Violence in American families takes many forms. One prevalent form that we often overlook is the physical punishment of children. Perhaps 93% of all parents beat their children in order to discipline them. Young children receive the most punishments, but studies reveal that about 50% of high school seniors report experiencing or being threatened with physical punishment. Punishment of children varies from a light tap to brutal beating, but historically we have granted parents the right to use physical force against their children. A law passed in 1696, for example. Called for the death penalty of “sufficient understanding” over the age of 16 who cursed or struck a parent who was “stubborn and rebellious” in refusing to obey a parent. From interviews with 2134 married couples constituting a cross-section of American families, sociologists estimate parents kick, punch, or bite some 1.7 million children a year, beat 460,000 to 750,000 more, and attack 46,000 with guns or knives.
Physical punishment of children that results in injuries requiring medical treatment is now generally considered to be abusive. Most people do not realize, however, that it is the regular use of “ordinary” physical punishment, and the cultural approval it enjoys, that lays the groundwork for child abuse. According to David Gil, “in most accidents of child abuse the care takers involved are ‘normal’ individuals exercising their right of disciplining a child whose behavior they found in need of correction.” If one adult were to strike another, most people would regard such behavior as abusive.
Most parents use physical punishment in the belief that it will control the aggression in their children and make them obedient. In fact, violence—whether verbal or physical—sets children a poor example. An adult who yells at or slaps a child unwittingly supplies the child with a model for aggression. Studies have found that the frequent use of physical punishment for aggressive acts by a child results in a marked increase in the child’s aggression. Perhaps not surprisingly, abusive parents are themselves likely to have been abused when they were children. The pattern of abuse is unwittingly translated from parent to child and thus from generation to generation.
1.Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?（ ）
2.The italicized word “it” in line of the second paragraph refers to（ ）.
3.Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?（ ）
4.The number of the children being threatened by beating is（ ）.
5.What is the author’s attitude toward physical punishment by parents?（ ）
问题1选项
A.Punishment was once justified in American law.
B.Most of the parents have used physical punishment to discipline disobedient children in America.
C.High school students rarely receive punishment from their parents.
D.Child abuse is rooted in American culture.
问题2选项
A.physical punishment
B.the cultural approval
C.the regular use of “ordinary” physical punishment
D.injuries requiring medical treatment
问题3选项
A.Physical punishment is helpful for parents to correct children’s indecent behavior.
B.Parents who use physical punishment to discipline their children should be punished by the law.
C.A child who is severely punished will revenge the abuse on his own child in later life.
D.Parents who punish children physically actually set bad example of aggression for their children.
问题4选项
A.at least 2,143 per year
B.at most 750,000 per year
C.over 46,000 per year
D.about 17,000,000 per year
问题5选项
A.Disagreeing.
B.Supporting.
C.Understanding.
D.Severely critical.
第1题:C
第2题:C
第3题:D
第4题:C
第5题:D
第1题:
细节事实题。由文章第一段...but studies reveal that about 50% of high school seniors report experiencing or being threatened with physical punishment.可知，研究表明，大约50%的高中生声称遭受体罚或者受到体罚的威胁。因此，C选项“高中生很少遭受父母的体罚”表述错误，其他选项都可在原文中找到出处。故本题答案为C选项。
第2题:
词汇题。将it定位到原文第二段Most people do not realize, however, that it is the regular use of “ordinary” physical punishment, and the cultural approval it enjoys, that lays the groundwork for child abuse.中分析可知，然而大部分人没有意识到，正是因为“普通”体罚的经常使用以及它所享有的文化认可，才会为虐待孩子打下基础。根据句子结构可知，it指代的是the regular use of “ordinary” physical punishment。因此，正确答案是C选项。
第3题:
推理判断题。根据文章最后一段Most parents use physical punishment in the belief that it will control the aggression in their children and make them obedient. In fact, violence—whether verbal or physical—sets children a poor example. An adult who yells at or slaps a child unwittingly supplies the child with a model for aggression. Studies have found that the frequent use of physical punishment for aggressive acts by a child results in a marked increase in the child’s aggression.可知，大多数父母采取体罚，是认为体罚会控制孩子的攻击行为并使孩子听话，但事实上，无论是言语还是肢体暴力，都会给孩子建立不好的榜样。那些大喊大叫或者打孩子的成年人会不自觉地为孩子提供侵略性（攻击性）的模板。研究发现，经常因为孩子的攻击性行为而体罚孩子，反而会激化孩子的攻击行为。因此可判断A选项错误，D选项正确。原文中并未体现B选项“应该受到法律惩罚”这一观点；也未说明受过虐待的父母在晚年会报复虐待自己的孩子，他们只是会不自觉地影响到下一代的教育方式，故排除C选项。因此，本题正确答案为D选项。
第4题:
细节事实题。由原文第一段From interviews with 2134 married couples ...beat 460,000 to 750,000 more, ...可知，受到殴打威胁的孩子数量是在460,000到750,000以上。因此，B选项“至多每年750,000”与原文不符，正确答案应为C选项“每年超过46,000”。
第5题:
观点态度题。本文主要讲述了父母体罚孩子的普遍性。如今体罚已被视为虐待。体罚不仅给孩子树立了坏榜样，而且会加剧孩子的攻击性。在儿童时期被体罚虐待的父母在教育下一代时也很可能会虐待孩子。由此可知，整篇文章对于体罚持否定态度，排除B和C。而从文章整体来看，作者对于体罚的态度不仅是不认同更具有批判性。因此，D选项“严厉地批判”更为符合作者的态度。
