3. The writer's opinion about after-school clubs is that ________.

A. activities in the country are too competitive

B. children should attend four clubs at a time

C. some clubs result in competitive pressures

D. clubs should have more subjects for school children

2. British parents, as the writer described in this passage, _______.

A. treat their children as sports players

B. pay no attention to their children's lessons

C. bring up their children in a simple way

D. give their children little time to develop freely

1. From the second paragraph of this passage we can find that _______.

A. Hagner wastes much time helping her children's lessons

B. Hagner doesn't spend much time on her full-time job

C. Hagner is interested in sports and music

D. Hagner busies herself by following a trend

5. What is the subject discussed in the text?

A. Interpersonal relationships.　　　　　　　 B. Kinds of social support.

C. Ways to deal with stress.　　　　　　　　 D. Effects of stressful conditions.

(12)

LONDON - Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent(永久的) fast-forward.

Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hanger also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club.

Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line.

Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child.

“Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress,” says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota.

Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four.

“There is a new parenting trend(趋势) under way which says that you have to tap all your child’s potential(潜能) at a young age; otherwise you will let him down,” says Terry Apter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist(青少年精神病专家).

“It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously(以前) seen as strange behaviour is now well accepted.”

4. Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______.

　　　 A. instrumental support　　　　　　　　　　　 B. informational support

　　　 C. social companionship　　　　　　　　　　　 D. the strengthening of self-respect

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?

　　　 A. takes place of　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. makes up of

　　　 C. lessens the effect of　　　　　　　　　　　 D. gets rid of

2. The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______.

A. lies in the social medical care systems which support them

B. has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

C. depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

D. is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes

1. Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______.

A. make people live more easily　 B. smooth away daily problems

C. deal with life changes　　　 D. cure types of illnesses

4. This passage might have been taken out of a book dealing with ________.

A. physics　　　 B. chemistry　　　　　 C. biology　　　　　　　 D. none of the above

(11)

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有压力的) conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support - money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.

3. Ray Birdwhistell can tell what area of the United States a person is from by _______.

A. how much he or she laughs　　　　　　 B. how he or she raises his or her eyebrows

C. what he or she likes best　　　　　　　　 D. the way he or she talks