Americans are less inclined to get married than at any time in US history, posing social and public-policy dilemmas（困境）and the threatening to dissolve the “glue” that connects fathers to their children, experts say.

A report released by the US National Marriage Project found “a rather weakening of the institution（制度）of marriage” in America. The researchers said the US marriage rate has never been lower, births to unmarried women have skyrocketed, the divorce rate remains high and Americans’ marriages are less happy than in the past.

“There is no known society that has got along without marriage and has done a decent（体面的）job in rearing and sponsoring the next generation,” said Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, US National Marriage Project co-director.

The crumbling（崩溃）of the institution of marriage should not be viewed as a kind social trend with no costs to society at large, added the project’s other co-director, David Popenoe.

US government statistics cited（援引）in the Rutgers report detail a crisis（危机）in marriage whose origins can be traced back about 40 years. The report, citing census data（调查统计）,said the marriage rate has quickly reduced by a third since 1960. It said there were about 73 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15 and up in 1960. In 1996, the last year for which such figures were available, the rate was about 49 per 1,000.

Popenoe said the US marriage rate now has dropped below a previous historic low recorded at the turn of the century. He said several factors have something to do with the trend. One is that Americans are delaying marriage until they are older.

In 1960, the median age for first marriages was 20 for women and 23 for men. In 1997, with many college-educated Americans delaying marriage until their 30s, the median age rose to 25 for women and 27 for men, the report said.

“The later the marriage, by and large, the lower the (overall) marriage rate in the long run. In other words, people delay too long and then they decide not to marry after a while,” Popenoe said.

In addition, many American women, particularly black women, are giving birth and raising children without getting married.

In 1960,5.3 percent of all US babies were born to unwed mothers, according to government statistics. In 1997,32 percent of all babies were born to unmarried women－and a startling 69 percent of black babies had unwed mothers.

The percentage of US children living without their father present also has ballooned. In 1960, nine percent of children lived in a single－parent household. Last year, 28 percent of all children and 55 percent of all black children lived with a single parent. Children in single－parent households overwhelmingly live with their mothers, with fathers absent.

64.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A.Children in Single－Parent Families. 

B.Experts’ Prediction of Birthrate for the Next Decade.

C.Babies Born out of Wedlock Presents Problems.

D.Americans Seem Less Inclined to Get Married Nowadays.

65.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A.Experts fear that the low marriage rate will pose grave social problems.

B.Researchers have found out that divorce rate has skyrocketed lately.

C.The current marriage rate is the lowest ever since the turn of the century.

D.Experts believe that delay in marriage will more likely make a person dismiss the idea of getting married.

66.Which of the following is closest in meaning to “inclined”?

A.likely.  B.encouraged.  C.happy.  D.optimistic.

67.Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the figures provided in the passage?

A.In the United States, more couples are experiencing marital crises than there used to be in the 1970s.

B.The later the first marriage, the happier the marriage will be.

C.More and more people are giving birth to children without getting married.

D.More children are living in a single－parent household than there used to be.

Obama is believed to have inspired a generation of young people, getting them to take an  interest in politics．American politicians can come from different backgrounds, but there are a few things people do in common to get involved in politics and prepare themselves for a career．

       Serve in the military: According to foxnews．com statistics（统计数据） ,61 percent of the US presidents have had some military service．Military service can add some luster to a politician．

       John McCain and John Kerry both served in the navy during the Vietnam War．

       Get a law degree: Although doctors, scientists and teachers can be and have been politicians , a law degree is considered the most useful and relevant degree．It's a popular background for becoming a legislator （议员，立法委员）, and some political positions call for a law degree．

Historically, the vast majority of American presidents have been lawyers．Hillary and Bill Clinton are both graduates of Yale Law School．

       Do volunteer work: Volunteering to work for a political campaign of either a new or an established politician is another way to start．It can bring you in close contact with a candidate （候选人） and allow you to impress them with your dedication and work．Often, volunteers are rewarded with jobs or appointments （任命） if their candidate wins．

       Obama's speechwriter Jon Favreau volunteered for John Kerry for a term while he was still at college．

       Start locally: Another popular way to begin is by starting at the local level and climbing your way up．Most national senators （参议员） and representatives （众议员） first held office at the city or state levels of government, which also has representatives and senators．Bill Clinton was the governor of Arkansas State．Sara Palin began her career as a city councilor （参事） of Wasilla, Alaska, and went on to become governor．

       In summary, starting your political career at the bottom provides a path to follow to the top．

1．According to the passage, when added some luster, a politician will become more ____．

     A．healthy          B．wealthy          C．active           D．attractive

2．Who did some work for a politician before graduation from college?

     A．Hillary Clinton．  B．John McCain．    C．Jon Favreau         D．Sara Palin．

3．The underlined word "dedication" most probably means "____"．

     A．education         B．consideration      C．relation           D．devotion

4．The main point of the passage is that ____．

     A．political careers should start at the bottom in America

     B．almost all American presidents have been lawyers

     C．politicians cannot succeed without others' help in America

     D．American politicians come from different backgrounds?

    Policymakers need to step up efforts to cut smoking rates in Asia to prevent an “epidemic(流行病)” of tobacco - related lung disease, medical experts said at a conference in Mumbai.

    Many Asian countries have seen a sharp increase in tobacco use in the last decade, particularly among the young and in urban areas as a result of economic growth. A rise in smoking by women has also been noted.

    But ignorance of the health risks remains, especially among the rural poor, while overall tobacco use is adding an economic burden to countries in terms of health care and insurance costs plus lost productivity through illness.

    Matthew Peters, head of thoracic(胸腔的)medicine at Sydney’s Concord Hospital, told the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health that there were “real and material health care benefits”  for countries to encourage people to quit.

     “Stopping smoking is a very simple way” of cutting tuberculosis(肺结核) rates, he said, adding that quitting also meant the region’s poor, who are most affected by the disease, could use the money that previously went on tobacco for food and clothing.

    “These benefits are real. They are seen quickly and have effects on the most important health risks in this region. . . and the especially complex issue of economic deprivation(贫困) and nutrition, ” he added.

    Many at the conference expressed concern about the increases in smoking and tobacco use in Asia, as big tobacco companies look to the region for new markets with more people giving up smoking in developed countries. Health professionals want antismoking legislation(法规)，including bans on tobacco advertising.

    Some 1. 25 billion people worldwide use tobacco in some form every day. China and India account for more than half of that total, according to the World Lung Foundation statistics presented at the conference.

56. We can learn from the second paragraph that _______.

A. more and more people in Asian countries smoke

B. the young smoke more than the old in Asia

C. fewer people smoke in urban areas in Asia

D. there are more women smokers than men smokers

57. What do “real and material health care benefits” refer to?

A. The benefits that countries can get by encouraging people to smoke.

B. Cutting down the cost of health care and getting better food and clothes.

C. Good economy from tobacco, better food and clothes.

D. Health risks and the economic burden.

58. Why do big tobacco companies look to Asia for new markets according to the passage?

A. Because the largest population is in Asia and its economy is growing fast.

B. Because Asians concern about the danger of increases in smoking.

C. More and more people are giving up smoking in developed countries.

D. Health professionals want to ban tobacco advertising.

59. How many people use tobacco in China and India every day according to the World Lung Foundation statistics?

A. About 1. 25 billion.

B. More than 2. 50 billion.

C. About 0. 51 billion.

D. More than 0. 625 billion.

Increasing affluence（富裕）and currency appreciation are behind the spike in Chinese students traveling abroad for their undergraduate studies, industry insiders said.

The Ministry of Education last month reported that a record 840,000 high school graduates did not register for the gaokao (university entrance exam) this year. Those numbers are fueling speculation that this was due to the increasing number of Chinese students wanting to study abroad.

The total number of students traveling abroad to study increased from 144,000 in 2007 to 170,000 last year. This figure will probably top 200,000 this year, said Feng Jishang, marketing manager of Wiseway, a consulting firm that advises students and their parents about overseas schools.

Years ago, most Chinese students who went abroad would first complete their undergraduate studies in China before applying to an overseas graduate school. But this traned is changing. According to industry estimates, the proportion of students seeking their first degree abroad has risen to 30 to 50 percent of all overseas-bound students. That means there could be as many as 60,000 to 100,000 such students this year—— triple the number in 2003.

Foreign college campuses are beginning to notice the trend. A source tat the University of San Francisco told China Business Weekly that the campus used to accept three or four Chinese undergraduate students every year. Today, the number has hit 80, the university source said.

Rapid economic growth, coupled with a currency that has risen by more than 20 percent against the US dollar over the last four years, is making an overseas education more affordable for Chinese students. That’s making US campuses such as the University of San Francisco, or USF, more of a bargain. “ Students used to tell me that they did not have the money to go to USF, and they needed full scholarships. That is not the case now,” said Stanley Nel, vice-president of international relations at the San Francisco campus.

Another reason is that there simply aren’t enough places in Chinese colleges, especially the higher-rated ones, to satisfy the demand for a university education. “ Four in ten students taking the gaokao won’t get university places. Furthermore, of those that do many don’t get into the schools of their choice. That is why more are going abroad,” Feng of Wiseway said.

A widespread perception among students is that going overseas for college improves their career prospects, sources said. “ For Chinese students, capability is not a problem, but they need work experience and communication skills,” said Alan McNeilly, assistant dean at Teeside University in the United Kingdom. “ If they get a degree overseas, they can expect higher salaries and better positions when they return,” McNeilly said. His university will set up an office in China next month to attract more students, Mc Neilly added.

1.More and more Chinese students have recently traveled abroad for studines because______.

A．they don’t want to take part in the gaokao

B．most Chinese students want to study abroad

C．many Chinese people become richer and US dollar has been devalued

D．it is easy to complete their undergraduate studies

2.Which of the following statistics-related statements is NOT true?

A．The number of students seeking their first degree abroad is around 20,000 to 33,000 in 2003.

B．The increment of the total number of students traveling abroad to study is probably bigger from 2008 to 2009 than that from 2007to 2008.

C．The number of Chinese undergraduate students accepted at USF is about 20 to 26 times of that in the past.

D．200,000 out of the 840,000 high school graduates who did not take the gaokao this year started their undergraduate study abroad.

3.Students interested in studying abroad take the following factors into account EXCEPT_____.

A．financial affordability    

B．work opportunities after graduation

C．accommodation standard

D．the chance of getting into a more desirable university

4.What can be inferred from this passage?

A．If the Chinese RMB decreases 20 percent against the US dollar, the number of Chinese students traveling abroad to study will decrease 20 percent.

B．If more universities are established in China, fewer students will choose to study abroad.

C．Teeside University will set up an office in China to attract those students who have been admitted to USF but have not been offered full scholarships.

D．Without a degree overseas higher salaries and better positions are not impossible if you are experienced and have outstanding communication skills.