20.Never Talk to Strangers? “Never talk to strangers.” Many children are taught this simple rule as a precaution against abduction(诱拐). In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but deliberately hid from them, afraid someone might “steal” him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill(灌输) a fear of strangers in children. The “stranger danger” message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety. To have a child go missing is a parent’s worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common—but a lost children may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The “never talk to strangers” rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behaviour; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not. For young children, nothing replaces close supervision(监管). Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and sttitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world.
(1).Which of the following statements is NOT true about the 11-year-old boy?
A.He practiced the “never talk to strangers” rule.
B.He hid from the rescuers to avoid possible abduction.
C.He eventually showed up when his hide-and-seek game ended.
D.He stayed where he was, expecting the coming of familiar people.
(2).Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent?
A.Being abducted by a parent.
B.Wandering off.
C.Being abducted by strangers.
D.Running away.
(3).The “never talk to strangers” rule is confusing to children because ___.
A.a friendly and attractive person may be dangerous
B.adults do not act upon the rule and strangers are hard to tell
C.the rule does not protect children in the situation of abducting
D.a lost child may have difficulty in communicating with a stranger
(4).Which would the author agree with about the “never talk to strangers” rule?
A.It is not well recognized by parents.
B.It is not effective in keeping kids safe.
C.It is easy enough for children to follow.
D.It is practical as a safety tip in daily life.
24.My daughter Kelly is a cautious person. She needs to warm up to situations, is hesitant to try new things. When with close friends, she becomes a leader who laughs loudly and chants, “Girls rule, boys drool.” But when that comfort zone is not around her, she is shy and nervous. This has been challenging for me at times. “Shy” is not a word that I think has ever been used to describe me. But this has been a year of firsts for my girl that has filled her with a new sense of confidence. This year she moved to lap lane in swimming where she was preparing for a swim team. This year she learned to ride a bike without training wheels. And this year she completed her first kids’ triathlon (三项全能) . On Saturday, with a thunderstorm coming soon and my son’s birthday party later in the day, we all went out in the dark of the morning for Kelly to participate in her first triathlon. We practiced transitions from swim to bike to run with her, we got all the equipment she’d need, and we kept talking about the race. But as we waited the two hours for the older kids to finish before her turn, she held my leg a little harder and told me she loved me a few too many times. She was nervous but trying to keep it together. And then it was her turn. From the second she jumped into the water, my heart soared. My daughter transformed into the most confident human being I had ever seen. She dominated(主宰) that swim, crushed that bike ride and ran to the finish with the biggest smile on her face. I can honestly say that I never felt so proud of someone in my entire life. It wasn’t because she did a sport or anything like that. It was because she was afraid of something and conquered(克服) that fear with confidence and a fire I hadn’t seen before. All day I would find myself just looking over at her and smiling. She might be wearing the finalist medal but I felt like I won that day. I won the chance to see my girl shine. Shine on, sweet baby.
(1).Kelly is nervous when ________.
A.situations are new to her
B.boys are around her
C.she changes into a leader
D.she is away from her mom
(2).We can know from Paragraph 3 ______.
A.the race began in the early morning
B.the whole family gave Kelly support
C.Kelly was eager for her turn in the race
D.Kelly prepared for her brother’s birthday party
(3).Seeing Kelly’s performance in the race, the author felt ______.
A.excited and proud
B.anxious and uneasy
C.curious and concerned
D.worried and hesitant
(4).The author “felt like I won that day” because Kelly ______.
A.expressed love to her
B.won the gold medal
C.took part in the sport
D.overcame the fear
