For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay entitled How Should Parents Help Children to Be Independent? You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below:
1.目前不少父母为孩子包办一切
2.为了让孩子独立，父母应该……
How Should Parents Help Children to Be Independent?
A Grassroots Remedy
Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. To this end, we walk the dog, play golf, go fishing, sit in the garden, drink outside rather than inside the pub, have a picnic, live in the suburbs, go to the seaside, buy a weekend place in the country. The most popular leisure activity in Britain is going for a walk. And when joggers( 慢跑者)jog, they don’t run the streets. Every one of them instinctively heads to the park or the river. It is my profound belief that not only do we all need nature, but we all seek nature, whether we know we are doing so or not.
But despite this, our children are growing up nature-deprived (丧失). I spent my boyhood climbing trees on Streatham Common, South London. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and odd new perceptions about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (多动症). Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
A study in Sweden indicated that kindergarten children who could play in a natural environment had less illness and greater physical ability than children used only to a normal playground. A US study suggested that when a school gave children access to a natural environment, academic levels were raised across the entire school.
Another study found that children play differently in a natural environment. In playgrounds, children create a hierarchy(等级) based on physical abilities, with the tough ones taking the lead. But when a grassy area was planted with bushes, the children got much more into fantasy play, and the social hierarchy was now based on imagination and creativity.
Most bullying（恃强凌弱）is found in schools where there is a tarmac(柏油碎石) playground; the least bullying is in a natural area that the children are encouraged to explore. This reminds me unpleasantly of Sunnyhill School in Streatham, with its harsh tarmac, where I used to hang about in corners fantasising about wildlife.
But children are frequently discouraged from involvement with natural spaces, for health and safety reasons, for fear that they might get dirty or that they might cause damage. So, instead, the damage is done to the children themselves: not to their bodies but to their souls.
One of the great problems of modern childhood is ADHD, now increasingly and expensively treated with drugs.
Yet one study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing emphasis for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality.
In wider and more difficult areas of life, there is evidence to indicate that natural surroundings improve all kinds of things. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
Dr William Bird, researcher from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, states in his study, “A natural environment can reduce violent behaviour because its restorative process helps reduce anger and impulsive behaviour. ” Wild places need encouraging for this reason, no matter how small their contribution.
We tend to look on nature conservation as some kind of favour that human beings are granting to the natural world. The error here is far too deep: not only do humans need nature for themselves, but the very idea that humanity and the natural world are separable things is profoundly damaging.
Human beings are a species of mammals(哺乳动物). For seven million years they lived on the planet as part of nature. Our ancestral selves miss the natural world and long for contact with nonhuman life. Anyone who has patted a dog, stroked a cat, sat under a tree with a pint of beer, given or received a bunch of flowers or chosen to walk through the park on a nice day, understands that.
We need the wild world. It is essential to our well-being, our health, our happiness. Without the wild world we are not more but less civilised. Without other living things around us we are less than human.
Five ways to find harmony with the natural world
Walk: Break the rhythm of permanently being under a roof. Get off a stop earlier, make a circuit of the park at lunchtime, walk the child to and from school, get a dog, feel yourself moving in moving air, look, listen, absorb.
Sit: Take a moment, every now and then, to be still in an open space. In the garden, anywhere that’s not in the office, anywhere out of the house, away from the routine. Sit under a tree, look at water, feel refreshed, ever so slightly renewed.
Drink: The best way to enjoy the natural world is by yourself; the second best way is in company. Take a drink outside with a good person, a good gathering: talk with the sun and the wind with birdsong for background.
Learn: Expand your boundaries. Learn five species of bird, five butterflies, five trees, five bird songs. That way, you see and hear more: and your mind responds gratefully to the greater amount of wildness in your life.
Travel: The places you always wanted to visit: by the seaside, in the country, in the hills. Take a weekend break, a day-trip, get out there and do it: for the scenery, for the way through the woods, for the birds, for the bees. Go somewhere special and bring specialness home. It lasts forever, after all.
What does the author say people prefer for their children nowadays?
Personal freedom.
Things that are natural.
Urban surroundings.
Things that are purchased.
What does a study in Sweden show?
The natural environment can help children learn better.
More access to nature makes children less likely to fall ill.
A good playground helps kids develop their physical abilities.
Natural views can prevent children from developing ADHD.
Children who have chances to explore natural areas______.
tend to develop a strong love for science
are more likely to fantasise about wildlife
tend to be physically tougher in adulthood
are less likely to be involved in bullying
What does the author suggest we do to help children with ADHD?
Find more effective drugs for them.
Provide more green spaces for them.
Place them under more personal care.
Engage them in more meaningful activities.
In what way do elderly people benefit from their contact with nature?
They look on life optimistically.
They enjoy a life of better quality.
They are able to live longer.
They become good-humoured.
Dr William Bird suggests in his study that______.
humanity and nature are complementary to each other
wild places may induce impulsive behaviour in people
access to nature contributes to the reduction of violence
it takes a long time to restore nature once damaged
The five suggestions the author gives at the end of the passage are meant to encourage people to seek ______with the natural world.
Her new responsibilities in the company.
What her job prospects are.
What the customers’ feedback is.
The director’s opinion of her work.
Combine her training with dieting.
Repeat the training every three days.
Avoid excessive physical training.
Include weightlifting in the program.
When she will return home.
Whether she can go by herself.
Whether she can travel by air.
When she will completely recover.
The woman knows how to deal with the police.
The woman had been fined many times before.
The woman had violated traffic regulations.
The woman is good at finding excuses.
Switch off the refrigerator for a while.
Have someone repair the refrigerator.
Ask the man to fix the refrigerator.
Buy a refrigerator of better quality.
He owns a piece of land in the downtown area.
He has got enough money to buy a house.
He can finally do what he has dreamed of.
He is moving into a bigger apartment.
She is black and blue all over.
She has to go to see a doctor.
She stayed away from work for a few days.
She got hurt in an accident yesterday.
A tall man with dark hair and a moustache.
A youth with a distinguishing mark on his face.
A thirty-year-old guy wearing a light sweater.
A medium-steed young man carrying a gun.
Identify the suspect from pictures.
Go upstairs to sign some document.
Have her photo taken for their files.
Verify the record of what she had said.
By reading a newspaper ad.
By seeing a commercial on TV.
By listening to the morning news.
By calling an employment service.
Taking management courses.
Teaching English at a university.
Working as a secretary.
Studying for a degree in French.
Prepare for an interview in a couple of days.
Read the advertisement again for more details.
Send in a written application as soon as possible.
Get to know the candidates on the short list.
They may have to continue to work in old age.
They may regret the time they wasted.
They may have nobody to depend on in the future.
They may have fewer job opportunities.
Making wise use of your time.
Enjoying yourself while you can.
Saving as much as you can.
Working hard and playing hard.
Forbidding students to take food out of the restaurant.
Requesting customers to pay before taking the food.
Asking customers to leave their bags on the counters.
Allowing only two students to enter at a time.
He was taken to the manager.
He was closely watched.
He was asked to leave.
He was overcharged.
He travels all over America to help put out fires.
He often teaches children what to do during a fire.
He teaches Spanish in a San Francisco community.
He provides oxygen masks to children free of charge.
He saved the life of his brother choking on food.
He rescued a student from a big fire.
He is very good at public speaking.
He gives informative talks to young children.
Firefighters play an important role in America.
Kids should learn not to be afraid of monsters.
Carelessness can result in tragedies.
Informative speeches can save lives.
Writing keeps us in touch with other people. We write to communicate with relatives and friends. We write to【B1】___our family histories so our children and grandchildren can learn and【B2】their heritage. With computers and Internet connections in so many【B3】, colleges, and businesses, people are e-mailing friends and relatives all the time—or talking to them in writing in online【B4】rooms. It is cheaper than calling long distance, and a lot more【B5】_than waiting until Sunday for the telephone【B6】to drop. Students are e-mailing their professors to【B7】and discuss their classroom assignments and to【B8】_them. They are e-mailing classmates to discuss and collaborate on homework.【B9】. Despite the growing importance of computers, however, there will always be a place and need for the personal letter.【B10】_. No matter what the content of the message, its real point is, “I want you to know that I care about you. “【B11】____，but only in the success of human relationships.
What determines the kind of person you are? What factors make you more or less bold, intelligent, or able to read a map? All of these are influenced by the interaction of your genes and the environment in which you were【S1】___. The study of how genes and environment interact to influence【S2】activity is known as behavioral genetics. Behavioral genetics has made important【S3】to the biological revolution, providing information about the extent to which biology influences mind, brain and behavior.Any research that suggests that【S4】to perform certain behaviors are based in biology is controversial. Who wants to be told that there are limitations to what you can【S5】based on something that is beyond your control, such as your genes? It is easy to accept that genes control physical characteristics such as sex, race and eye color. But can genes also determine whether people will get divorced, how【S6】they are, or what career they are likely to choose? A concern of psychological scientists is the【S7】to which all of these characteristics are influenced by nature and nurture(养育) , by genetic makeup and the environment. Increasingly, science【S8】that genes lay the groundwork for many human traits. From this perspective, people are born【S9】like undeveloped photographs: The image is already captured, but the way it【S10】___appears can vary based on the development process. However, the basic picture is there from the beginning.
A) abilities I) extent
B) achieve J) indicates
C) appeal K) proceeds
D) complaints L) psychological
E) contributions M) raised
F) displayed N) smart
G) essentially O) standard H) eventually
Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity(长寿)boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows and widowers(鳏夫) were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a woman’s. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.
Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke. There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10, 000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.
So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological (生理的) mechanisms. For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.
A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The ultimate social network is still being mapped out, but as Christakis says: “People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected. “
Linda Waite’s studies support the idea that______.
older men should quit smoking to stay healthy
marriage can help make up for ill health
the married are happier than the unmarried
unmarried people are likely to suffer in later life
It can be inferred from the context that the “flip side”(Line 5, Para. 2)refers to______.
the disadvantages of being married
the emotional problems arising from marriage
the responsibility of taking care of one’s family
the consequence of a broken marriage
What does the author say about social networks?
They have effects similar to those of a marriage.
They help develop people’s community spirit.
They provide timely support for those in need.
They help relieve people of their life’s burdens.
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
It’s important that we develop a social network when young.
To stay healthy, one should have a proper social network.
Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span.
We should share our social networks with each other.
Over half the world’s people now live in cities. The latest “Global Report on Human Settlements” says a significant change took place last year. The report【C1】______this week from U. N. Habitat, a United Nations agency.
A century ago,【C2】___than five percent of all people lived in cities.【C3】the middle of this century it could be seventy percent, or【C4】six and a half billion people. Already three-fourths of people in【C5】countries live in cities. Now most urban population【C6】___is in the developing world.
Urbanization can【C7】___to social and economic progress, but also put【C8】on cities to provide housing and【C9】. The new report says almost two hundred thousand people move【C10】cities and towns each day. It says worsening inequalities,【C11】by social divisions and differences in【C12】, could result in violence and crime【C13】___cities
plan better.
Another issue is urban sprawl(无序扩展的城区). This is where cities【C14】___quickly into rural areas, sometimes【C15】___a much faster rate than urban population growth.
Sprawl is【C16】___in the United States. Americans move a lot. In a recent study, Art Hall at the University of Kansas found that people are moving away from the【C17】cities to smaller ones. He sees a【C18】___toward “de-urbanization” across the nation.
【C19】___urban economies still provide many【C20】___that rural areas do not.
2010年
87分
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