-
ASK LASKAS
YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS. SHE'S GOT ANSWERS
My children go to a primary school where they are not allowed to play football in the playground for fear that a child might be hurt. Besides, now the school says there must be no homework because the local secondary school can't keep up with the amount of homework given in the primary school. Can the school do this? Puzzled Dad
It can't if enough parents do something about it. It is not just schools. We live in a society which wishes to get rid of risk. However, schools should have a little common sense and courage. Children need risk if they arc to grow up self-sufficient and confident. They need homework, too, if they are to fulfill their academic potential. Complain, loudly.I have a beautiful teenage daughter who spends an hour making up her face in front of the mirror every day. I tell her to go easy. She just gets mad or bursts into tears. How can I make her understand she's beautiful the way she is. Plain Mom
You can't. Your daughter is at the age when she's trying to look beautiful, trying on new masks. And if her friends all dress up as she docs, you're in for an extra hard time. Support her and tell her she's beautiful — even if she looks ridiculous for now. Then invite her to join you for a day at a spa (健康美容中心). Let her try various looks until she's comfortable in her own skin.1.Why are the children not allowed to play football in the playground?
A. The school is afraid that children might be injured.
B. The school is not sensible and confident.
C. The children don't have enough time to do homework.
D. The children may fail to fulfill their academic potential.
2.What disturbs Plain Mom is that her daughter______.
A. becomes mad B. cries a lot
C. spends much rime before the mirror D. is not beautiful enough
3.The solution to Plain Mom's problem is to______.
A. make her daughter look less ridiculous
B. let her daughter dress up like her friends
C. make her daughter go to a spa every week
D. let her daughter feel herself what beauty is
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
-
Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been leaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing — watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now."
1.When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.
A. satisfying B. tough C. meaningless D. boring
2.The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.
A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant B. Kathy persuaded her to do so
C. Zoe got tired of the city life D. Zoe loved Wales more than London
3.How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?
A. Tiresome and troublesome. B. Romantic and peaceful
C. Mentally exhausting but healthy D. Physically tiring but rewarding.
4.Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?
A. A friend in need is a friend indeed. B. Where there is a will, there is a way.
C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing. D. Kill two birds with one stone.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
-
A study involving 8,500 teenagers from all social backgrounds found thai most of them are ignorani when it comes to money. The findings, the first in a scries of reports from NatWesl that has started a five-year research project into teenagers and money, arc particularly worrying as this generation of young people is likely to be burdened with greater debts man any before.
University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at £3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the research, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average £ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just £ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than £ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are £ 12，363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they arc to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr. aged 15. from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted thai she still had a lot to learn about money.
1.Which of the following can be found from the five-year research project?
A. Students understand personal finances differently.
B. University tuition fees in England have been rising.
C. Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings.
D. The students' payback ability has become a major issue.
2.The phrase "to raise the ceiling" in paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. to raise the student loans B. to improve the school facilities
C. to increase the upper limit of the tuition D. to lift the school building roofs
3.According to Stephen Moir, students_______.
A. are too young 10 be exposed 10 financial issues
B. should learn 10 manage their finances well
C- should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans
D. benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Many British teenagers do not know money matters well
B. Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts.
C. Financial planning is a required course at college.
D. Young people should become responsible adults.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
-
The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price iricrcases. combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.
Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi’s harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or S10 billion altogether.
Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels. The U.S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol (乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods — tree crops, grasses and wood products — but there's no case for the government to pay to put the world's dinner into the gas tank.
Third, we urgently need to weather-proof die world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond — which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather — can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation hind to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.
1.An international fund based on the Malawi model would______.
A. cost each of the developed countries $10 billion per year
B. aim to double the harvest in southern African countries In a year
C. decrease the food prices as well as the energy prices
D. give poor farmers access to fertilizer and highly productive seeds
2.With the second step, the author expresses the idea that ______.
A. it is not wise to change food crops into gas
B. it is misleading to put tree crops into the gas tank
C. we should get alternative forms of fuel in any way
D. biofuels should be developed on a large scale
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. A rain-collecting pond is a simple safeguard against dry weal
B. A Climate Adaptation Fund has been established to help poor
C. The world has made a serious promise to build farm ponds.
D. It makes a great difference whether we develop wood products or not.
4.In the passage, the author calls on us to______.
A. slow down but not to stop economic.
B. develop tree crops, grasses'and wood products
C. achieve economic growth and political stability
D. act now so as to relieve the global food shortage
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
-
Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.1.
The causes of eating disorders are not clear. There may be genetic or biochemical factors in some cases. There may be psychological problems from early childhood or the present (such as school or family conflicts) that trigger the problem. Often, there is the double pressure to enjoy life through food and yet remain ultra-slim. Society all around us encourages eating and drinking as main ways to enjoy life- To be popular, you are supposed to eat. eat, eat
2.
But in real life most people, if they keep consuming like that, just keep pulling on more and more weight They then find themselves in conflict with another dominant pressure in society — to stay slim and trim. Models in ads, even those shown earing fairy foods, are usually physically lit and quite thin. All of these pressures put teens in a terrible situation. The ".solution" that some teens choose is to deny themselves all the time so as to keep temptation away. Bui soon, hunger and food boredom lead to overeating. Over time they develop anorexia or bulirnia.
3.
Once an earing disorder has become firmly established, there is no easy cure. Someone who's never suffered anorexia and never known an anorexic might be tempted to think. "It's simple — jusi tell them to eat more!" Unfortunately, it's not thai simple. Even when anorexics have been brought into the hospital and arc receiving physical care, nutritional therapy, and psychiatric care, many don't improve much.
4.
Our society's obsession with thinness, together with a constant emphasis on the theme that rich food means pleasure, puts many teens in a difficult situation. Being drawn to overeating on the one hand and self-denial on the other can bring about anorexia or bulimia — or both. Anorexics seem to feel that no matter how much weight they lose, they are still too fat Therefore, it is important for each person in our society to try to maintain a healthy and realistic self-image. Don't compare yourself wiih the models and actors in the media Set your sights more realistically by comparing yourself with family and friends, if anyone.
5.
Self-denial is the typical first step toward an caring disorder. Eventually, desires for what you've denied yourself become unbearable, and you react with eiiher a binge or overly fierce self-control. The answer is not of course. 10 eai all the snacks and trcais you fancy. But 10 avoid that first step that leads to overeating, strive for a good and healthy diet Such a diet is based primarily on grain products, fruits, and vegetables, with moderate amounts of meat and dairy products and with small amounts of snacks and desserts. Research demonstrates that mis kind of diet leaves you more alert and energetic.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My children go to a primary school where they are not allowed to play football in the playground for fear that a child might be hurt. Besides, now the school says there must be no homework because the local secondary school can't keep up with the amount of homework given in the primary school. Can the school do this? Puzzled Dad
It can't if enough parents do something about it. It is not just schools. We live in a society which wishes to get rid of risk. However, schools should have a little common sense and courage. Children need risk if they arc to grow up self-sufficient and confident. They need homework, too, if they are to fulfill their academic potential. Complain, loudly.
You can't. Your daughter is at the age when she's trying to look beautiful, trying on new masks. And if her friends all dress up as she docs, you're in for an extra hard time. Support her and tell her she's beautiful — even if she looks ridiculous for now. Then invite her to join you for a day at a spa (健康美容中心). Let her try various looks until she's comfortable in her own skin.