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Housework is a frequent source of disputes (争论) between lazy husbands and their hard-working wives, but women have been warned not to expect men to pull their weight any time soon.
A study from Oxford University has found that men are unlikely to be doing an equal share of housework before 2050. Mothers, the researchers warned, will continue to shoulder the burden of childcare and housework for the next four decades, largely because housework such as cleaning and cooking is still regarded as “women’s work”.
The gap between the amount of time men and women spend on housework has narrowed slowly over the past 40 years. But it will take another four decades before true housework equality (平等) is achieved, the study concluded.
The research found that in the Nordic countries, the burden of housework is shared more equally between men and women. In the UK, women spend an average of four hours and forty minutes each day on housework, compared with two hours and twenty-eight minutes for men. This is an improvement from the 1960s, when British women typically spent six hours a day on housework, while men spent just 90 minutes every day.
But progress towards housework equality appears to be slowing in some countries. Dr Oriel Sullivan, a research reader from Oxford’s Department of Sociology, said, “we’ve looked at what is affecting the equality in the home, and we have found that certain tasks seem to be given according to whether they are viewed as ‘men’s work’ or ‘women’s work’.”
Dr Sullivan said cultural attitudes taught at school may be responsible for the views of housework. “At school it is much easier for a girl to be a tomboy, but it is much more difficult for a boy to enjoy baking and dancing,” she said.
1.The underlined part “pull their weight” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to “ __________ ”.
A. lose weight B. be lazy
C. earn money D. do equal housework
2.Women will continue to do more housework before 2050 mainly because _________ .
A. men are too busy to help
B. they would like to do so
C. they can do better in housework
D. housework will still be considered as women’s work
3.From Paragraph 4 we know that in the UK ___________ .
A. men now spend just 90 minutes a day on housework on average
B. women now are too busy with their work to do housework
C. women now spend less time on housework than before
D. housework is shared equally between men and women
4.In Dr Sullivan’s opinion, what is to blame for the housework inequality?
A. Cultural attitudes towards housework.
B. Policies made by the government.
C. The time spent on work.
D. The type of housework.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Mom and Dad are two of the most important people in your life.You probably see at least one of them every day. If your dad worships（崇拜）the Pittsburgh Stealers,you're likely to grow up being a big fan of that football team.And if your mom loves to read,you just might grow up carrying a book wherever you go,just like she does.
Here are four ways you can stay.close:and build a strong relationship with your parents.
(1)Spent time together.How much time do you spend just enjoying each other’s company?
Instead of playing a computer game or watching TV,maybe you can ask your mom and dad to play with you.Go outside together,try a board game,or read a book out.
(2)Share your feelings and ask for help.Your mom or dad might not know that you're having a problem.Tell a parent if you're sad or struggling with something.
(3)Show your care.Some families are always kissing,hugging,and saying "I love you".It's important to show that you care for each other.In addition to kisses and hugs,kids and parents show their love by respecting each other, being caring,polite,and thoughtful.
(4)Whatever you do,do your best!You,don't have to be perfect,but when you do your best,you make your parents proud.It makes them happy to see how you're turning into such a great kid.Why?Because it lets them know they’re doing a good job.
1.The first paragraph mainly tells us_______.
A. the Pittsburgh Stealers is a famous football team
B. the kid will like reading if his or her mother likes
C. parents influence their kids greatly
D. we should follow our parents' hobbies
2.In the third paragraph,the author suggests that_______.
A. you keep your parents company all the time
B. you stay at home with your parents
C. you enjoy games when your parents watch TV
D. you do something together with your parents
3.The underlined part "they're doing a good job" means_______. .
A. they have very good jobs
B. their jobs can bring the family much money
C. they make you become a great kid
D. they make you find a good job
4.The text intends to tell us_______.
A. parents are important to everyone B. how we get along with our parents
C. to respect our parents D. to share feelings with our parents
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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New friends. Fresh lifestyle. Better career opportunities…Those are attractions of overseas study for young people in China. “Start early, finish strong,” some of them say.
More than 300 universities from 27 countries and regions were represented at last weekend’s international education exposition(展览).
1.If you want to have more chances of getting scholarship to study in a foreign country, you’d better choose .
A. Canada B. the Netherlands
C. the US D. Australia
2.Many young people go to study in the US because .
A. it is not very difficult for them to get a student visa
B. it is easier for them to pass the TOFEL or GRE
C. they don’t spend much time applying to US universities
D. they think they can receive good university education
3.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Students go to the Netherlands usually for its beautiful scenery
B. You can apply for your visa to study in Australia on the Internet
C. You may have trouble with language if you study in Italy
D. The UK is the country with very high expenses
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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As they migrate(迁移), butterflies and moths(飞蛾) choose the winds they want to fly with, and they change their body positions if they start floating in the wrong direction. This new finding suggests that insects may employ some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances. Scientists have long thought that insects were simply at the mercy of the wind.
Fascinating as their skills of flight are, migrating behavior has been difficult to study in insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground. Only recently have scientists developed technologies that can detect such little creatures at such great heights.
To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive but active travelers on the winds. In autumn, for example, most light winds blew from the east, but the insects somehow sought out ones that carried them south and they positioned themselves to navigate(导航) directly to their wintering homes.
Even in the spring, when most winds flowed northward, the insects didn’t always go with the flow. If breezes weren’t blowing in the exact direction they wanted to go, the insects changed their body positions to compensate(抵消). Many migrating birds do the same thing.
The study also found butterflies and moths actively flew within the air streams that pushed them along. By adding flight speeds to wind speeds, the scientists calculated that butterflies and moths can travel as fast as 100 kilometers an hour. The findings may have real-world applications.
With climate warming, migrating insects are growing in number. Knowing how and when these pests move could help when farmers decide when to spray their crops.
1.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Insects migrate with the seasons
B. Wind helps insects greatly in migrating
C. insects have real direction
D. Scientists have trouble in observing insects
2.Scientists originally thought that .
A. insects always waited for their favorable winds
B. insects chose the winds they wanted to ride
C. insects were just blown about by the wind
D. insects positioned themselves in the winds
3.It is not easy to study the migrating behavior of the insects because .
A. the little creatures can fly very fast
B. their flight is long and high above ground
C. the wind’s direction is hard to foresee
D. they have no regular migrating courses
4.According to the passage, the findings can .
A. increase insects in number
B. instruct farmers when to spray
C. prevent climate warming
D. help protect insects
难度: 中等查看答案及解析