In the spring of 1999, I spoke about China to a group of over eighty American second grade students in the US. The children were curious about so many things: the Great Wall, pandas, martial arts. More than any other subject, however, these young people were interested in the relationship between Chinese children and their parents.

As I described how Chinese parents raise their children, drawing on the experiences of my friends and their kids, it occurred to me that parents in the US and China differ greatly in their approach to parenting. In the US, parents tend to encourage their children to develop their potential(潜能) to the fullest degree-in a word, to dream. Fathers and mothers frequently put in their children both ambition(理想;抱负) and, as importantly, the confidence necessary to work toward their goals. American parents tend to be very positive: they concentrate on what their kids can do, not what they can't. As a result, millions of American boys and girls grow up hoping to become actors and athletes, statesmen and doctors; many even want to become president.

American parents often encourage their children to become involved (参与) in extracurricular(课外的) activities of all types at school, such as student government, sports and music. They believe that only through involvement in these activities can their children become healthy young adults.

Schoolwork is important, to be sure. But parents realize that the social skills their children learn from natural interaction with their peers in non-scholastic settings are more useful to develop the skills they will need in the "real world". What's more important in the office place: a sound knowledge of physics or the ability to communicate effectively?

As a rule, Chinese parents do not help their children to develop the same kind of ambition and confidence Americans put in their children, nor do they encourage the same level of involvement in extracurricular activities. Children are typically told to study hard and pass exams. Too often, time away from schoolbooks is seen as time wasted.

This approach has created so much pressure for Chinese children that leaders in Chinese educational circles have issued calls for less homework at the lower grade levels. Only healthy kids can become healthy adults. More and more Chinese parents recognize this. I am very confident about China's future.

17. The writer's purpose in writing this text is ________ .

A. to show his confidence about China's future

B. to tell the different way of parenting in the USA and China

C. to give a speech about China to a group of American second grade students

D. to describe how American parents raise their children

18. In America, fathers and mothers often put the ideas of ________ in their children's minds.

A. involvement and natural interaction B. involvement and effective communication

C. involvement and ambition D. ambition and confidence

19. The underlined word "peers" in the text probably means ________ .

A. persons of the same age, class, position, etc. as themselves

B. classmates C. friends D. persons elder than themselves

20. What can we infer about the author from the text?

A. He is a Chinese who once visited America in 1999.

B. He is a Chinese who knows a lot about America.

C. He is an American who knows a lot about China.

D. He is an American who taught in an American school in 1999.

 

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

　　BRITAIN's parents have admitted school is harder today than it was when they were kids.

　　A poll (民意测验) of 1500 parents shows that those with children who have recently sat(参加…) A-level or GCSE exams believe today's exams are harder than the ones they sat at school.

　　One in four thought A-levels were getting harder-compared to just twelve per cent who thought they were easier.

　　The figures for GCSEs were more evenly split with 26 per cent thinking they were harder and 21 per cent believing they were easier. This is the first survey (调查) of the opinion of parents whose youngsters have just sat exams.

　　They told pollsters they believed the higher pass rate in examinations today were due to the youngsters concerned working harder.

Success

　　But another reason given was that they believed today's youngsters felt there was little chance of success in life without qualification (资格) ‘Parents are seeing standards rise and their children working harder and being smarter than their generation,' says Dr Christina Townsend, president of the Edexcel exam board, which commissioned(委托) the survey.

　　The poll , carried out by Opinion Research Business for the exam board, also showed parents supported government plans to allow students to see their marked papers after they had completed their exams.

　　The move (行动，步骤) is designed to help them decide whether they should doubt their standard.

1．What do you know about Britain's school education from the text?

[　　]

A．Students are burdened with too much homework after school.

B．Students are tired of learning at school.

C．Most students can't pass A-level or GCSE exams.

D．Exams are more difficult today and pupils are working harder.

2．The writer's purpose in writing this text is ______.

[　　]

A．to show the result of a poll of 1500 parents

B．to tell parents that their youngsters are working hard

C．to prove that youngsters are smarter than their parents

D．to request that exams be easier

3．We can infer from the text that ______.

[　　]

A．the government will take steps to lower the standards of exams

B．students were once not allowed to see their marked papers

C．parents didn't work hard when they were at school

D．more parents think A-levels are getting harder and GCSEs are getting easier

4．The second part of the text mainly shows that ______.

[　　]

A．parents support government plans

B．parents don't accept the school education

C．students have less chance of success in life

D．parents probably think well of the school education

Although women lead healthier, longer lives, the cruel perception that they reach their sell-by date and become “old” sooner than men is widespread in the workplace, research shows.

A survey of more than 2,600 managers and personnel professionals showed that age discrimination is not only common in the workplace, but is full of inconsistencies(矛盾). Six in ten managers thought that they had suffered from age discrimination——usually because they were turned down for a job for being too old or too young. Yet more than a fifth admitted that they used age as a condition when they employ new workers.

Although the survey found widespread agreement that older workers were better than younger colleagues when it came to reliability, commitment, loyalty and customer service, these qualities were not necessarily considered to be worthy of advancement. More than half of respondents believed that workers between 30 and 39 were the most likely to be advanced in their company, with only 2 per cent citing (引证)50-year-olds or above.

Dianah Worman of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said that there was anecdotal evidence that people were considered old at different ages in different sectors. “We heard of one man working in IT who said he was considered too old by the age of 28,”she said.“There was no evidence to suggest that older workers were less valuable to companies than younger workers, in fact the opposite was often true because older workers often brought experience.” she added.

The findings also suggested that the Government’s ideas on age in the workforce may also be out of step with reality.

68. The text is mainly about ______.

A. the government’s idea on age in workforce 

B. age discrimination in the workforce

C. the people who find work             

D. the discussion about who is worth promoting

69. The underlined word “sell-by date” in paragraph 1 probably refers to______.

A. the age when they retire   

B. the age when they should be promoted

C. the date on which they’re sold  

D. the date when they sell goods

70. The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______.

A. tell the government to employ older workers 

 B. criticize managers who treat workers unfairly

C. report the findings of a survey    

D. show he objects to age discrimination

    

D

Although women lead healthier, longer lives, the cruel perception that they reach their sell-by date and become “old” sooner than men is widespread in the workplace, research shows.

A survey of more than 2,600 managers and personnel professionals showed that age discrimination is not only common in the workplace, but is full of inconsistencies(矛盾). Six in ten managers thought that they had suffered from age discrimination——usually because they were turned down for a job for being too old or too young. Yet more than a fifth admitted that they used age as a condition when they employ new workers.

Although the survey found widespread agreement that older workers were better than younger colleagues when it came to reliability, commitment, loyalty and customer service, these qualities were not necessarily considered to be worthy of advancement. More than half of respondents believed that workers between 30 and 39 were the most likely to be advanced in their company, with only 2 per cent citing (引证)50-year-olds or above.

Dianah Worman of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said that there was anecdotal evidence that people were considered old at different ages in different sectors. “We heard of one man working in IT who said he was considered too old by the age of 28,”she said.“There was no evidence to suggest that older workers were less valuable to companies than younger workers, in fact the opposite was often true because older workers often brought experience.” she added.

The findings also suggested that the Government’s ideas on age in the workforce may also be out of step with reality.

68. The text is mainly about ______.

A. the government’s idea on age in workforce 

B. age discrimination in the workforce

C. the people who find work            

D. the discussion about who is worth promoting

69. The underlined word “sell-by date” in paragraph 1 probably refers to______.

A. the age when they retire   

B. the age when they should be promoted

C. the date on which they’re sold 

D. the date when they sell goods

70. The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______.

A. tell the government to employ older workers 

 B. criticize managers who treat workers unfairly

C. report the findings of a survey    

D. show he objects to age discrimination