Question

    Screens during meals rob kids of opportunities to improve language and communication skills （storytelling, making jokes, etc.）, as well as to develop patience and even imagination as they entertain themselves waiting for food to arrive.

Meals are an opportunity to connect, to learn more about and enjoy each other. They strengthen the bonds that will bring benefits to the rest of our lives. We squander that opportunity when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner.

Of course, we all want to have enjoyable family meals, which is why I love Bruce Feiller's book "The Secrets of Happy Families", in which he devotes an entire chapter to ways to make them fun and meaningful for everyone---such as "fill in the blank" sentences you make up. Sharing something good and something challenging makes for pleasant conversations, too. And I've had fun playing Uno with my daughters until the food arrives in a restaurant.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (小儿科）also offers guidelines to help families manage children's screen time. The academy recommends avoiding digital media for children under 2, except for video-chatting, and limiting screen time to just one hour a day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5.

Fundamentally, we all benefit from more human connection, not less — and that's especially true for children. Schools, airplane trips, most jobs, games, even "social" interaction were all once done without screens but now are filled with them. And while we have gained some advantages, including new connections, we have lost something fundamental, as well.

Less is always more when it comes to screens, even if they are effective at keeping kids quiet. But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation. There are no studies that warn against having too many hours of those activities.

Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.

1.What's the author's attitude to the kids' staring at screens during meals?

A.Disapproving. B.Favorable.

C.Cautious. D.Unconcerned.

2.What does the underlined word "squander" in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A.Take. B.Waste.

C.Expect. D.Create.

3.What will kids do if they have no access to screens?

A.Keep quiet.

B.Refuse to eat.

C.Feel bored all the time.

D.Find ways to entertain themselves.

4.What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

A.To introduce the iPads to the children.

B.To stress the importance of family meals.

C.To appeal for family meals without screens.

D.To teach parents how to punish their children.

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.D

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了用餐时看电子产品既对孩子的发展不利也让我们浪费了一个和孩子增进联系的机会，作者呼吁家庭用餐时不要使用屏幕（电子产品）。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段和第二段内容可知，用餐时看电子产品既对孩子的发展不利（影响孩子的语言和交流技能，让他们变得没有耐心和缺乏想象力）而且还让我们浪费了一个和孩子增进联系的机会，由此可知，作者对孩子们吃饭时盯着屏幕看持反对态度，故A项正确。

2.词义猜测题。画线词前说用餐是一个相互联系的机会，可以让我们和孩子更多地了解和享受在一起的时间，再根据画线词后的“when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner”可知，但是当我们在晚餐时把屏幕（电子产品）放在孩子面前时，我们就浪费了这个机会，由此可知画线词词义为“浪费”，故B项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的“But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation.”可知，但在抱怨自己“无聊”之后不久，孩子们就自然而然地倾向于用创造性的游戏、艺术、探索和对话来填补无屏幕的空白，由此可知，当没有屏幕（电子产品）时，孩子们会想办法自我娱乐，故D项正确。

4.推理判断题。通读全文，特别是根据最后一段“Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.

”可知，让我们更加努力地保持家庭用餐的特殊性，摆脱ipad，在滋养身体的同时滋养我们的人际关系，由此可知，作者写这篇文章的目的是呼吁家庭用餐时不要使用屏幕（电子产品），故C项正确。