本篇阅读材料的难度属中等，全文约290词，因此建议阅读时间（含做题）为5分钟。阅读要求：认真阅读短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。 A new book written by a woman on her super-strict parenting—Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother has raised media storm and fierce debates in the US.
Amy Chua is a Yale Law School professor and a mother of two teenage girls. She is the daughter of Filipino immigrants of Chinese descent.
Chua writes that her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to be in a school play, watch TV or play computer games. They couldn’t choose their own activities after school or get any grade less than an A. They had to play the piano or violin—and no other musical instruments.
Chua writes that she was called “garbage” by her father after being disrespectful to her mother—and that she, in turn, once called her own daughter garbage.
She writes that if a Chinese child gets a B, which she says “would never happen”, there would be “a screaming, hair-tearing explosion”.
Alison Lo, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Washington’s Bothell campus, has read Chua’s book. Lo, who grew up in Hong Kong and came to the United States to earn her doctoral degree at Duke University, sees the parenting debate from both sides.
“I don’t think Amy is advocating a best practice of parenting style. I don’t think success and achievements are critical yardsticks of a good life, either,” Lo said. “But I can imagine how strong her daughters’ college applications are going to be,” Lo continued.
“For many parents whose dreams are seeing their kids graduating from a competitive university, Amy is sharing with the readers that it is achievable by persistent, dedicated parental guidance,” Lo said. “In that sense, a young adult’s giftedness can be born, or made.”
1. What are the fierce debates among Americans mentioned in the passage about？
A. Alison Lo’s opinion on “Tiger Mother”.
B. Tiger Mother’s parenting style.
C. Children’s born and made giftedness.
D. The necessity of parental guidance.
2. According to the passage, Alison Lo thinks that ________.
A. super-strict parenting is not practical at all in the US
B. Amy Chua offers a good example to American parents
C. parental guidance doesn’t contribute to giftedness of a child
D. the two daughters of Amy Chua will be very competitive
3. Which of the following is TRUE about “Tiger Mother” according to the passage？
A. She used to show no respect for her own parents. B. She thinks Chinese parents are strict.
C. She has complete understanding from her daughters.
D. She was born in China and is now working in the US.
4. The underlined word “yardsticks” in the passage probably means “________”.
A. standards
B. obstacles
C. purposes
D. pleasures
5. What might be the best title for the passage？
A. A Parenting Book by “Tiger Mother”.
B. Why Are Chinese Mothers Superior?
C. Tiger Mother’s Parenting Raises Storms.
D. How Chinese Parenting Affects the US.
【答案与解析】
1. B。细节理解题。由文章第一段可知引起美国人巨大争议的是“虎妈”蔡美儿严苛教子的方法。
2. D。细节理解题。由文章第七段中的But I can imagine how strong her daughters’ college applications are going to be.可知Alison Lo认为蔡美儿的两个女儿是很有竞争力的，故选D。
3. B。正误判断题。第三段提到蔡美儿小时候曾经对母亲不敬，但并不是说她总是那样，排除A；从第二段第二句可知蔡美儿不是出生在中国，排除D；文中没有提到蔡美儿的两个女儿是否完全理解她，故不选C；从第五段可知蔡美儿认为中国的家长是很严格的，故选B。
4. A。词义猜测题。由文章第七段可知：Alison Lo并不认为成功和成就是一个人美好生活的重要尺度。
5. C。主旨大意题。文章主要向我们介绍了蔡美儿提出的严苛教子方法在美国引发了巨大争议，第一段就点明了文章的主旨大意。