Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the USA or Australia. They also want their children to take extra courses or activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes that will give them a head start in life.  1.     So parents will spend unreasonable amount of money on education.  2.      

However, what most parents fail to see is that the best education they can give their children is usually very cheap.

Parents can see that their children’s skills vary. Some children are skilled in some areas while poor in others.  3.     

The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but not teaching them the most important skills: they need to be confident, happy and clever.

Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework.

Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. 4.        It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully. The result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and a lot of confidence.

Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. he will spend hours looking at them, trying to fix them; your child might become an engineer when he grows up.  5.       And that is more important.

 

A. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is.

B. These activities are teaching a child not only to read a book, but also to think , to use his mind.

C. What most parents fail to realize ，though ,is that today’s children lack self-respect and self-confidence.

D. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.

E. The more cost in education, the better the result will be.

F. Cooking demands patience and time.

 

It was the old lady’s eightieth birthday. She was sure Myra wouldn’t forgot her mother’s birthday, even if she was busy. After all, eighty was a special birthday. Perhaps Myra might come. Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited like a child.

    Mrs. Morrison had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake. Johnnie, the little boy next door, was now up with her with a packet of sweets.

    “I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents, ” he said. “I did last week when I was six.”

    What would she like? A pair of slippers, perhaps. A blue new cardigan. Or a table lamp. Or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.

    She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.

    “Granny, granny, ” Johnnie returned. “I’ve got your post!”

    He gave her four envelopes. Three were from old friends. The fourth was in Myra’s writing.

    “No parcel(包裹), Johnnie?”

    “No, granny.”

    Almost reluctantly, she tore the fourth envelope open. Folded in the card was a check. Written on the card was a message: Happy Birthday—Buy yourself something nice with the check, Myra and Harold.

    The six-figure check fell to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.

As can be inferred from the passage, _______.

    A. the old lady lived alone in a flat away from her daughter

B. the friends sent the old lady many lovely presents by post

C. Myra was stopped by her husband from seeing her mother

D. the neighbours cared little about the old lady in daily life

The old lady felt _______ when she saw no packet came with her daughter’s card.

    A. excited      B. happy                C. disappointed     D. impatient

Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?

    A. The Present      B. The Check            C. The Birthday     D. The Daughter

The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.

    A. she was sure her daughter would come, not the check

B. she didn’t notice there were six figures on the check

C. she didn’t think the check was large enough for a present

D. she would prefer a present with love from her daughter

It was the old lady’s eightieth birthday. She was sure Myra wouldn’t forgot her mother’s birthday, even if she was busy. After all, eighty was a special birthday. Perhaps Myra might come. Even if Myra did not come, she would send a present. The old lady was sure of that. Two spots of colour brightened her cheeks. She was excited like a child.

    Mrs. Morrison had brought a card and a bunch of flowers when she came to do the breakfast. Mrs. Grant downstairs had made a cake. Johnnie, the little boy next door, was now up with her with a packet of sweets.

    “I guess you’ll get lots and lots of presents, ” he said. “I did last week when I was six.”

    What would she like? A pair of slippers, perhaps. A blue new cardigan. Or a table lamp. Or a little clock, with clear black numbers. So many lovely things.

    She stood by the window, watching. The postman turned round the corner on his bicycle. Her heart beat fast. Johnnie had seen him too and ran to the gate.

    “Granny, granny, ” Johnnie returned. “I’ve got your post!”

    He gave her four envelopes. Three were from old friends. The fourth was in Myra’s writing.

    “No parcel(包裹), Johnnie?”

    “No, granny.”

    Almost reluctantly, she tore the fourth envelope open. Folded in the card was a check. Written on the card was a message: Happy Birthday—Buy yourself something nice with the check, Myra and Harold.

    The six-figure check fell to the floor like a bird with a broken wing. Slowly the old lady bent to pick it up. Her present, her lovely present. With trembling fingers she tore it into little bits.

1. As can be inferred from the passage, _______.

    A. the old lady lived alone in a flat away from her daughter

B. the friends sent the old lady many lovely presents by post

C. Myra was stopped by her husband from seeing her mother

D. the neighbours cared little about the old lady in daily life

2.The old lady felt _______ when she saw no packet came with her daughter’s card.

    A. excited      B. happy                C. disappointed     D. impatient

3.Which of the following might serve as the best title for the passage?

    A. The Present      B. The Check            C. The Birthday     D. The Daughter

4. The reason why the old lady tore the check into small pieces was that _______.

    A. she was sure her daughter would come, not the check

B. she didn’t notice there were six figures on the check

C. she didn’t think the check was large enough for a present

D. she would prefer a present with love from her daughter

 

Dear Laura,

I just heard you tell an old story of gift giving and unselfish love in your program. You doubted that such unselfish love would happen in today’s world. Well, I’m here to give you  ___36___.

I wanted to do something very ___37___ for my fifteen-year-old son, who has always been the perfect child. He ___38___ all summer to earn enough money to buy a used motorcycle. Then, he spent hours and hours on it ___39___ it looked almost new. I was so ___40___ of him that I bought him the shiniest helmet and a riding outfit.

I could ___41___ wait for him to open up his gift. In fact, I barely slept the night before. Upon a wakening, I went to the kitchen to ___42___ the coffee, tea, and morning goodies. In the living room was a beautiful keyboard with a ___43___:” To my wonderful mother, all my love, your son.”

I was so ___44___. It had been a long-standing joke in our family that I wanted a piano so that I could ___45___ lessons. “Learn to play the piano, and I’ll get you one” was my husband’s ___46___.

I stood there shocked, crying a river, asking myself how my son could ___47___ this expensive gift.

Of course, the ___48___ awoke, and my son was thrilled(激动的)with my reaction. Many kisses were ___49___, and I immediately wanted him to ___50___ my gift.

As he saw the helmet and outfit, the look on his face was not ___51___ what I was expecting. Then I ___52___ that he has sold the motorcycle to get me the keyboard.

Of course I was the proudest mother ___53___ on that day, and my feet never hit the ground for a month.

So I wanted you to know, that kind of love still ___54___ and lives even in the ever-changing world of me, me, me!

I thought you’d love to ___55___ this story.

Yours,

Hilary

P.S. The next day, my husband and I bought him a new “used” already shiny motorcycle.

36. A. hope    B. advice C. support      D. courage

37. A. polite   B. similar       C. special       D. private

38. A. played  B. studied       C. traveled      D. worked

39. A. after     B. before C. unless D. until

40. A. sure     B. fond   C. proud  D. confident

41. A. perhaps       B. really  C. almost D. hardly

42. A. start     B. cook   C. set      D. serve

43. A. note     B. notice C. word   D. sign

44. A. disturbed     B. confused    C. astonished  D. inspired

45. A. give     B. take    C. draw   D. teach

46. A. reason  B. request       C. comment    D. response

47. A. present B. afford C. find    D. order

48. A. neighbor      B. building     C. home  D. house

49. A. exchanged B. experienced  C. expected     D. exhibited

50. A. tear      B. open   C. check  D. receive

51. A. purely  B. basically     C. obviously   D. exactly

52. A. realized       B. remembered      C. imagined    D. supposed

53. A. only     B. still     C. ever    D. even

54. A. works   B. exists  C. matters       D. counts

55. A. send     B. publish       C. share   D. write

Blackbird (画眉)

★A good sign

★Paradise

★Magic

Seeing a blackbird for most is a good sign. It can also mean shyness and insecurity, which directly means a lack of self-confidence. The color black, as we know, is connected with supernatural power.

Bluebird (蓝知更鸟)

★The arrival of spring

★Hard work

★Joy

Bluebirds are connected with joy, and they most often mean a happy condition or good news coming your way. They may also refer to the hope of an individual for their inner child, which means innocence (单纯).

Bluejay (冠蓝鸦)

★Fearless

★Truthful

★Talkative

A bluejay can mean being faithful to others. Seeing a bluejay either in its natural habitat or in your dreams could also send across a message to develop an innate (先天的) talent.

Canary(金丝雀)

★Joy

★Freedom

★Intellectual development

Canaries are happy birds that spread joy and a sense of well-being. For some, a flying canary can be a sign of the spread of unwanted information. It can also mean that you are the cause of the gossip (闲话) as an individual. A canary is also a symbol of selflessness.

1.Both the bluebird and the canary can be a sign of      .

A．innocence         B．joy               C．the coming of spring D．shyness

2.Which bird can be a sign that someone is not confident?

A．The blackbird.      B．The bluebird.       C．The bluejay.        D．The canary.

3.What does it mean when you see a bluejay in your dream?

A．It means you spread unwanted information.

B．It means you man develop an innate talent.

C．It means you will have joy.

D．It means someone is missing you.

4.Which bird can mean selfessness?

A．The blackbird.      B．The bluebird.       C．The bluejay.        D．The canary.