Best books for 12 to 14-year-olds
Mortal Engines
Author: Philip Reeve
Publisher: Scholastic
London is on the move again: the city searches the world for resources on wheels, eating smaller towns. But when he is thrown off the city, young hero Tom is soon forced to reexamine life as he knows it.
Set in a futuristic (科幻性的) background, this imaginative story is a combination of action and adventure. The book has won the Blue Peter Book Award.
Coram Boy
Author: Jamila Gavin
Publisher: Egmont
Toby's and Aaron's lives are linked by the Coram Man, who collects unwanted children from across the country, supposedly to send them to a safe new life. In reality, the man sells the children into slavery (奴役). Soon, Toby and Aaron find themselves united on a journey, filled with danger and excitement.
Rich with historical detail, this book provides an important insight into the 1750s society. It was a winner of the Whitbread Children's Book Award.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Publisher: Red Fox
Seen through the eyes of Christopher, a mathematical genius and Sherlock Holmes fan, this novel begins with the discovery of a dead dog on a neighbor's lawn (草坪). In his search to discover the identity of the killer, Christopher uncovers some information about his own family and he starts a journey to London to find his mother.
Watership Down
Author: Richard Adams
Publisher: Penguin
Young rabbit Fiver believes that a great disaster is about to strike the place where he lives—but no one will listen to him. At last he manages to ask a few brave rabbits to leave before it's too late. Hunted by dogs and foxes, their journey is a dangerous one—but the rabbits can still dream of a peaceful and safe new life at Watership Down. This book won both the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Carnegie Medal.
Getting to Antarctica is not easy. The few who are lucky enough to visit this most mysterious continent do so by ship. To reach Antarctica, ships must pass through an extremely violent area of ocean called the Drake Passage, considered to be the roughest stretch of sea on the planet.
Walls of water thirty, sometimes forty feet high continually crashed against our ship for two solid days. We would hold on to a rope inside the ship while being violently tipped (倾斜) to one extreme side, then to the other, and then back again. My daughter Claire and I were as mentally prepared as we could be.
About two and a half days after entering the Drake Passage the waters calmed. Soon, we noticed small black spots on nearby pieces of floating ice. Emperor penguins (企鹅)! Then, we began the two-mile hike over the ice to the penguin colony. Within several hundred yards, small groups of emperors, perhaps ten or so at a time, greeted us, sliding on their bellies and making their wonderful noises, sort of a long, high-pitched sound.
One day two adult emperors with their three chicks following them approached Claire, who was resting on the ice. They left the chicks with her, as if she were the babysitter. Twenty minutes later they returned to collect the chicks. And I will never forget the penguin that, when I jokingly asked which way back to the helicopters, pointed a wing in the correct direction. Every night aboard our safe and warm ship, we thought about what it takes to survive in Antarctica, an incredibly harsh (恶劣的) place.
But each day on the ice, we also thought about the Drake Passage, the impact of the large body of water we had to endure to get where we were. Over the course of our visit, we came to respect the power of that sea. We still talk about the penguins, as I'm sure we always will. But we talk about the Drake Passage, too. Both experiences were unforgettable, an one would not have been possible without the other.
Portia Kapraun has always seen unwelcome ads on Twitter, usually from major brands pitching (竭力推销) her expensive jewelry or vehicles that she, as a librarian in Indiana, could not afford. Ms. Kapraun was not interested. But she soon saw the ads again. And again. And again. "These feel like low-end ads," she said. In a shaky advertising market in an uncertain economy, ads that few people want to see suddenly seem to be everywhere.
Advancements in digital advertising technology were meant to improve users' experience. People interested in shoes are intended to get ads for sneakers and boots, not repeated pitches promoting gold investments. And the technology is supposed to remove misleading or dangerous pitches. But lately, on several platforms, the opposite seems to be happening for a variety of reasons, including a slowdown in the overall digital ad market. As numerous deep-pocketed marketers have pulled back, and the softer market has led several digital platforms to lower their ad pricing, opportunities have opened up for less demanding advertisers.
Advertising experts agree that poor-quality ads appear to be increasing greatly. They point to a variety of potential causes: internal troubles at technology companies, weak content moderation (审核), and high-level advertisers seeking other choices. Then, there's the economy: A recent survey of 43 multinational companies representing more than $44 billion in advertising spending found that nearly 30 percent planned to cut back on their marketing spending last year.
Other factors are also contributing to lower advertising quality. Social media advertising, once only practiced by specialists, is now easily available to anyone. Many of them are avoiding targeted ads — placements intended to reach specific audiences, usually at a higher cost — in favor of a cheaper spray-and-pray (广撒网式的) approach online, hoping to catch the attention of gullible (容易受骗的) or bored shoppers. Major social media platforms are now like "a mall that used to be good", Corey Richardson, vice president at a multicultural ad company, says. "But now there's no longer a mall there—it's just a calendar store and a place sling beepers (传呼机). "
Both Roberto and Keith have a 45-minute commute(通勤) time from their homes to their workplace. When Roberto drives, he has realistic expectations of how others drive and how long the trip should take. Overall, he is able to adapt to any unexpected challenges he may face on the road. He rarely becomes angry. By contrast, Keith drives with a tendency for becoming angry easily, partly due to unrealistic expectations of other drivers, his quickness to personalize and feel threatened by the actions of others, and his inability to calm his anger.
The difference between how Roberto and Keith experience their drive to work, especially with regard to getting angry, is influenced very much by their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is crucial for helping individuals choose constructive over destructive anger. A key aspect of healthy anger is being able to pause and reflect on, rather than react to, our thoughts, feelings, and senses associated with getting angry.
Self-regulation and empathy(同理心) are two important components of emotional intelligence, which can be a buffer(缓冲) against destructive anger. Self-regulation helps us to control our moods. Empathy helps us to recognize the humanity in others and ourselves.
Studies suggest that training in emotional intelligence can powerfully impact how anger is managed. This was supported by a three-year study of 476 young adults who showed reduced tendency of becoming angry after training. Children and adults can learn skills to boost their emotional intelligence and, by doing so, develop adaptability for dealing with various negative affect, including anger. Many workbooks offer skills in emotional intelligence to promote empathy and self-awareness regarding emotions and how they impact our beliefs and behavior.
Clearly, through training, Keith would experience greater emotional flexibility that could support a more peaceful commute to work. I firmly believe that learning skills in emotional intelligence should be the focus in helping individuals more constructively manage this highly challenging and complex emotion.
Does the happiness of parents play a role in shaping the overall happiness of their children? Scientific studies have shed light on the far-reaching connection between parental happiness and the positive development of kids. It seems that parental happiness has an important influence on the emotional, social, and cognitive (认知的) development of children. If they know their mental and emotional happiness has an impact on their children, perhaps it can motivate them to view it as part of being a good parent.
For example, they can join in activities that bring them joy and satisfaction. This could include hobbies, exercise, pursuing personal goals, or taking time for relaxation. When parents improve their own happiness, they can better support their children's happiness.
Another great idea is sharing experiences and creating many memories together. The idea is twofold. At the same time, the shared experiences and showing their children how happy they are to do something they love can be incredibly valuable as well.
One of the main aspects of being happy parents is feeling comfortable, confident and able to be themselves, despite their new status and huge responsibility. Honestly, when parents prioritize their own happiness, it has positive effects on the overall happiness of the family.
When parents put their own happiness first, they become role models for their kids. They see the importance of self-care, pursuing passions and maintaining healthy relationships. So, parents should accept their uniqueness, enjoying life!
A. However, part of being responsible is being honest.
B. They are passing on some major life skills and attitudes.
C. They may lose a bit of their sense of self when caring for children.
D. Parents can adopt practical ways to enhance their own happiness.
E. A joyful and harmonious family environment benefits everyone involved.
F. This can happen when parents prioritize their own happiness according to Inc.
G. Firstly, the parents continue to be themselves and do something they love.
The wind and rain made it feel like a cold December day. I walked as fast as possible to the arena(运动场). When I got inside, it was 1 cold, and I was grateful that I'd 2 to wear much clothing. Then a voice called out, "Hi, Fran."
It was nice to see Lindy and Pippa-they were braving the 3 to help here, too. The arena was 4 . The nickering(嘶叫)of horses mixed with children's laughter. Volunteers led horses while parents tended to their children with 5 needs, preparing them for their riding lesson.
I couldn't help 6 . These children all faced daily mental and physical 7 , and their parents' love was 8 . Just the tiniest sign of 9 —a child managing a simple exercise—was a major 10 for the instructor, parent and child.
I realized why I came to this place. It was for the 11 of the children. Though the volunteer work here is extremely tiring, so many people 12 give their time because the children need us. These children have different 13 of mental or physical disabilities. Riding strengthens their muscles and bones, 14 them to enjoy a more fruitful life.
That day, as those children 15 me from atop their horses and smiled, my heart was filled with warmth. I was warm from the inside out.
A Stone Age bird sculpture (cover) in China could be a "missing link" in our understanding of prehistoric art. (date) back almost 13,500 years, the sculpture is now the oldest known example of three-dimensional art in East Asia.
Described being in "an exceptional state of preservation," the sculpture was found at an archeological site in Lingjing, Henan Province. It was hand-carved from burned animal bone. Researchers say the sculpture depicts (刻画) a bird on a base, pointing to deliberate marks the creature's eyes and bill (嘴) would be. It is believed that the bird's oversized tail was made (prevent) the sculpture from leaning forward when (lay) on a surface. This discovery identifies a(n) (origin) artistic tradition and pushes back by more than 8,500 years the representation of birds in Chinese art. The sculpture differs (technology) and stylistically from other sculptures found in Western Europe and Siberia, and it could be the missing link tracing the origin of Chinese statues back to the early part of the Stone Age. Li Zhanyang, who led study, has contributed to other archeological findings in Lingjing, including various ancient (tool) and two skulls belonging to an extinct species of early humans.
As the late afternoon sun beat down on his farm in Missouri last May, Brandon finished feeding his cows and decided to go home. As they often did, his two sons, Louie, 7, and Everett, 5, followed closely.
As they headed for the house, the two boys ran ahead of their father, who stopped to close the gate. Louie paused at a board covering an old well. The board had, over time, become easily broken. When Louie stepped on it, it caved in and he fell into the well. Brandon had just close the door when he heard a cry for help. He turned around and found his younger son Everett standing alone beside the well, pointing to it and screaming.
Brandon quickly realized what had happened. "No, Louie can barely swim," he panicked, his mind almost going blank. However, he knew he should calm down. He ran to the well and heard Louie hitting the water. Without thinking, he jumped in. Somehow, Brandon managed to grab on to a pipe that ran down the side of the well. He hit the cold water at the bottom of the well and lifted Louie up as he stuck his own legs and back against the narrow walls for support. "All right, Dad, we can climb out now," Louie said.
If only it were that easy!
The pipe that he'd grabbed during his fall was too slippery to be of any use. There was only one way out. Looking up to see Everett looking down at them, Brandon shouted, "Everett, you're going to have to be a big boy and save us. Run to the road and stand by the mailbox until someone stops. Tell them we need help. And Everett, stay off the road."
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡
相应位置作答。
Everett did as he was told.
The couple hurried to the well with Everett.
