To Friend or Not To Friend We all love our parents and turn to them when we're in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as "friends" and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends? In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to education themselves about social networking sites. These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there's also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don't get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a "friend" request from a parent or family member. It's a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don't want to "reject" their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before. A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn't take it personally if their child ignores their request, "When a teen ignores a parent's friend request, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be independent." Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list. Teenagers may refuse a parent's friend request because _ . A) they hide something from their parents B) they are unwilling to be watched by parents C) their parents tend to fall behind in technology D) their parents make negative comments on them
B
When someone says, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music," it doesn't mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music, indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us has had to "face the music", especially as children. We can remember father's angry voice: "I want to talk to you!" And only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was! The phrase "face the music" is known to every American, old and young. It is at least one hundred years old. Where did the expression come from? The first explanation came from the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their clue to go on , they often said, "It's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did face the orchestra which was just below the stage. An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly, or perhaps unfriendly, especially if he forgot his . But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So "face the music" came to mean: having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice. The passage tells us that the expression was first used by _ . A) children B) novelists C) actors D) audience
C
Q: At first, the earth's surface layer was made up of huge blocks of hard, solid rocks. Then slowly, the rocks broke up into smaller and smaller pieces. Finally stones, pebbles and grains of sand were formed. Many sorts of plants and animals lived and died on the surface of the earth. Their remains mixed up with the stones, pebbles and formed soil. The outmost layer of the earth is soil. There are many ways in which large pieces of rock break into smaller ones. Wind, water, heat and cold help to break up rocks. When winds blow grains of sand against a large rock for a long time, the softer layers of the rock are slowly worn away. These leave holes and cracks in the rock, which become bigger and finally the rock breaks up into smaller pieces. The moving water of streams and rivers also helps to break up rocks. As the water moves along, it carries with it small pieces of rock. These rub the larger ones. Thus, the larger rocks are worn down to smaller pieces. The heat of the sun is also helpful to breaking up rocks. When the sun shines, the rocks become very hot. If these rocks are suddenly cooled, they may crack. Ice also plays a part in making soil. Water in the cracks can turn into ice in cold weather. As this happens, it becomes bigger and the cracks become wider, and finally break into smaller pieces. According to the passage, soil _ . A) forms very slowly B) is a mixture of stones, pebbles and sand C) makes up the layers of the earth D) is becoming smaller and smaller
A: A
Long ago, near the village of Hedley, there lived a strange and playful trickster , known as the Hedley Kow. Sometimes it looked like an ordinary object. Sometimes it looked like a donkey or a goat. One evening, as an old woman went along the path, she saw an old iron pot lying in the ditch. "Fancy that," she said. "Nobody seems to want this old pot. I will take it home and plant pretty flowers in it." When she tried to lift it, she saw that it was full of gold pieces. "Well, now, if that doesn't beat all," she said. "I'm rich! I can buy a fine house and fancy clothes." The pot was heavy, so she tied her shawl around it and began to drag it home. After a while, she stopped to rest. When she looked in the pot, she was amazed to see that it was full of silver pieces! "Oh, my God!" she said. "Aren't I the lucky one! If it were gold, thieves would have been after me. My friends might have been jealous. But I can hide these silver pieces, take out a few at a time, and live like a queen." On she went, pulling the pot after her. She was nearing home now. At her gate, she looked into the pot. What a surprise! The silver had changed into a lump of iron. "Iron," she said. "Well, now! No one will be jealous or want to steal this from me. I can use this iron to prop my door open and let in fresh air and sunlight. Lucky me!" As soon as she said that, the pot began to grow and later it became a goat. Then it jumped up and ran off down the road laughing. "Fancy that!" said the old woman. "I believe I have seen the Hedley Kow! Not many folks can say that, and that's a fact. I'll just sit up by my fire tonight thinking about how lucky I was to see it for myself. I truly must be the luckiest person in the world!" Which of the following sayings can best describe this story? A) All good things come to an end. B) The early bird catches the worm. C) Content is better than riches. D) All bad luck goes away.
C