One potential prolem with allowances (零用钱) is that children’s reponsible behavior can become about earning the allowance rather than the intrinsic (固有的) value of their family responsibilities. For example, if you pay your children for taking out the trash, they see this chore (家务事) as a job that they should be rewarded for instead of a responsibility they must fulfil as part of the family. But giving children an allowance for weekly chores is not necessarily bad. You are rewarding them for fulfilling their family responsibilities, but it is not for a specific act. Rather, it is an appreciation of their commitment to your family values.You are also conveying another important message that their actions have consequences: if they do good things, good things happen. They also learn a lesson about the market economy, namely, that work is rewarded.
Allowances can also be used as punishment and to teach children lessons about family values. For example, if your children join a group of kids smashing (炸碎) pumpkins on Halloween, a part of a reasonable punishment might be to require them to pay the families out of their allowances to replace the pumpkins. Thus, your children learn that bad behavior has financial consequences. Also, by relating the punishment to the misdeed, you ensure that your children see the connection and learn the value lesson.
How much allowance should you pay your children? The precise amount depends on your family’s financial situation, the cost of living and your children’s needs. Children can start to earn a weekly allowance as early as 5 years of age. An increase of $1 per week for each year of your children’s lives is realistic until they reach their mid-teens. When they begin to drive and date, you can calculate their expenses and establish a reasonable allowance that covers their needs.
64. How many advantages of giving allowances are mentioned in the passage?
One. B.Two. C.Three. D.Four.
65. According to the author,_____ .
A.giving children an allowance for weekly chores will certainly cause problems
B.it is better to reward children for fulfilling family responsibilities than for a specific act
C.you can’t give your chidren allowances unless they do good deeds
D.it is unnecessary for small children to learn about the market economy
66.The precise allowance amount you should pay your chidren depends on all the following factors EXCEPT ___ .
the living standard in your area
how rich or poor your family is
how much other children receive
the actual needs of your chidren
67. It can be inferred that________.
A.The author doesn’t want to give any tips on allowance amounts
B. allowance given to chidren of different ages may vary
C.children under 5 can’t be given any allowance
D. allowance amounts grow at the same speed with your chidren