Question

When it comes to bringing up children, everybody agrees that it is not an easy task. Every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition (学会) of each new skill — the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting (吸引人的) to hurry the child beyond his natural learning speed, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to learn something too early. A young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning chances, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are strict with the time of coming home at night or being on time for meals. In general, the controls show the needs of the parents and values (价值观) of society as much as the children’s own happiness.

When it comes to the development of moral standards (道德标准) in the growing child, consistency (前后一致性) is very important in parental teaching. To say “No” to a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”. If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent cheated.

A sudden realization of a big difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

1.Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills ___________.

A. is common among parents

B. should be avoided

C. sets up dangerous states of worry in the child

D. will make him lose interest in learning new things

2.In the process of children’s learning new skills parents _____________.

A. should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read

B. should neither push them too hard nor leave them alone too much

C. should not expect too much of them

D. should create as many learning opportunities as possible

3.The underlined word “precept” in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.

A. idea    B. instruction    C. behavior    D. punishment

4.In moral matters, parents should _______________.

A. consistently make sure of the security of their children

B. realize the big difference between adults and children

C. say “No” to the things that have no foundation in morality

D. obey the rules themselves

Answer

1. A

2. B

3. B

4. D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章作者对于育儿中的一些问题，给父母提出了一些指导。

1.细节理解题。答案定位在第一段Every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition (学会) of each new skill — the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing.可知渴望看到孩子获得新的技能在父母中非常普遍，故选A。

2.推理判断题。答案定位在第一段A baby might be forced to learn something too early. A young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning chances, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.（一个孩子可能会被迫过早地学习一些东西。另一方面，如果一个孩子被放任不管，他就失去了对生活的自然热爱和发现新事物的欲望。）由此推知，在孩子学习新技能的过程中，父母既不能干预太多，也不能放任不管，故选B。

3.词意猜测题。在下文If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教),中寻得关键词preach，可知example is better than precept的意思是示范胜于言教，所以“precept”的意思是教导，故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段A sudden realization of a big difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.（突然意识到父母原则和道德之间的巨大差异，是一种非常危险的失望。）由此推断出，在道德问题上，父母自己应该遵守规矩，故选D。