Question

It is not only praise or punishment that determines a child’s level of confidence. There are some other important ways we shape our kids—particularly by giving instructions and commands in a negative or positive choice of words. For example, we can say to a child “Don’t run into traffic!” or “Stay on the footpath close to me.” In using the latter, you will be helping your kids to think and act positively, and to feel competent in a wide range of situations, because they know what to do, and aren’t scaring themselves about what not to do.

Why does such a small thing make a difference? It is all in the way the human mind works. What we think, we automatically rehearse. For example, if someone offered you a million dollars not to think of a blue monkey for two minutes, you wouldn’t be able to do it. When a child is told “Don’t fall off the tree,” he will think of two things: “don’t” and “fall off the tree”. That is, he will automatically create the picture of falling off the tree in his mind. A child who is vividly imagining falling off the tree is much more likely to fall off. So it is far better to use “Hold on to the tree carefully.”

Clear, positive instructions help kids to understand the right way to do things. Kids do not always know how to be safe, or how to react to the warning of the danger in negative words. So parents should make their commands positive. “Sam, hold on firm to the side of the boat” is much more useful than “Don’t you dare to fall out of the boat?” or worse still “How do you think I’ll feel if you drown?” The changes are small but difference is obvious.

Children learn how to guide and organize themselves from the way we guide them with our words, so it pays to be positive.

1.Positive choice of words helps kids to ________.

A. do things carefully

B. build up their confidence

C. improve their imagination

D. learn in different situation

2.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A. A child will act on what is instructed.

B. One can’t help imagining what is heard.

C. A child will fall off the tree when told not to.

D. One won’t think of a blue monkey when given money.

3.Which of the following commands helps kids to be safe?

A. Fasten your seat belt.

B. Don’t play by the lake.

C. How do you think I’ll feel if you get hurt?

D. Don’t you dare to walk through the red light.

4.The main idea of the passage is that ________.

A. praise makes kids confident

B. right instructions keep kids safe

C. clear commands make kids different

D. choice of words can make a difference

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文主要是告诉人们如何去教育孩子。要给孩子提供积极正面的指导，而不是负面消极的各种不准不要。

1. 推理判断题。根据第一段It is not only praise or punishment that determines a child’s level of confidence. There are some other important ways we shape our kids—particularly by giving instructions and commands in a negative or positive choice of words.可知，积极正面的话语会让孩子们树立信心。

2. 推理判断题。根据第二段What we think, we automatically rehearse. For example, if someone offered you a million dollars not to think of a blue monkey for two minutes, you wouldn’t be able to do it.可知，越叫不要去想的动词人们越禁不住会去想，故选B。

3. 推理判断题。根据文章描述，应用积极正面的指导来帮助孩子，故选A。后面三个选项都是负面的。

4. 主旨大意题。文章主要是告诉人们要给孩子提供积极正面的指导，而不是负面消极的各种不准不要，差别很小的话但最后作用差的很大。故选D。

【名师点睛】

主旨大意题主要考查学生对所读材料(或所读材料片断)中心思想的概括。做这类题时，考生应通读全文，把握文章大意或中心思想，同时注意文章的主题句，因为主题句表达中心思想，其他句子均围绕主题句进行展开。主题句通常位于文章第一段首句、第一段末句或全文末句等地方，但位于段落中间(通常是第一段或最后一段的中间)也是完全可能的。同时，主题词关键词也是非常重要的，有时候可以直接看出答案。主旨大意题的考查形式很多，如概括标题、主题、段意、中心思想等。

考点：儿童教育类文章阅读。