DEARAUNTYf My husband's niece is 13 and what I would call "a handful". She wants to stay with us for while, and her mother and grandmother have told me what a great influence I would be on her. Her visit ,no doubt, would bring about a long list of demands' and she'd want to bring a friend too. I don t feel comfortable hosting her, but I don 3r know how to tell my husband's family members without hurting their feelings. -Reluctant Aunt Dear Reluctant, Let's get you out of this mess. Your husband's family is making a request that borders on a demand and sugarcoating it with self-serving flattery * Put your foot down, and tell the truth. Say you don't feel equipped or comfortable hosting the little darling, and regretfully decline .Under no circumstances should you take part in any discussion that attempts to change your mind through flattery. DEAR AUNTY have two stepdaughters, 21 and 24. On holidays, the older one always buys me gift but adds her sister's name on the card. I feel insincere thanking the younger daughter -Vd rather get no gift than be a part of this pretence. Is it tacky to ask the 24-year-old to stop giving her sister credit while it isn t deserved? Will the younger one ever learn to be thoughtful? -Mindful Mum Dear Mindful, Lighten up! Your older stepdaughter is a considerate and generous sister who covers for and protects her younger sister. Good for her! The girls' relationship is between them. As for your role, you can't punish anyone into being thoughtful. You can, however, model thoughtful behavior. Spend some time with her, and get to know her better. Which of the following is TRUE about the second case? A) Mindful Mum is very proud of her two step daughters. B) The two stepdaughters always buy Mindful Mum gifts. C) AUNTY thinks the older sister should be punished. D) The older stepdaughter cares for her sister.
D
A GRANDMOTHER, Michelle Riotton, 78, survived after falling down a mountain valley. She set off for a walk alone dressed only in a light jacket and trousers. "I slipped into a valley!" said Mrs Riotton, who said the fall happened in a deep forest close to her home village. It was warm and sunny when the accident happened, but temperatures dropped to very low when night fell, and it rained. "I wasn't afraid," said Mrs Riotton. "But I was worried that my children and grandchildren would become too worried about me." Mrs Riotton said she covered herself in leaves when feeling cold, taking very small bites of two biscuits which she had in her pocket and drinking rainwater which fell down her face. She spent six nights before she was found on Saturday. She was lying at the bottom of the valley, which was less than a mile from her home. The search had once been stopped, but Patrice Fossard, one of her neighbors, insisted that the search continue. "There was no way we could give up her, even if deep inside we felt we had little hope of finding her alive," said Mr Fossard. "It was a miracle that Michelle was finally found." Mrs Riotton said she would be taking life easier from now on. "Enough is enough!" she said. "No more forests -- don't want to visit one again." A mountain policeman said walking alone in the mountain was not recommended and that Mrs Riotton should have carried a mobile phone with her. "The mountains are particularly dangerous at this time of year as sunny afternoons can quickly change into cold, wet and stormy evenings." he said. "Anybody walking into the mountains should carry safety equipment and be prepared for any kind of emergency." According to the mountain policeman, _ . A) the mountains in the morning are very dangerous B) one had better not walk in the mountains alone C) people should carry safety equipment every day D) people wouldn't be safe without a mobile phone
B
Q: It was Mother's Day. John was so busy with his work that he couldn't go back home. When he passed by a flower shop in the evening, an idea came to his mind. "I'll send Mum some roses . " While John was picking his flowers, a young man went inside. "How many roses can I get for only five dollars, Madam?" he asked. The assistant was trying to tell him roses were as expensive as forty dollars a dozen . Maybe he would be happy with carnations . "No, I have to have red roses. " He said, "My mum was badly ill last year and I didn't get to spend much time with her. Now I want to get something special, it has to be roses as rose is her favourite. " After hearing it, John said he would pay the rest of the money for the young man. Moved by both of them, the assistant said, "Well, lovely young men, thirty dollars a dozen, only for you. "Taking the roses, the young man almost jumped into the air and ran out of the shop. It was well worth twenty-five dollars John paid to see the exciting moment. Then John paid for his dozen of roses and told the assistant to send them to his mother. As he walked out, he felt nice. Suddenly he saw the young man crossing the street and going into a park. But soon he realized it was not a park but a cemetery . Crying, the young man carefully laid the roses," Mum, oh, Mum, why didn't I tell you how much I loved you ? God, please help me find my mum and tell her I love her. " Seeing this, John turned and quickly walked to the shop. He would take the flowers home himself. The assistant tried to ask the young man to buy carnations instead of roses because _ . A) carnations were nicer than roses B) roses were saved for John C) roses were more expensive than carnations D) carnations were special flowers for Mother's Day
A: C
(Q).
In the September of my gap year, I left school to take a semester-long outdoor leadership course run by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in the region of South America called Patagonia. The concept of the course is to give students a chance to really develop both outdoor skills and life skills. The NOLS does an amazing job in designing their courses so that students get a full range of experiences from which they can learn many new things. We spent the first part of our semester obtaining our Wilderness First Responder certificates. This involved a 10-day, 80-hour, EMT taught course at the NOLS base camp in Patagonia. We learned many medical skills that all could be applied to everyday environments as well as the wilderness we were about to enter. After the first part of the semester, we set off on a 30-day sea expedition along the coast of the southern tip of Chile. During this expedition we learned a lot of useful skills for our future life. What excited me most was to see a large glacier pouring right out into the sea. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, and the satisfaction of reaching such a remote place all with my own power was amazing. The next part of our semester was another 30-day expedition traveling through the Andes mountain range of southern Chile and Argentina. Again we learned many technical outdoor skills and some great life skills, such as how to be effective leaders and how to function as a single group. The highlight of this part was being able to ice climb on a glacier using anchors and ropes that we set up ourselves. The final part of the NOLS semester was a 10-day small group expedition. This was an opportunity for us to get into small groups of 4 or 5 and put all the skills we had developed over the course. We planned our own routes, prepared our own clothes and equipment, and _ our plans without the help of instructors. It was a great sense of achievement to be out there on our own and ensure safety with our own knowledge. I really enjoyed my first experience of my... The author "wrote the text to _ " A) share his experiences in the NOLS B) show off his outdoor skills C) advertise the course run by the NOLS D) explain how to survive outdoor life
(A).
A