八年级下课文

Unit32bDearSir,Idonotunderstandwhysomeparentsmaketheirkidshelpwithhouseworkandchoresathome，Kidsthesedaysalreadyhaveenoughstressfromschool.Theydonothavetimetostudyanddohousework,too.Houseworkisawasteoftheirtime.Couldwejustletthemdotheirjobasstudents?Theyshouldspendtheirtimeonschoolworkinordertogetgoodgradesandgetintoagooduniversity.Also,whentheygetolder,theywillhavetodohouseworksothereisnoneedforthemtodoitnow.Itistheparents'jobtoprovideacleanandcomfortableenvironmentathomefortheirchildren.andanyway,Ithinkdoingchoresisnotsodifficult.Idonotminddoingthem.Ms.MillerDearSir,Ithinkitisimportantforchildrentolearnhowtodochoresandhelptheirparentswithhousework.Itisnotenoughtojustgetgoodgradesatschool.Childrenthesedaysdependontheirparentstoomuch.Theyarealwaysasking,Couldyougetthisforme?orCouldyouhelpmewiththat?Doingchoreshelpstodevelopchildren'sindependenceandteachesthemhowtolookafterthemselves.Italsohelpsthemtounderstandtheideaoffairness.Sincetheyliveinonehousewiththeirparents,theyshouldknowthateveryoneshoulddotheirpartinkeepingitcleanandtidy.Ourneighbors'songotintoagoodcollegebutduringhisfirstyear,hehadnoideahowtotakecareofhimself.Asaresult,heoftenfellillandhisgradesdropped.Theearlierkidslearntobeindependent,thebetteritisfortheirfuture.Mr.SmithUnit43aDearMr.Hunt,MyproblemisthatIcan’tgetonwithmyfamily.Relationsbetweenmyparentshavebecomedifficult.Theyfightalot,andIreallydon'tlikeit.It'stheonlycommunicationtheyhave.Idon'tknowifIshouldsayanythingtothemaboutthis.Whentheyargue,it'slikeabig,blackcloudhangingoverourhome.Also,myelderbrotherisnotverynicetome.HealwaysrefusestoletmewatchmyfavoriteTVshow.Insteadhewatcheswhateverhewantsuntillateatnight.Idon'tthinkthisisfair.AthomeIalwaysfeellonelyandnervous.Isthatnormal?WhatcanIdo?SadandThirteendearSadandThirteen,It'snoteasybeingyourage,andit'snormaltohavethesefeelings.Whydon'tyoutalkaboutthesefeelingswithyourfamily?Ifyourparentsarehavingproblems,youshouldoffertohelp.Maybeyoucoulddomorejobsaroundthehousesothattheyhavemoretimeforpropercommunication.Secondly,whydon'tyousitdownandcommunicatewithyourbrother?Youshouldexplainthatyoudon'tmindhimwatchingTVallthetime.However,heshouldletyouwatchyourfavoriteshow.Ihopethingswillbebetterforyousoon.RobertHunt2bMaybeyoushouldlearntorelax！Thesedays,Chinesechildrenaresometimesbusieronweekendsthanweekdaysbecausetheyhavetotakesomanyafter-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'tpushtheirkidssohar”Doctorssaytoomuchpressureisnotgoodforachild'sdevelopment.Dr.AliceGreensaysalltheseactivitiescancausealotofstressforchildren.“Kidsshouldhavetimetorelaxandthinkforthemselves,too.Althoughit'snormaltowantsuccessfulchildren,it'sevenmoreimportanttohavehappychildren.”Unit53aThestormbroughtpeopleclosertogether.BencouldhearstrongwindsoutsidehishomeinAlabama.Blackcloudsweremakingtheskyverydark.Withnolightoutside,itfeltlikemidnight.ThenewsonTVreportedthataheavyrainstormwasinthearea.Everyoneintheneighborhoodwasbusy.Ben’sdadwasputtingpiecesofwoodoverthewindowswhilehismomwasmakingsuretheflashlightsandradiowereworking.Shealsoputsomecandlesandmatchesinthetable.Benwashelpinghismommakedinnerwhentherainbegantobeatheavilyagainstthewindows.Afterdinner,theytriestoplayacardgame,butitwashardtohavefunwithaseriousstormhappeningoutside.Bencouldnotsleepatfirst.Hefinallyfellasleepwhenthewindwasdyingdownataround3:00a.m.Whenhewokeup,thesunwasrising.Hewentoutsidewithhisfamilyandfoundtheneighborhoodinamess.Fallentrees,brokenwindowsandrubbishwereeverywhere.Theyjoinedtheneighborstohelpcleanuptheneighborhoodtogether.Althoughthestormbrokemanythingsapart,itbroughtfamiliesandneighborsclosertogether.2bDoyourememberwhatyouweredoing?Peopleoftenrememberwhattheyweredoingwhentheyheardthenewsofimportanteventsinhistory.IntheUnitedStates,forexample,manypeoplerememberwhattheyweredoingonApril4,1968.ThiswasoneofthemostimportanteventsinmodernAmericanhistory.Onthisday,DrMartinLutherKingwaskilledinthecityofMemphisinAmerica.Althoughsomepeoplemaynotrememberwhomurderedhim,theyrememberwhattheyweredoingwhentheyheardabouttheevent.Eventhemosteverydayactivitiescanseemimportant.RobertAllenisnowover40.Hewasjustastudenta