A
Parents do not owe (欠) their children a college education. If they can afford it, they can certainly send them to a good university. But they needn’t feel guilty if they can’t. When children grow up and want to get married, their parents do not owe them an apartment. They do not have the duty to look after their grandchildren, either. If they want to do it, it must be considered a favor, not an obligation.
Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.
One of their obligations is to give their children a personal worth. Children who are always made to feel stupid and unworthy, constantly compared with brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins will become so unsure, so afraid of failing that they won’t try at all. Of course they should be properly corrected when they do wrong, but it’s often better to let children learn their mistakes by themselves in time. All their parents should do is to trust them, respect them, understand them and give them chances to try and fail. They must learn to stand failure. When criticisms (批评) are really needed, they should be balanced with a smile and a kiss. That is the way children learn.
Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives. This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others. Also it means being respectful to elders, to teachers, and to the law. The best way to teach such values is by deed. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees no laughter and no love in the home will have difficulty laughing and loving.
No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child something.
21. The author thinks parents ________.
A. should send their children to college
B. should support their children after they get married
C. need to buy an apartment for their children
D. needn’t feel guilty if they can’t send their children to universities
22. What does the underlined word “obligation” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. right. B. promise. C. duty. D. excuse.
23. According to the passage, what should parents do when children make mistakes?
A. Understand them and tell them not to do that again.
B. Let them learn the mistakes by themselves in time.
C. Compare them with brighter brothers or sisters.
D. Correct their mistakes immediately.
24. What does the author mainly talk about in this passage?
A. The duties of parents.
B. The best way to teach children.
C. The reason why children feel stupid and unworthy.
D. The reason why parents owe their children something.
