One of the latest trends(趋势) in American childcare is Chinese au pairs. Au Pair in Stamford, Conn, for example, has got increasing numbers of requests for Chinese au pairs from zero to around 4，000 since 2004. And that's true all across the country.
“I thought it would be useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age，” Joseph Stocke, the managing director of a company, says of his 2yearold son. “I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future.” After only six months of being cared for by a 25yearold woman from China, the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions, his dad says.
Li Drake, a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband, had another reason for looking for an au pair from China: she didn't want her children to miss out on their roots.“Because I am Chinese, my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture，” she says.
“Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom，” says Suzanne Flynn, a professor in language education of children.“But parents must understand that just one year with an au pair is unlikely to produce wonders. Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12.”
The popularity of au pairs from China has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children to learn Chinese. It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years.
29. What does the term “au pair” in the text mean?
A. A mother raising her children on her own.
B. A child learning a foreign language at home.
C. A professor in language education of children.
D. A young foreign women taking care of children.
30. Li Drake has her children study Chinese because she wants them ________.
A. to live in China some day
B. to speak the language at home
C. to catch up with other children
D. to learn about the Chinese culture
31. What can we infer from the text?
A. Learning Chinese is becoming popular in America.
B. Educated women do better in looking after children.
C. Chinese au pairs need to improve their English skills.
D. Children can learn a foreign language well in six months.
【要点综述】 本文介绍了美国出现的一个新的趋势：为孩子找一个中国保姆，这可以让孩子从小接触中文，了解中国文化。
29. D 推理判断题。 根据第二段Joseph请了一位25岁的女士照顾他两岁的儿子以便儿子学习汉语，以及第三段一位生于中国的母亲让自己的两个孩子接触汉语和中国文化，和第四段一位语言教育学教授提到“通过和说母语的人在一起来学习语言比在教室里学习好”等信息可知，au pair指的是负责照顾孩子的外国女子。
30. D 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“‘Because I am Chinese, my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to(接触) the language and culture，’she says.”可知她这样做的目的是让孩子们了解中国的文化。
31. A 推理判断题。本文通过列举一些具体的例子，说明了美国的父母们正在兴起“au pairs热”，即通过请说汉语的中国保姆来照顾自己的孩子，让孩子们学习汉语， 这说明在美国，汉语正在日益受到欢迎，因此选A。
