曹其军:2007年太奇同等学力英语阅读讲义（01）

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2007:06:29 11:43:19
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

Passage One

Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly（无情地）manipulated into parenthood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grandchild to spoil. 1) We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents, it’s time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.
Part of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. 2) The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild’s expensive college education.
Planned Grandparenthood’s carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free: a calm living room. extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. 3) Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it’s possible to have a conversation with your kids, who—incidentally—would have more time for their own parents.
4) Meanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. they will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they’re loaded with work. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild’s birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant’s birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.
At Planned Grandparenthood children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain nonbiased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.
5) When I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.
If I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament (窘境). But here’s the crazy irony, I don’t want my child-free life back. Dylan’s too much fun.

1. What’s the purpose of the proposed organization Planned Grandparenthood?
A. To discourage people from insisting on having grandchildren.
B. To offer counseling to people on how to raise grandchildren.
C. To provide facilities and services for grandchildless parents.
D. To encourage childless couples to have children.
2. Planned Grandparenthood would include depressed grandparents on its staff in order to
A. share their experience in raising grandchildren in a more scientific way.
B. draw attention to the troubles and difficulties grandchildren may cause.
C. help rise funds to cover the high expenses of education for grandchildren.
D. show them the joys of life grandparents may have in raising grandchildren.
3. According to the passage, some couples may eventually choose to have children because
A. they have learned from other parents about the joys of having children.
B. they feel more and more lonely as they grow older.
C. they have found it irrational to remain childless.
D. they find it hard to resist the carrot-and-stick approach of their parents.
4. By saying “... my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me” (Para. 6), the author means that
A. her parents asked her to save for the expenses of raising a child.
B. her parents kept pressuring her to have a child.
C. her parents liked to have a grandchild in their arms.
D. her parents kept blaming her for her child’s bad behavior.
5. What does the author really think of the idea of having children?
A. It contributes to overpopulation. B. It is a psychological catastrophe.
C. It is troublesome but rewarding. D. It does more harm than good.