Being a mother is apparently not like it was in the good old days.
　　Today’s parents yearn for the golden age that their own mothers enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s, researchers found. Mothers have less time to themselves and feel under greater pressure to handle work and family life than the previous generation. As a result, 88 per cent said they felt guilty about the lack of time they spent with their children.
The survey of 1,000 mothers also found that more than a third said they had less time to themselves than their mothers did – just three hours a week or 26 minutes a day. And 64 per cent said this was because they felt they ‘had’ to go out to work, while nearly a third (29 per cent) said they were under constant pressure to be the ‘perfect mother’, the report found.
Other findings showed social networking and parenting websites, as well as technology such as Skype, were important in providing help and support among female communities. Kate Fox, a member of the Social Issues Research Centre, which conducted the survey for Procter & Gamble, said: ‘With increasing pressure on mothers to work a “double shift” — to be the perfect mother as well as a wage-earner — support networks are more important than ever.
It comes as a separate report examining childcare in the leading industrialised nations found that working mothers in Britain spend just 81 minutes a day caring for their children as a ‘primary activity’. Mothers who stay at home, on the other hand, manage twice as much time – more than two and a half hours – looking after their offspring, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
　　Critics say the pressure on women to work long hours, and leave their offspring in the hands of nurseries or childminders, is putting the well-being of their children at risk.
　　The study also reveals that, despite the fact that more and more modern mothers go out to work, the burden of childcare still falls on them - even if their husband is not in work. A father who is not in work tends to spend just 63 minutes a day looking after his child - 18 minutes less than a mother who goes out to work. Working fathers spare less than three quarters of an hour with their children.
小題1:. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．The good old days of mothers in the 1970s and 1980s.
B．The great sufferings of today’s children.
C．The statistics of working mothers and full-time mothers.
D．The big problems that today’s working mothers face.
小題2:. What does the underlined phrase “yearn for” probably means ___________.
A．hateB．missC．a(chǎn)bandonD．control
小題3: Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．Today’s mothers have less time left for their children and themselves.
B．The working mothers can hardly strike the balance between work and family.
C．Most of the mothers can not control their husbands nowadays.
D．Modern fathers do not spend enough time with their children.
小題4: From para. 4, we can infer that ___________.
A．working mothers can seek help on line
B．Skype is a very famous expert in studying social issues
C．working mothers’ double shift is to be a wife and a mother
D．Kate Fox has opened a website offering help to working mothers
小題5:. What critics say means that _____________.
A．it is wise for working mothers to put their kids in nurseries or childminders
B．too much time in nurseries or childminders is bad for kids’ mental and physical health
C．nurseries or childminders are dangerous places for children
D．children do not like nurseries or childminders at all

小題1:.D
小題1:.B
小題1:.C
小題1:.A
小題1:.B
略
練習冊系列答案
相關習題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Every culture has a recognized (公認的) point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She remembered the pressure, especially from kids from richer families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families will buy cars for their children. In cities with subways (地鐵) and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban (郊區(qū)的) areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents think carefully before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing (奚落) from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said. “But I’d rather be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road either.”
In China as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?
小題1:The story is mainly about _______.
A．the recognized point between childhood and adulthood
B．American teens want to drive a car when they turn 16
C．whether teenagers should have a car
D．the fact that it’s safer for teens to drive a car at an younger age
小題2: Which of the following is not one of the reasons that kids want to have a car?
A．With a car, it would be easy to move around.
B．A great number of teenagers have cars.
C．Having a car would mean more excitement.
D．Parents’ support for kids to have a car at an early age.
小題3:.Which of the following is not true?
A．Some of Chad’s friends have cars.
B．When deciding whether to buy a car for their kids, safety weighs heavily on many parents’ mind.
C．In the US, 16 is considered the point between childhood and adulthood.
D．More kids from cities own cars than those from the countryside.
小題4:The word “l(fā)icense” in Paragraph 2 means closest to ______.
A．driving permit B．ID card C．learner’s permit D．test result

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

"The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic．”say scientists．The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The lowering of the waters’pH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature.
Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.
These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change．"This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing COZ into the atmosphere," said Dr Caldeira. "And we predict the amount of future acidity will exceed（超過）anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years, let alone perhaps after rare disastrous events such as asteroid（小1j-%+.'_) impacts．”
However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life．Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest pH change would be expected to occur, but deep-ocean life forms may be more sensitive to pH changes．Coral reefs and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate（小行星) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower pH.
In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power stations in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming．But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re-considered. "Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing一because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2, is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”
小題1:The ocean is becoming more acidic due to＿．
A，the lower water pH value           B．the warming atmosphere
C ．the higher level of COZ in the air     D．the increasing use of oil fuels
小題2:According to Dr Caldeira,＿．
A．ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing
B．more oil fuels will be used in the near future
C．scientists may predict climate changes with computer models
D．the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious
小題3:If the water's acidity level keeps rising,＿．
A．ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected
B．the waters’pH value will become higher and higher
C．organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to pH changes
D．some disastrous events will occur more often than before
小題4:Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce＿．
A．the COZ absorbed by the ocean
B．the amount of greenhouse warming
C．the acidity of the ocean
D．the gradul release Of CO2
小題5:The purpose of this passage is to＿．
A．show people the findings of a research team
B．inform people of how acid the ocean is now
C．introduce Dr Caldeira and his team's research
D．warn people of the higher level of COZ

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone. Enter the Red Hat Society—a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun.
“My grandmother didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody. They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society.
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age. But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers (生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old.
If you take into consideration feminism (女權(quán)主義), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable (必然的). In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple (紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing.
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple. With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998. When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention.
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper said. “Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves.” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful. “We’re a ladies’ play group. It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood.
小題1:. The unlined word “chapter” in Paragraph 2 means ___.
A．one branch of an organizationB．a(chǎn) written agreement of a club
C．one part of a collection of poemsD．a(chǎn) period in a society’s history
小題2:. From the text, we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who ___.
A．have gradually become more noticeableB．a(chǎn)re worried about getting old too quickly
C．a(chǎn)re enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend
D．tried living a different life from their parents when they were young
小題3:. It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are ___.
A．interested in raising money for social workB．programmers who can plan well for their future
C．believers in equality between men and womenD．good at cooking big meals and taking care of others
小題4:.. Who set up the Red Hat Society?
A．Emily CornetteB．Ellen CooperC．Jenny JosephD．Joe Heywood
小題5:.. Women join the Red Hat Society because ___.
A．they want to stay youngB．they would like to appear more attractive
C．they would like to have fun and live for themselvesD．they want to be more like their parents

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At that time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot, as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in the first year.
小題1:. What led the British government to build the London Underground?
A．Traffic jams and pollution
B．Population and pollution
C．Overcrowding and traffic jams
D．The poverty and subway problems
小題2:. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “_____”.
A．be troublesomeB．become popular and fashionable
C．keep up withD．seize
小題3: Which of the following is TRUE?
A．To locate the workers’ homes outside London, the government built the subway
B．There were so many problems and delays that in the 18th century the first subway opened
C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic
D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.
小題4:. It seems that the writer is going to talk about _____.
A．more problems with subwaysB．subways around the world later on
C．the history and culture of LondonD．the Beijing subway

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

  The 1980s was called the “Me Decade” because for many this time was marked by a fascination with the self. The idea that each person has a self may seem natuaral to us, but this concept is actually quite new. The idea that each human life is unique developed between the 11th and 15th centuries in Europe. Before that time, individuals were considered in relation to a group, and even today, many eastern cultures place more emphasis on the importance of a collective self than on a unique and independent self.
Both eastern and western cultures see the self as divided into an inner, private self and an outer, public self. But where they differ is in terms of which part is seen as the“real you.” Western culture tends to promote the idea of individuality—a self that is separated from other selves. In contrast, many eastern cultures focus on an inter-independent self that gets its diversity in large part from inter-relationship with others.
For example, a Confucian(孔子) idea stresses the importance of “face”—other people’s views of the self and maintaining one’s desired status in their eyes. In the past, some Asian cultures developed clear rules about the specific clothes and even colors that people in certain social classes and occupations were allowed to display, and these live on today in Japanese style manuals. This style of dress is at odds with such western practices as “casual Fridays,” which encourage employees to dress informally and express their unique selves.
小題1: Which is true about the self according to the text?
A．Many eastern cultures see the self connected with others.
B．Those born in the 1980s are generally most self-centered than others.
C．The concept that eac person has a self may seem strange to eastern cultures
D．Western cultures regard the self as an outer, public self while eastern cultures don’t.
小題2: What does the 2nd paragraph mainly talk about?
A．How eastern and western cultures see the self.
B．Eastern cultures contrast sharply with western cultures
C．Both eastern and western cultures appreciate the importance of self
D．Eastern cultures are as important as western cultures
小題3: A Japanese dress code is mentioned in the last paragraph to _________.
A．explain the importance of “face”
B．say how traditional the Japanese are
C．emphasize the importance of eastern cultures
D．show how eastern cultures see the self in relation to others
小題4: The underlined phrase “at odds with” most probably means_______.
A．in agreement withB．in disagreement with
C．in comparison withD．in need of

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Washington, April 4----- The United States has more than 90 million families for the first time, but each contains fewer people on average than ever, the Census Bureau(統(tǒng)計局) reported today.
The 90,031,000 families in the United States averaged 2.64 members each as of last July 1.“The reason is, in effect, changes in the age structure,” explained Campbell Gibson, a population researcher for the bureau. Most Americans born in the great explosion of births are now in their 20’s and 30’s when they most likely to set up families, he said.
The fact that many are doing so increased the number of families from 80.4 million in 1980 t0 88.8 million in 1986 and past the 90 million mark last summer.
At the same time, the average number of people per family dropped from 2.75 in 1985 to 2.65 in 1986 and then to 2.64, Mr Gibson said.
By comparison, the 1970 Census found the average family contained 3.14 people. Families averaged more than four people in 1939 and more than five in 1880.
The growing number of ever---- smaller families is still going on, but Mr Gibson pointed out that family growth was not the same as population increase in the 1970’s.
The same age factors that are increasing the number of families also happened then, but in the 1970’s the proportion(比例) of families in each age group was also growing.
That hasn’t continued in the 1980’s for a number of possible reasons, Mr Gibson said. For example, in the 1980’s more young people have chosen to remain home with their parents instead of setting up housekeeping on their own, as many did in the 1970’s.
This could be caused by the increasing cost of housing, he said. Delays in marriage while young people go to work and school, have also been widely reported as a factor, but it was not the only factor for the family changes.
小題1:The smaller figure of families reported here is _________.
A．1980B．80,400,000C．2.64D．90 million
小題2:What’s the reporter’s attitude towards the present situation?
A. People should get married at later age.
  1. The average number of family members should be 2.64.
  2. It’s not clear in the report.
  3. Young people should set up housekeeping on their own, as many did in the 1970’s.
小題3:From the last paragraph we may infer that________.
A. delay in marriage will not help the number of the families
  1. delay in marriage is the major factor of the family changes
  2. the writer felt sorry that many young people now delay their marriages
  3. there must be some other factors which have led to the slower growth in the 1980’s
小題4: The underlined word “factor” in the passage means_________.
A．reasonB．something that proves be true
C．a(chǎn)dvantageD．something that helps to bring about a result

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Chinese tradition says a different animal represents each new year of the 12-year Chinese Zodiac(黃道十二宮) cycle. According to the Chinese calendar, the year you were born may determine your personality. Every year of this cycle is represented by an animal, and legend has it that people born under that animal have certain personality traits. Here are some of them:
Dragon
The Real Thing: The mythical dragon is a symbol of power and good fortune in Chinese culture. One of the most popular figures in Chinese art, the dragon is believed to be a combination of nine animals, including a frog, a tiger, an eagle, and a fish.
Born a Dragon: You go out of your way to help your friends, who often seek you out for advice. Your outgoing personality helps you get along with many types of people.
Snake
The Real Thing: Snakes have great instincts. Some “play dead” to fool predators（捕食者）, and most sense prey by detecting ground vibration（震動）. They can take more than an hour to swallow a meal, and they become inactive for up to two weeks before they shed their skin.
Born a Snake: You rely on yourself before asking others their opinions. At times you want to take a break from the action. It’s not that you are lazy---sometimes you just like to think.
Pig
The Real Thing: Domesticated（馴養(yǎng)）pigs have been helping human for about 9,000 years. Incredibly intelligent, a pig shows its smarts by rolling in mud and sticking its snout in dirt. Why? The mud keeps it cool, and rooting in the dirt provides important vitamins.
Born a Pig: Smart and caring, you live to help other people. You have great taste and love to wallow in the nicer things in life.
Rat
The Real Thing: Most rats are highly adaptable. They can live just about anywhere and eat about anything. Before brown rats leave their underground burrows, these clever creatures send one rat ahead to make sure danger doesn’t exist outside.
Born a Rat: You welcome challenges and enjoy learning about new things. Funny and smart, you are generous and will protect your pack of friends. 
______
The Real Thing: The largest of the big cats, they hunt alone. They secretly move towards prey, then leap and attack when the time seems right. Dinner still escapes most of the time.
Born a _____: You are a natural leader but often like to do things by yourself. (That’s how you stay in charge!) You believe in fighting for what’s right, even if you’ll lose in the end.
小題1:  According to the description of the last animal, we can choose _____ to fill in the blanks. 
A．TigerB．Lion C．OxD．Monkey
小題2:   The underlined word “snout” probably means _____.
A．backB．noseC．headD．tail

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In Britain, in a population of 60 million, there are 13 million grandparents, many of whom live alone a long way from their grandchildren.The loneliness of these older people has become an issue that schools are trying to teach children about .
On a popular teacher’s website, there is a classroom activity to help make children aware of the implications of the different generations of the same family living far from each other. It’s a story about Mrs. Eiderdown, an elderly lady whose grandchildren have moved to Australia with their parents. She lives alone and rarely sees her family .
First of all, the children speculate about Mrs. Eiderdown’s life.  What does she have for breakfast ? what does she do all day ?how does she feel about her life ?
One day, Mrs. Eiderdown decides that she wants a pet to keep her company and puts an advertisement in a local shop window. Then she waits at home to see if anyone will answer her advertisement .
A tall thin man rings her doorbell. he is holding a cardboard box. Mrs. Eiderdown chats with the man for ten minutes before she realizes that she hasn’t looked in-side the box to see what the pet is. She can hear a his-sing sound. The children guess what is in the box(a snake). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the man but says she doesn’t think the snake is a good idea .
The next time the doorbell rings, there’s a lady on the doorstep, also carrying a cardboard box.In the bottom of the box, Mrs. Eiderdown sees something black and hairy with eight legs. Again ,the children say what they  think it is (a spider). Mrs. Eiderdown thanks the lady for her kindness but says that a spider is not the sort of pet she has in mind.
At last, the little girl next door brings her a dog .Mrs. Eiderdown’s life improves a lot because of the dog. more importantly, of course, the little girl, whose own granny lives a long way away, starts to visit Mrs.Eiderdown more often. This interactive classroom idea has led to a greater awareness among children about the possible loneliness of older people who live quite near them .
小題1:what’s the main idea of the passage?
A．children get to know about the trouble of the elderly
B．neighbors help select pets for Mrs. Eiderdown
C．society helps the lonely people in the UK
D．school send pets to the lonely elderly
小題2:what does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean ?
A．they talk about how she feels about being old
B．they try to experience her loneliness
C．they try to imagine how she lives
D．they write about her life story
小題3:what can we infer from the passage ?
A．the little girl often visits her own granny
B．the people who offer pets are lady’s neighbors
C．the farther the elderly live ,the lonelier they feel
D．the little girl begins to care more about Mrs. Eiderdown

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案