Unit 2 Let’s talk teens
I don’t know what “home” is, but unhappiness and worries melt away once there. ---Bing Xin
Reading Strangers under the same roof
When teenagers’ bodies and minds go through a period of rapid development, every part of their lives can be influenced. The magazine article below is about teenagers’ relationships with their parents.
Para 1
Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into a battle Have your once warm and open conversations become cold and 1.________(guard) Do you feel that you just cannot see eye to eye 2.________ them on anything You are not alone. Heated 3.___________(argue) and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents.
Para 2
Teenagers’ physical changes may result in such family tensions. You may feel anxious 4._________ you are developing at a different rate to your friends, 5.__________(shoot) up in height or getting left far behind. You might worry about your changing voice, weight problems or spots. When it all gets too much, your parents are often the first targets of your 6._________(angry).
Para 3
7.________ can be a big headache to balance your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground— no longer a small child but not quite 8._______ adult. You have both a new desire for independence 9._________ a continued need for your parents’ love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on your own. 10._____________(fortunate), your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. “Why can’t they just let me go ” you may wonder. On the other hand, when you are struggling 1.______________(control) your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patient—sometimes they forget that growing up is 2._______ rough ride. It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child 3._________ expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.
Para 4
4._________ sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can take action to improve the situation. The key to 5.___________(keep) the peace is regular and honest communication. When you disagree with your parents, take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation 6.______ their point of view. Perhaps they have experienced something similar and do not want you to go through the same pain. After you have thought it through, explain your 7.__________(act) and feelings calmly, listen carefully, and address their concerns. Through this kind of healthy discussion, you will learn when to back down and when to ask your parents to relax their control.
Para 5
Just remember that it is 8.___________(complete) normal to struggle with the stress that parent-child tensions create, and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is 9._________ this stormy period will not last. Everything will turn out all right in the end, and the changes and challenges of your teenage years will prepare you for 10.___________(adult).
Key words and phrases
go through a period of rapid development_______________________
once warm and open conversations_______________
guard v. ____________ n. _________ → adj.____________
(在某事上)与某人看法一致______________________
一场激烈的争论______________________
Argue______sb.___________sth. 为某事与某人争论/争吵
result in _________(=_________) 由...导致result_________
家庭关系紧张___________ 9. be/feel anxious that... _____________
10. _____a different rate 以不同的速度 11. shoot up in height __________
12. spot n. ______________v. ______________ 在现场 _______the spot/scene
13. the first targets of your anger _________________
14. developing mental needs ________________
15. 身体和心理的健康 ____________ and mental health
16. middle ground___________ 17. 对...充满渴望______________
18. make decisions/make a decision __________ 19. one’s own 靠某人自己
20. on one hand... on the other hand_______________
21. struggle_________ sth. 努力做某事 struggle_____________ sb. 与...斗争
22. you wish they could be more caring and patient ______________
23. rough adj._____________________ →adv.________=in rough 光滑的smooth
24. lead to a breakdown ______________ 25. 采取行动做某事______________
26. the key to... ____________ the answer to____________ the solution to...____________
27. regular and honest communication________________
28. 冷静下来_____________ 29. 从某人的角度观点出发_____________
30. think sth. _________充分考虑 31. address one’s concern ____________
32. 承认错误、认输__________ 33. stormy period _____________
34. turn out __________________ 句型：it turns/turned out that...
Extended reading
Mama and her Bank Account
①Every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the kitchen table and count out the money Papa 1.____________(bring) home.
②“For the rent.” Mama would count out the big silver pieces.
③“For the groceries.” Another group of coins.
④“I’ll need a notebook.” That would be my sister Christine, my brother Nels or me.
⑤Mama would put one or two coins to the side. We would watch with anxious interest. At last, Papa would ask, “Is that all ” And when Mama nodded, we could relax a little. Mama would look up and smile, “Good. We do not have to go to the Bank.” We were all so proud of Mama’s Bank Account. It gave us such 2._____ warm,secure feeling.
⑥When Nels graduated 3._______ grammar school, he wanted to go on to high school. “It will cost a little money,” he said.
⑦4.__________(eager) we gathered around the table. I took down a box and laid it carefully in front of Mama. This was the “Little Bank”. It was used for sudden 5.____________(emergency), such as the time 6._________ Christine broke her arm and had to be taken to a doctor.
⑧Nels listed the costs of the things 7.__________ he would need. Mama counted out the money in the Little Bank. There was not enough. “We do not want to go to the Bank,” she reminded. We all 8.________(shake) our heads.
⑨“I will work in Dillon’s grocery after school,” Nels volunteered.
⑩Mama gave him a bright smile 9._________ wrote down a number. “That’s not enough,” Papa said. Then he took his pipe out of his mouth and looked at it for a long time. “I will give up 10.__________(smoke),” he said suddenly.
(11)Mama reached across the table and touched Papa’s arm. Then she wrote 1.________ another figure.
(12)“I will look after the Elvington children every Friday night,” I said. “Christine can help me.”
(13)Now there was enough money. We all felt very good 2._________ we did not have to go downtown and draw money out of Mama’s Bank Account.
(14)So many things came out of the Little Bank that year: Christine’s dress for the school play, my little sister Dagmar’s 3.___________(operate) ... Whatever happened, we always knew we still had the Bank to depend 4._________.
(15)That was twenty years ago.
(16)Last year I 5._________(sell) my first story. When the check came, I hurried over to Mama’s 6._____ put it in her lap. “For you,” I said, “to put in your Bank Account.”
(17)I noticed for the first time how old Mama and Papa looked. Papa seemed 7._________(short), and Mama’s hair was silver now.
(18)“Tomorrow,” I told Mama, “you must take it to the Bank.”
(19)“You will go with me, Katrin ”
(20)“That won’t be necessary. Just hand it to the teller. He’ll pay it into your account.”
(21)Mama looked at me. “There is no account,” she said. “In all my life, I’ve never been inside a bank.”
(22)And when I didn’t—couldn’t—answer, Mama said 8.___________(serious), “9.______ is not good for little ones to be afraid—to not feel secure.”
(Adapted from Kathryn Fores’s Mama’s Bank Account, 10.________ has 17 short stories and describes the struggles and dreams of a family in San Francisco in the early 1900s)
Key words and phrases
count out _____________ 2. for the rent _____________
3. be proud ____=take pride ____ 为...自豪
4. bank account _____________ give an account of ________________
5. graduate _______ 从...（学校）毕业 graduate _____ 从...(专业)毕业
6. a warm, secure feeling ____________ 7. go on to high school ______________
8. gather around __________________ 9. in case of emergency ________________
10. 摇头 ________ one’s _________ 11. volunteer ________ sth. 志愿做某事
12. 写下，记下write _______= ___________________________
13. 从...中拿出某物 ___________________________
14. reach across the table ____________________ 15. go downtown _____________
16.whatever happened= ____________________ 无论发生什么事
17. draw sth. out of sth. _________________ 18. depend _________ 依赖，取决于
19. put sth. in one’s bank account ______________________________
20. for the first time _____________ 21. 把...交给 hand.... _____ ...
22. be adapted from ______________ 23. in the early 1900s __________________Unit 2 Let’s talk teens
I don’t know what “home” is, but unhappiness and worries melt away once there. ---Bing Xin
Reading Strangers under the same roof
When teenagers’ bodies and minds go through a period of rapid development, every part of their lives can be influenced. The magazine article below is about teenagers’ relationships with their parents.
Para 1
Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into a battle Have your once warm and open conversations become cold and 1.________(guard) Do you feel that you just cannot see eye to eye 2.________ them on anything You are not alone. Heated 3.___________(argue) and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents.
Para 2
Teenagers’ physical changes may result in such family tensions. You may feel anxious 4._________ you are developing at a different rate to your friends, 5.__________(shoot) up in height or getting left far behind. You might worry about your changing voice, weight problems or spots. When it all gets too much, your parents are often the first targets of your 6._________(angry).
Para 3
7.________ can be a big headache to balance your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground— no longer a small child but not quite 8._______ adult. You have both a new desire for independence 9._________ a continued need for your parents’ love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on your own. 10._____________(fortunate), your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. “Why can’t they just let me go ” you may wonder. On the other hand, when you are struggling 1.______________(control) your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patient—sometimes they forget that growing up is 2._______ rough ride. It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child 3._________ expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.
Para 4
4._________ sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can take action to improve the situation. The key to 5.___________(keep) the peace is regular and honest communication. When you disagree with your parents, take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation 6.______ their point of view. Perhaps they have experienced something similar and do not want you to go through the same pain. After you have thought it through, explain your 7.__________(act) and feelings calmly, listen carefully, and address their concerns. Through this kind of healthy discussion, you will learn when to back down and when to ask your parents to relax their control.
Para 5
Just remember that it is 8.___________(complete) normal to struggle with the stress that parent-child tensions create, and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is 9._________ this stormy period will not last. Everything will turn out all right in the end, and the changes and challenges of your teenage years will prepare you for 10.___________(adult).
Key words and phrases
go through a period of rapid development 经历一段快速发展的时期
once warm and open conversations 曾经暖心坦诚的对话
guard v. 守卫，看守 n. 警卫，卫兵 → adj.guarded
(在某事上)与某人看法一致 see eye to eye with sb on sth
一场激烈的争论a heated argument
argue with sb.about/over_sth. 为某事与某人争论/争吵
result in 导致(=lead to) 由...导致result from
家庭关系紧张family tensions 9. be/feel anxious that... 对...感到焦虑
10. at a different rate 以不同的速度 11. shoot up in height 快速长高
12. spot n. 粉刺,斑点,污渍,地点v. 注意到,发现 在现场 on the spot/scene
13. the first targets of your anger 发泄愤怒的首选目标
14. developing mental needs 日益发展的身心需求
15. 身体和心理的健康 physical and mental health
16. middle ground 中间地带 17. 对...充满渴望have a desire for
18. make decisions/make a decision 做决定 19. on one’s own 靠某人自己
20. on one hand... on the other hand一方面，另一方面
21. struggle to do sth. 努力做某事 struggle with/against sb. 与...斗争
22. you wish they could be more caring and patient 你希望他们更体贴，更有耐心
23. rough adj.艰难的,粗糙的,不确切的,大概的 →adv.roughly=in rough 光滑的smooth
24. lead to a breakdown 导致关系破裂 25. 采取行动做某事take action to do sth
26. the key to... ...的关键 the answer to......的答案 the solution to......的解决办法
27. regular and honest communication定期坦诚的沟通
28. 冷静下来calm down 29. 从某人的角度观点出发from one’s point of view
30. think sth. through 充分考虑 31. address one’s concern 打消某人的疑虑
32. 承认错误、认输 back down 33. stormy period 风暴时期
34. turn out 结果是，证明是 句型：it turns/turned out that...
Extended reading
Mama and her Bank Account
①Every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the kitchen table and count out the money Papa 1.____________(bring) home.
②“For the rent.” Mama would count out the big silver pieces.
③“For the groceries.” Another group of coins.
④“I’ll need a notebook.” That would be my sister Christine, my brother Nels or me.
⑤Mama would put one or two coins to the side. We would watch with anxious interest. At last, Papa would ask, “Is that all ” And when Mama nodded, we could relax a little. Mama would look up and smile, “Good. We do not have to go to the Bank.” We were all so proud of Mama’s Bank Account. It gave us such 2._____ warm,secure feeling.
⑥When Nels graduated 3._______ grammar school, he wanted to go on to high school. “It will cost a little money,” he said.
⑦4.__________(eager) we gathered around the table. I took down a box and laid it carefully in front of Mama. This was the “Little Bank”. It was used for sudden 5.____________(emergency), such as the time 6._________ Christine broke her arm and had to be taken to a doctor.
⑧Nels listed the costs of the things 7.__________ he would need. Mama counted out the money in the Little Bank. There was not enough. “We do not want to go to the Bank,” she reminded. We all 8.________(shake) our heads.
⑨“I will work in Dillon’s grocery after school,” Nels volunteered.
⑩Mama gave him a bright smile 9._________ wrote down a number. “That’s not enough,” Papa said. Then he took his pipe out of his mouth and looked at it for a long time. “I will give up 10.__________(smoke),” he said suddenly.
(11)Mama reached across the table and touched Papa’s arm. Then she wrote 1.________ another figure.
(12)“I will look after the Elvington children every Friday night,” I said. “Christine can help me.”
(13)Now there was enough money. We all felt very good 2._________ we did not have to go downtown and draw money out of Mama’s Bank Account.
(14)So many things came out of the Little Bank that year: Christine’s dress for the school play, my little sister Dagmar’s 3.___________(operate) ... Whatever happened, we always knew we still had the Bank to depend 4._________.
(15)That was twenty years ago.
(16)Last year I 5._________(sell) my first story. When the check came, I hurried over to Mama’s 6._____ put it in her lap. “For you,” I said, “to put in your Bank Account.”
(17)I noticed for the first time how old Mama and Papa looked. Papa seemed 7._________(short), and Mama’s hair was silver now.
(18)“Tomorrow,” I told Mama, “you must take it to the Bank.”
(19)“You will go with me, Katrin ”
(20)“That won’t be necessary. Just hand it to the teller. He’ll pay it into your account.”
(21)Mama looked at me. “There is no account,” she said. “In all my life, I’ve never been inside a bank.”
(22)And when I didn’t—couldn’t—answer, Mama said 8.___________(serious), “9.______ is not good for little ones to be afraid—to not feel secure.”
(Adapted from Kathryn Fores’s Mama’s Bank Account, 10.________ has 17 short stories and describes the struggles and dreams of a family in San Francisco in the early 1900s)
Key words and phrases
count out __数出__________ 2. for the rent ___付房租__________
3. be proud _of___=take pride _In___ 为...自豪
4. bank account __银行账户___________ give an account of 叙述说明
5. graduate from 从...（学校）毕业 graduate in 从...(专业)毕业
6. a warm, secure feeling 一种温暖安全的感觉 7. go on to high school 继续读高中__
8. gather around 围坐在...旁边____________ 9. in case of emergency 如果发生紧急情况
10. 摇头 shake one’s head___ 11. volunteer to do sth. 志愿做某事
12. 写下，记下write down= note down / put down
13. 从...中拿出某物 ____take sth. out of__
14. reach across the table （手）伸到桌子对面_ 15. go downtown 去市中心
16.whatever happened= __no matter what happened 无论发生什么事
17. draw sth. out of sth. ___提取，支取___ 18. depend ___on____ 依赖，取决于
19. put sth. in one’s bank account __把...存入某人的银行账户
20. for the first time首次
21. 把...交给 hand.... __to___ ...
22. be adapted from _____改编自_________ 23. in the early 1900s在20世纪初期
