One of the latest trends（趋势） in American Childcare is Chinese au pairs. Au Pair in Stamford, Conn, for example, has got increasing numbers of request for Chinese au pairs from aero to around 4, 000 since 2004. And that's true all across the country.

    “I thought it would be useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age” Joseph Stocke, the managing director of a company, says of his 2-year old son. “I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future, ” After only six months of being cared by 25-year-old woman from China, the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions, his dad says.

    Li Drake, a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband, had another reason for looking for an au pair from China. She didn't want her children to miss out on their roots. ” Because I am Chinese, my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture. ” she says.

    “Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom,” says Suzanne Flynn, a professor in language education of Children. ”But parents must understand that just one year with au pair is unlikely to produce wonders. Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12. ”

    The popularity if au pairs from China has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children who want their children to learn Chinese. It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

    A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.

    Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn't built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.

    Even so, travel isn't difficult. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go.  People in Venice move from place to place by boat.

    Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem. Sometimes tourists will have such strange experiences. One moment they walk across the Rialto Bridge, and there's nothing special. But when they come back to the bridge an hour later, it's underwater and everyone is wearing rain shoes.

    Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters. Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made the ice of the Arctic Ocean (北冰洋) melt (融化). Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.

    Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower. The Italian government has asked some of Italy's biggest companies to build the MOST project, which was planned to be build under the seawater to stop the rising water. Anyway, this project is helping solve the problem.

    North Cascades National Park Recruitment Notice

    Recruiting Youth Age 15-18

    For Summer Jobs

    With the Youth Conservation Corps

    At North Cascades National Park

    North Cascades National Park is recruiting(招聘) for four to six youth age 15-18 for this summer's Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) in Marblernount, Washington from June 15 through August 7, 2019. Selections will be made during the second week of May. The work schedule will be Monday-Friday from 8: 00 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m. (8 hour shift). The rate of pay is $ 9. 47 per hour.

    MAJOR DUTIES

    The enrollees(入选者) will work with the park employees and will often be assisting them. The enrollees' work will include seed collecting, planting. transplanting, fertilizing, and weeding of native plants. Other work may include setting picnic tables for visitors, ground keeping path protection, painting, brush clearing, and digging. The use of hand tools for digging, cutting, sweeping, and carpentry may be required.

    SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

    Enrollees must be able to follow written and oral instructions and must be able to learn and follow safe work habits. Enrollees must come to work on time and would like to learn to use the various tools needed for the work.

    PHYSICAL EFFORT

    Enrollees may be lifting and carrying objects up to 50 pounds, such as packages, tools, and backpacks. They must be able to walk five or six miles per day, sometimes over difficult fields.

    WORKING CONDITIONS

    Enrollees must be prepared to work under conditions that include heat, cold, rain, wind and/or biting insects. Conditions might also include dirt, (lust and noise. Transportation will be provided from Marblemount to work sites in the park each day. Please direct questions or requests for assistance in completing the application form to Stacy McDonough, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, and 360-854-7276.

    Applications are available

    On line at http://www.nps.gov/gettinginvolved/youthprograms/ycc.htm.

    At Local high schools in Skagit County.

    At North Cascades National Park Service Complex office at 810 State Route 20 SedroWoolley.

    By phone or email from Stacy McDonough at 360-854-7276, stacy_mcdonough@nps. gov.

    Completed applications must be received no later than 4:3(1 pm on Friday, May 1. 2019 at

    North West Servicing Human Resources Office (NW SHRO)

    Mount Rainier National Park

    ATfN-Danielle Gardner

    55210-238th

    Avenue East Ashford WA, 98304

Dear Students,

    I am delighted to be your guest.

    I would like to tell you about myself. I have been a news reporter for the past fifteen years. I chose this job so I could travel the world, but the job has taught me many unforgettable lessons. The work is sometimes difficult. I have seen famines, wars, earthquakes, poverty and death. But I have also seen courage, hope and happiness.

    In India, I visited a city where there were many homeless children. Some were as young as four years old. They lived in the streets and survived by begging or stealing. But then a wonderful lady called Rosa opened a home for them. Within one year, she was looking after two hundred children. She clothed them, fed them, and taught them. She gave them hope.

    Another time, I was in Turkey after a terrible earthquake, in one place. I found an old lady whose house was in ruins, her son was missing and rescuer workers said there was no chance that he was still alive. But the old lady did not give up hope. For four days, she moved heavy stones one at a time by herself. She did not stop until she found her son. He was alive.

    Here in China, I met a young boy with a serious condition. He had undergone twenty operations and spent nearly his whole life in hospital. I thought he would be sad, but when I met him, his smile was so warm and welcoming.

    In life, we need role models that we can admire and learn from. When my life is difficult, I try to remember the courage and goodness of these three people.

    It is every kid's worst nightmare(噩梦) and six-year-old Jaden Hayes has lived it twice. First he lost his dad when he was only at the age of four and then last month his mom died unexpectedly in her deep sleep.

    "I tried and I tried and I tried to get her awake, but... I just couldn't," said Jaden.

    No one could imagine how heartbroken Jaden was.

    But there's another side to his sadness. A side he first made public a few weeks ago when he told his aunt, Barbara DiCola, and now his guardian(监护人)after both his parents died, that he was sick and tired of seeing everyone sad all the time. And he had a plan to fix it.

    "And that was the beginning of it," said Barbara. "That's where the adventure began."

    Jaden asked his aunt Barbara to buy a bunch of little toys and bring him to downtown Savannah, Georgia near where he lives, so he could give them away to anyone who will smile to him. "I'm trying to make people smile," said Jaden.

    Jaden targets people who aren't already smiling and then turns their day around. He's gone out on four different occasions now and he is always successful. Even if sometimes he doesn't get exactly the reaction he was hoping for.

    It is just so overwhelming to some people that a six-year-old orphan would give away a toy -- expecting nothing in return -- except a smile.

    "I'm depending on it to be 33, 000," said Jaden. When asked if he thinks he can make that goal, he answered: "I think I can."