Most families with the disabled kids will ______.

听力原文：W: I heard that your family arrived yesterday, didn't they？

M: Yes, they did.

W: That's good! Dr. Morrison, your family is now in China with you. You won't miss them, then. To talk about the family, I want to ask you some questions about American families. Er. . . Do you most Americans live in "small families" or "big families"？

M: In the United States, most people normally choose to live in "small families", but we call them "nuclear families".

W: What is the average size of a nuclear family？

M: Well, it depends on the number of children, because the nuclear family consists of a husband, a wife and children. However, if there are no children, then the husband and wife are the nuclear family. Of course, there may be only one parent due to a death, separation or divorce. In this ease, the nuclear family is the single parent and children.

W: Are there any big families in the United States？

M: Oh, you mean the extended family. No, not many. Most Americans, both the elderly and the young couples prefer to live in their own homes.

W: Since most Americans live in nuclear families rather than in extended families, the majority of the elderly do not see their children and their relatives, do they？

M: Wall, people often make such assumptions, but that is not the case according to recent sociological research.

W: Oh, what's that？

M: The recent research shows that more elderly people in the United States live within ten minutes of their children by car than in Denmark, and over 78 percent of the elderly have seen their children within a week.

W: Now I've got a general idea about American family structure. Thank you.

M: You're welcome.

Most Americans prefer to live in

A．big families

B．small families

C．nuclear families

D．middle size families

th to adulthood is now a quarter of amillion dollars and projected to double by the time today&39;s toddlers reach their teens.

Will having kids soon be out of reach economically formany American families？ A recent report from the Center for American Progress found that middle-class families are feeling an unprecedented economic squeeze- caught between stagnating wages and the exploding cost of basics like housing, health care and children&39;s education. Most families, it seems, are getting by on less and living closer to the financial edge to help their kids grow up healthy and get ahead.

The most striking growth in costs to families has beenin child care, where expenses have climbed about $200 annually in each of thelast dozen years, with nearly ten fold growth since the 1960s. Child care, on average, consumes $1 of every $5 in a family&39;s budget and exceeds the typical rent in every state.

In terms of their kids&39; health, families increasingly have to choose between treating their children&39;s medical needs and paying household bills. Despite gains in the percentage of children with health insurance, per capita medical spending on kids has quietly ballooned faster than for any other age group, with families paying more for premiums and steeper out-of-pocket expenses.

For evidence to suggest that middle-class parents might already be getting priced out of parenthood, look to the national birth rate. It fell sharply in the recession but, unlike in previous economicre bounds, has continued to drop. This makes sense in financial context, given that most families haven&39;t seen their incomes grow since the recovery began andthe median net worth of households has actually fallen below what it was 15years ago. Most families today don&39;t have enough saved to meet basic needs for three months, let alone save for college or retirement.

For folks in the middle class, the economic calculus of raising kids must be daunting. Not only are the costs unaffordable, but parents also face a harsh ultimatum: "Keep up with the Gateses" or risk your children&39;s health, achievement and long-term well-being.

Higher-income families spend six times more than working-class families on child care and educational resources, such ashigh-quality day care, summer camps, computers and private schools, which are increasingly indispensable investments in long-term success. This spendingine quity has tripled over the last four decades and is only accelerating, which is likely to widen the achievement gap, creating a vicious cycle.

The public education infrastructure, designed generations ago to drive a strong economy and give every child an equal footing for success, is crumbling from neglect - stuck between those who argue for repair and those who argue for redesign. As a consequence, it is unable to prepare most kids for the new economy. The statistics are grim: Two-thirds of preschoolers don&39;t have access to high-quality child care, two-thirds of public school students fail to meet math and language proficiency by eighth grade, and two-thirds of public high schoolers aren&39;t ready for college when they graduate.

To solve these problems we have increasingly relied on a public safety net designed to catch what used to be a small number of kids falling through the cracks. But over the last 50 years those cracks have become chasms. When funding constraints force programs such as Early Head Start toenroll just 4 percent of eligible children needing early intervention and half of pediatricians opt out of accepting kids on Medicaid, these are clear signsthat it&39;s time to rethink our approach.

These economic realities are contributing to a swift loss of academic opportunity, health prospects and upward mobility among children whose parents cannot afford to spend top dollar. With this de factoeconomic segregation of opportunity leaving working families in the economic dust, we are risking the prosperity and social mobility of our kids for yearsto come.

We should be reinvesting in working families and modernizing our public infrastructure. Not only would this make parenthood more feasible, it also makes good economic sense. We know that investing early in kids yields considerable savings by reducing chronic health problems, building stable families and increasing earning potential.The opportunity to raise healthy, smart and successful kids shouldn&39;t be an economic luxury. It&39;s time we made parenthood affordable again by investing more in kids and families.Given that what&39;s at stake is the success of our country, the alternative is unaffordable.

Part B

Directions: You will hear four dialogues or monologues. Before listening to each one, you will have 5 seconds to read each of the questions which accompany it. While listening, answer each question by choosing A, B, C or D. After listening, you will have 10 seconds to check your answer to each question. You will hear each piece ONLY ONCE.

听力原文：W: I heard that your family arrived yesterday, didn't they？

M: Yes, they did.

W: That's good! Dr. Morrison, your family is now in China with you. You won't miss them, then. To talk about the family, I want to ask you some questions about American families. Er... Do most Americans live in "small families" or "big families？"

M: In the United States, most people normally choose to live in "small families," but we call them "nuclear families."

W: What is the average size of a nuclear family？

M: Well, it depends on the number of children, because the nuclear family consists of a husband, a wife and children. However, if there are no children, then the husband and wife are the nuclear family. Of course, there maybe only one parent due to a death, separate or divorce. In this case, the nuclear family is the single parent and children.

W: Are there any big families in the United States？

M: Oh, you mean the extended family. No, not many. Most Americans, both the elderly and the young couples prefer to live in their own homes.

W: Since most Americans live in nuclear families rather than in extended families, the majority of the elderly do not see their children and their relatives, do they？

M: Well, people often make such assumptions, but that is not the case according to recent sociological research.

W: Oh, what's that？

M: The recent research shows that more elderly people in the United States live within ten minutes of their children by car than in Denmark, and over 78 percent of the elderly had seen their children within a week.

W: Now I've got a general idea about American family structure. Thank you.

M: You're welcome.

Nuclear family may consist of ______.

A．parents and their children

B．wife and husband

C．a parent and children

D．all of the above

argest cities，ever graduate.The studies clearly show that the dropout rate isn’t dropping.And，in particular，the dropout rate isn’t dropping for poor and minority students.

Amazingly，though so many people regret the rising dropout rate，our schools continue to lack formal plans—or any plans—about students’ motivation.Most schools have no game plans to ensure that students understand that school will be completely necessary.Schools expect the children to act as the school is important，but they never teach them to believe that.

Years ago，families ensured that the offspring recognized the value of school.But in many modern families，the children may fail to recognize the importance of school life just because these families may actually tell the children that school is not important.Since many families are not motivating their children to be interested students，young professionals，like teachers，may need to provide this training.Otherwise，it is likely that the dropout rate will continue to not drop，but only worsen.

Here are some strategies to convince even the most apathetic students that they must stay in school.

Ask students if they will ever need to work：The world has changed.100 years ago，factory work was the booming job，and it required no education.Today，factories are increasingly automated.Most computer­related jobs require education and at least a high school diploma.

Ask students which century they will be prepared for：In 1900，the most common jobs were farm laborer and domestic servant—education not needed.Now，the most common jobs are office and sales worker—education and diploma usually needed.6 out of 10 people today work in a store or an office.

Ask students to devise a way that the employee could be replaced.For example，the coming trend in fast food is to use computers rather than people to run the restaurant.A prototype is apparently already being tested.The students should discover that most jobs that lack education and diploma requirements will be ripe for automation.

1.By saying “the dropout rate isn’t dropping”，the author means to say that ________.

A、most of the 9th graders can afford to go to school

B、quite a few of the 9th graders can graduate

C、the majority of the 9th graders cannot graduate

D、the minority of the 9th graders can’t graduate

2.The author’s attitude towards the schools is ________.

A、Criticism

B、Praise

C、Ignoring

D、Support

3.With the help of some professionals，________.

A、fewer students may stay in schools

B、some parents will be more convinced of their children’s future

C、the dropout rate in schools may drop

D、all the kids problems should be solved

4.What does the underlined word “offspring” probably mean？

A、friends

B、Students

C、Children

D、Parents

5.According to the passage，________ doesn’t need education.

A、an automation job of today

B、a computer­related job now

C、an office job at present

D、a domestic servant’s job in 1900

Customs of Bulgaria: Marriage and Family保加利亚习俗：婚姻与家庭

The average age for women to marry is between 18 and 25.25 tend to (1) when somewhat older. A church wedding often (2) the legal civil ceremony, and a large reception, which often involves (3) music and dancing, is held in the evening. Wedding traditions include (4) money on the bride's dress to represent future prosperity, the groom (5) the bride at her home, and the couple pulling on opposite (6) of a loaf of bread—whoever gets the largest piece will be (7) boss of the family. Honeymoons are a new tradition.

The principle (8) mutual support is valued in the Bulgarian family. The elderly are (9) cared for by their adult children. Unmarried adults live with their (10) and many newly married couples live with one set of parents (11) they are able to get housing of their own. Most families (12) urban areas live in apartments, which are in short

supply, while (13) in rural areas usually have their own houses. Many village houses (14) owned by families who live in urban areas, who use them_ (15) summer and weekend retreats, or for retired parents.

Most families in (16) areas do not have more than two children, while families in (17) areas tend to be larger. Grandparents play an important role in (18) care, particularly in urban areas, where most women work outside the (19) . Men of the younger generation have begun to help with household (20) , once considered only women's responsibility.

(1)

hen people had eaten their food 【73】 , an fire was used only to provide heat and light.

The first primitive cooks were 【74】 women, 【75】 preparing food and making clothing were considered women's work. 【76】 most of the great chefs in history have been men. This might have been because chefs learned 【77】 work in the kitchens of rich families 【78】 in restaurants and women didn't often take jobs outside their homes, or it might have been because kitchen equipment was so heavy and difficult to work with 【79】 only strong men could do it. In modern times, great female chefs have become known, and some of the best cook books 【80】 by women.

(71)

A．who

B．which

C．how

D．what

Traditional Ideas about Marriage

Almost every society has certain traditional ideas about marriage. For example，most societies expect men and women to marry. Most cultures also have traditions about the role and duties of a husband and a wife. Traditionally，the husband is expected to earn a living，and the wife is expected to keep house and raise children.

Many Americans did not follow traditional marriage patterns. For example，a large number of married couples share responsibilities that have been traditionally handled by either the husband or the wife. An increasing number of married women have paying jobs and help support their families financially. In 1940s，about 15 percent of all married women earned money. In the early 1990s，about 60 percent held a full-or part-time job. More and more husbands share responsibilities traditionally handled by women，such as cooking，doing housework，and caring for children.

On the average，men and women stay single longer than they once did. In 1950s，men married at an average age of 23，and women married at an average age of 20. By the mid-1990s，the average marriage age was about 26.5 for men and about 24.5 for women.

An increasing number of people choose not to marry. If a man and a woman wish to avoid marriage，they may decide to live together with no formal obligations to each other. This arrangement is more common among young adults，but some couples of all ages live together without marrying. (239 words)

6. Most societies expect men and women to marry and have traditions about the role and duties of a husband and a wife.

A. T

B. F

7. All Americans would like to follow the traditional marriage patterns.

A. T

B. F

8. The number of married women with a paying job to support their families financially is increasing.

A. T

B. F

9. In the early 1990s，about 15 percent held a full-or part-time job.

A. T

B. F

10. More and more Americans choose to live together without marriage.

A. T

B. F

The family in the western world has changed greatly during the last two centuries.

Before the nineteenth century, families usually arranged marriages for their children. Young people did not decide whom they wanted to marry. After they got married, they usually had a lot of children. This family was an important part of the larger family of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and other relatives.

By the nineteenth century, most young people could choose whom they wanted to marry. Marriage joined two people and not two families. The reason two people got married was because they loved each other. It was not just because the families wanted them to marry.

At the same time, parents began to realize that they had to take very good care of their children. They had to take care of their health and try to give them an education. Before this, most people did not go to school. But now education was necessary for a good life.

The parents decided they should have fewer children so they could give each one a good life. They thought it was important for the mother to spend as much time as possible with her children. Before, the family all worked together at home. After 1800 more fathers worked outside the home for money. Mothers stayed home and had greater control of the home and children. Most homes didn't produce anything. The other relatives were still important, but they were separated more than before.

Family life is changing even faster in the United States today. There is almost one divorce for every two marriages. Over 10 percent of families have a mother and children but no father. At least half of all children will live part of the time with only one parent. Fifty percent of all mothers work outside the home.

Some social scientists think that soon there will be no family life in the United States as we know it today. They do not know how people will live. Others think society needs families, and we will always have them.

The family in the western world

A．has changed a lot during the last two centuries

B．hasn't changed at all during the last two centuries

C．has changed a little during the last two centuries

D．has become bigger and bigger

try to picture the typical family that appears in those shows. There's father, who puts on a suit and goes to work every day. There's mother, who takes care of the house and children. And there are usually two or three children, and maybe a dog. In those days, that was considered to be a typical American family.

But today, the typical American family looks very different. Consider these statistics: in 1965, only 35% of American women worked outside the home. Ten years later, in 1975, it jumped to 55%. And today, close to 80% of American women work outside the home.

Why is that？ Well, there are two important reasons why most American women now work. The first one, very simply, is that they need the money. These days the cost of living is so high that most families need two paychecks in order to make ends meet.

The other reason why women are working in larger and larger numbers is that they have more opportunities than they did 30 or 40 years ago. There are laws in the United States that give women the same opportunity as men to go to college and get jobs. As a result, women today are working in professions that were not as open to them 30 or 40 years ago. To give just one example, today more than half the students in American medical schools are women.

So, to summarize so far, we've seen that the American family has changed dramatically since the days of those old television shows. In the typical family both the father and the mother have jobs. This means that most American homes don't have a full-time homemaker anymore, and that creates new problems for families, such as who takes care of babies and old people; who shops, cooks, and cleans; who volunteers at the children's school and so on.

Now, as the American family has changed, American businesses have changed too. More and more companies understand that people can't do good work if they're worried about their kids or if they're under a lot of stress. As a result, some companies are trying to help their workers with flexible policies and new programs that benefit working families.

For most people, trying to work and taking care of a family at the same time is still very, very difficult. In my opinion, our government and our society need to do a lot more to help working parents and their children.

23. What was the percentage of American women worked outside home in 1975？

24.Which statement is NOT the reason why most American women work now？

25.Which one is NOT a problem for two-paycheck families？

26.What are some companies trying to do for their workers？

(43)

A．35%0.

B．45%.

C．55%.

D．80%.

hildren. But one gift is often beyond their reach: the resources to meet the financial demands of college tuition.

For more than 54 years, the United Negro College Fund has fulfilled the dreams of deserving students by closing the gap between the cost of college and what their parents can afford. More than 300,000 students have graduated from United Negro College Fund member colleges since 1944, and 54,000 more are currently enrolled.

The oldest and most successful minority higher education support organization, the United Negro College Fund, is a combination of 39 private, historically black member colleges and universities. Since its founding, it has raised more than $1.3 billion to keep the dream alive for needy families across the country.

What is it that makes the United Negro College Fund so important to America's families ？ As well as raising funds and giving technical support to member colleges and universities, it creates hope and opportunity by providing financial assistance to deserving students. Consider the contributions of just a few of the distinguished graduates who have realized the benefits: civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King; Olympic track star Edwin Moses; and filmmaker Spike Lee.

Most of parents fell embarrassed when their children graduate from high school because they can't ______.

A．afford their children's college tuition

B．offer their children emotional support

C．look after their children

D．give them gifts on their birthdays

amily table every evening. Many people have to be at work during the normal dinner hours.

For this reason, fast food restaurants have become very popular. These restaurants serve foods such as hamburgers, tacos, French fries. Fast-food restaurants are really fast. You don't have to wait a minute or two for your food. They are also convenient. You may dress casually, and in some places you can even order from your car and drive away with your food without going to the restaurant. Finally, fast-food restaurants are inexpensive.

Fast food has its shortcoming, too. Most fast-food meals are not very healthy. They are often high in fat and cholesterol(胆固醇), and low in other important nutrients(营养). It is advisable not to eat too much those fast food.

Most American people______, so fast-food restaurants have become popular.

A．hate to dine with their family

B．like fast food'very much

C．don't have enough time to eat dinner together with their family

D．live on fast food