阅读理解

Pocket Money

　　Most British parents give their teenagers pocket money．Teenagers get between ＆7 and ＆20a week．They spend it on fast food, designer clothes, the cinema, concert, magazines and mobile phones．

　　1．Lazy parents?

　　37％ of parents pay teenagers to clean the lounge, 66％ of parents pay teenagers to take the rubbish out．

　　2．Lazy teens?

　　51％ of teenagers don't make their beds before they leave home．Only 13％ of teenagers wash the car for money．Some parents even pay their teenagers to do their homework．

　　3．Equality? Not yet!

　　Boys get more money than girls for most odd jobs．For washing the dishes, boys get about ＆4 and girls get about ＆1．

　　4．And if you need some more money?

　　Teens get an extra ＆250 a year out of their parents on top of pocket money!About 50％ of teens get gifts of money from their grandparents．Go to Mum if you need extra money!She gives more than Dad．

　　5．Where you live makes a difference!

　　Parents in Scotland and the North of England give most pocket money．

　　6．Spending

　　51％spend their money on clothes．39％buy cosmetics, jewellery and toiletries．Less than 50％ of teenagers save any money．

　　Here are some children who tell us about their pocket money：

　　I get ＆30 a month, I have to take the rubbish out and tidy my room．Emma, 15, Edinburgh．

　　I get ＆10 a week．But I have to clean the car, hoover(用真空洗尘器清洗)the house and load and unload the dishwasher．I usually save the money．James, 12, sheffield．

　　I get ＆7.50 a week．I have to be "good" but I don't have to do any jobs for the money．

　　Lain, 13, Gardiff．

　　I get ＆5 a week．But our neighbors go away a lot and they give me ＆25 a week for looking after their cats．Richard, 13, Belfast．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　The cost of raising a child from birth to age 18 is about ＄ 160,140! That doesn't even touch college tuition．For those with kids, this figure might lead them thinking how much they could have banked．For others, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless．

　　But ＄160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down．It translates into ＄ 896.66 a year, ＄741.38 a month, or ＄171.08 a week．That's a mere ＄24.44 a day! Just over a dollar an hour．

　　Still, you might think the best financial advice says don't have children if you ever want to be "rich"．It is not．

　　What do you get for your ＄160,140?

　　●Naming rights．

　　●Giggles under the covers every night．

　　●More love than your heart can hold．

　　●Kisses and hugs．

　　●Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies．

　　●A hand to hold usually covered with jam．

　　A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, and building sandeastles．

　　For ＄160,140, you never have to grow up! You get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, and never stop believing in Santa Claus．You have an excuse to keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching cartoons , going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars．

　　For ＄160,140, you get to be a hero just for taking the training wheels off the bike, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless．

　　You get a front row seat to history; to witness the first step, first word, first date, and first time behind the wheel．

　　You get to be immortal(不朽的)．

　　You get another branch added to your family tree．

　　You get an education in nursing, criminal justice and communications that no college can match．

　　You have all the power to correct a mistake, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a party, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost．

　　…

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)