大学一年级下学期-Unit9-passage-english-b

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<P1>Aroundtheworld,inrichandpoorcountriesalike,thestructureoffamilylifeis<1>undergoing</1>extremechanges,anewanalysisofresearchfromnumerouscountrieshas<2>concluded</2>.

"Theideathatthefamilyisastableand<3>orderly</3>unitinwhichfatherservesaseconomicproviderandmotherservesasemotionalcaregiverisamyth,"saidJudithBruce,aleadingauthorofthestudy.

"Therealityisthattrendslikeunmarriedmothers,risingdivorceratesandsmaller<4>households</4>arenotuniquetoAmerica,butareoccurringworldwide."

Thereportwas<5>released</5>TuesdaybythePopulation<6>Council</6>,aninternationalorganizationbasedinNewYorkthatstudiesissuesrelatedtochildbearing.

Its<7>graphs</7>bineinformationobtainedfromavarietyofpopulationandhouseholdstudiesfromdozensofcountries.

Asummaryofthemajor<8>findings</8>:

Whetherbecauseof<10>abandonment</10>,separation,divorceordeathofaspouse,marriagesare<11>dissolving</11>withincreasing<12>frequency</12>.

Inmanydevelopedcountries,divorceratesdoubledbetween1970and1990,andinless-developedcountries,aboutaquarteroffirstmarriagesendbythetimewomenareintheir40s.

Parentsintheir<13>prime</13>workingyearsfacegrowing<14>burdens</14>caringforchildren,whoneedtobesupportedthroughmoreyearsofeducation,andfortheirownparents,whoarelivinglonger.

Unmarriedmothersareincreasinglymonvirtuallyeverywhere,reachingasmanyasathirdofallbirthsinthenorthofEurope,forexample.

<P2>Childreninsingle-parenthouseholds¡ªusuallyfamilieswithonlyamotherpresent¡ªaremuchmorelikelytobe<15>overtaken</15>bypovertythanthosewholivewithtwoparents,largelybecauseofthelossofsupportfromthefathers.

Eveninhouseholdswherefathersarepresent,mothersarecarryingincreasingeconomicresponsibilityforchildren.

The<16>theme</16>thatfamiliesarechanginginsimilarways,eveninverydifferentcultures,shouldbringaboutnewthinkingonsocialpolicy,expertssay,andinparticularanincreaseintheimportanceoffamiliesinthe<17>agenda</17>ofgovernments.

ThePopulationCouncilreportsayswomenaroundtheworldtendtoworklongerhoursthanmen,bothathomeandonthejob.

Instudiesofseventeenless-developedcountries,women'sworkhoursexceededmen'sby30percent.

Datafromtwelve<18>industrialized</18>countriesfoundthatwomenemployedinregularjobsworkedabout20percentlongerhoursthanregularlyemployedmen.

Women'seconomiccontributionsalsoarebeingincreasinglyimportant.

InGhana,thereportsaid,athirdofhouseholdswithchildrenare<19>maintained</19>primarilybywomen.

<P3>InthePhilippines,womenwerefoundto<20>contribute</20>aboutathirdofhouseholds'<21>cash</21>ine,but55percentofhouseholdsupportiftheeconomicvalueoftheiractivitiesathome,suchasgrowingfoodorgathering<22>hay</22>tofeedthefamilydonkey,isincluded.

IntheUnitedStates,asurveyreleasedearlierthismonthfoundthatnearlyhalfofemployedmarriedwomencontributehalformoreoftheirfamily'sine.

<P4>Whilethereasonsforenteringtheworkforcemay<23>vary</23>fromcountrytocountry,womeneverywherearefindingthattogivetheirchildrenan<24>adequate</24>life,gettingajobisnolonger<25>optional</25>.

Highratesof<26>inflation</26>mayraisepricestothepointwherewomenareforcedtoearnmoneythemselves.

"IntraditionalBangladesh,awomanmayneedtogetajob<27>weaving</27><28>textiles</28>becauseherhusbandwasmucholder,anddiedwhilethechildrenwerestillyoung,"Ms.Brucesaid.

"InAfrica,aneighteen-year-oldwomanmightneedajobbecauseshehadababybeforemarriageandhasonlya<29>casual</29>relationshipwiththefather,orshemighthaveahusbandwhogoesontoanothermarriageandsupportsthechildrenofthatunion."

"InAsia,"sheadded,"thehusbandmayhave<30>migrated</30>forbettereconomicopportunitiesandstoppedsendingmoneyafterayearortwo.

<P5>Andeverywhere,parentsarefindingthattherearefewerjobsthatpayenoughtoallowafamilyto<31>scrape</31>byfinancially."

Evenamongruralpeopleinless-developedcountries,shesaid,theneedfor<32>currency</32>isbeingmore<33>urgent</33>.

<P6>"Parentsallovertheworldhaveanincreasing<34>awareness</34>oftheimportanceoflearning,andthattheirchildrenwillneedtobeabletoreadandwriteandusenumbers,"Ms.Brucesaid.

"Thatmeansthatinsteadofworkingwiththeminthefields,their6-year-oldisinschoollearningthealphabetandhowtoaddand<35>subtract</35>.

Asthereareusuallyno<36>scholarships</36>,themoneytopayforschoolfees,uniforms,<37>transportation</37>andsuppliesmustefromtheparents'<38>purse</38>."

<P7>Thefactthatmanydevelopingcountriesmust<39>trim</39>moneyfrompubliceducationaspartoftheir<40>debt</40>-reductionplanscreatesfurtherpressureonfamilies,shesaid.

OneapparentexceptiontothegeneraltrendsisJapan,wheresingle-parenthouseholdsandunmarriedmothershaveremainedrelatively<41>rare</41>.

<P8>ThePopulationCouncilreportfoundthatwhilemostcountrieshavedone<42>extensive</42>researchonwomenasmothers,menasfathershavebeenvirtually<43>invisible</43>toresearchers.

Butstudieshavefoundthatalthoughfathers'ineusuallyexceedsmothers'ine,womenusuallycontributealargerproportionoftheirinetotheirhousehold,whilemenkeepmorefortheirpersonaluse,suchasfore