2019年公共英语二级阅读理解练习题（6）
Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武术).
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空闲的) time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.
小题1: The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.A.a child’s schedule is too complex
B.activities suitable for kids are limited
C.parents are stuck in numerous choices
D.children always say no to parents’ advice
小题2: What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.A.children love to stay at school
B.they are popular with children
C.children dislike after-school classes
D.after-school classes are of poor quality
小题3: According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?A.Parents want to make up for their own regrets.
B.After-school classes develop children’s potential.
C.Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children.
D.After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent.
小题4:Which of the following will the author probably agree with?A.For children’s benefits, the earlier the better.
B.Children’s spare time should be carefully designed.
C.Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past.
D.Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason.,
参考答案及解析
小题1:C
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:C
本文叙述了家长由于工作繁忙没有时间陪孩子而把孩子送到课外班，孩子们的空闲时间已经一去不复返了。
小题1:C
【试题解析】细节理解题。第一段And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available.提出父母会面临巨多的课外辅导班的选择,故选C。
小题2:C
【试题解析】推理题，文中第二段中One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?两位老师举的事例充分说明孩子不喜欢上辅导班，都向老师求助了。故选C。
小题3:D
【试题解析】细节题，从第三段1,2行A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families和最后一句But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.可知家长们把孩子送到辅导班主要是因为自己没有时间陪孩子，故选D。
小题4:C
【试题解析】推理判断题，文中提到家长由于工作繁忙没有时间陪孩子而把孩子送到课外班，孩子们的空闲时间已经一去不复返了，故选C。
【长难句解析】
1.The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available.
【翻译】现在的问题不在是无法为孩子找到活动来充实他们的一整天，而是要对现有的成百上千的选择说不。
【发现】前面句中的表语是动名词短语finding activities to fill a child’s day，其中的不定式to fill a child’s day做定语，用来修饰名词activities的。第二句中考察了一个固定搭配say no to拒绝…。
2. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.
【翻译】但是我们要承认，无论我们的时间表里涉及多少事情，我们满满的时间表不再是给孩子带来过多负担的借口和理由。
【分析】本句中有一个让步状语从句whatever they involve，“特殊疑问词+ever”既可以引导让步状语从句，也可以引导名词性从句。而“no matter+特殊疑问词”只能引导让步状语从句。
