As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a
family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how
much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping the families while they ate ordinary
meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and
their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents'efforts to
control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. "In general the more
question-asking the parents do, the higher the children's IQ scores," Lewis says. "And the more children
there are, the less question-asking there is."
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in
life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner
conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest,
who needs the most attention. "Middle children are invisible." Says Lewis. "When you see someone get
up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it's the middle child." There is, however,
one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: "When the TV is on,"
Lewis says, "dinner is a non-event."
1. The writer's purpose in writing the text is to ______ .
A. show the relationship between parents and children
B. teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table
C. report on the findings of a study
D. give information about family problems
2. By saying "Middle children are invisible" in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______ .
A. have to help their parents to serve dinner
B. get the least attention from the family
C. are often kept away from the dinner table
D. find it hard to keep up with other children
3. Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ______ .
A. they are busy serving food to their children
B. they are busy keeping order at the dinner table
C. they have to pay more attention to younger children
D. they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family
4. Lewis research provides an answer to the question ______ .
A. Why TV is important in family
B. why parents should keep good order
C. why children in small families seem to be quiet
D. why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life
5. Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
A. It is important to have the right food for children.
B. It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner.
C. Parents should talk to each of their children frequently.
D. Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner.
