A. are too shy to show their emotions

B. enjoy living a single and peaceful life

C. may be concerned about the new service

D. are considered hard to approach by foreigners

C

Last summer I sat at a long picnic table near a breathtaking mountain. While the parents were eating dinner, the kids ran up a trail in search of a secret fort. Twenty minutes later one excited little boy, James, interrupted the adult conversation.

“Mom, Mom, yocan’t believe what we found!”

Lovingly, his mother smiled and whispered, “I can’t wait to hear, James, but grown-ups are talking, and there will be a pause in the conversation. Please wait for the pause.”

On my other side, another boy came running up to his mother with equal enthusiasm.

“Mom, Mom, we had so much fun—”

“I am talking! Don’t interrupt,” she said.

“But, Mom—”

“Be quiet! Can’t yosee that I am talking??”

“But Mom we found the—”

“Shut up, Steve!” she yelled.

My heart sank. I knew what was coming. James, on my right, patiently waited for the pause, enthusiasm still alive and well. Steve, on my left, walked away from the table, looking shamed, carrying with him stories of secret forts never to be shared.

What markedly different messages to the child! “Wait for the pause” versus “Shut up” gets incorporated (包含)so differently into a child’s developing sense of self.

Harsh(刺耳的) words have bad effects. That’s why I want yoto promise to delete the phrases “Shame on you” or “Yoshould be ashamed” from your vocabulary. I have seen countless patients whose parents’ thoughtless words echoed in their heads and chipped(消除) away at their self-worth, even decades later.

So we have to discipline ourselves to make our instructions constructive. One great tool is to look for positive behavior to reinforce. Don’t ignore the things that your kids are doing right. Thank your children. Tell them that yonoticed how they waited patiently or cleared their plate without being asked. Chances are that they will do it again. Let them feel noticed, appreciated, and valued. There’s no better way to shape behavior.

28. Why does the writer tell us the story at the beginning?

A. To praise James’ mother. B. To introduce the topic.

C. To stress Steve’s bad manners. D. To describe the beauty of nature.

29. The writer suggests parents not use harsh phrases such as “Shame on you” because_____.

A. they can show parents’ weakness

B. kids may be likely to copy them

C. their meanings are hard to understand

D. harsh words have bad effects on kids

30. Which of the following is not proper for parents when offering advice?

A. I like the way yodeal with it.

B. Awesome, yojust make it.

C. Fantastic!

D. Must I keep repeating?

31. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Love kids through proper language

B. Let kids realize their mistakes alone

C. Never ignore kids’ mental growth

D. Learn to share secrets with kids

D

About a quarter of the world drives on the left, and the countries that do are mostly old British colonies(殖民地) like Australia, and Ireland. But Thailand, Indonesia and Japan also do so.

This strange quirk(奇事) puzzles the rest of the world; however, there is a perfectly good reason. Up to the late 1700's, everybody travelled on the left side of the road because it's the sensible option for feudal(封建的), violent societies of mostly right-handed people. Soldiers with their swords under their right arm naturally passed on each other's right, and if yopassed a stranger on the road yowalked on the left to ensure that your protective sword arm was between yourself and him.