2006年6月17日英语四级试题（阅读2）

Passage Two
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.

Psychiatrists(精神病专家) who work with older parents say that maturity can be an asset in child rearing - older parents are more thoughtful, use less physical discipline and spend more time with their children. But raising kids takes money and energy. Many older parents find themselves balancing theire limited financial resources, declining energy and failing health against the growing demands of an active child. Dying and leaving young children is probably the older parents biggest, and often unspoken, fear. Having late-life children, says an economics professor, often means parents, particularly fathers, “end up retiring much later.” For many, retirement becomes an unobtainable dream.

Henry Metcalf, a 54-year-old journalist, knows it takes money to raise kds. But hes also worried that his enery will give out first. Sure, he can still ride bkes with his athletic fifth grader. but hes learned that young at heart doesnt mean young. Lately hes been taking afternoon naps(午睡) to keep up his energy.“My body is aging,”says Metcalf.“You cant get away fro that.”

Often, older parents hear the ticking of another kind of biological clock. Therapists who work withe middle-aged and older parents say fears about aging are nothing to laugh at. “They worry theyll be mistaken for grandparents, or that theyll need help getting up out of those little chairs in nursery school,” says Joann Galst, a New York psychologist. But at the core of those little fears there is often a much bigger one:“that they wont be alive long enough to support and protect their child,” she says.

Many late-life parents, though, say their children came at just the right time. After marrying late and undergoing years of fertility(受孕) treatment, Marilyn Nolen and her usband, Randy, had twins.“We both wanted children,” says Marilyn, who was 55 when she gave birth. The twins have given the couple what the desired for years, “a sense of family.”

Kids of older dads are often smarter, happier and more sociable because their fathers are more involved in their lives.“The dads are older, more mature,” says Dr.Silber,“and more ready to focus on parenting.”

26. Why do psychiatrists regard maturity as an asset in child rearing?
A. Older parents can better balance their resources against childrens demands.
B. Older parents are usually more experienced in bringing up their children.
C. Older parents are often better prepared financially.
D. Older parents can take better care of their children.


28. The author gives the example of Henry Metcalf to show that ____.
A. many people are young in spirit despite their advanced age
B. taking afternoon naps is a good way to naintain energy
C. older parents tend to be concerned about their aging bodies
D. older parents should exercise more to keep up with their athletic children

29. Whats the biggest fear

9 7 3 1 2 4 8 :

 

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