15．Reading for pleasure is declining among primary-age pupils，and increasing numbers of"time poor"parents are dropping the practice of sharing bedtime stories with their children once they start school．
Research presented to a conference last week found that，while parents read to preschoolers，this later tails off，and by the final year of primary school only around 2% read to their children every day．Once children can read skillfully，parents tend to step back，and this usually happens at the age of seven or eight．The report also found that 820-/o of teachers blame the government's"target-．driven"education policies for the fact that fewer children are reading for pleasure．
They believe that a straitjacket （束缚） of strictly organized schooling is containing young people's ability to read more widely．Two-thirds of teachers surveyed said they lacked time in the school day to introduce a variety of books and that this was a"major obstacle to being able to develop a level of reading"．Teachers also cited as main factors the reduction in the number of school librarians，who could put interesting books before children，and the rise in"screen time"，switching children from reading to playing games．
The majority of teachers said the curriculum's （课程）"emphasis on reading as a skill to be mastered"was increasing the pressure．This was compounded by parents who saw reading just as a focus of learning，a skill critical to career advancement in a competitive world．
Reading habits and the digital revolution in publishing were key topics of debate at the conference．The theme of the lack of British culture was supported by children's writer Frank Cottrell Boyce，who wrote the scripts（手稿 ） for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012Olympics．
"We discovered the whole nation had forgotten that they did the industrial revolution，"he said．
"Books are so central to it； books can be written by anyone．A lot of the pleasure of a book is listening to somebody read it to you．"
"We found a real love of reading al110ng teachers，and a strong desire，to encourage more children to read for pleasure，"said Rob Cheney，"However，the teachers also had an overpowering sense of frustration with their situation．""Touch-screen phone and tablets （ 平板电脑）are naturally attractive to children，"the survey Said，and predicted a period of awkwardness as everyone else adapts．By 2018，children's television will have adopted the presence of this second screen，and it"will be strange not to have children，at home drawing along on tablets and then having these appearing live in the show"．
The hope is"that user-friendly screens could，if material is adapted and downloaded easily，present an opportunity for more ambitious publishing-for example，books children can either read or choose to have read to them； or digital books with moving pictures instead of photos to clarify factual and scientific points．Parental controls that are easy to use would be key，the conference was told，such as"a warning for when devices use the Wi-Fi，especially after bedtimes"，to allow parents to shut off access to children in the home．
50．What leads to parents'dropping the practice of sharing bedtime stories with their children？B
A．Children have less time to spend with their parents after they start school．
B．Parents chink it unnecessary to do so when children can read themselves．
C．The government's education policies have placed much burden on children．
D．Children don't like parents reading stories to them when they are seven or eight．
51．Which of the following is not teachers'point of view？D
A．Children are prevented from reading widely enough in school．
B．Schools pay attention to reading skills instead of reading for fun．
C．Playing video games reduces children's time spent on reading．
D．School libraries can't provide good books for lack of money．
52．The word"compounded"（ Paragraph 4）most probably meansA．
A．worsened B．preserved C．reduced D．improved
53．It can be inferred from the article thatB．
A．children don't like reading because books are not attractive
B．British people enjoyed reading books very much in the past
C．teachers forbid their students co read more books for fun
D．children should enjoy more freedom to use the Wi-Fi at home
54．What is the passage mainly about？C
A．Parents should set a limit to their children's using electric devices at hoI11e．
B．Children are encouraged to read as l11any interesting books as they can．
C．Children miss out on pleasures of reading a good book in modern life．
D．Experts appeals to the government to reduce the heavy burden on children．
分析 本文分析了会议上的一份社会调查，调查发现小学生以娱乐为目的阅读在下降，并且分析了其中的原因．原因之一是父母随着孩子阅读能力的提高逐渐不再给孩子们读书；大多数老师把责任归咎于政府的目标驱动政策．老师们认为，严格组织的学校教育限制了孩子们广泛阅读的能力；学校图书管理员数量的减少使得他们不能把有趣的书呈现给孩子们；孩子们盯着屏幕的时间增多；大多数老师还认为课程过分关注阅读技巧，而父母把阅读看着是学习的焦点和在职业生涯中竞争中的技巧，这又使情况进一步恶化． 阅读习惯和数码在出版行业上的革命是会议辩论的焦点．与会专家提出了以娱乐为目的阅读的必要性以及对触屏电话、平板电脑等电子产品对孩子们影响的担忧，希望方便用户的电子产品有助于孩子们阅读；并且这些产品要易于让父母控制，一旦发现在休息睡觉时间里有设备连接Wi-Fi父母就能够切断连接很关键．
解答 50．B．细节推断题．根据第二段"Once children can read skillfully，parents tend to step back，and this usually happens at the age of seven or eight．"可以推断，父母认为孩子们有了阅读的技巧，不必再为孩子们读书推断答案是B．
51．D．细节推断题．根据第三段"Teachers also cited as main factors the reduction in the number of school librarians，who could put interesting books before children，"可知，老师同时引证的主要因素是学校图书管理员数量的减少，使他们不能把有趣的书送到孩子们面前；可见，不能提供好的书是不是因为缺钱（lack of money），由此判断答案选择D．
52．A．词汇推断题．根据第四段可知，大多数老师认为课程把阅读作为一种技能强调，而父母仅仅把阅读看成竞争的职业生涯中的至关重要的技能，这就使得形势变得"更糟糕"．所以答案是A项worsen表示"更糟糕"．B项是"保护，保存"；C项表示"减少"；D项表示"改进"．B、C和D均不符合．
53．B．细节理解题．根据第六段提到We discovered the whole nation had forgotten that they did the industrial revolution（我们发现整个国家忘记了在工业革命期间所做的事）和第七段提到Books are so central to it（书是中心）可以推测工业革命期间英国人读书很多，故选B项．
54．C． 主旨大意题．本文以Reading for pleasure is declining among primary-age pupils开篇，主要分析了现代生活中孩子逐渐失去了阅读乐趣的现象、原因和对策，故选C项．
点评 阅读理解要在整体理解文章的基础上，关注细节：阅读强调整体把握；解题强调依据原文细节推敲推断．
