Very few people like1 chores around the house. However, we all know that people must 2 them. Kids living 3 Washington have chores4 to help their family every day. The chores 5 different for different kids. Parents often teach 6 what to do and how to do the chores.
7 is good for parents to teach their children to do chores at an early age. Many parents think chores are important 8 children—even very young ones. Doing chores 9 children many important skills. Chores also teach children about fairness and commitment(承担义务). The skills and values(价值观) learned 10 doing chores will be good for children through out their lives.
A
Most children don't enjoy doing chores. They like playing computer games rather than cleaning the rooms. But in Australia, Jim and Robert's mother, Mrs. Black, has good and proper methods to get their children to do housework.
Here is an example.
“Mom, have you worked out next week's chores? Let Jim and me choose the cards. I can't wait. It's fun! ”
When Robert shouted out, his mother had already put all the cards on their big table. On the cards, there are some words like these, “sweep the floor, clean your bedroom, help mom cook, wash vegetables, make beds, feed the fish, cut the wood, clean the bathroom”and many others, Jim and Robert chose two cards for each day from Monday to Friday. Then they would hang them on the weekday task board. Jim likes to clean the bathroom, so he picked up the card “clean the bathroom”. Robert loves to make the bed so he picked up his favorite card. Jim again picked up “wash vegetables” and Robert chose “feed the fish”. Soon the two boys were happy to take away all the cards.
To help the children do chores, their mother thought hard and came up with this idea. Of course, the parents did the chores at weekends and left Jim and Robert two days free.
B
Is there something strange high up in the world's tallest mountains? If so, is it a big bear（熊）? Is it a monkey? Or is it a kind of man?
No one knows.This mystery（谜）has puzzled（困惑）the world（世界）for years.
In 1887, a mountain climber found large footprints（脚印）in the snow.They looked like the footprints of a very large man. But men don't walk without（无、没有）shoes in the snow!
In 1906, another climber saw more than footprints. Far off, he saw a very large animal standing on two legs. When he watched, it ran very quickly.
Fifteen years later newspapers had new stories about the “something”. A mountain climber said he had seen the “Snowman” walk slowly across（穿过）the snow, far below him. He said it looked like a very large man.
From then on, more and more people had stories to tell. But not until 1951 did a mountain climber bring back pictures of large footprints. The pictures showed that the Snowman walked on two legs. So it was not a bear or a monkey. Could it be an ape（猿）man? The mystery grew! And the mystery keeps growing. Someday we may find out just what it is that makes the large footprints.
C
Sam gets up at six in the morning. He has breakfast at home. He goes to school at seven. He has lunch at school, but on Sundays he has lunch with his family. He often has supper at home. He doesn't watch TV in the evening. He only watches TV on Saturday evening. He often does his homework after supper. He goes to bed at nine.
— N. I just want a glass of water.
(Rose and Ann are talking about chores.)
Rose: Ann, could you please get me some water?
Ann: Sure.
Rose: I'm sweeping the floor.
Ann: Do you like it?
Rose: It's too boring, but I have to do it. How about you?
Ann: I hate sweeping the floor, too, but I like other chores.
Rose: Really?
Ann: I like to make the bed and water the flowers.
Rose:
Ann: Yes. And you?
Rose: I agree. I often help my mother do the dishes.
A. I think it's relaxing.
B. Do you like doing the dishes?
C. What do you want to do?
D. No, not really.
E. What are you doing now?
F. Yes, it's very interesting.
G. What chores do you like?
