英语听力精选进阶版 6416

What sort of upbringing did you have? Did your parents impose strict discipline?

Raising a child is not easy and the challenges of parenthood have turned childcare advice into a multi-billion pound industry. Books, magazines and television shows compete for credibility.

If your mother fed you only at the right time and ignored any cries for more, she would have been applauded by Dr Frederick Truby King. He was given a top honour in 1925 and credited with reducing infant mortality in New Zealand.

Character building was something to be started at a young age according to the stern doctor: he recommended no more than 10 minutes of cuddles a day. The formative months were for eating, sleeping and growing.

The stress on bonding was important for Dr Benjamin Spock, possibly the 20th Century's most famous childcare guru. He encouraged a touchy-feely approach to bringing up children, and told parents to trust their own instincts and common sense.

The Spock guide to parenting went mainstream¹ in the 1960s when mothers were getting used to household appliances and disposable nappies. It left them far more time for cuddling, doting² and pampering³ than most Truby King parents were likely to have enjoyed.

In Britain, paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott helped to address some parents' sense of guilt⁴ by promoting the idea that it was OK not to be perfect. Occasional failure was not just inevitable⁵ - it was part of the child's learning curve. He didn't believe in setting regimes or even giving instructions. Winnicott's philosophy was all about understanding, not admonishing⁶.

But a new technique is gaining popularity. Some 21st century children have to put up with the no-nonsense approach of professional nanny Jo Frost. This self-styled Mary Poppins from the reality TV show Supernanny has reached millions of viewers across 47 countries.

For many parents, Frost is the inspiration for the "naughty step" technique. Children who are misbehaving get a warning, but if they carry on they have to sit on a step. After waiting one minute for every year of their age they have to apologise for what they've done.

The best measure of the success of each technique might be how the baby has turned out. If you are good and happy, who is to say your parents' method was wrong?

Quiz 测验

1. What did Dr King recommend parents to ignore?

The baby's cry for more food.

2. Who encouraged more cuddles?

Dr Benjamin Spock.

3. What did Donald Winnicott's philosophy reject?

Admonishing children.

4. Is this statement true or false? Supernanny is the name of the new Mary Poppins movie.

False. It's the name of a reality TV programme presented by Jo Frost.

5. Which expression means 'practical'?

No-nonsense.

Glossary 词汇表

upbringing 教养，抚育

discipline 纪律，符合准则的行为

childcare 幼托

infant mortality 婴儿死亡率

character building 性格培养

formative (经历)决定性格的，影响发展的

bonding 亲密关系

touchy-feely 公开表露感情的

to bring up 教育，培养

instinct 本能反应，直觉

common sense 常识，直觉判断力

mainstream 主流

a household appliance 家用电器

a disposable nappy 一次性尿布

doting 溺爱的，宠爱的

pampering 姑息，纵容

a paediatrician 儿科医生

sense of guilt 愧疚感

learning curve 学习曲线

admonishing 责备

no-nonsense 不容胡闹的

to misbehave （儿童）淘气、行为不当

1 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

2 doting   

adj.溺爱的，宠爱的

参考例句：

• His doting parents bought him his first racing bike at 13.宠爱他的父母在他13岁时就给他买了第一辆竞速自行车。
• The doting husband catered to his wife's every wish.这位宠爱妻子的丈夫总是高度满足太太的各项要求。

3 pampering   

v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• But you need to make an appointment because these people are usually very busy pampering pets. 但是你需要先预约，因为这些人通常都在忙于照顾宠物们。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• He had been pampering, and coaxing, and indulging that individual all his life. 他一生都在姑息、迁就、纵容那家伙。 来自辞典例句

4 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

5 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

6 admonishing   

v.劝告( admonish的现在分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责

参考例句：

• It is waste of time, admonishing you. 劝告你简直是浪费工夫。 来自辞典例句
• To date, the Doctrine of Cheng Fu still exerts its admonishing effect. 时至今日，承负说仍具有警示作用。 来自互联网