Last year, on report card day, my son and a group of his 13-year-old friends piled into the back seat of my car, ready for the last-day-of-school party at McDonald's. “Jack got a laptop for getting straight A's, and Laurie got a cell-phone,” one boy said. “Oh, yeah, and Sarah got an iPod Nano, and she's only in third grade,” said another. “And how about Brian? He got $10 for each A.”
I suddenly became concerned. These payoffs might get parents through grammar school, but what about high school and beyond? What would be left after the electric guitar, the cell-phone, and the DVD player?       
I saw the road ahead: As the homework load increased, my income would decrease. I saw my comfortable lifestyle disappear before my eyes---no more of those $5 bags of already-peeled organic(施有机肥料的)carrots. No more organic anything!            
I started to feel surprised and nervous. Would every goal achieved by my two children fetch a reward? A high grade point average? A good class ranking? Would sports achievements be included in this reward system: soccer goals, touchdowns(橄榄球底线得分)? What about the orchestra(管弦乐队)? Would first chair pay more than second? I'd be penniless by eighth-grade graduation.
“We never paid anything for good grades,” said my neighbor across the street, whose son was recently accepted at MIT. “He just did it on his own. Maybe once in a while we went out for pizza, but that's about it.”
Don't you just hate that? We're all running around looking for the MP3 player with the most updates, and she’s spending a few dollars on pizza. She gets motivation; we get negotiation. And what about the primary grades? What do these students get? “When the teacher asked if anyone got rewards for good grades, everyone in my class raised their hands and said they got ice cream cones (蛋卷),” said one third-grader.
【小题1】What's the best title for the passage?

A.Tips on Paying Kids for Good Grades
B.New Trends in Paying Kids for Good Grades
C.Good Grades Mean Good Rewards
D.Don't Pay Kids for Good Grades
【小题2】What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably mean?
A.Taking care of my children would influence my work.
B.I would spend less money on my children's good grades.
C.More rewards would be needed as my children grow up.
D.Reducing my children's homework load would cost me a lot.
【小题3】It can be inferred from the passage that ________. 
A.if you buy children pizza as a reward, they will work harder
B.if you pay kids for good grades, they will take it for granted
C.children will not ask for rewards when they enter high school
D.good grades won't help kids make great progress in the future
【小题4】The author takes her neighbor as an example to show _______.
A.pizza is the best way to motivate children
B.it is necessary to reward children for their good grades.
C.getting rewards for good grades is common nowadays
D.rewards are not the only way to motivate children

E

Every child is unique and has interests and wants that are specific to him or her. As parents of many children, it takes a lot of effort to identify the special qualities of each child and use them to be an effective influence in their young lives. What’s more , parents need to work to guide each child into their place in the family and make sure that the child is content and able to grow as a person.

Establishing  tasks in the home for each child helps  begin to lay  relational boundaries  in place. Each child should have an area  that becomes his or hers to maintain. Household chores (家务活 ) fall into this category. However, an order for answering the phone or doorbell can also be a task.  Reward each accomplished task in small ways like a compliment ( 赞扬). Money is not as  effective as personal attention.

Don’t buy a gift or treat for one without including the others. Even on birthdays give every child a small gift that they can enjoy opening while the birthday child opens his or her pile of gifts or larger gift. It’s not a really pricey thing. Our children never felt left out at the other child’s birthday or special occasion.

When buying clothes or other necessities, it can often be too much of a budget strain ( 紧张) to buy everything for all at once.  Make sure every child understands that their turn will come. If you buy back to school clothes, be certain to have each one a new outfit to wear by the first day of school.  Start early so each child can receive  parental attention before heading out.

Don’t fall into the trap of bragging ( 夸耀) on A’s by a smart or overachieving child and ignoring the C’s of a average child. Encourage them to do their best and brag on their best , not the letter grade received.

72. The passage is intended for________.

A. the only child in a family           B. the children who have sisters or brothers

C. the parents with more than one child   D. the parents with only one child

73.According to the passage, if a child does a good job at home, parents should__________

A. buy him /her a gift as soon as possible    B. try to take good care of him /her

C. give him /her some money as a reward    D. give him /her praise

74. On birthdays the author would like to_____.

A. give each child a small gift           B. give the birthday child a gift only

C. give all children gifts except the birthday child

D. give the birthday child smaller gifts than others

75. What does the author mainly want to tell readers in the passage?

A. Children should learn to do housework.

B. Be fair while making each child feel special.

C. Parents should encourage their children as much as possible.

D. Parents should buy their children new clothes before the first day of school.

 

B

Modern Manners

Philip Howard answers your questions on contemporary etiquette (礼仪)

Philip Howard,

When my friend and I (two ladies of a certain age) go out to have a meal, she always leaves an extremely large tip. At times, the tip will equal the amount of one of the main dishes—sometimes it comes to about 30 per cent of the bill. I feel 15—20 per cent is adequate for services offered and depending on the type of restaurant. At a cafe I would like to leave 15 per cent or a bit more depending on the service and etc. A larger tip would be appropriate if we are in a big city or a nicer place. My friend says “Well, I am sure they are not driving a Mercedes (奔驰汽车).” Well, neither am I, and how does she know? Who is correct and how can I make changes? I might add I do truly feel tipping should be based on good service, and also if you frequent a place and know the staff a larger tip is OK. I would never hesitate to tip a waitperson. I always leave to the higher side.  

Yours,

Barbara Bade

Barbara Bade,

Americans are more generous tippers than the British. I suspect that 10 per cent for a tip is about normal in the UK. Tipping is a strange survival in our age of supposed equality and minimum wages. Your friend has a generous nature and deep purse. I do not see why you cannot let her tip whatever she wants, and do your own thing. I agree that a tip should be a reward for good service and general good feeling. If the service is rotten and the meal a disaster, we should withhold a tip and explain why we are doing so. Few of us have the chutzpah (厚颜) to do this. Sensible restaurants have a box for tips, so that they are shared out among the staff, including those in the kitchens whom we do not see. (I trust that the management does not receive the money as extra profit.) I look forward to the day when waiters and other servants are paid a good enough living wage, so that they do not have to depend on the generosity of strangers to survive. To wait at table is just as honorable a way to earn a living in this wicked world. If you are pleased with the meal and cheerful service, you should tip as handsomely as your purse affords. I don’t suppose that your waiter / waitress is driving a Mercedes, even in the States. 

Yours,

Philip Howard

60. We can learn from the first letter that Barbara prefers ___________.

A. changing her own ideas on how to tip waiters

B. leaving a bigger tip to the familiar waitpersons

C. eating at a café rather than in a nice restaurant

D. saving as much money as possible for herself

61. It can be inferred that Barbara’s friend tips waiters heavily ________.

A. to show that she is well off                              B. because they are thought to be poorly paid

C. to show that she is generous                          D. because they have offered her full service

62. Besides quality of service, Philip regards __________ as principles of tipping.

A. taste of food and amount of one’s money

B. taste of food and the number of servants

C. generosity of strangers and the number of servants

D. amount of one’s money and generosity of strangers

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网