Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge(剧增)of women in the workfor
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Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge(剧增)of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse(反面)of this concern is that the prospects of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to putting off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible(似是而非的). Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
Also, a major part of women’s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.
小题1:The word “portend” (Line 2, Para.1) is closest in meaning to“_____”.| A．defy | B．signal | C．suffer from | D．result from |
小题2:It is said in the passage that when the economy slides_____. | A．men would choose working women as their marriage partners | | B．more women would get married to seek financial security | | C．even working women would worry about their marriages | | D．more people would prefer to remain single for the time being |
小题3:If women find fulfillment through work outside the home,_____. | A．they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners | | B．their husbands are expected to do more housework | | C．their marriage ties can be strengthened | | D．they tend to put their career before marriage |
小题4:One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that_____. | A．they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom | | B．they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands | | C．they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations | | D．they tend to suspect their husbands? loyalty to their marriage |
小题5:Which of the following statements can best summarize the authors view in the passage? | A．The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country. | | B．Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage. | | C．In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent | | D．The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case. |
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答案
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:A
小题5:D |
解析
本文是一篇对比文，特点是平行论述，没有主次之分，作者不发表态度和结论，一般两种观点的开头可当做文章主旨。
小题1:词义题。根据句意不难理解portend是预示的意思。signal也有显示的意思；defy不服从,反抗；suffer from忍受,遭受；result from由……产生。
小题2:细节题。题***the economy slides等于原文的economic downturns。文中提到经济低迷时期人们倾向推迟婚姻，因为双方不能承担一个家庭或者担心更窘迫的日子。D符合原文意思。
小题3:细节题。第三段最后一句可知答案C正确。
小题4:细节题。第三段第二句提到不能外出工作的妇女会感到被关在笼子里，相当于A. they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom.她们感到被剥夺了自由。
小题5:主旨题。用排除法解题。A因果颠倒，排除；B文章从未提及；C以偏盖全；只有D，女性的外出工作对婚姻的影响是一例与一例不一样的，才准确表达出文章的两种平行的相反观点。 |
举一反三
Antinuclear Demonstration
Police fired tear gas and arrested more than 5,000 passively resisting protestors Friday in an attempt to break up the largest antinuclear demonstration ever staged in the United States. More than 135,000 demonstrators confronted police on the construction site of a 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant scheduled to provide power to most of southern New Hampshire. Organizers of the huge demonstration said, the protest was continuing despite the police actions. More demonstrators were arriving to keep up the pressure on state authorities to cancel the project. The demonstrator had charged that the project was unsafe in the densely populated area, would create thermal pollution in the bay, and had no acceptable means for disposing of its radioactive wasters. The demonstrations would go on until the jails and the courts were so overloaded that the state judicial system would collapse.
Governor Stanforth Thumper insisted that there would be no reconsideration of the power project and no delay in its construction set for completion in three years. “This project will begin on time and the people of this state will begin to receive its benefits on schedule. Those who break the law in misguided attempts to sabotage the project will be dealt with according to the law,” he said. And police called in reinforcements from all over the state to handle the disturbances.
The protests began before dawn Friday when several thousand demonstrators broke through police lines around the cordoned-off construction site. They carried placards that read “No Nukes is Good Nukes,” “Sun-power, Not Nuclear Power,” and “Stop Private Profits from Public Peril.” They defied police order to move from the area. Tear gas canisters fired by police failed to dislodge the protestors who had come prepared with their own gas masks or facecloths. Finally gas-masked and helmeted police charged into the crowd to drag off the demonstrators one by one. The protestors did not resist police, but refused to walk away under their own power. Those arrested would be charged with unlawful assembly, trespassing, and disturbing the peace.
小题1:What were the demonstrators protesting about?
A Private profits. B Nuclear Power Station.
C The project of nuclear power construction. D Public peril.
小题2:Who had gas-masks?
A Everybody. B A part of the protestors.
C Policemen. D Both B and C.
小题3:Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a reason for the demonstration?
A Public transportation. B Public peril.
C Pollution. D Disposal of wastes.
小题4:With whom were the jails and courts overloaded?
A With prisoners. B With arrested demonstrators.
C With criminals. D With protestors.
小题5:What is the attitude of Governor Stanforth Thumper toward the power project and the demonstration?
A stubborn. B insistent. C insolvable. D remissible. |
Professional sports are very popular in the United States and they are big business. The most popular sports are basketball, football and baseball. ___1___ has its own season. And ___2___ supporters. Professional teams are named for the cities ___3___ they are located. When a team plays in a championship game, most people in the city ___4___ the game with interest and enthusiasm. Basketball is ___5___ around the world. Professional basketball games in the US ___6___ indoors during winter months. From November to April ___7___ can find a professional basketball game several nights a week in most large ___8___ cities. Basketball is an American sport. It ___9___ the national pastime.
The game is played in the evening ___10___ every night of the week and ___11___ weekends as well. The season begins in April and ___12___ in the October. Football ___13___ most popular professional sport in the US. It is played on Sundays ___14___ the fall from August to January. American football is different ___15___ international football, ___16___ Americans called soccer. Both games require ___17___ and specialized skills. Professional players are very ___18___.The most famous players ___19___ millions of dollars for their playing skill. American best players have higher ___20___ than the country’s president.
1. A. Every B. Both C. Each D. All
2. A. million B. millions C. million of D. millions of
3. A. when B. where C. who D. whose
4. A. follow B. walk C. run D. jump
5. A. well-known B. well C. known D. fame
6. A. played B. is played C. plays D. are played
7. A. somebody B. one C. anyone D. everybody
8. A. America B. England C. American D. English
9. A. was called B. has been called C. is called D. be called
10. A. nearly B. close C. closely D. near
11. A. at B. in C. on D. during
12. A. finish B. finishing C. finished D. finishes
13. A. became B. is become C. is becoming D. has become
14. A. during B. while C. on D. at
15. A. of B. from C. with D. about
16. A. when B. that C. where D. which
17. A. strong B. strength C. strengthen D. stronger
18. A. well pay B. good pay C. well paid D. good paid
19. A. make B. had C. got D. received
20. A. money B. salaries C. pay D. wage |
TV’s Harmfulness
Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television? How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn’t been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never fond it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the goggle box. We rush home or gulp down our meals to be in time for this or that programme. We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do – anything, providing it doesn’t interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.
Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly（电视）. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is a universal pacifier. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn’t matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials or spectacles of sadism and violence – so long as they are quiet.
There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Every day, television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programmes are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programmes, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in preliterate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pictures and the spoken word.
Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world itself. Television may be s splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King Telly.
小题1:What is the biggest harm of TV?
A It deprives people of communication with the real world.
B People become lazy.
C People become dependent on second-hand experience.
D TV consumes a large part of one’s life.
小题2:In what way can people forget TV?
A Far away from civilization. B To a mountain. C By the sea. D In quiet natural surroundings.
小题3:What does a mother usually do to keep her children quiet?
A Let them watch the set. B Put them in the living room.
C Let them watch the rubbish. D Let them alone.
小题4:What does the first sentence in the first paragraph mean?
A We found it difficult to occupy our spare time. B We become addicted to TV.
C What we used to do is different from now. D We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. |
ple — their clothes, ideas, or languages—has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made from the seeds of the cocoa tree(可可树)by South American. Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500’s. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London, shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Eu??rope, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent on it that thousands of Irish peo??ple starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine (饥荒)" of 1845—1846, and thousands more were forced to leave their homeland and move to America.
There are many other foods that have traveled from South America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world’s largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia, a country in Africa. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400’s.
according to an. Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a person named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries on a coffee, bush. He tried one and experienced the " wide-awake" feeling that one third of the world’s population now starts the day with.
小题1:according to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?| A．Food. | B．Clothing. | C．Ideology. | D．Language. |
小题2:The word "some" in the last sentence of the first paragraph refers to________.| A．some cocoa trees | B．some chocolate drinks. | | C．some shops | D．some South American Indians |
小题3:Thousands of Irish people starved during the " Potato Famine" because________| A．they were so dependent on potatoes that they refused to eat anything else | | B．they were forced to leave their homeland and move to America | | C．the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing potatoes | | D．the potato harvest was bad |
小题4:according to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?| A．One third of the world’s population drinks coffee. | | B．Coffee is native to Colombia. | | C．Coffee can keep one awake. | | D．Coffee drinks were first made by Arabs. |
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Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big noisy cities . They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find a work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, where the factory workers can live. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so more people come to live in the area to provide these services—and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see the huge skyscraper office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day.
Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
小题1:We can easily know that the underlined phrase “urban areas” means._____| A．areas of the countryside | | B．areas of a town or city | | C．areas near the countryside | | D．areas near a town or a city |
小题2:Why do people move to live in cities or towns?| A．Because they can live more comfortable there | | B．Because they prefer noisy life to peaceful life | | C．They do so mainly to find work | | D．They don’t like small villages |
小题3:We can infer that this movement from rural areas to urban areas_______. | A．has been going on for more than 2,000 years | | B．will continue in the future | | C．may not continue in the future | | D．is sure to stop |
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