For better or worse, multiple marriages aren't just for actress Elizabeth Taylor (famous for her eight marriages) anymore.
More Americans than ever are tying the knot for the third time or more.
Lynn Y. Naugle, a 53-yeap-old family therapist in New Orleans, says that people's personal needs and desires simply change as their life evolves.
"What functions well in the first part of our lives may not function well in the second or third part of our lives," she explains.The first marriage lasted 21 years, her second marriage five years.Two years ago, she wed for a third time, and she describes this union as an "extremely easy marriage".
Today, at an estimated one of seven weddings, the bride, the groom or both are making that trip down the aisle for at least the third time.That's twice as many as a generation ago, according to the US National Centre for Health Statistics.
In part, the sudden change in multiple marriages is a side effect of the 1970s divorce increase that has supplied an ever expanding pool of divorced singles.Even the simple fact that people are living longer has opened the door to marrying more often.No fault divorce laws (meaning no one is blamed for the failure of the marriage), and cultural changes have also meant there's less pressure than in past generations to stay in a joyless or abusive marriage.
While a single divorce didn't block either Ronald Reagan or Bob Dole from seeking the most highly demanding job in America—the US presidency—modern society still raises an; eyebrow at more than one
marriage mistake.
Indeed, there are signs that attitudes are changing."It's coming out of the closet or becoming more accepted," says Glenda Riley, who wrote a book on the history of divorce in the US."There's still embarrassment on the personal level, while there is growing acceptance on the public level for three or more marriages in a lifetime."
There is no guarantee, of course, that the third time is the best.To the contrary, second and third marriages run an equal or greater risk of divorce than first marriages, which today are given 4 out of 10 odds of failing, and they tend to end more quickly.Divorce statistics show that failed second marriages typically end two years sooner than first marriages, lasting six years on average rather than eight.That leaves some doubly divorced people open for a third try at a relatively young age.What does the underlined phrase "tying the knot" (Para.2) mean?
A.Getting married. | B.Getting engaged. |
C.Having babies. | D.Attending funerals, |
What is NOT the reason for the increase in multiple marriages according to the passage?
A.People are healthier and enjoy a longer life than ever before. |
B.Many people have become single after a divorce boom in the past years. |
C.There is no divorce law restricting people to getting divorced. |
D.People have less pressure to leave a joyless marriage. |
What can we learn from the seventh paragraph?
A.Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole failed in seeking the job (the US presidency) because they were divorced. |
B.Ronald Reagan and Bob Dole succeeded in seeking the job (the US presidency) because they were not divorced. |
C.Modern society accepts multiple marriages completely. |
D.There is still prejudice against multiple marriages in modern society. |
Which of the statement is WRONG?
A.Acceptance to multiple marriages is different on personal level and public level. |
B.Because second marriages end sooner than first ones, people get married for the third time at a relatively young age. |
C.People learn from experience so that a second or third marriage is more stable |
D.The first marriage lasts eight year on average. |
As the population of the planet increases, so does the number of homes, businesses, parking lots, schools, airports and roadways. All these structures use electricity and need to be lighted. Humans demand these lights. They want their homes more comfortable and they want their streets sage. The problem is that researchers are finding that all the light is having a negative effect on humans and wildlife as well.
Less than 10 years ago I drove to a thinly populated section of my town, lay down in the middle of the road and watched an attracted meteor shower(流星雨). The area was short of homes, street lights and traffic. If I did that today, I wouldn’t be able to see the meteor shower as well, and I would surely be run over by a car.
Nowadays scientists are finding light pollution can be almost as bad as carbon dioxide pollution. If you’ve ever taken a flight at night, the view is beautiful, but you must remember that all the light you see is wasted electricity. The crew of the space shuttles see an even bigger picture of how extensive the wasted electricity is worldwide.
Additionally, electricity needs to be generated, and the generation of electricity creates pollution by giving off greenhouse gases. This affects the air we breathe and our quality of life.
Scientists are also studying the effects of light pollution on wildlife. Thousands of birds die each year when they crash into highly lighted buildings, as they become puzzled by the light. It has been long known that tiny sea turtle hatchlings become lost and follow lights on the shore instead of heading towards the sea.
Fortunately, light pollution is one of the easiest sources of pollution that can be corrected without a negative effect. Following some guidelines and a little searching on Google can give you many ideas on how to reduce your contribution to light pollution.The author tells the story in the second paragraph mainly to _________.
A.remember the past beauty of the town. |
B.stress the advantages of less pollution |
C.show the great changes of the town |
D.prove the bad effects of li![]() |
In the passage the author advises people _________.
A.to try to reduce unnecessary light. |
B.not to ignore the beauty around. |
C.to set proper light for animals |
D.not to destroy the animal’s living conditions. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Light pollution is difficult to deal with. |
B.Light pollution is a threat to some animals. |
C.Light pollution has nothing to do with global warming |
D.Astronauts can’t see clearly in space due to light pollution. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph which follows the last par
agraph?
A.The author’s contribution to light pollution |
B.Other sources of light pollution |
C.Ways of reducing light pollution |
D.More bad effects of light pollution |
RINGSTEAD BAY, DORSET
A picturesque 210 ft crescent (弦月状) of pebbles with clean water--- that’s a perfect escape from some of the busier beaches around Weymouth. You reach it by passing through the village of Upton, then along a narrow country road. Next to the car park is a well-stocked shop. The cliffs behind RINGSTEAD Bay are an excellent place for fossil hunting.
Accommodation: Glenburn Hotel (01305 832318, www. Glenburnhotel.com) with doubles from £79 including breakfast.
BRANSCOMBE, DEVON
Lying on the East Devon Heritage Coast, Branscombe has good facilities with toilets and a car park close to the beach, as well as a small picnic area. A well-stocked shop sells the most attractive dairy ice cream. Next to the shop is the Sea Shanty restaurant—open every day until 5 pm during the summer.
Accommodation: The Mason’s Arms, Branscombe Village (01297 680300, www. Masonsarms. Co.uk) with doubles from £65 pp with breakfast.Which beach is the most wonderful place for summer bathing?
A.COMPTON BAY. | B.BRANSCOMEBE. |
C.KINGSGATE BAY. | D.RINGSTEAD BAY. |
If you want to know more information about Fayreness Hotel, you’d better refer to the following website_____________.
A.www. Masonsarms. co. uk | B.www. Fayreness. Com |
C.www. Glenburnhotel.com | D.www. Sandpipershotel.com |
What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To attract more tourists. |
B.To describe some beautiful beaches. |
C.To tell us the most beautiful places in UK are beaches. |
D.To tell us where to spend summer. |
Andrew Carneigie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and, in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America. His success resulted partly from his ability to sell the product and partly from his policy of expanding during periods of economic decline, when most of his competitors were reducing their investments. Carnegie believed that individuals should progress through hard work, but he also felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. He opposed charity, preferring instead to provide educational opportunities that would allow others to help themselves. “He who dies rich, dies disgraced”, he often said. Among his more noteworthy contributions to society are those that bear his name, including the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, which has a library, a museum of fine arts, and a museum of national history. He also founded a school of technology that is now part of Carnegie-Mellon University. Other philanthropic(慈善的) gifts are the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to promote understanding between nations, the Carnegie Institute of Washington to fund scientific research, and Carnegie Hall to provide a center for the arts. Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. His contributions of more than five million dollars established 2,500 libraries in small communities throughout the country and formed the nucleus of the public library system that we all enjoy today.The author quoted(引述) “he who dies rich, dies disgraced” in the passage to show______.
A.He felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. |
B.He opposed charity. |
C.The wealthy die from their fortunes |
D.The wealthy die from not contributing to society. |
Carnegie’s success includes following aspects EXCEPT_____.
A.his policy of expanding. |
B.his ability to sell the product |
C.his ability to produce the product |
D.his hard work |
Which of the following may NOT be philanthropic gifts to society according to the passage?____
A.the Carnegie Institute of Washington. |
B.the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh. |
C.the steel industry. |
D.the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. |
What is the meaning of “Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity.” in the passage?________
A.Few Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
B.Many Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
C.we all enjoy![]() |
D.Many Americans were given Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the worst time in my life. I even wanted to kill myself. Just for kids, I had to continue to live and work as small-town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. Then they asked me to have a family trip.
On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids: “I’m going to Afghanistan”. And a few weeks later, international Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs, we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule. Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away.
In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami, Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil warm and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees, and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “Adventures or not?” I often asked myself.
When my wife passed away, I thought my life was done. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have.
I think about the moment many times during my “adventures”. I didn’t know how predictive those words would be. But I know that she is still with me.Where has the doctor been in the past few years?
A.Some countries where he could set up clinics. |
B.Some African countries where flu broke out. |
C.The places where the earthquakes happened. |
D.The places that the horrible disasters struck. |
How would the doctor describe his life after he had worked in Afghanistan?
A.Tired and troublesome. |
B.Busy and risky. |
C.Meaningful and helpful |
D.Frightening and depressing. |
The underlined word “refugees” means people_______________.
A.who are robbed, killed, or wounded |
B.who suffer from flu in movable clinics |
C.who like to take adventures |
D.who have lost homes because of disasters. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.the doctor’s wife encouraged him to work in foreign countries. |
B.What the doctor said to his wife before her death became reality. |
C.The doctor’s adventures made him understand the love of his wife. |
D.With the true love of his wife, the doctor started to change his life. |
Read the following advertisements and then choose the correct answers.
(China Daily, March 3, 1996) the biggest shopping center will open on March 8. Every body with today's China Daily will get a small present that day. You are welcome. Telephone: 38990688; address: No. 6 Xidan Road …… |
(ENGLISH NEWSPAPER, March 19) English Newspaper needs a foreign editor. He (She ) must have worked in China for more than 2 years. British nationality is necessary. The salary is $ 100,000 a year. The term is 3 years. In ten days this piece of advertisement will not be useful. Telephone: 3890666; addreses: No. 6 Xinling Road … |
(CHINA FOOTBALL, February 3, 1996) Shanghai Shenhua Team Vs Beijing Guo'an Team TIME: February 8. Sunday (3:00) PLACE: Hongkou Stadium TICKET PRICE; RMB 25 yuan (for adults ) RMB 1 ![]() NAME: China Cup Football Contest COACHES: Xu Genbao, Jin Zhiyang … |
If an Englishman who has worked in China for 3 years comes to English Newspaper office to ask for the job in April, he will _____.
A.get the job | B.not get the job |
C.be a good editor | D.not be useful |
If three adults and six students went to watch the match, the tickets would cost them _____ yuan.
A.165 | B.135 | C.196 | D.255 |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A.The shopping center is at NO. 6 Xidan road. |
B.The telephone number of English Newspaper is 3890666. |
C.The match was between Beijing Team and Guo'an Team. |
D.Xu Genbao is a coach. |