Section B Trying Your Hand
Consolidation Exercises
Read the passage and try to find the answer to the following questions by making inferences.
If I had to select a word that best describes the majority of American parents， that word would be GUILT⁃RIDDEN. How sad it is to see parents become the willing victims of the“give⁃me game”， only to discover that no matter what they do， it isn't enough. In the end，they are despised for their lack of firmness and blamed when their spoiled children get into trouble. With this in mind， I shall first answer the question：“What do parents owe their children？” and I shall start with what they don't owe them.
Parents don't owe their children every minute of their day and every ounce of their energy. They don't owe them round⁃the⁃clock car service， singing lessons， tennis lessons，expensive bicycles， a motorcycle or a car when they reach sixteen， or a trip to Europe when they graduate.
I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they can afford it， they can certainly send them to the best universities. But they needn't feel guilty if they can't.If the children really want to go，they'll find a way.There are plenty of loans and scholarships for the bright and eager who can't afford to pay. After children marry， their parents do not owe them down payment on a house or money for the furniture. They do not have an obligation to baby⁃sit or to take their grandchildren in their home when the parents are on vacation. If they want to do it， it must be considered a favor， not an obligation.
In my opinion， parents do not owe their children⁃inheritance， not matter how much money they have. One of the surest ways to produce a loafer is to let children know their future is assured.
Choose the best answer.
1. Whom does the author writes this passage for？
A. All the parents. B. The spoiled children.
C. The guilty parents. D. All the children.
2. Which of the following inferences is TRUE？
A. If parents can't afford， the children should take loans to go to college.
B. Parents should feel guilty if they are unable， for whatever the reason， to send their children to college.
C. Parents ought to send their children to college as a duty.
D. Parents must support their children even after their marriage.
3. The author's attitude towards the parents is________.
A. pitiful B. ironical C. respectful D. affirmative
Explanations
1. The key is C. We can get the answer from Para. 1. In the first sentence， the author says many American parents are “GUILT⁃RIDDEN”， and she／he feels sad in the second sentence for such situation.
2. The key is A. From Para. 2 to Para. 4， the author illustrates his／her idea with examples that parents don't owe their children as much as they expect.B，C and D are false ideas according to the author，and only A is right，which the author says in Para.3“There are plenty of loans and scholarships for the bright and eager who can't afford to pay”.
3. The key is A. The author believes that it's wrong for American parents feel guilty for their children， and that they don't owe their children as much as they expect. At the end of the passage， he／she makes the conclusion “one of the surest ways to produce a loafer is to let children know their future is assured”. He／she tries to correct the false idea of some American parents.