Question

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table, I couldn't help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied. “Frankly, I've been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn't find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.

Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don't seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development depends not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social positions. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages; traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示） machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation （诱惑）,  many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more attractive moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1.According to the author, feeling depressed is ____________.

A. a sure sign of a mental problem in a child

B. a mental state present in all humans, including children

C. something that cannot be avoided in children's mental development

D. something hardly to be expected in a young child

2.According to the author, that today's children seem adult-like results from ____________.

A. the widespread influence of television

B. the poor arrangement of teaching content

C. the fast pace of human scientific development

D. the rising standard of living

3.What does the author think of communication through print for children?

A. It enables children to gain more social information.

B. It develops children's interest in reading and writing.

C. It helps children to read and write well.

D. It can control what children are to learn.

4.What does the author think of the change in today's children?

A. He feels their adult-like behavior is so funny.

B. He thinks the change worthy of note.

C. He considers it a rapid development.

D. He seems to be upset about it.

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.D

4.B

【解析】

试题分析:本文是一篇议论文，作者吃饭时偶然听到邻桌的小孩说他很沮丧，这让作者感触良深。现在的小孩和以前完全不一样了，似乎越来越和大人相似，没有了曾经的童真。电视是主要的原因。

1. friends and I didn't find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.可知沮丧通常不会和儿童时期联系在一起，选D。

2. is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults..可知作者认为电视是主要因素，选A。

3. 推理判断题。从文章末段Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain。可知作者认为传统的阅读能够控制孩子们获取信息的过程，选D。

4. this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different。由此判断答案选B。

考点：考查说理议论类短文阅读