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  3. 　　Growing up in poverty can have long-term negative consequences for children. Now, a study offering unconditional cash to a gro

　　Growing up in poverty can have long-term negative consequences for children. Now, a study offering unconditional cash to a gro

admin2022-02-15  4
问题 　　Growing up in poverty can have long-term negative consequences for children. Now, a study offering unconditional cash to a group of mothers on low incomes in the US is beginning to discover the precise role of parental income in child development. It is the first randomised trial to look at whether a basic income might affect the way a child’s brain develops in this critical period.
　　We know that the first few years of a child’s life are the most influential for their development. Brain development is particularly rapid in early childhood and therefore more likely to be influenced by the environment.
　　It isn’t clear whether low income directly leads to these outcomes, or whether they are a result of other factors associated with growing up in poverty. To find out, Kimberly Nobleat in Columbia University and her colleagues approached women on low incomes who had just given birth at four sites in the US. Around 1,000 women agreed to be part of the study and were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group, consisting of 40 percent of the women, receives an unconditional cash gift of $ 330 per month, and the other group receives $ 20 per month. The first babies in the study were born in May 2018, and the team has been following them every year. Preliminary findings were presented last week at the Virtual Society for Besearch in Child Development Conference.
　　The team is measuring several things throughout the study. At each yearly follow-up, children are assessed for measures like sleep quality, developmental milestones, overall health and emotional development. One unique aspect of the study is the use of mobile EEG headsets to monitor the infants’ brain activity in their home environments.
　　Almost $ 4 million has been given out through the study so far. Though it is too early to draw full conclusions, some preparatory results are already of interest. For example, some of the parents have allowed the researchers to keep track of their transactions. Those in the high-cash group appear to be spending more on books for their children, and spending more time reading together. This is potentially good news because reading to infants is known to be good for cognitive development, vocabulary and promoting important bonds between adults and children.
　　The researchers say it also seems like very little money was spent on what they call temptation goods like gambling, alcohol and tobacco. Eventually, the findings could help with policy interventions to assist children born into poverty, or even to find ways to buffer against the effects of poverty later in life.
The word "preparatory"  (Line 2, Para. 5) is closest in meaning to_________.
选项 A、alarming
B、precise
C、preliminary
D、conclusive
答案C
解析 词义题。根据题干可定位至第五段。由文中so far“目前”，too early to draw full conclusions“太早去下最终结论”，可知目前得出的结论都是初步的，并不是最终结论，选项C preliminary“初步的”最接近此意，故选项C正确。
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