Ex. 3 Fill in each blank with an appropriate word or phrase from those shownbelow.
however，likewise，while，whereas，another difference，similarly，but，on theother hand，alsoEven though Arizona and Rhode Island are both states of the U. S. ，they aredifferent in many ways. For example，the physical size of each state is different.Arizona is large，having an area of 114，000 square miles，1 Rhode Island is onlyabout a tenth the size，having an area of only 1，214 square miles. 2 is in the sizeof the population of each state. Arizona has about four million people living in it,3 Rhode Island has less than one million. The two states also differ in the kindsof natural environments that each has. For example，Arizona is a very dry state,consisting of large desert areas that do not receive much rainfall every year . 4 ,Rhode Island is located in a temperate zone and receives an average of 44 inches ofrain per year. In addition，5 Arizona is a landlocked state and thus has noseashore，Rhode Island lies on the Atlantic Ocean and does have a significantcoastline.
Ⅲ. Reading Task
A. Pr e-r eading act ivity
All of us studied both at primary schools and at middle schools and some of ushad trouble with teachers. Do you still remember what your parents did after listeningto your complaints?
What do you think parents should do when the children can??t adapt to theirteachers or school，and complain about their teachers?
B. Reading
“My Teacher Is Mean! ”
- What to Do When Your Child Dislikes His Teacher
Dr . Charles Fay
As a parent or an educator ，there aren??t too many things more distressing thanhearing a child say,“ I don??t want to go to school. My teacher is so mean! ”We don??twant to see our children in pain，especially when it??s caused by someone we need totrust for their emotional and mental well-being on a daily basis. So，what can you sayor do when your child comes home from school and complains about their teacher?Most teachers aren??t mean.
The most important thing to remember is the vast majority of teachers are caring,dedicated，and well trained. Each has his or her own style，and kids need to learnhow to adapt. Just as kids benefit from teachers who are very warm and patient，theyalso can learn from some who are more business-like and demanding. Kids can evengain valuable life lessons from a caring teacher who is a bit cranky and cantankerous.If your child is having trouble adjusting to his or her teacher，here are some easyto-learn Love and Logic tips to effectively deal with the situation:
Tip 1: Listen and empa thize if your child compla ins about a tea cher .
When a child says something like，“My teacher is mean. I hate her，”what theyneeds most is a loving ear，not lectures，threats，or someone to“ fix”the problem.
Wise parents respond by asking,“You really don??t like her? That must be tough.
If any kid is smart enough to find a way to get along with her，it would be you. ”Besure to let the child know how much you love them，and be willing to listen to anyconcerns.
Tip 2: Resist the urge to ta lk ba dly a bout your child??s tea cher or school.
Regardless of how much we might disagree with our child??s teacher or school，itis imperative to send our kids the following message: “ Teachers are to be respectedand listened to. You may not always agree with what they say or do，but it is neveracceptable for you to be disrespectful or disobedient. ”
Parents who make the mistake of saying negative comments about teachers infront of their children are setting their kids up for academic failure. When parentsencourage children to learn how to positively deal with difficult teachers and stressfulsituations，their kids learn how to overcome challenges and solve their own problems.In other words，we rob our kids of an important learning opportunity if we allow themto blame teachers for their problems.
Tip 3: Help your child under sta nd tha t having a tou gh teacher is a good thin g.
Smart parents ask their kids，“Why is it good that you have a tough teacher thisyear? ”When their children shrug their shoulders and answer ,“ I don??t know，”theseparents respond by saying,“ You??re going to have a chance to learn that you can besuccessful with even the most difficult people. That??s one of the most useful skills inlife! ”
Tip 4: Remember : By tea chin g childr en to get along with a demanding teacher ,we also ar e teaching them how to succeed with a demanding boss.
Research has shown employees get along with even the most demanding bosseswhen they:
· get to work just a bit early every day;
· show up with a smile and a positive attitude;
· listen and follow directions;
· work a bit harder than expected;
· get along well with other employees and customers.
Kids who learn these skills at home and at school succeed with the most difficultteachers，get better grades，and eventually rise to the top of their chosen occupation.
Tip 5: Get involved only as a la st r esor t.
Wise parents intervene on behalf of their children only when it is clear the teacheris so incompetent or negative that even the best behaved and most responsible studentwould find it impossible to adapt. Fortunately，these types of educators are rare.
When we follow these tips，we give our kids the gift of knowing they cansucceed around all different types of people.
Unfortunately，some parents steal this wonderful opportunity by trying to makesure their children??s teachers are“ perfect”. Sadly，as adults，many of these childrenspend their lives being unhappy because other people are“mean”or“ unfair”.
Don??t fall into this trap! Use these Love and Logic tips，and give your kids theresponsibility and self-confidence they deserve.
Notes on language a nd cultur e
1. mean: Someone who is mean is unkind to someone，for example by hurting theirfeelings or by not allowing them to do something.
2. distressing: Something that is distressing causes you to feel extremely worried,alarmed，or unhappy.
3. well-being: If you refer to someone??s well-being，you are referring to whetherthey are healthy，happy，etc. ，so that life isenjoyable and worth living.
4. business-like: Someone who is business-like deals with things in an efficient waywithout wasting time.
