In considering how the American family is changing, the starting point is the traditional family. a form which has developed over time on the basis of a number of assumptions. It is assumed that the family is heterosexual (异性的) institution, with prescriptions about how a man and a woman ought to be joined together and live together. The proper family form is assumed to be the nuclear family, that is, a family composed of a married man and woman and their children. It is assumed that the husband is the head of the family, with ultimate authority over wife and children, and that in their clearly separated roles the husband is the income-earner and the wife is the homemaker and provider of child care. It is assumed that the family lives by itself in its own house or residence.Observers of family life have suggested that numerous changes are taking place in this traditional American family form. Included are the following general observations about trends:More men and women seem to be living together before getting married.Women and men seem to be marrying at a later age.Married couples are having fewer children.Unmarried women appear to be having more children.Wives, even mothers with small children, are increasingly likely to be employed outside the home.Marriages are more likely to end with divorce.Single-parent families are more prevalent.Remarriage is likely to follow divorce rather than widowhood.Remarriage rates are declining, especially for women.Some trends, viewed in a long-range historical context, appear not to be trends at all. The age at which men and women normally marry is the same now as it was 100 years ago, though it has fluctuated (变动,波动); a short-range increase in the 1940s and 1950s due to widespread postponement of marriage in war time made it appear that a change had occurred. Other trends appear to be following established patterns rather than representing a sharp break with tradition. Divorce rates have been increasing and families have been having fewer children for well over a century. Single-parent families and stepfamilies were very common in the past, although the reason for them was different. Many marriages formerly are dissolved and followed by remarriage because of the death of a parent or partner. Today single parenthood and remarriage are more likely to be a response to divorce.Some social scientists see in these changes the breakdown of the family, to the detriment of the society. We take the position that family institutions and systems, like all human systems, are open, take many forms, and are constantly changing. The author holds the position that family institutions and systems are ().
A. likely to breakdown, causing harm to the society
B. likely to stop changing in the near future
C. presenting new problems to the society
D. open and constantly changing
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With the possible exception of equal rights, perhaps the most controversial issue across the United States today is the death penalty. Many argue that it is an effective deterrent (威慑) to murder, while others maintain there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty reduces the number of murders.The principal argument advanced by those opposed to the death penalty. basically, is that Lt is cruel and inhuman punishment, that it is the mark of a brutal society, and finally that it is of questionable effectiveness as a deterrent to crime anyway.In our opinion, the death penalty is a necessary evil. Throughout recorded history there have always been those extreme individuals in every society who were capable of terribly violent crimes such-as murder. But some are more extreme than others.For example, it is one thing to take the life of another in a fit of blind rage, but quite another to coldly plot and carry out the murder of one or more people in the style of a butcher. Thus, murder, like all other crimes, is a matter of relative degree. While it could be argued with some conviction that the criminal in the first instance should be merely isolated from society, such should not be the fate of the latter type murderer.The value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime may be open to debate. But the over whelming majority of citizens believe that the death penalty protects them. Their belief is reinforced by evidence which shows that the death penalty deters murder. For example, from 1954 to 1963, when the death penalty was consistently imposed in California, the murder rate remained between three and four murders for each 100000 population. Since 1964 the death penalty has been imposed only once, and the murder rate has risen to 10.4 murders for each 100000 population. The sharp climb in the state’s murder rate, which began when executions stopped, is no coincidence (巧合). It is convincing evidence that the death penalty does deter many murderers. If the bill reestablishing the death penalty is vetoed (否决), innocent people will be murdered— some whose lives may have been saved if the death penalty were in effect. This is literally a life or death matter. The lives of thousands of innocent people must be protected. It can be inferred that the author thinks that ().
A. the veto of the bill reestablishing the death penalty is of little importance
B. the value of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime is not to be debated
C. the death penalty is the most controversial issue in the United States today
D. the second type murderers (in Para. 4) should be sentenced to death
Geography is the study of the relationship between people and the land. Geographers compare and contrast various places on the earth. But they also (51) beyond the individual places and consider the earth as a whole. The English word geography means "to describe the earth. " (52) geography books focus on a small area like a town or city. Others deal with a state, a region, a nation, or an (53) continent. Many geography books deal with the whole earth. Another (54) to divide the study of geography is to distinguish between physical geography and cultural geography. The former focuses on the natural world; the (55) starts with human beings and studies how human beings and their environment act (56) each other. But when geography is considered as a single subject, (57) branch can neglect the other. A geographer might be described as one who observes, records, and explains the (58) between places. If all places (59) alike, there would be little need for geographers. We know, however, that no two places are exactly the same. Geography, (60) is a point of view, a special way of looking at place. 51().
A. pass
B. reach
C. go
D. set
Geography is the study of the relationship between people and the land. Geographers compare and contrast various places on the earth. But they also (51) beyond the individual places and consider the earth as a whole. The English word geography means "to describe the earth. " (52) geography books focus on a small area like a town or city. Others deal with a state, a region, a nation, or an (53) continent. Many geography books deal with the whole earth. Another (54) to divide the study of geography is to distinguish between physical geography and cultural geography. The former focuses on the natural world; the (55) starts with human beings and studies how human beings and their environment act (56) each other. But when geography is considered as a single subject, (57) branch can neglect the other. A geographer might be described as one who observes, records, and explains the (58) between places. If all places (59) alike, there would be little need for geographers. We know, however, that no two places are exactly the same. Geography, (60) is a point of view, a special way of looking at place. 58().
A. exceptions
B. sameness
C. differences
D. divisions
Geography is the study of the relationship between people and the land. Geographers compare and contrast various places on the earth. But they also (51) beyond the individual places and consider the earth as a whole. The English word geography means "to describe the earth. " (52) geography books focus on a small area like a town or city. Others deal with a state, a region, a nation, or an (53) continent. Many geography books deal with the whole earth. Another (54) to divide the study of geography is to distinguish between physical geography and cultural geography. The former focuses on the natural world; the (55) starts with human beings and studies how human beings and their environment act (56) each other. But when geography is considered as a single subject, (57) branch can neglect the other. A geographer might be described as one who observes, records, and explains the (58) between places. If all places (59) alike, there would be little need for geographers. We know, however, that no two places are exactly the same. Geography, (60) is a point of view, a special way of looking at place. 55().
A. second
B. later
C. next
D. latter