In times of economic crisis. Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won't necessarily represent. an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses, By 1932. when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929 But this doesn't mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn't afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households, Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities, A 1940 book. The Unemployed Man and His Family, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job "with tireless search for work."He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士氣). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
Today's economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補(bǔ)地)ruined. So it's only when the economy is healthy again that we'll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
【小題1】In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.
A.tear many troubled families apart |
B.contribute to enduring family ties |
C.bring about a drop in the divorce rate |
D.cause a lot of conflicts in the family |
A.starting a new family would be hard |
B.they expected things would turn better |
C.they wanted to better protect their kids |
D.living separately would be too costly |
A.Mounting family debts |
B.A sense of insecurity |
C.Difficulty in getting a loan |
D.Falling housing prices |
A.It will force them to pull their efforts together |
B.It will undermine their mutual understanding |
C.It will help strengthen their emotional bonds |
D.It will irreparably damage their relationship |
A.The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate |
B.Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships |
C.A stable family is the best protection against poverty. |
D.Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage |
【小題1】C
【小題2】D
【小題3】D
【小題4】D
【小題5】A
解析文章大意:講述在經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條時(shí)期離婚率下降的真正原因。
【小題1】C 細(xì)節(jié)理解題:If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our sky high divorce rate. 如果有經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條的跡象的話,我們會(huì)看到(原來)極高的離婚率會(huì)下降。
【小題2】D 推理判斷題:Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn't afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone. 隨著收入減少和不穩(wěn)定的工作,不快樂的夫妻常常離不起婚。他們害怕配偶雙方都無法獨(dú)立生活。
【小題3】D 細(xì)節(jié)理解題:Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their home.此外,房產(chǎn)市場的暴跌會(huì)使得他們在賣掉住房之后,更難負(fù)擔(dān)起各自生活的費(fèi)用。
【小題4】D F推理判斷題:or some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.對于一些家庭來說,沒有穩(wěn)定工作的生活的艱辛最終會(huì)壓倒他們團(tuán)結(jié)家庭的努力。隨著經(jīng)濟(jì)復(fù)蘇,在這十年剩余時(shí)間里,離婚率會(huì)再次上升。
【小題5】A 主旨大意題:Today's economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補(bǔ)地)ruined. So it's only when the economy is healthy again that we'll begin to see just how many broken families have been created. 現(xiàn)在的經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)可能會(huì)產(chǎn)生同等數(shù)量的夫婦,他們的關(guān)系已經(jīng)被完全毀壞,無法彌補(bǔ)。因此,只有在經(jīng)濟(jì)再次向好,我們才回看到(在經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)時(shí)期)有多少家庭破裂了。言外之意,經(jīng)濟(jì)復(fù)蘇,離婚率會(huì)上升。
考點(diǎn):考查社會(huì)類閱讀。
年級(jí) | 高中課程 | 年級(jí) | 初中課程 |
高一 | 高一免費(fèi)課程推薦! | 初一 | 初一免費(fèi)課程推薦! |
高二 | 高二免費(fèi)課程推薦! | 初二 | 初二免費(fèi)課程推薦! |
高三 | 高三免費(fèi)課程推薦! | 初三 | 初三免費(fèi)課程推薦! |
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Many drivers say the large digital billboards flashing ads every few seconds along Bay Area freeways are just too bright and too distracting. And they may be right.
A Swedish study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention concludes that digital billboards hold the gazes of drivers longer than two seconds. Previous studies have shown that anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road for that length of time increases the risks of a crash. “This study proves what is common sense when it comes to digital billboards,” says Mary Tracy, president of Scenic America, a national nonprofit group that seeks to limit billboards. “Bright, constantly changing signs on the sides of roads are meant to attract and keep the attention of drivers, and this study confirms that this is exactly what they do.”
The Federal Highway Administration allowed digital signs for the first time in 2007 after concluding they did not pose a significant danger. But a follow-up report is pending (待定的) and could be released this year. California has no law banning the billboards, and is one of 39 states that allows them. “We would need to review more research, so it’s too early to call for a ban,” says Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. “There is a role for digital messaging, such as conveying urgent information and other safety messages.”
There are more than 1,800 digital billboards nationwide, more than double the number five years ago. While no data indicate an increase in accidents due to the Bay Area signs, many drivers are opposed to them.
“Monstrosities” is what Merlin Dorfman of San Jose calls them, while insurance agent David Whitlock says he has found them a major distraction. “They’re much too bright at night,” he says. “When the advertisement switches from a bright color to a darker one, your eyes cannot adjust fast enough, and you end up losing sight of the roadway.”
Officials with sign companies could not be reached for comment, but Bryan Parker, an executive vice president for Clear Channel Outdoor, told USA Today last year that “there’s no doubt in my mind that they are not a driving distraction.”
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE?
A.The brightness of digital billboards is harmful to people’s eyes. |
B.The Federal Highway Administration banned digital signs in 2013. |
C.There is evidence indicating an increase in accidents duo to digital billboards. |
D.Digital billboards are used to convey messages. |
A.Scenic America is an organization that is in favor of digital billboards. |
B.Drivers in the Bay Area are against the digital billboards. |
C.California has banned digital billboards. |
D.There were about 1,800 digital billboards nationwide five years ago. |
A.Supportive. | B.Indifferent. |
C.Opposed. | D.Uncertain. |
A.Studies have shown digital billboards pose a danger to drivers. |
B.People’s eyes cannot adjust fast enough to the brightness of digital billboards. |
C.A study says flashing digital billboards are too distracting. |
D.Experts doubt it is necessary to limit digital billboards. |
A.international culture | B.traffic and safety |
C.fashion and travel | D.personal health |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Everyone has talent, but not everyone succeeds with their talent. More factors than mere talent attribute to a greater personal success. Having talent or being talented is never enough to find success in life.
Dr. John Maxwell has written a new book to explain that there is more to success than just being talented. He says that the only way to find success in life is to apply good choices to talent and rise above the crowd. He believes that talented people need more than their gifts or abilities to succeed in life. There must be something more than just talent to become successful. A talent-plus person, a person who rises above the understanding of mere talent, is much more likely to find success than those with just talent alone.
People who have talent must be willing to make the right choices to maximize their talent. Wrong choices will minimize their talent, preventing them from rising to higher levels in life. Maximizing talent requires people to make good choices, but understanding that there are specific things in life requires no talent at all. Maxwell lists many different choices that people make to become a talent-plus persons including Belief lifts talent, Relationships influence talent, Responsibility strengthens talent, Teamwork multiplies talent, etc.
Following the simple principles found in the book can not only help people raise the level of their talent but also raise their level of living. When people combine the principles with their talents they can become a talent-plus person. The choice becomes one of willingness and personal change. Talent-plus people have the ability to change their life and the world.
【小題1】What’s the possible name of Maxwell’s new book?
(no more than 8 words)
【小題2】What should one do if he wants to become a talent-plus person?
(no more than 8 words)
【小題3】List three specific things which can maximize one’s talent according to Paragraph 3 ?
(no more than 5 words)
【小題4】What does the underlined word “maximize” in Paragraph 3 mean in English?
(no more than 8 words)
【小題5】Do you want to be a talent-plus person? Why or why not? Please give one or two reasons.
(No more than 25 words)
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Most mornings, the line begins to form at dawn: scores of silent women with babies on their backs, buckets balanced on their heads, and in each hand a bright-blue plastic jug. On good days, they will wait less than an hour before a water tanker goes across the dirt path that serves as a road in Kesum Purbahari, a slum on the southern edge of New Delhi. On bad days, when there is no electricity for the pumps, the tankers don’t come at all. “That water kills people,” a young mother named Shoba said one recent Saturday morning, pointing to a row of pails filled with thick, caramel (焦糖)-colored liquid. “Whoever drinks it will die.” The water was from a pipe shared by thousands of people in the poor neibourhood. Women often use it to wash clothes and bathe their children, but nobody is desperate enough to drink it.
There is no standard for how much water a person needs each day, but experts usually put the minimum at fifty litres. The government of India promises (but rarely provides) forty. Most people drink two or three litres—less than it takes to wash a toilet. The rest is typically used for cooking and bathing. Americans consume between four hundred and six hundred litres of water each day, more than any other people on earth. Most Europeans use less than half that. The women of Kesum Purbahari each hoped to drag away a hundred litres that day—two or three buckets’ worth. Shoba has a husband and five children, and that much water doesn’t go far in a family of seven, particularly when the temperature reaches a hundred and ten degrees before noon. She often makes up the difference with bottled water, which costs more than water delivered any other way. Sometimes she just buys milk; it’s cheaper. Like the poorest people everywhere, the people of New Delhi’s slums spend a far greater percentage of their incomes on water than anyone lucky enough to live in a house connected to a system of pipes.
【小題1】The underlined word “slum” most likely means ______.
A.a(chǎn) village |
B.a(chǎn) small town |
C.the part of a town that lacks water badly |
D.a(chǎn)n area of a town with badly-built, over-crowded buildings |
A.there is no electricity | B.the weather is bad |
C.there is no water | D.people don’t want the dirty water |
A.forty | B.four hundred | C.a(chǎn) hundred | D.fifty |
A.how India government manages to solve the problem of water gets their water |
B.how women in Kesum Purbahari |
C.how much water a day a person deeds |
D.that India lacks water badly |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
After lunch,I walked back home. I was just to cross the street when I heard the sound of a coin dropping. It wasn’t much but,as I turned, my eyes caught the heads of several other people turning too. A woman had dropped what appeared to be a dime.
The tinkling sound of a coin dropping on pavement is an attention-getter.It Can be nothing more than a penny.Whatever the coin is,no one ignores the sound of it.It got me thinking about sounds again.We are surrounded by so many sounds that attract the most attention.
People in New York City seldom turn to look when a fire engine,a police car or an ambulance comes screaming along the street.When I’m in New York,I’m a New Yorker.I don’t turn either.Like the natives,I hardly hear a siren(警報(bào))there.
However,at home in my little town in Connecticut,it’s different.The distant sound of a police car, all emergency vehicle or a fire siren brings me to my feet if I’m seated and brings me to the window if I’m in bed.It’s the quietest sounds that have most effect on us.not the loudest.In the middle of the night, I can hear a dripping tap a hundred yards away thigh three closed doors.I’ve been hearing little creaking noises and sounds which my imaginnation turns into footsteps in the middle of the night for twenty-five years in our house.How come I never hear those sounds in the daytime?
I’m quite clear in my mind what the good sounds are and what the bad sounds are,I’ve turned against whistling,for instance:I used to think of it as the mark of a happy worker but lately I’ve been associating the whistler with a nervous person making unconscious noises.The tapping,tapping,tapping of my typewriter as the keys hit the paper is a lovely sound to me.I often like the sound of what I write better than the looks of it.
【小題1】The sound of a coin dropping makes people________
A.think of money | B.look at each other |
C.pay attention to it | D.stop crossing the street |
A.he has got tired of it | B.it reminds him of tense people |
C.he used to be happier | D.he doesn’t like workers |
A.Tapping sound of his typewriter. | B.Clinking sound of keys |
C.Tinkling sound of a coin dropping. | D.Creaking sound of footsteps |
A.They make him feel al home. | B.He thinks they should be ignored |
C.He prefers silence to loud noises. | D.He believes they are part of our life |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Aggressive pedestrians are in fact as dangerous as careless drivers. They cause traffic accidents, injury and death.
These dangerous walkers can be seen in any big city all over the world. About 69% of last year’s pedestrian deaths in the US occurred in urban areas. They cross streets ignoring “DON’T WALK” signals, suddenly appear without warning from behind parked vehicles, walk slowly at crossroads with cell phones attached to heads, blocking traffic.
These pedestrians and drivers share a common disregard for the rules of the road, both for selfish reasons. The drivers believe in the power of their machines. If their machines can go faster, they believe they have the right to go faster. If their machines are bigger, they believe they have the right to push smaller vehicles aside. Aggressive pedestrians, on the other hand, believe in the primacy(首位) of the individual, the idea that they are first in any environment, under any circumstances, even when they are on foot in a roaring tide of steel and rubber.
Last year, an estimated 5,220 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. Some 69,000 pedestrians were injured. On average, that worked out to one pedestrian killed in a traffic crash every 101 minutes, and one injured every eight minutes.
The good news is that the accident rate is dropping. For example, the number of pedestrians killed last year was 24 percent less than the number killed in traffic accidents a decade earlier. The bad news is that the basic causes of pedestrian deaths remain pretty much the same----disregard for traffic signals, inattention and crossing roads under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol, in fact, was involved in 46 percent of the traffic accidents that resulted in pedestrian deaths. Of those, 31 percent of the pedestrians were found to be drunk.
The bottom line is that the pedestrians must do more to protect their lives as well as the lives of other road users. They can start by obeying traffic signals, using marked cross-walks and calling a cab when they’ve had too much to drink.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about _____.
A.how aggressive pedestrians cause traffic accidents |
B.why so many Americans were killed on roads last year |
C.what the traffic rules of the road about pedestrians were |
D.who are to blame for pedestrian deaths, drunk drivers or the aggressive pedestrians |
A.They know all drivers are skilled and with great care. |
B.They believe individuals are always first. |
C.They think traffic rules have nothing to do with them. |
D.They guess all vehicles will slow down at crossroads. |
A.Disregard for traffic signals |
B.Paying no attention to surroundings. |
C.Crossing roads drunk. |
D.Overspeeding driving. |
A.Excited. | B.Cold. | C.Concerned | D.Unconnected. |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy's leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23.It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia's largest city in a month.
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon, on Sydney's northern beaches, around dawn when he was attacked.The city's beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months.
"The father heard a scream and turned to see his son trashing (扭動(dòng)) about in the water," police said."Fortunately, the shark swam away and the boy was helped to shore by his father.
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller: "It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water." He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to shore."There was a lot of pain, as you can imagine".The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries.
Police said the bites" cut through to the bone" , but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures (骨折).He was in a stable condition now.
Several beaches were closed after the attack.Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark, while police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks.But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy."I don't even know if he saw it," Miller said.
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's beaches, but attacks on humans are still relatively rare.However, there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month, one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor, not far from the famous Opera House, and the other on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach.
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise.There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor, which has increased fish stocks.Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment, attracting sharks closer to shore as they chase fish.Many shark species, including the Great White—the man-eater made famous in Steven Spielberg's Jaws—are protected in Australian waters.
【小題1】The report mainly tells us _______.
A.shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
B.sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
C.a(chǎn) boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
D.shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney's beaches |
A.a(chǎn)ttracted | B.dragged |
C.bit | D.packed |
A.It is one of the largest cities in Australia. |
B.Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House. |
C.There are many locals and tourists on its coast all year round. |
D.There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney's beaches. |
A.environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
B.a(chǎn) ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
C.many shark species are protected in Australia waters |
D.the film Jaws made the Great White famous |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
A Smashing tradition: MIT Students Drop Piano
One of the highlights of the school year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology only lasts a few seconds but has a big influence. Residents of an MIT dormitory dropped an upright piano from their roof on 26th April to celebrate the last day students can drop classes without having them appear on their college report.
About 200 onlookers watched as the piano crashed into a second piano, a baby grand, positioned on the ground six stories below for a better smash. People scrambled (爭先恐后) for souvenir pieces-keys, hammers, strings and splinters. The tradition began in 1972 at the Baker House dormitory and has been observed irregularly until 2006 when it became an annual event.
Crafton Family Comes Back Home after 7 Years at Sea
While most of us will love to go on a vacation for a week or two on a small private sailboat, without doubt, spending seven precious years on sea is something most of us will never imagine or dare to do. However, that is what an American family has done. Tom Crafton and Kathy Crafton along with their three children have traveled across the world on their 43-foot sailboat named Nueva Vida. Over the past seven years the family had sailed 30,000 miles and visited more than 20 different countries. The family has recently come back to their homeland.
_____________________________________________
Living in the limelight(聚光燈)can be difficult but as these splendid pictures show for one bear the tourist train never stops. This arctic animal loves nothing more than an audience and will even climb out of his snowy bed to give the crowd a wave. The funny poses(姿態(tài)) of the friendly polar bear were caught on camera by Swedish photographer, Hams Strand.
【小題1】Which of the following is true about the first incident?
A.The typical style of celebration has been kept alive every year since1972. |
B.Another small piano on the ground is meant to hold the falling one. |
C.The students dropped the piano in celebration of their graduation. |
D.The tradition became an annual event for MIT students several years ago. |
A.unusual | B.strange | C.common | D.doubtful |
A.The Limelight Makes Polar Bear Live Hard |
B.Splendid Pictures of Polar Bear Attract Tourists |
C.The Tourist Train Would Stop without Polar Bear |
D.Polar Bear Says Hello to Tourists with a Friendly Wave |
A.a(chǎn) novel | B.a(chǎn) magazine | C.a(chǎn) diary | D.a(chǎn) report |
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互聯(lián)網(wǎng)違法和不良信息舉報(bào)平臺(tái) | 網(wǎng)上有害信息舉報(bào)專區(qū) | 電信詐騙舉報(bào)專區(qū) | 涉歷史虛無主義有害信息舉報(bào)專區(qū) | 涉企侵權(quán)舉報(bào)專區(qū)
違法和不良信息舉報(bào)電話:027-86699610 舉報(bào)郵箱:58377363@163.com