Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently in families today than in the

Fun is, in fact, a word heard far more frequently infamilies today than in the past, when "duty'' and"responsibility" were often the words used.

Parents today are more youthful in appearance andattitudes. Their clothes and hair-styles are more casual, helping to bridge thedivide. Those who are athletically inclined also enjoy Rollerblading,snowboarding, and rock-climbing with their children.

For the past three years, Kathy and Phil Dalby havespent at least one evening a week at a climbing gym with their three children."It's great to be able to work together," Mrs Dalby says. "Wediscuss various climbs and where the hard parts are. Sometimes that leads toother Conversations. We're definitely closer."

A popular movement of parent effectiveness training inthe 1970s has helped to reshape generational roles. The philosophy encourageschildren to describe their feelings about various situations. As a result, saysRobert Billingham, a family-studies professor at Indiana University,"Parents and children began talking to each other in ways they had notbefore."

On the plus side, he adds, these conversations madeparents realize that children may have important thoughts or feelings thatadults need to be aware of.

But Professor Billingham also sees a downside: Manyparents started making decisions based on what their child wanted. "Thepower shifted to children. Parents said, 'I have to focus on making my childhappy', as opposed to 'I have to act as a parent most appropriately'."

Other changes are occurring as the ranks of workingmothers grow.  Time-short parents encourage children's independence,making them more responsible for themselves. "They'll say, 'We trust youto make the right decisions' (whether they're ready to assume theresponsibility or not) ,"says Billingham.

The self-esteem movement of the past quarter-centuryhas also affected the family dynamics (原动力). Someparents worry that if they tell their child no, it will hurt the child'sself-esteem.

1.What's the trend in parent-child relationshipmentioned in the passage?

A．Parents arechasing after fashion and ignoring the feelings of their children.

B．More parentsand children are sharing the same enthusiasm for a certain sport.

C．Parents aretaking more responsibility and setting more limits for their children.

D．Thegeneration gap is narrowing and parents are respecting their children'sthoughts more.

2.Which of the following has NOT contributed to thechange in the parent-child relationship?

A．Younger parents.                        B．Parenteffectiveness training.

C．More workingmothers.                   D．Theself-esteem movement.

3.What's Billingham's attitude towards parents whomake children more responsible for themselves?

A．He supportsthem.                      B．He admiresthem.

C．He disagreeswith them.                  D．He thinksthey're unreasonable.

4.What will probably be discussed following the lastparagraph?

A．The effect ofmore working mothers on children' s education.

B．The benefitsof the new relationship between parents and children.

C．Theimportance of self-esteem and ways to develop children's self-esteem.

D．The risks ofsetting no rules and some suggestions on how to have a balanced attitude.

5.What's the best title for the text?

A．Parents andChildren as Friends.            B．Parents andProfessors as Debaters.

C．GrowingMutual Understanding.            D．DisappearingResponsibility.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.D

5.A

【解析】

试题