Amy Chua, well-known as the Tiger Mother, has held the attention of parents all across the US. She told Reader’s Digest that she’s a little strange about how her book struck so many nerves in the US. The reporter of the magazine is sharing the interview with us.
Reader’s Digest: Did you want your book to be controversial (有爭議的)?
Amy: I don’t think it would have been controversial at all if it wasn’t for the Wall Street Journal headline that was called, “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior”.
Reader’s Digest: What’s your view on your parenting?
Amy: My children grew up with one Western parent. My husband doesn’t believe in raising his voice with the kids and we don’t spank (打小孩). They were really raised in a half Asian family. My book’s message is that we should try to find the balance. I believe that when children are little, you should restrict (限制) their choices. I like the traditional Chinese way. Respect authority (尊重權利) and don’t just let them watch TV all the time. I don’t think kids under the age of ten can make good choices. But once they start to get older, the lesson I learnt with Lulu (Amy’s second daughter) is that you have to start listening to them. You have to start giving them more choices and more freedom. I really think it’s important to find a balance.
I like the strict Chinese way of discipline (行為準則) and hard work when children are young. But when they’re older, you have to send love to your child, you have to listen to your child and really achieve the balance between creativity, choice and freedom on the one hand, which the west is very good at, and on the other hand, hard work and self discipline, which I think traditional Chinese parenting is very good at.
小題1:Where can we find the passage?
| A．In a novel. | B．In a magazine. | C．In a comic book. | D．In a history book. |
小題2:The Tiger Mother thinks the reason her book became controversial is that ______.
| A．she is very famous |
| B．parenting is such a common topic |
| C．traditional Chinese parenting is too strict |
| D．the Wall Street Journal headline was called “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” |
小題3:Which of the following is TRUE according to Amy’s view on parenting?
| A．We should control all of the children’s choices. |
| B．Spanking is necessary during children’s growth. |
| C．Children should be raised in half Asian families. |
| D．When children get older, parents should listen to them. |
小題4:According to the passage, we can see ______ in the west.
| A．children respect their parents because of authority |
| B．all kids under the age of ten can make good choices |
| C．some parents don’t believe in raising their voice with the kids |
| D．children do all of the things according to their parents’ orders |
小題5:What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．The book that the Tiger Mother wrote is very controversial. |
| B．Traditional Chinese parenting is much better than that in the west. |
| C．The Tiger Mother shows some of her ideas about her book and parenting. |
| D．Parents should achieve the balance between creativity, choice and freedom. |
