英語四級基礎(chǔ)閱讀訓(xùn)練 Text 24

Text 24

There are increasingly fraught relationships that adults are having with children — in all walks of life, from the police and politicians, within the public sector and within communities themselves. The fear of young people has changed the way society is policed, how pupils are treated in schools and how insecure adults relate to children on their estates. Rather than children and young people becoming more violent and anti-social, it is adults who have changed, having fewer relationships with young people and becoming less confident in their dealings with them.

We must explore the role that crime and safety initiatives have on the outlook of the public. The attempt by government, council departments, the police and many others to reduce the fear within communities by developing safety initiatives is having the opposite effect, resulting in the institutionalization of this fear. Curfews have increased adults' fear of young people and reduced the amount of time young children are allowed out to play. They have raised the level of insecurity amongst parents about the safety of their children and ultimately reduced the contact between generations within this community. It is not far from the truth to say that "youth" no longer exists — if by youth we mean the freedom loving rebelliousness. The outcome of this process is breeding a generation of young people who are — if anything different — more fragile and fearful than their grandparents.

Finally, as well as exploring the fear of young people, we must look at the insecurity that parents have for their children. There has been a reduction in play, and specifically in "free play", and the effect of this more regulated environment on children's lives is yet to be determined and not something we can continually ignore in our rush to protect society from children.

1.The author is mainly directing his message towards_______.

A.adults in general　　　　　　　　　　B.the younger generation

C.law enforcement authorities　　　　　　D.parents

2.The first paragraph is mainly about_______.

A.the way younger people have changed

B.the change in attitude and treatment towards youth

C.the fewer relationships between youth and adults

D.the fear that youth and adults have towards each other

3.The author sees safety initiatives as part of the problem because_______.

A.they actually cause more rebelliousness

B.they are unpopular with young people

C.they worsen relationships and create more fear

D.they reduce the play young people can use to expend energy

4.The author believes it's possible to say "youth" no longer exists because_______.

A.they have no more rebellion and freedom

B.they are indistinguishable in character from their grandparents

C.they are not allowed to voice their opinions

D.they do not love freedom the way they should

5.To correct the problem the author discusses we are advised to_______.

A.stop being so insecure towards children　　　B.let children play more

C.study the roots and effects of our fear　　　　D.stop regulating children's lives

長難例句分析

［長難例句］The fear of young people has changed the way society is policed, how pupils are treated in schools and how insecure adults relate to children on their estates.

［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句是主從復(fù)合句，主干是The fear...has changed the way..., how...and how...。三個并列的賓語跟隨在動詞changed之后。police用作動詞時，意思是“維持治安”。詞組relate to的意思是“交往”。

［參考譯文］對年輕人的恐懼已改變了社會治安，改變了學(xué)生在學(xué)校的待遇，改變了局促不安的成人在住宅區(qū)和孩子的交往。

［長難例句］Rather than children and young people becoming more violent and anti-social, it is adults who have changed, having fewer relationships with young people and becoming less confident in their dealings with them.

［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句為強調(diào)句型，主干是...it is adults who have changed, ...，強調(diào)的是adults。rather than引出的短語作狀語。由having和becoming引出的兩個并列的狀語修飾change。

［參考譯文］孩子和年輕人并沒有變得更加充滿暴力和反對社會，而是成年人變了，和年輕人的交往減少，在與年輕人的交往中信心不足。

［長難例句］The attempt by government, council departments, the police and many others to reduce the fear within communities by developing safety initiatives is having the opposite effect, resulting in the institutionalization of this fear.

［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是The attempt...is having the opposite effect, ...。主語之后有三個短語，第一個by表示attempt的施動者，不定式短語to reduce...表示attempt的內(nèi)容；第二個by表示不定式動詞的方式。resulting in是一個動詞現(xiàn)在分詞短語，作狀語。

［參考譯文］政府、市政各部門、警方以及眾多其他機構(gòu)試圖通過推出安全措施減少社區(qū)內(nèi)部的恐懼，但卻適得其反，結(jié)果使這種恐懼制度化。

全文參考譯文

包括警方和政界、公共部門以及社區(qū)自身在內(nèi)的社會各界，成人和孩子之間的關(guān)系愈發(fā)使人擔(dān)憂。對年輕人的恐懼已改變了社會治安，改變了學(xué)生在學(xué)校的待遇，改變了局促不安的成人在住宅區(qū)和孩子的交往。孩子和年輕人并沒有變得更充滿暴力和反對社會，而是成年人變了，和年輕人的交往減少，在與年輕人的交往中信心不足。

我們必須研究犯罪和安全措施對公眾看法的影響。政府、市政各部門、警方以及眾多其他機構(gòu)試圖通過推出安全措施減少社區(qū)內(nèi)部的恐懼，但卻適得其反，結(jié)果使這種恐懼制度化。宵禁增加了成年人對年輕人的恐懼，減少了小孩子被允許出門玩耍的時間，加大了父母對子女安全問題的憂慮，最終減少了社區(qū)內(nèi)部兩代人之間的交往。完全可以說，假如我們把“青年”理解為喜好自由的叛逆，那么青年已不復(fù)存在。這一過程的結(jié)果是，培養(yǎng)出比祖父母更為脆弱，更加膽怯的一代年輕人。

最后，除了研究對年輕人的恐懼之外，我們還必須考察父母對子女的擔(dān)心。孩子玩耍，特別是“自由玩?！睖p少了。這種更加受到約束的環(huán)境對孩子生活的影響有待于確定，在保護(hù)社會免遭孩子危害的狂潮中，我們不能一直對這種影響視而不見。

題目答案與解析

1.作者寫作的主要對象是_________。

A.全體成年人　　B.年輕的一代　　C.法律強制性權(quán)威　　D.父母

【答案】A

【解析】綜觀全文，本文話題主要涉及成年人對年輕人的恐懼，因此作者的寫作對象是全體成年人。A項為正確答案。

2.第一段主要講的是關(guān)于_________。

A.年輕人改變的方式　　　　　　　　B.對待青少年的態(tài)度和方式方面的改變

C.年輕人和成年人之間的交往很少　　D.年輕人和成年人之間的恐懼

【答案】B

【解析】從第一段的內(nèi)容可知，成年人對待青少年的態(tài)度和方式方面發(fā)生了改變。因此B項為正確答案。

3.作者將安全措施問題視為造成這一問題的部分原因，是因為_________。

A.它們實際上引發(fā)了更多的反叛　　　　　B.它們在年輕人當(dāng)中不受歡迎

C.它們使關(guān)系惡化并造成了更多的恐懼　　D.它們減少了年輕人發(fā)泄精力的方式

【答案】C

【解析】從第二段的內(nèi)容可知，作者指出安全措施適得其反，緊接著講到安全措施加重了問題，造成成年人對年輕人的恐懼加深，前后信息應(yīng)為因果關(guān)系。因此C項為正確答案。

4.作者認(rèn)為，可以說“青年”不再存在的原因是_________。

A.他們沒有更多的反叛和自由　　B.他們和祖父母在性格上沒有區(qū)別

C.他們不被允許表達(dá)見解　　　　D.他們不喜歡應(yīng)該有的自由方式

【答案】B

【解析】本題應(yīng)參照第二段的倒數(shù)第二句。作者指出，如果我們把“青年”理解為喜好自由的叛逆，那么青年已不復(fù)存在。這說明年輕人和祖父母在性格上沒有區(qū)別。因此B項為正確答案。

5.為了糾正這個問題，作者建議我們應(yīng)該_________。

A.停止對孩子們的不安全感　　　B.讓孩子們更多地玩耍

C.研究我們恐懼的根源和影響　　D.停止對孩子們生活的控制

【答案】C

【解析】綜觀全文，本文探討了社會各界對年輕人恐懼的根源和影響。因此C項為正確答案。