Making Peace with Your Parents

    As a teen, you are going through big changes physically and mentally. Your interests are expanding（增加；扩大） {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Here is the challenge: Kids need to explore the world in new ways, and parents need to protect them from the dangers that are all out in that world. These conflicts（冲突）can easily set off fireworks in otherwise calm house. Sometimes conflicts can't be avoided. But by paying attention to the building blocks of successful relationships, you can work towards making home a happy and healthy place for you and your parents.

For instance, try to find a time to talk when your parents are not angry, tired, distracted , or hungry. A good time to talk is when you are all relaxed. Timing is everything. If the conversation begins to turn into an argument, you'd better calmly and coolly ask to stop the conversation—for now. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listen to what your parents are saying, and repeat it back to them. This shows them that you're listening. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Respect is the building block of good communication. People who respect each other and care about each other's feelings can disagree without getting things ugly.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}How do you build trust? Trust comes by actually doing what you say you're going to do. Some teens find that doing fun activities with their parents can improve their relationships. Sometimes we forget that parents are more than rule-makers—they're interesting people who like to watch movies and go shopping—just like their teenagers!

    What do you do if you are trying your best, but your relationship with your parents continues to be rocky（难以维持的；不稳定的）? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}You can find supportive adults, such as a teacher or a coach, who can lead an ear.

    Remember you can only change your own behavior. Your parents are the only ones who can change theirs.

A. It also gives them a chance to clear things up if you're not on the same page.

B. You can pick it up again when everyone's more relaxed.

C. And then you will be able to accept what your parents say.

D. Faced with the challenge, children don't know what to do.

E. You are more likely to get along with your parents and have more independence if your parents believe in you.

F. And your desire to take control of your own life is growing.

G. You may consider seeking outside help.

    In the age of the keyboard,some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out.

    Steve Graham, a literacy professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, has been hearing about the death of handwriting for the past fifteen years. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} He said, "If the results of a survey we have published this year are accurate,it is being taught by about ninety percent of teachers in grades one to three."

    Ninety percent of teachers also say their are required to teach handwriting. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Professor Graham says one study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}others teach it for sixty to seventy minutes a day.

    Many adults remember learning that way—by copying letters over and over again. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead ,they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Teachers commonly report that about one-fourth of their students have poor handwriting.Some people might think handwriting is not important anymore because of computers and voice recognition（辨认）programs.

A.After all,that is why we write.

B.Nowadays teachers pay more and more attention to their students' writing.

C.So is it still being taught?

D.But who cares if people know how to write well?

E.But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it.

F.Today's thinking is that short periods of practice are better.

G.He says some teachers teach handwriting for ten or fifteen minutes a day.

    If your child is being bullied(欺负), there are ways to help him or her deal with it on a day-to-day basis and lessen its lasting effect.

    If your child tells you about a bully, focus on offering comfort and support, no matter how upset you are. Kids are not willing to tell adults about bullying because they feel embarrassed and ashamed.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Sometimes kids feel like it's their own fault.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Some kids are afraid that if the bully finds out that they have told others, it will get worse. Others are worried that their parents won't believe them or do anything about it.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Remind your child that he or she isn't alone. Emphasize that it's the bully who is behaving badly — not your child. Comfort your child and say that you will find out what to do about it together.

    Take it seriously if you hear that the bullying will get worse if the bully finds out that your child has told someone.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} But in most cases, teachers are the best ones to contact first. If you've tried that and still want to speak to the bullying child's parents, it's best to do so in a context where a school official, such as a teacher, can mediate.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Find out about the laws in your community. In certain cases, if you have serious concerns about your child's safety, you may need to contact legal authorities.

A. Praise your child for being brave enough to talk about it.

B. They also worry that their parents will be disappointed.

C. Many kids don't tell anyone because they feel ashamed.

D. They think that if they acted differently it wouldn't be happening.

E. A bully can turn something into a serious thing for kids.

F. Many countries have bullying laws and pocilies.

G. Sometimes it's useful to find the bully's parents.

    A major source of teen stress is school exams, and test anxiety is not uncommon. When you recognize your teen is under stress, how can parents help your teen stay calm before an exam?

    Be involved. Parents need to be involved in their teen's work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}What they look for is your presence - to talk, to cry, or simply to sit with them quietly. Communicate openly with your teen. Encourage your teen to express his worries and fears, but don't let them focus on those fears.

    Help them get organized. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Together, you and your teen can work out a time-table in which she can study for what she knows will be on the test.

    Provide a calm setting. Help your teen set up a quiet place to study and protect his privacy. Give them a nutritious diet. It's important for your teen to eat a healthy, balanced diet during exam times to focus and do her best. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}If this happens, encourage your teen to eat light meals or sandwiches. A healthy diet, rather than junk food, is best for reducing stress.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Persuade your teenager to get some sleep and/or do something active when she needs a real break from studying. Making time for relaxation, fun, and exercise are all important in reducing stress. Help your teen balance her time so that she will feel comfortable taking time out from studying to spend time with friends or rest.

    Show a positive attitude. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}Your panic, anxiety and blame contribute to your teen's pressure. Make your teen feel accepted and valued for her efforts. Most importantly, reassure your teen that things will be all right, no matter what the results are.

A. A parent's attitude will dictate their teen's emotions.

B. Exam stress can make some teens lose their appetite.

C. They will only make the situation worse.

D. Encourage your teen to relax.

E. Help your teen think about what she has to study and plan accordingly

F. The best thing is simply to listen.

G. Your teen may also make negative comments about themselves.

Rich and Famous

    Twenty years ago the most common ambition of American children was to be a teacher, followed by working in banking and finance, and then medicine. But today's situation is quite different. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Instead they most commonly say they want to be a sports star, a pop star, or an actor-in other words, they hope to become a celebrity.

    According to experts, young people desire these jobs largely because of the wealth and the fame. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Let's take athletes and singers as an example. Their careers are short-lived. Many athletes' best time only lasts a few years and singers can have a very limited career. The field that was once the focus of their lives becomes something they have little or no involvement in. As a result, they'll have a feeling of worthlessness and a lack of control. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The truth is quite simple: they have been so far removed from it for so long.

    In spite of these disadvantages, there is greater ambition than ever among young people to achieve that status. They are not satisfied just making a living-they want to be rich and famous. Globally, more and more TV shows provide talent competitions where winners can achieve their goals in just a few weeks or months. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They unrealistically believe that this lifestyle is easily obtained and leads to great satisfaction.

    While many people argue that there is nothing wrong with having such ambitions, others feel that this trend will finally lead to dissatisfaction as more and more people are unable to reach their goals. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} That means they ignore the simple fact that great effort is needed before success. As a result, many people won't realize their childhood dreams, which could have a negative effect on their happiness.

    While it may seem that a cab driver has only one responsibility—to drive customers to and from certain destinations, this is not the case. Instead, a cab driver must be ready to take on a number of different tasks. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Taxis have been around in various forms for many centuries, and the many duties of a cab driver increase as time goes on. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Not only do cab drivers have to pick up all kinds of people, but many of them have to interact with their customers. Frequently, cab drivers are hired by tourists or business people for an entire day, and this can mean making unavoidable contact with different people with different personalities.

    Taxi drivers must also be able to operate different types of vehicles. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} The vehicles have ramps (斜面) that can be raised and lowered. This type of vehicle requires a special license that most cab drivers must get before obtaining a position as a taxi driver.

    Generally, cab drivers are not required to repair vehicles. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} For example, almost all taxi drivers know how to change tires (轮胎), lights, and other small vehicle parts. Many drivers are also responsible for checking the taxi on a regular basis.

    Perhaps the most important task that a cab driver must be aware of is how to charge a customer for each trip. While the prices of some trips have been predetermined (商定), such as airport fares, other trips must be calculated using taximeters (计价器) and fee charts. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}