Question

Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar

September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武術(shù)).

Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?

A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.

David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.

A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空閑的) time now.

Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.

1. The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.

A. a child’s schedule is too complex

B. activities suitable for kids are limited

C. parents are stuck in numerous choices

D. children always say no to parents’ advice

2. What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.

A. children love to stay at school

B. they are popular with children

C. children dislike after-school classes

D. after-school classes are of poor quality

3. According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?

A. Parents want to make up for their own regrets.

B. After-school classes develop children’s potential.

C. Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children.

D. After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent.

4.Which of the following will the author probably agree with?

A. For children’s benefits, the earlier the better.

B. Children’s spare time should be carefully designed.

C. Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past.

D. Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason.,

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.C

3.D

4.C

【解析】本文敘述了家長由于工作繁忙沒有時間陪孩子而把孩子送到課外班，孩子們的空閑時間已經(jīng)一去不復(fù)返了。

1.C

【試題解析】細(xì)節(jié)理解題。第一段And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available.提出父母會面臨巨多的課外輔導(dǎo)班的選擇,故選C。

2.2】C

【試題解析】推理題，文中第二段中One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?兩位老師舉的事例充分說明孩子不喜歡上輔導(dǎo)班，都向老師求助了。故選C。

3.3】D

【試題解析】細(xì)節(jié)題，從第三段1,2行A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families和最后一句But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.可知家長們把孩子送到輔導(dǎo)班主要是因為自己沒有時間陪孩子，故選D。

4.4】C

【試題解析】推理判斷題，文中提到家長由于工作繁忙沒有時間陪孩子而把孩子送到課外班，孩子們的空閑時間已經(jīng)一去不復(fù)返了，故選C。

【長難句解析】

1.The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available.

【翻譯】現(xiàn)在的問題不在是無法為孩子找到活動來充實他們的一整天，而是要對現(xiàn)有的成百上千的選擇說不。

【發(fā)現(xiàn)】前面句中的表語是動名詞短語finding activities to fill a child’s day，其中的不定式to fill a child’s day做定語，用來修飾名詞activities的。第二句中考察了一個固定搭配say no to拒絕…。

2. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.

【翻譯】但是我們要承認(rèn)，無論我們的時間表里涉及多少事情，我們滿滿的時間表不再是給孩子帶來過多負(fù)擔(dān)的借口和理由。

【分析】本句中有一個讓步狀語從句whatever they involve，“特殊疑問詞+ever”既可以引導(dǎo)讓步狀語從句，也可以引導(dǎo)名詞性從句。而“no matter+特殊疑問詞”只能引導(dǎo)讓步狀語從句。