Ifyouhavegotkids,hereisanastytruth:theyareprobablynotveryspecial,thatis,theyareaverage,ordinary,andunremarkable.ConsiderthenumbersofthoseapplicationsyourdaughterissendingtoIvyLeagueschools,forinstance.Therearemorethanaquarterofamillionotherkidsaimingforthesameeightcollegesatthesametime,andlessthan9%ofthemwillmakethecut.AndthosehoursyouspendcoachingLittleLeaguebecauseyoujustknowyourson'ssweetswingwilltakehimtotheprofessionals.Thereare2.4millionotherLittleLeaguersoutthere,andthereareexactly750openingsformajorleagueballplayersatthebeginningofeachseason.Thatgiveshima0.0313%chanceofreachingthebigclubs.Theoddsarejustaslongfortheotherdreamsyou'vehadforyourkids:yourchildthebillionaire,theBroadwaystar,theRhodesscholar.Mostofthosethingsarenevergoingtohappen.Thekidsarepayingthepriceforparents'delusions.Inpublicschools,somestudentsarebringinghome17.5hoursofhomeworkperweekor3.5perschoolnightandit'shardtoseehowtheyhavetimetodoit.From2004to2014,thenumberofchildrenparticipatinginuptothreehoursofaider-schoolactivitiesonanygivendayrosefrom6.5millionto10.2million.Andallthewhile,thekidsarebeingfedapromise--thattheycanbetutoredandcoached,pushedandtested,hot-housedandadvanceplaceduntilsuccessisassured.Atlast,agrowingchorusofeducatorsandpsychologistsissaying,"Enough!"Somewherebetweentheself-esteembuildingofgoingforthegoldandtheself-esteemcrushingoftheIvy-or-dieethostherehastobeaplacewherekidscanbreathe,wheretheycanhavethefreedomtodowhattheyloveandwhereparentsaccustomedtopushingtheirchildrentoexcelcanshakeoffthenewlydefinedshameofhavingraisedanordinarychild. Ifthesystemisgoingtobefixed,ithastostart,nosurprise,withtheparents.Forthem,theproblemisn'tmerelytheexpenseofthetutors,thechoreofthehomeworkcheckingandtheconstantsearchforjusttherightsummerprogram.It'salsothesweatequitythatcomesfromagonizingovereveryexam,grievingovereverydisappointinggrade--becominglessaguideinachild'sacademiccareerthananintimatefellowtraveler. Thefirststepforparentsisacceptingthattheyhavelesscontrolovertheirchildren'seducationthantheythinktheydo--arealitythatcanbebothsoberingandliberating.Youcansignyourkidsupforballetcamporviolinimmersionallyouwant,butifthey'resimplydoingwhatthey'retoldinsteadofdoingwhattheylove,they'lltakeitonlysofar. Ultimately,there'samuchlargernationalconversationthatneedstobehadaboutjustwhathighereducationmeansandwhenit'sneededatall.FouryearsofcollegehasbeensoldasbeingagoldenticketintheAmericaneconomy,andtoanextentthat'strue.Butpushingallkidsdownthebachelor'spathensuresnotonlythatsomeofthemwilllosetheirway butalsothatcriticaljobsthatrequireatwo-yearorless--skilledtrades,somekindsofnursing,computertechnology,airlinemechanicsandmore--willgounfilled. Therewillneverbeacasetobemadeforacultureofacademiccomplacencyorthedemolitionofthemeritocracy.Itcanbefulfillingforkidstochasearibbon,aslongasit'saribbonthechildreallywants.Andtheveryactofmakingthateffortcanbringoutthebestinanyone'swork. Butwecheatourselves,andworse,wecheatourkids,ifweviewlifeasasinglestraight-lineraceinwhichoneone-hundredthofthecompetitorsfinishinthemoneyandeveryoneelseloses.Wewillallbebetteroffifwerecognizethatthereareagreatmanyracesofvaryinglengthsandoutcomes.Thechallengeforparentsistohelptheirchildrenfindtheonethat'srightforthem. Whichofthefollowingfactorsdeprivesthekidsoffreedomtodowhattheylove? A.3.5hoursofschoolassignmentssetbytheirteacherseveryday. B．Theeducationalreformsmadebythepublicschoolstheyatten D．
A.正确答案D
B.The growing number of peers taking part in off-campus activities. C.
D.Their parents' unrealistic wish for them to have a promising future
