Earlier this year,my oldest daughter got braces on her teeth,and let's just say she did not go quietly into that dentist's chair. Fear and hate pretty much describe the days leading up to her first appointment. So when she finally walked out with shiny teeth,a sore mouth and a broken spirit, I told her I was proud of her and took her to Ben & Jerry's for an ice cream reward. Two weeks later, we returned to the scene of the crime.The dentist spent about 45 seconds checking her teeth before sending her on her merry way. Before I could start the car, she was placing her ice cream order. She was shocked when I told her that she wasn't going to get a reward every time we got her teeth checked. Apparently,she's not alone. According to some parenting experts, kids are easily addicted to a benefitproducing system of parental rewards and bribes --not all ice creams, candies and cool toys.Some parents are offering their children novel prizes just to let them sit down and behave in a restaurant--or sleep in their own beds--or score a goal in the next soccer game. While the experts agree that occasional awards are okay,the danger lies in the system's overuse.Kids quickly gain a sense of entitlement ,where they come to expect a big reward for every good thing that they do, no matter how small.To keep things in check,experts say parents should reduce the number of rewards they offer, make sure rewards match the behavior and explain the real benefits of behaving. What would be the BEST title for the passage? A) Do Parents Know How to Help Their Children Behave? B) Is Your Child Afraid to Visit A Dentist? C) Are Parents Rewarding Their Children Too Much? D) Does Your Child Show Interest in Rewards?
C
Lego,the inventor of those color1ful bricks that have inspired kids' imagination worldwide,has celebrated its 53rd anniversary. In 1958,a man named Godtfred created the plastic building bricks that can now be found in almost every child's toy box. The simple building block has become one of the most well-known and popular toys around the world. "The Lego brick continues to be very attractive,because it allows children,and others,to develop their creativity and imagination," said Charlotte Simonsen,a spokeswoman of Lego. The company's building brick allows an endless number of links. With just two bricks there are 24 different links,and with six,there are 915 million possibilities,according to Lego. A half century after its creation,more than 400 million children and adults spend five billion hours a year putting the bricks together and pulling them apart. Also,the bricks made today can still link with those made in 1958. Lego bricks aren't just child's play: they also attract the interest of adults. South Korean adventurer,Heo Young Ho,who climbed Mount Everest in 1987,left a Lego toy behind in the snow during his climb. After its great success Lego experienced a serious crisis at the end of the 1990s,hit hard by competition from electronic games. Lego then suffered a dark period that lasted several years. With great efforts,the company began to be popular again,and in 2006 it earned about 1.5 billion dollars in 130 countries. Seven boxes of Lego are now sold every second around the world,and 19 billion bricks are produced each year: enough to encircle the Earth five times! The example of Heo Young Ho shows that _ . A) the Lego bricks not only interest children but also adults B) the Lego bricks made him a mountain climber C) Heo Young Ho also loved playing Lego bricks D) the Lego bricks are helpful when one goes on an adventure
A
Q: Looking through a magazine in a waiting room recently, I came across an article with the title "My top five most precious possessions".It was just a few lines of text with pictures, but it caught my imagination. It's interesting how inanimate objects can take on such significance and become woven into a person's, and sometimes a whole family's life history. Anyway, the article had me considering what my most precious possessions are. It was difficult to choose only five, but here are mine: An old cardboard box filled with my children's baby photos. A yellow pocketsized birthday book of special things (poems, pictures of flowers and trees, etc) given to me by my dad when I was probably about seven or eight years old. A 21st Birthday card from my mum. In it she's written her congratulations, her love, and her hopes for my future. She died not long after, when I was in my early twenties. A few ancient but very beautiful botany books that were once my great grandmother's. She was a botanist in a time when it was ly unusual for women to be qualified in this field and I think she was probably a remarkable and very interesting woman. I'd like to have known her. A brooch left to me by my muchloved grandmother. It was given to my great grandmother (her mother) by my great grandfather on his return from World War I. It is not worth anything in terms of money. However, it not only stands for a link between four generations of women, but it is also a reminder of one young man's return from World War I. How about you? I'd love to hear what you feel are your most precious possessions. According to the passage, the writer _ . A) lost her mother at the age of 26 B) was a mother of several children C) got the yellow birthday book at 8 D) studies botany well when she was young
A: B
Q: Critical thinking is an important skill that can increase students' ability to learn in any situation. This can be applied to traditional education, or directly in a career related role. Many teachers find it such a valuable skill that they give their students a critical thinking question every day. Developing this ability can mean the difference between "just passing a course" and "understanding the material well enough" so that what students learn from _ will follow them throughout their life. Some characteristics of a critical thinker that teachers should encourage are; -asking questions as a reaction to something read or discussed; -determining the "deeper meaning" of a particular passage or topic; -providing input and opinions to topics as a direct result of analysis and research; -reasoning in an effort to develop an argument of your own opinion. It is important for a student to understand more than definition . One way to truly understand an idea is to have hands-on practice, and to apply concepts learned in a textbook. Such "mini-examples" will interest a student and improve their understanding of a topic. This is how life-long skills can be developed. Teachers that use critical thinking practices in the classroom can "go above and beyond" by asking questions that promote a greater comprehension of the material. Instructors should be able to challenge students and create an environment where they are analyzing material and gaining a better understanding. This will make the classroom move in a direction for learning. It can also help students to stay interested in the course material, as they always have a new concept to consider. At the same time, students benefit greatly from developing critical thinking skills. When learned early on, these skills can be used throughout their college education. Students can understand how to consider a topic, analyze it, and discuss it from different points of view. These are skills that will benefit them when they are part of the workforce as well. Who are the intended readers of the passage? A) Teachers. B) Parents. C) Examines. D) Headmasters.
A: A