Growing up, I remember my father as a silent, serious man--not the sort of person around whom one could laugh. As a teenager arriving in America, knowing nothing, I wanted a father who could explain the human journey. In college, when friends called home for advice, I would sink into deep depression for what I did not have. Today, at twenty-seven, I have come to rediscover them in ways that my teenage mind would not allow--as adults and as friends with their own faults and weaknesses. One night after my move back home, I overheard my father on the telephone. There was some trouble. Later, Dad shared the problem with me. Apparently my legal training had earned me some privileges in his eyes. I talked through the problem with Dad, analyzing the purposes of the people involved and offering several negotiation strategies .He listened patiently before finally admitting, "I can't think like that. I am a simple man." Dad is a brilliant scientist who can deconstruct the building blocks of nature. Yet human nature is a mystery to him. That night I realized that he was simply not skilled at dealing with people, much less the trouble of a conflicted teenager. It's not in his nature to understand human desires. And so, there it was--it was no one's fault that my father held no interest in human lives while I placed great importance in them. We are at times born more sensitive, wide-eyed, and dreamy than our parents and become more curious and idealistic than them. Dad perhaps never expected me for a child. And I, who knew Dad as an intelligent man, had never understood that his intelligence did not cover all of my feelings. It has saved me years of questioning and confusion. I now see my parents as people who have other relationships than just Father and Mother. I now overlook their many faults and weaknesses, which once annoyed me. I now know my parents as friends: people who ask me for advice; people who need my support and understanding. And I have come to see my past clearer. Why did the author feel depressed when her friends called home? A) She did not have a phone to call home. B) Her father did not care about her human journey. C) Her father was too busy to answer her phone. D) Her father could not give her appropriate advice.
D
Forget Cyclists, Pedestrians are Real Danger We are having a debate about this topic. Here are some letters from our readers. #Yes, many cyclists behave dangerously. Many drivers are disrespectful of cyclists. But pedestrians are probably the worse offenders. People of all ages happily walk along the pavement with eyes and hands glued to the mobile phone, quite unaware of what is going on around them. They may even do the same thing whileN crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing or elsewhere. The rest of us have to evade them or just stand still to wait for the unavoidable collision. The real problem is that some pedestrians seem to be, at least for the moment, in worlds of their own that are, to them, much more important than the welfare of others. ----Michael Horan #I loved the letter from Bob Brooks about cyclists (Viewpoints, May 29). I am afraid they seem to think they own the roads. I was walking across Altrincham Road one morning when a cyclist went round me and on being asked what he was doing he shouted at me. The government built a cycle lane on the road but it is hardly used. The police do nothing. What a laugh they are! The cyclists should all have to be made to use the cycle lanes and wear helmets, fluorescent jackets and lights at night and in the morning. They should pay some sort of tax and be fined for not wearing them. ----Carol Harvey #Cyclists jump on and off pavements (which are meant for pedestrians), ride at speed along the pavements, and think they have a special right to go through traffic lights when they are on red. I was almost knocked down recently by a cyclist riding on the pavement when there was a cycle lane right next to him. Other road users, including horse riders, manage to obey the rules so why not cyclists? It's about time they had to be registered and insured, so when they do hit a pedestrian or a vehicle, or cause an accident, at least they can be treated and there might be an opportunity to claim. ----JML Write to Viewpoints of the newspaper. Michael Horan wrote the letter mainly to show that_. A) drivers should be polite to cyclists B) road accidents can actually be avoided C) some pedestrians are a threat to road safety D) walking while using phones hurts one's eyes
C
Q: Skiping classes violates school rules and a poor attendance record will damage your final mark. But some college students still try every means to escape classes. The number of these rebels may be much bigger than you think. Three students from Anhui Normal University established Itaoke. Com in June. The website quickly attracted 2 000 registered members in three months. On the website, students share their experiences of skipping classes and even post ads to look for someone to stand in for them to attend courses. Its embarrassing for universities to see this shameful behavior discussed: However,it's good for schools and teachers to know via the website the reasons why students skip classes,according to Professor Xiao Haitao from Shenzhen University: Xao pointed out that some'students skip classes because of laziness.Others play truant because the teaching is truly dissatisfactory,"Universities can seek improvements to give a cure to the class-skipping problem,"said Xiao. Chen Yang,21,thinks that he is "forced" to skip some courses because of the poor teaching. the senior,majoring in English at Yangtze University, thinks that he's wasting time in the classroom when the teacher reads the textbook word for word or hands him outdated reading materials. He would rather skip classes to study in the library, watch online videos of Harvard or Yale lectures,or sit in on other courses he is interested in. Chen draws a clear line between himself and those who skip classes in order to get more sleep or fool around on campus. He emphasized:"I skip classes with a clear goal,which is to probe into areas I'm interested in and broaden my horizons." Li Sicen,President of the National Taiwan University,seems to be on Chen's side. Li claimed that he supported those students who skip classes for good reasons. However,Professor Xiao warns students that Li is not giving permission for students to skip classes. Xiao suggests that Li was just showing his understanding of truancy in a limited number of cases. In Professor... Which of the following measures is NOT mentioned to stop students skipping classes? A) Teachers should adopt practical materials and flexible teaching methods. B) Schools should offer teachers more training: C) Schools need to ensure that students can attend various courses they are interested in. D) Students should be punished if they skip classes.
A: D