英语六级真题精讲：快速阅读
Part ⅡReading Comprehension
Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.
Helicopter Moms vs. Free-Range Kids
Would you let your fourth-grader ride public transportation without an adult? Probably not. Still, when Lenore Skenazy, a columnist for the New York Sun, wrote about letting her son take the subway alone to get back to her Manhattan home from a department store on the Upper East Side, she didnt expect to get hit with a wave of criticism from readers.
Long story short: My son got home, overjoyed with independence, Skenazy wrote on April 4 in the New York Sun. Long story longer: Half the people Ive told this episode to now want to turn me in for child abuse. As if keeping kids under lock and key and cell phone and careful watch is the right way to rear kids. Its not. Its debilitating -for us and for them.
Online message boards were soon full of people both applauding and condemning Skenazys decision to let her son go it alone. She wound up defending herself on CNN and on popular blogs like the Huffington Post, where her follow-up piece was ironically headlined More From Americas Worst Mom.
The episode has ignited another one of those debates that divides parents into vocal opposing camps. Are Modern parents needlessly overprotective, or is the world a more complicated and dangerous place than it was when previous generations were allowed to wander about unsupervised?
From the shes an irresponsible mother camp came: Shame on you for being so careless about his safety, in comments on the Huffington Post. And there was this from a mother of four: How would you have felt if he didnt come home? But Skenazy got a lot of support, too, with women and men writing in with stories about how they were allowed to take trips all by themselves at seven or eight. She also got heaps of praise for bucking the helicopter parent trend: Good for this Mom, one commenter wrote on the Huffington Post. This is a much-needed reality check.
Last week, encouraged by all the attention, Skenazy started her own blog-Free Range Kids-promoting the idea that modern children need some of the same independence that her generation had. In the good old days nine-year-old baby boomers rode their bikes to school, walked to the store, took buses-and even subways-all by themselves. Her blog, she says, is dedicated to sensible parenting. At Free Range Kids, we believe in safe kids. We believe in car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time school-age children go outside, they need a security guard.
So why are some parents so nervous about letting their children out of their sight? Are cities and towns less safe and kids more vulnerable to crimes like child kidnap and sexual abuse than they were in previous generations?
Not exactly. New York City, for instance, is safer than its ever been; its ranked 136th in crime among all American cities. Nationwide, stranger kidnaps are extremely rare; theres a one-in-a-million chance a child will be taken by a stranger, according to the Justice Department. And 90 percent of sexual abuse cases are committed by someone the child knows. Mortality rates from all causes, including disease and accidents, for American children are lower now than they were 25 years ago. According to Child Trends, a nonprofit research group, between 1980 and 2003 death rates dropped by 44 percent for children aged 5 to 14 and 32 percent for teens aged 15 to 19.
Then theres the whole question of whether modern parents are more watchful and nervous about safety than previous generations. Yes, some are. Part of the problem is that with wall-to-wall Internet and cable news, every missing child case gets so much airtime that its not surprising even normal parental anxiety can be amplified. And many middle-class parents have gotten used to managing their childrens time and shuttling them to various enriching activities, so the idea of letting them out on their own can seem like a risk. Back in 1972, when many of todays parents were kids, 87 percent of children who lived within a mile of school walked or biked every day. But today, the Centers for Disease Control report that only 13 percent of children bike, walk or otherwise get themselves to school.
The extra supervision is both a city and a suburb phenomenon. Parents are worried about crime, and theyre worried about kids getting caught in traffic in a city thats not used to pedestrians. On the other hand, there are still plenty of kids whose parents give them a lot of independence, by choice or by necessity. The After School Alliance finds that more than 14 million kids aged 5 to 17 are responsible for taking care of themselves after school. Only 6.5 million kids participate in organized programs. Many children who have working parents have to take the subway or bus to get to school. Many do this by themselves because they have no other way to get to the schools, says Dr. Richard Gallagher, director of the Parenting Institute at the New York University Child Study Center.
For those parents who wonder how and when they should start allowing their kids more freedom, theres no clear-cut answer. Child experts discourage a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. Whats right for Skenazys nine-year-old could be inappropriate for another one. It all depends on developmental issues, maturity, and the psychological and emotional makeup of that child. Several factors must be taken into account, says Gallagher. The ability to follow parent guidelines, the childs level of comfort in handling such situations, and a childs general judgment should be weighed.
Gallagher agrees with Skenazy that many nine-year-olds are ready for independence like taking public transportation alone. At certain times of the day, on certain routes, the subways are generally safe for these children, especially if they have grown up in the city and have been taught how to be safe, how to obtain help if they are concerned for their safety, and how to avoid unsafe situations by being watchful and on their toes.
But even with more traffic and fewer sidewalks, modern parents do have one advantage their parents didnt: the cell phone. Being able to check in with a child anytime goes a long way toward relieving parental anxiety and may help parents loosen their control a little sooner. Skenazy got a lot of criticism because she didnt give her kid her cell phone because she thought hed lose it and wanted him to learn to go it alone without depending on mom-a major principle of free-range parenting. But most parents are more than happy to use cell phones to keep track of their kids.
And for those who like the idea of free-range kids but still struggle with their inner helicopter parent, there may be a middle way. A new generation of GPS cell phones with tracking software make it easier than ever to follow a childs every movement via the Internet-without seeming to interfere or hover. Of course, when they go to college, they might start objecting to being monitored as theyre on parole .
注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
1. When Lenore Skenazys son was allowed to take the subway alone, he_________.
A) was afraid that he might get lost B) enjoyed having the independence
C) was only too pleased to take the risk D) thought he was an exceptional child
2. Lenore Skenazy believes that keeping kids under careful watch _________.
A) hinders their healthy growth B) adds too much to parents expenses
C) shows traditional parental caution D) bucks the latest parenting trend
3. Skenazys decision to let her son take the subway alone has met with _________.
A) opposition from her own family B) official charges of child abuse
C) approval from psychologists D) somewhat mixed responses
4. Skenazy started her own blog to _________.
A) promote sensible parenting B) share parenting experience
C) fight against child abuse D) protect childrens rights
5.According to the author, New York City _________.
A) ranks high in road accidents B) is much safer than before
C) ranks low in child mortality rates D) is less dangerous than small cities
6. Parents today are more nervous about their kids safety than previous generations because _________.
A) there are now fewer children in the family
B) the number of traffic accidents has been increasing
C) their fear is amplified by media exposure of crime
D) crime rates have been on the rise over the years
7. According to child experts, how and when kids may be allowed more freedom depends on _________.
A) the traditions and customs of the community
B) the safety conditions of their neighborhood
C) their parents psychological makeup
D) their maturity and personal qualities
8. According to Gallagher and Skenazy, children who are watchful will be better able to stay away from _________.
9. Being able to find out where a child is anytime helps lessen parents _________.
10. Nowadays with the help of GPS cell phones, parents can, from a distance, track their childrens _________.
【指点迷津】
这是一篇摘自Newsweek 08年4月21日的文章。题目很有意思，但实际话题我们都很熟悉，不过由于这篇文章内部没有小标题，给考生定位带来了一定的困难。快速阅读遵循同义替换的定位原则，包括词汇替换及句型改写两个部分。考生在答题时，一定要优先锁定大写字母、数字和专有名词，用这类词汇可以快速定位原文及排除部分干扰选项。
【试题精讲】
【原题】1. When Lenore Skenazys son was allowed to take the subway alone, he_________.
A) was afraid that he might get lost B) enjoyed having the independence
C) was only too pleased to take the risk D) thought he was an exceptional child
【快速解题】1.B)考生在答题时要首先锁定人名Lenore Skenazy，题干和原文第1段第3句when Lenore Skenazy...wrote about letting her son to take subway alone...相对应，原文的主动句在题干中变成了被动式，考生可以顺着这句话在第2段的首句找到hve对这件事的反应：My son got home, overjoyed with independence，而选项B正与此意相符，其他选项均为干扰项。
【原题】2. Lenore Skenazy believes that keeping kids under careful watch _________.
A) hinders their healthy growth B) adds too much to parents expenses
C) shows traditional parental caution D) bucks the latest parenting trend
【快速解题】2.A)此题可根据人名Lenore Skenazy和短语keeping kids under careful watch定位到原文第2段最后3句：As if keeping kids under lock and key and cell phone and careful watch is the right way to rear kids. Its not. Its debilitating -for us and for them.选项A中的hinder与原文debilitate是同义替换，故为正确答案。
【原题】3. Skenazys decision to let her son take the subway alone has met with _________.
A) opposition from her own family B) official charges of child abuse
C) approval from psychologists D) somewhat mixed responses
【快速解题】3.D)根据题干中的Skenazys decision，可定位到原文第3段的首句Online message boards were soon full of people both applauding and condemning Skenazys decision to let her son go it alone.考生据此不难判断，读者对这一事件的反应不一，有赞成，也有反对，选项D中的mixed responses即是原句中applauding and condemning的同义替换，是正确答案。
【原题】4. Skenazy started her own blog to _________.
A) promote sensible parenting B) share parenting experience
C) fight against child abuse D) protect childrens rights
【快速解题】4.A)这道题有点难度，考生可能会有些踌躇，选项A和B可能会成为最后的PK对象，但是根据原文第六段中的 ...promoting the idea that modern children need some of the same independence that her generation had以及后文Her blog, she says, is dedicated to sensible parenting.两句可以推知，Skenazy宣扬的是一种很新很有争议的教育方式，所以可以由此判断promote sensible parenting是正确答案。
【原题】5.According to the author, New York City _________.
A) ranks high in road accidents B) is much safer than before
C) ranks low in child mortality rates D) is less dangerous than small cities
【快速解题】5.B)考生在锁定关键词New York City后，可找到原文中第8段 New York City, for instance, is safer than its ever been; its ranked 136th in crime among all American cities.选项B中的much safer than before是safer than its ever been的同义替换，故为正确答案，其他选项为干扰项。
【原题】6. Parents today are more nervous about their kids safety than previous generations because _________.
A) there are now fewer children in the family
B) the number of traffic accidents has been increasing
C) their fear is amplified by media exposure of crime
D) crime rates have been on the rise over the years
【快速解题】6.C)题干与原文第9段的首句...modern parents are more watchful and nervous about safety than previous generations 相对应，此段的第3句紧接着给出了这道题的答案 Part of the problem is that with wall-to-wall Internet and cable news, every missing child case gets so much airtime that its not surprising even normal parental anxiety can be amplified.考生可以发现选项C的意思与此句是一致的，而其他选项在原文中均未提及。
【原题】7. According to child experts, how and when kids may be allowed more freedom depends on _________.
A) the traditions and customs of the community
B) the safety conditions of their neighborhood
C) their parents psychological makeup
D) their maturity and personal qualities
【快速解题】7.D)考生在锁定关键词child experts, how and when后，要迅速找到原文第11段，第4句 It all depends on developmental issues, maturity, and the psychological and emotional makeup of that child，可以判断出选项D符合题意，选项C是干扰项，原文中提到的是makeup of that child，不是parents。
【原题】8. According to Gallagher and Skenazy, children who are watchful will be better able to stay away from _________.
【快速解题】8.unsafe situations题干中提到了Gallagher and Skenazy两个人名，考生要把答案锁定在原文第12段，再根据关键词watchful可找到最后一句 ...and how to avoid unsafe situations by being watchful and on their toes.考生不难看出，题干中的stay away from是原文中avoid的同义替换，故正确答案为unsafe situations。
【原题】9. Being able to find out where a child is anytime helps lessen parents _________.
【快速解题】9.anxiety根据题干我们定位到原文的第13段第2句 Being able to check in with a child anytime goes a long way toward relieving parental anxiety and may help parents loosen their control a little sooner.但是题目中的lessen一词可能会导致部分考生误填为control，因为与原文中的loosen较为相似。但是考生如果知道relieve和lessen是同义替换，就可以很快填出正确答案。
【原题】10. Nowadays with the help of GPS cell phones, parents can, from a distance, track their childrens _________.
【快速解题】10. every movement考生可根据题干中的关键词GPS找到原文最后一段的第2句 A new generation of GPS cell phones with tracking software make it easier than ever to follow a childs every movement via the Internet-without seeming to interfere or hover.此题与第9题颇为相似，由于原文中出现了track一词，考生极易误填software，但with tracking software是GPS cell phones的修饰语，题干中的track与原文中的follow才是意义相同的词，故正确答案为every movement。
