"The pressures on parents today are enormous," says Tom Vogele, a single father of twin 18-year-old girls in Newport Beach, Calif. "I truly believe it is harder today to raise children withoutspoiling them, not because parents are less capable or lazy, but because so many forces areworking against me."

　　Many working parents probably compensate by spending money on their kids, says TimothyMarshall, an associate professor of developmental psychology at Christopher NewportUniversity in Virginia. For some, there is probably some guilt involved in not spending enoughLime at home. But, adds Marshall.spending money is a/so often more convenient in our fast-paced society than going to baseball games or other activities.

　　"It's easier to say let’s go out and spend some money, in terms of finding time in a busyschedule to spend with kids," Marshall said.

　　For many families, of course, keeping up with their children’s costly demands for designerclothing, CDs, and concert tickets is a financial impossibility. Even for those families who canafford such lavish spending, striking a compromise between spoiling the kids and denyingthem is tricky, but possible.

　　Teaching kids how to budget and save is key, Marshall says. Instead of just giving children thetoys or clothing they desire, give them an allowance and show them how they can save up forwhatever they want, he says.

　　And don't be afraid to just say no, Marshall adds. "We need to step up and tell kids where theboundaries are, that's part of our responsibility as parents,"he said.

　　青少年們花的錢比以往任何一代都多。[21]據美國伊利諾伊州諾茨布魯克一個叫少兒研究公司的市場調研組織稱，僅在去年，3160萬孩子花掉了1550億美金。當然，這筆錢大多數來自他們父母。

　　這個數據令你吃驚嗎?也許你最近沒看過這幫孩子必備品的價格標簽吧。

　　[22]有些人反對花很多錢給小毛孩買奢侈品，認為是種浪費。那為什么做父母的會屈服掏錢?

　　原因這一要歸咎于借助傳媒興風作浪的市場營銷。根據Adbusters公司的調查，青少年每天會接觸到大約3000個廣告。[23]有些與廣告結為一體的電視節目，如集時裝、音樂和化妝于一體的MTV，鋪天蓋地地傳出信息引導孩子們應該擁有什么才算跟上潮流。

　　一位住在加州紐波特海灘名叫湯姆·伏格爾的單身父親撫養著一對18歲的孿生女兒。他說：今天的父母承受的壓力太大了。我的確相信當今要做到不寵慣孩子就把他們養大成人簡直太難了。這不是因為父母能力下降或懶惰，而是因為我所面臨的阻力太多了。”

　　弗吉尼亞克里斯特佛爾·紐波特大學的發展心理學副教授提摩太·馬歇爾說，[24]好多有工作的父母大概想通過在孩子身上花錢來作為一種彌補。他們有些人因為沒足夠的時間陪孩子而感到愧疚。不過，馬歇爾補充說，在時下快節奏的社會里，在孩子身上多花錢和帶他們去看棒球比賽或參加其他活動相比要來得更便利些。

　　馬歇爾還說："[24]在忙碌的日程中抽空陪孩子的比較易行的方法是跟孩子說，我們出去消費吧。”

　　當然，對好多家庭而言，無止境滿足孩子對時裝、唱片和音樂會入場券的要求從經濟上講是不可能的。即使那些承受得住這樣大手大腳花錢的家庭，也要在意慣孩子和拒絕孩子的要求之間平衡折中——這是件頗費腦筋的事，不過這是有可能的。

　　馬歇爾認為，問題的關鍵是應教孩子如何花錢和存錢。與其給孩子買他們中意的玩具和衣服，還不如給他們零用錢教他們把錢存起來以便日后用在自己想做的事情上。

　　馬歇爾又補充說，千萬不要怕說不。他說：“[25]我們必須加快讓孩子知道花錢的界限所在。這也是為人父母的責任。”

　　21.In the first paragraph, "Northbrook" is mostprobably_____________.

　　A) a market research company based in Illinois

　　B) a spokesman for the Teenage Research Unlimited

　　C) the base of the Teenage Research Unlimited

　　D) the city where the spending survey was carried out

　　22.Some people find it outrageous that_______________.

　　A) some parents indulge their children in extravagant spending

　　B) some younger generation's must-have;s could cost so much

　　C) some parents are ignorant about their children's spending

　　D) some children disregard their notorious spending habits

　　23.What is the effect of marketing through mass media?

　　A) It fills the market with ads beyond the young's understanding.

　　B) It directs not only the trend but also the ways of advertising.

　　C) It stuffs all kinds of ads into TV shows and radio programs.

　　D) It triggers young people's desire Lo keep up with the trend.

　　24. According to Marshall, parents prefer to spend money on their children mainlybecause_________.

　　A) they can't afford the Lime to stay with their children

　　B) they want to make up their guilt for their children

　　C) they find it more convenient than going out with the children

　　D) they feel it is hard to raise children without indulging them

　　25.What does Marshall think parents should do with the children's spending habit?

　　A) They should refuse to pay for their lavish spending.

　　B) They should restrain the children's spending within limits.

　　C) They should be responsible for providing for the children.

　　D) They should draw up a budget plan for the children.

　　21.[C]根據首段第2句中的according co和Northbrook前的冠詞the可以知道Northbrook及其后的所有內容應該是一個名詞詞組，表明該句里數據的來源。只有選項C符合這個要求。

　　22.[A]第3段首句中的To some spending on...seem outrageous表明有些人認為家長愿意在小孩身上花很多錢是使人難以忍受的，因此選項A為本題答案。

　　23.[D]第4段末句說明市場營銷和廣告結合在一起，就會“引導孩子們應該擁有什么才算跟上街流”，也就是說，這會使年輕人追隨潮流，選項D正具有這個意思，為本題答案。

　　24.[A]第6段和第7段都是馬歇爾的觀點，概括來看可以知道，家長因為沒有時間陪孩子而用錢打發孩子，由此可見，選項A為本題答案。

　　25.[B]馬歇爾在末段首句指出家長要對孩子說“不”，第2句指出家長要讓孩子知道他們花錢的上限，由此可見，馬歇爾認為家長應該把孩子的花費限制在一定范圍，因此本題應選B。