Surrounded by Brothers

    I know it is wrong to envy your children. But when I see my son, Tonio and his younger brother Sam going down a slide together, one’s arm around the other, I know I have missed something wonderful.

Not only did I never have a brother, but also I had no friendships like theirs. My sister was old enough to help take care of me, so she was more a mother than a playmate, and I was more a pest than a friend. A brother would have been wonderful, but it was not in the family planning.

Now I finally live with brothers, my sons, Tonio and Sam. I am watching them build the kind of relationship that I once dreamed about. They go to bed together. When one comes into our bed after a nightmare, my wife and I know that before morning his brother will follow.

Sam manages the world with more ease than his elder brother, whose frustrations often bring him to tears. With a sincere “Smile, Tonio,” Sam is the one who comforts him. Tonio, on the other hand, has stopped playing with boys at his age who don’t like playing with Sam. They are always backing each other up.

I don’t know what kind of relationship they will have when they grow up. Parents always want their children to have what they never could. I want them to have each other. So I imagine them going to the same college, marrying sisters and living on the same block.

That’s why I was so worried the day Tonio started kindergarten. I felt that I would lose something too. As we headed for school that morning, both boys seemed relaxed, as if neither had any idea that the day was going to be different, that starting then, Tonio would be leaving behind his brother, his best friend, his right arm.

Tonio’s first day was chaotic, with hundreds of children outside looking for their teachers. Before any of us could say goodbye, Tonio disappeared with his new classmates. He turned to wave and then was gone. It was so sudden. Sam even didn’ t see him go. Although parents had been asked to ease the craziness of the first day by statying out of the school, I lifted Sam up and took him to Tonio’s classroom, looking for a glimpse of Tonio. Sam spotted him first.

My wife and I didn’t head back home immediately, stopping instead at a coffee shop to treat Sam to hot chocolate. We even let him eat ice-cream with his fingers. Sam was still quiet, so I asked him if he missed his brother already.

He didn’t answer. Instead he asked, “Daddy, is Tonio going to be gone forever?”

“No, Sammy,” I said, feeling happy about his sweet question. “Not forever, just until three o’clock.”

I sometimes think that the greatest thing I have ever done is to help create these brothers. And I didn’t stop with them. We had another child, and for the third time in a row, it was a boy. It wasn’t long before his brothers climbed into the crib(嬰兒床) to play with him. I am surrounded by brothers.

55. What makes the author envy his sons?

   A. He has no friends like Sam and Tonio.

   B. He has only one brother in his family.

   C. He doesn’t enjoy brotherhood as they do.

   D. He doesn’t have a good relation with his sister.

56. What does the underlined word “pest” in paragraph 2 mean?

   A. a bad person     B. an annoying person      C. a good companion    D. a lovely brother

57. What can we learn about the two little brothers?

   A. Tonio often encouraged Sam when Sam burst into tears.

   B. The two brothers went to the same kindergarten.

   C. Neither of the brothers played with other children.

   D. They supported each other in different ways.

58. The author was worried the day Tonio started his kindergarten, because__________.

   A. Tonio might not spend so much time with Sam

   B. Tonio might not do well with his study

   C. he was afraid he would lose Tonio forever.

   D. he wanted Tonio to have what he didn’t have

59. On the first day of the kindergarten, __________.

   A. Tonio had a nice day playing with his new classmates

   B. Sam was very sad because Tonio was gone forever

   C. Sam was allowed to have ice-cream with fingers as usual

   D. the father felt happy when he sensed Sam’s love to Tonio

60. What does the title “Surrounded by Brothers” suggest?

   A. The author experienced brotherly affection by raising his sons.

   B. The author often plays with his sons whenever he has time.

   C. Parents want their children to stay at home and play together.

   D. The youngest son is always surrounded by his elder brothers.

Surrounded by Brothers

    I know it is wrong to envy your children. But when I see my son, Tonio and his younger brother Sam going down a slide together, one’s arm around the other, I know I have missed something wonderful.

Not only did I never have a brother, but also I had no friendships like theirs. My sister was old enough to help take care of me, so she was more a mother than a playmate, and I was more a pest than a friend. A brother would have been wonderful, but it was not in the family planning.

Now I finally live with brothers, my sons, Tonio and Sam. I am watching them build the kind of relationship that I once dreamed about. They go to bed together. When one comes into our bed after a nightmare, my wife and I know that before morning his brother will follow.

Sam manages the world with more ease than his elder brother, whose frustrations often bring him to tears. With a sincere “Smile, Tonio,” Sam is the one who comforts him. Tonio, on the other hand, has stopped playing with boys at his age who don’t like playing with Sam. They are always backing each other up.

I don’t know what kind of relationship they will have when they grow up. Parents always want their children to have what they never could. I want them to have each other. So I imagine them going to the same college, marrying sisters and living on the same block.

That’s why I was so worried the day Tonio started kindergarten. I felt that I would lose something too. As we headed for school that morning, both boys seemed relaxed, as if neither had any idea that the day was going to be different, that starting then, Tonio would be leaving behind his brother, his best friend, his right arm.

Tonio’s first day was chaotic, with hundreds of children outside looking for their teachers. Before any of us could say goodbye, Tonio disappeared with his new classmates. He turned to wave and then was gone. It was so sudden. Sam even didn’ t see him go. Although parents had been asked to ease the craziness of the first day by statying out of the school, I lifted Sam up and took him to Tonio’s classroom, looking for a glimpse of Tonio. Sam spotted him first.

My wife and I didn’t head back home immediately, stopping instead at a coffee shop to treat Sam to hot chocolate. We even let him eat ice-cream with his fingers. Sam was still quiet, so I asked him if he missed his brother already.

He didn’t answer. Instead he asked, “Daddy, is Tonio going to be gone forever?”

“No, Sammy,” I said, feeling happy about his sweet question. “Not forever, just until three o’clock.”

I sometimes think that the greatest thing I have ever done is to help create these brothers. And I didn’t stop with them. We had another child, and for the third time in a row, it was a boy. It wasn’t long before his brothers climbed into the crib(嬰兒床) to play with him. I am surrounded by brothers.

75. What makes the author envy his sons?

   A. He has no friends like Sam and Tonio.

   B. He has only one brother in his family.

   C. He doesn’t enjoy brotherhood as they do.

   D. He doesn’t have a good relation with his sister.

76. What does the underlined word “pest” in paragraph 2 mean?

   A. a bad person     B. an annoying person      C. a good companion    D. a lovely brother

77. What can we learn about the two little brothers?

   A. Tonio often encouraged Sam when Sam burst into tears.

   B. The two brothers went to the same kindergarten.

   C. Neither of the brothers played with other children.

   D. They supported each other in different ways.

78. The author was worried the day Tonio started his kindergarten, because__________.

   A. Tonio might not spend so much time with Sam

   B. Tonio might not do well with his study

   C. he was afraid he would lose Tonio forever.

   D. he wanted Tonio to have what he didn’t have

79. On the first day of the kindergarten, __________.

   A. Tonio had a nice day playing with his new classmates

   B. Sam was very sad because Tonio was gone forever

   C. Sam was allowed to have ice-cream with fingers as usual

   D. the father felt happy when he sensed Sam’s love to Tonio

80. What does the title “Surrounded by Brothers” suggest?

   A. The author experienced brotherly affection by raising his sons.

   B. The author often plays with his sons whenever he has time.

   C. Parents want their children to stay at home and play together.

   D. The youngest son is always surrounded by his elder brothers.

When you learn reading, nlath, and other subjects taught in school from your parents or teaehers who come to your house, it’s called homeschooling. A kid may be the only one, or he may be taught with brothers, sisters, or kids from the neighborhood.

Parents choose to homeschool their children for many different reasons. Sometimes a kid is sick and can’t go to regular school. But more often, kids are homeschooled beeause their parents feel they can give their children a better education than the local school can. Patents also may choose homeschooling because they want their children’s education to include religious (宗教的) instruction, which isn’t offered at puhlie schools.

If you don’t like school, homeschooling might seem like the perfect solution. But it’s better for everyone if homeschooling isn’t chosen just as an escape from school or prohlems there. Finding solutions to the problem should be the first step.

Kids who are homeschooled may benefit from the one-on-one attention. For example, if you don’t understand something in math, the whole class won’t he moving on without you. You might be the whole class! It’s also possible that you might learn more than you would in a regular classroom, because if you really good at something, you can keep learning more at your own pace.

Kids who are homeschooled also may get out in their communities more than other kids. They may get to experience hands-on education at museums, libraries, businesses and other community resources. They also might volunteer or take part in “service learning” where they take on local projects.

No matter where a child goes to school, the key to learning is listening to the teacher and asking for help when you need it. A homeschooled child might feel more comfortable with his teacher (a parent), but the child still needs to pay attention and cooperate. Just like in a traditional school, teachers and students need to work together to achieve goals in the classroom.

1.The passage mainly tells us ____.

A．every kid should be taught at home

B．what homeschooling is and how it works

C．the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling

D．homeschooled kids should go out to do volunteer work

2.What does the author think of homeschooling?

A．It shouldn’t be encouraged at all.

B．It is not a good way to get educated.

C．It can offer kids what suits their needs.

D．It is only good for the kids who can’t go to school.

3.The similarity of homeschooling and learning at school is that ____.

A．students all should cooperate with their teachers

B．students don’t feel lonely

C．students all have many classmates

D．studenls all have more opportunities to get out

4.Which of the following should NOT belong to the reasons why kids get homeschooled?

A． They can get more benefits from homeschooling.

B．They can’t go to school because of their bad health.

C．They can learn something that is not taught in school.

D．They escape from school because they hate going to school

 

Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don’t know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members.

However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?

Who choose your friends?

Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?

Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?

1. Many teenagers think their _______ know them better than their parents do.

A．friends

B． teachers

C．brothers and sisters

D． classmates

2.When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to _________.

A．go to their friends	B．talk with their parents
C．have a discussion with their family	D．talk with their friends on the phone

3. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A．Parents should like everything their chil­dren enjoy.

B．In all families, children can choose everything they like.

C．Parents should try their best to understand their children better.

D．Teenagers can only go to their friends for help.

4. The main idea of this passage is that ___________.

A．Teenagers need friends

B．Friends can give good advice

C．Parents often choose their children’s friends for them

D．Good friends can communicate with each other

 

Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, especially their parents, don’t know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it is quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or many friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something . These things are difficult to say to their family members.

However, parents often try to choose friends for their children. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?

Who chooses your friends?

Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?

Have you got a good friend your parents don’t like?

1. Many teenagers think their _________ know them better than their parents do.

　 A. friends 　 　　　　　 B. teachers 　　 C. brothers and sisters　 　 D. classmates

2. When teenagers stay alone, the usual way of communication is to _________.

A. go to their friends　　　　　　　　 B. talk with their parents

C. talk with their friends on the phone　 D. have a discussion with their family

3. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?

A. Teenagers can only go to their friends for help.

B. Parents should like everything their children enjoy.

C. In all families, children can choose everything they like.

D. Parents should try their best to understand their children better.