In the past, American families tended to be quite large. Parents raising five or more children were common. Over the years, the size of the family has decreased. One reason for this is an increase in the cost of living. On the average, children attend schools for more years than they used to, making them financially dependent on their families longer. Moreover, children nowadays are better dressed and have more money to spend on entertainment. The parents usually take the responsibility for all the expenses. Meanwhile, families are less close than they used to be. More and more American mothers work away from home. The break up of the family occurs when the parents divorce. A lot of children in the U. S. live part of their young lives with only one parent. Broken families usually result in problems for children and parents alike. Children blame themselves when their parents separate. They grow up feeling unsettled as they are moved back and forth between parents. Usually one parent is responsible for raising the children. These single parents must care for the children's emotional and psychological needs while also supporting them financially. This is very demanding and leaves very little time for the parent's own personal interests. Single parents often marry other single parents. In this type of family, unrelated children are forced to develop brother or sister relationship. The situations of many American families today are not good. However, recent signs indicate that things are getting better. The divorce rate is declining. The rate of childbirth is rising. Perhaps Americans have learned how important families are. In the past, American families tended to be _ . A) quite small B) medium sized C) quite large D) small
C
(Question)
How much empathy do you feel towards other people? If you saw someone fall off their bike in traffic,would you stop and help--or just walk away? Many people would give in to coldness,go about their business and just do nothing.So it was a big surprise when about 100 bystanders got together recently to move a bus in east London to help a cyclist trapped under it.A video of the incident went viral on social media. According to Zoheb,a driver who stopped his car to take part in the rescue,about five people gathered to move the bus.He says:"There was no chance we could do it,it was more an invitation for other people to help,really." The initiative paid off.Diners from nearby restaurants joined in.There wasn't much coordination but it didn't take long to develop a collective understanding of what the objective was. Spontaneous cooperation among strangers doesn't happen often.People in a crowd are not sure what to do--they don't have a plan.It's one of the reasons bystanders often do nothing,according to Dr Mark Levine,professor of social psychology at Exeter University in Britain."The presence of others can prevent you from helping",he says. The key to positive group behaviour,Levine explains,"is building a sense of shared identity".Action has to be decided quickly,Levine says."The longer you leave it,the harder it is to make a decision.If you don't immediately act then you kind of think'Well,actually I probably couldn't have done anything anyway'." But the people who took the initiative like Zoheb might make a difference.The cyclist ended up in hospital and the images of the collective effort might inspire others to more acts of unity. What can we learn from the text? A) The sense of shared identity makes no difference. B) It's not necessary to make a quick decision. C) It's impossible for strangers to cooperate. D) Collective effort is inspiring.
(Answer)
D
Ques: Many people influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments, and values. I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligence. There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father. As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be"Daddy's little girl". While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children's lives. In every aspect of my life my father continuously pushes me to _ , so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice. _ His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, compassion for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very reserved man, but to everybody's surprise, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends. Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are involved in. What can we infer about the author? A) She appreciated her father because he solved all the problems for her. B) She considered her father humorous and was often made to laugh by him. C) She had pity on the fatherless. D) She was outstanding in work because her father pushed her hard.
Ans: C
There are two great trends on parents bringing up children today.First,children are now praised to an unbelievable degree.As Dorothy Parker once joked,American children aren't raised;they are motivated.Children are constantly told how special they are.The second is that children are honed to an unimaginable degree.Parents spend much more time than in past generations on their children's development. These two great trends--greater praise and greater honing--combine in close ways. Parents shower their kids with affection ,but it is intermingled with the desire to help their children achieve success.Parents are happy when their child studies hard,practices hard,wins first place,gets into a famous college. The wolf of conditional 1ove is hidden in these homes.The parents feel they love their children in all circumstances.But the children often think differently.They feel that childhood is a performance--on the athletic field,in school and beyond.The shadowy presence of conditional love produces a fear,the fear that there is no completely safe love. Meanwhile,children who are uncertain of their parents'love develop a great hunger for it. This conditional love is1ike an acid that affects children's criteria to make their own decisions about their own colleges,majors and careers.At key decision-points,they unconsciously imagine how their parents will react. These children tell their parents those things that will bring praise and hide the parts of their lives that won't. Studies suggest that children who receive conditional love often do better in the short run.They can be model students.But they suffer in the long run.They come to hate their parents.They are so influenced by fear that they become afraid of risk. Parents today are less likely to demand obedience with explicit rules and lectures.But they are more likely to use love as a tool to exercise contro1.But parental love is supposed to ignore achievement. It's meant to be an unconditional support -a gift that can not be bought and cannot be earned. According to Dorothy Parker,American children _ . A) need more concern B) Grow better under pressure C) have unimaginable potential D) receive much praise and encouragement
D