Microsoft founder Bill Gates has opened up about being a parent, stating that 13 is an appropriate age for a child’s first cell phone.
The 57-year-old, father-of-three, revealed on the Today Show that his children Jennifer and Rory were not allowed to have phones until their thirteenth birthday and his youngest daughter Phoebe is still waiting for one.
“We’ve decided in our family that it’s 13 where you can get a phone,” the self-made billionaire explained.
He said as a result his children often returned home from school complaining:”All the other kids have it. I’m the only one without it, and it’s so embarrassing.”
He was asked if he would keep the passwords to himself in his family. Mr Gates said that he wouldn’t do that to Jennifer,16,who he described as “independent”. He admitted that monitoring online activity is “a very tricky issue for parents now”.
Despite their vast wealth Mr and Mrs Gates, who live in Lake Medina, just outside Seattle, Washington, have said they want to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible.
It was previously reported that their youngsters have to complete household chores and are given a modest amount of pocket money.
And in 2010 Mr Gates said that he intends to give most of his $ 61 billion fortune away rather than hand it down. “That will be good both for my kids and society,” he said.
Also during the Today Interview with host Matt Lauer, Mr Gates, who stepped down from Microsoft in 2008 to concentrate on philanthropy , said that helping others gives him same excitement as creating software.
“What you really feel is what you’ve achieved. If a piece of software gets out there and lots of people love it－it lets them get their work done in better ways－that’s exciting,” he explained.
Mr Gates was previously the richest man in the world, but he got shifted down a spot in 2010 after he decided to give away $28 billion to good causes.
9.This passage is mainly about ____________
A Bill Gates’s experiences in Microsoft until 2008
B Bill Gates’s strict parenting rules to his children
C Bill Gates’s family expense in everyday life
D the relationship between Bill Gates and his children
10.Why do Gates’ children often complain when returning from school?
A. Because they don’t attend school at all.
B. Because they don’t understand why their father gives money away.
C. Because they don’t have enough pocket money.
D. Because they aren’t allowed to buy a phone until 13 years old.
11.The underlined word “philanthropy” in Paragraph 9 means_____
A. charity B wealth C fortune D software
12.Which of the following can best tell the main idea of Bill Gates’ in The Today Show?
A. Health is wealth.
B. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
C. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
D. Wisdom in the mind is better than money in the hand.