Traditional fairytales(童话) are being given up by parents because they are too scary for their young children, a study found.
Research uncovered that one in five parents has got rid of old literature such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel in favor of more modern books.One third of parents said their children have been left in tears after hearing the gruesome details of Little Red Riding Hood.And nearly half of mothers and fathers refuse to read Rumplesliltshin to their kids as the themes of the story are kidnapping and killing.Similarly, Goldilocks and the Three Bears was also a tale likely to be left on the book shelf as parents felt it forgives stealing.
The survey of 2,000 adults was completed to mark the launch of the hit US drama GRIMM ( 格林童话剧) , which starts tonight at 9pm on Watch, and sees six drama series based on traditional fairytales.
The survey found a quarter of parents questioned wouldn’t consider reading fairytales to their kids.And 52 percent of the parents said Cinderella didn’t send a good message to their children as it describes a young woman doing housework all day.
Steve Hornsey, General Manager of Watch, said: "Bedtime stories are supposed to calm children down and send them off to sleep soundly.But as we see in GMMM, fairytales can be dark and dramatic so it’s understandable that parents worry about reading them to young children.As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five - year - old child could take them too literally.Despite the dark nature of classic fairytales as we see in GRIMM, good will defeat evil and there is always a moral to the story."
The study also found two thirds of mums and dads try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares.The most popular book read at bedtime is now 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle.
However half of parents said traditional tales are "more likely to have a strong moral message than a lot of modern kids' books, such as The Gruffato, The Hungary Caterpillar and the Mr. Men books.
1.Classical works for children are being avoided by parents they think .
A.they contain unmoral themes |
B.they are terrifying |
C.they encourage stealing, kidnapping and killing |
D.they are tired of answering questions |
2.What does the underlined word "gruesome" mean?
A.Very horrible |
B.Very amusing |
C.Very disappointing |
D.Very amazing |
3.Which stories are the popular bedtime stories that parents like to tell their children now?
A.Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Cinderella |
B.The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Little Red Riding Hood. |
C.The Very Hungry Caterpillar andMr. Men |
D.Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Cinderella |
4.According to Steve Hornsey , adults can see innocence in a fairy tale but a 5-year-old child might ______.
A.think it is different from the reality |
B.dislike it because it is scary |
C.believe exactly what the tale says |
D.feel there is a moral to the story |
Here are some of the world’s most impressive subways
The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines |
Features: The Tokyo Metro and Toei lines that compose Tokyo’s massive(庞大的)subway system carry almost 8 million people each day, making it the busiest system in the world. The system is famous for its oshiya— literally, “pusher”— who pushes passengers into crowded subway cars so the doors can close. And you think your commute (上下班路程) is hell. |
The Moscow Metro |
Features: The Moscow Metro has some of the most beautiful stations in the world. The best of them were built during the Stalinist era and feature chandeliers(枝形吊灯), marble moldings and elaborate murals(精美的壁画). With more than 7 million riders a day, keeping all that marble clean has got to be a burden. |
The Hong Kong MTR |
Features: The Hong Kong MTR has the distinction of being one of the few subway systems in the world that actually turns a profit. It’s privately owned and uses real estate development along its tracks to increase income and ridership. It also introduced “Octopus cards” that allow people to not only pay their fares electronically, but buy stuff at convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants and even parking meters. It’s estimated that 95 % of all adults in Hong Kong own an Octopus card. |
Shanghai Metro |
Features: Shanghai is the third city in China to build a metro system, and it has become the country’s largest in the 12 years since it opened.Shanghai Metro has 142 miles of track and plans to add another 180 miles within five years. By that .point, it would be three times larger than Chicago “L”. The system carries about 2.18 million people a day. |
The London Metro |
Features: Londoners call their subway the Underground, even though 55 percent of it lies above ground. No matter when you’ve got the oldest mass-transit system in the world, you can call it anything you like.Trains started in1863 and they’ve been running ever since. Some 3 million people ride each day, every one of them remembering to “Mind the gap”. |
1.Which one can provide the riders some wonderful decorations at the stations?
A.The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines |
B.The Moscow Metro |
C.The London Metro |
D.The Hong Kong MTR |
2.________ is done with the purpose of making money.
A.The Tokyo Metro and Toei Lines |
B.The Moscow Metro |
C.The London Metro |
D.The Hong Kong MTR |
3.We can learn from the passage that Shanghai Metro____________.
A.carries the most people each day |
B.is the world’s largest |
C.may be larger than the Chicago “L” in the future |
D.is the busiest in the world |
4.What do we know about the Hong Kong MTR?
A.It is not owned by state. |
B.It has become the country’s largest subway since it opened. |
C.It carries the most people every day. |
D.It is the busiest system in the world. |
Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times,but I could hardly claim to know my way around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French.
I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, totally unfamiliar with local geography or transportation systems, set up interviews and do research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable regret. I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ran through my mind: you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment.
There were some bad moments. But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experienced traveler. And ever since,I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places,without guides or even advanced bookings, confident that somehow I will manage.
The point is that the new, the different, is almost scary by definition. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.
I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a balloon. And I know I'll go on doing such things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll accept anxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can accomplish wonders.
1.The author accepted the assignment because _____
A. he had never travelled abroad before |
B. he hardly knew any foreign languages |
C. he was familiar with any other country in Europe |
D. he would learn something new and different by trying |
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The author had been abroad only twice. |
B. The author thought the trip was hard but worthwhile. |
C. The author admitted that anything different was terrible. |
D. The author must be good at doing research and making interviews. |
3.We can infer from the text that the author is _____.
A.awkward |
B.generous |
C.stubborn |
D.brave |
4.What's the best title of the text?
A.An Interesting Trip Abroad |
B.My First Writing Assignment |
C.Ready to Try and Challenge |
D.How to Be Daring and Brave |
When Julie was a child, she was a very big fan of animals. As a result, 36 she ever heard growing up was “Julie, you should be a vet. You’re going to be a great vet. That’s what you should do.” 37 when she got to the Ohio State University, she started studying to be a vet.
A scholarship allowed her to spend her 38 year studying abroad in Manchester, England. Away from the family 39 back home, she found herself one day sitting at her desk, surrounded by biology books and staring out the window, when it suddenly hit her: “I’m in total 40 . I don’t want to be a vet!”
41 she thought back over all the things she’d done in her life and what had made her happy. And then it hit her—it was all of the youth leadership conferences that she had volunteered 42 , and the communications and leadership courses she had taken as elective courses back at Ohio State. “How could I have been so 43 ? Here I am in my fourth year at school and just finally realizing I’m on the 44 path. I just never took the time to 45 it until now, ” she thought.
Inspired by her new 46 , Julie spent the rest of her year in England taking courses in communications and media studies. When 47 to Ohio State, she was eventually able to 48 the administration to let her create her own program in “leadership studies”, 49 it took her 2 years longer to finally graduate. She 50 to become a senior management consultant in leadership training and development for the Pentagon. She 51 founded a drug-prevention organization that 52 the message “Lead your own life with the skill and the 53 to say no.”
So, never live someone else’s 54 . If you limit your 55 only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want.
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------I’m afraid I can’t finish the book within this week. ------______.
A.Please go ahead |
B.That’s right |
C.Not at all |
D.Take your time |
According to a UN report,one third of the world population have no to clean drinking water and health care.
A.means |
B.approach |
C.channel |
D.access |