Question

    A few days after dropping off her daughter at college, Andrea got a phone call. Her daughter was ill. Andrea drove there immediately, located a doctor in town, booked a room at the university hotel and put her daughter to bed to recover. The next morning, Andrea went to her daughter's classes, taking notes on her behalf. It was important that her daughter headed into the first semester of college without missing a beat: A future dental career required an extremely good undergraduate academic record of four years.

At the same time, another parent faced a different type of problem. Alexis had handpicked her daughter's new university specifically and aimed to give her daughter an ideal social experience at college. But when she got there, she didn't seem to hit her stride. Alexis blamed it on a working-class roommate who didn't ever want to go out to meet people-and told her daughter, in no uncertain terms, to change roommates.

Both Andrea and Alexis are examples of ''helicopter parents'', defined by their hovering and readiness with supplies, assistance and guidance. Their interventions were costly-requiring time, financial reserves, social understanding and knowledge of higher education-though they had different purposes.

Why does educational and professional success today seem to require financial and emotional parental support? In large part, it reflects the shifting relationship between families and the university in America in the past century. Slowly after WWI and rapidly after WWII, many public universities were in fact free, as the government offered universities the resources to help families battle economic depression and poverty. However, in the 1980s, the government shifted financial aid largely from grants to loans. Soon, universities entered a period of heavy and expensive administrative growth as they faced new and intensive pressures. Without the support of the state, families eventually came to absorb many of these costs.

Universities now rely, in part, on parents, particularly those with money, time, and connections to meet their basic needs. However, paying parents bring more than funds alone. They often help promote the university; conduct admissions interviews; interface with donating alumni; assist with their own students’ emotional, cognitive and physical needs and help place graduates(both related and not) in valuable internships and jobs.

But the new family-university partnership exacts a toll. Parents are pushed to extend major parenting responsibilities into doing heavy financial lifting for their children who are supposed to be building their own financial security. There is also some truth to the notion that the helicoptered children are slow to adapt to adulthood, make decisions about their careers, and manage friendships without calling on their parents for help.

1.What does the underlined sentence ''she didn't seem to hit her stride'' in Paragraph 2 mean?

A.Alexis' daughter's social competence wasn't promoted.

B.Alexis' daughter found she herself had financial difficulties.

C.Alexis' daughter disagreed with Alexis about her working-class roommate.

D.Alexis' daughter found university life was different from what she had expected.

2.What's the author' attitude towards ''helicopter parents''?

A.Critical. B.Cautious. C.Doubtful. D.Objective.

3.What's this passage mainly about?

A.Troubles faced by universities in America.

B.The partnership between colleges and '''helicopter parents''.

C.The troubled relationship between parents and their children.

D.The fierce competition among the career-minded generation.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

【解析】

这是一篇夹叙夹议的文章。文章通过一对母女的故事，引出主要话题：大学和“直升机式父母”之间的合作关系。一方面学校依赖这样的父母给它们提供必要的支持，但同时，“直升机式父母”会给孩子的成长带来影响。

1.词义猜测题。根据第二段的Alexis had handpicked her daughter's new university specifically and aimed to give her daughter an ideal social experience at college. But when she got there, she didn't seem to hit her stride. Alexis blamed it on a working-class roommate who didn't ever want to go out to meet people可知，亚历克西斯特意为她女儿挑选了新大学，目的是让她的女儿在大学里有一个理想的社交体验。当她到那儿时，她的女儿似乎没有大踏步前进。亚历克西斯把这归咎于一个不愿意出去见人的工薪阶层室友。根据句意可知，此处的“大踏步前进”是指她在社交技能上没有明显进步，因为她的室友是一个不喜欢社交的工薪阶层女孩。A. Alexis' daughter's social competence wasn't promoted.(亚历克西斯的女儿的社交能力并没有提高)符合以上说法，故选A项。

2.推理判断题。根据第四段的Why does educational and professional success today seem to require financial and emotional parental support? In large part, it reflects the shifting relationship between families and the university in America in the past century.(为什么今天的教育和职业的成功似乎需要父母经济和情感的支持。这在很大程度上反映了过去一个世纪家庭和大学之间关系的转换)和第五段的Universities now rely, in part, on parents, particularly those with money, time, and connections to meet their basic needs.(大学现在部分依赖父母，尤其是那些有钱、有时间、有能力满足它们基本需求的父母)可知，作者从历史变革和现状陈述了“直升机式父母”存在的原因。由此推测，作者对该现象的态度的客观中立的。D. Objective.(客观的)符合以上说法，故选D项。

3.主旨大意题。根据文章的主要内容，尤其倒数第三段的In large part, it reflects the shifting relationship between families and the university in America in the past century.( 这在很大程度上反映了过去一个世纪家庭和大学之间关系的转换)倒数第二段Universities now rely, in part, on parents, particularly those with money, time, and connections to meet their basic needs.( 大学现在部分依赖父母，尤其是那些有钱、有时间、有能力满足它们基本需求的父母)和最后一段的But the new family-university partnership exacts a toll.(但是，新的家庭——大学合作关系需要付出代价)可知，本文主要讲述了大学和“直升机父母”之间的合作关系的优势和劣势。B. The partnership between colleges and ''helicopter parents''.(大学和“直升机式父母”的合作关系)符合以上说法，故选B项。