A couple of weeks ago, my 12-year-old daughter, Ella threatened to take my phone and break it. "At night you'll always have your phone out and break you'll just type," Ella says. "I'm ready to go to bed, and try to get you to read stories for me and you're just standing there reading your texts and texting other people," she adds. I came to realize that I was ignoring her as a father. Ella isn't the only kid who feels this way about her parent's relationship with devices. Catherine Steiner-Adair, a psychologist at Harvard, wrote The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age. For her book, Steiner-Adair interviewed more than 1,000 kids from the ages of 4 to 18. She talked to hundreds of teachers and parents. One of the many things that knocked my socks off, " she says, "was the consistency with which children -- whether they were 4 or 8 or 18 or 24-- talked about feeling exhausted and frustrated or mad trying to get their parents' attention, competing with computer screens or iPhone screens or any kind of technology." A couple of years ago, my daughter got a laptop for school. And because she was becoming more independent, we got her a phone. We set up rules for when she could use the device and when she'd need to put it away. We created a charging station, outside her bedroom, where she had to plug in these devices every night. Basically -- except for homework-- she has to put it all away when she comes home. Steiner-Adair says most adults don't set up similar limits in their own lives. "We've lost the boundaries that protect work and family life,'' she says. "So it is very hard to manage yourself and be present in the moments your children need you.'' After my daughter's little intervention ,I made myself a promise to create my own charging station. To plug my phone in-- somewhere faraway -- when I am done working for the day. I've been trying to leave it there untouched for most of the weekend We can infer from the text the author _ . A) will not use his phone form now on B) plans to create more charging stations at home C) is a man who learns from his mistakes D) doesn't think a laptop is helpful to his daughter
C
Dear Alice, You really have two different questions here, so we'll discuss them one at a time. Your problems at school may be a result of a number of things . You don't say much about how these classmates get along with each other. It's possible that all the students are feeling a little cautious in the first term. It's also possible that the others are unkind. If this is so, you have to find out why you are the class "outsider". In your letter you say you often offer to help others with their work. Is it possible that your classmates don't understand your offers? Could it seem that you were trying to " buy" friends with these offers? Is it possible that you took no notice of your classmates when you had your good friends near you ? They may have felt hurt at that time. It may take a time for them to believe in you if so. Try to ask one classmate directly what the problem is. If you hear a negative answer, at least you'll know what to do. Yours truly, Shelia Which of the following is NOT true according to the letter? A) Alice felt her classmates weren't kind to her. B) Alice was very warm-hearted to help her classmates C) Alice didn't want to get along well with her classmates. D) Alice asked two questions in her letter
C
Q: At home, ordering food from a menu is a normal, everyday routine. I don't even give it a second thought. In China, it's a whole other story! Here, ordering is a fun game of trial and error, and the adventure begins before the food is even served! Many restaurants in central Beijing advertise "English language menus", but the translations can just add to the confusion. Although accompanying pictures can be a helpful relief, the translations often make the whole experience even more amusing. During my first few weeks in China I tried some delicious dishes with strange names. As an experiment, my friends and I would order things like "students addicted to chicken gristle " and "red burned lion head". It was always fun to see what landed on our table. Eventually we learned that "lion head" was actually pork, and "students" are "addicted" to diced chicken with green pepper. Recently, I came across a busy restaurant down a narrow side street in a Beijing hutong. It was lunchtime and the small room was packed with people sitting on small stools eating noodles. I was hungry and cold, and the steaming bowls looked irresistible! I sat myself down and called out for a "caidan!" In response, the waitress pointed to a wall at the back of the restaurant. The wall was full of Chinese characters describing numerous dishes. There was only one sentence in English: "crossing over the bridge noodles". I had never heard of the dish and had no idea what it would taste like. I took a gamble and ordered one bowl of "crossing over the bridge noodles". A few minutes later the waitress carried over a heavy bowl full of broth and I quickly dug in. It was the best bowl of noodles I had ever tasted! I have been back again and again and each time I point at the one English sentence - "crossing over the bridge noodles". I always enter a restaurant in China feeling excited and a little nervous. Who knows what the next ordering adventure will reveal? The passage mainly deals with _ . A) the author's favorite Chinese dishes B) the fun the author had ordering food in China's restaurant C) a comparison between Western food and Chinese food D) the correct way to translate the names of Chinese dishes into English
A: B
We probably all know people, either at work or in our personal lives, who are really good listeners. No matter what kind of situation we're in, they always seem to know just what to say and how to say it so that we're not offended or upset. We probably also know people who are masters at managing their emotions . They don't get angry in stressful situations. Instead, they have the ability to calmly look at a problem and find a solution. They take criticism well, and they know when to use it to improve their performance. People like these who have a high degree of emotional intelligence, or EI . They know themselves very well, and they're also able to sense the emotional needs of others. As more and more people accept that emotional intelligence is just as important to professional success as technical ability, companies are increasingly using EI when they hire and promote someone. For example, one large cosmetics company recently changed their hiring process for salespeople to choose candidates based on emotional intelligence. The result? Salespeople hired with the new system have sold, on average, $91,000 more than salespeople selected under the old system. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize your emotions, understand what _ are telling you, and realize how your emotions affect people around you. Emotional intelligence also involves your perception of others: when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage relationships more effectively. People with high emotional intelligence are usually successful in most things they do. Why? Because they are the ones that others want on their team. When people with high EI send an email, it get answered. When they need help, they get it. Because they make others feel good, they go through life much more easily than people who are easily angered or upset. The good news is that emotional intelligence can be taught and developed. Many books and tests are available to help you determine your current EI, and identify where you may need to... By mentioning the cosmetics company, the author tries to _ . A) stress the importance of emotional intelligence B) speak highly of its new salespeople C) show its effective hiring system D) explain what improvements it has made
A