2016年下半年英语六级考试仿真模拟试题二_第6页

　　Section B

　　Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraphfrom which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Eachparagraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter onAnswer Sheet 2.

　　The Changing Generation

　　[A] It turns out today's teenagers aren't so scary after all. Results of USA WEEKEND'S Teens& Parents survey reveal a generation of young people who get along well with theirparents and approve of the way they're being raised. They think of their parents withaffection and respect. They speak with Mom or Dad when they have a problem. Most feel thattheir parents understand them, and they believe their family is the No. 1 priority in theirparents, lives. Many even think their parents are cool! Although more than a third have anobject in their rooms they would like to keep secret from their parents, rarely is it anythingmore alarming than a diary or off-color (低俗的) book or CD.

　　[B] Such results may seem surprising against the background of shocking incidents that colorthe way the mass media portray the young. In October 2000, , the same month the surveywas taken, the Washington-based Center for Media and Public Affairs wrote in its publicationMedia Monitor that, in a recent month of TV news coverage of American youth, just 2% of teenswere shown at home, and just 1% were portrayed in a work setting. In contrast, the criminaljustice system accounted for nearly one out of every five visual backgrounds. No wonder parentsworry their own kids might spin out of control once they hit the turbulent waters ofadolescence.

　　[C] The overall facts ought to reassure us. The survey shows us that today's teens areaffectionate, sensible and far happier than the angry and tortured souls that have beenpainted for us by stereotypes. From other sources, we also know teenage crime, drug abuseand premarital sex are in general decline. We, of course, need to pay attention to youngsterswho are filled with discontent and hostility, but we should not allow these extreme cases todistort our view of most young people.

　　[D] My own research at the Stanford Center on Adolescence uses in-depth interviews with smallsamples of youngsters rather than large-scale surveys. Still, in my studies and others I haveread, I find the same patterns as in USA WEEKEND'S survey. Today's teenagers admire theirparents and welcome parental guidance about important matters such as career choice—though certainly not Mom and Dad's advice on matters of personal taste, such as music orfashion. When we ask teens to choose a hero，they usually select an older family member ratherthan a remote public figure. Most teens say they enjoy the company of both parents andfriends.

　　[E] Contrary to some stereotypes, most adolescents believe they must be tolerant ofdifferences among individuals (though they do not always find this easy in the cliquish (拉帮结派的) environment of high school). Many of them volunteer for community service withdisadvantaged people. One prevalent quality we have found in teens, statements aboutthemselves, their friends and their families is a strikingly positive emotional tone. By andlarge, these are very nice kids, and as the band The Who used to sing, "The kids are alright."

　　[F] How much is today's spirit of harmony a change from our more turbulent past? A meregeneration ago, parent-child relations were described as "the generation gap". Yet even thenreports of widespread youth rebellion were overdone: Most kids in the '60s and 70s sharedtheir parents, basic values. Still, it is true that American families are growing closer at the dawnof this new millennium (千年). Perhaps there is less to fight about, with the country in a periodof tranquility and the dangers of drug abuse and other unwholesome behavior well known. Perhaps in the face of impersonal and intimidating globalization, a young person's familyfeels more like a friendly haven than an oppressive trap. And perhaps parents are actingmore like parents than in the recent past. Within just the past five years, I have noticed parentsreturning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal, "anything goes" mode of child-rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20thcentury.

　　[G] But missing from all these data is the sense that today's young care very much about theircountry, about the broader civic and political environment, or about the future of their society. They seem to be turning inward—generally in a pro-social manner, certainly with positivebenefits for intimate relationships, but too often at the expense of a connection with thepresent and future world beyond, including the society they will one day inherit.

　　[H] Recently, we examined more than 400 essays on the "laws of life" that teens from twocommunities had written as part of an educational program initiated by the John TempletonFoundation in Radnor, Pa. In those essays, and in follow-up interviews with a few of theteenagers, we found lots of insight, positive feeling and inspirational thinking. But we alsofound little interest in civic life beyond the tight circles of their family and immediate friends.

　　[I] For example, only one boy said he would like to be president when he grows up. When I wasin high school, dozens in my class alone would have answered differently. In fact, other recentstudies have found there has never been a time in American history when so small aproportion of young people have sought or accepted leadership roles in local civicorganizations. It is also troubling that voting rates among our youngest eligible voters—18- to24-year-olds—are way down: Little more than one in four now go to the polls, even in nationalelections, compared with almost twice that many when 18-year-olds were first given the vote.

　　[J] In our interviews, many students viewed politics with suspicion and distaste. " Mostpoliticians are kind of crooked (不诚实的)" one student declared. Another, discussing nationalpolitics, said, “I feel like one person can't do that much, and I get the impression most peopledon't think a group of people can do that much." Asked what they would like to change in theworld, the students mentioned only personal concerns such as slowing down the pace of life, gaining good friends, becoming more spiritual, becoming either more materially successful orless materially oriented (depending on the student's values), and being more respectful of theEarth, animals and other people. One boy said, "I'd rather be concentrating on artistic effortsthan saving the world or something."

　　[K] It is fine and healthy for teens to cultivate their personal interests, and it is good newswhen young people enjoy harmonious relations with their family and friends. But there is alsoa place in a young life for noble purposes that include a dedication to the broader society, alove of country and an aspiration to make their own leadership contributions.

　　[L] In the past, the young have eagerly participated in national service and civic affairs, oftenwith lots of energy and idealism. If this is not happening today, we should ask why. Oursociety needs the full participation of its younger citizens if it is to continue to thrive. Weknow the promise is there—this is a well-grounded, talented, warm-hearted group ofyoungsters. We have everything to gain by encouraging them to explore the world beyondtheir immediate experience and to prepare themselves for their turn at shaping that world.

　　36. Not many young people eligible for voting are interested in local or national elections thesedays.

　　37. Parents are concerned that their children may get involved in criminal offences once theyreach their teens.

　　38. Even during the turbulent years of last century, youth rebellion was often exaggeratedin the media.

　　39. Teenagers of today often turn to their parents for advice on such important matters ascareer choice.

　　40. The incidence of teenage crime and misbehavior is decreasing nowadays.

　　41. Young people should have lofty ideals in life and strive to be leaders.

　　42. Some young people like to keep something to themselves and don't want their parents toknow about it.

　　43. It is beneficial to encourage young people to explore the broader world and get ready tomake it a better place.

　　44. Many teenagers now offer to render service to the needy.

　　45. Interviews with students find many of them are only concerned about personal matters.