About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a
woman and a young boy sat down at the next table, I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy — who could not have been more than seven or eight years old — replied. “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”
This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed (确认) my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.
Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.
Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?
Human development is depended not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social positions. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages; traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.
In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation (揭示) machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation (诱惑) , many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more attractive moving pictures.
Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.
71. According to the author, feeling depressed is ________.
A. a sure sign of a mental problem in a child
B. a mental state present in all humans, including children[来源:学.科.网]
C. something that cannot be avoided in children’s mental development
D. something hardly to be expected in a young child
72. Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world _________.
A. through connection with society
B. gradually and under guidance
C. naturally without being taught
D. through watching television
73. According to the author, that today’s children seem adultlike results from ________.
A. the widespread influence of television
B. the poor arrangement of teaching content
C. the fast pace of human scientific development
D. the rising standard of living
74. What does the author think of communication through print for children?
A. It enables children to gain more social information.
B. It develops children’s interest in reading and writing.
C. It helps children to read and write well.
D. It can control what children are to learn.
75. What does the author think of the change in today’s children?
A. He feels their adultlike behavior is so funny.
B. He thinks people should pay attention to the change.
C. He considers it a rapid development.
D. He seems to be upset about it.

I don’t think Rosemary will be upset about it, but I’ll go to see her in case she _______.

A. is                   B. will be          C. does             D. need

Children, especially boys, tend to idealize their fathers when they are young．Every little boy wants to grow up to be just like his father, and every little girl thinks her father is the smartest man on the earth．It’s not very easy to be a good father, but it’s not that difficult either．Children will truly enjoy spending time with their fathers, not just when they are kids, but even when they are adults．

    Not all children communicate well with their fathers．Communication is often left to mothers, while fathers dispense advice as and when necessary．Don’t expect all conversations to centre around the dinner table．Go to your children’s bedrooms and talk to them about school, their teachers or their friends．Remember that the conversation cannot be one-sided．When your children open up to you, you also need to open up to them．

    If your children come home from school feeling upset, go up to them and ask them what is the matter．And if it is something which seems to you to be a silly reason to be upset, don’t voice your opinion．It may be silly to you, but to your children it is important enough．So don’t wave the topic away by telling them not to bother about such stupid things．Simply discussing their problems with them will help them feel better．

    Don’t shy away from having discussions about your teenage children’s love lives．Generally speaking, your children are definitely not going to discuss intimate details with you．Try to let them know that you are relaxed about topics on love．Tell your children how you met your wife．It is perfectly normal for children to go through feelings for the opposite sex as they grow up, and by keeping the topic closed for discussion, you are only shutting them off from discussing their feelings with you．All they will do is turn to their friends．

1.To children their fathers are usually very _____．

    A．kind           B．great          C．serious        D．strong

2.From the second paragraph we can know that _____．

    A．some children don’t like their fathers at all

    B．talking with children around the dinner table is unnecessary

    C．it is better for fathers to communicate more with their children

    D．mothers should communicate less with their children．

3.Suppose your children are worried about something you should _____．

    A．have a talk with them        Ｂ．express your opinion

    C．keep silent                   D．let them alone

4.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “intimate” in Paragraph 4?

    A．Public       B．Personal    C．Strange     D．Serious

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked: “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied, “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low sprits, until we were in high school.

Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development is based not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new status. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示）machine has been installed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practiced. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1.According to the author, feeling depressed is________.

2.Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world________.

3.According to the author, that today’s children seem adultlike results from ________.

4.What does the author think of communication through print for children?

5.What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you! Dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p.m., And end at about 11. Ask your hosts what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as gift. Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks. Do you want to be extra polite? Say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember---- it's not polite to ask how much things cost. In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other end. They eat with their guests.
You'll probably start meal with soup or something small, and then you have meat of fish with vegetables, and then desert, followed by coffee. It's polite to finish everything on your plate and have more if you want it. Did you enjoy the evening? Call your host and hostess the next day, or write them a short "thank you" letter. British and American people like to say "thank you, thank you, thank you" all the time!
【小题1】You're not invited to the evening by a friend, which              .