Question

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are that it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”

1.Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ______.

A．they are busy serving food to their children

B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

C．they have to pay more attention to younger children

D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

2.By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______.

A．have to help their parents to serve dinner

B．get the least attention from the family

C．are often kept away from the dinner table

D．find it hard to keep up with other children

3.Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question ______.

A．why TV is important in family life

B．why parents should keep good order

C．why children in small families seem to be quieter

D．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

4.Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

A．It is important to have the right food for children.

B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.

5.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______.

A．show the relationship between parents and children.

B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table.

C．report on the findings of a study.

D．give information about family problems.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.B

4.D

5.C

【解析】

试题分析:本文是一篇说明文，说明了本文Lewis对于普通的家庭进行了一次调查，结果发现孩子少的家庭，在吃饭时，孩子与父母的交流很积极，但是在孩子多的大家庭，父母主要去维持秩序不让孩子吵闹，在有三四个孩子的家里，最大和最小的孩子容易得到家长的关心，中间的孩子很少得到关心

1.细节题，由最后一段倒数第五行and the youngest, who needs the most attention可以知道答案，故选C。

2.推理题，由最后一句one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.可以推出答案，所以选B。

3.细节题，由第一段第一句As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows,可以知道答案，所以选B

4.推理题，由本文的主要意思可以推出答案，所以选D

5.推理题，由第一段最后一句Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more可以推出答案，所以选C

考点：本篇是一篇说明文