1.Changes of Family Life
The concept of family life has changed considerably over the years. / In earliest times, several
generations lived together in clans, / which consisted of all living descendents and their husbands
or wives. / These clans were almost totally self-sufficient, / every member contributing in some
way toward the survival of the group. / The men hunted and fished for food or sometimes
maintained flocks of sheep or goats. / The women baked bread and roasted the meat their men
provided. / Special members of the community were selected to make products like pottery,
baskets and home weapons. / But with the development of greater varieties of food, clothing and
shelter, / a single clan could no longer develop all the individual skills the group required. / Clans
merged into larger societies and at the same time broke into smaller units consisting of married
couples and their children. / Later the Industrial Revolution brought about even more important
changes in family life. / New inventions brought shorter working hours for men and easier
housekeeping routines for women. / Today a productive family life suggests not the group’s
cooperative efforts of working together, / but the pleasant and meaningful sharing of its leisure. /
(185 words)
2.What Is a Father?
A father is a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. He growls when he
feels good, and laughs very loud when he is scared half-to-death.
A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child's eyes. He is never quite the hero his
daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be, and this worries him sometimes.
A father is a person who goes to war sometimes and would run the other way except that war is
part of his only important job in his life, which is making the world better for his child than it has
been for him.
I don't know where father goes when he dies, but I've an idea that, after a good rest, wherever it is,
he won't just sit on a cloud and wait for the girl he's loved and the children she bore. He'll be busy
there too, repairing the stars, oiling the gates, improving the streets, smoothing the way.
3.
Time Has the Power to Change Attitude
Last week, my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home.
My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to
his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child, I loved him; as a school girl
and young adult, I feared him and felt bitter about him.
On the first day of my visit, we did some shopping, ate on the street table，and
laughed over my son's funny facial expressions. Gone was my father's critical air and strict rules.
Who was this person I knew as my father who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around?
The next day, my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories
about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt
closer to him until that moment. After so many years, I'm at last seeing another side of my father.
(162 words)
Useful Words and Expressions
4.Vitamins
It was not until the beginning of this century that it was recognized / that certain substances were
essential in the diet to prevent or cure some diseases. / These substances are now known as
vitamins. / They are vital for growth, good health, / and maintenance of the normal functions of
the body. / A well-balanced diet should provide all the vitamins we normally require. / Those of us
who are fortunate enough to be able to buy sufficient food / should not suffer from vitamin
deficiency. / However, for various reasons, / some people do not maintain a balanced diet. / People
often lose their appetite because of illness. / People living alone may not bother to eat proper
meals, / and people on a diet may not eat sufficient quantities of necessary foods. / Moreover,
modern methods of preserving, freezing, and long-time storage of food, / together with
overcooking, can destroy many of the vitamins. / (145 words)
5.
A Car Soccer Race
American football is different from the European football / and some people think that it
is better. / Now there’s a new kind of football or soccer which is played in America. / It's called car
soccer. / The players drive small cars, which are called Beetles. / The players try to catch the ball
in their cars. / The cars are protected all since they often crash into each other. / The ball is larger
than the usual one and the players are protected, too. / In 1985, the first European car soccer match
took place in West Germany. / Teams from some countries in Europ played in the match. / The
Beetles raced around the ground madly / while the spectators shouted "The ball is behind you". /
When the match ended, three cars had been crashed into pieces. / And the players as well as many
of the spectators were badly hurt and had to be taken to hospital. / Will this car soccer become as
popular as football? I doubt it. / (160 words)
6.
American Characteristics
Individualism, independence and self-reliance are perhaps the most distinctive American
characteristics. American individualism is considered a good thing and is regarded as a good
quality. It does not mean being selfish. Each person is expected to make decisions for himself
about all aspects of life. The nuclear family is an important aspect of American society, but usually
has much less influence on the behavior of any individual in it than is generally true in Eastern
countries. Children are encouraged from an early age to be self-reliant. Parents provide advice
and assistance especially when their children are young, but the importance of the individual is
stressed. This is reflected in American expression, such as "You are the master of your own fate".
Americans assume a greater responsibility for the decisions they make and the actions they take.
This principle applies to all aspects of life, including the family, social relations, finance, business,
law and medicine.
