Question

Everybody is afraid of something. That’s what more than 1,700 kids told us when we asked them about fears and scary stuff. We gave kids a list of 14 scary things and asked which one frightened them most. Here are the top 5 answers from our survey: ①Scary movies and TV shows; ②Scary dreams; ③Thunderstorms, hurricanes, and other terrible weather; ④War and terrorism*; ⑤Sounds heard at night.

It seems that not everyone is afraid of the same thing. What makes one person scared can be of no big deal for someone else. Plenty of kids said their biggest fear wasn’t on our list.

What is fear?

Fear is a feeling that everyone has — it’s programmed into all of us — and that’s a good thing because fear is there to protect us. We’re born with a sense of fear so we can react to something that could be dangerous. The baby cries, and their mom comes over to comfort him or her, helping the baby feel safe and OK again.

Real vs. Pretend

The best way to get over a fear is to get more information about it. As kids get older, they understand more and start seeing the difference between what is real and unreal. So when William’s imagination leads him to think of witches, he can tell himself, “Wait a minute. They’re only pretend things. I don’t need to worry about them.”

The same goes for the dark. A kid’s imagination can start playing tricks when the lights go out. What’s under my bed? Is that a thief I hear? With the help of a parent, kids can get more comfortable in the dark. Using a nightlight or shining a flashlight under the bed to see that there’s nothing there can help kids fight that fear.

1.Which of the following can’t help a kid fight the fear of dark?

A. Using imaginations to think of witches.

B. Their parents coming over to comfort them.

C. Using a nightlight to see there’s nothing under the bed.

D. Shining a flashlight to see there’s nothing under the bed.

2.What does the underlined word “pretend” in paragraph 4 mean?

A. Ugly. B. Usual.

C. Unreal. D. Lovely

3.What is the second paragraph of the passage mainly about?

A. Fourteen scary things kids list.

B. People are afraid of different things.

C. The biggest fear for kids are always the same.

D. The things frighten people are the same as the survey.

4.Which is TRUE about the writer’s opinion?

A. Having a sense of fear is not a bad thing.

B. Nothing can help kids to get over a fear.

C. Fear is something we get when we are older.

D. Not all people can react to dangerous things.

 

Answer 1

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述了小孩子恐惧的事物。通过调查列出了孩子恐惧的事物，由此作者发现人们害怕的事物是不同的，并标明害怕并不是一件坏事。

1.细节理解题。文章最后一段介绍如何帮助孩子战胜对于黑暗的恐惧。根据第二行With the help of a parent, kids can get more comfortable in the dark.“在父母的帮助下，孩子们会感觉更加舒适。”可知B正确；根据最后一句Using a nightlight or shining a flashlight under the bed to see that there’s nothing there can help kids fight that fear.“使用小夜灯或是手电筒在床下照一下，发现什么也没有这样可以帮助孩子们战胜恐惧。”可知B、C正确。故选A。

2.词义猜测题。根据上文讲述真实与不真实的事情，再结合本句Wait a minute. They’re only pretend things. I don’t need to worry about them.“等一下。他们只是假想的。我不需要担心他们。”可知答案为C。

3.段落大意题。第二段主要讲述人们害怕的东西是不同的。故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据第三段第一句话Fear is a feeling that everyone has — it’s programmed into all of us — and that’s a good thing because fear is there to protect us.“害怕是每个人都会有的感觉，受我们自己控制的，这是一件好事因为害怕可以保护我们。”可知A正确，有害怕的感觉不是坏事。

考点：科普类短文阅读。