2009级英语本科《英语报刊文章阅读》练习

2009级英语本科班《英语报刊文章阅读》练习

Passage 1 Pregnancy No Longer Pushes Women to Wed

怀孕不再促使女性做出结婚选择

In the early 1990s, more than half of the first children born to young women were conceived（开始怀胎儿）outside marriage --- a rate nearly three times that of the early 1930s, says a Census Bureau report out today.

And relatively few of those 1990s women rushed into marriage before giving birth, writes Census Bureau demographer（人口学家）Amara Bachu.

Just under a quarter of contemporary women wed before their first babies were born, compared with more than half of their counterparts（相对应的人）in the 1930s. In the early 1990s, 41% of first births occurred outside marriage, compared with 8% in the early 1930s, Buchu found.

She analyzed data collected on women under age 30, the group in which the majority of first births --- out of wedlock（婚姻）or not --- occur.

Bachu attributes（把……归因于）the trends to changing attitudes about marriage and growing acceptance of giving birth outside it. “It’s accepted by society. Getting legally married is not a big issue. As long as society accepts women having babies out of wedlock, it will continue.”

Similar trends can be seen in other industrialized countries, notes Susheela Singh, director of research at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit reproductive（生殖的）health research group on New York.

“In Europe, it seems to be linked more to the changing status of women,” Singh says.

Apparently, Bachu says, many single American women who get pregnant would rather not marry than wed a man who could not support them financially or emotionally.

White women are more likely to marry before giving birth than black or Hispanic（西班牙裔的）women. And college graduates are more likely to wed before their due date than less-educated women, Bachu writes.

But just because babies are born out of wedlock doesn’t mean they’re being raised by only the mother, she says.

According to one estimate, Bachu writes, the percentage of out-of-wedlock children whose mothers live with their partners has risen from 27% in the early 1980s to 41% in the 1990s.

“Although many women experience a considerable portion of their early years of childbearing as unmarried mothers, they don not necessarily live apart from the father of their child,” Bachu writes. But only 26% of black out-of-wedlock children are born into two-parent households, her report says.

Numbers from the national Center for Health Statistics suggest that the birthrate for unmarried U.S. women ages 15 to 44 has leveled off in the 1990s. The District of

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Columbia topped all the states in the mid-1990s, with two thirds of its births occurring to single women, according to the statistics center.

1. Compared with that of the early 1930s, the rate of the first children born to young women out of wedlock in the early 1990s _____.

A. increased nearly 200% B. increased nearly 300% C. increased nearly 50% D. decreased neayly 200%

2. _____ of contemporary women marry before their first babies were born. A. Less than one fourth B. More than one fourth C. Less than one third D. More than one third 3. According to the article, statement _____ is true.

A. Pregnancy before marriage occurs only in America

B. White women are more likely to marry before giving birth than black women C. All unmarried mothers live apart from their partners D. Babies born out of wedlock are all raised by the mother

4. From the article, we know _____ has the highest percentage of out-of-wedlock children.

A. New York B. District of Columbia C. Chicago D. San Francisco

5. According to Bachu, what are the factors in the increase of out-of-wedlock children?

6. Why are many women unwilling to marry?

7. Are the out-of-wedlock children raised by the mothers only? Who help to raise them?

8. What is your view on pregnancy outside marriage?

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Passage 2 Deadbeat Parents Can’t Run Away Now ---- Law bans moving to avoid payments

赖帐父母无法赖帐

Parents who deliberately slip across state lines or national borders to avoid paying child support can go to prison under a law signed yesterday by President Clinton.

“From now on, if you flee across state lines and refuse to pay child support, you may be charged with a federal offense ---- a felony（重罪）offense ---- and may land in jail for up to two years,” Mr. Clinton said at an Oval Office ceremony.

“One way or the other, people who don’t support their children will pay what they must.” he said.

The Deadbeat（赖帐的）Parents Punishment Act, which passed both chambers（议院） of Congress with strong bipartisan（两党的）support, augments（增加，补充）current law that punishes interstate evasion of child-support obligations.

Under the new law:

It’s a federal offense, punishable by six months in federal prison, to move out of state or out of the country to avoid paying child support if the debt is $ 5,000 or more or has been unpaid for a year.

Parents convicted of willfully failing to pay child support for two years or who owe $10,000 or more can be jailed for as long as two years.

“For parents who selfishly discard（丢弃）their responsibility, we have a simple message: If you break the law, you will be punished.” Said Sen. Mike Dewine, Ohio Republican, a lead sponsor of the law with Sen. Herb Kohl, Wisconsin Democrat.

Debbie Kline, spokeswoman for the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support ( ACES ) in Toledo Ohio, said the law recognizes the “needs of the 10 million children who are owed $14.7 billion” in interstate child support cases.

“It’s about time that parents who break the law by abandoning their children and forcing their family to live in poverty or on welfare are brought to justice.” She said.

Victor Smith, president of Dads Against Discrimination USA, a nonprofit father’s rights group in Portland, Ore., denounced（谴责）the law as “a crock --- a feel-good thing to impress female voters.”

The law will penalize（对……处罚）men for trying to find a job in another state, he said. “It also doesn’t do anything to women who move around and won’t let dad see the kids.” said Mr. Smith, who added that “father custody（照看，监护）would solve half the problems.”

Mr. Clinton praised lawmakers, government officials and child support adcovates（提倡者）for leading “ an unprecedented（史无前例的）campaign to make deadbeat parents live up to their obligations.”

The president said these efforts have led to a record 1.3 million paternities

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established and located 1 million delinquent（失职的）parents through new interstate computer checking systems.

1. From the article, we know that Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act _____. A. enjoys everyone’s support

B. is supported by both Democratic and Republic Parties C. has met much obstruction in Congress D. has achieved no effects

2. The longest prison term for deadbeat parents is _____.

A. two years B. five years C. one and a half years D. three years 3. From the article, we know that the lead sponsors of the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act were _____.

A. Herb Kohl and Debbi Kline B. Mike Dewine and Victor Smith C. Debbi Kline and Mike Dewine D. Mike Dewine and Herb Kohl 4. The new law was criticized by _____.

A. Mr. Clinton B. Debbie Kline C. Victor Smith D. Mike Dewine

5. What does the term “deadbeat parents” mean?

6. What kind of crime will child support avoidance be considered under the new law? 7. According to Debbie Kline, how serious is the problem of parents’ refusal to pay child support in America?

8. What does Victor Smith think of the new law? What does he suggest should be done to solve those kids’ problems? 9. Give your comment on the new law.

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Passage 3 How Parents Can Help

----- It’s a difficult time for the whole family, but there

are ways to make these years easier. Your kids still need you.

家长如何帮助自己子女

One day they’re crawling around in the sandbox; the next day they’re prowling （巡行，搜找）the Internet. Tweens like to think of themselves as all grown up ---- but they still need plenty of support and guidance from parents. Some tips:

BODY CHANGES. Girls may begin to develop breasts as early as 8, and some now get their periods at 10. To prepare for puberty（青春期）, many boys’ and girls’ bodies also bulk up during the tween years. Experts warn against putting children on diets or making them feel self-conscious（难为情的，害羞的）about their weight. Instead, reassure kids that there’s a wide definition of “normal” at this age.

SEXUALITY. Few tweens are actually having sex, but they’re busy trying to understand it. Some will begin to struggle with sexual orientation（方位，方向）. This is a window of opportunity for parental involvement and guidance --- once tweens become teens, they’re more likely to turn to peers or popular culture for sex ed. They’re also sometimes exposed to explicit material on the Internet, and this may confuse and upset them. One good source for parents: the book “Now What Do I Do?” available from the nonprofit group Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.

SCHOOL. Classes get harder and homework increases as kids move to middle school and junior high. If they’re trying hard but still not doing well, parents should talk to teachers about potential learning disabilities that may require special instruction. Overall, parents should coach and support children in homework, but should never be trapped into actually doing it. For general catch-up, after-school tutors can help.

FRIENDS. For young children, family is the center of the universe. But friends and peer approval become increasingly important during tween years. Cliques（派系，小集团）emerge and fashion begins to define what’s “cool”. Still, parents continue to exert the biggest influence on children when it comes to morals and lifelong goals. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Ask your kids about peer pressure, rather than waiting for them to raise the issue themselves. And act as a role model, exhibiting the kind of behavior around friends and family that you hope to foster in your kids.

INDEPENDENCE. Tweens have one foot in childhood, the other in adolescence（青春期）. But they’re eager to grow up. Experts say the rush is partly due to popular media ---- especially teen magazines and television shows. Being

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raised by single parents or in families where both parents work can also accelerate（使加快，促进）their desire for independence. Parents should not expect to have absolute control over their tweens, but they should set limits. Regulate the number of hours kids watch TV, and monitor movies; say no to too much violence or graphic sexuality. Make sure you know what they’re doing online as well.

MIND YOUR MOOD. Peer pressure and new academic challenges can overwhelm（征服，压垮）tweens. Look for symptoms（征兆）of stress: headaches, stomachaches, sleeping or eating problems. Shifts in hormone（激素，荷尔蒙）levels as tweens advance toward puberty can also cause temporary mood swings. Don’t ignore or punish tweens when they become emotional; encourage them to air their feelings. Internalizing（藏在心底）sadness or anger is unhealthy. Some tweens can even be clinically depressed. Early signs：feelings of hopelessness, withdrawal and irritability（易怒，烦躁）. Parents should intervene and seek professional counseling（咨询）.

1. When children are in their tween years, _____. A. they should be on diets

B. they should be given complete freedom

C. friends become the most important persons for them D. parents should give them their support and guidance 2. The author thinks that parents should _____.

A. do homework for kids B . give kids more time for games C. coach children in homework D. forbid kids to watch TV

3. According to the article, if children get emotional, parents should _____. A. send them to hospital B. encourage them to tell about their feeling C. criticize them D. ignore them 4. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A. Children need support and guidance from parents. B. Parents exert the biggest influence on children. C. Parents have absolute control over children. D. Parents are the dearest persons to children.

5. What kind of attitude should parents have toward their children’s weight? 6. How should parents treat their children’s friends?

7. What kind of control should parents exert over children’s TV watching? 8. What are the early signs of children’s stress and depression?

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