While contact between adolescents (between the ages of fifteen and nineteen) and their peers (同龄人) is a universal characteristic of all cultures, the nature and the degree of such contact vary a great deal. In American contemporary society, adolescents spend much more time with their peers than with younger children or adults.

    This pattern of age segregation(隔离) in American society did not become usual until the beginning of the industrialized society. Changes in the workplace separated children from adults, with adults working and children attending school. The dramatic increase of mothers in the workplace has further contributed to the reduction in the amount of time adolescents spend with adults.

    School reform efforts during the nineteenth century, which resulted in age-segregated schools and grades, have reduced the amount of time adolescents spend with younger children.

    Finally, the changes in population are considered a factor that may have contributed to the emergence of adolescent peer culture. From 1955 to 1975, the adolescent population increased dramatically, from 11 percent to 20.9 percent. This increase in the number of adolescents might be a contributing factor to the increase in adolescent peer culture in terms of growth in size as well as in terms of its impact on society's other cultures (adults, younger children).

Research supports the view that adolescents spend a great deal of time with their peers. Reed Larson and his colleagues examined adolescents' daily activities and found that they spend more time talking to their friends than engaging in any other activity. In a typical week, high school students will spend twice as much time with their peers as with adults. This gradual withdrawal from adults begins in early adolescence. In sixth grade, adults (excluding parents) account for only 25 percent of adolescent social networks. Another important characteristic of  adolescent peer culture is its increasingly autonomous (自治的) function. While childhood peer groups are conducted under the close supervision of parents, adolescent peer groups typically make an effort to escape adult supervision and usually succeed in doing so.

Take care of your spine (脊柱)

    The spine stands at the center of your health, providing your body with structure and support. It also contains your spinal cord, a massive collection of nerves conveying electric signals from the rest of your body to your brain. Since your spine is so central to health, it's important to look after it.

Maintain good posture (姿势)is one of the most important things you can do to keep you spine healthy. Proper posture means standing or sitting while keeping your spine straight, except for its natural curves. Posture comes into play even when you're asleep. Sleeping on your side puts less stress on your spine than most other positions. Staying still for too long—even if your posture is good—can be hard on your back. Especially if you look at a desk most of the day, it's important to get up and stretch periodically.

    Exercise is also an important factor in the health of your spine. Stretches can help the muscles around your spine relax and allow bones to shift into better arrangement. Strength exercises like pushups can also help by strengthening the muscles around your spine. However, don't overdo the exercise, as repeated motions can strain the muscles around your spine.

    Finally, your diet affects the health of your spine because many vitamins are necessary for bones and nerves. In particular, B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids keep nerves healthy, so you may want to consider taking a supplement. Another important factor is vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones. Vitamin D can come from some foods, but it's also absorbed from sunlight, so it may help to do some of those back exercises outside.

    Many of the actions necessary to keep your spine healthy are identical to those need to preserve your health in other ways. So protect our back, and the rest of body will benefit.

    "Wanted: Violin. Can't pay much. Contact…"

    I rarely read the classified advertisements, so why did I notice that one? I laid the paper on my lap and closed my eyes, remembering what had happened many years before, during the Great Depression when my family struggled to make a living on our farm. I, too, had wanted a violin.

When my older twin sisters began showing an interest in music, Harriet Anne learned to play Grandma's piano, while Suzanne turned to Daddy's violin. Simple tunes became lovely melodies. My baby brother danced; Daddy hummed and Mother whistled. I just listened.

    When my arms grew long enough, I tried to play Suzanne's violin. Oh, how I wanted one! But I knew it was out of the question.

    One evening as the twins played in the school orchestra. I closed my eyes tight to capture the picture firmly in my mind. Some day, I'll sit up there, I vowed silently.

    It was not a good year. At harvest the crops didn't bring as much as we had hoped. Yet even though times were hard, I couldn't wait any longer to ask, "Daddy, may I have a violin of my own?"

    "Can't you use Suzanne's?"

    "I'd like to be in the orchestra too, and we can't both use the same violin at the same time."

    Daddy's face looked sad. That night, and many following nights,I heard him remind God in our family prayers,"…and Lord, Mary Lou wants her own violin."

    One evening we all sat round the table. The twins and I studied. Mother sewed and Daddy wrote a letter to his friend, George Finkle, in Columbus, Ohio. Mr Finkle, Daddy said, was a fine violinist.

    When Daddy received a letter from Columbus a few weeks later, he asked me, "Mary Lou, do you want to go with me to visit Mr. Finkle?"

    He drove us to Columbus and we came to a fine, old house. A tall man opened the door. He and Daddy heartily shook hands, both talking at once.

    "Mary Lou, I've been hearing things about you. Your Daddy has arranged a surprise for you!" He picked up a case, opened it, lifted out a violin and started to play. The melody surged and spoke like waterfalls. Oh, to play like him, I thought.

    Finishing the piece, he turned to Daddy. "I found it in a pawnshop(当铺)for seven dollars. It's a good violin. Mary Lou should be able to make a beautiful music with it." Then he handed the violin to me.

注意：

⒈所续写短文的词数应为150左右;

⒉至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语;

⒊续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好;

⒋续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

    I noticed the tears in Daddy's eyes as I finally comprehended. It was mine!

Paragraph 2:

    I forced my thoughts to the present and read again the advertisement.

    I always prided myself on being a wise shopper and having a good nose for bargains. So when I came across a sporting goods store with a sign "Going Out of Business Sale" I marched into the crowded store. Up and down the aisles (通道), I wandered, humming to myself and enjoying the energy and excitement of a sale.

    All of a sudden, there, at the back of the store sat acanoe (轻舟) exactly like my husband's dream Supremo Numero-Uno,whose picture had been stuck on the bathroom mirror for years. My heart beat wildly. I pushed my way through the crowds, and nearly fell into the canoe looking for the price tag. There it was, with the manufacturer's suggested price at $6,750 plus tax crossed out and a handwritten TO CLEAR $750 AS IS. Must be a mistake. $6000 off? Salesman. I had to talk to a salesman. I spotted a young fellow with a "Hi. I'm Mathew". "Mathew. Tell me about this El Supremo canoe. What's wrong with it? Why is it only $750?"

    "Oh. There's nothing wrong with it. It's brand new. We're closing the store. It's on clearance like everything else. I'll go check." A few minutes later he came back and said, "I'm sorry ma'am. Someone made a mistake on the sale tag. It should be $4,750 for the whole package."

    I felt tears well up in my eyes. "Oh well", I said sadly. "Of course, it was too good to be true. This is exactly like my husband's dreamboat. I guess I started to dream myself when I saw that price tag. He's going to be 62 years old Friday. Had to retire early for his health. It's been hard on just the pension but the stubborn old fool has been saving $10 every week for years to buy one just like this. I promise I won't buy anything, but it's just an old man's silly dream, you know. Always said he wanted to fish in a canoe after he retired," my voice lowered and I turned and walked away.

注意：①所续写短文的词数应为150左右；②应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；③续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；④续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Paragraph 1:

    I was already at the mall door when Mathew caught up with me. "Do you have $750 plus $25 for delivery, ma'am?"

Paragraph 2:

    "Ma'am. There's something you should know. This store was my Grandpa's and the canoe had been ordered by him.

    It is natural for species of animals to become extinct over millions of years. But over the past 200 years, humans have caused the process to speed up. In recent years, the total number of threatened animal species has increased from 5205 to 5345. In most cases this is a result of human activity. How are people speeding up the process of animal extinction?

    First of all, people threaten the survival of animal species by destroying their habitats. As the human population grows, people keep building houses and factories in fields and woods. As they spread over the land, they destroy animals' homes. If the animals can't find a place to live, they die out. Sixteen kinds of Hawaiian birds have become extinct for this reason.

    Overhunting is another way that humans are causing some animals to become extinct. In some parts of the world, the parts of rare animals are worth a lot of money. For example, some people will pay more than $3,000 for a single rhino horn. This encourages hunters to kill rhinos even though the animal faces extinction.

    Humans are also polluting the air, water and soil. The effect of pollution on animal species can be complicated. For example, when waste from factories is dumped into rivers, the rivers become polluted. The fish that live in the rivers are poisoned, and the birds cannot lay strong eggs. And some, such as brown pelicans, have become rare and may die out.

    Finally, when humans introduce new species into certain environments, the animals that already live there become threatened and face extinction. For example, when European settlers brought rabbits and foxes to Australia, they killed off many native Australian animals, including the bandicoots. Eventually, the rabbits took over the bandicoot habitats. Now bandicoots are threatened with extinction in their own land.