问题 单项选择题

Passage Four

In considering how the American family is changing, the starting point is the traditional family, a form which has developed over time on the basis of a number of assumptions. It is assumed that the family is heterosexual (异性的) institution, with prescriptions about how a man and a woman ought to be joined together and live together. The proper family form is assumed to be the nuclear family, that is, a family composed of a married man and woman and their children. It is assumed that the husband is the head of the family, with ultimate authority over wife and children, and that in their clearly separated roles the husband is the income-earner and the wife is the homemaker and provider of child care. It is assumed that the family lives by itself in its own house or residence.
Observers of family life have suggested that numerous changes are taking place in this traditional American family form. Included are the following general observations about trends.
More men and women seem to be living together before getting married.
Women and men seem to be marrying at a later age.
Married couples are having fewer children.
Unmarried women appear to be having more children.
Wives, even mothers with small children, are increasingly likely to be employed outside the home.
Marriages are more likely to end with divorce.
Single-parent families are more prevalent.
Remarriage is likely to follow divorce rather than widowhood.
Remarriage rates are declining, especially for women.
Some trends, viewed in a long-range historical context, appear not to be trends at all. The age at which men and women normally marry is the same now as it was 100 years ago, though it has fluctuated (变动,波动); a short-range increase in the 1940s and 1950s due to widespread postponement of marriage in war time made it appear that a change had occurred. Other trends appear to be following established patterns rather than representing a sharp break with tradition. Divorce rates have been increasing and families have been having fewer children for well over a century. Single-parent families and stepfamilies were very common in the past, although the reason for them was different. Many marriages formerly are dissolved and followed by remarriage because of the death of a parent or partner. Today single parenthood and remarriage are more likely to be a response to divorce.
Some social scientists see in these changes the breakdown of the family, to the detriment of the society. We take the position that family institutions and systems, like all human systems, are open, take many forms, and are constantly changing.

Which of the following is observed as a trend in the traditional family form

A.Family tends to get smaller.

B.People seem to get married younger.

C.More men tend to return home.

D.Remarriage rates tend to rise.

答案

参考答案:A

解析:是非题。根据文章中列举的诸多趋势可知,男人女人都似乎结婚年龄更晚,所以B说他们结婚年龄提前是不对的。C在文中未提及。D的内容和文章内容正好相反。故A家庭变得比以前要小是本题正确选项,因为已婚人士的孩子数量少了。

阅读理解与欣赏

阅读下面一篇文章,完成问题。

绿色能源背后隐藏环境风险

  当新能源被冠以绿色头衔时,我们以为只要使用它们,清新的空气、洁净的水源,以及经历巨变而焕发新生的经济就将呈现在我们面前。然而事情绝非如此简单。

  首先,生物能源的扩张可能对日益宝贵的土地资源和水资源产生进一步的压力。能源作物与粮食作物存在争地抢水风险。按照目前的生产条件,大约需要2500升的水才能生产1升的液态生物能源,而同样数量的水所能生产的粮食却可满足一个人的日均食物需求。由于第二代生物燃料以麦秆、草和木材等为主要原料,导致速生树种大量种植,对物种多样的天然生态森林造成破坏——棕榈油就是“典范”:1986年随后的20年间,印尼棕榈树种植面积增长近10倍,但自1990年起,印尼有2800万公顷雨林遭到破坏。对生物燃料的渴求甚至会加剧人类的不平等状况,如土地所有权的进一步集中、小农和依赖森林生存的人们流离失所;粮价将继续飙升,使如中国这样的粮食进口大国愈陷被动。

  不仅如此,作物的种植、能源的提炼和运输也需要能源,而生物能源生产全过程所排放的温室气体,也并不一定比化石燃料少。

  实际上,关于绿色能源的争议并非只针对生物能源。

  备受争议的还有国内近来风波不断的太阳能光伏发电产业。去年9月,因浙江晶科能源有限公司不当堆放含氟固体废料,一场暴雨后,附近河水中氟离子超标9倍,造成河道大量鱼类死亡。事实上,生产一块1mx1.5m的太阳能板必须能耗超过40公斤煤。同时,作为光伏产业基础材料的多晶硅本身即属于高能耗、高污染产品,从生产工业硅到太阳能电池全过程综合电耗约220万千瓦时/兆瓦,而且多晶硅生产的副产物四氯化硅如处理不当也将对环境造成极大破坏。此外,光伏系统所使用的蓄电池所舍有的铅、镉、硫酸等有毒物质都可能对土壤、地下水等造成污染,而这也正是电动摩托和电动汽车大发展后可能对环境带来的深远伤害。

  其实,即便被广泛认为百分百“绿色”的水电和风能,给环境带来的污染破坏也不容忽视。 2010年12月,环境保护部污染防治司副司长凌江表示“水电在某种程度上可能比火电造成的污染更严重。”单是因电站的修建导致的水质污染、沼气排放、生态多样性危机、湿地消失、泥沙淤积、地震威胁等接踵而至的环保问题似乎已经足够将水电挤出清洁能源的行列,尚还不包括庞大的移民安置费用及部分跨省外迁移民因移致贫及产生的。理疾惠等社会问题。

  与此同时,风力发电在大量减少二氧化碳排放方面所发挥的作用也被打上问号。因为风并不总是存在,风力发电设备就必须使用火力发电方式来抵消风力的不可靠,结果造成二氧化碳减排效果不明显。丹麦是大力推广风能的国家,1999年到2007年间,风能发电量翻番。丹麦天然气和电网运营商数据显示,2007年丹麦生产电力所排放的二氧化碳量与1990年大体相当。显然,丹麦的二氧化碳排放量并未因为风能发电的普及而有所减少。

  并且,生物能源、水能、风能等技术的占地面积要比化石能源技术高得多(生物能源的占地最多相当于煤炭的近100倍)。一个日产6万立方米天然气的老天然气井的单位发电量,竟相当于风力涡轮发电站的20倍。除去基站本身,风力发电往往地点偏僻,从发电地点到城市之间还有几千公里的高压输电系统。

  人类需要基本的能源服务,而每一种能源都会产生利弊两种影响。所以,我们应该对绿色能源的环境风险,有更加充分、理性的了解。(选自《国际先驱导报》,有删改)

1.第二段中说“2500升的水才能生产1升的液态生物能源,而同样数量的水所能生产的粮食却可满足一个人的日均食物需求”,作者的意思是(     )

A.生产液态生物能源和生产粮食的耗水量是相同的。

B.生产粮食比生产生物燃料更有价值。

C.液态生物能源的生产消耗了大量宝贵的水资源,存在与粮食作物抢水的风险。

D.能源可以促进经济发展,粮食可以保障人口安全,所以两者都要抓。

2.下列表述不符合原文意思的一项是(     )

A.生物能源的无节制生产将对日益宝贵的土地资源和水资源产生进一步的压力。

B.太阳能在生产过程中也存在高能耗、高污染问题,如处理不当将对环境造成极大破坏。

C.关于绿色能源的争议涉及的能源类别有:生物能源、太阳能、水能和风能等。

D.水电站的修建会导致水质污染、沼气排放、生态多样性危机、湿地消失、泥沙淤积、地震等环保问题。

3.下列推断不符合原文意思的是(     )

A.文章标题意为:绿色能源对人类的自然环境和社会环境均具有潜在危险。

B.用甘蔗造酒精、用玉米制汽油、用太阳能加热洗澡水,不一定是正确的。

C.我们在推广绿色能源时,不能仅止于强调能源使用环节的清洁,而忽略了能源产品从最初研发直至最终消耗整个过程中的污染或清洁状况。

D.发不发展各种新型绿色能源,专家们众说纷纭,莫衷一是。

单项选择题