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  3. The social development is asking more from both parents who have to take full-time jobs. This brings us the issue of "Latchkey C

The social development is asking more from both parents who have to take full-time jobs. This brings us the issue of "Latchkey C

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问题     The social development is asking more from both parents who have to take full-time jobs. This brings us the issue of "Latchkey Children". The following is an excerpt about this phenomenon. Read the excerpt carefully and write your response in about 300 words, in which you should:
    1. summarize briefly the excerpt;
    2. give your comment.
    Marks will be awarded for content relevance, content sufficiency, organization and language quality. Failure to follow the above instructions may result in a loss of marks.
                Latchkey Children—Knock, Knock, Is Anybody Home?
    In the United States the cost of living has been steadily rising for the past few decades. Partly because of financial need, and partly because of career choices for personal fulfillment, mothers have been leaving the traditional role of full-time homemaker. Increasingly they have been taking salaried jobs outside of the home.
    Making such a significant role change affects the entire family, especially the children. Some consequences are obvious. For example, dinnertime is at a later hour. The emotional impact, on the other hand, can be more subtle. Mothers leave home in the morning, feeling guilty because they will not be home when their children return from school. They suppress their guilt since they believe that their working will benefit everyone in the long run. The income will enable the family to save for college tuition, take an extended vacation, buy a new car, and so on.
    The emotional impact on the children can be significant. It is quite common for children to feel hurt and resentful. After all, they are alone several hours, and they feel that their mothers should "be there" for them. They might need assistance with their homework or want to share the day’s activities. All too often, however, the mothers arrive home exhausted and face the immediate task of preparing dinner. Their priority is making the evening meal for the family, not engaging in relaxed conversation.
    Latchkey children range in age from six to thirteen. On a daily basis they return from school and unlock the door to their home with the key hanging around their necks. They are now on their own, alone, in quiet, empty rooms. For some youngsters, it is a productive period of private time, while for others it is a frightening, lonely void. For reasons of safety, many parents forbid their children to go out to play or to have visitors at home. The youngsters, therefore, feel isolated.
    Latchkey children who were interviewed reported diverse reactions. Some latchkey children said being on their own for a few hours each day fostered a sense of independence and responsibility. They felt loved and trusted, and this feeling encouraged them to be self-confident. Some children stated that they used their unsupervised free time to perfect their athletic skills, such as playing basketball. Others read books or practiced musical instrument. These children looked upon their free time after school as an opportunity for personal development. It led to positive, productive, and valuable experiences.
    Conversely, many latchkey children expressed much bitterness, resentment, and anger for being made to live in this fashion. Many claimed that too much responsibility was placed on them at an early age; it was an overwhelming burden. They were little people who really wanted to be protected, encouraged, and cared for through attention from their mothers. Coming home to an empty house, they were disappointed, lonely, and often frightened. They felt abandoned by their mothers. Many children turned on the television for the whole afternoon day after day, in order to diminish feelings of isolation; furthermore, the voices were comforting. Frequently, they would doze off.
    Because of either economic necessity or strong determination for personal fulfillment, or both, the phenomenon of latchkey children is widespread in our society. Whatever the reason, it is a compelling situation with which families must cope. The question to ask is not whether or not mothers should work full-time. Given the reality of the situation, the question to ask is; how can an optimum plan be worked out to deal effectively with the situation?
    Write your response on ANSWER SHEET FOUR.
选项
答案 Latchkey Children in Modern Life More and more mothers in the US are changing their role as full-time homemaker by taking jobs outside because of either financial need or personal fulfillment, or both. This role change affects the whole family with the emotional neglect on the children. The "latchkey children" is a case in point. However, children themselves view this issue differently—some feel they treasure the trust and independence brought by it while others think they are neglected. However they judge this situation, adequate attention must be paid to the quality of parents-children relationship. In recent years, a confluence of social, economic and political factors has led to increasing numbers of unattended or latchkey children who are left alone during the after-school hours. Among the causing factors, the disintegration of traditional households characterized by two working parents is the culprit. The effects on being a latchkey child differ from one kid to another. Loneliness, boredom and fear are most common for many kids. In the early teens, latchkey children may have greater susceptibility to peer pressure, potentially resulting in such behavior as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, smoking or other bad habits. The behavior might stem from unspent energy, peer pressure to misbehave, or hostility because of the lack of appropriate adult attention. However, other children can exude positive effects, such as an early development of self-reliance, adaptation to difficult situations, and a desire to contribute to a visible need in the household. Whatever the cause of this phenomenon, when dealing with it, we should put many factors into consideration; the children’s personality and maturity, the amount of time the children are left alone, and the safety of the neighborhood. Of supreme importance is the quality of the relationship between parents and children. It is most important that children be secure in the knowledge that they are loved. Feeling loved provides invaluable emotional strength to cope successfully with almost any difficulty that arises in life.
解析 本题探讨的是“挂钥匙儿童”这一现象，属于社会生活类话题。题目要求简要概括所给材料中的观点，并发表自己的评论。在具体行文方面，考生可以开篇点题，简要概括“挂钥匙儿童”现象产生的原因以及这一现象对孩子们的不同影响；接着提出自己对这一问题的看法，并给出充分的论据支撑；最后总结全文，重述论点或者升华主题。
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