A. She was lazy. B. She was strict. C. She was proud. D. She was special

C

It is only praise or punishment that determines a child’s level of confidence. There are some other important ways we shape our kids-particularly by giving instructions and commands in a negative or positive choice of words. For example, we can say to a child “Don’t run into traffic!” pr “Stay on the footpath close to me.” In using the latter, yowill be helping your kids to think and act positively, and to feel competent in a wide range of situations, because they know what to do, and aren’t scaring themselves about what not to do.

Why does such a small thing make a difference? It is all in the way the human mind works. What we think, we automatically rehearse (预演). For example, if someone offered yoa million dollars not to think of a blue monkey for two minutes, yowouldn’t be able to do it. When a child is told “Don’t fall off the tree,” he will think of two things: “don’t” and “fall off the tree”. That is, he will automatically create the picture of falling off the tree in his mind. A child who is vividly imagining falling off the tree is much more likely to fall off. So it is far better to use “Hold on to the tree carefully.”

Clear, positive instructions help kids to understand the right way to do things. Kids do not always know how to be safe, or how to react to the warning of the danger in negative words. So parents should make their commands positive. “Sam, hold on firm to the side of the boat” is much more useful than “Don’t yodare to fall out of the boat?” or worse still “How do yothink I’ll feel if yodrown?” The changes are small but the difference is obvious.

Children learn how to guide and organize themselves from the way we guide them with our words, so it pays to be positive.

28. Positive choice of words helps kids to __________.

A. do things carefully B. build up their confidence

C. improve their imagination D. learn in different situations

29. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A. A child will act on what is instructed

B. One can’t help imagining what is heard.

C. A child will fall off the tree when told not to.

D. One won’t think of a blue monkey when given money.

30. Which of the following commands helps kids to be safe?

A. Fasten your seat belt.

B. Don’t play by the lake.

C. How do yothink I’ll feel if yoget hurt?

D. Don’t yodare to walk through the red light?

31. The main idea of the passage is that __________.

A. praise makes kids confident B. right instructions keep kids safe

C. clear commands make kids different D. choice of words can make a difference

D

In today’s consumer world, we’ve never had so much, yet it seems we’ve never been so unsatisfied. The cost of housing has been rising for decades, and the cost to the planet has been huge, too. But there is a way to live a simpler, greener, and more affordable life: buy a TinyDwelling home!

TinyDwelling is part of the small-living movement that began in the late 1990s. Back then, a growing number of people began to live in very small homes. They wanted to reduce their possessions, living space, and energy costs, so as to lead more ecologically-friendly lives. But the small-living movement really took off after the economic crisis of 2008, when many people realized that they couldn’t afford to keep large homes.

Lizzy Morriaon, a small-living enthusiast, started TinyDwelling homes in 2008 to meet the needs of these people. Since then, Lizzy has been designing and building homes nonstop, and TinyDwelling homes have become so popular that thousands of people have bought one. And Lizzy hasn’t only designing and building houses. She has also been teaching people how to build them. Simply buy the plans and materials so that yocan build your own home, and save even more money!

32. It is implied in Paragraph 1 that __________.

A. rich people are very unsatisfied B. people are damaging the environment

C. there are more poor people than before

D. people spend much money in saving the planet

33. What do we know about the small-living movement?

A. It aimed to handle the economic crisis.

B. It was started by people without houses.

C. It was well received by house designers.

D. It did not become quite popular until 2008.

34. What is the main attraction of TinyDwelling homes?

A. They are affordable.

B. They provide storage space.

C. They have upstairs sleeping area.

D.they are equipped with solar panels.