An allowance(零花钱) is an important tool for teaching kids how to make plans for the use of money, save and make their own decisions. Children remember and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.
How large an allowance is suitable? Experts say there is not right amount. Actual amounts differ from region to region, and from family to family.
To set an suitable allowance for your child, work up a weekly plan. Allow for entertainment costs such as movies and snacks. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. If you make the child responsible for these bills’, says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, he or she will learn to plan for necessary costs.
Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose buying power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.
It can be tough, but don’t excuse your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Stephens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch. If you lose your money, Brooke’s mother told her, you walk home.
One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, then she called home for a rideMom made me walk home, recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in BrooklynAt first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson.
Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied directly to a child’s daily housework at home. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home, which can develop his or her early habits.
【小题1】Which of the following is the possible title of the passage?A．How to develop a child’s early habits.B．How to work up an amount of pocket money.C．How to teach a child about money.D．How to teach a child to save money.【小题2】 It can be inferred from the passage that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may .A．spend all the money very soonB．fall into the bad habit of wasting moneyC．feel responsible and careful about moneyD．lose the money and can not return home【小题3】 In Paragraph 4, the words “his peers” refer to .A．his parentsB．his friendsC．his financial expertsD．his teachers【小题4】 Why does the writer mention Brooke Stephens?A．To question the opinion about pocket money. B．To pare Stephens with other financial experts.C．To explain that parents should be strict when children are developing good habits about money.D．To suggest pocket money is useless in developing a child’s sense of responsibility.【小题5】 The writer implies in the passage that .A．children may feel lonely if they have no pocket moneyB．a child’s early good habits can be developed if he or she is paid for all the houseworkC．paying children for their housework is no goodD．children may learn to put aside some money if they are given a great amount of pocket moneyC
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(答案→)C
解析：本文讨论的主要是关于给孩子零花钱的问题，以及孩子在使用零花钱方面的具体的作用和影响。
【小题1】C 主旨大意题。本文讨论的主要是关于给孩子零花钱的问题，以及孩子在使用零花钱方面的具体的作用和影响。故C项正确。
【小题2】C 推断题。根据文章第三段If you make the child responsible for these bills’, says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, he or she will learn to plan for necessary costs.说明如果我给孩子零花钱，孩子就可能会为自己的账单，也就是自己所话的钱负责。故C项正确。
【小题3】B 推理题。根据本句If you can keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose buying power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.说明孩子和他的朋友在一起的时候，如果他的钱不如朋友多，就会感觉不好，故该词是指他的同龄人，爷爷就是他的朋友们。故B正确。
【小题4】C 推理题。根据文章倒数第三段第一句It can be tough, but don’t excuse your children when they make a mistake with their allowance.可知如果孩子犯错，不要给他找借口。也就是对孩子要严格，接下来举例就是为了说明这个道理。故C项正确。
【小题5】C 推理题。根据文章最后一段前3行Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied directly to a child’s daily housework at home. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family.可知专家认为给孩子钱让他们做家务这种做法是错误的。故C项正确。