18．I am a psychologist．I first met Timothy，a quiet，overweight elevenyearold boy，when his mother brought him to me to discuss his declining grades．A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that his self-esteem （自尊） and general happiness were falling right along with them．
I asked about Timothy's typical day．He awoke every morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home around four thirty each afternoon．He then had a quick snack，followed by either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor．He finished dinner at 7pm，and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours．Quickly doing the math in my head，I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a day at a writing desk．
What if Timothy spent thirteen hours a day at a sewing machine instead of a desk？We would immediately be shocked，because that would be called children being horribly mistreated．Timothy was far from being mistreated，but the mountain of homework he faced daily resulted in a similar consequence-he was being robbed of his childhood．In fact，Timothy had no time to do anything he truly enjoyed，such as playing video games，watching movies，or playing board games with his friends．
Play，however，is a crucial part of healthy child development．It affects children's creativity，their social skills，and even their brain development．The absence of play，physical exercise，and freefrom social interaction takes a serious toll on many children．It can also cause significant health problems like childhood obesity，sleep problems and depression．
Experts in the field recommend the minutes children spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their grade level．As a fifthgrader，Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes a day of homework （instead of three times that amount）．Having an extra two hours an evening to play，relax，or see a friend would soundly benefit any child's life quality．
62．What does the underlined word"them"in the first paragraph probably refer to？B
A．Timothy's parents．B．Timothy's grades．
C．Psychologists．D．The students．
63．What did the writer think of Timothy after learning about his typical day？C
A．Timothy was very hardworking．
B．Timothy was being mistreated．
C．Timothy had a heavy burden．
D．Timothy was enjoying his childhood．
64．Which of the following statements best describes the writer's opinion？A
A．Children should be allowed enough time to play．
B．Playing board games works better than playing video games．
C．The more they play，the more creative children will become．
D．The depression caused by homework makes children unwilling to play．
65．According to the passage，how long should a thirdgrader spend a day doing homework？C
A．About ten minutes．
B．No more than twenty minutes．
C．No more than thirty minutes．
D．About fifty minutes．
分析 本文主要关注的是孩子沉重的作业负担，除了大量的作业，还有各种补习班．学习占用了孩子大量的时间，以至于玩耍的时间太少，这不利于孩子的身心发展．
解答 62-65 BCAC
62．B 词语指代题．根据第一段to discuss his declining grades．A few minutes with Timothy were enough to confirm that his self-esteem and general happiness were falling right along with them可知，和Timothy聊了几分钟，作者就了解到了Timothy的自尊和快乐随着成绩一起下降．故选B．
63．C 推理判断题．根据第二段He awoke every morning at six thirty so he could reach his school by eight and arrived home around four thirty each afternoon．He then had a quick snack，followed by either a piano lesson or a lesson with his math tutor．He finished dinner at 7 pm，and then he sat down to do homework for two to three hours．Quickly doing the math in my head，I found that Timothy spent an average of thirteen hours a day at a writing desk可知，Timothy4：30放学后，吃点快餐，就去上钢琴课或数学课，从7：00开始做作业做二到三个小时．Timothy每天平均花13小时在学习上．学习负担重．故选C．
64．A 推理判断题．根据倒数第二段Play，however，is a crucial part of healthy child development．It affects children's creativity，their social skills，and even their brain development…可知，玩耍在童年扮演者重要的角色，缺少玩耍的时间不利于儿童的身心发展．故选A．
65．C 细节理解题．根据最后一段the minutes children spend on their homework should be no more than ten times the number of their grade level可知，做作业的分钟数不应超过所在年级数的十倍，三年级的学生，做作业的时间在30分钟以内．故选C．
点评 人物故事类阅读理解文章是高考英语常考材料之一．这类文章一般可分为人物传记和短篇故事两类．这两类阅读材料一般较长，即词数多，而且命题也较多，特别是推理判断题和事实细节题多．在做此类阅读理解题时往往是材料看得懂，题目不好做的感觉．因此，在阅读材料时要重点放在事情发展的过程和结果上，注意把握事件的发展进程及人物之间的关系，细节与主题的关系，用以说明人物性格特点的事实、作者的态度等，这些内容往往是推理判断题的命题点．至于事实细节题的解答，同学们切忌想当然或者凭印象，一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确选择．
