题目内容
Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government research．
A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need．Fashionable clothes for the children, expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries families don’t have to have．Instead, recession-hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around learning to behave properly, good education and good health．
Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise．
The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work and Pensions（DWP） who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need．
Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties — how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children．Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough．
Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in．
Instead, researchers said: A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on their laps in front of a television．Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short holiday: the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its cost．
1.It can be inferred that ______________．
A．a week or more holiday is considered beyond many families’ reach
B．children hardly ever need fashionable clothes and lots of toys
C．what a family should have is basic things that they must have
D．annual holidays were once considered necessary and vital
2.In the opinion of most parents, _____________．
A．families can watch TV together in order to keep up their relationship
B．day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experiences
C．their expectations should be increased in the face of economic difficulties
D．a week’s holiday is an essential minimum during the financial crisis
3.Which of the following is TRUE of the researchers from the DWP?
A．They confirm many families still need at least a week away on holiday each year．
B．They learn it is insignificant for a family to do things with each other regularly．
C．They want to know what parents really need in the face of economic difficulties．
D．They found spending on furniture or decorating the house was thought valuable．
4.We can conclude from the last paragraph____________．
A．being able to share experiences is important for families
B．a family needs at least a week away on holiday each year
C．a family home should have a comfortable area to watch TV
D．going on outings and overnight trips is wasting time for families
5.What does the author mainly discuss in the text?
A．Cycling is very important for children’s health．
B．Family holidays once a year have become a luxury．
C．It is vital for parents to eat together with children．
D．Parents are concerned with children’s future．
1.D
2.B
3.C
4.A
5.B
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
For years, researchers have looked into a possible relationship between heat and violence. There are conflicting results over whether there is an actual connection between rising anger and rising temperature, but the murder rate constantly increases during the months of July and August, according to the FBI’s annual crime report.
Many police chiefs say they put more policemen on the streets when the heat rises. “Calls for service always increase from May, June, July and August,” said New Bedford’s Captain Richard Spiriet. “The longer period of time you have the heat, the worse it is. It’s just the opposite in the winter time.”
Craig Anderson, a professor and specialist in social psychology at Lowa State University, argues the evidence is clear. “As the temperature goes up, people become more uncomfortable. They become easier to get angry,” he said. “That increases the possibility that a small conflict will be interpreted as more major.” Anderson conducted a couple of studies looking at crime rates over the course of several years within the same area to see when most violent crimes occurred. He found that violent crimes were more likely to occur on hot days and hot months － even hot years had higher violent rates than cold years, according to his research.
Other research shows it is not so much the physical climate, but rather the social climate, that causes increased violence. “During the summer months, people stay up later. They talk with their neighbors. They party with their friends,” said Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Centre on Violence at Northeastern University. “There are more likely to be large numbers of people interacting, and they are more likely to argue.”
Perhaps the realization that there is a link will help people in an argument step back and say, “Let’s cool off” － both literally (字面上地) and figuratively (比喻地).
|
Title |
Heat and Violence |
|
Theme |
Violence possibly has a 1.___________ with heat. |
|
Facts |
☆July and August witness the2.____________ increase of murder rate. ☆More policemen are called in with the heat3.___________. ☆People get angry more4.___________ as the temperature goes up. |
|
5._________ of the research |
☆Fewer violent crimes occur on 6.___________ days. ☆The7.___________ climate causes increased violence. ☆People usually go to8.___________ later during the summer months. ☆There are more likely to be9.____________ when people chat with each other. |
|
Conclusion |
10.__________the link will help people in an argument cool off. |
