Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow. While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union. Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families.
Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to (＝before) marriage. Not only do the prospective(预期的) marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings. Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider.
As for any family， the basic ingredient(成分) of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual(相互的) respect. However， love alone is not enough. Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily.
Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success. Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit. Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved. Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully.
By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent(矛盾的) loyalties， lingering(持久的) hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams. The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable. However， there are ways to confront(面临) and resolve them. For example， support groups and professional counselors(法律顾问) are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming(压倒性的).
Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly. It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort. Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily. Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection.
【小题1】According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States.

I feel sure that ________ qualification， ability and experience，you are the most qualified one to do the job.

第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
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。
Kino, a poor fisher man, found a pearl (珍珠) which was    36    big as an egg and very beautiful. He set out for the nearest town to    37    it. He needed money very much to get    38    for his sick baby.
　　  The news that Kino had found the pearl spread (传播) the    39   . Every man suddenly became connected with Kino's pearl, and    40     went into the dreams, wishes and hungers (欲望)  of everyone.  Only one person  stood in the    41    and that was Kino,  who became every man's    42    .
　　   Before Kino reached the town, the pearl buyers somehow    43    he was coming and were    44    for him.
　　 Kino walked into the first shop. An old man    45    to have a look at the pearl. The old man's heart missed a beat (跳动) when he saw the pearl, but he took    46    not to show his excitement (激动). He looked at it for a moment and then said    47   a sad smile, “I'm sorry, my friend. It's too large. Nobody's going to    48    one like this. I can give you a thousand pesos (比索) for it.”
　　“Go and    49    it to the other buyers, or I can ask them to come here if you    50   .” They soon came. They looked as if they didn't know   51    about the pearl. They    52    five hundred for it.
Kino    53     the pearl and left.    54    he never knew he was followed by a group of men who all had    55    with them.
36. A. so          B. too            C. very       D. as
37.   A. buy       B. sell            C. show      D. go with
38.   A. clothes       B. delicious food    C. sweets     D. medicine
39.   A. town      B. village              C. city        D. street
40.   A. they       B. he              C. it         D. which
41.   A. way       B. street         C. town      D. dream
42.   A. friend     B. enemy         C. follower     D. boss
43.   A. saw       B. realized         C. knew     D. recognized
44.   A. ready     B. worried         C. happy     D. afraid
45.   A. ordered      B. suggested      C. wanted       D. promised
46.   A. care       B. notice         C. attention     D. place
47.   A. on         B. in                  C. with       D. by
48.   A. want      B. get             C. carry      D. buy
49.   A. take       B. show          C. give       D. hand
50.   A. want      B. pleased          C. sell        D. like
51.   A. something  B. everything     C. anything     D. nothing
52.   A. gave      B. offered          C. paid       D. bought
53.   A. fetched      B. carried              C. brought      D. took
54.   A. But        B. Though         C. And       D. However
55.   A. pearls     B. money              C. guns      D. nothing

My father’s reaction to the bank building at 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York city was immediate and definite: “You won’t catch me putting my money in there!” he declared, “Not in that glass box!”
　  Of course, my father is a gentleman of the old school, a member of the generation to whom a good deal of modern architecture is upsetting, but I am convinced that his negative response was not so much to the architecture as to a violation of his concept of the nature of money. In his generation money was thought of as a real commodity (实物) that could be carried, or stolen.
　　Consequently, to attract the custom of a sensible man, a bank had to have heavy walls, barred windows, and bronze doors, to affirm the fact, however untrue, that money would be safe inside. If a building’s design made it appear impenetrable（难以渗透的), the institution was necessarily reliable, and the meaning of the heavy wall as an architecture symbol reflected people’s prevailing attitude toward money.
　　But the attitude toward money has, of course, changed. Excepting pocket money, cash of any kind is now rarely used; money as a tangible commodity has largely been replaced by credit. A deficit (赤字) economy, accompanied by huge expansion, has led us to think of money as product of the creative imagination. The banker no longer offers us a safe: he offers us a service in which the most valuable element is the creativity for the invention of large numbers. It is in no way surprising, in view of this change in attitude, that we are witnessing the disappearance of the heavy-walled bank.
　　Just as the older bank emphasized its strength, this bank by its architecture boasts of imaginative powers. From this point of view it is hard to say where architecture ends and human assertion (人们的说法) begins.
36. 【小题1】The main idea of this passage is that________.

GET YOUR DEGREE AT HOME!

Have you ever wondered what a Degree might be worth to you in your job or career(事业)? It means a lot of Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly $10,000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma(毕业证).

Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Degree in 11 of today’s growing fields-without having to go to college full time. With Harcourt, you study at home, in your spare time__so you don’t have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like Business Management, Accounting, Dressmaking ＆Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering, and more! Your training includes everything you need! Books, lessons, learning aids__even professional-quality tools and equipment__everything you need to master your training and more ahead to a new career is included in the low tuition(学费) price you pay. Your education is nationally recognized! Nearly 2,000 American companies__including General Electric, IBM, Mobile, General Motors, Ford, and many others__have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employees in your area will, too!

Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months! The career of your dreams is closer than you think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today’s hottest fields! Step-by-step lessons make learning easy. Prepare for promotions(提升), pay raises, even start a business of your own! Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training!

Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon(票券) above. Then write in the name and number of the one program you’re most interested in, and mail it today. We’ll rush your free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities(机会) in the field you’ve chosen. Act today!

 ?? Mail coupon today!

       or call the number below

   ? 1-800-372-1589 Call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

   ? www. harcourt-learning.com

   ? E-mail: harcourt@learning.com

1.This advertisement aims at calling on people to ________.

A. attend full-time universities

B. work part time to further their education

C. improve their education at home to get better jobs

D. earn their degrees in different ways that suit them

2.Which of the following is NOT clearly mentioned in this advertisement? 

A. The way how you will get your degree. 

B. Tuition price. 

C. The hot fields you will be preparing yourself for.

D. The length of time it will take you to get a degree.

3.What does the writer of this ad intend to say by naming General Electric, IBM,?? Ford, etc.?

A. To show that their training is widely used in the country. 

B. To show that the training program is fully supported by famous companies in the U. S.

C. To prove the value of their training in every area.  　

D. To show the importance of getting recognized by the most famous companies.

4.It seems to the writer that the greatest attraction for people to take their training is______.

A. its convenience

B. the degree’s nation-wide recognition

C. the economic benefit it will bring about

D. the hot fields the training will help people to enter