2011职称英语阅读新增文章练习及答案
阅读第八篇：当代婚姻
The State of Marriage Today
Is there something seriously wrong with marriage today? During the past 50 years the rate of divorce in the United States has exploded: almost 50% of marriages end in divorce now, and the evidence suggests it is going to get worse. If this trend continues, it will lead to the breakup of the family, according to a spokesperson for the National Family Association. Some futurists predict that in 100 years, the average American will many at least four times, and extramarital affairs will be even more common than they are now。
But what are the reasons for this, and is the picture really so gloomy? The answer to the first question is really quite simple: marriage is no longer the necessity it once was. The institution of marriage has been based for years partly on economic need. Women used to be economically dependent on their husbands as they usually didn't have jobs outside the home. But with the rising number of women in well-paying jobs, this is no longer the case, so they don't feel that the5 need to stay in a failing marriage。
In answer to the second question, the outlook may not be as pessimistic as it seems, While the rate of divorce has risen, the rate of couples marrying has never actually fallen very much, so marriage is still quite popular. In addition to this. many couples now cohabit and don't bother to marry. These couples are effectively married, but they do not appear in either the marriage or divorce statistics. In fact, more than 50% of firs marriages survive. The statistics are deceptive because there is a higher number of divorces in second and third marriages than in first marriages。
So is marriage really an outdated institution? The fact that most people still get married indicates that it isn't. And it is also true that married couples have a healthier life than single people: they suffer less from stress and its consequences, such as heart problems, and married men generally consider themselves more contented than their single counterparts. Perhaps the key is to find out what makes a successful marriage and apply it to all of our relationships!
练习：
1. Which is true about the problem of marriage in the United States today?
A) Divorce leads to the breakup of the family。
B) Half of the married couples get divorced。
C) American people marry more than four times。
D) More and more people are getting divorced。
2. What does "this is no longer the case" in paragraph two mean?
A) It is not necessary to get married any more。
B) Women do not need a husband any longer。
C) Women are not economically dependant any more。
D) Many wives do well-paying jobs outside home now。
3. Why may the outlook of marriage not be as gloomy as it appears?
A) Many people still like to get married。
B) The rate of divorce has actually decreased。
C) Over 50% of the marriages continue to exist。
D) The statistics of divorce is not quite true。
4. How do people usually feel in their marriage life?
A) They are much healthier。
B) They feel no longer single。
C) They are more satisfied。
D) They suffer a lot less。
5. Which of the following about marriage is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A) There will be more relationships outside marriage。
B) Many people try to get married again after divorce。
C) Marriage has long been partly an economical need。
D) It is a fact that most people choose to get married。
译文：
如今的婚姻出什么严重问题了吗？在过去50年中，美国的离婚率暴涨：现在几乎50%的婚姻以离婚告终，证据显示，情况还将持续恶化。据美国国家联合会的发言人称，如果这种趋势持续下去，将导致家庭的破裂。一些未来学家预测，100年后的美国人将平均至少结四次婚，而婚外恋甚至将比现在更为普遍。
那问题的原因是什么？现状真的如此糟糕吗？第一个问题的答案十分简单：婚姻早已不像它过去那样非有不可了。从好些年前开始，经济需求已经只是婚姻的部分基础。过去，由于女性除了家庭以外没有任何工作，她们常常在经济上依赖丈夫。现在，随着高薪女性的增多，情况也已经改变。因此，她们觉得没有必要被一段失败的婚姻捆住手脚。
回答第二个问题，前景似乎不像它看起来那么令人悲观。尽管离婚率升高，但世纪结婚率并没有下降，所以说结婚还是挺流行的。除此之外，现在许多恋人同居但并不急着领证。这些人事实上已经结婚，但他们却是统计结婚与离婚率的盲区。超过50%的第一次婚姻实际上是成功的。之前数据的欺骗性在于二度与三度婚姻的离婚率要高于首次婚姻。
婚姻真的过时了吗？大多数人仍会结婚，这一事实证明不是这样的。而且事实上婚后夫妻比单身过着更健康的生活：他们压力较小，因压力产生的诸如心脏问题也相应减少。而且，婚后男性总体上较之配偶更为满意。也许，关键在于找出成功婚姻背后的秘诀并把它运用到我们所有人与人的关系中去。
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