Today's parents miss the golden age that their own mothers enjoyed in the 1970s and 1980s, researchers found.
Mothers have less time to themselves and feel under greater pressure to juggle work and family life than the previous generation. As a result, 88 per cent said they felt guilty about the lack of time they spent with their children.
The survey of 1,000 mothers also found that more than a third said they had less time to themselves than their mothers did — just three hours a week or 26 minutes a day.
And 64 percent said this was because they felt they 'had' to go out to work, while nearly a third (29 per cent) said they were under constant pressure to be the 'perfect mother', the report found.
Other findings showed social network and parenting website were important in proving help and support among female communities
Kate Fox, of the Social Issues Research Centre, which conducted the survey for Procter & Gamble, said: "With increasing pressure on mothers to work a 'double shift' — to be the perfect mother as well as a wage-earner — support networks are more important than ever."
It comes as a separate report examining childcare in the leading industrialized nations found that working mothers in Britain spend just 81 minutes a day caring for their children as a "primary activity".
Critics say the pressure on women to work long hours, and leave their children in the hands of nurseries or child minders, is putting the well-being of their children at risk.
The study also reveals that, despite the fact that more and more modern mothers go out to work, the burden of childcare still falls on them — even if their husband is not in work.
A father who is not in work tends to spend just 63 minutes a day looking after his child — 18 minutes less than a mother who goes out to work.
Working fathers spare less than three quarters of an hour with their children.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. More and more modern mothers go out to work to support the families.
B. Today's parents would rather leave their children in the hands of nurseries.
C. Today's parents have less time to take care of their children.
D. To keep the balance of work and family is not an easy thing.
2.What does the underlined word "juggle" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. keep objects in the air
B. do many things at once
C. change things
D. organize spending
3.According to Kate Fox, .
A. people should learn to relax by using the network
B. network plays an important role in society
C. mothers should make use of the network to gain support
D. it is impossible for woman to become the "double shift"
4.Today's mothers lack the time to company their children mainly because .
A. they have no choice but go to work
B. they are under constant pressure
C. they want to be "the perfect mother"
D. they have less time to themselves
5. Which of the following statements is True?
A. Mothers usually spend three hours looking after their children a day.
B. Since more and more modern mothers go out to work, the burden of childcare falls on fathers.
C. Child minders are good to the health of the children.
D. Mothers spend more time with their children than fathers.
He met her at a party. She was outstanding while he was normal. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee. She was 36 but due to being polite, she 37 . Sitting in a nice coffee shop, he was too 38 to say anything.
Suddenly he asked the 39 , "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him, so 40 ! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him 41 , "Why you have this hobby?" He replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked the 42 of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. 43 I have the salty coffee, I always 44 my childhood and my hometown. I miss my hometown and my parents." 45 saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. A man who can tell out his homesickness must be a man who has 46 of home.
That was a really beautiful 47 of their story. Then the story was just like every beautiful love story — the princess 48 the prince. And every time she made 49 for him, she put some salt in it, as she knew that's the 50 he liked it.
After 40 years, he passed away, 51 her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie — the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, 52 I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to 53 so I just went ahead. If I can live for the second time, I still want to have you for my whole life, 54 I have to drink the salty coffee again."
Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of 55 coffee? " She replied, " It's sweet."
1. A. surprised B. pleased C. satisfied D. excited
2.A. answered B. promised C. provided D. refused
3. A. curious B. jealous C. nervous D. cautious
4.A. waiter B. girl C. partner D. customer
5.A. outstanding B. bitter C. delicious D. strange
6.A. constantly B. curiously C. suddenly D. seriously
7.A. color B. character C. quality D. taste
8.A. Every time B. Next time C. The first time D. By the time
9.A. think out B. think over C. think of D. think up
10. A. Since B. Though C. While D. Because
11.A. responsibility B. concept C. consideration D. control
12.A. scene B. beginning C. comedy D. result
13.A. dated B. admired C. devoted D. married
14.A. tea B. water C. coffee D. milk
15.A. way B. method C. means D. route
16.A. left B. leaving C. writing D. wrote
17.A. fortunately B. actually C. happily D. possibly
18.A. change B. remind C. overcome D. remove
19.A. as though B. now that C. even though D. so that
20.A. sugared B. old C. instant D. salty
Children are taught to respect everyone, race, sex or age.
A. in terms of B. in the face of
C. regardless of D. in place of
— Is this book interesting?
— Yes, but I'm sure it won't interest .
A. everybody B. anybody C. nobody D. somebody
As most of their houses were badly damaged after the earthquake, many people had to be in a stadium.
A. put away B. put out C. put up D. put off
— Amazing! You wear slippers at work.
— Don't you know it's a fashion?
A. might B. should C. could D. would
