单选题 .  Every other week it seems a new study comes out that adds to our already-formidable store of parental worries. But even by those escalating standards, the report issued last week by the federal government's National Center for Health Statistics contained a jaw-dropper: the parents of nearly one of every five boys in the United States were concerned enough about what they saw as their sons' emotional or behavioral problems that they consulted a doctor or a health-care professional. By comparison, about one out of 10 parents of girls reported these kinds of problems.
    The report confirms what many of us have been observing for some time now: that lots of school-age boys are struggling. And, parents are intensely worried about them.
    What is bothering our sons? Some experts suggest we are witnessing an epidemic of Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and say boys need more medication. Others say that environmental pollutants found in plastics, among other things, may be eroding their attention spans and their ability to regulate their emotions.
    Those experts may be right but I have another suggestion. Let's examine the way our child rearing and our schools have evolved in the last 10 years. Then ask ourselves this challenging question: could some of those changes we have embraced in our families, our communities and our schools be driving our sons crazy?
    Instead of unstructured free play, parents now schedule their kids' time from dawn fill dusk. Veteran teachers will tell you that first graders are now routinely expected to master a curriculum that, only 15 years ago, would have been considered appropriate for second, even third graders. The way we teach children has changed, too. In many communities, elementary schools have become test-prep factories. At the same time, recess is being pushed aside in order to provide extra time for reading and math drills. Active play is increasingly frowned on—some schools have even banned recess and tag.
    Our expectations for our children have been elevated but the psychological and physical development of our children has remained about the same. Some kids are thriving in the changing world. But many aren't. What parents and teachers see—and what this government study now shows—is that the ones who can't handle it are disproportionately boys.
    Some researchers responded to last weeks' study by calling for more resources for more mental-health services for children—especially males. That's an admirable goal. But when so many boys have such serious behavioral and emotional issues, you can bet we are facing a problem that requires a more fundamental change in our society. Let's take a moment, and ask ourselves whether we are raising and educating our boys in a way that respects their natural development. And if we are not, let's figure out how we can bring our family life and our schools back into line.1.  What do we learn about boys according to the first paragraph? ______