In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition (学会) of each new skill m the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

    Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe (严格的) over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness.

    As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality (道德). Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.

    A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

Eagerly watching the child's acquisition of new skills, ___________.

  A. should be avoided

  B. is universal among parents

  C. sets up dangerous states of worry in the child

  D. will make the child lose interest in learning new things

In the process of children's learning new skills, parents ________.

  A. should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read

  B. should expect a lot of the children

  C. should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own

  D. should create as many learning opportunities as possible

The second paragraph mainly tells us that ___________.

  A. parents should be strict with their children

  B. parental controls reflect only the values of the community

  C. parental restrictions vary, and are not always for the benefit of the children alone

  D. it's parents' and society's duty to control the children

The word "precept" in Paragraph 3 probably means "___________".

  A. opinion          B. punishment       C. behavior            D. instruction

In terms of moral matters, parents should _________.

  A. follow the rules themselves

  B. be aware of the huge difference between adults and children

  C. forbid their children to follow hook teachings

  D. always ensure the security of their children

The small number of newborn babies, which has been caused by high prices and the changing social situation of women, is one of the most serious problems in Asia. When people talk about it, you can hear a word invented in Japan, “DINK”, which means Double Income No Kids.

    In many major Asian cities like Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo, the cost of a house is extremely high. A young couple who want to buy their own house may have to pay about $3000,000 (though prices have fallen). For a flat with one bedrooms, one dining-room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, the couple will pay about $900 a month. What’s more, if they want to have a child, the child’s education is very expensive. For example, most kindergarten charges are at least $5.000 a year. In such a situation, it’s difficult to afford children.

The number of married women who want to continue working because they enjoy their jobs. However, if they want to have children, they immediately have serious problems. Though most companies allow women to leave their jobs for a short time to have a baby, they expect women with babies to give up their jobs. In short, if they want to bring up children properly, both parents have to work, but it is hard for mothers to work. Indeed, women who want to continue working have to choose between having children or keeping their jobs.

In a word, Asian governments must take steps to improve the present situation as soon as possible.

What is the main problem being discussed in the passage?

   A. The small number of newborn babies.              B. The changing social situation of women.

   C. The high prices of houses and education.   D. The necessary steps of Asian government.

According to the passage, which of the following is true?

   A. It is easy for a couple to afford a child in Asia.

B. The prices of in Asia are quite low now.

   C. Fewer and fewer married women want to have a job.      

D. The word “DINKS” appeared in an Asian country.

To buy a flat and send a child to kindergarten, how much will a couple pay each year?

   A. 85,000      B. 85,900      C. $10.800      D. $15.800

The writer seems to believe that Asian governments should ________.

   A. let women stay at home and have a baby B. allow one of the parents to go out to work

   C. care for the growing needs of women for job.D. the companies that permit women to leave.

People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地).On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
68. Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A. Parents bring up children.                                    B. Parents give love and care to children.
C. Parents educate children to be good persons.        D. Parents pass away before children grow up.
69. Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A. It has only two kinds of colors.
B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D. People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.
70. What do you know from the passage?
A. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.    B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
C. Not all the children respect their parents          D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
71. On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, _______.
A. people usually have family parties                   B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery
C. children always go to parents’ home                    D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts

In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition（学会）of each new skill — the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is common that parents hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, and a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm（热情） for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters; others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality（准时）for meals. In general, the controls imposed（强加的）represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community（社区）as much as the child’s own happiness.

As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality.  Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”. If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach（说教）, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.

A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

1.Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills _____.

2. When children are learning new skills, parents should _____.

3.The second paragraph mainly tells us that _____.

4.The underlined word “precept” （in Paragraph 3） probably means “_____”.

5.In moral matters, parents should _____.

When you see homework covering the kitchen table and toys are piling up around the sofa, you probably wish there was a bit more space. You are not alone. Nearly a third of parents say they feel squeezed into their homes but cannot afford to move to a bigger property, a report reveals today.

Twenty-nine percent say "their property is too small to fit the size of their family—rising to 40 percent for those 34 and under". One in four children is 'forced to share' a bedroom, according to the Finda-Property. Com website. Property analyst Samantha Baden said: "Afford-ability remains a key issue for families, with the average cost of a three-bedroom home around ￡193,000."Very few can afford to buy or to rent a property of the size they want and in the area they desire to live in, according to Miss Baden.
A recent report, from investment firm LV, also found that many 'space-starved parents’are pushed into a two-bedroom home which was perfect when they were a young couple, but has no space for three or so children. Grown-up children who cannot afford to leave homo are also adding to the problem facing families in Britain's 'big squeeze'.
For a home to be the correct size, which means it is not overcrowded, parents must have their own bedroom. Children under ten can share, as well as same-sex children between ten and 20.Anyone over 21 also needs their own room.
The report comes as official figures, published yesterday by the Land Registry, revealing house prices are falling sharply in every region except London. The worst – hit area is the North East where average house prices have fallen to below ￡100, 000 for the first time in seven years. However, they remain unaffordable for millions.
【小题1】According to Paragraph 1, the report reveals        .