Question

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”

1.．The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.

A. report on the findings of a study

B. teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

C. show the relationship between parents and children

D. give information about family problems

2.．Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.

A. they are busy serving food to their children

B. they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

C. they have to pay more attention to younger children

D. they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

3.．By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______.

A. have to help their parents to serve dinner

B. find it hard to keep up with other children

C. are often kept away from the dinner table

D. get the least attention from the family

4.．Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.

A. why TV is important in family life

B. why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life

C. why children in small families seem to be quieter

D. why parents should keep good order

5.．Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

A. Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.

B. It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

C. It is important to have the right food for children.

D. Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner

 

Answer 1

1.A

2.D

3.D

4.B

5.A

【解析】

试题分析:本文介绍了一篇研究报道，研究发现在孩子少的家庭中，吃饭的时候父母和孩子交流的多，孩子也越聪明。而在孩子多的家庭中，在吃饭时候父母忙于控制孩子们的混乱状况，顾不上和孩子们交流，尤其是忽略了中间的孩子，这一问题值得引起家长们的重视。

1. As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food.，然后在下文中讲述这一调查的结果和发现，由此判断作者的目的是介绍这一调查结果，选A.

2.细节理解题。从文章第二段内容But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make.和本段末句 “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”可知孩子多的家长在饭桌上问问题少的原因是忙着控制孩子们造成的混乱局面，选D。

3. 推理判断题。根据前句内容Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest,可知在有三、四个 孩子的家庭家长一般注意的是最大的和最小的孩子，而忽视了中间的 孩子，由此判断选D。

4.推理判断题。本文主要讲述了孩子多的家庭中家长的普遍做法，即忽略了中间的孩子，由此可知通过这项研究人们明白了为什么中间的孩子在生活中存在问题更多的原因是由于家长们的忽略，故选B。

5.推理判断题。文章分析了孩子多的家庭中家长容易犯的错误，也就是他们和孩子们交流少，尤其是和中间的孩子们，由此推断作者认为家长应该多和孩子们交流，选A。

考点：考查社会家庭类短文阅读