In the classic marriage vow (誓约), couples promise to stay together in sickness and in health. But a new study finds that the risk of divorce among older couples rises when the wife- not the husband –becomes seriously ill.
“Married women diagnosed with a serious health condition may find themselves struggling with the impact of their disease while also experiencing the stress of divorce, " said researcher Amelia Karraker.
Karraker and co-author Kenzie Latham analyzed 20 years of data on 2, 717 marriages from a study conducted by Indiana University since 1992. At the time of the first interview, at least one of the partners was over the age of 50.
The researchers examined how the onset (发生) of four serious physical illnesses affected marriages. They found that, overall, 31% of marriages ended in divorce over the period studied. The incidence of new chronic ( 慢性的) illness onset increased over time as well, with more husbands than wives developing serious health problems.
“We found that women are doubly vulnerable to marital break-up in the face of illness,” Karraker said, "They’re more likely to be widowed, and if they’re the ones who become ill, they’re more likely to get divorced.
While the study didn't assess why divorce is more likely when wives but not husbands become seriously ill. Karraker offers a few possible reasons. “Gender norms and social expectations about caregiving may make it more difficult for men to provide care to sick spouses(配偶),” Karraker said. "And because of the imbalance in marriage markets, especially in older ages, divorced men have more choices among prospective partners than divorced women.”
Given the increasing concern about health care costs for the aging population, Karraker believes policymakers should be aware of the relationship between disease and risk of divorce.
“Offering support services to spouses caring for their other halves may reduce marital stress and prevent divorce at older ages.” she said. “But it's also important to recognize that the pressure to divorce may be health-related and that sick ex-wives may need additional care and services to prevent worsening health and increased health costs.”
1.What can we learn about marriage vows from the passage?
A.They may not guarantee a lasting marriage.
B.They are not taken seriously any more.
C.They are as binding as they used to be.
D.They may help couples tide over hard times.
2.What did Karraker and co-author Kenzie Latham find about elderly husbands?
A.They are generally not good at taking care of themselves.
B.They can become increasingly vulnerable to serious illnesses.
C.They can develop different kinds of illnesses just like their wives.
D.They are more likely to contract serious illnesses than their wives.
3.Why is it more difficult for men to take care of their sick spouses according to Karraker?
A.They are more accustomed to receiving care.
B.They find it more important to make money for the family.
C.They think it more urgent to fulfill their social obligations.
D.They expect society to do more of the job.
4.What does Karraker think is also important?
A.Reducing marital stress on wives.
B.Stabilizing old couples' relations.
C.Providing extra care for divorced women.
D.Making men pay for their wives’ health costs.
When she first started learning about the climate change from one of her elders, Fawn Sharp was invited on a helicopter flight over the the Olympic Mountains to survey the Mount Anderson glacier. But the glacier was gone, melted by the warming climate. Sharp had a deep sense of loss when she discovered the glacier wasn't there anymore.
Loss is a growing issue for people working and living on the front lines of climate change. And that gave Jennifer Wren Atkinson, a full-time lecturer at the university of Washionton Bothell, US, an idea for a class.
This term, she taught students on the Bothell campus about the emotional burdens of environmental studies. She used the experiences of Native American tribes(部落), scientists and activists, and asked her 24 students to face the reality that there is no easy fix--that “this is such an intractable problem that they're going to be dealing with it for the rest of their lives.”
Student Cody Dillon used to be a climate science skeptic(怀疑论者)， Then he did his own reading and research，and changed his mind.
Dillon wasn't going into environmental work- he was a computer-science major. Yet, the potential for a worldwide environmental catastrophe seemed so real to him five years ago that he quit his job and became a full-time volunteer for an environmental group that worked on restoration projects.
Six months into the work he decided that Atkinson’s class was just what he was looking for--a place where he could discuss his concerns about a changing climate.
Atkinson said she hopes the class helped her students prepare themselves for the amount of environmental loss that will happen over their lifetimes .
“We are already changing the planet--so many species are going to be lost, displaced or massively impacted, "she said, “The future isn't going to be what they imagined.”
1.Why did the author mention the case of Fawn Sharp?
A.To lay a basis for Fawn Sharp’s further research.
B.To prove Fawn Sharp's work is similar to Atkinson's.
C.To lead into the issue of loss caused by climate change.
D.To show scientists’ concern about the Mount Anderson glacier.
2.What's the main purpose of Atkinson’s class?
A.To explore how different people deal with climate change.
B.To get students more concemed about the environmental Issue.
C.To find solutions to the environmental issue of Olympic Mountains.
D.To teach students how to conduct research about environment.
3.Which of the following best explains "intractable" underlined in Paragraph Three?
A.Simple. B.Difficult.
C.Common. D.Interesting.
4.How did Atkinsons class influence Dillon?
A.It made him work as a part-time volunteer for restoration Projects.
B.It made him realize a planet-wide climate disaster would happen.
C.It encouraged him to be more involved in environmental protection.
D.It discouraged him from protecting the environment.
For a generation now, school reform has meant what students must be taught and carried out by standardized（标准化的）tests.
Here’s a thought experiment. Suppose that next year almost every student passed the tests. What would the reaction be from people? Would they shake their heads in respect and say, “Damn, those teachers must be good!”?
Of course not. Such remarkable success would be used as evidence that the tests were too easy and it needs to raise standards. “High standards” really means “standards that all students will never be able to meet”. My little thought experiment uncovers a truth that we have been taught to respond with doubt whenever all members of any group are successful. In America, success doesn’t count unless it is got by only a few.
Consider widespread complaints about “grade inflation（膨胀）” in higher education. Many people don’t even bother to stress that grades have risen over time. They simply point to how many students get A’s right now. The goal, in other words, isn’t to do well but to defeat other people who are also trying to do well. Grades in testing should be used to announce who’s beating whom. A school’s final task, apparently, is not to help everyone learn but to prepare the game so that there will always be losers.
This makes no sense in any situation. Perhaps, for example, we can defend rating states or nations based on the quality of their air, health care or schools, but ranking them is foolish. School testing ranking doesn’t lead to improvements in performance but tends to hold us back from doing our best. It makes productive teamwork less likely and leads all concerned to focus not on meaningful improvements but on trying to beat everyone else.
Most of all, it encourages the false belief that excellence is a zero-sum game. It would be more reasonable to rescue the spirit of the concept: Everyone may not succeed, but at least in theory all of us could.
1.What did the writer’s thought experiment prove?
A.Good teachers represent higher test scores.
B.Excellence is regarded as a rare thing.
C.American tests are usually too easy.
D.Students don’t meet the test standards.
2.What does the writer think American schools seem to do?
A.Promote teachers to teach better. B.Remove the belief of beating others.
C.Help all students do well at school. D.Ensure the existence of failures.
3.What is the writer’s attitude towards schools testing ranking?
A.Disapproving. B.Optimistic.
C.Sympathetic. D.Unconcerned.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.How Can Students Succeed? B.Why Can’t Everyone Get A’s?
C.What Standards Do Schools Set? D.Who Get Best Grades at School?
Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition & Theatre Tour is a unique international resource to explore Shakespeare’s works. Open all year round, it gives you an opportunity to learn more about the most famous playwright(剧作家)，Shakespeare, and helps you seek to further the experience and international understanding of him.
Group Visits to the Exhibition &Theatre Tour
Opening Hours
Exhibition: Monday—Sunday 9:00a.m.-5:.0p.m
Theatre Tours:
November-February 9:30a.m.-4:30p.m
March-October Monday: 9:30a.m.-5:00p.m
Tuesday-Saturday 9:30a.m.-12:30p.m Sunday 9:30a.m.-11:30a.m
Groups of 15 people or more are required to pre-book their visit, and each group will have its own guide for free. To make a reservation, please fill in a group request form and return it to us via email.
Exhibition and Theatre Tour Prices
Adult:£15.00 Senior(60+)£13.50 Student( with valid ID)£11.50 Child(5-15) £8.00
Complimentary: Every 16th person is free
• Getting here
Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE19DT,UK
We have currently improved security, with all bags being checked. Please arrive in good time, and do not bring any large bags and check the calendar before your visit or call 44(0)20 7902 1500 to find out about our latest opening times.
Visitors are advised to arrive by public transport or by taxi. There is a car park on Thames Exchange on the north side of Southwark Bridge ( open 24 hours, seven days a week). Cabs may be found all year round on Southwark Bridge. It may also be possible to pick one up from outside the entrance hall on New Globe Walk.
Where to eat
Swan at Shakespeare's Globe serves modern British seasonal food for dinner, afternoon tea or drinks, which is a beautiful bar and restaurant set over two floors, available for pre- and post-theatre dining.
Swan Restaurant
Monday-Friday 12noon-2:30p.m.& 6:00p.m-10:30p.m
Saturday: 12noon-3:30p.m.&6:00p.m
Sunday: 12noon-9:00p.m.
1.If a group of 20 children visit the Exhibition &Theatre Tour , what is required for them to do?
A.They need to hire a guide themselves.
B.They must be accompanied by an adult.
C.They have to pay £ 160 for tickets in total.
D.They need to make a reservation in advance.
2.Which of the following applies to visitors?
A.They're able to get a taxi near Southwark Bridge.
B.They can park on the south side of Southwark Bridge.
C.They are required to deposit their bags before entering.
D.It's more convenient to drive there than taking public transport.
3.What can we know about Swan Restaurant?
A.Afternoon tea is not served on Sunday.
B.It serves traditional seasonal food for dinner.
C.It is closed from 3 p. m. to 5 P. m. on workdays.
D.It serves three meals, drinks and afternoon tea.
Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.你安排了车来飞机场接我，想得真周到。( arrange)
2.医生告诫家长吃太多垃圾食品和快餐食品对孩子身体有害。(warn)
3.通过新技术，这一开发区域为中国发展最快的区域之一。( prove)
4.我们能保证你会对我们产品和服务的质量感到满意。( guarantee)
5.他常常由于巨大的工作压力而整夜失眠，这令家人对他的健康忧心忡忡。( which)
Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words, Use your own words as far as possible.
If someone you know asks you nosy (爱管闲事的) questions, then you are not obliged to answer if you don’t want to. Here it is more important that you have some polite brush-off (拒绝), but it is still not rude for you to refuse.
If you think they shouldn’t have asked the question like ‘How much money do you earn?’, then I strongly recommend looking very shocked and saying ‘I can’t believe you just asked me that!’ and either leaving them to get out of it or moving on yourself to another subject. If they try to press you by saying ‘I was just interested…’. Then you can keep the shocked look and say ‘I’ m not telling you that with as much emphasis as you like on the ‘you’.
But what if the question isn’t quite so unforgivable? Then you need a more smiling response: ‘I can’t possibly tell you that’ or ‘I’m not telling anyone that’ or ‘Wouldn’t you like to know?’ But you must stand firm, because otherwise they’ll never learn and will keep expecting you to tell them your innermost secrets. There is certainly never any need to tell your secrets just because someone else told theirs.
There are questions that seem perfectly reasonable- ‘Are you planning to move?’, ‘Are you going to go back to work?’, ‘Are you going on holiday this year?’-but if answered truthfully might lead to unexpected revelations of something bad. Here you are free to tell white lies and say ‘We don’t know/ haven’t decided yet/ haven’t really thought about it’. Looking vague and changing the subject is the key here. If the question was reasonable, then it’s polite to embarrass the asker as little as possible-they were probably only making conversation in the first place.
