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 1950s, in fact, the analysis showed, normal children ages 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 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 provides 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】解析：文章第一句就表明了作者的态度“skeptical”，说明作者认为这些研究结果都是可疑的。故选A，questionable意为“可疑的，有疑问的”。

单选题 What does the author mean when he says, "we can't turn the clock back"(Line 1, 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】解析：第二段写了美国孩子压力大的原因，包括生活的孤立状态以及世界越来越危险的现状。“we can’t turn the clock back”应该是承接上文，表示我们无法让历史倒退，无法改变现状。

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】解析：根据第一段最后一句“9到17岁的正常孩子比50年前有精神疾病的孩子表现的更为焦虑”可知正确答案为C。

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】解析：第四段主要讲最重要的方法就是让他们参加社会活动，打破自己的孤立状态。因此答案为C。

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】解析：文章主要讲当代美国儿童压力大及其原因，并提出一些应对策略。因此答案为A。作者没有否认儿童的焦虑程度，因此B项说儿童的焦虑程度被夸大了，是不正确的。C、D项文中没有说明，因此C、D也不对。