Question

    It is not only praise or punishment that determines a child’s level of confidence. There are some other important ways we shape our kids—particularly by giving instructions and commands in a negative or positive choice of words. For example, we can say to a child “Don’t run into traffic!” or “Stay on the footpath close to me.” In using the latter, you will be helping your kids to think and act positively, and to feel competent in a wide range of situation, because they know what to do, and aren’t scaring themselves about what not to do.

Actually, it is all in the way the human mind works. What we think, we automatically rehearse. For example, if someone offered you a million dollars not to think of a blue monkey for two minutes, you wouldn’t be able to do it. When a child is told “Don’t fall off the tree,” he will think of two things: “don’t” and “fall off the tree”. That is, he will automatically create the picture of falling off the tree in his mind. A child who is vividly imagining falling off the tree is much more likely to fall off. So it is far better to use “Hold on to the tree carefully.”

Clearly, positive instructions help kids to understand the right way to do things. Kids do not always know how to be safe, or how to react to the warning of the danger in negative words. So parents should make their commands positive. “Sam, hold on firm to the side of the boat” is much more useful than “Don’t you dare to fall out of the boat?” or worse still “How do you think I’ll feel if you drown?” The changes are small but difference is obvious.

Children learn how to guide and organize themselves from the way we guide them with our words, so it pays to be positive.

1.Positive choice of words helps kids to ______.

A. do things carefully    B. learn in different situations

C. improve their imagination    D. build up their confidence

2.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A. One can’t help imagining what is heard.

B. A child will act on what is instructed.

C. A child will fall off the tree when told not to.

D. One won’t think of a blue monkey when given money.

3.Which of the following commands helps kids to be safe?

A. Fasten your seat belt.

B. Don’t play by the lake.

C. How do you think I’ll feel if you get hurt?

D. Don’t you dare to walk through the red light?

4.The main idea of the passage is that ______.

A. praise makes kids confident    B. right instructions keep kids safe

C. positive instructions guide kids    D. clear commands make kids different

Answer

1. D

2. A

3. A

4. C

【解析】

本文属于说明文阅读。作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了决定孩子自信的不仅是表扬和惩罚，还有一些重要的方式来塑造我们的孩子。作者还指出使用积极的语言能够帮助孩子建立自信和理解正确的做事方式。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句“In using the latter，you will be helping your kids to think and act positively，and to feel competent in a wide range of situations”其中the latter指上文的positive choice of words，故可知使用积极的语言可以帮助孩子建立自信，故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“Actually, it is all in the way the human mind works. What we think, we automatically rehearse. For example, if someone offered you a million dollars not to think of a blue monkey for two minutes, you wouldn’t be able to do it.”可知第二段主要说明了人类的思维方式使得一个人会情不自禁去想象听到的东西，故选A。

3.判断推理题。根据第三段第一句“Clearly, positive instructions help kids to understand the right way to do things. Kids do not always know how to be safe, or how to react to the warning of the danger in negative words.”可知积极的指导能帮助孩子理解正确的做事方式。用消极的语言孩子们会不知道如何保证安全，如何对危险的警告做出反应。B选项和D选项均采取了消极语言进行指令，孩子们会不知道如何做是安全的，故排除B、D选项；C选项没有说明正确的做法，因此还是无法保证孩子的安全，故排除C选项。。故只有A选项“系好的安全带”，这样的命令才有助于孩子们的安全。故选A。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段最后一句“In using the latter, you will be helping your kids to think and act positively, and to feel competent in a wide range of situation, because they know what to do, and aren’t scaring themselves about what not to do.”可知积极的语言会帮助孩子建立自信，以及文章主要说明父母应当使用积极的指令来指导孩子的行为，故选C。