In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition(学会) of each new skill the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing.It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child.This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities,he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some

may be especially strict in money matters. Others are sever over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness. 

As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency

is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality(道德). Also, parents should realize that"example is better than precept". If they are not sincere and do not practise what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.

A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles andtheir morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

这是一篇议论文，阐述了作者关于儿童早期教育的观点。

11. Eagerly watching the child's acquisition of new skills ______ .

A) should be avoided

B) is universal among parents

C) sets up dangerous states of worry in the child

D) Will make him lose interest in learning new things

[答案及分析]：[B]事实判断题。问哪个备选题与题干组成的句子是一个正确的陈述。A项意为“急切地希望孩子学会新的技能的心情应该避免”。B项意为“渴望孩子学会新的技能是父母的普遍心理”。C项意为“父母急切地希望孩子学会新技能会造成孩子的焦虑状态，这很危险。”D项意为“急于让孩子掌握新技能会使孩子失去学习新东西的兴趣。”根据文章第 一句可知B项正确。A、C、D三项都似是而非，并非文章原意。

12. In the process of children's learning new skills parents ______ .

A)should encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read

B) should not expect too much of them

C) should achieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on

their own

D) should create as many learning opportunities as possible

[答案及分析]：[C]归纳事实题。问在孩子学习技能的时候，父母应该如何。根据第 一段可知，A项与文章原意恰好相反，文章本意是说“若让孩子读自己读不懂的东西会给孩子造成失败感和焦虑感”。B项是说“在孩子学习新技能的过程中，父母不应该对其期望太多”。文章中实际上并没有这个意思，其原意是还要违背学习的自然规律让孩子掌握新技能。这跟B项意思还是有区别的。D项的意思在文章中找不到。所以，只有C项合适。

13. The second paragraph mainly tells us that ______ .

A) parents should be strict with their children

B) parental controls reflect only the needs of the parents and the values of the

community

C) parental restrictions vary, and are not always enforced for the benefit of the

children alone

D) parents vary in their strictness towards their children according to the

situation

[答案及分析]：[C]主旨题。问第二段主要内容是什么。第二段说：父母对其孩子的要求的严格程度差异很大。有些父母在钱上对孩子管束极严，有些则严格要求孩子晚上回家的时间或是要求其按时吃饭。总之，他们对孩子的管束不仅是为了孩子自身的幸福，也代替着父母的需要和社会价值观。据此不难判断C项最准确。

14. The word "precept"( Line 3, Para. 3) probably means "______ ".

A) idea B) punishment C) behaviour D) instruction

[答案及分析]：[D]理解题。问第三段第三行中“precept”一词是什么意思。根据上下文，我们可以猜测到它应该跟下句中的“preach(说教)”意思差不多。所以选D。

15. In moral matters, parents should _______ .

A) observe the rules themselves

B) be aware of the marked difference between adults and children

C) forbid things which have no foundation in morality

D) consistently ensure the security of their children

[答案及分析]：[A]事实辨认题。问在道德方面，父母应该如何。A项意为“自己遵守道德规则”。B项意为“意识到成人和儿童之间的显著区别”。C项意为“对没有 道德基础的事情加以禁止”。D项意为“始终如一地确保自己孩子的安全”。根据第三段的内容，易知A正确。