英语六级巅峰阅读:家庭生活
"The pressures on parents today are enormous," says Tom Vogele, a single father of twin 18-year-old girls in Newport Beach, Calif. "I truly believe it is harder today to raise children withoutspoiling them, not because parents are less capable or lazy, but because so many forces areworking against me."
Many working parents probably compensate by spending money on their kids, says TimothyMarshall, an associate professor of developmental psychology at Christopher NewportUniversity in Virginia. For some, there is probably some guilt involved in not spending enoughLime at home. But, adds Marshall.spending money is a/so often more convenient in our fast-paced society than going to baseball games or other activities.
"It's easier to say let’s go out and spend some money, in terms of finding time in a busyschedule to spend with kids," Marshall said.
For many families, of course, keeping up with their children’s costly demands for designerclothing, CDs, and concert tickets is a financial impossibility. Even for those families who canafford such lavish spending, striking a compromise between spoiling the kids and denyingthem is tricky, but possible.
Teaching kids how to budget and save is key, Marshall says. Instead of just giving children thetoys or clothing they desire, give them an allowance and show them how they can save up forwhatever they want, he says.
And don't be afraid to just say no, Marshall adds. "We need to step up and tell kids where theboundaries are, that's part of our responsibility as parents,"he said.
青少年们花的钱比以往任何一代都多。[21]据美国伊利诺伊州诺茨布鲁克一个叫少儿研究公司的市场调研组织称，仅在去年，3160万孩子花掉了1550亿美金。当然，这笔钱大多数来自他们父母。
这个数据令你吃惊吗?也许你最近没看过这帮孩子必备品的价格标签吧。
[22]有些人反对花很多钱给小毛孩买奢侈品，认为是种浪费。那为什么做父母的会屈服掏钱?
原因这一要归咎于借助传媒兴风作浪的市场营销。根据Adbusters公司的调查，青少年每天会接触到大约3000个广告。[23]有些与广告结为一体的电视节目，如集时装、音乐和化妆于一体的MTV，铺天盖地地传出信息引导孩子们应该拥有什么才算跟上潮流。
一位住在加州纽波特海滩名叫汤姆·伏格尔的单身父亲抚养着一对18岁的孪生女儿。他说：今天的父母承受的压力太大了。我的确相信当今要做到不宠惯孩子就把他们养大成人简直太难了。这不是因为父母能力下降或懒惰，而是因为我所面临的阻力太多了。”
弗吉尼亚克里斯特佛尔·纽波特大学的发展心理学副教授提摩太·马歇尔说，[24]好多有工作的父母大概想通过在孩子身上花钱来作为一种弥补。他们有些人因为没足够的时间陪孩子而感到愧疚。不过，马歇尔补充说，在时下快节奏的社会里，在孩子身上多花钱和带他们去看棒球比赛或参加其他活动相比要来得更便利些。
马歇尔还说："[24]在忙碌的日程中抽空陪孩子的比较易行的方法是跟孩子说，我们出去消费吧。”
当然，对好多家庭而言，无止境满足孩子对时装、唱片和音乐会入场券的要求从经济上讲是不可能的。即使那些承受得住这样大手大脚花钱的家庭，也要在意惯孩子和拒绝孩子的要求之间平衡折中——这是件颇费脑筋的事，不过这是有可能的。
马歇尔认为，问题的关键是应教孩子如何花钱和存钱。与其给孩子买他们中意的玩具和衣服，还不如给他们零用钱教他们把钱存起来以便日后用在自己想做的事情上。
马歇尔又补充说，千万不要怕说不。他说：“[25]我们必须加快让孩子知道花钱的界限所在。这也是为人父母的责任。”
21.In the first paragraph, "Northbrook" is mostprobably_____________.
A) a market research company based in Illinois
B) a spokesman for the Teenage Research Unlimited
C) the base of the Teenage Research Unlimited
D) the city where the spending survey was carried out
22.Some people find it outrageous that_______________.
A) some parents indulge their children in extravagant spending
B) some younger generation's must-have;s could cost so much
C) some parents are ignorant about their children's spending
D) some children disregard their notorious spending habits
23.What is the effect of marketing through mass media?
A) It fills the market with ads beyond the young's understanding.
B) It directs not only the trend but also the ways of advertising.
C) It stuffs all kinds of ads into TV shows and radio programs.
D) It triggers young people's desire Lo keep up with the trend.
24. According to Marshall, parents prefer to spend money on their children mainlybecause_________.
A) they can't afford the Lime to stay with their children
B) they want to make up their guilt for their children
C) they find it more convenient than going out with the children
D) they feel it is hard to raise children without indulging them
25.What does Marshall think parents should do with the children's spending habit?
A) They should refuse to pay for their lavish spending.
B) They should restrain the children's spending within limits.
C) They should be responsible for providing for the children.
D) They should draw up a budget plan for the children.
21.[C]根据首段第2句中的according co和Northbrook前的冠词the可以知道Northbrook及其后的所有内容应该是一个名词词组，表明该句里数据的来源。只有选项C符合这个要求。
22.[A]第3段首句中的To some spending on...seem outrageous表明有些人认为家长愿意在小孩身上花很多钱是使人难以忍受的，因此选项A为本题答案。
23.[D]第4段末句说明市场营销和广告结合在一起，就会“引导孩子们应该拥有什么才算跟上街流”，也就是说，这会使年轻人追随潮流，选项D正具有这个意思，为本题答案。
24.[A]第6段和第7段都是马歇尔的观点，概括来看可以知道，家长因为没有时间陪孩子而用钱打发孩子，由此可见，选项A为本题答案。
25.[B]马歇尔在末段首句指出家长要对孩子说“不”，第2句指出家长要让孩子知道他们花钱的上限，由此可见，马歇尔认为家长应该把孩子的花费限制在一定范围，因此本题应选B。