阅读理解。
Child labor-the employment of children in industry, often against their will - has been a problem for many
years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked many of his readers when he described the
conditions under which young children worked in British factories. The conditions Dickens described continue
almost unchanged today in many parts of the world. The only difference is that today employment of children
is confined (limited) to small industries and family businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and particularly farms,
rather than to large factories.
Girls suffer more from child labor practices than boys. Many of them are forced to start work when they
are only ten years old. Although the work they are given to do is often light, it is often harmful to the health.
Recently, children as young as six years were found to be working in Asian factories, and the children were
working from eight to fourteen hours a day in overcrowded and unhealthy working conditions. Sometimes a
whole family group is employed, with the payment going to a parent or older relative. The children not only
receive nothing or very little for their long hours of work, but also they are prevented from attending school.
Therefore, when they become older they are unable to do any other kind of work.
The solution to the problem of child labor is clearly better laws to protect young children, greater supervision
(监督) of industry and heavier fines for those who break the laws. Only in this way can young boys and girls
be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives-childhood.
1. Which's the main idea of the first paragraph? [ ]
A. Children are often willing to work in large factories.
B. Most children are working in British factories.
C. The poor working conditions of child labor in Dickens' novel.
D. The working conditions for children are similar to those a hundred years ago.
2. Girls' work is _____. [ ]
A. not harmful to the health though it is heavy
B. not harmful to the health because it is light
C. harmful to the health though it is light
D. harmful to the health because it is heavy
3. Young children go to work _____. [ ]
A. because they are forced to
B. in order to be skillful in a certain kind of work
C. in order to be paid well
D. in order to earn money for education
4. To solve the problem of child labor, the writer suggests the following BUT _____. [ ]
A. looking over factories more closely
B. raising their payment and improving the system of education
C. improving laws of protecting children's interests
D. punishing lawbreakers with severer fines
