(D) Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child.Last spring one of the two,Australia,gave up the bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011.I wasn’t surprised when this didn’t make the news here in the United States—we’re now the only wealthy country without such a policy.

The United States does have one explicit family policy,the Family and Medical Leave Act,passed in 1993.It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks’ unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem.Despite the modesty of the benefit,the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly,describing it as “government-run personnel management” and a “dangerous precedent(先例).” In fact,every step of the way,as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law,business groups have been strongly opposed.

As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues,justifying parental support depends on defining(定义)the family as a social good that,in some sense,society must pay for.Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is “no exit” when it comes to children.Society expects—and needs—parents to provide their children with continuity of care.And society expects—and needs—parents to persist in their roles for 18 years,or longer if needed.

1.What do we learn about paid family leave according to Paragraph 1?

A.It came as a surprise when Australia adopted the policy.

B.Setting up this policy made Australia less influential.

C.It has now become a hot topic in the United States.

D.No such policy is applied in the United States.

2.What makes it hard to take work-family balance measures in the States?

A.The incompetence of the Democrats.

B.The opposition from business circles.

C.The lack of a precedent in American history.

D.The existing Family and Medical Leave Act.

3.What is Professor Anne Alstott’s argument for parental support?

A.Children need continuous care.

B.Good parenting benefits society.

C.The cost of raising children has been growing.

D.The U.S.should keep up with other developed countries.

4.Why is the author against classifying parenting as a personal choice?

A.Parenting is regarded as a moral duty.

B.Parenting relies largely on social support.

C.Parenting produces huge moral benefits.

D.Parenting is basically a social responsibility.

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

An old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and 4-year-old grandson. The old man’s hands , his eyesight was not clear, and his unsteady(不稳定的). The family were every night at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and sight made this rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, would often spill(洒落)onto the tablecloth. “We must do some-thing about grandfather,” said the husband.

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There , grandfather ate in the corner while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. grandfather had already broken a dish or two , his food was served in a bowl. Sometimes, when the family grandfather, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. , the only words the couple had for him were sharp when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The 4-year-old boy watched all this .

One evening before supper, the father his son playing with wood scraps(小块)on the floor. He asked the child sweetly :“What are you making?” Just as , the boy answered: “Oh, I am making a little for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.”The 4-year-old boy smiled and went back to on it.

The words the parents so much that they were . Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. no word was spoken , both knew what they had to do. That evening, the husband took grandfather’s hand and led him back to the family table.

1.A.wounded B.moved C.trembled D.dragged

2.A.step B.feet C.speech D.body

3.A.away B.together C.asleep D.apart

4.A.losing B.failing C.disappearing D.rising

5.A.food B.pan C.milk D.dinner

6.A.alone B.casually C.steadily D.bitterly

7.A.After B.Since C.While D.When

8.A.small B.safe C.big D.wooden

9.A.glanced at B.stared at C.looked through D.looked after

10.A.However B.Otherwise C.Still D.Rather

11.A.comments B.quarrels C.warnings D.remark

12.A.in silence B.in advance C.in danger D.in charge

13.A.researched B.noticed C.searched D.explored

14.A.firmly B.suddenly C.cruelly D.sweetly

15.A.bowl B.cup C.spoon D.pan

16.A.worship B.work C.whisper D.weave

17.A.impressed B.touched C.confused D.struck

18.A.speechless B.homeless C.fearless D.hopeless

19.A.Once B.Whether C.Though D.Unless

20.A.gently B.happily C.fluently D.fortunately

I used to think education was the most important thing in my life. Recently my attitude has begun to change, although I still hold that it is essential for everyone in the world today. As a top junior student in my college, I was asked to make a speech on how to learn English well. Standing in front of the audience and facing so many freshmen, I was trembling. I didn’ t remember any word that I had prepared. I ran out of the conference room without finishing my speech, leaving everyone puzzled. I cried that night in my room, feeling that I was a loser. Studying takes up so much of my time that I feel unable to really develop myself. I am just storing knowledge, yet I fail to communicate with others. I have received many awards in school, but they don’t necessarily reflect anything about me. I don’t know how to socialize. When I leave school I fear I will be of no use to society.

I realize that everyone has his own way of living. I want to change my lifestyle. Of course I will keep studying. Yet I plan to look for a part-time job, which might turn out to be a good chance to get to know society. I still believe that working my hardest makes me happy. I will still stay on in college. But I will not allow it to shelter me from the real world.

1.The author believes the awards she has received ____.

A. show that she is a top student

B. show how much time she has spent in learning

C. only mean that she knows how to learn, but she doesn’t know how to socialize

D. don’t necessarily reflect her real self

2.The underlined word “essential” in Paragraph 1 probably means _______.

A. impossible B. unnecessary

C. most important D. most useful

3.The author feels fearful that she will be of no use to society mainly because _______.

A. she does not know how to communicate with others

B. she is unable to develop herself

C. studying takes too much of her time

D. she feels that she is a failure.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网