According to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS),the U.K.has about 7.7 million families with dependent children,of which 3.7 million have just one child,compared to 3 million with two and 1.1 million with three children or more.The number of families today with just one dependent child is now 47 percent and will likely rise to more than 50 percent in a decade.As the ONS confirms,“It appears that families are getting smaller.”
One obvious reason for this could be that women are putting off having children until they have established careers when they are bound to be less fertile.But it could just as well be a matter of choice.Parents must consider the rising cost of living,combined with economic uncertainty and an increasingly difficult job market.And this trend may continue growing as having an only child becomes more normal,which seems to be the mood on the mothers’ online forum Mumsnet,where one member announced that she “just wanted to start a positive thread about how fab it is to have an only child”.
She had received 231 replies,overwhelmingly in the same upbeat spirit.Parents of only children insist there are plenty of benefits.Nicola Kelly,a writer and lecturer who grew up as an only child and is now a married mother of one,says her 15 year old son seems more grown up in many ways than his contemporaries.
Not all products of single child families are as keen to repeat the experience.In a moving recent account journalist Janice Turner wrote about her own keenness to “squeeze out two sons just 22 months apart”as a reaction to her only child upbringing.
She was placed on a pedestal by her doting parents,whom she punished with a “brattish,wilful” rejection of everything they stood for.Desperate for a close friend she was repeatedly shattered by rejection and refers to her childhood as being “misery”.
Writer and clinician Dr.Dorothy Rowe,a member of the British Psychological Society,says that we all interpret events in our own individual way and there are some children who no matter what their circumstances feel slighted,while other children see the advantages of their situation.
However,the one part of life that is unlikely to get any easier for only children is when they grow up and find themselves looking after their own parents as they become older.
1.The passage is written with the purpose of ________.
A. illustrating the strength and weakness of having an only child
B. analyzing the reasons why having an only child becomes popular
C. presenting us with different opinions about having an only child
D. guiding people to look at the same issue from different perspectives
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Nearly half of families intend to have just one child.
B. All people don’t stand for the idea of having an only child.
C. Some people fail to recognize the advantage of having an only child.
D. People brought up in an only child family resist downsizing the family.
3.From what Dr.Dorothy Rowe said,we know that ________.
A. journalist Janice Turner experienced a miserable childhood
B. she has a positive attitude towards Janice Turner’s reaction
C. it’s necessary for us to look at the event from our own angle
D. some are unable to make an objective assessment of their conditions
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. It’s normal to see the imperfection in character in only children.
B. Mumsnet is an online forum which promotes having an only child.
C. Economic development plays a determining role in the family size.
D. Only children will have difficulty in attending to their parents.
科目:高中英语 来源:2015-2016学年宁夏回族自治区银川一中高一上期末英语卷(解析版) 题型:语法填空
A.阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(不多于3个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
Mary: Do you use an anti-virus program 1.________ (protect) your computer?
Mike: Yes. Because here are so many bad things on the Internet and so many people 2.________ are trying to use the Internet to hurt other users. You have to be very careful and keep your computer clean.
Mary: How often do you run your anti-virus program?
Mike: I usually run it every five days.
Mary: Oh, my new computer 3.________ (attack) several times so far. Would you like to suggest an anti-virus program for me?
Mike: How about trying this one? It’s very good and you can download it4.________ free.
Mary: That 5._______ (sound) very good. Which website should I visit to download it?
Mike: Just a minute ... go to this one. 6.________ only takes a few minutes to download it. Then you have to go through the set-up procedures.
Mary: What do you use your computer for?
Mike: Surfing the net and word processing (文字处理). I also do a lot of work with photographs.
Mary: Photographs? You’re a really 7.________ (intelligence) person.
Mike: No doubt 8.___it is easy to learn a computer program and you can edit and resize photographs.
Mary: Computers are great in 9. ________ way, aren’t they? I should download some programs and learn 10._______ to use them.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2016届江苏省淮安市高三12月月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:单项填空
He asked me to give him a lift ________ I could make an explanation about the crowded space in my car.It was so hard to refuse him!
A.untilB.whileC.beforeD.when
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科目:高中英语 来源:2015-2016学年山东蒙阴一中高二学优班10月模块测试英语试卷(解析版) 题型:七选五
This Way to Dreamland Daydreaming means people think about something pleasant, especially when this makes them forget what they should be doing. Daydreamers have a bad reputation for being unaware of what’s happening around them. They can seem forgetful and clumsy._1._They annoy us because they seem to be ignoring us and missing the important things.
But daydreamers are also responsible for some of the greatest ideas and achievements in human history. __2._ Can you imagine what kind of world we would have without such ideas and inventions?
So how can you come up with brilliant daydreams and avoid falling over tree roots or otherwise looking like a fool?
First, understand that some opportunities(机会) for daydreaming are better than others. Feeling safe and relaxed will help you to slip into daydreams.__3._ And if you want to improve your chances of having a creative idea while you’re daydreaming, try to do it while you are involved in another task—preferably something simple, like taking a shower or walking, or even making meaningless drawings.
It’s also important to know how to avoid daydreams for those times when you really need to concerntrate. “Mindfulness”, being focused, is a tool that some people use to avoid falling asleep.__4.__
Finally, you never know what wonderful idea might strike while your mind has moved slowly away.___5._
Always remember that your best ideas might come when your head is actually in the clouds.
A. Having interesting things to think about also helps.
B. They stare off into space and wander by themselves.
C. Without wandering minds, we wouldn’t have relatively, Coke or Post-it notes.
D. At one time, daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses.
E. It involves slow, steady breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive.
F. Daydreams are often very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to understand.
G. Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep a notebook or voice recorder nearby when you’re in the daydream zone.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2015-2016学年江苏射阳第二中学高二上学期第一次月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:单项填空
Brendan hurriedly got to the airport, only ______ the plane had taken off.( )
A.to find B.to finding
C.to be finding D.to have found
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年湖南省怀化市高三一模考试英语试卷(解析版) 题型:完形填空
完形填空
Leaving for work one morning, I noticed that my newspaper hadn’t been delivered yet.Since I always took it to work, it me that I would have to stop at the store and pick one up.I was already running late, but figured I could make it if I hurried. It was putting me in a . mood.
As I pulled into the parking lot of the to get a newspaper, I noticed a young man in a wheelchair who seemed to be with his wheelchair.“I’m sure he’s all right”, I thought, “or if he’s not, someone else will help him.”
by the customers and cars that were passing him by, I guessed they were thinking the thing.I got out and walked over to see what the was.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked. I noticed he wasn’t able to , and was still struggling with the wheelchair.
I at the wheelchair and noticed that the clamp(夹锁) holding the electronic keyboard and chair controls had loosened, causing the equipment to slip down, out of his reach.
I pulled it back into .His hand pulled over to the keyboard and he hit a single key.An electronic voice said, “Thank you.”
I felt a wave of gratitude come over me. I was truly blessed to have the physical .that allowed me to live a normal life.The young man helped me gain a new way of thinking in life.
1.A. annoyed B. ignored C. permitted D. avoided
2.A. guilty B. curios C. bad D. good
3.A. office B. store C. library D. station
4.A. comparing B. living C. struggling D. playing
5.A. Judging B. Waiting C. Attracted D. Interrupted
6.A. particular B. happy C. same D. strange
7.A. accident B. trouble C. comment D. surprise
8.A. share B. deliver C. move D. speak
9.A. look up B. look down C. come down D. hold up
10.A. gradually B. luckily C. suddenly D. obviously
11.A. space B. form C. place D. shape
12.A. gratitude B. attitude C. manner D. ability
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014-2015学年河北永年第二中学高三12月月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
Speaking from my past experience, it is very difficult to find good friends that you can trust but once you have found them, they are worth keeping forever! Therefore, I think friendship is the most important relationship that anybody could have.
The qualities I look for in a friend are a good sense of humor but sensitivity when it matters. Also that friend would have to be strong-minded and highly spirited. I think that these qualities are the key qualities to look for in a good friend.
Even the strongest friends can still have arguments, although usually about more serious topics, rather than the usual teenage childish arguments. Some matters can seriously affect a friendship. If one of your friends started experimenting with harmful and dangerous drugs, what would you do ? A good friend would try to help as much as possible, whereas a bad example of a friend would simply shrug(耸肩) and turn a blind eye.
Not only the bad things affect friendship ---- good activities do too. Such as bonding with one another, not just by going out on a night with them but by spending quality time with them and talking to each other, which indicates a good ability to communicate. This is a key aspect of a good friendship.
Good friends do not always have to be in the same age group as you. I have a good friend and she is 47 years old and I am 16.
Unfortunately, some people lose contact with their friends as they grow older, which is a sad way to lose a good friend.
I think friendship is one of the most important things in life because if you have no friends you will have no happiness.
1.According to the author, true friendship _______.
A. is easy to get
B. deepens with time
C. needs management
D. affects one’s happiness
2.Paragraph 3 is mainly about______.
A. why drugs are bad for teenagers
B. problems that will test friendship
C. ways that help avoid arguments
D. whether a friend is trustworthy
3.According to the author, which matters least in friendship?
A. Age. B. Sensitivity.
C. Sense of humor. D. Communication ability.
4.Which of the following saying can match the author’s view on friendship?
A. Old friends and old wines are best.
B. A friend without faults will never be found.
C. A life without a friend is a life without the sun.
D. a friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2016届广西武鸣县高级中学高三8月月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:完形填空
完形填空
I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a ________ over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always ________ . Not knowing we were poor, my kids(孩子们) just thought I was ________ . I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t ________ for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big ________ for the kids was the fun of Christmas ________ .
They planned weeks ahead of time, asking ________ what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for ________ to share by all five of us.
The big ________ arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and ________ them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would ________ back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, ________ my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually ________ . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies — fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything ________ we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, ________ to be angry again. This is what she told me.
“I was looking ________ thinking of what to buy, and I ________ to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she ________ for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and ________ the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so ________ as I did that day.
1.A. roof B. hat C. sky D. star
2.A. little B. less C. enough D. more
3.A. busy B. serious C. strict D. kind
4.A. effort B. room C. time D. money
5.A. improvement B. problem C. surprise D. excitement
6.A. shopping B. travelling C. parties D. greetings
7.A. the other B. each other C. one by one D. every other one
8.A. toys B. clothes C. presents D. bills
9.A. day B. chance C. cheque D. tree
10.A. forced B. reminded C. invited D. begged
11.A. draw B. stay C. move D. meet
12.A. including B. besides C. except D. regarding
13.A. quiet B. excited C. happy D. ashamed
14.A. since B. after C. while D. until
15.A. waiting B. ready C. hoping D. afraid
16.A. out B. over C. forward D. around
17.A. forgot B. stopped C. failed D. hated
18.A. wanted B. did C. got D. played
19.A. made B. searched C. bought D. fetched
20.A. angry B. rich C. patient D. bitter
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科目:高中英语 来源:2016年北京市西城区高三上学期期末考试英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
Showrooming
One of the biggest challenges facing brick-and-mortar retailers(实体零售店) in recent years has been the “showrooming”.Driven by the desire to get the best prices, many shoppers are now visiting brick-and-mortar stores to personally check on products that interest them, only to leave and then buy the items online.The new trend is forcing retailers to find out new ways to keep consumers from leaving their store for cheaper prices online.
Recent research found that 40 percent of U.S.shoppers have showroomed previously, with big-box retailers suffering the most.Specifically, the study shows that Best Buy, Walmart and Target are the most likely brick-and-mortar stores to have shoppers test out a product in-store and then purchase it online later, while Amazon is benefiting most from the practice, with nearly 60 percent of shoppers using the online retail giant(巨人) most often to make their showrooming purchases.
Smartphones have pushed showrooming into the front.Shoppers no longer have to wait until they get home to see if they can find a cheaper price for the products they’re considering buying.With smartphones, consumers can now compare virtual prices, at both other brick-and-mortar stores and online ones while still inside a retail store.If they can find what they’re seeking for less online, the majority will be seeking the first exit.A recent study showed that 45 percent of customers shopping at brick-and-mortar stores walk out and buy their purchase online for a discount of as little as 2.5 percent.
This puts pressure on retailers to provide both an in-store experience worth staying for and an online presence that can attract shoppers who are showrooming in other businesses.
To cut down on showrooming, many retailers are adopting new methods to keep shoppers in their stores.Among the steps they’re taking are price-matching guarantees that allow shoppers to pay a discounted price if they find it cheaper online.This ensures that even a showrooming shopper can make the purchase in the store—regardless of whether they find the cheaper price online.
Another popular method to fight against showrooming is to give shoppers the ability to buy something online and pick it up at the store.This reduces shipping costs and gets customers in the store, where they may be encouraged to make an additional purchase.
It is also important for businesses to take into consideration what makes shoppers purchase something in-store rather than online, and meet those needs.Research has found that more than 8 in 10 Americans consider being able to take the goods home immediately and the ability to touch and feel them—the most important aspects when deciding to purchase in a store rather than online.
1.According to the passage, a showrooming shopper tends to ______.
A. pay for everything online
B. have better bargaining skills
C. rush to buy things in a store
D. purchase online for a lower price
2.What contributes to the growing popularity of showrooming?
A. The wide use of smartphones.
B. The competition between big stores.
C. The advertisement by online retail giants.
D. The decline of the brick-and-mortar stores.
3.The underlined words “seeking the first exit” in Paragraph 3 probably mean ______.
A. searching for lower prices
B. leaving as soon as possible
C. locating the first exit quickly
D. making a purchase on the spot
4.The last three paragraphs mainly talk about ways of ______.
A. increasing sales at stores
B. preventing purchase online
C. satisfying customers’ needs
D. advising shoppers to buy more
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