单选题 Passage 3
I'm usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950's. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation--brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things--and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Given that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope.
At the top of the list is nurturing a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to ruin your life.

单选题 The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people's state of mind are
A. surprising. B. confusing. C. illogical. D. questionable.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节题。根据文章第一段中的“…skeptical about…”“While…impossible…”以及“Still…”可以判断，作者是持怀疑态度的。选项D中的questionable正是怀疑的意思，所以正确。根据文章可以排除A、B；skeptical并不是否定意思，而illogical却是否定意思，所以C不对。
单选题 What does the author mean when he says, "we can't turn the dock back" (Para. 3) ?
A. It's impossible to slow down the pace of change.
B. The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.
C. Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.
D. It's impossible to forget the past.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】词义题。前面提到了孩子的压力状况，下文探讨了成年人应该做的事。这说明，我们不能回到过去，反过来说就是我们只能正视现状。所以B正确。文中没有提到A；C、D两项都包含有和过去相关的意思，单独来看似乎正确，但是文中并没有表达这层意思。
单选题 According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago
A. were less isolated physically.
B. were probably less self-centered.
C. probably suffered less from anxiety.
D. were considered less individualistic.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节题。根据第一段最后一句话“…normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago．”可知，现在的孩子比过去更焦虑，反过来说就是过去的孩子要：less anxiety。这说明C正确。第二段第二句话说，现在的孩子是孤独的，但这只是现在孩子的状况，并没有和以前的孩子进行比较，无法推断以前孩子是不是不那么孤独，所以A不对；第四段第一句话提到了个人主义，但这也是目前的状况，与过去没有构成比较，所以B、D不对。
单选题 The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is
A. to provide them with a safer environment.
B. to lower their expectations for them.
C. to get them more involved socially.
D. to set a good model for them to follow.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节题。文中提到家长能做的事情有很多，但本题询问的是首要的事情。第四段第一句话“At the top of the list is nurturing a better appreciation of the limits of individualism.”中的At the top of the list与选项中的The first and most important相对应，所以C正确。A、B、D三项也是作者提到的家长应该做的事，但不是最重要的事。
单选题 What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?
A. Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with.
B. Children's anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.
C. Children's anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.
D. Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】归纳题。全文在介绍了美国青少年心理状况处于严重焦虑状况后，提出了一系列措施帮助青少年们脱离困境；最后两句话指出“Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable．But it doesn't have to ruin your life.”(有时焦虑是无可避免的，但不一定非要让它破坏你的生活。)这说明，A项正确。根据文中的意思可以看出，孩子的焦虑问题并没有被夸大，所以B不对；文中说的各种措施都是减轻焦虑的方法，但不能消除焦虑，所以C项不对；文中没有提到如果正确控制焦虑，孩子是否会成熟的问题，所以D不对。