“Oh,you must have been a spoiled (寵壞的) kid.You must be really bossy.I wonder what you’re going to be like to deal with?” That’s often the response Angela Hult gets when people find out she’s an only child,she told ABC News.Despite such negative (消極的) remarks,Hult has decided to have only one child herself.And she’s not alone.
According to the US’ Office for National Statistics,women approaching the end of their childbearing years had an average of 1.9 children in 2004,compared with 3.1 for their counterparts in 1976.The percentage of one­child families in Britain had risen from 18 percent in 1972 to 26 percent in 2007.
But even though only children are becoming increasingly common,the traditional view that they’re selfish,spoiled and lack social skills holds strong.Even parents of only children,like Hult,are made to feel guilty about having only one child.Worried that they’re being selfish and endangering their child’s future,they flock to online discussion forums seeking advice.Soon,however,they ask themselves:is this social prejudice really reasonable?
“There have been hundreds and hundreds of research studies that show that only children are no different from their peers (同齡人),” Susan Newman,a social psychologist at Rutgers University in the US,told ABC News.
This raises another question:why are only children still viewed with such suspicion?
“There is a belief that’s been around probably since humans first existed that to have just one child is somehow dangerous,both for you and for the continuation of your race,” Toni Falbo,a professor of educational psychology,told the Guardian.“In the past a lot of children died.You’d have had to be crazy to only have one.”
Times,of course,have changed and infant mortality (嬰兒死亡率) has largely reduced.So what do only children themselves say?
Kayley Kravitz,a blogger for The Huffington Post,grew up as an only child and highly recommends the experience.“Being an only child taught me the most valuable skill of all:the ability to be alone,” she said.
小題1:Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A.Are only children lonely?
B.Are only children common?
C.Are only children dangerous?
D.Are only children different?
小題2:What does Susan Newman mean?
A.Only children are as good as their peers.
B.Only children are more selfish and spoiled.
C.Parents feel guilty about having only one child.
D.Parents will endanger their only child’s future.
小題3:What is the common belief since human existed?
A.The infant death rate always stays high.
B.People are crazy to have only one child.
C.It’s easy for only children to earn their living.
D.It’s hard to continue the family line with only one child.
小題4:An only child like Kayley________.
A.must be difficult to persuade
B.can possibly learn to be alone
C.should value special skills
D.need ignore bad experience
小題5:What’s the author’s attitude towards having only one child?
A.Neutral. B.Negative.
C.Positive. D.Doubtful.

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:B
小題5:A
語篇解讀 本文是一篇議論文。盡管在英國越來越多的孩子都是獨(dú)生子女,但很多人對獨(dú)生子女的看法卻依然如故,認(rèn)為他們自私、嬌氣、缺少社交技能。對此,獨(dú)生子女們有他們的看法。
小題1:解析: 標(biāo)題概括題。本文主要討論了獨(dú)生子女是否就是英國傳統(tǒng)觀念中的自私、嬌氣,缺少社交技能的人,所以D項(xiàng)最適合做文章的標(biāo)題,故選D。
答案: D
小題2:解析: 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第四段Susan Newman所說的話可知,成百上千的研究表明獨(dú)生子女和別的孩子沒有什么區(qū)別,故選A。
答案: A
小題3:解析: 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章第六段中的“There is a belief that’s been around probably...both for you and for the continuation of your race”可知,自從人類存在以來,人們就認(rèn)為只生一個孩子不論對你自己還是對種族的延續(xù)來說都是很危險的,故選D。
答案: D
小題4:解析: 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章最后一段中“Being an only child...the ability to be alone”可知,選B。
答案: B
小題5:解析: 觀點(diǎn)態(tài)度題。文中提到不同人對于獨(dú)生子女的不同觀點(diǎn),但并沒有直接提到作者自己的看法,由此可知,應(yīng)選A,中立的。
答案: A
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

     Fortunately, I've been able to avoid the traffic jam brought by presidential visits because ! don't have to commute anywhere. Barack Obama visited Los Angeles recently which paralyzed large sections of a city and you could almost hear the collective pain of unhappy commuters.
I am among the l0 percent of people in the US that regularly work from home. You could include Obama among them, although I suspect his working area in the White House is better-equipped than my small space on to the back of the garage. He also probably doesn't have a problem with three little kids interrupting his phone calls or bursting into his office at inappropriate moments.
Every day there they are, knocking on my window and peering inside, as if looking at an animal in a zoo. Once, a telephone interview I was doing with the former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was interrupted by my older son, then three years old, and completely naked "Ahaaar!" he shouted to my face. "What was that?" said Schwarzenegger. I stammered(結(jié)巴地說出) something about the joys of children and silently managed to shoo the boy out of the room without putting down the phone.
I shouldn't complain. I no longer have to stand having someone's armpit(腋窩) being pressed into my face on a crowded train and home status means ! should be a more productive worker although working from home could also lead to "avoiding duties from home". I would argue that a bigger problem is going nuts: Staring at the same walls every day and not going anywhere can do strange things to a person.
I realized I had to get out of the house at least once a day to avoid turning into an unshaven and unshoweredrecluse(隱士) who was still in his pyjamas at dinner time. I would work for an hour or so in a local coffee shop but, like most routine, this became boring because I would constantly see the same faces: Screenwriters poring over screenplays, elderly women heading to the yoga studio next door and hordes of overweight middle-aged male cycling by.
And yet here I am several years later, still working from home consciously and, I'm happy to report, not sitting at my desk in my pyjamas. Not since last Tuesday, anyway.
小題1:The author may agree that __
A.it's a bad decision to work from home
B.presidential visits bring inconvenience to the locals
C.if a person wants to be more productive, he must work from home
D.the former California governor was angry at the interruption during the interview
小題2:The incident of three-year-old son is described to prove that___
A.working from home has some drawbacks
B.working from home is a pleasant experience
C.Barack Obama has better working conditions than the author
D.it's unfortunate for the author to have a naughty boy
小題3: The reason why the author goes to the coffee shop is that __
A.he wants to get familiar with the people around
B.he doesn't like working in his pyjamas at home
C.he becomes bored with being a commuter
D.he needs some changes to get relaxation
小題4:The whole passage suggests that __
A.the author has to work from home
B.a(chǎn)ny routine definitely means boredom
C.the author is a humorous person
D.working from home contributes to avoiding duties

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

I went to a group activity, “Sensitivity Sunday”, which was to make us more ___ the problems faced by disabled people. We were asked to “ ____ a disability” for several hours one Sunday. Some members,____ chose to use wheelchairs. Others wore sound­blocking earplugs(耳塞)or blindfolds(眼罩).
Just sitting in the wheelchair was a ___ experience. I had never considered before how ____ it would be to use one. As soon as I sat down, my ____ made the chair begin to roll. Its wheels were not ____. Then I wondered where to put my ____. It took me quite a while to get the metal footrest into ____. I took my first uneasy look at what was to be my only means of ____ for several hours. For disabled people, “adopting a wheelchair” is not a temporary(臨時的) ____.
I tried to find a ____ position and thought it might be restful, ____ kind of nice, to be ____ around for a while. Looking around, I ____ I would have to handle the thing myself! My hands started to ache as I ___ the heavy metal wheels. I came to know that controlling the ____ of the wheelchair as not going to be a(n)____ task.
My wheelchair experiment was soon ___. It made a deep impression on me. A few hours of “disability” gave me only a taste of the ____, both physical and mental, that disabled people must overcome.
小題1:
A.curious about     B.interested in
C.a(chǎn)ware of D.careful with
小題2:
A.cureB.prevent
C.a(chǎn)doptD.a(chǎn)nalyze
小題3:
A.insteadB.strangely
C.a(chǎn)s usualD.like me
小題4:
A.learningB.working
C.satisfyingD.relaxing
小題5:
A.convenientB.a(chǎn)wkward
C.boringD.exciting
小題6:
A.heightB.force
C.skillD.weight
小題7:
A.lockedB.repaired
C.poweredD.grasped
小題8:
A.handsB.feet
C.keysD.handles
小題9:
A.placeB.a(chǎn)ction
C.playD.effect
小題10:
A.operationB.communication
C.transportationD.production
小題11:
A.explorationB.education
C.experimentD.entertainment
小題12:
A.flexible B.safe
C.startingD.comfortable
小題13:
A.yetB.just
C.stillD.even
小題14:
A.shownB.pushed
C.drivenD.guided
小題15:
A.realizedB.suggested
C.a(chǎn)greedD.a(chǎn)dmitted
小題16:
A.liftedB.turned
C.pressedD.seized
小題17:
A.pathB.position
C.directionD.way
小題18:
A.easyB.heavy
C.majorD.extra
小題19:
A.forgottenB.repeated
C.conductedD.finished
小題20:
A.weaknessesB.challenges
C.a(chǎn)nxietiesD.illnesses

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When you make a mistake,big or small,cherish it as it’s the most precious thing in the world.
Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes,beat ourselves up about it,feel like failures,and get mad at ourselves.
And that’s only natural:Most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad,and we should try to avoid mistakes.We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes—at home,school and work.Maybe not always,but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.
Yet without mistakes,we could not learn or grow.If you think about it that way,mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the  world:They  make  learning  possible;they make growth  and improvement possible.
By trial and error—trying things,making mistakes,and learning from those mistakes—we have figured out how to make electric lights,to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,and to fly.
Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler,make speech possible,and make works of genius possible.
Think about how we learn:We don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it.You don’t just read about painting,or writing,or computer programming,or baking,or playing the piano,and know how to do them fight away.Instead,you get information about something,from reading or from another person or from observing usually...then you construct a model in your mind...then you test it out by trying it in the real world...then you make mistakes...then you revise the model based on the results of your real world experimentation...and repeat,making mistakes,learning from those mistakes,until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something.
That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers,and how we learn as adults.Mistakes are how we learn to do something new—because if you succeed in something,it’s probably something you already knew how to do.You haven’t really grown much from that success—at most it’s the last step on your journey,not the whole journey.Most of the journey is made up of mistakes,if it’s a good journey.
So if you value learning,if you value growing and improving,then you should value mistakes.They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.
小題1:Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?
A.Because mistakes make us suffer a lot.
B.Because it’s a natural part in our life.
C.Because we’ve been taught so from a young age.
D.Because mistakes have ruined many people’s careers.
小題2:According to the passage,what is the right attitude to mistakes?
A.We should try to avoid making mistakes.
B.We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes.
C.We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn.
D.We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.
小題3:The underlined word “toddler” in Paragraph 6 probably means________.
A.a(chǎn) small child learning to walk
B.a(chǎn) kindergarten child learning to draw
C.a(chǎn) primary pupil learning to read
D.a(chǎn) school teenager learning to write
小題4:We can learn from the passage that________.
A.most of us can really grow from success
B.growing and improving are based on mistakes
C.we learn to make mistakes by trial and error
D.we read about something and know how to do it right away
小題5:The author wants to tell us________.
A.what you should do when meeting with difficulties
B.where you can find your mistakes
C.how you can avoid making mistakes
D.why you should celebrate your mistakes

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louver Museum(盧浮宮) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision(視覺) is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.  
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louver by a former employee, who took it out of the museum, hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War Ⅱ, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
小題1:We can infer from the text that_______
A.the Mona Lisa is proved to be able to last another 500 years
B.Mona Lisa’s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by
C.the Mona Lisa has been catching people’s wide attention in the past 500 years
D.Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago
小題2:Which of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?
A.It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces.
B.Its painter himself loved it greatly and always kept it in a shade.
C.Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wanting to see her smiles.
D.King Francis I bought it and then returned it to Italy.
小題3:Choose the right order about the happenings onto Mona Lisa.
a. It was stolen from the Louver.
b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I
c. Its state of health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louver Museum.
e. It was hidden and protected against Germans.
A.b-a-d-e-cB.d-e-c-b-aC.d-a-e-c-bD.b-c-a-d-e
小題4:It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that_____.
A.experts haven’t noticed changes in its shape as visitors do
B.it is likely to be stolen again when it’s under repair
C.it is uncertain which country, Italy of France, should take charge
D.experts aren’t sure about the materials and the chemical state of its oil paint

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Willi around 100 students scheduled to be in that 9 am Monday morning lecture, it is no surprise that almost 20 people actually make it to the class and only 10 of them arc still awake after the first IS minutes; it is not even a surprise that most of them are still in their pyjamas (睡衣). Obviously, students are terrible at adjusting their sleep cycles to their daily schedule.
All human beings possess a body clock. Along with other alerting (警報) systems, this governs the sleep/wake cycle and is therefore one of the main processes which govern sleep behaviour. Typically, the preferred sleep/wake cycle is delayed in adolescents, which leads to many students not feeling sleepy until much later in the evenings. This typical sleep pattern is usually referred to as the "night owl" schedule of sleep.
This is opposed to the "early bird" schedule, and is a kind of disorder where the individual tends to stay up much past midnight. Such a person has great difficulty in waking up in the mornings. Research suggests that night owls feel most alert and function best in the evenings and at night. Research findings have shown that about 20 percent of people can be classified as "night owls" and only 10 percent can be classified as "early birds" - the other 70 percent are in the middle. Although this is clearly not true for all students, for the ones who are true night owls this gives them an excellent excuse for missing their lectures which unfortunately fall before midday.
小題1:What docs the author stress in Paragraph I?
A.Many students are absent from class.
B.Students are very tired on Monday mornings.
C.Students do not adjust their sleep patterns well.
D.Students are not well prepared for class on Mondays.
小題2:Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2?
A.Most students prefer to get up late in the morning.
B.Students don't sleep well because of alerting systems.
C.One's body clock governs the sleep/wake cycle independently.
D.Adolescents' delayed sleep/wake cycle isn't the preferred pattern.
小題3:Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word "classified"?
A.Criticised.B.Grouped. C.Organised.D.Named.
小題4:What docs the text mainly talk about?
A.Functions of the body clock.
B.The "night owl" phenomenon.
C.Human beings' sleep behaviour.
D.The school schedule of "early birds".

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob (烤肉串)hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customer especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordably but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to health­conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill(烤肉架).
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a plan that should not be overlooked.
小題1:When first entering the restaurant,one can find that it________.
A.is splendidly decorated
B.has pleasant smells of kabobs
C.is crowded with dining table
D.looks like a common restaurant
小題2: What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
A.Watching news events on TV.
B.Drinking a kind of black coffee.
C.Reading local English newspaper.
D.Discussing world topics in low voices.
小題3:The food of the restaurant_________.
A.is served in small amountsB.is rather expensive
C.is rich in varietyD.is very healthy
小題4:What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
A.Rice.B.Chicken.C.Bread.D.Beef.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Dogs and cats are not for students who live in the dormitory. Just think about the noise, the smell and all that wild behavior­chewing on whatever they can get their teeth on, or knocking over the trash can. But don't feel sad. There are smaller and less destructive pets to make your dormitory life colorful.

Betta fish
They make great pets with their big personality and astonishing colors, ranging from bright red, dark blue to lemon yellow. Unlike many fish, most bettas react to their owner's presence and become more active when they are nearby, which is unusual in the fish world.
 
Chinchillas
Without bad smell, about the size of a rabbit and with fur so dense that they can't get pests such as fleas(跳蚤), the friendly creature originally from the Andes Mountains in South America makes an ideal indoor pet. Chinchillas are very social animals, so if you only have one, you will become its family. In cold winter days, in a glace at this fury pet in a dorm will bring you a lot of warmth.
Land hermit crabs
 
In a society where owners are often asked “Are they tasty?”, land hermit crabs are among the most unlucky animals commonly kept as pets. But they are easy to care for, inexpensive and fascinating to watch. And the fact that they don't cause any allergic reactions makes them perfect for college dormitories.

Red­eared sliders
If you're interested in a lifelong friend, a red­eared slider makes a wonderful pet. If well cared for, they can live for around 40 years. But there are a couple of things you should know. Red­eared can grow to an adult size of up to 30cm! So you may need a larger tank quickly. In addition, you will need to provide UV lighting, water heater, and a swimming area and a basking (曬太陽) area. Housing a red eared slider is not easy.
小題1:All the dormitory pets mentioned in the text are ________.
A.a(chǎn)ctive and allergic   B.quiet and peaceful
C.colorful and tastyD.small and smelly
小題2:Which of the following is NOT true about these creatures?
A.Bettas are active and rich in colors.
B.Chinchillas are originally mountain animals.
C.Land hermit crabs are allergic but tasty.
D.Red­eared sliders need more care from the owner.
小題3:If you want to keep the pet as long as possible, you'd better choose ________.
A.Betta fishB.Chinchillas
C.Land hermit crabsD.Red­eared sliders
小題4:The text is mainly to ________.
A.introduce the best way to keep pets
B.offer useful tips for choosing pets
C.inform students of lifestyle of pets
D.recommend some dormitory pets

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

Mrs. Barrow, room 501, I repeated to myself as I was looking for the room number. It was my first day of        grade and I was really        .
Stepping into the room, I felt       . I tried to keep calm, but Mrs. Barrow saw through me. “Good morning, Courtni. You may pick your       .”
I glanced round the room and took a(n)        seat near a girl named Wendy. Soon, Wendy and I became good friends. I felt no closeness to Mrs. Barrow,       .
Mrs. Barrow had us write a paper        what we wanted to be when we grew up. She said that when her      students graduated, she liked them to come back and      their fifth-grade dreams together, as a memory of their childhood. I decided right then that I liked Mrs. Barrow.   
A month later, my grandmother died of cancer.      her was so painful for me that I __    some school.
At the funeral(葬禮), I was sitting feeling sorry for myself when I looked       and saw Mrs. Barrow standing there. She        my hand and comforted me by reminding me that Grandma had no more pain or      .        had never occurred to me that it was better for my grandma this way.
After the funeral, we went home to see the flowers that had been sent. My mom       me a pretty ivy(常春藤) plant. The attached card       :
Courtni,
I’m sorry about your grandma. Never forget, I love you.
With love,
Mrs. Barrow
I wanted to       . I took the plant home, watered it and put it in my grandma’s old room. I am in eighth grade now and I        have that plant. I never thought a teacher could        that much about her students: now I know. 
小題1:
A.firstB.thirdC.fifthD.eighth
小題2:
A.nervousB.sadC.a(chǎn)ngryD.surprised
小題3:
A.out of orderB.out of mindC.out of control D.out of place
小題4:
A.chairB.seatC.deskD.book
小題5:
A.goodB.cleanC.emptyD.pretty
小題6:
A.thoughB.a(chǎn)lthoughC.ifD.while
小題7:
A.inB.withC.byD.on
小題8:
A.perfectB.formerC.slowD.ordinary
小題9:
A.spareB.bringC.shareD.handle
小題10:
A.ThinkingB.HavingC.AttendingD.Losing
小題11:
A.missedB.forgotC.leftD.lacked
小題12:
A.a(chǎn)roundB.upC.downD.out
小題13:
A.shookB.wavedC.gaveD.held
小題14:
A.delightB.surpriseC.sufferingD.disappointment
小題15:
A.ItB.SheC.TheyD.He
小題16:
A.droppedB.handedC.presentedD.provided
小題17:
A.readB.toldC.wroteD.informed
小題18:
A.runB.smileC.cryD.wait
小題19:
A.evenB.yetC.a(chǎn)lsoD.still
小題20:
A.learnB.careC.serveD.offer

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案