An example at hand is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children who are attending college.Surveys(調查) on this topic suggest that parents today continue to be “very” or “somewhat” overly­protective even after their children move into college dormitories.The same surveys also indicate that the rate of parental involvement is greater today than it was a generation ago.This is usually interpreted as a sign that today's parents are trying to manage their children's lives past the point where this behavior is appropriate.

　　However，greater parental involvement does not necessarily indicate that parents are failing to let go of their “adult” children.

　　In the context(背景)of this discussion，it seems valuable to first find out the cause of change in the case of parents' involvement with their grown children.If parents of earlier generations had wanted to be in touch with their college­age children frequently，would this have been possible?Probably not.On the other hand，does the possibility of frequent communication today mean that the urge to do so wasn't present a generation ago?Many studies show that older parents—today's grandparents—would have called their children more often if the means and cost of doing so had not been a barrier.

　　Furthermore，studies show that finances are the most frequent subject of communication between parents and their college children.The fact that college students are financially dependent on their parents is nothing new;nor are requests for more money to be sent from home.This phenomenon is neither good nor bad;it is a fact of college life，today and in the past.

　　Thanks to the advanced technology，we live in an age of bettered communication.This has many implications well beyond the role that parents seem to play in the lives of their children who have left for college.But it is useful to bear in mind that all such changes come from the technology and not some imagined desire by parents to keep their children under their wings.

　　文章大意：科學的發展總是帶來好的變化嗎?其實不然。本文作者說明了與過去相比，現在的父母對孩子更加保護，這不只是因為父母的態度變化了，技術的發展也起到了推波助瀾的作用。

　　1.The surveys inform us of________.

　　A.the development of technology

　　B.the changes of adult children's behavior

　　C.the parents' over­protection of their college children

　　D.the means and expenses of students' communication

　　答案：C　細節理解題。根據第二段第二句Surveys on this topic suggest that parents today continue to be “very” or “somewhat” overly­protective even after their children move into college dormitories.可知，現在的父母對于已經上了大學的孩子過度保護，這也是文章主要討論的問題。故選C項。

　　2.The writer believes that________.

　　A.parents today are more protective than those in the past

　　B.the disadvantages of new technology outweigh its advantages

　　C.technology explains greater parental involvement with their children

　　D.parents' changed attitudes lead to college children's delayed independence

　　答案：C　推理判斷題。根據文章第四段內容可知，父母對孩子的過分保護與新技術的發展是有關的。故選C項。

　　3.What is the best title for the passage?

　　A.Technology or Attitude

　　B.Dependence or Independence

　　C.Family Influences or Social Changes

　　D.College Management or Communication Advancement

　　答案：A　主旨大意題。第一段是文章的中心段，點出文章的主題：導致人們行為變化的是科學的發展還是人們態度的改變。從第二段起，作者就從父母與孩子關系的今昔不同加以說明，結論是科技讓一些父母對孩子過度呵護成為可能。故選A項。

　　高考英語閱讀理解練習2：

　　Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation(誘惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character，and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.

　　Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't?

　　To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines(學科).Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常規的)，and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points，perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention.So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development, and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

　　On the whole，Brooks's story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance，the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks's attempt to translate his tale into science.

　　文章大意：本文講述了當今許多作家如布魯克斯喜歡往他們的書里插入并不適用的科學理論，以增加書的吸引力，同時對其作品進行了評論。

　　9.The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to________.

　　A.illustrate where science can be applied

　　B.demonstrate the value of Brooks's new book

　　C.remind the reader of the importance of science

　　D.explain why many writers use science in their works

　　答案：D　推理判斷題。根據文章第一段第三句及第四句可知，科學功能強大，以至于人們很容易將科學和那些與之無關的問題扯到一起，許多作家就沒能抵制住科學的誘惑而往他們的書里插入科學理論。故選D項。

　　10.According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?

　　A.Its strong basis. B.Its convincing points.

　　C.Its clear writing. D.Its memorable characters.

　　答案：C　細節理解題。根據文章最后一段第一句及第二句可知，布魯克斯的書缺乏創意但還能接受，公平地說，他的文章大部分很清楚，一些章節與其他章節相比脫穎而出。故一本書只要能清楚地敘述就是這本書的優勢，故選C項。

　　11.What is the author's general attitude towards the book?

　　A.Contradictory. B.Supportive.

　　C.Cautious. D.Critical.

　　答案：D　推理判斷題。根據文章最后一段第四句及第五句可知，布魯克斯對書中的主人公刻畫不夠深刻，部分更嚴重的問題在于他試圖將他的故事譯成科學語言。從作者的語氣可看出作者對該書持批判態度，故選D項。

　　12.What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?

　　A.Problems with the book.

　　B.Brooks's life experiences.

　　C.Death of the characters.

　　D.Brooks's translation skills.

　　答案：A　推理判斷題。根據文章最后一段第五句可知，布魯克斯的書中部分更嚴重的問題在于他試圖將他的故事譯成科學語言，故接下來作者會闡述該書其他的問題。故選A項。