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1、西安交通大学研究生高级英语写作期末考试试题（A卷）姓名学 号英语班号考场所在院系考试日期2011年7月5日Part I: Summary Writing (40 points)Read the following article carefully, and then write a summary of it in about 200 words. Why Chinese Mothers Are SuperiorBy Amy ChuaA lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful
2、 kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what its like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because Ive done it.What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until youre good at it. To get good at an
3、ything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to
4、give up. But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at somethingwhether its math, piano, pitching or ballethe or she gets praise, admiration and satisfacti
5、on. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.Chinese parents can get away with things that Western parents cant. Once when I was youngmaybe more than oncewhen I was extremely disrespectful to my mot
6、her, my father angrily called me garbage in our native Hokkien dialect. It worked really well. I felt terrible and deeply ashamed of what I had done. But it didnt damage my self-esteem or anything like that. I knew exactly how highly he thought of me. I didnt actually think I was worthless or feel l
7、ike a piece of garbage.By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of health and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image. (I also once heard a Western father toast his adult daughter by c
8、alling her beautiful and incredibly competent. She later told me that made her feel like garbage.) Chinese parents can order their kids to get straight as Western parents can only ask their kids to try their best. Chinese parents can say, Youre lazy. All your classmates are getting ahead of you. By
9、contrast, Western parents have to struggle with their own conflicted feelings about achievement, and try to persuade themselves that theyre not disappointed about how their kids turned out.Ive thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are three big
10、 differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.First, Ive noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their childrens self-esteem. They worry about how their children will feel if they fail at something, and they constantly try to reassure their children about how good
11、they are notwithstanding a mediocre performance on a test or at a recital. In other words, Western parents are concerned about their childrens psyches. Chinese parents arent. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently.For example, if a child comes home with an
12、A-minus on a test, a Western parent will most likely praise the child. The Chinese mother will gasp in horror and ask what went wrong. If the child comes home with a B on the test, some Western parents will still praise the child. Other Western parents will sit their child down and express disapprov
13、al, but they will be careful not to make their child feel inadequate or insecure, and they will not call their child stupid, worthless or a disgrace. If a Chinese child gets a Bwhich would never happenthere would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. The devastated Chinese mother would then
14、get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A. Second, Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear, but its probably a combination of Confucian filial piet
15、y and the fact that the parents have sacrificed and done so much for their children. (And its true that Chinese mothers get in the trenches, putting in long grueling hours personally tutoring, training, interrogating and spying on their kids.) Anyway, the understanding is that Chinese children must
16、spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud. By contrast, I dont think most Westerners have the same view of children being permanently indebted to their parents. My husband, Jed, actually has the opposite view. Children dont choose their parents, he once said to m
17、e. They dont even choose to be born. Its parents who foist life on their kids, so its the parents responsibility to provide for them. Kids dont owe their parents anything. Their duty will be to their own kids. This strikes me as a terrible deal for the Western parent.Third, Chinese parents believe t
18、hat they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their childrens own desires and preferences. Thats why Chinese daughters cant have boyfriends in high school and why Chinese kids cant go to sleepover camp. Its also why no Chinese kid would ever dare say to their mother, I
19、got a part in the school play! Im Villager Number Six. Ill have to stay after school for rehearsal every day from 3:00 to 7:00, and Ill also need a ride on weekends. God help any Chinese kid who tried that one.Dont get me wrong: Its not that Chinese parents dont care about their children. Just the o
20、pposite. They would give up anything for their children. Its just an entirely different parenting model.Western parents worry a lot about their childrens self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your childs self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, theres noth
21、ing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldnt.Western parents try to respect their childrens individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By c
22、ontrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what theyre capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away. (1087 words)From The Wall Street JournalPart II: Essay
23、Writing (60 points)Please write an essay (title self-made) in about 400 words to refute the opinions of the article in Part I. Choose the most controversial points to focus on and develop your argumentation with the proper logical patterns you have learnt. You need to include the hook, thesis restatement, topic sentences, supporting sentences, and concluding sentences in your article. 第 4 页 共 4 页