Every summer, no matter how urgent work schedule is, I take off one day exclusively for my
son. We call it dad-son day. This year our third stop was the amusement panic, where we discovered
that he was tall enough to ride one of the fastest roller coasters (過山車)in the world. We experienced through face-stretching turns and circles for ninety seconds. Then, as we stepped off the ride, in a calm voice, he remarked that it was not as exciting as other rides he’d been on. As I listened, I began to sense something seriously out of balance.
Throughout the season, I noticed similar events all around me. Parents found it hard to find new stimulations for cold kids. Surrounded by ever-greater stimulation, their young feces were looking disappointed and bored
Facing their children’s complaints of "nothing to do", parents were spending large numbers of dollars for various forms of entertainment In many cases the money seemed to do little more than buy relief from the terrible complaint of their bored children. This set me thinking the obvious question: "How can it be so hard for kids to find something to do when there’s been such a range of stimulating entertainment available to them?"
What really worries me is the strength of the stimulation. I watch my little daughter’s &ce as she absorbs bloody special effects in movies.
Why do children facing such excitement seem starved for more? Thai was, I realized, the point I discovered during my own adolescence that what creates excitement is not going fast, but going faster. Excitement has less to do with speed than changes in speed.
I am concerned about the increasing effect of years at these levels of feverish activity. It is no mystery to me why many teenagers appear uninterested and burned out, with a "been there, done that" air of indifference toward much of life. As increasing numbers of friends’ children are advised to take medicine to deal with inattentiveness at school or anti-depressants (抗抑郁藥)to help with the loss of interest and joy in their lives—I question the role of kids’ boredom in some of the diagnoses (處方).
My own work is focused on the chemical imbalances and biological factors related to behavioral and emotional disorders. These are complex problems. Yet I’ve been reflecting more and more on how lie pace of life and the strength of stimulation may be contributing to the rising rates of psychological problems among children and adolescents in our society.
【小題1】The reason why the author felt surprised in the amusement park was that ________.
| A．his son was not as excited by the roller coasters ride as expected |
| B．his songs enjoyed turns and circles with his face stretched |
| C．his son appeared upset but calm while riding the roller coasters |
| D．his son could keep his balance so well on the fast moving roller coasters |
【小題2】According to the author, children will probably feel excited ________.
| A．if their parents allow them to ride roller coasters very often |
| B．since parents spend money on the same form of entertainment |
| C．a(chǎn)fter they take anti-depressants according to the diagnoses |
| D．if they are often exposed to more stimulating entertainment |
【小題3】From his own experience, the author came to the conclusion that children seem to expect _______.
| A．a(chǎn) much wider variety of sports facilities |
| B．a(chǎn)ctivities that require complicated skills |
| C．the change of the forms of recreation |
| D．more challenging physical exercise |
【小題4】. In order to relieve children’s boredom, the author would probably suggest ________.
| A．a(chǎn)djusting the pace of life and strength of stimulation |
| B．promoting the practice of dad-son days |
| C．consulting a specialist in child psychology |
| D．balancing school work with after school activities |
