阅读理解
Do you know the term "tweenager"?
It's a slang word being used in the UK to describe children 10-13 years old.
They are between junior and the teenage years. Why are they suddenly referred
to in this way?
Tweenagers now have more money, freedom and
influence upon their parents than they've ever had before. More and more
companies are creating products and services for tweenagers. You can get
everything from branded lunchboxes and mobile phone covers, to monthly fan
magazines and clothing-it's all about sales.
Most children in the UK today get more pocket
money than kids did a decade ago. It is because parents are having fewer
children on average than in the past. In addition, the divorce rate in the UK
is continually rising and parents spend less time with their children than they
used to. So, many parents try to compensate(补偿) by buying presents for
them.
And do tweenagers have more freedom? Well, UK
children today are very familiar with media and computer. Many have a television,
if not a computer, in their bedrooms. They have access to much more information
about the world.
They may have experienced a lot in life as
well, since 24% of UK kids live in single-parent families. People now say that
"Kids are getting older younger". With such sophistication (世故) at such a young age, they are much more fashion conscious and
concerned about their image.
In a world of TV programs that promise
overnight success and fame at a young age, some people think it's extremely
important to look fashionable. Surely none of the above is a good thing, is it?
Can it really be healthy for us to encourage kids to be like adults at such a
young age? Are we stealing childhoods in return for profit?
The UK government is certainly concerned, and
for that reason has strict laws preventing companies from marketing their
products and services at children. So, is there a happy ending to this story?
Companies have just worked out that the older
tweenage audience is now looking for something darker and more rebellious. As a
result, films such as Twilight are being produced for this older tweenage
audience.
(1)
More and more companies pay attention to the tweenagers because________________.
A . tweenagers have a growing interest in lunchboxes and mobile phones
B . parents are more likely to spend money for their kids than before
C . kids receive less pocket money now but have more freedom
D . every kid has a computer or a TV in their bedroom
(2)
What does paragraph 2 suggest?
A . Kids have a great influence on the market.
B . The products for the kids are of better quality.
C . Kids are more fashionable than other earlier generations.
D . Kids like to buy magazines and clothing most.
(3)
What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 5 mean?
A . Children exercise too little to physically healthy.
B . Children look older than they actually should be.
C . Children know more than earlier generations of youngsters knew.
D . Children have more freedom and appear more mature than previous generations.
(4)
What's the main idea of the passage?
A . The companies make use of tweenagers to make money.
B . Young tweenagers are having a positive influence on adult.
C . The market is changing to meet the demand of kids.
D . Darker and more rebellious movies are popular with kids.
答案: B
A
C
A