A The whole family objected when my brother and I said we were going to spend our Christmas holidays abroad.Mother said that as there would be a family reunion party , we would have to be present at a local restaurant .Though we always enjoyed these occasions , nothing could persuade us to stay. Two days before Christmas , we went to a small town in southern Germany.We spent the whole Christmas Eve sightseeing.There was so much activity in the town that it led to our excitement. The streets were crowded with people and the shops were full of wonderful things. In the evening , we went to listen to Christmas songs sung by children and the brightly lit trees in the main square. We returned to our hotel late that night , greatly looking forward to the next day when we planned to have a meal at the best restaurant in town.But in the morning the streets were deserted.To make matters worse , all the shops , including the restaurants , were shut. We returned to our hotel , feeling very miserable.All we had was a bag of fruit which my brother had happened to buy the day before.Our thoughts sadly turned to our hometown. A t that moment , the whole family must have been wishing us a “ Merry Christmas ” . 1. Where did the writer and his brother plan to spend their Christmas holidays? A. At home with the whole family. B. They would go abroad with their family. C. They would spend their Christmas holidays abroad. D. They were going to join in the family reunion party. 2. What's the writer's nationality? A. America. B. English. C. Germany. D. We don't know 3. How did the writer and his brother spend their Christmas Eve? A. They spent the whole day listening to Christmas songs. B. They went shopping. C. They spent the whole day sightseeing. D. They went to the main square. 4. From the passage , we know that in the writer's motherland , shops and restaurants ______ on Christmas Day. A. don't open B. close C. are not shut D. shut B Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers. But last summer , Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son : suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents. “ The door to his room is always shut , ” Joanna noted. Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14­year­old daughter. “ She used to cuddle up( 蜷伏 )with me on the sofa and talk , ” said Mark. “ Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something.Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. ” Before age 11 , children like to tell their parents what's on their minds. “ In fact , parents are first on the list , ” said Michael Riera , author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers . “ This completely changes during the teen years , ” Riera explained. “ They talk to their friends first , then maybe their teachers , their parents ” Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them.To break down the wall of silence , parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say , and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break , for children also need freedom.Another , parents should remember is that to be a friend , not a manager . 5. “ The door to his room is always shut ” suggests that the son______. A. is always busy with his studies B. doesn't want to be disturbed C. keeps himself away from his parents D. begins to dislike his parents 6. What troubles Tina and Mark most is that ______. A. their daughter isn't as lovely as before B. they can't read their daughter's mind exactly C. they don't know what to say to their daughter D. their daughter talks with them only when she needs help 7. Which of the following best explains “ the wall of silence ” in the last paragraph? A. Teenagers talk a lot with their parents. B. Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. C. Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. D. Teenagers talk a little about their own lives. 8. What can be learned from the passage? A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children. B. Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers. C. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. D. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.