六级晨读美文：真题精选篇(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：新东方考试研究中心

出版社：浙江教育出版社

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

六级晨读美文：真题精选篇试读：

随着时代的发展，电子支付形式越来越受到人们的认可。如今，随处可见大大小小的商家提供的二维码，以方便顾客扫描支付。电子支付对人们的生活产生了巨大的影响。电子支付如此便捷，以至于很多人如今出门都不带现金，花钱变得越来越容易。这样的改变是好是坏？你比以前花钱更多了还是更少了？你的消费是更加有规划了，还是更加随意了？

Sweden was the first European country to print and use paper money, but it may soon do away with physical currencies. Banks can save a lot of money and they can also avoid bank robberies, theft, and dirty money.

Claire Barrett, the editor of Financial Times: Money, says the Western world is headed toward a world without physical currency. Andy Holder—the chief economist at The Bank of England—suggested that the UK move towards a government-backed digital currency. But does a cashless society really make good economic sense? The fact that cash is being drawn out of society is less a feature of our everyday lives than the ease of electronic payments. Is this actually making us spend more money without realizing it?

Barrett wanted to find out if the absence of physical currency does indeed cause a person to spend more, so she decided to conduct an experiment a few months ago. She decided that she was going to try to just use cash for two weeks to make all of her essential purchases and see what that would do to her spending. She found she did spend a lot less money because it is incredibly hard to predict how much cash one is going to need—she was forever drawing money out of cash points. Months later, she was still finding cash stuffed in her trouser pockets and the pockets of her handbags.

During the experiment, Barrett took a train ride. On the way, there was an announcement that the restaurant car was not currently accepting credit cards. The train cars were filled with groans because many of the passengers were traveling without cash.

“It underlines just how much things have changed in the last generation,” Barrett says. “My parents, when they were younger, used to budget by putting money into envelopes—they'd get paid and they'd immediately separate the cash into piles and put them in envelopes, so they knew what they had to spend week by week. It was a very effective way for them to keep track of their spending. Nowadays, we're all on credit cards. We're doing online purchases. And money is kind of becoming a less physical and more imaginary type of thing that we can't get our hands around.”

瑞典是第一个印刷和使用纸币的欧洲国家，但是它可能很快就会不再使用实体货币了。银行可以因此节省很多钱，还能避免抢劫、偷盗和吸入赃款。《金融时报》财经版的编辑克莱尔·巴雷特表示，西方国家正在走向一个没有实体货币的世界。英格兰银行的首席经济学家安迪·霍尔德建议英国朝着使用政府担保的电子货币方向发展。但是没有现金的社会真的会带来良好的经济效益吗？现金淡出社会与其说是我们日常生活的特征，不如说是因为电子支付十分便捷。这真的会让我们不经意地花掉更多钱吗？

巴雷特想要弄清楚实体货币的缺失是否真的会使一个人花更多的钱，所以几个月之前她决定进行一项实验。她决定在两周的时间里只用现金购买必需品，并查看这样做会对她的消费造成什么影响。她发现她确实少花了很多钱，因为想要预测需要用多少现金实在是太难了——她永远都在从取款机里取钱。数月之后，她发现自己的裤兜和手提包里的小口袋还是塞满了现金。

在进行该实验期间，巴雷特有一次乘坐火车出行。途中，广播里通知说餐车现在不能使用信用卡支付。车厢里充满了抱怨，因为很多乘客都没带现金出行。“这突出显示了上一代人身上发生了多大的变化，”巴雷特说。“我的父母在年轻时习惯于通过把钱分开装到多个信封里来做预算——他们发工资之后就会立即把钱分成几叠，然后将它们分别装入多个信封，所以他们知道每个周有多少钱可以花。对于他们来说，那是一种有效的记账方式。现在，我们都使用信用卡，在网上购物，而金钱似乎变得更加虚拟化和更多地存在于人们的想象之中，触不可及。”巧记词汇

conduct [kənˈdʌkt] v. 进行，实施【拓】carry out 进行；实现

essential [ɪˈsenʃl] a. 基本的；本质的【拓】basic [ˈbeɪsɪk] a. 基本的

groan [ɡrəʊn] n. 抱怨，发牢骚【拓】complain [kəmˈpleɪn] v. 抱怨

underline [ˌʌndəˈlaɪn] v. 使突出，强调【拓】emphasize [ˈemfəsaɪz] v. 强调

imaginary [ɪˈmædʒɪnəri] a. 想象的，虚构的【拓】real [rɪəl] a. 实在的，真实的趣学短语

keep track of 记录【例】It is a good habit to take notes when a brilliant idea comes into your mind. It helps you keep track of your thoughts and make full use of them. 一想到什么好主意就立即记下来是一种好习惯。它可以帮助你记录自己的想法并且对它们进行充分的利用。Not Bad for Some Extra Muttering喃喃自语益处多扫码听音频

自言自语的人似乎很容易招来周围其他人异样的眼光，仿佛这是很不正常的表现。其实，自言自语并非坏习惯。研究表明，那些喜欢喃喃自语的人实际上更容易保持注意力集中，也能更好地坚持完成任务。不止于此，喃喃自语还有很多意想不到的好处。

Let's all stop judging people who talk to themselves. New research says that those who can't seem to keep their inner monologues (独白) in are actually more likely to stay on task, remain focused better and show improved perception capabilities. Not bad, really, for some extra muttering.

According to a series of experiments published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology by professors Gary Lupyan and Daniel Swignley, the act of using verbal clues to trigger mental pictures helps people function quicker.

In one experiment, they showed pictures of various objects to twenty volunteers and asked them to find just one of those, a banana. Half were instructed to repeat out loud what they were looking for and the other half kept their lips sealed. Those who talked to themselves found the banana slightly faster than those who didn't, the researchers say. In other experiments, Lupyan and Swignley found that uttering the name of a common product when on the hunt for it helped quicken someone's pace, but talking about uncommon items showed no advantage and slowed you down.

Common research has long held that talking themselves through a task helps children learn, although doing so when you've apparently matured is not a great sign of brilliance. The two professors hope to refute that idea, claiming that just as when kids walk themselves through a process, adults can benefit from using language not just to communicate, but also to help “augment thinking”.

Of course, you are still encouraged to keep the talking at library tones and, whatever you do, keep the information you share simple, like a grocery list. At any volume, there's still such a thing as too much information.

我们都不要再批判那些自言自语的人了。新研究表明，那些看似无法将自己的内心独白深埋于心的人实际上更能坚持完成任务和保持专注，并且具有更好的洞察力。喃喃自语其实大有益处。

加里·鲁皮耶教授和丹尼尔·斯威格雷教授在《实验心理学季刊》上发表的一系列实验成果表明，使用口头提示触发记忆图像的行为有助于人们提高反应速度。

在一项实验中，他们向二十名志愿者展示了多张不同物品的图片，并只要求志愿者从这些图片中找出那张图案是香蕉的图片。十名志愿者需要一边寻找一边大声重复正在寻找的物品的名称，而另外十名志愿者在寻找过程中则不能开口说话。研究人员称，那些自言自语的人找到香蕉图片的速度比保持沉默的人要略快一些。在其他实验中，鲁皮耶和斯威格雷发现，在寻找一个普通物品的同时，口中念着其名称有助于加快寻找的步伐，但在寻找罕见物品时，这种做法则没有显示出任何优势，反倒是会使速度放缓。

普通研究长时间以来一直认为，在完成某项任务过程中自言自语有助于孩子学习，虽然在你很明显已经长大的情况下还这样做不代表你有才华。鲁皮耶教授和斯威格雷教授希望能反驳这一观点，他们声称就像孩子学习走路需要一个过程一样，成人也可以从使用语言中受益，不仅有益于沟通，还有利于“增强思维”。

当然，仍然鼓励你用在图书馆里说话时的音量来自言自语，无论你说什么，都要让你所分享的信息像购物清单那样简洁。无论用多大的音量，总会有多余的信息。巧记词汇

monologue [ˈmɒnəlɒɡ] n. 独白【拓】dialogue [ˈdaɪəlɒɡ] n. 对白

perception [pəˈsepʃn] n. 洞察力【拓】perceive [pəˈsiːv] v. 理解；察觉

quarterly [ˈkwɔːtəli] a. 季度的【拓】quarter [ˈkwɔːtə(r)] n. 季度；一刻钟

trigger [ˈtrɪɡə(r)] v. 激发；引发【拓】cause [kɔːz] v. 引起，导致

utter [ˈʌtə(r)] v. 说 a. 彻底的【拓】complete [kəmˈpliːt] a. 彻底的

refute [rɪˈfjuːt] v. 反驳【拓】refuse [rɪˈfjuːz] v. 拒绝

augment [ɔːɡˈment] v. 增加【拓】argument [ˈɑːɡjumənt] n. 论据

volume [ˈvɒljuːm] n. 音量【拓】amount [əˈmaʊnt] n. 数量趣学短语

be instructed to do sth. 被命令做某事【例】The soldiers are instructed to move on quickly. 士兵被命令继续快速前进。Do You Have Critical Thinking Skills?你具备批判思维能力吗？扫码听音频

现代社会中，世界上很多国家都把“批判性思维”作为高等教育的目标之一。曾经任教耶鲁大学的威廉·格雷厄姆·萨姆纳教授指出：批判是在接受已有的各种观点之前必须对其进行的审查和质疑。通过批判来了解它们是否符合事实。在接受高等教育的过程中，大学生们应该注重培养自己的批判思维能力。

After becoming president of Purdue University in 2013, Mitch Daniels asked the faculty to prove that their students have actually achieved one of higher education's most important goals: critical thinking skills. Two years before, a nationwide study of college graduates had shown that more than a third had made no significant gains in such mental abilities during their school years. Mr. Daniels needed to justify the high cost of attending Purdue to its students and their families. After all, the percentage of Americans who say a college degree is “very important” has fallen drastically in the last 5-6 years.

Purdue now has a pilot test to assess students' critical thinking skills. Yet like many college teachers around the U.S., the faculty remains doubtful that their work as educators can be measured by a “learning outcome” such as a graduate's ability to investigate and reason. However, the professors need not worry so much. The results of a recent experiment showed that professors can use standardized metrics to measure how well students do in three key areas: critical thinking, written communication, and quantitative literacy.

Despite the success of the experiment, the actual results are worrisome, and mostly confirm earlier studies. The organizers of the experiment concluded that far fewer students were achieving at high levels on a critical thinking than they were doing for written communication or quantitative literacy. And that conclusion is based only on students nearing graduation.

American universities, despite their global reputation for excellence in teaching, have only begun to demonstrate what they can produce in real-world learning. Knowledge-based degrees are still important, but employers are demanding advanced thinking skills from college graduates. If the intellectual worth of a college degree can be accurately measured, more people will seek higher education—and come out better thinkers.

米奇·丹尼尔斯在2013年就任普渡大学校长后，要求全体教师证明他们的学生已真正达到高等教育最重要的目标之一——具有批判性思维能力。两年前，一项针对大学毕业生的全国性研究表明，超过三分之一的毕业生在大学期间并未在此类思维能力上取得重大收获。丹尼尔斯先生需要向普渡大学的学生及其家人证明在普渡大学高额的学习花费是值得的。毕竟，在过去的五六年中，认为大学学历“极为重要”的美国人的比例已大幅下降。

目前，普渡大学用一项小规模测验来评估学生的批判性思维能力。然而，像美国许多其他大学的教师一样，普渡大学的全体教师对通过诸如考查毕业生的研究能力与思考能力这类“学习成果”的方法来衡量他们作为教育者的工作持怀疑态度。然而，教授们不需过多担忧。近来的一项实验结果表明，教授可以用标准化的衡量指标来衡量学生在三个关键领域的表现，即批判性思维、书面交流以及数理能力。

尽管实验取得了成功，但实际结果却令人担忧，且大部分都证实了先前的研究。实验的组织者得出的结论是：相比其书面交流及数理能力，在批判性思维能力方面达到高水平的学生少之又少。而以上结论还仅仅是基于即将毕业的大学生而得出的。

尽管美国的大学以其出色的教学享誉全球，但它们也才刚刚开始展示其在现实世界学习中能培养出什么样的人才。虽然建立在知识之上的学历依然重要，但雇主们现在要求大学毕业生具备高水平的思考能力。如果可以精确衡量大学学历的知识价值，那将会有更多的人去追求高等教育——成为更善于思考的人。巧记词汇

attend [əˈtend] v. 上（学）；参加【拓】drop out 辍学；退出

drastically [ˈdræstɪkli] ad. 剧烈地【拓】dramatically [drəˈmætɪkli] ad. 剧烈地

pilot [ˈpaɪlət] a. 试验性的【拓】experimental [ɪkˌsperɪˈmentl] a. 试验性的

investigate [ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt] v. 调查，研究【拓】invest [ɪnˈvest] v. 投资

metric [ˈmetrɪk] n. 度量标准【拓】measure [ˈmeʒə(r)] v. 测量

quantitative [ˈkwɒntɪtətɪv] a. 定量的【拓】quantity [ˈkwɒntəti] n. 量

literacy [ˈlɪtərəsi] n. 读写能力【拓】literate [ˈlɪtərət] a. 受过教育的

worrisome [ˈwʌrisəm] a. 令人焦虑的【拓】anxious [ˈæŋkʃəs] a. 焦虑的趣学短语

be based on 以……为基础，基于【例】They were told that their salary would be based on their contribution to the company. 他们被告知，他们的薪资将取决于他们对公司的贡献。Climate Change May Be Real, but It's Still Not Easy Being Green气候变化或真，实现环保不易扫码听音频

随着全球气候变暖，北极地区的海冰面积大幅萎缩对北极熊的生存造成了巨大威胁，魅力十足的北极熊由此成为气候变化不利影响的代言人。科学家普遍认为：除非各国采取明确行动遏制全球温室气体排放，否则北极熊的生存将长期处于困境。事实上，受到气候变化影响的远远不止北极熊，还包括人类及其他许多的生物。

Despite mournful polar bears and charts showing carbon emissions soaring, most people find it hard to believe that global warming will affect them personally. Recent polls by the Pew Research Centre in Washington, DC, found that 75-80 per cent of participants regarded climate change as an important issue. But respondents ranked it last on a list of priorities.

This inconsistency largely stems from a feeling of powerlessness. “When we can't actually remove the source of our fear, we tend to adapt psychologically by adopting a range of defence mechanisms,” says Tom Crompton, change strategist for the environmental organisation World Wide Fund for Nature.

Part of the fault lies with our inner caveman. Evolution has programmed humans to pay most attention to issues that will have an immediate impact. “We worry most about now because if we don't survive for the next minute, we're not going to be around in ten years' time,” says Professor Elke Weber of the Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University in New York. If the Thames were lapping around Big Ben, Londoners would face up to the problem of emissions pretty quickly. But in practice, our brain discounts the risks—and benefits—associated with issues that lie some way ahead.

Matthew Rushworth, of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, sees this in his lab every day. “One of the ways in which all agents seem to make decisions is that they assign a lower weighting to outcomes that are going to be further away in the future,” he says. “This is a very sensible way for an animal to make decisions in the wild and would have been very helpful for humans for thousands of years.”

Not any longer. By the time we wake up to the threat posed by climate change, it could well be too late. And if we're not going to make rational decisions about the future, others may have to help us to do so.

Tapping into how we already see ourselves is crucial. The most successful environmental strategy will marry the green message to our own sense of identity.

尽管悲伤的北极熊和数据图表明碳排放量在急剧增加，大多数人却很难相信全球气候变暖会对他们个人产生影响。位于华盛顿的皮尤研究中心近期进行的民意调查发现，75%~80%的受访者认为气候变化是一个重大问题。但是受访者们却将其排在了需要优先处理事项的清单的最末。

这种不一致性在很大程度上源于一种无力感。“当我们无法真正消除恐惧的根源时，我们会倾向于通过采取一系列防御机制从心理上去适应。”环境组织世界自然基金会的变化策略师汤姆·克朗普顿说道。

我们内心里的“野人”对该错误负有一部分责任。人类的进化使得人们习惯于将大部分精力用于关注当下就会产生影响的事情。“我们最担心的是当下，这是因为如果我们活不到下一分钟，那么未来十年的事情也就不用考虑了。”纽约哥伦比亚大学环境决策研究中心的埃尔克·韦伯教授如是说道。如果泰晤士河的河水把大本钟淹没了，那伦敦人将会非常快速地正视碳排放问题。但在实践中，我们的大脑会低估与远期问题相关的风险和利益。

马修·拉什沃思是牛津大学实验心理学系的一位教授，他每天都会在实验室里看到这种现象。“所有的决策者在做决定时似乎都会采取的一种方式是，他们都会低估在久远的未来才会产生的后果，”他说。“这对于在野外做决定的动物来说是合理的方式，而且对于人类数千年的发展也很有用。”

但在今天则不然。当我们意识到气候变化带来的威胁时，可能为时已晚。如果我们不能针对未来做出理性的抉择，那么其他的一些事物会来帮我们做到这一点。

探究我们的自我认知至关重要。最成功的环境策略是将绿色信息与我们自身的认同感结合起来。巧记词汇

mournful [ˈmɔːnfl] a. 悲伤的【拓】mourn [mɔːn] v. 哀伤；惋惜

soar [sɔː(r)] v. 猛增；骤升【拓】plunge [plʌndʒ] v. 暴跌，骤降

poll [pəʊl] n. 民意测验【拓】pole [pəʊl] n. 杆；极

participant [pɑːˈtɪsɪpənt] n. 参与者【拓】participate [pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt] v. 参加

respondent [rɪˈspɒndənt] n. 受访者；被告【拓】respond [rɪˈspɒnd] v. 回应；回答

inconsistency [ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənsi] n. 不一致【拓】consistency [kənˈsɪstənsi] n. 一致性

psychologically [ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkli] ad. 心理上地【拓】psychological [ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkl] a. 心理的

strategist [ˈstrætədʒɪst] n. 战略家【拓】strategy [ˈstrætədʒi] n. 战略，策略

caveman [ˈkeɪvmæn] n. 穴居人【拓】cave [keɪv] n. 洞穴

lap [læp] v.（波浪）轻轻拍打【拓】pat [pæt] v. 轻拍

weighting [ˈweɪtɪŋ] n. 权重【拓】weight [weɪt] n. 重量

outcome [ˈaʊtkʌm] n. 结果，后果【拓】overcome [ˌəʊvəˈkʌm] v. 克服

pose [pəʊz] v. 造成；提出【拓】cause [kɔːz] v. 引起，导致

rational [ˈræʃnəl] a. 理性的；合理的【拓】irrational [ɪˈræʃənl] a. 不合理的趣学短语

1 stem from 出自，来源于【例】He said that most of his poems stem from simple and beautiful memories. 他说他的大部分诗歌都是源于单纯而美好的记忆。

2 face up to 勇敢地面对【例】We should not only inform them of our achievements, but also of our courage and efforts to face up to problems. 我们不仅要向他们展示我们所取得的成就，还要让他们看见我们敢于直面问题的勇气以及我们为此而付出的努力。Completely Relax When Sleeping? Not Always睡眠时完全放松了？并不总是这样扫码听音频

很多人到了新环境，第一天晚上都会感觉没有平时睡得好，我们经常通俗地将其称之为 “认床”。研究表明，这其实是一种正常现象，当人们第一次在一个新地方睡觉时，人的半边大脑会保持警惕并防备危险的发生。这种现象还有一个专有的名字，叫做 “首夜效应”。除了人类之外，其他的一些动物也会表现出这种特征，包括备受大家喜爱的海豚。

Half of your brain stays alert and prepared for danger when you sleep in a new place, a study has revealed. This phenomenon is often referred to as the “first-night-effect”. Researchers from Brown University found that a network in the left hemisphere of the brain “remained more active” than the network in the right side of the brain. Playing sounds into the right ears (stimulating the left hemisphere) of volunteers was more likely to wake them up than if the noises were played into their left ears.

It was specifically observed that the left side of brain was more active during deep sleep. When the researchers repeated the laboratory experiment on the second and third nights they found the left hemisphere could not be stimulated in the same way during deep sleep. The researchers explained that the study demonstrated when we are in a novel environment the brain partly remains alert so that humans can defend themselves against any potential danger.

The researchers believe this is the first time that the “‘first-night-effect” of different brain states has been identified in humans. It isn't, however, the first time it has ever been seen. Some animal species also display this phenomenon. For example, dolphins, as well as other marine animals shut down one hemisphere of the brain when they go to sleep. A previous study noted that dolphins always consciously control their breathing. Without keeping the brain active while sleeping, they would probably drown. But, as the human study suggests, another reason for dolphins keeping their eyes open during sleep is that they can look out for predators while asleep. It also keeps their physiological processes working.

一项研究显示，当你在一个新地方睡觉时，你的半边大脑会保持警惕并防备危险的发生。这种现象通常被称为“首夜效应”。布朗大学的研究人员发现，和右脑相比，左脑“处于更加活跃的状态”。对着志愿者们的右耳播放声音（刺激大脑左半球）比对着他们的左耳播放声音更容易叫醒他们。

研究人员特别注意到，在深度睡眠时，左脑更加活跃。当研究人员在第二晚和第三晚重复进行这一室内实验，他们发现，同样的办法不再能够刺激处于深度睡眠状态的左脑。研究人员解释说，该研究表明，当我们处于新环境中时，大脑的部分区域会保持警觉，以使人们能够保护自己免受任何潜在危险的危害。

研究人员认为，“首夜效应”的不同大脑状态在人类身上得以确认尚属首次。然而，这并非是首次发现“首夜效应”。一些动物物种也会表现出这种现象。例如，海豚以及其他海洋动物，它们睡觉时大脑的某个半球会停止运作。之前的一项研究指出，海豚通常会有意识地控制自己的呼吸。如果睡觉时它们的大脑不保持活跃状态，那它们很可能会被淹死。但是，正如那项有关人类的研究所暗示的，海豚睡觉时睁着眼睛的另一个原因是为了睡着时可以提防捕食者。这也会让它们的生理过程得以持续进行。巧记词汇

alert [əˈlɜːt] a. 警惕的，警觉的【拓】slack [slæk] a. 懈怠的

hemisphere [ˈhemɪsfɪə(r)] n. 半球【拓】sphere [sfɪə(r)] n. 球体；范围

novel [ˈnɒvl] a. 新奇的 n. 小说【拓】stale [steɪl] a. 陈腐的

display [dɪˈspleɪ] v. 展示；表露【拓】present [ˈpreznt] v. 呈现

marine [məˈriːn] a. 海洋的【拓】ocean [ˈəʊʃn] n. 海洋

previous [ˈpriːviəs] a. 以前的【拓】prior [ˈpraɪə(r)] a. 在先的

predator [ˈpredətə(r)] n. 捕食者【拓】prey [preɪ] v./n. 捕食趣学短语

look out for 留意；提防；寻找；照料【例】We always enjoy the time that we spend together and look out for each other. 我们一直都很享受我们一起度过的时光，并且相互照料。Different Parenting, Different Future不同的抚养方式，不同的未来扫码听音频

研究表明，尽管贫困家庭和富裕家庭在养育孩子方面存在着巨大的差异，但是美国的家长对孩子的期望是相似的：希望孩子健康、快乐、诚实、有道德、有爱心和富有同情心。其实，世界上的家长都大抵如是。虽然人们无法选择自己的出身和成长的环境，但是可喜的是，随着社会的不断进步，有更多学习知识和完善自我的机会可以让人去把握，经济差距造成的抚养差异也有望缩小。

The class differences in child rearing are growing—a symptom of widening inequality with far-reaching consequences.

“Early childhood experiences can be very consequential for children's long-term social, emotional and cognitive development,” said Sean Reardon, professor of poverty and inequality in education at Stanford University. “And because those influence educational success and later earnings, early childhood experiences cast a lifelong shadow.” The cycle continues: Poorer parents have less time and fewer resources to invest in their children, which can leave children less prepared for school and work, which leads to lower earnings.

American parents want similar things for their children, the Pew report and past research have found: for them to be healthy and happy, honest and ethical, caring and compassionate. There is no best parenting style or philosophy, researchers say, and across income groups, 92% of parents say they are doing a good job at raising their children. Yet they are doing it quite differently. Middle-class and higher-income parents see their children as projects in need of careful cultivation. They try to develop their skills through close supervision and organized activities, and teach children to question authority figures and navigate elite institutions.

Working-class parents, meanwhile, believe their children will naturally thrive, and give them far greater independence and time for free play. They are taught to be compliant and respectful to adults. There are benefits to both approaches. Working-class children are happier, more independent, complain less and are closer with family members. Higher-income children are more likely to declare boredom and expect their parents to solve their problems. Yet later on, the more affluent children end up in college and on the way to the middle class, while working-class children tend to struggle. Children from higher-income families are likely to have the skills to navigate bureaucracies and succeed in schools and workplaces.

Children were not always raised so differently. The achievement gap between children from high- and low-income families is 30-40% larger among children born in 2001 than those born 25 years earlier, according to Mr. Reardon's research.

Yet there are recent signs that the gap could be starting to shrink. In the past decade, even as income inequality has grown, some of the socioeconomic differences in parenting, like reading to children and going to libraries, have narrowed.

养育孩子方面所存在的阶级差异正在日益扩大——这是不平等现象加剧的一个征兆，将会产生深远的影响。“幼年的经历对孩子在社交、情感和认知方面的长远发展至关重要。”斯坦福大学专门研究贫穷和教育不平等的教授肖恩·里尔登说到。“由于那些因素会影响受教育程度及以后的收入，所以幼年的经历会影响人的一生。”这样一个循环周而复始：较为贫困的家长能够投入在孩子身上的时间和资源更少，这会使得孩子对学习和工作准备不足，从而导致他们的收入更低。

皮尤的调查报告和以往的研究发现，美国的家长对孩子的期望是相似的：希望孩子健康、快乐、诚实、有道德、有爱心和富有同情心。研究人员称，不存在什么最好的养育方式或养育哲学，纵观所有的收入群体，92% 的家长认为自己在养育孩子方面做得很好，然而他们的养育方式相去甚远。中产阶级和收入更高的家长将自己的孩子视为需要精心培育的工程，他们试图通过严密的监管和有组织的活动来培养孩子的技能，并且教育孩子质疑权威人物，进入精英学校。

与此同时，工薪阶层的家长则认为孩子会自然而然地成长，因此给予孩子的自主权和自由玩耍的时间要多得多。他们教导孩子要听话，要尊重大人。这两种养育方式各有其优点。工薪阶层的孩子更快乐、独立，更少抱怨，跟家庭成员的关系也更亲近。较高收入家庭的孩子更有可能觉得无聊并指望父母去帮他们解决问题。但是后来，家境更富有的孩子上了大学，走上了成为中产阶级的道路，而工薪阶层的孩子则往往是苦苦挣扎。较高收入家庭的孩子有可能具备游走官场和在学校与职场取得成功所需的技能。

养育孩子的方式并不是一直都存在这么大的差异。根据里尔登先生的研究，2001年出生在高收入和低收入家庭的孩子的学习成绩差

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