在現代，學生的壓力越來越大，但是學生的壓力其實又往往多來自他們的父母。為什麼呢?你怎麼看這種壓力?下面，也許這篇英語聽力材料會給我們一些啟示。
Students' pressure sometimes comes from their parents. Most parents are well meaning, but some of them aren't very helpful with the problems their sons and daughters have in adjusting to college, and a few of them seem to go out of their way to add to their children's difficulties.
學生的壓力有時來自於父母。大多數的父母都是善意的，但是有些父母面對子女在適應大學生活中所碰到的問題時毫無幫助，少部分父母似乎不遺餘力地給他們的子女增添了困難。
For one thing, parents are often not aware of the kinds of problems their children face. They don't realize that the competition is keener, that the required standards of work are higher, and that their children may not be prepared for the change. Accustomed to seeing A's and B's on high school report cards, they may be upset when their children's first semester college grades are below that level. At theire kindest, they may gently inquire/ enquire why John or Mary isn't doing better, whether he or she is trying as hard as he or she should, and so on. At their worst, they may threaten to take their children out of college, or cut off funds.
一方面，父母常常意識到他們的孩子所遇到的問題。他們沒有料想到競爭越來越激烈，工作的標準越來越高，他們的孩子或許還沒有準備好迎接這種改變。家長習慣於看到孩子在高中成績單上的A或B的分數，所以當孩子在大學第一學期的成績低於原來的分數時，他們或許會感到不安。最好的情況是，他們或許會溫柔地詢問為什麼約翰或瑪麗沒有做得更好，他(她)是否足夠努力了，等等。最糟的情況是，他們或許會威脅讓孩子退學或是切斷他們的`收入。
Sometimes parents regard their children as extensions of themselves and think it only right and natural that they determine what their children do with their children, they forget that everyone is different and that each person must develop in his or her own way. They forget that their children, who are now young adults, must be the ones responsible for what they do and what they are.
有時父母會把孩子視為自身的延續，認為由他們來決定孩子該如何生活是理所應當和自然而然的事情。他們和孩子緊密聯絡，視為一體，因而忘了人與人其實各不相同，每個人都應該按照自己的方式發展。他們忘了他們的孩子已經是成年人，應該對自己的所作所為以及他們是誰而負責。
1. pressure n. 壓力
eg: He will never pressure you to get married.
他永遠也不會給你施加壓力讓你結婚。
短語：
under pressure 在壓力之下;受到壓力
high pressure 高壓，高氣壓;高度緊張
blood pressuren 血壓
low pressure 低氣壓;鬆懈
under the pressure of 在......壓力下
2. aware adj. 知道的，意識到的
eg: Smokers are well aware of the dangers to their own health.
吸菸者們都很清楚吸菸對其自身健康的那些危害。
短語：
aware of 意識到，知道
become aware of 知道;發覺
3. competition n. 競爭，比賽
eg: The farmers have been seeking higher prices as better protection from foreign competition.
農場主們一直在尋求更高價格來作為對外來競爭的更好保護。
短語：
in competition with 與......競爭
domestic competitionn 國內競爭
capacity of competition 競爭能力
