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1.英美文化之 American Family 美国家庭「请将火鸡与配料递给我。
」这个简单的请求令你想起什么？如果你是美国人，你会想到感恩节。
对美国人而言，火鸡大餐象征感恩节。
感恩节提醒了美国人哪些事情呢？--他们的家人。
感恩节是家人聚集的时间，在这个节日，家人聚在一起对着火鸡以及鸡腹中的调味材料大快朵颐；家人享受一起看游行、看足球比赛的电视转播以及同聚的时光。
到底家庭对于美国人的意义是什么？传统的美国家庭被称为「核心家庭」。
核心家庭包含了先生、太太和小孩子，今日美国的一般家庭有二个或三个小孩（或者再加上几只宠物）。
在一些文化里，大家庭住在一起，甚至好几代的人同住。
在美国，只有极少的情况下才会有超过一个家庭同住一个屋檐下。
美国人看重对家人回家时热诚的欢迎。
许多家庭用民主政治般的方式来治理，家中每个人都有发言权利，公平观念广泛存在于美国的家庭当中；除了敬畏之情外，孩子们也将父母亲当成好朋友，夫妇经常彼此共同分担家务；许多家庭的孩子在自己的卧室内享有隐私权；孩子们在很小的时候便有理财的责任，他们可能每个礼拜会有零用钱或是出去打工；父母亲常会给孩子们自己做决定的自由，学龄前的孩子可以自己选择穿什衣服或买什么玩具，青年人则可自由选择职业及结婚的对象。
正如许多其它文化一样，美国的家庭也面对许多问题。
社会的压力正将愈来愈多的美国家庭解体。
现在，超过半数以上的婚姻在美国是以离婚做结束；每四个小孩中就有超过一位是由单亲养育长大的，它的结果是造成了许多人相信美国家庭有麻烦了。
即使如此，还是有盼望。
许多机构正努力巩固家庭。
几乎所有的美国人都相信家庭是生命中最重要的一部份。
大多数人也认为传统双亲式的家庭对小孩子是最好的。
他们明白近来家庭生活的问题，已带来了许多严重的结果。
所以，愈来愈多的人将家庭视为第一优先。
许多妇女辞去工作在家陪孩子。
全家人一起渡假或出去玩，丈夫与妻子一起集中心力使婚姻稳固。
联合国已宣布一九九四年为国际家庭年。
可编辑修改精选全文完整版Unit11Text A My Father's Shadow 父亲的影子My husband，Gary，and I were flying to Hawaii from New York City to show our five-month-old son，Timmy，to our parents for the first time．我和丈夫加里正由纽约飞往夏威夷，去让我父母见见我们刚出生五个月的儿子--蒂米。
But what should have been a mission of joy filled me with apprehension．这本该是件快乐的事情，却令我十分忧惧。
For five years I'd hardly spoken to my father．五年了，我几乎没和父亲说过话。
Loving but stern in the manner typical of Chinese fathers，he had made particular demands on me，父亲具有典型的中国父亲的风格：慈爱而严厉，对我寄予厚望。
and though we were very much alike，we'd grown very far apart．尽管我们的性格极为相似，但父女关系却已变得很疏远。
When I became a teenager，my father held up my mother as a model of feminine behavior．早在我的少女时代，父亲就让我把母亲作为女性的榜样。
But she was social，while I preferred books to parities．母亲擅长社交，可我喜欢读书不愿扎堆。
He pressed me to mingle with his friends' children．父亲强迫我与他朋友的孩子做朋友，I insisted on choos ing my own companions．我却坚持自己选择伙伴。
Unit 5How to Raise a Polite Kid in This Rude World?Text and language pointsMention ill-mannered children and most people roll their eyes at the memory of a little hellion and his boorish parents. I still get angry about an incident that happened last summer.Mention ill-mannered children and most people roll their eyes at the memory of a little hellion and his boorish parents.When talking about children of bad manners, most people will show their annoyance by moving their eyes around in a circle and recall a trouble-making boy and his rude parents. roll one's eyes: move one’s eyes round and upwards, especially in order to show that one is annoyede.g. —— Marta rolled her eyes as Will started to tell another stupid joke.—— When he suggested they should buy a new car, she rolled her eyes in disbelief. hellion n. disorderly or troublesome person惹事生非的人；捣蛋鬼boorish a. resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior; vulgar 粗野的e.g. —— I found him rather boorish and aggressive.——I‟m sick of your drunken, boorish behavior.一提到无礼的孩子, 大多数人都会因回想起惹是生非的小孩以及其粗鄙的父母而皱起眉头。
为⼴⼤考⽣整理了2014考研英语⼀七选五或填空式阅读新题型试卷，供⼴⼤考⽣参考：Passage1 English has become the world’s number one language in the 20th century.In every country where is not the native language, especially in the ThirdWorld, people must strive to learn it to the best of their abilities, if theywant to participate fully in the development of their countries.41)__________. 42) __________.Nonetheless, a world full of different language willdisappear if the present trend in many countries to use English to replace thenational or official languages in education, trade and even politicscontinues.43) __________ . The Third World countries that are now using English as a medium ofinstruction are depriving 75 per cent of their future leaders of a propereducation. According to many studies, only around 20 to 25 per cent of studentsin these countries can manage to learn the language of instruction as well asbasic subjects at the same time. Many leaders of these Third World countriesare obsessed with English and for them English is everything. They seem tobelieve that if the students speak English, they are alreadyknowledgeable.44)__________ . All the greatest countries of the world are great because theyconstantly use their own languages in all national development activities,including education. From a psychological point of view, those who are taughtin their own language from the start will develop better self-confidence andself-reliance. From a linguistic point of view, the best brains can only beproduced if students are educated in their own language from the start.45)__________. There is nothing wrong, however, in learning a foreign language atadvanced levels of education. But the best thing to do is to have a goodeducation in one’s native language first, then go abroad to have a universityin a foreign language. A) If this situation continues, the native or official languages ofthese countries will certainly die within two or three generations. Thisphenomenon has been called linguistic genocide. A language dies if it is notfully used in most activities, particularly as a medium of instruction inschools. B) Those who are taught in a foreign language form the start will tendto be imitators and lack self-confidence. They will tend to rely on foreignconsultants. C) Suppose you work in a big firm and find and find English veryimportant for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now youare looking a place where you can improve your English, especially your spokenEnglish. D) But many people are concerned that English’s dominance will destroynative languages. E) These leaders speak and write English much better than theirnational languages. If these leaders deliver speeches anywhere in the worldthey use English and they feel more at home with it and proud of their abilityas well. The citizens of their countries do not understand their leader’sspeeches because they are made in a foreign language. F) Here are some advertisements about English language training fromnewspapers. You may find the information you need. G) A close examination reveals a great number of languages have fallencasualty to English. For example, it has wiped out Hawaiian, Welsh, ScotchGaelic, Irish, native American languages, and many others. Luckily, some ofthese languages are now being revived, such as Hawaiian and Welsh, and theselanguages will live again, hopefully, if dedicated people continue their workof reviving them. Passage 2 In 1959 the average American family paid $ 989 for a year’s supply offood. In 1972 the family paid $1,311. That was a price increase of nearly one–third. Every family has had this sort of experience. Everyone agrees that thecost of feeding a family has risen sharply. But there is less agreement whenreasons for the rise are being discussed. Who is really responsible? Many blame the farmers who produce the vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs,and cheese that stores offer for sale. According to the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, the farmer’s share of the $1,311 spent by the family in 1972 was$521. This was 31 percent more than the farmer had received in 1959. But farmers claim that this increase was very small compared to theincrease in their cost of living. Farmers tend to blame others for the sharp risein food prices. They particularly blame those who process the farm productsafter the products leave the farm. These includetruck drivers, meat packers,manufacturers of packages and other food containers, and the owners of storeswhere food is sold. 41)__________. Of the $1,311 family food bill in 1972, middlement received $ 790,which was 33 percent more than they had received in 1959. It appears that themiddlemen’s profit has increased more than farmer’s. But some economists claimthat the middleman’s actual profit was very law. According to economists at theFirst National City Bank, the profit for meat packers and food stores amountedto less than one per cent. During the same period all other manufacturers weremaking a profit of more than 5 per cent.42) __________ . 43) __________ . Vegetables and chicken cost more when they have been cut into pieces bysomeone other than the one who buys it. A family should expect to pay more whenseveral “TV dinners” are taken home from the store. These are ful l y c o o k e d m e a l s , c o n s i s t i n g o f m e a t , v e g e t a b l e s , a n d s o m e t i m e s d e s e r t , a l l a r r a n g e d o n a m e t a l d i s h . T h e d i s h i s p u t i n t o t h e o v e r a n d h e a t e d w h i l e t h e h o u s e w i f e i s d o i n g s o m e t h i n g e l s e . S u c h a c o n v e n i e n c e c o s t s m o n e y . 4 4 ) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . / p >。
05-2 Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn’t know for sure? That the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain? That the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.还记得科学家们认为吸烟会致人死亡，而那些怀疑者们却坚持认为我们无法对此得出定论的时候吗？还记得怀疑者们坚持认为缺乏决定性的证据，科学也不确定的时候吗？还记得怀疑者们坚持认为反对吸烟的游说是为了毁掉我们的生活方式，而政府应该置身事外的时候吗？对于这些谬论，竟然有许多美国人买账，（结果）三十多年来，大约有一千万烟民早早就进了坟墓。
There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth’s atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in the preface to the panel’s report: “Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions.”现在出现了与吸烟类似的令人感到难过的事情。
35. The Modern Family 现代家庭养成良好的答题习惯，是决定高考英语成败的决定性因素之一。
做题前，要认真阅读题目要求、题干和选项，并对答案内容作出合理预测;答题时，切忌跟着感觉走，最好按照题目序号来做，不会的或存在疑问的，要做好标记，要善于发现，找到题目的题眼所在，规范答题，书写工整;答题完毕时，要认真检查，查漏补缺，纠正错误。
Father leaves for work in the morning after breakfast. The two children take the bus to school, and mother stays home cooking and cleaning until father and the kids return home in the evening. This is the traditional pictureof a happy family living in Britain. But is it true today?The answer is no! The past 20 years have seen greatchanges in the lives and structure of families in Britain.The biggest change has been caused by divorce. Asmany as 2 out of 3 marriages now end in divorce, leading toa situation where many children live with one parent andonly see the other at weekends or holidays.There has also been a huge rise in the number of women with children who work. They need to work to support themselves and their children. Even where there is no divorce, many families need both parents to work in order to survive. This has caused an increase in childcare facilities(儿童保育机构), though it is very expensive and can be difficult to find in many areas.In addition, women are no longer happy to stay at home raising children, and many have careers earning as much or even more than men, the traditional breadwinner.There has also been a sharp increase in the number of single mothers, particularly among teenagers. Some people have blame d this increase for the rise in crime. They feel the lack of a male role model has damaged these children in society.However, these changes have not had a totally negative effect. For women, it is now much easier to have a career and good salary. Although it is difficult to be a working mother, it has become normal and is no longer seen as a bad thing for the children.As for children themselves, some argue that modern children grow up more independent and mature than in the past. From an early age they have to go to childminders or nurseries, and so are used to dealing with strangers and mixing with other children. (339 words)◆Helper:divorce离婚childcare facilities 儿童福利机构,设施breadwinner养家糊口的人sharp急剧的；明显的blame谴责；归咎male role model 男性角色模范mature成熟的nursery['nə:səri]托儿所◆Brief Introduction:爸爸早饭后外出工作，孩子们乘车上学，妈妈在家做家务。
Family StructuresWhat is the typical American family like? If Americans are asked to name the members of their families, family structure becomes clear. Married American adults will name their husband or wife and their children, if they have any, as their "immediate family." If they mention their father, mother, sisters, or brothers, they will define them as separate units, usually living in separate households. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are considered "extended family."The structure of the American family has undergone enormous changes since the 1950s. Traditionally the American family has been a nuclear family consisting of a husband, wife, and their children, living in a house or apartment. Grandparents rarely live in the same home with their married sons and daughters, and uncles and aunts almost never do.In the 1950s, 70 percept of American households were the "classic" American family —a husband, wife, and two children. The father was the 'breadwinner" (the one who earned the money to support the family), the mother was a "homemaker" (the one who took care of the children and did not work outside the home), and they had two children under the age of 18. If you say the word "family" to Americans, this is probably the picture that comes to their minds.Yet, in reality, in the I990s, only 8 percent of American households consist of a working father, a stay-at-home mother, and two children under 18. An additional 18 percent of households consist of two parents who are both working and one or more children under the age of 18 living at home. That means that a total of only 26 percent of households in the United States consist of two parents and their children. The remaining households consist of the following: 30 percent are married couples without children; 8 percent are single parents and their children; 11 percent are unmarried couples and others living together: And, perhaps most startling, in 25 percent of the households, there is someone living alone.What has happened to the traditional American family and why? Some of the explanation is demographic. In the 1950s, men who had fought in World War II had returned home, married, and were raising their families. There was a substantial increase (or "boom") in the birth rate, producing the "baby boomers." A second demographic factor is that today young people are marrying and having children later in life. Some couples now choose not to have children at all. A third factor is that people are living longer after their children are grown, and they often end up alone. And, of course, there is a fourth factor —the high rate of divorce. But numbers alone cannot account for the dramatic changes in the family. Understanding the values at work in the family will provide some important insights.The Emphasis on Individual FreedomAmericans view the family as a group whose primary purpose is to advance the happiness of individual members. The result is that the needs of each individual take priority in the life of the family In contrast to that of many other cultures, the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group, either socially or economically, nor is it to bring honor to the family name. This is partly because the United States is not an aristocratic society.Family name and honor are less important than in aristocratic societies, since equality of opportunity regardless of birth is considered a basic American value. Moreover, there is less emphasis on the family as an economic unit because the American family is rarely self-supporting. Relatively few families maintain self-supporting family farms or businesses for more than one generation. A farmer's son, for example, is very likely to go on to college, leave the family farm, and take an entirely different job in a different location.The American desire for freedom from outside control clearly extends to the family. Americans do not like to have controls placed on them by other family members. They want to make independent decisions and not be told what to do by grandparents oruncles or aunts. For example, both American men and women expect to decide what job is best for them as individuals. Indeed, young Americans are encouraged by their families to make such independent career decisions. What would be best for the family is not considered to be as important as what would be best for the individual.Marriage and DivorceMarriages not "arranged" in the United States. Young people are expected to find a husband or wife on their own; their parents do not usually help them. In fact, parents are frequently not told of marriage plans until the couple has decided to many. This means that parents have little control, and generally not much influence, over whom their children marry. Americans believe that young people should fall in love and then decide to marry someone they can live happily with, again evidence of the importance of an individual's happiness. Of course, in reality this does not always happen, but it remains the ideal, and it shapes the views of courtship and marriage among young Americans.Over the years, the value placed on marriage itself is determined largely by how happy the husband and wife make each other. Happiness is based primarily on companionship. The majority of American women value companionship as the most important part of marriage. Other values, such as having economic support and the opportunity to have children, although important, are seen by many as less important.If the couple is not happy, the individuals may choose to get a divorce. A divorce is relatively easy to obtain in most parts of the United States. Most states have "no-fault" divorce. To obtain a no-fault divorce, a couple states that they can no longer live happily together that they have "irreconcilable differences," and that it is neither partners fault.The divorce rate rose rapidly in the United States after the 1950s, but it had leveled off by the 1990s. Approximately one out of every two marriages now ends in divorce. Often children are involved. The great majority of adult Americans believe that unhappy couples should not stay married just because they have children at home, a significant change in attitude since the 1950s. Most people do not believe in sacrificing individual happiness for the sake of the children. They say that children actually may be better off living with one parent than with two who are constantly arguing. Divorce is now so common that it is no longer socially unacceptable, and children are not embarrassed to say that their parents are divorced. However, sociologists are still studying the long-term psychological consequences of divorce.The Role of the ChildThe American emphasis on the individual, rather than the group, affects children in a contradictory way. On the one hand, it may cause them to get more attention and even have more power than they should. On the other hand, because most children have mothers who are working outside the home, they may not get enough attention from either parent. Worse yet, parents who feel guilty for not having enough time with their children may give them more material things to compensate for the lack of attention. Studies show that both parents are now spending less time with their children, due to work habits and a busy lifestyle.In general, American families tend to place more emphasis on the needs and desires of the child and less on the child's social and family responsibilities. In the years since World War II, so much stress has been placed on the psychological needs of children that the number of experts in this field has increased enormously. Child psychologists, counselors, and social workers are employed to help children with problems at school or in the family. Many books on how to raise children have become best sellers. Sometimes these books offer conflicting advice, but almost all of them share the American emphasis on the development of the individual as their primary goal.Some Americans believe that the emphasis on the psychological needs of the individual child have been carried too far by parents and experts alike. Dr Benjamin Spock, the most famous of the child-rearing experts, finally concluded that "what ismaking the parent's job most difficult is today's child-centered viewpoint." Many conscientious parents, said Spock, tend to "keep their eyes exclusively focused on their child, thinking about what he needs from them and from the community, instead of thinking about what the world, the neighborhood, the family will be needing from the child and then making sure that he will grow up to meet such obligations." Although Americans may not agree on how best to nurture and discipline their children, they still hold the basic belief that the major purpose of the family is the development and welfare of each of its members as individuals.Along with the American emphasis on individual freedom, the belief in equality has had a strong effect on the family. Alexis de Tocqueville saw the connection clearly in the 1830s. He said that in aristocratic societies inequality extends into the family particularly to the father's relationship to his children. The father is accepted as ruler and master. The children's relations with him are very formal, and love for him is always combined with fear. In the United States, however, the democratic idea of equality destroys much of the father's status as ruler of the family and lessens the emotional distance between father and children. There is less formal respect for, and fear of, the father. But there is more affection expressed toward him. "The master and constituted [legal] ruler have vanished," said de Tocqueville; "the father remains."What de Tocqueville said of American fathers and children almost two centuries ago applies to relations between parents and children in the United States today. There is much more social equality between parents and children than in most aristocratic societies or societies ruled by centuries of tradition. This can be witnessed in arguments between parents and their children, and in the considerable independence granted to teenagers. In fact, some Americans are worried that there is too much democracy in the home. Since the early 1960s, there has been a significant decline in parental authority and children's respect for their parents. This is particularly true of teenagers. Some parents seem to have little or no control over the behavior of their teenage children, particularly after they turn 16 and get their drivers' licenses.On the other hand, Americans give their young people a lot of freedom because they want to teach their children to be independent and self-reliant. American children are expected to "leave the nest" at about age 18, after they graduate from high school. At that time they are expected to go on to college (many go to another city) or to get a job and support themselves. By their mid-20s, if children are still living with their parents, people will suspect that something is "wrong." Children are given a lot of freedom and equality. In the family so that they will grow up to be independent, self-reliant adults. Today, however, many young people are unable to find jobs that support the lifestyle they have grown up with, and they choose to move back in with their parents for a time. These young people are sometimes called "boomerang(回飞棒, 飞去来器) kids," because they have left the nest once but are now back again.Four Stages of Marriage RelationshipsThe idea of equality also affects the relationships between husbands and wives. Women have witnessed steady progress toward equal status for themselves in the family and in society at large. According to Letha and John Scanzoni, two American sociologists, the institution of marriage in the United States has experienced four stages of development. In each new stage wives have increased the degree of equality with their husbands and have gained more power within the family.Stage I: Wife as Servant to Husband During the 19th century, American wives were expected to be completely obedient to their husbands. As late as 1850, wife beating was legal in almost all the states of the United States. Although both husbands and wives had family duties, the wife had no power in family matters other than that which her husband allowed her. Her possessions and any of her earnings belonged to her husband. During the 19th century women were not allowed to vote, a restriction that in part reflected women's status as servant to the family.Stage II: Husband-Head, Wife-Helper During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, opportunities for women to work outside the household increased. More wives were now able to support themselves, if necessary, and therefore were less likely to accept the traditional idea that wives were servants who must obey their husbands. Even though the great majority of wives chose not to work outside the home, the fact that they might do so increased their power in the marriage. The husband could no longer make family decisions alone and demand that the wife follow them. The wife was freer to disagree with her husband and to insist that her views be taken into account in family decisions.Even though the wife's power increased, the husband remained the head of the family. The wife became his full-time helper by taking care of his house and raising his children. She might strongly argue with him and sometimes convince him, but his decision on family matters was usually final.This increase in equality of women in marriages reflected increased status for women in the society at large and led to women's gaining the right to vote in the early 20th century.The husband-head, wife-helper marriage is still found in the United States. Economic conditions in the 20th century; however, have carried most marriages into different stages.Stage III: Husband-Senior Partner; wife-Junior Partner During the 20th century, more and more wives have taken jobs outside the home. In 1940, for example, only 14 percent of married women in the United States held jobs outside the home. In the 1990s, more than 60 percent do. When married women take this step, according to Scanzoni, their power relative to that of their husbands increases still further. The wife's income becomes important in maintaining the family's standard of living. Her power to affect the outcome of family decisions is greater than when her duties were entirely in the home.Although she has become a partner; however; the wife is still not an equal partner with her husband, since his job or career still provides more of the family income. He is, therefore, the senior partner and she is the junior partner of the family enterprise. Even though she has a job, it has a lower priority than her husband's. If, for example, the husband is asked to move to advance his career; she will give up her job and seek another in a new location.In the United States today, many marriages are probably the senior-partner/ junior-partner type, since the majority of women have jobs outside the home. The main reason seems to be that it has become increasingly difficult for families to maintain their standard of living on just one income. It is also due to the desire of American women for greater economic opportunity.Stage IV: Husband-Wife Equal Partner Since the late 1960s, a growing number of women have expressed a strong dissatisfaction with any marriage arrangement where the husband and his career are the primary considerations in the marriage. By the end of the 1970s, for example, considerably less than half of the women in the United States (38 percent) still believed that they should put their husbands and children ahead of their own careers. In the 1990s, most American women believe that they should be equal partners in their marriages and that their husbands should have equal responsibility for child care and household chores.In an equal-partnership marriage, the wife pursues a full-time job or career that has equal importance to her husband's. The long-standing division of labor between husband and wife comes to an end. The husband is no longer the main provider of family income, and the wife no longer has the main responsibilities for household duties and raising children. Husband and wife share all these duties equally. Power over family decisions is also shared equally.The reality of life in the United States is that although most American women now have an equal say in the decisions affecting the family, they generally earn less than men for the same work. Also, most women are still spending more time taking care of thechildren, cooking, and cleaning house than their husbands are. Many women are resentful because they feel like they have two full-time job — the one at work and the one at home. In the 1980s, women were told they could "have it all" —fast-track career, husband, children, and a clean house. Now, some women are finding that lifestyle exhausting and unrewarding. Some young women are now choosing to stay at home until their children start school, but many others who would like to cannot afford to do so.Juggling two careers and family responsibilities can be as difficult for men as it is for women, especially if there is truly an equal division of duties. American fathers are often seen dropping the kids off at the baby sitter's or taking a sick child to the doctor. Some businesses are recognizing the need to accommodate families where both parents work. They may open a day-care center in the office building, offer fathers "paternity leave" to stay home with their new babies, or have flexible working hours. Unfortunately, these benefits are still the exception. While young couples strive to achieve equality in their careers, their marriages, and their parenting, society at large still lacks many of the structures that are needed to support them.The Role of the Family in SocietyThe American ideal of equality has affected not only marriage but also all forms of relationships between men and women. Americans gain a number of benefits by placing so much importance on achieving individual freedom and equality within the context of the family. The needs and desires of each member are given a great deal of attention and importance. However, a price is paid for these benefits. American families are less stable and lasting than those of most cultures. The high rate of divorce in American families is perhaps the most important indicator of this instability.The American attitude toward the family contains many contradictions. For example, Americans will tolerate a good deal of instability in their families, including divorce, in order to protect such values as freedom and equality. On the other hand, they are strongly attached to the idea of the family as the best of all lifestyles. In fact, the great majority of persons who get divorces find a new partner and remarry. Studies show consistently that more than 90 percent of Americans believe that family life is an important value.What is family life? We have seen that only 26 percent of the households are the "typical" American family — father, mother and children. Many of these are really "step families," or "blended families." Since most divorced people remarry, many children are living with a stepmother or stepfather In a "blended" family, the parents may each have children from a previous marriage, and then have one or more children together —producing "yours," "mine," and "ours. " Such families often result in very complicated and often stressful relationships. A child may have four sets of grandparents instead of two, for example. Blending families is not easy, and, sadly, many second marriages fail.In addition to traditional families and blended families, there are a number of single parents, both mothers and fathers (more mothers), raising their children alone. Many of the single mothers are divorced, but some have never married. Indeed, by the mid-1990s, a startling one-third of all new babies were born to single mothers. Sometimes single parents and their children live with the grandparents for economic and emotional support. There are all sorts of arrangements. In recent years, some gay and lesbian couples have created family units, sometimes adopting children, and some have sought to have single-sex marriages recognized by law. The definition of "family" has become much broader in the '90s. The majority of Americans would now define it as "people who live together and love each other"Sociologists and psychologists tell us that the family is the best place for children to learn moral values and a sense of responsibility. Beginning in the early 1990s, experts began to voice concern over what was happening to many children in America. Today, the state of the American family is frequently discussed, not only by experts but by the press, elected officials, and the general public. The majority of Americans believe that the institution of the family and "family values" are both in deep trouble, and they are asking the schools to provide more moral education than in the past. But if you ask Americanshow their own families are, most will tell you they are generally happy with their family life.Family ValuesIn Values and Public Policy, Daniel Yankelovich reports on surveys done on family values. There are 11 points that a majority of Americans agree are "family values" Yankelovich classifies six of them as "clearly traditional".∙ Respecting one's parents∙ Being responsible for one's actions∙ Having faith in God∙ Respecting authority∙ Married to the same person for life∙ Leaving the world in better shapeThe other five are "a blend of traditional and newer more expressive values"'∙ Giving emotional support to other members of the family∙ Respecting people for themselves∙ Developing greater skill in communicating one's feelings∙ Respecting one's children∙ Living up to one's potential as an individualThe ideal of the American family is group cooperation to help achieve the fulfillment of each individual member, and shared affection to renew each member’s emotional strength. Families can be viewed as similar to churches in this regard. Both are seen by Americans as places where the human spirit can find refuge from the highly competitive world outside and renewed resources to continue the effort. Although in many cases churches and families do not succeed in the task of spiritual renewal, this remains the ideal of church and family in America.。
5.2 The American FamilyFamily (dynamic: adj.动态的->) dynamics (力学, 变迁big family<->nuclear family小家庭) (Tables 5.1 and 5.2) have changed over the past few decades due to (由于) increasing life spans (寿命) and the shift (=change) from three to four generation families in which children have long relationships with their great-grandparents (曾祖父尊祖母->grandson孙子). Maternal (母亲的<->paternal: 父系的) health and childcare (保育工作) have improved significantly (greatly), helping infants survive into adulthood (步入成年). Adults are living longer and enjoy “decades of life after children (生儿育女之后享受多年的天伦之乐),” as some realists (现实主义者) put (=described) it. Divorces are more common as (=when) people live longer and are (willing: adj.愿意的<->) unwilling (reluctant: adj.不愿意的) to spend additional years in an unhappy marriage --and also because women have more independence as a result of earning higher wages(than they did in the past). Additionally (=Besides 另外), the mobility (流动性) of the American workforce (a nation on the wheel架在汽车轮子上的民族), with people willing to travel across the nation or around the world to go where the jobs are (=exist), affects kinship (亲属) cohesion (凝聚力) and care-giving (养老送终) as (因为) adult children sometimes live thousands of miles from their aging (年事已高的) parents.**************************************** Table 5.1 US Population by Age and Sex, 2004Source: CIA (2004).**************************************** Table 5.2 Life Expectancy (=Life Span寿命)Source: CIA, (2004).**************************************** In 2003, there were 81 million families of at least two people in the United States and seven out of ten Americans said that being married was better than being single. But Americans are also marrying later and having fewer children. The median (=average) age at first marriage for men is 27.1 years old and, for women, 25.3 (Fields, 2004: 13). Sixty-two percent of US households (=families) have only one or two members and the average family size (规模) is 3.2 people (US Census, 2002a: 49, 52). Since the liberal revolutions (=civil right movement民权运动) of the 1960s, the number (数量) of American families with both husband and wife present has been shrinking (=decreasing).The households (单亲家庭) has (直线上升), and this, together with rising divorce rates (n.概率), hasput more women with children into poverty as (=for) two incomes are increasingly essential (=important) to middle-class lives (生活). This, in turn (反过来), has caused anxiety (焦虑) over (=on) the future of the family and many (people) have proclaimed (=said) a crisis (危机) situation (处境). There is a nostalgia (怀旧) for the mythical (神话一般的) good old days whenwere (有教养的, 很听话well-educated/ obedient顺从的) and “above average,” and two cars were in every driveway. A return (n.) to that model (=lifestyle) would require women to give up the gains (西(由男人统治或控制的) models (=lifestyle), something not many are willing to consider (考虑).Middle-class Americans are (tear->) torn between traditional and models有矛盾情感的) about the one (=lifestyle) they should设计) for themselves. There is a culture war inside most individuals between traditional family values and contemporary liberalism (=freedom). Tradition calls for (=wants) no divorce, living near other family members, children obeying (服从) their parents, womenfocusing on domestic duties and (n.母亲的职责), and everyone believing in God. The reality of contemporary families promotes (=encourage促使) an absence (deletion删除) of strict rules, puts both spouses (配偶) as free agents (=characters自由人) in the labor market, nurtures (=bring up养育) children who are not the biological offspring (后代) of the adults they live with, and exists (=lives生活) in a culture (=society) dominated (以…为主导) by entertainment and emphasizing rights (权利) and sexual freedoms (Wolfe,1998: 110). Affluence (n.富足), too, contributes to (=lead to导致) the breakup (n.瓦解) of families as (因为) many young people grow up faster with cellular (mobile) phones, automobiles, and disposable [(税后)可支付的] incomes. But while parents are frustrated with (对…感到气馁) the modern family, few seem willing (adj.愿意的) to return to the 1950s.The issue (=problem) of ("homo-"=one->) homosexuality and family life continues to be debated (争论). Stressing traditional values, in 2004, Republican Party candidates and the Religious Right (宗教右翼) promoted (鼓励, 主张) only one type of officially sanctioned (批准) marriage: One “born-that-way (=natural自然的)” man and one “born-that-way” woman. The evangelical (福音书教会的) wing of Christianity argued that God created the family consisting of Adam and Eve, not Adam and Adam, or Eve and Eve. No US state recognizes same-sex marriages, even though (尽管) Vermont and Massachusetts allow civil (人们的) unions (结合) with benefits (利益) and responsibilities without labeling them “marriage.”. In 1996, Congress passed the Defense (捍卫) of Marriage Act (法案) to define a legal marriage as a union between one man and one woman.Even with 4,019,280 births in the United States in 2002, the birthrate of 13.9 babies per 1,000 people is the lowest in over a century (Schmid, 2003). Children seem to be going out of style (=out of fashion不时髦) as more women opt (=choose选择) not to have them (=children). In 1970, over half of American women had more than three children. Economics help explain the decline (下降) in births. In the past, children helped the family's income, but in modern America, parents do not get an economic boon (恩惠) from having children, and are more likely (=possible) to see the high costs (=expense成本) of support and education as a drain (消耗) on resources (经济资源). The main motivation (动机) for those who choose pregnancy is their hope to gain (=get) pleasure (欢乐) from havingthe household; most want theexperience (做父母的体验). Some men want the prestige (特权) of siring (=having) offspring (后代) but not the expense (费用), so they never marry or else quickly divorce(->separate) the mothers and often default [(1)n.默认值; (2)vt.拖欠] on child-support payments (孩子抚养费)--thereby (失踪) becoming absent (失踪的) fathers who lose rather more prestige (特权) than they gain. About one in three American children is living only with its mother; but that can be said another way: nearly seven in ten American kids live with both parents. Studies (=researches) indicate (=show) that middle-class fathers are spending more time with their children than ever before, and 49 percent of couples (夫妻) say that they share (分担) childcare equally (Coontz, 2001). The average cost of raising a middle-class child born in 1999 to 18 years old is estimated at $236,600 (Hacker, 2000). Costs double (vi.) from ages 18–21 if the child goes to college.For the vast majority of American teenagers, life outside the family revolves (周旋->revolver 左轮手枪) around school, part-time (=兼职的<->full-time job) jobs, shopping, worrying about getting into college, athletics (=sport), and friends.The majority of teens have the philosophy of their own potential (潜能) drilled [(1)vt.钻孔; (2)vt.训练; (3)填鸭] into them by parents and teachers--an achievement ethos (思潮->self -esteem自我形象) that makes them anxious about (=worry about) failing (失误). Most teens get driver’s licenses when they are16 and, quickly thereafter, a car of is especially the case (=true) for suburbanites (郊区居民) with both parents working. Middle-classteenagers have many social(=involvement/ activities) in after-school (athlete: n运动员->) athletics (=sports), clubs, volunteer organizations, music or dance lessons, and work. School days begin at or before 8 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Sexual intercourse among teens has been decreasing with the percentage of those between 15 and 19 years old who have never had vaginal (阴道的) intercourse at a three-decade-long high of 54 percent (Media Project, 2005). It has become common in parts of the South and West for teens to voluntarily agree to an abstinence (禁欲) pledge (a serious promise)--popularly called a “Virginity (贞洁) Oath”--abstaining from (避免) vaginal sex until they enter college or get married (Schemo, 2001). A religious-based organization called “The Silver Ring Thing” has thousands of teens wearing a silver ring (戒指) and promising that upon (=on) present(=give) the ring--and their (贞洁)--to their husband or wife (Silver Ring Thing, 2005). The continuing threat (n.威胁) of AIDS and the general conservative climate (社会环境) have also been influential (有影响力的). Since 1999, there has been a corresponding (相应的) downwards (=decline) trend in the number of teen (pregnant; adj.怀孕的->) pregnancies as abstention (戒除), birth-control devices (药具), and abortions have had an effect (产生作用). Still, in 2002, there were 432,000 births to girls aged 10–19 (NYT Almanac, 2005: 277).(Finance: n.金融->) Financial matters (问题) continue to be the biggest concerns (忧虑) for Americans, even more than terrorism, war oreducation. In the last (=past) decade, the percentage of Americans giving their financial situation either excellent or good ratings (评分) stayed constant at nearly 75 percent. When (they are) asked how hard it was to afford (=pay for) the things they want in life, 7 percent said it was “very easy,” 43 percent said it was “easy,”, 36 percent said it w as “difficult,” and 12 percent said “very difficult” (Pew, 2001b). Americans have high expectations (很高的期待值) and seemingly unlimited (无限的) sources of material goods from which to choose. Those with higher incomes come to expect more, and so many Americans in the highest income brackets (把…归为一类) either spend everything they make (=earn) to live the most materially comfortable life available (现有的), or want things even more costly (=expensive)--a bigger house, newer car, designer clothes (设计的时装), and exotic (外地, 国外) vacations. From a world perspective (眼光, 角度), Americans as a group are rich. The average yearly income in 2002 for an American familyheaded (=led) by someone with a university degree was $71,400 and 26 percent of all Americans over age 25 have those degrees. David Brooks points out that such an income places (=put) those families above 95 percent of the world's population, a position (=status) he terms (术语) “stinking (臭的,讨厌的) rich” (福到了令人讨厌的地步) (Brooks, 2000, 2002a).Calling Americans “overworked (过劳)” and “overspent (花钱如流水),” sociologist Judith Schor examined contemporary family life in the United States and concluded that Americans are caught in (陷入…的死循环) a work-and-spend cycle that weakens family and community ties (社会的凝聚力). Certainly, Americans have chosen (=spent) more time on the job and less with family. The 1990s saw (=witnessed见证/ experienced) an increase in competitive (acquire: vt.获取) acquisition (=earning/ income) and conspicuous (挥霍的) (consume: vt,消费->) consumption (消耗) and reinforcement of the long-standing (=ever-lasting持久的) Americannotion (=concept) that “more and newer” is better. Schor points out that American materialism (物欲) is central to personal identity (身份) as a marker (标志) of success or failure, and has evolved (进化) from comparisons (攀比) to the next door neighbor's property (n.财富) to a “new consumerism (消费主义)” marked (以…为标准) by “upscale (高档的, 超前消费) spending” (1998: 4). Contemporary American families have new reference points (参照物) in the lifestyles they see on television or among their professional coworkers and bosses [Run away with the rich and famous]. By trying to emulate (=imitate与…竞争, 努力赶上) these groups, a family can put its household economy and personal well-being (=health) at risk.Social theorist John Woolman once said that people could be “(necessary->) necessitated (使…成为必要) to work too hard” and thereby (= by which由此) endanger (society->) community (凝聚力) and familial ties (cohesion 凝聚力, quoted in Segal, 2000). The (pursue: vt.->) pursuit (n.追求) of riches (=property富裕) is doing just that to American families. Parents want their children to “keep up” with (=imitate) Overclass (upper-class) children in fancy (花哨的) private schools or in wearing the latest (最新的) fashion or flashing (=showing off炫耀) the latest product innovation (翻新换代). To do this, parents work longer hours to make (=earn) the additional disposable (可支配的) income necessary to fund (vt.资助)children's new gizmo (小发明) (瘾->addictive->be addicted to对...上瘾). Some of this is understandable in a competitive society that wants to believe that the next generation will have life better than the previous one. Parents might want to downsize (轻描淡写) their own lifestyles but cannot and will not, because to do so would threaten the status (地位) and opportunities (机会) of their children. America is and always has been a culture of desire (贪婪的文化), but the concept of “need (需求)” has changed as the “must have” items (商品, 品名)now include cellular phones, home computers, and “iPods.” (Segal, 2001). Parents who lack the money to provide for the wants (n.必需品) of their children suffer real pain (遭受折磨), feel deprived (~sb. of sth.剥夺某人的某种权利;贫困的), and blame themselves for failing (失职) (Schor, 1998: 39). Most American families in the 1990s neither had a family budget (预算) nor saved money (积钱) for the future; instead, they spent their entire salaries between paychecks and bought on credit (赊销=buy sth. on installment分期付款).This growing debt burden (负担) weighs (vt./ vi.分量很重) most heavily on poor families who charge items to credit cards (透支信用卡) and do not make the incomes to pay more than the monthly minimums (最小值,最低收入), therefore staying perpetually (永远) in debt (负债人地位). The middle class, too, feels overextended (冒过多风险的，放账过多的), with single women and minorities leading (过…的生活) the categories (种类) of those who owe(欠债) much more than they can afford to pay. Two-income families with children and DINKS (=double income no kids) have two salaries toexpectations and) patterns (模people see the economy in general. It is therefore not surprising that poorer Americans are less optimistic (=pessimistic) about the future as (=when) prices rise faster than the incomes. Theraised since 1997.。
