I totally relate to the need many parents have in wanting their children to be special, unique, talented, and amazing. I think my child is all of those things too. Of course I do. But do we really need to be measuring and comparing the academic achievements of kids as young as 3, 4, and 5 years old?
These days, I often find it difficult to have a casual conservation with other parents of children who are only in preschool without being told. about how their kid is phenomenally (显著地)"advanced” in writing or that they're already reading at a 2nd-grade level.
I mean, obviously that's great news if you've been led to believe your child possesses a remarkable talent because they're catching on well in preschool. However. I can't help but notice that the height of parental bragging (夸耀)has reached too high both in real life and on social media.
I realize I'm probably pessimistic, but I'm afraid that we're placing our children on a ridiculously steep pedestal (基座)at too young of an age and we're really just giving our children a higher place to eventually fall from.
The ever increasing loads of homework being sent home in preschool and kindergarten seem like overkill as well. The most important skill young kids in preschool and kindergarten should be learning are social skills, in my opinion.
So, while I think it's great that your child may be very "advanced” for their age, I sincerely hope your child is happy, well-adjusted, surrounded by kind friends, and praised for so much more than how quickly they can read or write.
1. What does the author realize when she's talking with other parents of children in preschool?A.They're very proud of their parenting. |
B.They like showing off their children's academic achievements. |
C.They spend a lot of time teaching their children to write. |
D.They like comparing their children with themselves. |
A.ambiguous | B.jealous | C.optimistic | D.concerned |
A.Parents shouldn't want their children to be unique. |
B.It’s very important that kids in preschool learn writing. |
C.Kids in preschool should be mainly taught social skills. |
D.Preschool education will hardly affect kids in the long run. |
A.Stop wasting your kid's talents |
B.Stop teaching your kid to read and write |
C.Stop telling others your kid is "advanced” |
D.Stop scolding your kid for poor academic performance |
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【推荐1】Life can bring us down from time to time. At some point, you may find yourself in what you will consider as your darkest hour. As you try to find your way out of that bad situation, you should try to remind yourself that there will always be a reason to be grateful.
If you look at your situation now and compare it with someone else who is in much deeper trouble than you, I am sure that you'll find something to be thankful for. We all have our share of problems, but complaining about them so much only makes us blind to the fact that there are the miracles(奇迹) which happen around us each day.
When all your needs are provided, then you should be content and happy. If you have a roof over your head, some proper clothes to wear, enough food on the table, a comfortable place to sleep, clean water to drink and you are free to make your own choices, then you should be happy and grateful. Many people all around the world, especially those who are at war or those in very poor countries, would give anything to be in your shoes.
Even if you lose all your money or possessions and your heart is broken for some reason, as long as you are still alive, then everything you have lost can be regained. If you have a few good friends who will be there to support or help you, then you will be glad because true friends are hard to find. As long as you have someone to love and someone to love you back, then you are a very fortunate person. Remember to be patient and trust that things will get better.
1. What are we told to do when life brings us down?A.To remind ourselves to keep calm. |
B.To find a way out of the situation soon. |
C.To fight against the bad situation bravely. |
D.To know there is something to be grateful for. |
A.losing others' support | B.ignoring something good |
C.having a far worse situation | D.taking everything for granted |
A.really admire your shoes | B.are in a better situation than you |
C.would like to be in your situation | D.never know the value of your shoes |
A.you should be content and happy |
B.what you've lost will be back soon |
C.you will certainly lead a life you like |
D.you will have a chance to get what you've lost back |
【推荐2】Technological change is everywhere and affects every aspect of life, mostly for the better. However, social changes that are brought about by new technology are often mistaken for a change in attitudes.
An example at hand is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children who are attending college. Surveys on this topic suggest that parents today continue to be "very" or "somewhat" overly-protective even after their children move into college dormitories. The same surveys also indicate that the rate of parental involvement is greater today than it was a generation ago. This is usually interpreted as a sign that today’s parents are trying to manage their children’s lives past the point where this behavior is appropriate.
However, greater parental involvement does not necessarily indicate that parents are failing to let go of their "adult" children.
In the context (背景)of this discussion, it seems valuable to first find out the cause of change in the case of parents’ involvement with their grown children. If parents of earlier generations had wanted to be in touch with their college-age children frequently, would this have been possible? Probably not. On the other hand, does the possibility of frequent communication today mean that the urge to do so wasn’t present a generation ago? Many studies show that older parents — today’s grandparents — would have called their children more often if the means and cost of doing so had not been a barrier.
Furthermore, studies show that finances are the most frequent subject of communication between parents and their college children. The fact that college students are financially dependent on their parents is nothing new; nor are requests for more money to be sent from home. This phenomenon is neither good nor bad; it is a fact of college life, today and in the past.
Thanks to the advanced technology, we live in an age of bettered communication. This has many implications well beyond the role that parents seem to play in the lives of their children who have left for college. But it is useful to bear in mind that all such changes come from the technology and not some imagined desire by parents to keep their children under their wings.
1. The surveys inform us of________.A.the development of technology |
B.the changes of adult children’s behavior |
C.the parents’ over-protection of their college children |
D.the means and expenses of students’ communication |
I: Introduction P: Point Sp: Sub-point(次要点) C: Conclusion
A.![]() | B.![]() | C.![]() | D.![]() |
A.parents today are more protective than those in the past |
B.the disadvantages of new technology outweigh its advantages |
C.technology explains greater parental involvement with their children |
D.parents’ changed attitudes lead to college children’s delayed independence |
A.Technology or Attitude |
B.Dependence or Independence |
C.Family Influences or Social Changes |
D.College Management or Communication Advancement |
【推荐3】At heart, parents always wish the best for their children, and they work hard for that. Nowadays, we see parents deciding the schools for their little ones before the baby is even born. Once kids start going to school, some parents want to have a time-to-time update of their kid's activities. They want to come to the classroom every day, keep an eye on whom they talk to, know the friends they keep, start telling them how to do their job, and keep talking or giving a feedback(反馈) to them about everything under the sun. Besides, they send their kids for extra hobby classes, as they want their children to do best in every field.
When it comes to the education, super mom and dad have all the plans made for their children, and I am sure that they have come up with the best. So, try to fight for the dreams that your parents have set for you. However, in some cases, it may happen that the kids have some different dreams. Parents sometimes don't even consider the choice of their kids and may force them to do what they wanted to do in life. It's good to plan the future for the children, but leave at least some decisions to them.
So what should the children do? First, hear out all the plans that your parents have made for you. If you have some different ideas, then sit down and talk to your family about it. Be patient and respect their decisions, but put your plan forth, and make them understand what you want to do and why. Many times, you are not aware of the difficulties that you may have to face while pursuing your dreams. Ask your parents for suggestions, which will make them feel good and involved. That way, they may support you if you are going on the right path.
1. The parents described in Paragraph 1 tend to .A.have a good understanding of their children |
B.worry a lot about their children |
C.take good care of their children |
D.expect too much from their children |
A.children to do as they are told |
B.children to turn a deaf ear to their parents |
C.parents to respect their children’s choices |
D.parents to do everything for their children |
A.going after | B.planning for |
C.adapting to | D.preparing for |
A.Opposed | B.Doubtful |
C.Uncaring | D.Supportive |
【推荐1】Thousands of students, faculty and staff boycotted classes and staged rallies across the 10-campus University of California (UC) on Thursday to protest dramatic cuts to the system’s budget and proposed additional hikes in undergraduate fees.
The authorities of the University of California, stung by a 20% cutback in state support due to the state budget crisis, are planning to increase student fees another 32%. The University of California system must chop $637 million out of its budget this year following the agreement between Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the legislature on how to close California’s massive $26 billion gap in July. Many of the protesters believe the constant increase in fees over the past decade is endangering the university’s mission as a public university that offers students an outstanding education at a cost that middle- and working-class families can afford.
“It’s not just an economic crisis,” says Shannon Steen, a UC Berkeley professor who helped form Save the University to protest cuts to the budget, “it’s really a political crisis around the two-thirds rule in the legislature that holds the state hostage to a minority of legislators who are not doing what the people of California want”. California is the only state in the nation that has a two-thirds requirement for the passage of tax increases and to pass a budget. These two rules are at the root of the state’s chronic budget grief.
UC Irvine Anthropology Professor Victonia Bernal spoke passionately to about 125 students in the Social Science Hall saying “the beauty of the University of California is that it is an elite intellectual institution, but it is not elitist. If there were huge problems with the University of California, that would be one thing. Instead, we are taking something that by all measures is a great success and tearing it down.” Student leader Isaac Miller says the university community came together to “protest the defunding of public education by the State of California and the crisis of priorities of the university administration.” “It was stunning,” says Steen. “In the 20 years since I was an undergraduate here, I have never seen anything like this.”
The demonstrations did not disrupt schoolwork. A spokesman for University of California President Mark Yudof said most classes were held and that “most of the action was at the rallies.” But there will be more rallies. Protest organizers at Berkeley said that discussions are under way for a march on Sacramento that would include participants from the UCs, the 23-campus California State University system and the states’ junior colleges.“This is just the beginning,” says Miller. “It’s a wake up call to students about what is happening to their education.”
1. The University of California system must cut its budget because______ .A.it has a financial deficit this year |
B.it reached an agreement with the governor |
C.the state is in financial difficulty |
D.the state ordered it to cut undergraduate fees |
A.It embodies the concept of democracy. |
B.It helps the state avoid a political crisis. |
C.It ensures the benefits of the majority. |
D.It puts the state in the hand of the few. |
A.the state should give priority to education |
B.the state should give priority to the UC |
C.the UC is prioritizing its administration |
D.the UC is losing control of its priorities |
A.intensified | B.alleviated | C.reshaped | D.specified |
【推荐2】A campaign is being launched to encourage children to surrender 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.
The newly formed Wild Network—a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations—is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screens to fields, woods and parks. Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS. Organizers say it is the UK’s biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general well-being.
A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will forecast the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasing link between children and nature.
Andy Simpson, chairman of the Wild Network, said, “The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation. Time spent outdoors is decreasing, roaming (漫步) ranges have fallen largely, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost.”
Suggestions on how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers (七叶树果),camping, snail racing, and observing autumn colour on trees.
From January, the network will aim to make suggestions on how the government can do more to get children muddy and bright-eyed.
This is not the first time the message of less screen time, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were requested to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don’t You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to “switch off the TV set and go to do something less boring instead”.
1. What does the underlined word “surrender” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Get around. | B.Give up. |
C.Take up. | D.Run away. |
A.To make children read more books. |
B.To help children distinguish (辨别) the natural world. |
C.To get children out of too much homework from school. |
D.To encourage children to participate in outdoor activities. |
A.Time spent on study is decreasing. |
B.Chances of traveling abroad are fewer and fewer. |
C.Time spent outdoors is less and activity levels are down. |
D.The ability to identify common species has been improved. |
【推荐3】School is out for the summer in some areas, and for many children, that means weeks of sleeping in late, trips to the swimming pool or hours spent in front of the TV. These months of inactivity--- away from the daily tiring things of school--- are something that young people look forward to, but it can have a detrimental(不利的)influence on the knowledge they have.
Studies have shown that children lose a lot in math skills during the summer months. Children who spend little time learning experience a much greater amount of learning loss than those who often take part in summer programs.
So when school starts again in the fall, teachers often have to spend several weeks reteaching children material that they have forgotten.
Experts(专家)suggest that parents make sure the summer months are a time of continued learning. For example, they suggest that lunch time is good time to improve a child’s spoken skills, simply through conversation. A trip to the supermarket can be an opportunity to improve a child’s math skills by having him or her add up the cost of food. And there is no better way to prevent learning loss than by having a child read every day.
Fortunately, there are many programs that can help parents. The best place to start is at your local library. Most libraries have summer reading programs that are filled with fun activities. A strong musical education also improves learning. Find out summer music camps in your area.
We think that children should have fun during the summer break, but it should not be a vacation from learning. We strongly suggest parents should take advantage of the many educational opportunities available for their children during the coming weeks.
1. Children lose a lot in learning in the summer break because they________.A.do homework before the TV | B.stay up late at night |
C.visit the swimming pool | D.spend little time learning |
A.It isn’t good for children to have fun in summer. |
B.Children will get bored with reading programs. |
C.Summer programs can be helpful for children. |
D.Teachers needn’t help children review lessons. |
A.how to improve children’s learning | B.how to communicate with children |
C.how to look for summer music camps | D.how to have children read every day |
A.Students | B.Teachers | C.Parents | D.Reporters |