As any housewives who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there i

As any housewives who has tried to keep order at thedinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. SociologistMichael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis carried out his study by videotaping thefamilies while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found thatparents with small families talk actively with each other and their children.But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to theparents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have animportant effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking theparents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the morechildren there are, the less question-asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middlechildren often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings. Lewisfound that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation islikely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and theyoungest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,”says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around duringdinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing thatstops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TVis on,” Lewis says, “dinner is nothing.”

1.The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to_________.

A．show therelationship between parents and children

B．teach parentsways to keep order at the dinner table

C．report on thefindings of a study

D．giveinformation about family problems

2.By saying “Middle children are invisible” inparagraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.

A．have to helptheir parents to serve dinner

B．get the leastattention from the family

C．are often notallowed to come to the dinner table

D．find it hardto get along well with other children

3.Which of the following statements would the writeragree to?

A．Parentsshould talk to each of their children frequently.

B．It is a goodidea to have the TV on during dinner.

C．It isimportant to have the right food for children.

D．Elderchildren should help the younger ones at dinner.

试题答案

【答案】

1.C

2.B

3.A

【解析】

试题