Question

More to dinner than just food

You are not the first one in your class to hear the complaints that teenagers nowadays are unruly (难管的) and uncommunicative.

And it is not just your parents’remarks.Teachers in the UK also find it difficult to communicate with their students.And now they are asking：why?

According to a recent survey in Britain，the erosion (消磨) of family life leaves parents less time to teach key social skills such as listening to others，saying “please” and “thank you” and taking turns.“One of the most important factors has been the loss of the family meal，which has reduced family conversation，” said John Dunford，general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

Dunford believes family meals are a good chance to stay connected.It’s an emotional and mutual bond based on warmth and trust.“Family meals are a time for sharing thoughts and ideas and problem­solving together，”he says.“Having meals together means parents and teenagers can find the delicate (微妙的) balance between staying connected and letting go.”

Dunford also criticized celebrity worshipping (明星崇拜)，which makes teaching “more difficult than it has ever been”．

Schools are based on the connection between hard work，passing exams and getting a good job.However，worshipping celebrities makes teenagers believe social advancement can be gained through the purchase of a lottery ticket rather than hard work.

“Young people forget that high­earning footballers have to train incredibly hard，that successful pop singers have to practice for hours and I think it makes the job of the school more difficult，” says Nick Seaton of the Campaign for Real Education.

68．All of the following contributed to the fact that teenagers nowadays are difficult to communicate with EXCEPT________.

A．parents’less involvement in teaching their children key social skills

B．an addiction to online games

C．the loss of family meals

D．celebrity worshipping

69．Which of the following is NOT the reason for the importance of family meals according to the text?

A．They are good time for teenagers to learn social skills.

B．They provide a good opportunity to share thoughts and ideas.

C．Family members can take the time to enjoy TV programs together

D．Family members can solve problems together during this period of time.

70．What can we infer from Paragraph 6?

A．Celebrity worshipping makes teenagers believe they can achieve success through good luck.

B．Celebrity worshipping makes teenagers take an interest in buying lottery tickets.

C．Celebrities can inspire teenagers to fulfill their dreams through hard work.

D．Celebrities who buy a lottery ticket set a bad example to teenagers.

Answer 1

68．B　由第三段“the erosion of family life leaves parents less time to teach key social skills”以及“One of the most important factors has been the loss of the family meal，which has reduced family conversation”，以及第五段的“Dunford also criticized celebrity worshipping，which makes teaching‘more difficult than it has ever been.’”可知A、C、D项所述导致了代沟的产生，而B项文中没有涉及。

69．C　第三、四段提到了家庭聚餐的好处，“a time for sharing thoughts and ideas and problem­solving together”，家庭成员之间对话机会增多，家庭成员能够分享更多的想法，能够一起解决问题；父母有机会告诉孩子一些基本的礼仪常识等；但是 文中没有提及利用聚餐时间一起看电视，所以C项符合题意。

70．A　第五至七段提到了偶像崇拜的坏处。第六段用了一个比喻：正常的成功是通过努力工作而获得的，但是青少年将他们偶像的成功归功于买彩票中奖一样。第七段解释了之所以有这种误解的原因：他们看不到成功之后付出的汗水与辛劳。买彩票中奖主要是依靠运气，所以A项正确。