Marriages improve after children grow up and move out,according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.
Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.
In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.
Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.
One of the participants in the study,which is published in the journal Psychological Science,said:“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed,so things are a little more relaxed.”
Psychologist Sara Gorchoff,who carried out the investigation,said: “The takehome message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’.” Her coauthor Oliver John added:“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”
However, Dr Dorothy Rowe,from the British Psychological Society,said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life,then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents,their world falls apart when their children leave.”
1.It is commonly believed that___________.
A.marriages improve after children leave home
B.an “empty nest” is always a happy thing
C.parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out
D.parents will be pleased after their children leave home
2.When did many couples feel happier according to the study?
A.At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.
B.Shortly after marrying.
C.Once their children reached their teenage years.
D.When they were bringing up babies.
3.Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.
A.many couples are able to spend time together
B.many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company
C.things are a little more relaxed
D.many couples needn’t work at all
4.The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.
A.parents should build their life around their kids
B.parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home
C.parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all
D.parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题
Marriages improve after children grow up and move out,according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.
Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.
In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.
Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.
One of the participants in the study,which is published in the journal Psychological Science,said:“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed,so things are a little more relaxed.”
Psychologist Sara Gorchoff,who carried out the investigation,said: “The takehome message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’.” Her coauthor Oliver John added:“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”
However, Dr Dorothy Rowe,from the British Psychological Society,said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life,then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents,their world falls apart when their children leave.”
1.It is commonly believed that___________.
A.marriages improve after children leave home
B.an “empty nest” is always a happy thing
C.parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out
D.parents will be pleased after their children leave home
2.When did many couples feel happier according to the study?
A.At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.
B.Shortly after marrying.
C.Once their children reached their teenage years.
D.When they were bringing up babies.
3.Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.
A.many couples are able to spend time together
B.many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company
C.things are a little more relaxed
D.many couples needn’t work at all
4.The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.
A.parents should build their life around their kids
B.parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home
C.parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all
D.parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
With the increase in cross-country marriages, many Australian children are growing up with other languages spoken at home. Actually, it’s not just in Australia. In many countries, more and more children grow up speaking two, if not three or more languages. Thus, we know it is possible to learn more than one language from a young age. We also know that children are much better at learning another language than adults. But many parents have a common question. Should they speak to their children in their first language, or try to speak to them in the second language?
Some older studies have reported that bilingual(双语的) children learn language more slowly and have smaller vocabularies than others of the same age. Parents of bilingual developing children felt worried when they saw these reports. But these studies are doubtable. They haven’t taken schooling and parental income into consideration, both of which heavily influence language outcomes.
Recently some new studies focus mainly on the advantages of being bilingual. It appears that repeatedly switching from one language to another will exercise the brain. Bilingual children will particularly ignore unrelated information and keep unnecessary reactions under control. That makes the process of learning new rules much faster.
Some new Australians have no choice but to speak to their children in their native language. While learning English is quite necessary, connections to family cultural backgrounds are also important. Through the native language, children can better understand their parents’ native culture. Happily, being bilingual appears to be good for the cross-cultural communication.
1.What is the shared concern of many parents from bilingual families?
A.The schedule of training courses for children.
B.Their family members’ different living habits.
C.Their children’s losing interest in language learning.
D.The choice of the spoken language in the family’s daily life.
2.Why does the author doubt the older studies on bilingual children?
A.They used a lot of outdated data.
B.They were not done in Australia.
C.They ignored some influential aspects(方面).
D.They were not supported by scientific evidence.
3.According to the new studies, being bilingual can help children ________.
A.focus on certain things.
B.have more confidence in playing games.
C.show their strong family backgrounds.
D.lead a better life in the future.
4.What function (作用) of the native language is talked about in the last paragraph?
A.Remind parents of their homeland.
B.Bring economic benefits to parents.
C.Connect children to their family’s original culture.
D.Help children develop the habits of following rules.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
After growing up in the foster care system (寄养制度), Shante Elliott is working to help others come out of it. Shante Elliott is no _________ to the foster care system. _________, it was a system Elliott once moved around. She was forced to change schools, because she had to _________ with different homes over and over again before she finally _________ a long-term family at the age of 13.
After such a(n) _________ start in life, Elliott became the first member of her family to graduate from college. She _________ a foundation (基金会). She made use of her personal _________ to help others within the foster care system.
Elliott knows the teenagers in the foster care system face _________. “Often, these teenagers are not _________ as children but as adults,” said she. “Most __________ want to adopt a baby child.” Finding a long-term family is still what foster children __________ most. And for those who age out of the system without finding those forever homes, there are __________ challenges to face. These kids are at greater __________ of homelessness, health problems and dropping out of school, all of which can make them __________ more difficulties.
Elliott wants to see that shame __________. It’s a reality that Elliott wants to help others. The need for protection, love, chance and safety has no __________ limit. If more teenagers were adopted, youth would have more __________ results after foster care. And it’s why Elliott has devoted much of her life to __________ these kids and cleaning out the __________ that may prevent themselves from getting a chance.
Although she feels good about the work she is doing, she said she wanted to do more. “I am interested in creating a long-term __________ for children in the foster care system,’’ said Elliott.
1.A.relative B.stranger C.neighbour D.designer
2.A.Actually B.Finally C.Gradually D.Usually
3.A.share B.talk C.debate D.live
4.A.attacked B.lost C.found D.praised
5.A.swift B.difficult C.important D.practical
6.A.judged B.explored C.charged D.created
7.A.experience B.beauty C.forecast D.humor
8.A.competitions B.calculation C.disaster D.challenges
9.A.employed B.remembered C.treated D.described
10.A.organizations B.families C.adults D.managers
11.A.agree B.need C.hate D.learn
12.A.reliable B.national C.additional D.rare
13.A.performance B.practice C.risk D.request
14.A.face B.stop C.ignore D.admit
15.A.begin B.continue C.keep D.end
16.A.culture B.wealth C.interest D.age
17.A.unfair B.successful C.cheerful D.useless
18.A.disturbing B.punishing C.helping D.following
19.A.shame B.pain C.fear D.anger
20.A.change B.design C.show D.company
高一英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
Many children hope to grow up quickly and do what the adults do. But g 1. _ up is not easy. Sometimes all that is needed is someone to rely 2. . For many years, it was Mum. My mother was a career woman and had her 3. (自己的) problems to take care of, 4. when I needed her, she was always there. Her 5. (力量) came from somewhere I don't quite know, somewhere very deep. She was so strong that she would never 6. down, even if I went to her with all my little-boy problems and7. (喊) at her. She m 8. me stronger and gave me 9. (勇气) to try things others thought were impossible. A helping hand is always strong e 10. to lift you up.
高一英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Our children were upstairs unpacking,and I was looking out of the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. “What are you doing out there?” I called to him.
He looked up, smiling. “I’m making you a surprise.’’ I thought it could be just about anything. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us. Today, however, Dad would say no more ,and caught up in the business of our new life ,I eventually forgot about his surprise.
Until one gloomy day the next March when I glanced out of the window,I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番红花)throughout the front lawn 一 blue, yellow and my favorite pink ,with little faces moving up and down in the cold wind. I remembered the things Dad secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?
My father’s crocuses bloomed (开花)each spring for the next five seasons, always bringing the same assurance: Hard times are almost over. Hold on, keep going, and light is coming soon.
Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms and the next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses ,so I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs. But I never did. He died suddenly one October day. My family were in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith.
On a spring afternoon four years later, I was driving back when I felt depressed. It was Dad’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual — my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived up to his faith. Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. There on the muddy grass with small piles of melting snow ,bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.
How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years ago, one that hadn’t bloomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.
Hold on, keep going, and light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day, but it built my faith for a lifetime.
1.According to the first three paragraphs, we learn that ______.
A. it kept bothering the author not knowing what the surprise was
B. the author was unpacking when her father was making the surprise
C. it was not the first time that the author’s father had made a surprise
D. the author knew what the surprise was because she knew her father
2.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The author usually felt depressed in the season of winter.
B. The author’s father planted the crocuses to lift her low spirits.
C. The author often thought about her father after he died.
D. The crocuses bloomed each spring before her father died.
3.The author’s father should be best described as ______.
A. a part-time worker who loved flowers
B. a kind-hearted man who lived with faith
C. a full-time gardener with skillful hands
D. an ordinary man with doubts in his life
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Crocuses — My Source of Faith B.Crocuses— Father’s Surprise
C. A Pink Crocus — My Memory D.Crocuses in Blossom — My Favorite
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We felt it would be a good experience for our children to grow up seeing other cultures and learning to love others as a(n) ________.
A.company B.reminder C.equal D.hero
高一英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
We were moving to a new state after my husband had been out of work for many months and we had no money. In fact, we had to borrow money to reach our destination town. Anyway, it was my husband, two boys aged four and two, and myself, seven months pregnant (怀孕), in an old Volvo station wagon. We had been driving for two days in the middle of winter (that car’s heater didn’t work), and we had taken a route that was very desolate. There was nothing around for miles-no cars, buildings or signs of civilization. Suddenly, our car started losing power and the gauges(汽油表) went all out of order. We saw a light in the distance and managed to roll to a stop in front of this property that looked like a small simple house. Our cell phones had not gotten reception for many miles, and it was freezing outside, so I didn’t know if we were going to make it out of this situation alive. My husband got out of the car to see if there was something he could do to get us rolling again, but it was not looking good. A short while later, a man came out of the house and spoke with my husband a bit before inviting us all into his home. He and his wife took us in, fed us, and made us feel at home as we struggled to find some way to get to our destination, which was still a few hours’ drive away. We were able to call a friend and get a ride, leaving our broken car behind, but not before the couple gave us food and water for our journey. One week later, this dear sweet couple pulled our car all the way to our place and refused to take anything in return, except for us to pay it forward-and we have, and will continue to do it forever.
1.We can learn from the text that the family________.
A. had a hopeless future
B. was in financial difficulty
C. suffered from a company crash
D. wanted to turn to their relatives for help
2.The underlined word “ desolate” probably mean________.
A. deserted B. advanced
C. smooth D. muddy
3.Knowing that the wagon had broken down, the author________.
A. called her friend several miles away for help
B. stopped the car in front of a simple service station
C. was afraid that they couldn’t overcome the difficulty
D. encouraged her husband and children to be confident
4.We can learn from the text that the family___________.
A. got out of their financial difficulty
B. met with more troubles after that
C. came back to thank the couple who had helped them
D. followed the couple’s example in return for their help
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Children need a lot to grow up, but ________ they need love and care.
A.above all B.in all C.at all D.after all
高一英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Children need a lot to grow up, but ________ they need love and care.
A.above all B.in all C.at all D.after all
高一英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Children find meanings in their old family tales.
When Stephen Guyer’s three children were growing up, he told them stories about how his grandfather, a banker,1all in the 1930s, but did not lose sight of what he valued most. In one of the darkest times 2his strong-minded grandfather was nearly3 , he loaded his family into the car and 4them to see family members in Canada with a 5, “there are more important things in life than money”.
The 6took on a new meaning recently when Mr. Guyer downsized to7house from a more expensive and comfortable one. He was 8 that his children, a daughter, 15, and twins, 22, would be upset.To his surprise, they weren’t. 9 , their reaction echoed (共鸣) their great-grandfather’s.What they10was how warm the people were in the house and how 11 of their heart was accessible.
Many parents are finding that family stories have surprising power to help children
12 hard times. Storytelling experts say the phenomenon reflects a growing 13 in telling tales, evidenced by a rise in storytelling events and festivals.
A university 14of 65 families with children aged from 14 to 16 found kids’ ability to 15parents’ stories was linked to a lower rate of anger and anxiety.
The 16is telling the stories in a way children can17. We’re not talking here about the kind of story that 18, “ When I was a kid, I walked to school every day uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow.” Instead, we should choose a story suited to the child’s 19, and make eye contact (接触) to create “a personal experience”. We don’t have to tell children 20 they should take from the story and what the moral is.
1. A.missed B.lost C.forgot D.ignored
2. A.when B.while C.how D.why
3. A.friendless B.worthless C.penniless D.homeless
4. A.fetched B.allowed C.expected D.took
5. A.hope B.promise C.suggestion D.belief
6. A.tale B.agreement C.arrangement D.report
7. A.large B.small C.new D.grand
8. A.surprised B.annoyed C.disappointed D.worried
9. A.Therefore B.Besides C.Instead D.Otherwise
10. A.talked about B.cared about C.wrote about D.heard about
11. A.much B.many C.little D.few
12. A.beyond B.over C.behind D.through
13. A.argument B.skill C.interest D.anxiety
14. A.study B.design C.committee D.staff
15. A.provide B.retell C.support D.refuse
16. A.trouble B.gift C.fact D.trick
17. A.perform B.write C.bear D.question
18. A.means B.ends C.begins D.proves
19. A.needs B.activities C.judgments D.habits
20. A.that B.what C.which D.whom
高一英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析