Question

　    Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance. The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly. The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance. In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money.

At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance. The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics.

Many people think it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life. Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.

Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it. Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future.

Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving. A saving account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest. Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.

14. Many parents give children an allowance regularly to ______.

   A. meet children’s basic need for life        B. give control over their children

   C. see whether they have financial mistakes   D. help children learn how to manage money

15. For Children who receive allowances, they’d better not ________.

   A. waste money to buy gifts for their parents or friends

   B. buy their favorite clothing or electronics for themselves

   C. save money like their parents or other adults

   D. ask for the next allowance before the decided date.

16. If children are required to save their allowance, they ______.

   A. can experience the three things related to money

   B. can understand the relation between goals and sacrifice

   C. will do more work around the house

   D. help themselves found the basis for their future life

17. What does the underlined phrase “compound interest” mean?

   A. The interest based on the original money and unpaid interest.

   B. A way of helping children earn two percent interest.

   C. The interest intended for children to earn money.

   D. A saving account opened for children’s allowance.

18. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. How to Give Children an Allowance

   B. Spend Your Allowance within a Budget

   C. Allowance Helps Children Learn about Money

   D. Doing Housework Earns Children Allowance

Answer 1

14---18      DDBAC  

解析:

本文講述的是孩子處理零花錢的方式以及家長在錢的問題上如何教育孩子問題。

14. D。   細節理解題。根據文章第一段“The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly”，其目的就是要他們學會如何經營金錢。故答案選D。

15. D。   細節判斷題。根據文章第四段，孩子們可以利用這些錢來買禮物，可以買他們想買的東西，也可以象大人們那樣節省錢。因此，選項A、B、C不對；從文章第二段來看，花完上次的父母給的錢而下次給錢的時間還沒有到，在這種情況下向父母要錢的話是不好的。故答案選D。

16. B。   細節理解題。根據文章第四段和第五段，節省父母給的錢一方面可以理解自己的“目標”和“犧牲或損失”之間的關系，從而更好的節約和計劃；另一方面，可以為自己的未來投資奠定基礎。故答案選B。

17. A。   詞義猜測題。根據文章最后一段作者對于compound interest的解釋以及所舉的例子可知，“compound interest”是指存錢到期沒有取出，并且一塊把利息又放進去，從而實現“利息生利息”。故答案選A。

18. C。   標題概括題。本文主要是介紹了家長固定給孩子零用錢，從而讓孩子學會如何節約，如何利用這些錢；同時，讓孩子懂得錢的來之不易，從而學會理財。選項C正揭示了文章的主題。故答案選C。