At the beginning of the twentieth century, North American society held, as an ideal, the Nuclear Family. This presumably perfect residential, social, and economic unit consisted of an adult male, an adult female and their minor children. This structure was thought to be stable and long lasting. However, a few decades later, the structure of that ideal family was being altered radically even while it was being touted as the structure to be aimed for. Popular magazines be moaned the loss of the Nuclear Family and its replacement with inferior forms. There are a number of factors that are acting in concert to apply pressure on the Nuclear Family and generate a variety of new structures. Some of these are: The definition of marriage has changed somewhat in that few people now consider it to last "until death do us part." The concept of monogamy (the marriage of one man and one woman) has been modified to a form now referred to as serial monogamy (the marriage of one man and one woman at a time). This reflects the increasing equality of women and men in terms of economic advantage and the recognition that many women no longer depend on men for their survival. Women are acquiring independence and have become empowered to make their own choices. With this independence, the need to form a relationship with a man becomes less important. This change embodies the concept that the marriage is temporary and can be terminated by either parmer at any time. Associated with this, of course, is the relaxation of the divorce laws and the significant reduction of the shame that had one time been attached to divorce. The economy of North America has resulted in a two-tier system of a few rich who control most of the resources and a large portion of the population who control almost none of the resources. Because of this, many couples are forced to have both partners with full-time jobs outside the home. There are unintended byproducts of the need for a double income. The most important of these is the replacement of a mother-oriented socialization of children to a "stranger-oriented" socialization system reflected in the growth of the childcare industry. Also, either partner is financially able to end the marriage without significant hardship. The combination of these changes will in the coming decades have a profound effect on the structure of the family of North America. As a result, the family will be a fluid, constantly changing structure with variable household arrangements as the norm. In the 1910s most North Americans believed that the Nuclear Family ()
A. wouldn't last long
B. was the normal family structure
C. had no social and economic basis
D. was unworthy
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Congress makes the laws in the United States. It has two pans, which are more or less equal in power. They are known as the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is larger than the Senate whose 100 members (two from each state) serve for six years. The 435 members of the House are elected every two years, and the number from each state is determined by the population of the state. For example, California, which has a large population, has 43 representatives, while the State of Nevada has only one. The House and Senate are divided into small groups which take care of special matters such as education or foreign affairs. The most important work of Congress is often done in these groups, which are called subcommittees. According to the Constitution of the United States, a senator must be at least 30 years old and he must have been a citizen of the United States for nine years at the time of his election. To be elected to the House a person must be 25 years old and must have been a United States citizen for seven years. At the present time, members of Congress include businessmen, farmers, teachers, and especially lawyers. In general, senators are better known than representatives because they are fewer in number and serve for a longer time. Many American presidents served in Congress before they became president. The number of the members in the House from each state ()
A. is fixed, two from each state
B. depends on how many people the state has
C. depends on the size of the state
D. depends on the location of the state
At the beginning of the twentieth century, North American society held, as an ideal, the Nuclear Family. This presumably perfect residential, social, and economic unit consisted of an adult male, an adult female and their minor children. This structure was thought to be stable and long lasting. However, a few decades later, the structure of that ideal family was being altered radically even while it was being touted as the structure to be aimed for. Popular magazines be moaned the loss of the Nuclear Family and its replacement with inferior forms. There are a number of factors that are acting in concert to apply pressure on the Nuclear Family and generate a variety of new structures. Some of these are: The definition of marriage has changed somewhat in that few people now consider it to last "until death do us part." The concept of monogamy (the marriage of one man and one woman) has been modified to a form now referred to as serial monogamy (the marriage of one man and one woman at a time). This reflects the increasing equality of women and men in terms of economic advantage and the recognition that many women no longer depend on men for their survival. Women are acquiring independence and have become empowered to make their own choices. With this independence, the need to form a relationship with a man becomes less important. This change embodies the concept that the marriage is temporary and can be terminated by either parmer at any time. Associated with this, of course, is the relaxation of the divorce laws and the significant reduction of the shame that had one time been attached to divorce. The economy of North America has resulted in a two-tier system of a few rich who control most of the resources and a large portion of the population who control almost none of the resources. Because of this, many couples are forced to have both partners with full-time jobs outside the home. There are unintended byproducts of the need for a double income. The most important of these is the replacement of a mother-oriented socialization of children to a "stranger-oriented" socialization system reflected in the growth of the childcare industry. Also, either partner is financially able to end the marriage without significant hardship. The combination of these changes will in the coming decades have a profound effect on the structure of the family of North America. As a result, the family will be a fluid, constantly changing structure with variable household arrangements as the norm. In Paragraph 4, "until death do us part" probably means remaining married ()
A. until death
B. to the particular person until death
C. to one person at a time
D. until one leaves
Congress makes the laws in the United States. It has two pans, which are more or less equal in power. They are known as the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is larger than the Senate whose 100 members (two from each state) serve for six years. The 435 members of the House are elected every two years, and the number from each state is determined by the population of the state. For example, California, which has a large population, has 43 representatives, while the State of Nevada has only one. The House and Senate are divided into small groups which take care of special matters such as education or foreign affairs. The most important work of Congress is often done in these groups, which are called subcommittees. According to the Constitution of the United States, a senator must be at least 30 years old and he must have been a citizen of the United States for nine years at the time of his election. To be elected to the House a person must be 25 years old and must have been a United States citizen for seven years. At the present time, members of Congress include businessmen, farmers, teachers, and especially lawyers. In general, senators are better known than representatives because they are fewer in number and serve for a longer time. Many American presidents served in Congress before they became president. To be elected to the Senate a person must ()
A. be at least 25 years old
B. be at least 30 years old
C. have been a citizen for seven years
D. be a lawyer
Air France SA said Monday that its second-quarter net profit fell 35 percent to €57 million ($57.4 million), but sales were steady and operating profit surged.Earnings before interest and tax, a measure of operating income, gained 86 percent to €141 million as fuel costs fell and cargo traffic rose. Air France has been hurt less than rivals such as British Airways PLC and Lufthansa AG by the slowdown on North Atlantic routes following the war on Iraq in 2003 because it has fewer flights in that market.Net income fell as the airline paid deferred taxes that came due. Sales rose 0.9 percent to €3.2 billion. The carder lost about €80 million in revenue because of a four-day strike by pilots in September. An accord was reached tying future pay increases to inflation. The carder said that first-half fuel costs fell 15 percent to 680 million. Cargo traffic rose 11 percent in the second quarter, while passenger traffic rose 1.1 percent. The airline's shares gained 87 cents, or 7.7 percent, to close at €12.11.Separately, Air France and Alitalia SpA agreed to buy 2 percent stakes in each other as Europe's second- and sixth-largest airlines deepen their partnership. Which of the following is not a trouble confronting Air France()
A. Deferred taxes being due.
B. The shrinking French market.
C. A four-day strike by pilots in September.
D. The war on Iraq.