The practice of paying children an allowance became popular in America about 100 years ago. Nowadays, American kids on average receive about $800 per year in allowance. But the vast majority of American parents who pay allowance tie it to the completion of housework. Although many parents believe that paying an allowance for completing chores benefits their children, a range of experts expressed concern that tying allowance very closely to chores may not be ideal. In fact, the way chores work in many households worldwide points to another way.

        Suniya Luthar, a psychologist, is against paying kids for chores. Luthar is not opposed to giving allowances, but she thinks it’s important to establish that chores are done not because they will lead to payment, but because they keep the household running. Luthar’s suggested approach to allowance is compatible with that of writer Ron Lieber, who advises that allowances be used as a means of showing children how to save, give, and spend on things they care about. Kids should do chores, he writes, “for the same reason adults do, because the chores need to be done, and not with the expectation of compensation.”

        This argument has its critics, but considering the way chores are undertaken around the world may change people’s thinking. Professor David Lancy of Utah State University has studied how families around the world handle chores. At about 18 months of age, Lancy says, most children become eager to help their parents, and in many cultures, they begin helping with housework at that age. They begin with very simple tasks, but their responsibilities gradually increase. And they do these tasks without payment. Lancy contrasts this with what happens in America. “We deny our children’s bids to help until they are 6 or 7 years old,” Lancy says, “when many have lost the desire to help and then try to motivate them with payment. The solution to this problem is not to try to use money as an incentive to do housework, but to get children involved in housework much earlier, when they actually want to do it.”

解析：A。根据题干中的David Lancy和18-month-olds可定位至原文最后一段第二、三句。兰西说，大多数孩子在大约18个月大的时候就开始渴望能给父母帮忙，而且在许多文化中，他们在那个年纪就开始帮着父母做家务了。也就是说，18个月大的孩子会主动帮助父母做家务，他们有想帮着做家务的本能。A项内容是对原文中most children become eager to help their parents的同义转述，故正确答案为A。

错项排除：B项在原文中没有依据，故排除。C项内容与第二段中卢瑟和罗恩两个人的观点相近，但这并不是兰西的主张，故排除C项。D项利用原文最后一句出现的incentive作干扰，但原文中兰西说的是，解决这个问题的办法不是用金钱来激励孩子做家务，文中也没有提及其他的激励手段，D项与原文意思相悖，故错误。