八下英语课文

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Unit4Whydon’tyoutalktoyourparents?3a

DearMr.Hunt,

MyproblemisIcan’tgetonwithmyfamily.Relationsbetweenmyparentshavebecomedifficult.Theyfightalot,andIreallydon’tlikeit.It’stheonlycommunicationtheyhave.Idon’tknowifIshouldsayanythingtothemaboutthis.Whentheyargue,it’slikeabig,blackcloudhangingoverourhome.Also,myelderbrotherisnotverynicetome.HealwaysrefusestoletmewatchmyfavoriteTVshow.Insteadhewatcheswhateverhewantsuntillateatnight.Idon’tthinkthisisfair.AthomeIalwaysfeellonelyandnervous.Isthatnormal?WhatcanIdo?

SadandThirteen

DearSadandThirteen,

It’snoteasybeingyourage,andit’snormaltohavethesefeelings.Whydon’tyoutalkaboutthesefeelingswithyourfamily?Ifyourparentsarehavingproblems,youshouldoffertohelp.Maybeyoucoulddomorejobsaroundthehousesothattheyhavemoretimeforpropercommunication.Secondly,whydon’tyousitdownandcommunicatewithyourbrother?Youshouldexplainthatyoudon’tmindhimwatchingTVallthetime.However,heshouldletyouwatchyourfavoriteshow.Ihopeyou’llfeelbetteraboutyourselfinfuture.

RobertHunt

MaybeYouShouldLearntoRelax!

Thesedays,Chinesechildrenaresometimesbusieronweekendsthanweekdaysbecausetheytotakesomanyafter-schoolclasses.Manyofthemarelearningexamskillssothattheycangetintoagoodhighschoolandlateragooduniversity.Othersarepracticingsportssothattheycancompeteandwin.However,thisdoesn’tonlyhappeninChina.TheTaylorsareatypicalAmericanfamily.LifeforCathyTaylor’sthreechildrenisverybusy.”Onmostdaysafterschool,”Cathysays,“Itakeoneofmytwoboystobasketballpracticeandmydaughtertofootballtraining.ThenIhavetotakemyothersontopianolessons.MaybeIcouldcutoutafewoftheiractivities,butIbelievetheseactivitiesareimportantformychildren’sfuture.Ireallywantthemtobesuccessful.”However,thetiredchildrendon’tgethomeuntilafter7:00p.m.Theyhaveaquickdinner,andthenit’stimeforhomework.

LindaMiller,amotherofthree,knowsallaboutsuchstress.“Insomefamilies,competitionstartsveryyoungandcontinuesuntilthekidsgetolder,”shesays.“Motherssendtheirsmallkidstoallkindsofclasses.Andtheyarealwayscomparingthemwithotherchildren.It’scrazy.Idon’tthinkthat’sfair.Whydon’ttheyjustlettheirkidsbekids?Peopleshouldn’tpushtheirkidssohard.”

Doctorssaytoomuchpressureisnotgoodforachild’sdevelopment.Dr.AliceGreensaysalltheseactivitiescancausealotofstressforchildren.“Kidsshouldhavetimetorelaxandthinkforthemselves,too.Althoughit’snormaltowantsuccessfulchildren,it’sevenmoreimportanttohavehappychildren.”

Unit3Couldyoupleasecleanyourroom?3a

DearSir,

Idon’tunderstandwhysomeparentsmaketheirkidshelpwithhouseworkandchoresathome.Kidsthesedaysalreadyhaveenoughstressfromschool.Theydon’thavetimetostudyanddohousework,too.Houseworkisawasteoftheirtime.Couldwejustletthemdotheirjobasstudents?Theyshouldspendtheirtimeonschoolworkinordertogetgoodgradesandgetintoagooduniversity.Also,whentheygetolder,theywillhavetodohouseworksothere’snoneedforthemtodoitnow.Itistheparents’jobtoprovideacleanandcomfortableenvironmentathomefortheirchildren.Andanyway,Ithinkdoingchoresisnotsodifficult.Idon’tminddoingthem.

Mr.Smith

DearSir,

Ithinkitisimportantforchildrentolearnhowtodochoresandhelptheirparentswithhousework.It’snotenoughtojustgetgoodgradesatschool.Childrenthesedaysdependontheirparentstoomuch.They’realwaysasking,“Couldyougetthisforme?”or“Couldyouhelpmewiththat?”Doingchoreshelpstodevelopchildren’sindependenceandteachesthemhowtolookafterthemselves.Italsohelpsthemtounderstandtheideaoffairness.Sincetheyliveinonehousewiththeirparents,theyshouldknowthateveryoneshoulddotheirpartinkeepingitcleanandtidy.Ourneighbor’ssongotintoagoodcollegebutduringhisfirstyear,hehadnoideahowtotakecareofhimself.Asaresult,heoftenfellillandhisgradesdropped.Theearlierkidslearntobeindependent,thebetteritisfortheirfuture.

Ms.Miller

3aReadthestoryandanswerthequestion.

1.WhywasNancy’smomangrywithNancy?

2.Didtheysolvetheproblem?How?

Lastmonth,ourdogwelcomedmewhenIcamehomefromschool.Hewantedawalk,butIwastootired.

Ithrewdownmybagandwenttothelivingroom.TheminuteIsatdowninfrontoftheTV,mymomcameover.“Couldyoupleasetakethedogforawalk?”sheasked.

“CouldIwatchoneshowfirst?”Iasked.“NO!”sherepliedangrily.“YouwatchTVallthetimeandneverhelpoutaroundthehouse!Ican’tworkalldayanddohouseworkallevening.”

“Well,Iworkalldayatschool,too!I’mjustastiredasyouare!”Ishoutedback.

Mymomdidnotsayanythingandwalkedaway.Foroneweek,shedidnotdoanyhouseworkandneitherdidI.Finally,Icouldnotfindacleandishoracleanshirt.

Thenextday,mymomcamehomefromworktofindthehousecleanandtidy.

“Whathappened?”sheaskedinsurprise.

“I’msosorry,Mom.Ifinallyunderstandthatweneedtosharethehouseworktohaveacleanandcomfortablehome,”Ireplied.

Unit5Whatwereyoudoingwhentherainstormcame?

TheStormBroughtPeopleCloserTogether

BencouldhearstrongwindsoutsidehishomeinAlabama.Blackcloudsweremakingtheskyverydark.Withnolightoutside,itfeltlikemidnight.ThenewsonTVreportedthataheavyrainstormwasinthearea.

Everyoneintheneighborhoodwasbusy.Ben’sdadwasputtingpiecesofwoodoverthewindowswhilehismomwasmakingsuretheflashlightsandradiowereworking.Shealsoputsomecandlesandmatchesonthetable.

Benwashelpinghismommakedinnerwhentherainbegantobeatheavilyagainstthewindows.Afterdinner,theytriedtoplayacardgame,butitwashardtohavefunwithaseriousstormhappeningoutside.

Bencouldnotsleepatfirst.Hefinallyfellasleepwhenthewindwasdyingdownataround3:00a.m.Whenhewokeup,thesunwasrising.Hewentoutsidewithhisfamilyandfoundtheneighborhoodinamess.Fallentrees,brokenwindowsandrubbishwereeverywhere.Theyjoinedtheneighborstohelpcleanuptheneighborhoodtogether.Althoughthestormbrokemanythingsapart,itbroughtfamiliesandneighborsclosertogether.

DoYouRememberWhatYouWereDoing?

Peopleoftenrememberwhattheyweredoingwhentheyheardthenewsofimportanteventsinhistory.InAmerica,forexample,manypeoplerememberwhattheyweredoingonApril4,1968.ThiswasanimportanteventinAmericanhistory.Onthisday,Dr.MartinLutherKingwaskilled.Althoughsomepeoplemaynotrememberwhokilledhim,theyrememberwhattheyweredoingwhentheyheardthenews.

RobertAllenisnowover50,buthewasaschoolpupilatthatt