The uninvolved dad, turning up his nose at diapering and too busy to bathe, dress and play with his kids, is mostly a myth , a big government survey suggests. Most American fathers say they are heavily involved in hands-on parenting, the researchers found. The results are encouraging and important " because others have found the more involved dads are, the better the outcomes for their children. " said researcher Jo Jones of the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. She co-authored the report released Friday. "Times have changed," said Robert Loftus, 34, of Yonkers, NY. He quit a six-figure sales job a year ago to care for his two young children while his wife works full time. "We are trying to rethink our priorities and family seem to be N0 1 priority while in the past maybe people were more focused on career. " The study involved nearly 4.000 fathers who were interviewed in person between 2009 and 2013. *Key findings among fathers living with children younger than 5 : *9 in 10 bathed, diapered, helped them use the toilet or get dressed at least several times weekly . * Even higher numbers played with them and ate meals with them that often * Almost 2 0ut of 3 read to them at least several times weekly. *Among dads living with kids aged 5-18. * More than 9 0ut of 10 ate meals with them at least several times weekly and talked with them about what happened during the kids' day that often. * Almost 2 0ut of 3 helped with homework several times weekly. * About half took their kids to or from activities that often. Dr. David Hill, a Wilmington, N. C. pediatrician said the survey reflects what he's seen among his patients' fathers. Increasingly, fathers rather than mothers take their kids to the doctor. Some "are anxious about changing a diaper, " he said. Census numbers show that there were almost 190,000 stay-at-home dads nationwide last year versus 93,000 in 2010. Loftus, the New York stay-at-home dad, said, "I feel fortunate to be able... What can we learn about the research? A) It aimed to study fathers' influence on kids. B) It showed most fathers often helped kids learn. C) It found most fathers played with kids every day. D) It mainly surveyed fathers' living with young kids.
D
For many years there's been a debate about rewarding our children. Does it work? Is it effective? Some people think we should establish a standard with our kids and give them something for meeting this standard as a reward. Punishment is given out in much the same way, but it's used when certain standards of performance, behavior, etc. have not been met. Kids will often become more dutiful when threatened with punishment, and work harder when promised a valuable reward. The problem is what happens when you aren't around. To develop responsible, self-disciplined kids, parents need to promote certain ideas. One of these ideas is that everyone pitches in and helps in your family, even if someone is not crazy about helping. Another idea is that there can be enjoyment in doing any task if we choose to make it so. When a task is for a worthy cause (our family can enjoy the house more because I have helped clean it), and when parents are cheerful about their chores, this message can have a big impact. This is how we help our kids develop a sense of responsibility. When our children develop this responsibility, they'll be more disciplined, and they'll control their emotions better. When we give rewards to our kids, we reduce the sense of responsibility. We also create children who may temporarily perform to a certain standard, but who aren't likely to continue the performance without the carrot hanging in front of them. "Rewards and punishment can change behavior for a while, but they cannot change the person who engages in the behavior, at least in the way we want," said Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards. "Good values have to be grown from the inside out." Parents can help give their children a sense of shared responsibility and discipline which can last a lifetime. The real rewards that your children receive will be their readiness for the complex and demanding world that waits for them-- a world that rewards those who have learned the secrets of discipline and responsibility. So keep those shiny... According to the passage, Alfie Kohn would agree that parents should_. A) pay no attention to the way their children do things B) never punish their children C) show their children how to behave by example D) help their children establish good values
D
*Question*
As we have seen, the focus of medical care in our society has been shifting from curing disease to preventing disease--especially in terms of changing our many unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits, smoking, and failure to exercise. The line of thought involved in this shift can be pursued further. Imagine a person who is about the right weight, but does not eat very nutritious foods, who feels OK but exercises only occasionally, who goes to work every day, but is not an outstanding worker, who drinks a few beers at home most nights but does not drive while drunk, and who has no chest pains or abnormal blood counts, but sleeps a lot and often feels tired. This person is not ill. He may not even be at risk for any particular disease. But we can imagine that this person could be a lot healthier. The field of medicine has not traditionally distinguished between someone who is merely "not ill" and someone who is in excellent health and pays attention to the body's special needs. Both types have simply been called "well". In recent years, however, some health specialists have begun to apply the terms "well" and "wellness" only to those who are actively striving to maintain and improve their health. People who are well are concerned with nutrition and exercise, and they make a point of monitoring their body's condition. Most important, perhaps, people who are well take active responsibility for all matters related to their health. Even people who have a physical disease or handicap may be "well" in this new sense, if they make an effort to maintain the best possible health they can in the face of their physical limitations. "Wellness" may perhaps best be viewed not as a state that people can achieve, but as an ideal that people can strive for. People who are well are likely to be better able to resist disease and to fight disease when it strikes. And by focusing attention on healthy ways of living, the concept of wellness can have a beneficial impact on the ways in which people face the challenges of... Today medical care is placing more stress on _ . A) keeping people in a healthy physical condition B) monitoring patients' body functions C) removing people's bad living habits D) ensuring people's psychological well-being
**Answer**
C