Sibling rivalry even over the most trivial of things can be ______.
第1题
【C1】
A.takes over
B.gets over
C.looks over
D.falls over
第2题
The IQ test has been eclipsed in turn. Most people studying intelligence and creativity in the new millennium now prefer a broader definition, using a multifaceted approach where talents in many areas are recognized rather than purely concentrating on academic achievement. If we are therefore assuming that talented, creative or gifted individuals may need to be assessed across a range of abilities, does this mean intelligence can run in families as a genetic or inherited tendency? Mental dysfunction such as schizophrenia(精神分裂症)-- can, so is an efficient mental capacity passed on from parent to child?
Animal experiments throw some light on this question, and 'on the whole area of whether it is genetics, the environment or a combination of the two that allows for intelligence and creative ability. Different strains of rats show great differences in intelligence or 'rat reasoning'. If these are brought up in normal Conditions and then run through a maze to reach a food goal, the 'bright' strain make far fewer wrong turns that the 'dull' ones. But if the environment is made dull and boring the number of errors becomes equal. Return the rats to an exciting maze and the discrepancy returns as before -- but is much smaller. In other words, a dull rat in a stimulating environment will almost do as well as a bright rat who is bored in a normal one. This principle applies to humans too -- someone may be born with inborn intelligence, but their environment probably has the final say over whether they become creative or even a genius.
Evidence now exists that most young children, if given enough opportunities and encouragement, are able to achieve significant and sustainable levels of ~academic or sporting prowess. Bright or creative children are often physically very active at the same time, and so may receive more parental attention as a result almost by default -- in order to ensure their safety. They may also talk earlier, and this, in turn, breeds parental interest. This can sometimes cause problems with other siblings(兄弟姊妹)who may feel jealous even though they themselves may be bright. Their creative talents may be undervalued and so never come to fruition(实现). Two themes seem to run through famously creative families as a result. The first is that' the parents were able to identify the talents of each child, and nurture and encourage these accordingly but in an even-handed manner. Individual differences were encouraged, and friendly sibling rivalry was not seen as a particular problem. If the father is, say, a famous actor, there is no undue pressure for his children to follow him onto the boards, but instead their chosen interests are encouraged. There need not even by any obvious talent in such a family since there always needs to be someone who sets the family career in motion, as in the case of the Sheen acting dynasty.
Martin Sheen was the seventh of ten children born to a Spanish immigrant father and an Irish mother. Despite intense parental disapproval he turned his back on entrance exams to university and borrowed cash from a local priest to start a fledgling(乳臭小儿)acting career. His acting successes in films such as Badlands and Apocalypse Now made him one of the most highly-regarded actors of the 1970S. Three sons -- Emilio Estevez,' Ramon Estevez a
A.Y
B.N
C.NG
第3题
【C1】
A.to
B.in
C.at
D.for
第4题
Rivals No More
—How to help siblings(兄弟,姐妹)become pals
"I didn't start it. She hit me first." "He ruined my new Play-Station game. Can't he leave my stuff alone?" "Why do I have to give way to him all the time? It's not fair!"
Sound familiar? If you've got two or more children, you probably know how intense and hurtful sibling rivalry can be—over the most trivial of things. "In our house, sometimes there is a quarrel over who gets to roller-skate down the driveway first," says Pat Weston, a mother of four. Resolving the conflicts, however, is far from a trivial matter. These early conflicts with siblings affect self-confidence and self-reliance, future friendships and family harmony, according to experts. Even the ways adults handle problems can refer back to early battles with a brother or sister.
As a parent or guardian, how do you play up warmth, sharing and cooperation—while under standing feelings of jealousy, anger and aggression? Try these tips for peace.
See the big picture. Too often grown-ups step in at the "shriek stage" of a conflict, says parent educator and author Elizabeth Crary. "So they miss the whole picture." The child who creates commotion(骚乱)with a hostile act, such as hitting, may actually be the victim of repeated offensive actions from a sneakier sibling. "When a parent understands what is really going on, she can help both children," Crary explains.
Observing your kids also allows for lots of opportunities to encourage instances of their good behavior. "I like the way you let your brother look at your baseball cards."
Focus on feelings. When they're angry, children are too nervous and confused to process in formation correctly. Crary advises working between crises to teach calm-down techniques—how to breathe deeply or shake out the "marls," for example. When everyone is less angry, try helping your kids to identify and express their underlying emotions, and listen sensitively to each one's side.
At first, especially with very young children, you may need to do some prompting. For example: "I can see you're sad that your sister doesn't feel like sharing her crayons right now." or, "You seem upset that Mummy spends so much time feeding the baby." When kids learn that their feelings will be respected, they often become more considerate of others.
Rely on rules. In the Di Micele kitchen, the walls are devoted to the children's artwork, all on the theme of getting along. With three boys under age six, parents Sabrina and Eric make a special effort to explain and reinforce the rules for harmony. "Still," Sabrina admits, "it's hard. We all have to work on this."
It takes time and patience, but rules do reduce conflict. "Children understand rules and want boundaries," says Hildy Ross, professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. "Without them, issues don't get resolved."
Ross found that parents actually enforce their rules inconsistently, only about half the time. During busy periods, perhaps they do not follow through, or even forget the rules they created. Aggressive acts by kids generate more notice than violations against property—taking a toy, or not sharing, for instance. "But property and individual rights are important to kids, and so is consistency," says Ross.
A possession a child prizes should be protected to limit confrontations. Privacy and personal space deserve protection too. And to avoid remote-control fights, be clear about the schedule for TV, video or computer games. A timer or calendar can prevent countless "It's my turn!" quarrels.
Let kids own the answer. When establishing rules or handling conflicts, help children find solutions on their own. A three-step plan is a good idea. First, define the issue: "What are you fig
A.Y
B.N
C.NG
第5题
The child who is hit by his sibling may be to blame for his previous offensive actions.
A.Y
B.N
C.NG
第7题
A、sibling
B、sister
C、niece
D、cousin
第8题
A. Their friends.
B. Their neighbours.
C. "Their family members.
D. Their colleagues.
第9题
Media experts give credit for all not to ______.
A.the fierce rivalry of the current ratings "sweep"
B.TV dramas' growing tendency to transform. news into fiction
C.writers' increasing the ability to imagine the killings
D.the recent spate of real-life school violence making headlines
第10题
Find Yourself Packing It On? Blame Friends
Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too.
Their study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 to 2003.
The investigators knew who was friends with whom as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor, and they knew how much each person weighed at various times over three decades. That let them reconstruct what happened over the years as individuals became obese. Did their friends also become obese? Did family members? Or neighbors?
The answer, the researchers report, was that people were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased a person's chances of becoming obese by 57 percent. There was no effect when a neighbor gained or lost weight, however, and family members had less influence than friends.
It did not even matter if the friend was hundreds of miles away, the influence remained. And the greatest influence of all was between close mutual friends. There, if one became obese, the other had a 171 percent increased chance of becoming obese, too.
The same effect seemed to occur for weight loss, the investigators say. But since most people were gaining, not losing, over the 32 years, the result was, on average, that people grew fatter.
Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, a physician and professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School and a principal investigator in the new study, said one explanation was that friends affected each others' perception of fatness. When a close friend becomes obese, obesity may not look so bad.
"You change your idea of what is an acceptable body type by looking at the people around you," Dr. Christakis said.
The investigators say their findings can help explain why Americans have become fatter in recent years--each person who became obese was likely to drag along some friends.
Their analysis was unique, Dr. Christakis said, because it moved beyond a simple analysis of one person and his or her social contacts and instead examined an entire social network at once, looking at how a person's friend's friends, or a spouse's sibling's friends, could have an influence on a person's weight.
The effects, he said, "highlight the importance of a spreading process, a kind of social contagion, that spreads through the network."
Of course, the investigators say, social networks are not the only factors that affect body weight. There is a strong genetic component at work, too.
Science has shown that individuals have genetically determined ranges of weights, spanning perhaps 30 or so pounds for each person. But that leaves a large role for the environment in determining whether a person's weight is near the top of his or her range or near the bottom. As people have gotten fatter, it appears that many are edging toward the top of their ranges. The question has been why.
If the new research is correct, it may say that something in the environment seeded what some call an obesity epidemic, making a few people gain weight. Then social networks let the obesity spread rapidly.
Who had the greatest influence on people who became obese?
A.Their friends.
B.Their neighbours.
C.Their family members.
D.Their colleagues.