1、Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 1 1 Book 1 Unit 2 Reading 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. Before you read the article, think about t
2、he following questions: What physical and mental changes do you experience as you become a teenager? How do you deal with them? What do you think “strangers under the same roof” means? Strangers under the same roof? Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into a battle? Have your once warm
3、and open conversations become cold and guarded? Do you feel that you just cannot see eye to eye with them on anything? You are not alone. Heated arguments and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents. Teenagers physical changes may result in such family tensions. You may feel anx
4、ious that you are developing at a different rate to your friends, shooting 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 anger. It can be a big headache to bala
5、nce your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground 5 10 15 Reading 17 no longer a small child but not quite an adult. You have both a new desire for independence and a continued need for your parents love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on y
6、our own. Unfortunately, your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. Why cant they just let me go? you may wonder. On the other hand, when you are struggling to control your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patientsometimes they forget that growing up is a rough
7、ride. It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child but expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship. Although sometimes it may seem impossible to get along as a family, you can take action to improve the situation. The key to keeping the p
8、eace is regular and honest communication. When you disagree with your parents, take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation from 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,
9、explain your actions 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. Just remember that it is completely normal to struggle with the stress that parent-ch
10、ild tensions create, and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is that 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 Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1
11、 2 2 you for adulthood. Extended reading Read the short story about a mothers love for her children. Mama and her bank account Every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the kitchen table and count out the money Papa had brought home. For the rent. Mama would count out the big silver pieces. For th
12、e groceries. Another group of coins. Ill need a notebook. That would be my sister Christine, my brother Nels or me. Mama 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
13、up and smile, Good. We do not have to go to the Bank. We were all so proud of Mamas Bank Account. It gave us such a warm, secure feeling. When Nels graduated from grammar school, he wanted to go on to high school. It will cost a little money, he said. Eagerly we gathered around the table. I took dow
14、n a box and laid it carefully in front of Mama. This was the Little Bank. It was used for sudden emergencies, such as the time when Christine broke her arm and had to be taken to a doctor. Nels listed the costs of the things he would need. Mama counted out the money in the Little Bank. There was not
15、 enough. We do not want to go to the Bank, she reminded. We all shook our heads. I will work in Dillons grocery after school, Nels volunteered. Mama gave him a bright smile and wrote down a number. Thats not enough, Papa said. Then he took his pipe out of his mouth and looked at it for a long time.
16、I will give up smoking, he said suddenly. Mama reached across the table and touched Papas arm. Then she wrote down another figure. I will look after the Elvington children every Friday night, I said. Christine can help me. Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 3 3 Now there was enough money. We all felt
17、very good because we did not have to go downtown and draw money out of Mamas Bank Account. So many things came out of the Little Bank that year: Christines dress for the school play, my little sister Dagmars operation . Whatever happened, we always knew we still had the Bank to depend upon. That was
18、 twenty years ago. Last year I sold my first story. When the check came, I hurried over to Mamas and put it in her lap. For you, I said, to put in your Bank Account. I noticed for the first time how old Mama and Papa looked. Papa seemed shorter, and Mamas hair was silver now. Tomorrow, I told Mama,
19、you must take it to the Bank. You will go with me, Katrin? That wont be necessary. Just hand it to the teller. Hell pay it into your account. Mama looked at me. There is no account, she said. In all my life, Ive never been inside a bank. And when I didntcouldntanswer, Mama said seriously, It is not
20、good for little ones to be afraidto not feel secure. (Adapted from Kathryn Forbess Mamas Bank Account, which has 17 short stories and describes the struggles and dreams of a family in San Francisco in the early 1900s) Translation Unit 2l Reading 最熟悉的陌生人? 每天的家庭晚餐幻化成激烈战斗？热情开朗的谈话蜕变成冷淡警惕？无论什么事情 都夏虫语冰？其实
21、大家都一样。青少年和父母之间，无论是激烈争论，还是冷面以 对，都并不少见。 这种家庭紧张气氛有可能是由青少年的身体变化引发的。你可能因为发育速度和朋 Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 4 4 友不同而焦虑不安，比方个子窜得太快或比别人矮半个头；你也可能因变声情况， 体重问题或者长了雀斑而担心不已。如果此类变化经历太多，父母往往就成为你倾 泻怒火的首要人选。 在发育过程中，如何平衡你的精神需求也会让你头痛不已。你进入了奇怪的进退维 谷状态-你已经不是小孩了，却又还不是大人。你既渴望独立，又需要父母的关爱 支持。你觉得自己已经准备好担负起更多责任、做出自我决定。可惜
22、你的父母并不 完全这么想，所以你感到相当郁闷。 为什么他们就不能放手呢？“你百思不得其解。 你努力地抑制自己情绪，同时又希望父母能有更多的关心和耐心-他们有时忘记了 成长的坎坷艰辛。父母把你当孩子看，却又期待你处事像个大人。所以你们的关系 产生了裂痕。 尽管有时候你觉得再无法与父母亲如家人，但是可以采取行动来改善这种状况。和 平相处的关键是要定期进行开诚布公的沟通。和父母意见不一的时候，不妨冷静一 分钟，试着设身处地地考虑下情形。说不定他们有过前车之鉴，所以不想让你重蹈 覆辙呢。等考虑周全了，你再心平气和地解释你的所思所想，同时要仔细倾听，解 决他们的心中疑虑。这样的健康讨论能让你学会何时做出
23、让步，何时要求他们放松 管控。 记住，亲子关系紧张会造成压力，与这种压力作斗争是完全正常的，你和你的父母 可以携手努力，改善关系。好在这场暴风骤雨不会长久。一切终将回归正常，青少 年时代的变化和困苦能让你有备无患地迎接成年时代。 （译者：黄一竹， CATTI certificated translator） Extended reading 妈妈和她的银行账户妈妈和她的银行账户 每个礼拜六晚上，妈妈都会坐在餐桌边，数一数爸爸带回家的钱。 Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 5 5 这些交房租。妈妈点出一些大面额银币。 这些买杂货。又点出一堆硬币。 我要买笔记本。说
24、话的是我的妹妹克里斯汀，要么是我哥哥内尔斯，要么是我。 我们兴致勃勃地看着妈妈在桌边放上一两个硬币。最后爸爸会问：都算好了吧？ 妈妈点点头，我们都舒了一口气。妈妈抬起头，微笑着说，挺好。不用去银行取钱 了。妈妈的银行账户是我们的骄傲。让我们感觉那么温暖，那么有安全感。 内尔斯从文法学校毕业了，他想继续读高中。他说：这要稍微花点钱了。 我们急切地围在餐桌边。我小心翼翼地把一个小盒子放在妈妈面前。这就是我们的 小银行。 小银行的钱用于处置突发的紧急状况， 例如有次克里斯汀摔断了手臂要去 看医生，就动用了小银行。 内尔斯列出了上学需要的费用。妈妈把小银行的钱都清点出来。不够。 我们可不 想去银行取钱
25、。 妈妈提醒道。我们都点了点头。 我每天放学后去狄龙的杂货店打工，内尔斯自告奋勇。 妈妈给了他一个灿烂的微笑，随即写了个数字。 不够，爸爸说着，然后把烟斗从 嘴边拿了下来，端详了好一会。 我把烟戒了，他突然冒出一句。 妈妈伸出手，隔着桌子摸了摸爸爸的胳膊。然后又写下一个数字。 我每个礼拜五晚上去艾文顿家， 帮忙照顾孩子。 我说道， 克里斯汀做我的帮手。 这下钱够了。 我们大家都深感欣慰， 因为我们不用进城从妈妈的银行帐户中取钱了。 那一年，小银行解决了好多事情：克里斯汀学校演出的服装，小妹达格玛的手术 不管发生什么事情，我们始终知道，有妈妈的银行做我们的靠山。 二十年过去了。 Unit 2 L
26、ets talk teens of Book 1 6 6 去年我卖出了我的第一篇小说。支票刚到，我就匆匆来到妈妈家，把它放在妈妈的 腿上。我对她说：给你，你存到你的银行帐户里去吧。 我第一次注意到，爸爸妈妈看起来那么的苍老。爸爸没以前高了，妈妈也已是满头 白发。 “你明天得把支票送银行去。 我对妈妈说。 你是不是跟我一起去，卡特琳？ 不用我去。你只要把支票交给柜员就好了。他会把钱转进你的银行帐户。 妈妈看了看我，说：我哪有什么账户，我这辈子都没去过银行。 我没有回答（我也不知道怎么回答） 。只听妈妈认真地说：不能让小孩子感到害怕， 感到不安全。那样不好。 （译者：黄一竹， CATTI cert
27、ificated translator） （改编自凯思琳福布斯的妈妈的银行帐户 ，此书收录了17部短篇小说，描述了十八世纪初期，一家人在 旧金山的奋斗与梦想） Answer key Unit 2 Lets talk teens Welcome to the unit (Sample answers) 1 Mother Bird has mixed feelings about her baby. On the one hand, she is very protective of her baby. On the other hand, she understands that when he
28、r baby has grown up she will have to give it more freedom. However, she will always be there for her baby. 2 There is a Chinese poem called Youziyin (Song of the Parting Son), written by Meng Jiao. It also describes a mothers deep love for her son, who is leaving home. The poem goes like this: A thr
29、ead in one hand of the loving mother, A dress of the parting son in the other. Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 7 7 She sews stitch by stitch: his departures near, For fear that he wont be home in many a year. Who can tell, how much should the son impart To well reward the loving mothers heart? (Tra
30、nslated by Gu Danke) 3 My parents give me unconditional love. They love me for who I am. They always have confidence in me. They never lose their temper with me, even when I do not perform well at school. They only tell me that I have let them down, and offer me some advice. Reading (Sample answers)
31、 As I become a teenager, I get taller and stronger and start to look like an adult. But sometimes I feel shy about how I look, because I look different from my friends. Mentally, I feel more independent in what I do, like making my own decisions. Consequently, I prefer to spend more time with my fri
32、ends but my parents may get angry with me. In this case, I would speak to my parents so that they understand how I feel. I think it means that parents and teenagers feel as if they do not know each other very well anymore even though they have lived together in the same house for many years. This of
33、ten happens when children become teenagers because the way they look, think and do things changes. Parents sometimes do not understand or accept these changes easily and teens become angry with their parents. A Understanding the text A1 Cause 1: Teenagers physical growth may result in such family te
34、nsions. Cause 2: Teenagers developing mental needs can also influence parent-child relationships. Solution: Teenagers should have regular and honest communication with their parents. Conclusion: Everything will turn out all right in the end. A2 1 Their changing voice, weight problems or spots. 2 The
35、 state of being no longer a small child but not quite an adult. 3 Teenagers feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on their own, but their parents do not always agree. 4 When teenagers disagree with their parents, they should take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situati
36、on from their parents point of view. After they have thought it through, they should explain their actions and feelings calmly, listen carefully and address their parents concerns. A3 (Sample answers) 1 The author believes parent-child tensions are natural and unavoidable. He argues that the two cau
37、ses of these tensions are the physical and mental changes that teenagers go through. Although the changes can be stressful, the author thinks that teenagers and their parents can get along better by communicating with each other. He believes that everything will be fine in the end. 2 I feel the same
38、 way. Sometimes I wish my parents would treat me like an adult and give me the freedom to make my own decisions. However, when I experience difficulties or setbacks, I would also like their encouragement and comforting words. This makes me feel loved and gives me the courage to keep going. 3 Parents
39、 may worry about their childrens performance at school. If children fail to get good grades, their parents might start to be stricter, believing they are not doing their best. This in turn makes their children upset. Parents may also worry that their children are not making the right friends. As a r
40、esult, they might ask a lot of questions Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 8 8 about their childrens friends, such as where they are going and what they are doing together. This can make their children feel like they are not trusted. B Building your language B1 1 struggle 3 normal 5 argument 7 calmed
41、 down 2 anxious 4 concern 6 stress 8 go through B2 (Sample answers) Adjectives -ce independence, importance -ty/-ity honesty, reality, ability, safety, difficulty Nouns -hood adulthood, childhood -ship relationship, membership, leadership, friendship Verbs -ment argument, movement, agreement, manage
42、ment, development, enjoyment -tion/-sion communication, conclusion -th growth, warmth B3 (Sample answer) Do your parents always let you know they are proud of you? Do they always stand by you no matter what decisions you make? Do they love you the way you are? Grammar and usage A Exploring the rules
43、 Simple sentences 2, 3, 4, 6 Compound sentences 5, 8, 13 Complex sentences 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Working out the rules 1 and 2 but B Applying the rules B1 1 Your password should be at least eight characters long because this makes it difficult to guess. 2 Posts should not give out personal information
44、 and they should not include advertisements. 3 Describe your problems clearly so other people can understand them easily. 4 The experts will reply to you as soon as/when/once they see your posts. 5 Let us know what you think of our forum. B2 1 because 3 why 5 but 7 how 2 unless 4 that 6 If 8 and B3
45、Teresa: Hi Mum! Can we please talk? Mother: Sure, dear. Whats the matter? Unit 2 Lets talk teens of Book 1 9 9 Teresa: Mum, Im not happy. Mother: Why, tell me what is bothering you and we can fix it together. Teresa: Well, you and Dad always compare me to my friends and feel that Im not good enough.
46、 I try very hard to make you both proud of me, but it seems like the harder I try, the more you expect from me. Mother: Oh my dear! Im so sorry! We didnt know that you feel this way. Your dad and I want you to be successful so that you can have a bright future. However, if you feel anxious, we will
47、try to be less demanding. Teresa: That sounds great, Mum! I think we should chat with Dad when he gets home and together we can work out a plan that we will all be happy with. What do you think? Mother: You are a very smart girl, Teresa. Im proud of you for speaking to me about your problem and I ag
48、ree with your suggestion. I love you. Teresa: I love you too, Mum. Integrated skills A Rebeccas problem She wants her mother to pay less attention to her grades. Simons problem He feels lonely because his parents do not spend much time with him. Lauras problem Her parents protect her too much. B1 1
49、value her effort 2 high hopes for 3 relaxation 4 patient 5 tiring B2 1 Talk to 4 do well at school 7 enjoy music 2 your feelings 5 meet in the middle 8 Put yourself 3 a good time 6 your interests 9 go out with your friends C (Sample answer) Laura: Cynthia, my parents always want to know what Im doin
50、g and where I am every minute of the day. Its really upsetting because I want more freedom. What do you think I should do? Cynthia: Laura, I understand that youre unhappy. Its normal for someone your age to feel that way. But its parents job to protect their child from harm. I think you can try look
