2. 外语
  3. You see them everywhere: harried parents hauling their little ones off to classes in Mandarin, gymnastics or classical violin. A

You see them everywhere: harried parents hauling their little ones off to classes in Mandarin, gymnastics or classical violin. A

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问题     You see them everywhere: harried parents hauling their little ones off to classes in Mandarin, gymnastics or classical violin. At home, they’re filling nurseries with "educational" rattles(响尾蛇) and mobiles. It’s all for a worthy goal: making the most of the first three years of life, when critical changes in brain structure determine whether little Madison or Matthew will one day enter the Ivy League. At least that is what a growing number of parents have been led to believe. Sadly, it may all be a waste of time and money.
    A 1994 report by the Carnegie Corporation led to the creation of a vast marketing effort aimed at parents of young children. The report, called "Starting Points", used neuroscience(神经科学) to make the case for more federally funded services for infants and toddlers by proclaiming that brain development in the womb and during the first year of life "is more rapid and extensive than we previously realized. "Although the science was actually quite limited—and there was certainly no proof that toys or videos could make babies smarter—the report helped focus national attention on the early years.
    It also inspired actor-director Rob Reiner, who launched a campaign to convince parents and policymakers that more money should go to nurturing development during the early years. Reiner argued that focusing on "the prism of zero to 3" could solve a vast range of societal ills: teen pregnancy, drug abuse, crime. He found an eager ally in Hillary Clinton, who convened the 1997 White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning. Before the conference, both Time and Newsweek published major stories on the topic and ABC ran a prime-time special. The highly publicized conference played a major role in popularizing the idea of a critical "window" that would slam shut on the third birthday. And it persuaded states and the federal government to spend millions on new programs for babies and toddlers.
    By this time, eager entrepreneurs had also spotted a unique opportunity. Companies with names like Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby, Baby Prodigy(神童)and Baby Genius became part of an important industry. However, scientists say the money spent on these educational toys might be better off in a college savings account. The recent neuroscience research indicates that the brain continues to grow and develop "well into old age". On the other hand, overstimulation makes babies (and adults) anxious.
    Instead of Mandarin lessons, researchers say parents would be better off spending more time talking, singing, reading and playing with their babies and toddlers. No special equipment is required. Affectionate interaction helps kids develop language and social skills. It may not be a ticket to Harvard, but it’s certainly a great start.
选项 A、advocate the importance of the early-year education
B、develop the education market for parents and children
C、emphasize parent’s wise investment on children
D、explain in detail the science on networks of nerves
答案A
解析 细节题。根据题干1994和the Carnegie Corporation定位到原文第二段末句对该文件的评论：the report helped focus national attention on the early years，可判断出A“倡导早期教育的重要性”正确。另外， A中关键词the early-year education的类似表达在该段中反复出现，是正确选项的特征之一。
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