following passage.

Coping with loneliness is a very important skill of needed independent living skills for teens (6) ______ every teen has needed it. It doesn't matter (7) ______ they are going to college, starting a new (8) ______ and moving into an apartment or getting married. Leaving your childhood home and being on your own for the first time will cause some (9) ______ of loneliness. Teens who know how to recognize loneliness as the temporary feeling it is, use their support system and work through their loneliness have learned a valuable life skill and they do just fine.

Those who cannot get over their loneliness may make wrong (10) ______ about where

and how to live or (11) ______ to live with. We should recognize that being alone does not mean being lonely. Being (12) ______ with ourselves is part of having a healthy (13) ______. Reading, drawing, crafting and listening to music are activities that we can enjoy by ourselves without feeling lonely. We should get involved in activities with our friends and activities we can help others. There are so many (14) ______ for us to connect with our family and friends, such as email, letter writing, online social networking, texting and (15) ______ phone calls.

6. A. because               B. so                            C. although                 D. but

7. A. how                    B. what                       C. if                             D. unless

8. A. work                   B. job                          C. employment            D. problem

9. A. position              B. situation                  C. amount                   D. level

10. A. decisions          B. efforts                     C. differences             D. fun

11. A. when                B. what                       C. who                         D. that

12. A. comfort             B. comfortable                        C. comfortably            D. uncomfortable

13. A. opinion             B. position                   C. way                         D. attitude

14. A. ways                 B. designs                   C. streets                     D. things

15. A. doing                B. bringing                  C. making                    D. taking

independent    encourage       accidents         haircut

routines           try                    injuries            independently

Tips on Teaching Teens How to Take Care of Their Body

In order for your teens to be happy while they live (1).., they will need to be successful at keeping their bodies healthy and clean. These life skills are taught throughout your teens' childhood and adolescence by encouraging good hygiene (2) .. and healthy habits. Re-enforcing or establishing these good habits will help your teens keep them healthy and happy as they continue to grow up and become young adults.

The good hygiene habits that your teens should have are to brush their teeth twice daily, shower or bathe once daily, wash hah regularly, wash hands often, brush hair at least daily and get (3)... regularly, trim nails once a week, take care of any (4) ... as they happen and until they are healed, and wear clean clothes.

It is okay to let good hygiene and healthy habits slide in small intervals, but (5) .... your teens to stick to the routine as much as possible. If you allow it to slide too long, they can develop a bad habit and loose the good habits you have taught them.

Raising Independent Children

Independence is not something that children can gain on their own. They have neither the perspective, experience, nor skills to develop independence separately from their parents. Rather, it is a gift that parents give their children that they will adore and benefit from their entire lives.

Teach Responsibility

One of the parents' important tasks is to teach their children about responsibility. The best way to ensure that parents and children know what responsibilities are appropriate for the children. Make a list with your children of what the responsibilities should be. Next, identify other individuals who will also have responsibilities (and what they are) in the children's achievement activities, such as teachers, instructors, or coaches. There should also be consequences for not fulfilling responsibilities.

Demand Accountability

The ability of children to hold themselves accountable for their actions is a critical part of becoming independent. However, many parts of Asian culture send a message to children that nothing is their fault. Whether rationalizing bad behaviour, blaming for misfortune, or faulting others for their failures, children are constantly told that they do not need to be responsible for their actions. The reluctance of children to take responsibility for their actions is based on their desire to protect themselves from failure. Children can't take responsibility for their achievements and successes unless they are willing to take responsibility for their mistakes and failures.

Encourage Exploration

Early in children's lives, parents need to teach their children that they have a safe place to return to if they venture too far and that their parents are there to protect them when needed. There is, however, a fine line between security and dependence. When children have established their sense of security, parents must then encourage them to explore the world beyond the safety net that parents provide. This "push out of the nest" allows their children to test their own capabilities in the "real world" and to find a sense of competence, security, and independence within themselves.

16. According to the passage, children can achieve their independence _______

A. on their own.                                                     B. with their own perspective.

C. separately from their parents.                            D. with their parents' support.

17. What is TRUE about teaching children about responsibility?

A. It's the best way to teach children to become independent.

B. Suitable responsibilities should be set up for the children.

C. Parents are the only people who teach children about responsibility.

D. Whether fulfilling responsibilities or not doesn't lead to any consequence.

18. The word ‘accountable’ in paragraph 3 most closely means _______.

A. responsible                   B. related                      C. counted                   D. acceptable

19. According to the passage, why do children in some countries refuse to accept their fault? Because they get used to _______

A. finding an excuse for their bad manners.          B. believing in bad luck.

C. accusing other people of their mistakes.            D. all are correct.

20. Which of the following can the word ‘reluctance’ in paragraph be best replaced by?

A. willingness                   B. desire                        C. unwillingness           D. need

21. What is a possible consequence of children's desire to protect themselves from failures?

A. Children are able to take responsibility for their actions.

B. Children can't achieve success when growing up.

C. Children are not responsible for their failures or successes.

D. Children are reluctant to accept the others.

22. What does the word “they” in the paragraph 4 refer to?

A. children's lives             B. parents                      C. safe places               D. children

23. The phrase ‘push out of the nest’ in paragraph 5 most closely means _______

A. a fine line between security and dependence  

B. children's sense of security

C.  parents' encouragement for children's exploration

D. parents' safety net

24. According to the passage, in what way is exploring the real world helpful to children's development?

A. It helps children to explore themselves and become independent.

B. It helps children to become more capable.

C. It makes children love their parents more.

D. It encourages children to establish a sense of security.

25. Who could be the target readers of the passage?

A. Young children                                                  B. Parents in Asian countries

C. Parents of teenage children                               D. School teachers

Different relationships affect teenagers in various ways. Friends impact teenagers almost the same amount as their parents. Teenagers go to their friends for help or to ask questions that they could not ask their parents about. Most of the time their friends give them good advice. In most cases they tell theft friends how to dress and act when being around certain people.

Love relationships just make it even harder for a teenager to get a good education. Some start to fail in school because they are hanging out with their boyfriend or girlfriend instead of doing their work.

Parents have a big influence on teenagers because their children look up to them and the majority of them grow up to act and do things just like their parents did with them. Children who have experienced a family break-up may have lower achievements than children brought up in an intact family.

As previously stated, teenagers are affected by many relationships which involve their friends, family, and their love relationships. The relationships affect them so much that most teenagers change their ideas about how they should live their lives in a different way and to change their future goals. They should be influenced to help themselves or to help others.

26. Teenagers go to their friends in order to _______.                              

A. impact them in various ways and the same amount

B. ask for help or advice that their parents can’t give them

C. have different relationships that their parents can’t offer

D. ask how to dress when being around certain people

27. Love relationships may make a teenager harder to get a good education because _______.

A. their boyfriend or girlfriend may make them fail in school

B. they tell their boyfriend or girlfriend how to dress or how to act

C. they try to do their work instead of hanging out with their boyfriend or girlfriend

D. they hang out with their boyfriend or girlfriend instead of studying

28. All of the following statements about parents’ influence on teenagers are true EXCEPT that _______.

A. achievements of teenagers from a family break-up are always low

B. parents have a great impact on teenagers

C. most teenagers grow up to act and do things just like their parents

D. a family break-up may have a negative effect on teenagers

29. Relationships can _______.

A. help others to form relationships

B. help teenagers to decide the future goals in love relationships

C.  influence teenagers in many aspects of their lives

D.  help teenagers to follow their future goals with their friends and family

30. The main idea of the passage is _______.

A. the effects of love relationships on teenagers’ study

B. the impact of relationships on teenagers’ lives

C. the role of parents in their children’s lives    

D. the impact of relationships on adults and teenagers

Becoming independent

One of your most important goals as a parent is to raise children to become independent and self-reliant people. Certainly, in (31) ______ development, your children count on you. As infants, they rely on you for nourishment, cleaning, and mobility. As your children grow, they become more (32) ______ in these basic areas of living, but still depend on you for love, protection, guidance, and support.  As your children reach (33) ______ and move toward adulthood, they become less reliant on you and gain greater independence in all aspects of their lives. This process of (34) ______ prepares your children for the demands of adulthood. But this progression toward adulthood is not inevitable and is often hindered by well- intentioned (35) ______ - misguided parents.

31. A. young               B. first                         C. early                        D. soon

32. A. reliant               B. increasing               C. independent           D. dependent

33. A. childhood         B. adolescence                        C. young                     D. children

34. A. separation         B. division                   C. responsibility          D. motivation

35. A. and                   B. or                            C. so                            D. but

‘Tiger moms’ vs. Western-style mothers?

In four separate studies involving 342 students from a Northern California high school, two Stanford researchers examined "underlying models of self and sources of parental motivation and pressure. The students were asked for open-ended descriptions of their mothers- “describe your mother in a couple of sentences.”. They also answered questions about how connected they felt with their moms as well as how much pressure they received.

For example, they asked students to directly rate how much pressure they experience from their mothers. Then, the researchers asked participants to rate how much they feel supported by their mothers to assess whether students perceive this pressure by mothers as negative. And they examined the correlation between students' perception of maternal pressure and feelings of maternal support.

The research findings suggest that Asian Americans and European Americans truly see moms differently. For example, Asian American high schoolers were more likely to talk about their relationships with their mothers than were European Americans. Asian Americans more often noted that their moms helped them with homework or pushed them to succeed. On the other hand, European American students were more apt to talk about their mothers as separate individuals - describing their appearance or their hobbies, for example.

Asian American students experienced more interdependence their mothers and pressure from them, but the pressure does not strain their relationships with their mothers as much as does with European Americans, according to the study. Asian American children are motivated by their high-pressure mothers because those mothers often work alongside them - and the "selves overlap."

It was concluded that even if Asian and Western parenting styles differ radically, they represent two paths to the same destination. Both Asian American and European American students evaluated their mothers positively and felt supported by them. In the Asian American family model, children learn the value of being interdependent with one's close others, especially one's mother. In contrast, European American families tend to emphasize that the person is and should be independent, even from one's mother. The focus is on developing self-esteem and self-efficacy in the child.

36. Who were the participants of the research?

A. High school students in Asia

B. Students from different California high schools

C. Parents of high school students in Northern California

D. Students from a high school in California

37. The study aims to examine the link between the students' motivation or pressure and _______

A. their mother's support.                               B. their feelings.

C. their academic results.                                D. their parents' relationship.

38. According to the study, what do Asian American students tend to talk about their mothers?

A. their mother's success                                 B. their mother's hobbies

C. the relationship with their mother              D. their mother's differences

39. According to the study, which group of students tend to be more dependent on their mother?

A. Asian students                                           B. Asian American students

C. European American students                     D. American students

40. According to the study, what is emphasized in a European American family?

A. children's interdependence

B. children's independence and confidence

C. positive relationship between a child and his mom

D. a child's physical development

The skills needed to succeed in college are very different from those required in high school. In addition to study skills that may be new to students, there will also be everyday living skills that students may not have had to use before.

Students should:

– know how to handle everyday living skills such as doing laundry, paying bills, balancing a checkbook, cooking, getting the oil changed in the car, etc.

– be familiar and compliant with medical needs concerning medication and health problems. If ongoing medical and/or psychological treatment is needed, arrangements should be made in advance to continue that care while the student is away at college.

– understand that the environmental, academic, and social structure provided by parents and teachers will not be in place in college. With this lack of structure comes an increased need for responsibility in decision-making and goal-setting.

– know how to interact appropriately with instructors, college staff, roommates, and peers. Appropriate social interaction and communication are essential at the college level of education.

– be comfortable asking for help when needed. The transition from high school to college can be overwhelming socially and academically. Students should know when they need help and should be able to reach out and ask for that help.

41. According to the writer, if students want to have medical treatment, they should ____.

A. be away                              B. be familiar with medical needs

C. make arrangements             D. meet their parents

42. The word “ongoing" is closest in meaning to ______.

A. continuing                          B. short-term               C. brief                        D. little

43. College students should be aware that ______.

A. everything in college will be different                  

B. parents and teachers are not in college

C. structures must be provided by parents                

D. structures must be provided by teachers

44. Which of the following is NOT true about college life?

A. It is essential to have good communication skills.

B. Students must be responsible for their own decisions.

C. Students should know some living skills.

D. Students should not ask for help.

45. The word “overwhelming” is closest in meaning to ______.

A. simple                  B. confusing                    C. manageable                 D. easy

The concept of parental authority has changed. Today, no parent can take their children’s respect for granted: authority has to be earned. Several studies have shown the following problems.

Trust:      A lot of young people say their parents don’t trust them. Some of them have no

privacy: their parents read all their emails, and enter their rooms without knocking. All of these actions demonstrate lack of respect. Consequently, these teenagers have little respect for their parents.

Communication: Hardly any teens discuss their problems with their parents. That’s because very few teens feel their parents really listen to them. Instead, most parents tend to fire off an immediate response to their kids’ first sentence.

Freedom: Interestingly, most rebels come from very authoritarian homes where kids have very little freedom. Teens need fewer rules but they have to be clear and unchangeable. Also, if the mother and father don’t agree about discipline, teens have less respect for both parents. They also need a lot of support and a little freedom to take their own decisions. None of them enjoy just listening to adults.

Role models: Teens don’t have much respect for their parents if neither of them actually does things that they expect their children to do. Like everybody, teens appreciate people who practise what they preach.

46. The clause “authority has to be earned” means that ______.

A. parents have to earn a living in order to support their children and get their respect

B. parents can get respect from their children based on what they have done for them

C. parents have authority and power in the homes and children have to obey them

D. parents have to respect their children because they earn a living to support the family

47. When parents trust their child, they ______.

A. read his emails                                              B. enter his room without knocking

C. earn little respect                                           D. respect his privacy

48. Rebels often happen in homes when ______.

A. children have so little freedom and can’t make their own decisions

B. parents have much authority over their children in the homes

C. the family rules are clear and unchangeable, but only a few

D. none of the parents enjoy listening to adults

49. Teens don’t have much respect for their parents when ______.

A. teens expect people to practise what they preach

B. their parents agree about discipline for their children

C. their parents don’t set a good example to their children

D. their parents fire off an immediate response to them

50. The main idea of the passage is ______.

A. how parents can improve communication in their home

B. the reasons why teens rebel against the parents’ authority

C. what parents should or shouldn’t do to gain the children’s respect

D. how the concept of parental authority has developed throughout history

Dear Ms. Black,

I attended the seminar hosted by Washington and Baker, and I thought your presentation was (10) ______ and that your proposal about using empty spaces sounded like the most effective plan for how to solve the problems. In fact, our office will be (11) ______ repairs in a moth to give our staff a more stable and comfortable workplace.

While this takes place, I want you to work in my office as a consultant. I would greatly appreciate your opinion on the first part of the strategy (12) _____ we are trying to find the optimal way to go about these changes.

Sincerely,

Gregory Rice

10. A. interesting        B. interested                C. interest                    D. interests

11. A. undergoing       B. finishing                 C. postponing              D. displaying

12. A. as                      B. why                        C. that                         D. unless

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM! 

SAVE THE DATE AND CELEBRATE WITH US

Due to (13) ______ circumstances, we have (14) ______ our wedding and look forward to celebrating with you on our new wedding date.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021

7:00PM EST

Mercer Island Presbyterian Church

Mercer Island, WA

COVID-19 UPDATES: We will be taking extra (15) ______ for our event and care for the health of our guests. Further updates will be communicated closer to our event.

13. A. predictable       B. foreseen                  C. unforeseen              D. anticipated

14. A. postponed        B. postponing              C. postponement         D. to postpone

15. A. naivete              B. ignorance                C. carelessness            D. precautions

It has always been the case that in certain ways our lives are intertwined with the lives of others. However, in the modern era, (18) ________, whereas others believe that people have grown to be more independent. 

One reason that people think we are more dependent on each other is because of our reliance on others to provide a positive image of ourselves. People are bombarded these days with pictures of beautiful models and people who seem to have perfect lives. Many people therefore feel the need to go on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, in order to post pictures and they need others to get as many ‘likes’ as possible. (19) ________, because of the hectic and busy lives some families lead, it is argued they are dependent on others to support them, (20) ________ because the parents don’t have time. 

However, despite this, overall I believe that people are generally more independent. This can be seen in the way that so many people live away from their families and lead their own lives. For example, families used to live nearby to each other, but nowadays people often reside in different cities to their parents and siblings or in other countries, (21) ________. Not only this, people prefer more privacy than in the past and do not require help from others, seen in the way that neighbours these days often do not know each other or interact at all.

In conclusion, (22) ________, it is generally the case that people now live more independent lives. (23) ________. 

18.

A. on the contrary, many some people believe that dependency between people has increased

B. some people believe that dependency between people has increased

C. although many other people believe that dependency between people has increased

D. in case some people believe that dependency between people has increased

19.

A.  In contrast to this,

B. In regard to this,

C. In addition to this,

D. In accordance to this,

20.

A. such as with grandparents helping to take care of their grandchildren

B. such as grandparents help to take care of their grandchildren

C. such as with grandparents help to take care of their grandchildren

D. such with grandparents helping to take care of their grandchildren

21.

A.  seeing one other only rarely in some cases

B. seeing each other only in rarely some cases

C. to see each other only rarely in some cases

D. seeing each other only rarely in some cases

22.

A.  despite of the fact that in certain ways people are more dependent

B. although in certain ways people are more independent

C. although in certain ways people are more dependent

D. until in certain ways people are more dependent

23.

A. Only over time it will be revealed as to whether this is a positive or negative development for society.

B. Only over time will it be revealed as to whether this is a positive or negative development for society.

C. Only over time will it be revealed as to whether this is a positive and negative development for society.

D. Only over time will it be revealed to whether this is a positive or negative development for society.

Would you like to learn to rock climb? Or spend time working at an animal sanctuary? That's (24) ____ Andrea Black and Jenny Smith are doing as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. The award encourages young people to do exciting cultural, social and adventure activities in their free time. The Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, started the award in 1956. He started it (25) ____ he wanted young people to learn to help themselves and other people.

The award is for people aged 14-25, and there are three levels: Bronze, for those aged 14 or over, Silver for over 15s, and Gold for over 16s. You have to complete four activities to (26) ____ the award:

– go on an expedition (e.g. hiking, kayaking or climbing)

– learn a new practical or social skill (anything from painting to podcasting!)

– take (27) ____ a physical challenge (e.g. learn or improve at a sport)

– do voluntary work helping people or the environment (e.g. work with disabled or elderly people, or (28) ______ money for a charity).

Young people usually do the award at a Duke of Edinburgh club at their school or at a local youth group. They decide what they are going to do, and write a plan. It usually takes between one and three years to finish an award.

24. A. what                             B. why                        C. which                      D. when

25. A. therefore                       B. but                          C. because                   D. if

26. A. compete                        B. accept                     C. realize                     D. achieve

27. A. on                                 B. in                            C. away                       D. after

28. A. lift                                B. increase                   C. raise                        D. advance

MANAGING TIME

Time management: two words that have me breaking out in a cold sweat. Why should I suddenly have to learn how to manage my time? Surely time had got on perfectly well for several millennia without requiring management, let alone by me. But my university tutor was adamant: time needed some managing and apparently it was up to me to do it.

First of all, let's be clear. I do have plenty of time to manage. As an arts student, I generally have 23 hours in the day that aren't given over to going to lectures. But I generally need somebody to tell me what I should be writing, so I go to lectures.

Perhaps I had "taken on too much"? I'd been elected to four committees, produced a play, applied for a part time job, hung around the college bar with my friends, and written the odd essay. But I thought I was coping well. Sure, there was the day when I did the research for an essay on the morning of deadline day and wrote it that afternoon, but that was a one off.

On second thoughts, maybe my tutor is right. It's difficult to give up what you're involved in but perhaps it's a good idea to sit back and have a breather once in a while. Even an arts student has to get down to some real work!

29. What was the writer's initial reaction to his tutor's ultimatum?

A. He had to admit that it was sound advice.

B. He failed to see how it could help him.

C. He had no understanding of what it meant.

D. He had tried it before so he knew it would fail.

30. What is the writer's job?

A. He's a time manager.                      B. He's a lecturer.       

C. He's an arts student.                       D. He's a university tutor.

31. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as something he had done?

A. Producing a play                            B. Getting a part time job

C. Writing an essay                             D. Head of four committees

32. The writer slowly begins to realize that he should ____.

A. spend more time with his friends   B. end his obsession with leisure pursuit

C. integrate more into university life D. apply himself to the real task in hand

33. The word "breather" in the passage mostly means ____.

A. an assignment         B. a machine               C. a rest           D. a passion

When I tell people about the idea of moving out, many people's reaction is like, "what do your parents say?" because they assume the parents would not like their children to leave them. Well I don't know if my parents like it but I can tell you my parents support and respect my decision. They think it is good for me to try and live on my own and then I would know it is the best to stay with my family. The most important reason for independent living is to save the travelling time to work. It used to take me one hour fifteen minutes to travel to work from my previous living place.

From my new apartment, it just takes me thirty minutes so I saved forty-five minutes' traveling time. I don't have to get up so early and I save two-third of my traveling cost. It does not only save my time to travel for work but also from most of the places in Hong Kong. In addition, I gain my personal space and freedom by independent living. I make my own decision all the time, I do not have to say whether I would go home for dinner, I can invite my friends to come up and stay late.

Of course, there are some trade-offs in living on your own. If you want to rent an apartment, there are lots of preparatory work to do. You have to keep visiting the apartments to search for your ideal one. You have to negotiate with the landlord about the price, furniture inclusion, who is responsible for the maintenance of the furniture and equipment. My experience was that after we moved into the apartment, it was not until the kitchen cupboard was soaked with water that we found out there was water leakage in the kitchen sink.

Money is the main issue in living on your own. You have to be responsible for all the expenses, for example, the rent, electricity, gas, water, telephone, internet bills, etc. Therefore, you've got to be well prepared and save up for your bills. Although I find my transportation time much shorter, the saved time is spent on other things, such as cooking and some other household chores. I think preparing and cooking the food do occupy a significant portion of my time, therefore I always try to make simple meals. On the other hand, I have to regularly tidy up my apartment and wash my clothes, so it doesn't really save much of my time after all,

Now everything is settled down, I'm getting used to my new life and I am enjoying it. I feel that moving out makes it easier for me to strike a balance between my work, my social life, my study and my family. It may be troublesome but it may worth.

34. Why does the writer want to move out?

A. Many people assume that he should live independently.

B. His parents would like him to live far from them.

C. His parents do not support and respect his decision.

D. It makes his travelling to work more convenient.

35. All of the following are mentioned as the benefits of living in the new place EXCEPT ____.

A. saving time and money                              B. making his own decisions

C. staying up late with friends                        D. enjoying more freedom

36. The word "trade-offs" in the passage is closest in meaning to ____.

A. regulations              B. disadvantages         C. preparations            D. benefits

37. Which of the following is NOT included in the preparatory work of renting an apartment?

A. Bargaining the price                       B. Fixing defective facilities

C. Visiting various apartments            D. Discussing what furniture to include

38. The writer mentions the kitchen cupboard soaked with water to show that ____.

A. the landlord of his apartment is not reliable

B. the facilities in the apartment are bad

C. the maintenance of facilities is not easy

D. the preparatory work was not done well

39. The word "it" in the passage refers to ____.

A. my work                 B. my social life          C. enjoying life           D. moving out

40. What conclusion does the writer make about moving out?

A. It is too troublesome to live on his own.

B. It enables him to gain balance in life.

C. It is easier for others not for him.

D. He is enjoying the trouble that it brings.