【答案】As any homemaker who has tried to keep order

As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows，there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist(社会心理学家)Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.

Lewis and his co－workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger，conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control(控制)the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question－asking the parents do，the higher the children’s IQ scores.”

Lewis says，“And the more children there are，the less question－asking there is.”

The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹)．Lewis found that in families with three or four children，dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child，who has the most to talk about，and the youngest，who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible(看不见的)，”says Lewis.“ When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner，chances are it’s the middle child.” There is，however，one thing that stops all conversations and prevents anyone from having attention：“When the TV is on，” Lewis says，“ dinner is a non－event.”

小题1:The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ________.

A．show the relationship between parents and children

B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table

C．report on the findings of a study

D．give information about family problems

小题2:Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ________.

A．they are busy serving food to their children

B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table

C．they have to pay more attention to younger children

D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family

小题3:By saying “Middle children are invisible” in Paragraph 3，Lewis means that middle children ________.

A．have to help their parents to serve dinner

B．get the least attention from the family

C．are often kept away from the dinner table

D．find it hard to keep up with other children

小题4:Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?

A．It is important to have the right food for children.

B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.

C．Parents should talk to each of their children often.

D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.
答案
小题1:C

小题2:B

小题3:B

小题4:C
解析
文章主要介绍了一个研究的结果。该研究发现吃法时候的交流对孩子有很大的影响。

小题1:C 主旨大意题。文章主要介绍了一个研究的结果。该研究发现吃法时候的交流对孩子有很大的影响。故C正确。

小题2:B 细节题。根据第二段4,5行But as the number of children gets larger，conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control(控制)the loud noise they make.说明当家里的孩子多的时候，在吃法的时候会比较吵闹，所以父母在维持吃法的秩序方面要花较大的精力，故B正确。

小题3:B 细节题。根据最后一段3,4,5行dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child，who has the most to talk about，and the youngest，who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible(看不见的)说明年龄处于中央的孩子最不被关注，故B正确。

小题4:C 推理题。文章中涉及的这个研究告诉我们吃饭时的交流对孩子有很大的影响，很多父母往往只关注年龄大的，或者年龄小的，对于中间的孩子关注较少，影响了这些人的成长，故作为父母应该与某个孩子都交流。故C正确。

扩展知识

本篇文章内容较细致，考查以细节题和推理题为主。考生要注意上下文的串联结构。