Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying “I’m useless as a parent” does not commit a person to any specific improvement.
These pseudo-apologies are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness, Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not resort to these pseudo-apologies.
But even when presented with examples of genuine contrition, children still need help to become a ware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children’s expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that raiding the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent’s clothes without permission is not.
36. If a mother adds “but” to an apology, ________.
A) she doesn’t feel that she should have apologized
B) she does not realize that the child has been hurt
C) the child may find the apology easier to accept
D) the child may feel that he owes her an apology(D)
37. According to the author, saying “I’m sorry you’re upset” most probably means “________”.
A) You have good reason to get upset
B) I’m aware you’re upset, but I’m not to blame
C) I apologize for hurting your feelings
D) I’m at fault for making you upset(B)
38. It is not advisable to use the general, all-covering apology because ________.
A) it gets one into the habit of making empty promises
B) it may make the other person feel guilty
C) it is vague and ineffective
D) it is hurtful and insulting(C)
39. We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry ________.
A) the complexities involved should be ignored
B) their ages should be taken into account
C) parents need to set them a good example
D) parents should be patient and tolerant(B)
40. It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is ________.
A) a social issue calling for immediate attention
B) not necessary among family members
C) a sign of social progress
D) not as simple as it seems(D)
本文的材料主要内容是告诫父母们如何教导孩子向人道歉，具有很强的社会实用性，也因为这一功能，文章的遣词造句较为平易，使用谆谆教诲的口吻，可使人把阅读的注意力放在告诫的内容上。
全文材料一共6段，按照告诫的内容可分为两大部分。第一部分是一至五段，讲的是父母应该如何言传身教，在需要的时候真诚地向孩子道歉，从而起到榜样作用。最后一段讲述父母们应该使孩子们明白在何种情境下需要道歉。
第一段指出父母在教导孩子如何道歉时应当首先给孩子做出榜样(you must be good at saying it yourself)，点出本文的主要内容，而后以it can be quite tricky作为详细讲述如何做出榜样的总起句。后面的二到四段分别列举了三种不适宜的道歉方式，第一种是在sorry后面接but解释道歉的原因，这会降低道歉的效果(“but” can render the apology ineffective);第二种是I’m sorry you’re upset，暗含对方主动给了别人进行烦扰的机(at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done);第三种是道歉过于空泛(general)，这种方式往往不会对孩子形成具体的指导(does not commit a person to any specific improvement)。
