At the beginning of the twentieth century,many people thought that the American family was falling apart.A century later,we know that this was not the case.However,although the family is still alive in the United States,its size and shape were very different 100 years ago.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s,there were mainly two types of families in the United States: the extended and the nuclear.The extended family usually includes grandparents,parents,and children living under the same roof.The nuclear family consists of only parents and children.

Today there are many different kinds of families.Some people live in “traditional” families,that is,a stay?home mother,a working father,and their own biological children.Others live in two?paycheck families,single?parent families,adoptive or foster families,blended families (where men and women who were married before marry again and combine the children from previous marriages into the new families),childless families,and so on.

What caused the structure of the family to change? In the early 1900s the birthrate began to fall and the divorce rate began to rise.Women were suddenly choosing to go to college and take jobs outside the home.In the 1930s and 1940s,many families faced serious financial,or money problems during the Great Depression,when many people lost their jobs.During World War Ⅱ(1939-1945),5 million women were left alone to take care of their homes and their children.Because many men were at war,thousands of these “war windows” had to go to work outside their home.

During the next ten years,the situation changed.There were fewer divorces,and people married at a younger age and had more children than the previous generation.It was unusual for a mother to work outside the home during the years when her children were growing up.Families began leaving cities and moving into single?family homes in the suburbs.The traditional family seemed to be returning.

In the years between 1960s and 1990s,there were many important changes in the structure of the family.From the 1960s to the early 1970s,the divorce rate doubled and the birthrate fell by half.The number of single?parent families tripled,and the number of couples living together without being married doubled again.In fact,the single?parent household,once unusual,has replaced the “traditional” family as the typical family in the States.If we can judge from history,however,this will probably change again in the twenty?first century.

The Changes of the American Family

Main comparisons

Contexts

Different 1.

There were two 2.types of families in the past, 3.,the extended and the nuclear.

Nowadays 4.types of families can be seen than before.

Changes

in different

5.

In the 1900s and 1940s

Many of the women had to work outside due to the

6.of money,thus causing the fall of

7. and the rise of divorce rate.

In the 1950s

Divorce rate slide and there were more children.The families tended to be 8.again.

In the years between 1960s and 1990s

Different types of families 9..Traditional families are no longer the typical ones in America.

A trend worth noting Author's opinion on changes

Judging from what has happened in the past,it is 10.that the present structure will experience changes again in the near future.

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL).The game is the culmination(高潮)to a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. Normally, Roman numerals are used to identify each game, rather than the year in which it is held. For example, Super Bowl I was played on January 15, 1967, following the 1966 regular season. The single exception to this rule is Super Bowl 50, which was played on February 7, 2016, following the 2015 regular season. The next game, Super Bowl LII, scheduled for February 4, 2018, will follow the 2017 regular season.

The game was created as part of a merger(合并) agreement between the NFL and its then rival league, the American Football League (AFL). Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the most Super Bowl victories, with six. The New England Patriots have the most Super Bowl appearances, with nine.

The day (usually the first Sunday in February) on which the Super Bowl is played, now considered as an unofficial American national holiday, is called "Super Bowl Sunday". It is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day. In addition, the seven most-watched broadcasts in U.S. television history are Super Bowls. In 2015, Super Bowl XLIX attracted an audience of 114.4 million.

Because of the high viewership, commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the year, leading to companies regularly developing their most expensive advertisements for this broadcast. As a result, watching and discussing the broadcast's commercials has become a significant aspect of the event. In addition, popular singers and musicians including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Beyonce, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Whitney Houston, and Lady Gaga have performed during the event's pregame and halftime ceremonies.

1.According to the text, in the Super Bowl ________.

A. the New England Patriots have won nine times

B. the Pittsburgh Steelers have won six titles

C. Arabic numerals are used to refer to each game

D. winners of the last season play against each other

2.On Super Bowl Sunday, American people usually ________.

A. buy expensive Super Bowl tickets B. consume the most food of the year

C. avoid the Super Bowl commercials D. enjoy performances by famous artists

3.In 2015, the ________ Super Bowl was held.

A. 46th B. 49th C. 51st D. 55th

4.We can know from the text that the Super Bowl ________.

A. is a public holiday in the United States

B. is the annual championship game of AFL

C. launches a new season of the National Football League every year

D. has frequently been the most watched American television broadcast of the year

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