【正文】 1 2022 年 12 月四級真題 Part I Writing (30minutes) Limiting The Use of Disposable Plastic Bags Disposable plastic bags were once widely used in China. When we went shopping at supermarkets and departments stores, shopping assistants often provided free plastic bags for our convenience. For a while, life without them seemed unimaginable for most of us. However, disposable plastic bags do bring severe damage to our environment. Costumers usually threw them away after use, and because they are thin and hard to depose, these plastic products will exist for a long time. This is an immediate threat to our earth and water. Nowadays, the government has passed relevant regulations for limiting the use of disposable plastic bags: they are not free any more. In some shopping places, in order to invoke the public awareness of environmental protection, plastic bags are offered in a much higher price. As a result, people are changing their behavior: paper and clothing bags that vanished for a long time e back to our daily life. It is true that by limiting its usage, everyone in this society contributes some effort to the improvement of the environment. Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet questions 17,choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D).For questions 810,plete the sentences with the information given in the passage. That’s enough, kids It was a lovely day at the park and Stella Bianchi was enjoying the sunshine with her two children when a young boy, aged about four, approached her twoyearold son and pushed him to the ground. “I’d watch ed him for a little while and my son was the fourth or fifth child he’d shoved,” she says.” I went over to them, picked up my son, turned to the boy and said, firmly, ’No, we don’t push,” What happened next was unexpected. “The boy’s mother ran toward me f rom across the park,” Stella says,” I thought she was ing over to apologize, but instead she started shouting at me for disciplining her child, All I did was let him know his behavior was unacceptable. Was I supposed to sit back while her kid did whatever he wanted, hurting other children in the process?” Getting your own children to play nice is difficult enough. Dealing with other people’s children has bee a minefield. In my house, jumping on the sofa is not allowed. In my sister’s house it’s encour aged. For her, it’s about kids being kids:”If you can’t do it at three, when can you do it?” Each of these philosophies is valid and, it has to be said, my son loves visiting his aunt’s house. But I find myself saying “no” a lot when her kids are over at m ine. That’s OK between sisters but bees dangerous territory when you’re talking to the children of friends or acquaintances. “Kids aren’t all raised the same,” agrees Professor Naomi White of Monash University.” But there is still an idea that they’re t he property of the parent. We see our children as an extension of ourselves, so if you’re saying that my child is behaving inappropriately, then that’s somehow a criticism of me.” In those circumstances, it’s difficult to know whether to approach the child directly or the parent first. There are two schools of thought. “I’d go to the child first,” says Andrew Fuller, author of Tricky Kids. Usually a quiet reminder that ’we don’t do that here’ is enough. Kids nave finely tuned antennae ( 直覺 ) for how to behave in different settings.” He points out bringing it up with the parent first may make them feel neglectful, which could cause problems. Of course, approaching the child first can bring its own headaches, too. This is why White remends that you approach the parents first. Raise your concerns with the parents if they’re there and ask them to deal with it,” she says. Asked how to approach a parent in this situation, psychologist Meredith Fuller answers:”Explain your needs as well as stressing the importance of the friendship. Preface your remarks with something like: ’I know you’ll think I’m silly but in my house I don’t want?’” 2 When it es to situations where you’re caring for another child, white is straightforward: “mon sense must prevail. If things d on’t go well, then have a chat.” There’re a couple of new grey areas. Physical punishment, once accepted from any adult, is no longer appropriate. “A new set of considerations has e to the fore as part of the debate about how we handle children.” For Andrew Fuller, the childcentric nature of our society has affected everyone:” The rules are different now from when today’s parents were growing up,” he says, “Adults are scared of saying: ’don’t swear’, or asking a child to stand up on a bus. They’re worri ed that there will be conflict if they point these things out – either from older children, or their parents.” He sees it as a loss of the sense of mon public good and public courtesy (禮貌 ), and says that adults suffer form it as much as child. Meredith Fuller agrees: “A code of conduct is hard to create when you’re living in a world in which everyone is exhausted from overwork and lack of sleep, and a world in which nice people are perceived to finish last.” “it’s about what I’m doing and what I need,” A ndrew Fuller says. ”the days when a kid came home from school and said, “I got into trouble”. And dad said, ‘you probably deserved it’. Are over. Now the parents are charging up to the school to have a go at teachers.” This jumping to our children’s defens e is part of what fuels the “walking on eggshells” feeling that surrounds our dealings with other people’s children. You know that if you remonstrate( 勸誡 ) with the child, you’re going to have to deal with the parent. it’s admirable to be pro