do not judge the content or worry if they make sense.
     7. Sometimes it may help to draw pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. Even
if you are not an artist, a simple drawing can help to recall details of your dreams.

1. This passage tells you ______

A. some useful tips to recall your dreams
B. the way to recall your dreams
C. the reason to remember dreams
D. many details in your dreams

2. Which of the following ways may NOT be useful for recalling dreams?

A. Avoiding taking alcohol (酒精)and medicine.
B. Not getting out of bed immediately.
C. Drinking a cup of hot milk.
D. Writing down as many details as possible.

3. What does the underlined "it" in the first paragraph mean?

A. Remembering your dreams.
B. Some tips to help recall your dreams.
C. Your making efforts to remember your dreams.
D. What your dreams can offer and tell you about yourself.

4. The author uses the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" to_______.

A. show that a picture is better than words
B. say a picture is equal to thousands of words
C. prove that it's more important to draw pictures than to speak
D. indicate drawing pictures really helps to recall dreams

     People smile at times. However, the meaning of a smile in different cultures may be different. Depending
on different cultures, smiling can express joy and amusement, but it can also show embarrassment.
     People in the United States smile a lot. Every one smiles at each other in order to show they are open and
friendly. However, in China, smiling is not only an expression of happiness, but also a way to avoid being
embarrassed. Chinese people like smiling when they are embarrassed in order to avoid embarrassment. Smiling
is a kind of good will but not sneer (嘲笑). For example: When a child falls off from a bike, the adults in China may smile, which is a kind of gentle encouragement and not a kind of impolite laugh.
      When a person from the United States might blush(臉紅)with embarrassment or become offensive (冒犯的), a Chinese might blush with smile. To avoid serious misunderstanding, people who engage in intercultural
communication should be able to understand the meaning of smiling properly. 

1. We can use smile to express all of the following feelings except ______.

A. joy and happiness
B. amusement
C. embarrassment
D. fear

2. People often smile at each other in the United States because ______.

A. they are very happy
B. they want to show they are friendly
C. they want to hide their true feelings
D. they want to avoid embarrassment

3. In China, seeing a child falls off a bike, an adult will smile in order to ______.

A. laugh at him
B. avoid his own embarrassment
C. avoid embarrassment and encourage the boy
D. show his politeness

4. What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A. People smile at times.
B. Smiling can express different feelings depending on different cultures.
C. Americans are more open and friendly than Chinese people.
D. The Chinese people often hide their true feelings.